The Sword of the LORD

Anticipating the seemingly super-human effort of the athletes at the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics, I have to think about the preparation and training that these men and women go through for such accomplishments to be possible.  They all start their training at an early age, and all commit their lives to becoming the best at his/her sport.  The hours and years that they each spend perfecting their technique and strengthening their body, as well as the personal sacrifices that each has made, have paid off in making them the best athletes in the world.    Thinking about the dedication and sacrifice of all the great athletes that will compete, I’m reminded of Saint Paul’s words in his letter to the Philippians where he writes, “ Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:8).   Fur...

"The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.  This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes." (Psalms 118:22).   "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." (Isaiah 53:1-3).   It is incredible to think that the very children of God, the Israelites, who searched the scriptures continually and who looked for the signs of the coming of their Messiah, could miss His appearing altogether.  Even when they were told plainly that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, they not only were blind to the facts and the prophecies, but the...

"Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.  Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.  But where shall wisdom be found ? and where is the place of understanding ?  Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.  The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.  It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.  It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.  Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding ?" (Job 28:1, 2, 12-16, 20).   In this 28th chapter of the book of the Bible that is named for him, Job is merely vocalizing something which men have wondered about since the beginning of their history on earth.  "Where shall wisdom be found?"  If metals, both precious and common, can be found in secret veins that run t...

After John the Baptist was arrested and cast into prison by King Herod, Jesus left His childhood home of Nazareth and went into Galilee to the city of Capernaum to live.   From there, He traveled throughout Galilee preaching the Gospel in their synagogues and working miracles.   Afterwards, the Lord returned to Capernaum.   Word spread quickly that He was there, and soon, the house was filled with people who wanted to see and hear Him.   It was so crowded that folks were spilling out of the doorways. (Mark 2:1, 2).   At some point, four men arrived who were carrying another man on some sort of couch or bed.   When they had surveyed the situation, they assessed that the only way they were going to be able to bring their friend before Jesus would be to break up a section of the roof and lower him down before the Lord.   I can only imagine the stir it must   have caused inside the house as the people watched the ceiling opening up above them and ...

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16 RSV).   "Girding up one's loins" is not an expression that we are very familiar with in the 21st century, but it was a very common phrase in Bible times, and everyone back then knew exactly what was meant by it.   When Peter penned his first general letter to the churches of his time, he was inspired to use this particular phrase to communicate the specific imagery that the people of the time would understand and relate to.     In Bible times the men and women wore long tunics or robes which varied in length.   The women usually wore a longer tunic that rea...

"When He [Jesus] had heard therefore that he [Lazarus] was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was ." (John 11:6).   It appears that as Christians, if we would be wise, then we must become foolish; if we would have power, then we must become weak; and if we would know true life, then we must experience death.   This, of course, runs contrary to all that we think should be true naturally.   Concepts such as these are alien to our natural reasoning, and to all our human inclinations.   We always want to excel, we always want to be blessed, and we always want to have all the answers; but God often works the opposite of what we expect.   Chapter 11 of St. John tells the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead.   Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, very much.   When He heard that His friend was sick, however, Jesus waited two more days before going to him, knowing that Lazarus would die during that perio...

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God THROUGH FAITH unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  Wherein ye greatly rejoice THOUGH NOW FOR A SEASON, IF NEED BE, YE ARE IN HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD TEMPTATIONS: THAT THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN OF GOLD THAT PERISHETH, THOUGH IT BE TRIED WITH FIRE, MIGHT BE FOUND UNTO PRAISE AND HONOR AND GLORY AT THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST : Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (I Peter 1:3-8).   “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?”   (St. Luke 18:8).   The most valuable p...