The Sword of the LORD

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.   Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.   Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD."   (Psalms 122:1-4)   Psalms 120 - 134 form a group of 15 songs that are designated as Songs of Degrees, or Songs of Ascent (literally, to go up, or steps).   There are a few differing theories as to their purpose, but all agree that they were sung by the Israelites as they made their way toward Jerusalem and the temple of God.   Some suggest that they were used by the Jews as they returned to the holy land from their captivity in Babylon.   Others believe that they may have been sung as the worshippers climbed the 15 steps that led from the court of the women to the court of the men in the temple at Jerusalem.   What I believe is the b...

"When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead.   When they enter, the prince shall enter with them, and when they go out, he shall go out."   (Ezekiel 46:9,10 ESV)   For several weeks these verses have been brought to my attention by the Holy Spirit; and for several weeks I have pondered how they were relevant to my life in particular, and to the church generally.   It wasn't until my wife and I took a trip to an IKEA store in our state that I began to get the picture.   Yes, God can use even the mundane and the common things in our lives to speak spiritual truth.   We just need to be open and sensitive to the Spirit at all times in order to hear that still, small voice inside.   W...

The thing that distinguishes the God of the Bible from every other so-called god that this world has worshipped over the course of time is: He speaks.   St. John writes in his Gospel, chapter one, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”   From the time of the creation of our world, when He uttered the words, “Let there be light,” even until now, He has delighted in speaking to man.   It was not just a one-sided conversation that He desired, however.   He came down into the Garden of Eden seeking man so that He could walk and talk with him, and find fellowship with him.   The most significant thing about speech is that it reveals the nature of the speaker.   We can make any number of judgments about a person if they never open their mouth; but once they begin to speak to us, it reveals something of themselves.   Their personality, their beliefs, their likes and dislikes: they all begin to take shape ...