He Came With a Sword

Wednesday, September 3, 2026

“I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how it consumes me until it is finished! Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.  From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”  Luke 12:49-53

The “sword” that Jesus brought with him in the first century was not made of tempered steel or iron; rather it was the dividing line of an offer to stand with Him, or against Him.  And the dividing line is so sharp, just as a lethal blade can slice anything in its path, this dividing ideology of for Jesus, or against Jesus impacts eternity for whichever side an individual chooses.

To say that humanity is somewhat divided is to miss reality by light years.  Have you listened to a political debate or newscast lately?  Read the daily reports of crime and violence, or check the statistics on divorce, and even children seeking emancipation from their parents.  And the major reaction from any generation to a former generation’s ideas is the eyeroll that proclaims a definitive statement, did the asylum give you a day pass?

Now that division which Jesus came to bring is not simply generational arrogance.  Rather it is the starting point for any discussion of theology.  To be on board in Scriptural understanding, we must first settle who is in charge; is it the latest fad of cultural bias, old time religion that grandma said, a denominational booklet of do’s and don’ts, or is it the Creator, Lord of Heaven’s host, Son of God, the everlasting King of Kings and Lord of Lords? 

In this text recorded by Dr. Luke, Jesus said He came to bring that division; He claimed HE is in charge of the universe and everything (and person) in it.  That is the meaning of “LORD”!  Forget the earthly “lordship” of kings and land barons, this is THE LORD of time, space and eternity.  He created it all, and has the deed and title, signed, sealed and delivered, from in the beginning!

So, it was this LORD who decided there would be a dividing line.  Now remember, Jesus said He brought the division with Him; He did NOT say He wanted to divide people.  It’s just that when there is a yes and no, up or down, right or left, people will make their choices; that is where the division originates, in the minds and hearts of people.  Jesus was bringing light to the pathway of making the right choice, which is to open your heart and let Him shine that light on the sins anyone has still lodged in their hardened hearts.

For You Today

With His own blood, Jesus offered the free gift of redemption, the forgiveness of all our sins.  Have you made the choice to receive that forgiveness?  That’s important, because there is coming a day when the opportunity to make choices will come to an end.  On that day Christ will come with the sword of judgment for unforgiven sins – those for which you didn’t kneel and confess, and Jesus washed you clean. 

This is what Jesus said that next moment in eternal history will look like:

 A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.  Revelation 19:15

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title and Other Image by    Roger Casco from Pixabay

Unless noted, Scripture quotes The Christian Standard Bible^© 

 

 

 

Be Still...and Know

Friday, September 29, 2023

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.  So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.  Let the oceans roar and foam.  Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!  

….“Be still, and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.                          I will be honored throughout the world.”  Psalm 46:1-3, 10

When the storms of life head your way, it becomes an absolute necessity to know and trust the strength of the position you occupy.  It won’t do to start fixing the roof when the raindrops begin.  This is why Scripture constantly tells us, shows us, and reminds us to meditate on God, to study His Word, and trust His strength, rather than our own.  He is our roof, walls, and foundation; He wants us to survive the storms.  So…this morning, let’s meditate on God in the stillness:

Be Still and See His Creation

The Psalmist tells us God created all that we can see, as well as that which we still haven’t discovered.  Take a deep breath and contemplate how God has put you together, intricate, beautiful, capable of great kindness and compassion, having free will to serve goodness or evil; you are fearfully and wonderfully-made.

Be Still and See His Gentleness

With all His power to create the universe, God made sure we would have the tenderness to be gentle with that which is vulnerable.  What trust our God has in us to ennoble us with such gifts that display His image in us.  We are blessed with a family resemblance.

Be Still and See His Kindness  

God did not have to create us, or be gentle with His creation, but rather chose to do so because of His nature to be kind.  Even the covenant word used for God’s promises to all who look to him as Father…the word is lovingkindness.  That is the stuff of His creation and promises.

Be Still and See His Majesty

Mountains, plains, seas, sky, and all that is in them, declare the handiwork of God.  And with all of that to display his glory, God also has not chosen to live in a house made with bricks, mortar, wood, or stone; God lives within the crown of His creation…humankind.  He decorates his abode with love, compassion, and eternal life.

Be Still and See His Mercy

In the storms of our lives, God is there; He cares what we’re going through, and what we’ve learned, how much we’ve suffered, or laughed.  He knows us so fully…every molecule of our body, every thought of our being, every tear we’ve ever shed is collected in His bottle, and He knows every pure or vile thing we’ve thought or done.  And in His mercy, we are loved.

For You Today 

What could we possibly add to Creator, Gentle, Kind, Majestic, and Merciful? 

Tons more…we have just barely touched the slightest glimmer of the grandeur of God’s glory.  And the greater news is, for those who love Him and call Him Father, we will have an eternity to explore all He is, and the greatest measure of His love, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Title Image(s) courtesy of The Chosen via Wikimedia                      

Images without citation are in public domain.  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

BOLD Moments

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.  

Hebrews 4:14-16

I’ve never really been into daredevil stuff.  When I was young, I had little problem walking away from one of those “step across this line” challenges.  To this day, I’m not certain whether it was fear or wisdom.  In retrospect I’m thinking it was probably fear and the grace of God; wisdom was not my strong suit!  The sole tussle I got involved with was not by choice; one of my classmates jumped on my back during outside recess.  We were only third graders, so it wasn’t exactly an epic struggle to the death.  I can laugh about it now, but I still can recall thinking when that boy wrestled me to the ground:  Armageddon is here; I’m gonna die!

I can recall other fear-filled moments.  There was that time I was lost in the woods as a young boy, fearing I’d get eaten by a lion.  It was in the early evening and the darkness approached.  Of course the only lion on Long Island was in a  zoo, but you never know…!  There was also that time when I had just turned sixteen, gotten my driver’s license, and begged my Dad to let me drive his brand-new station wagon, his pride and joy, over to my best friend, Gene’s house to show.  I stayed too long, enjoying the newfound freedom.  In the dusk I never saw that old Plymouth coming…he creamed the left side of Dad’s new car. 

The thought of facing Dad, brought musings on how one could emigrate to Mars or Jupiter.  It wasn’t about boldly going where no man had been; more like preserving life and limb.  In the end, my Dad was kind, and the story had a good ending.  (Stay tuned for tomorrow’s devotion, and I’ll share it there).

Close calls with death in the wood’s growing darkness, or a third-grade playground war, or facing Dad with a marred rear fender panel cause us, even the youngest among us, to think about consequences.  That’s not a bad thing.  All of us need to have that thought, at least on the back burner, if not closer at hand.  Offending the laws of nature, or a playground bully’s space, or facing a Father’s wrath really should enter our thoughts; it is such that develop the wisdom of living a more righteous life, being a blessing, rather than a boil on humanity’s skin. 

And that brings up the main point about such thoughts:

Our Heavenly Father loves you more than his new station wagon!

And when that is firmly placed in your mind’s computer, your spiritual hard-drive, there is every reason to believe what Paul wrote to the Hebrew Christians about coming boldly into God’s very throne room.  For those who enter the presence of God, fully-knowing their offenses, there is no condemnation from the Father, only the mercy of forgiveness and restoration. 

For You Today 

Facing the author and creator of the universe and life may seem like the last thing you’d want to be bold about.  But the trust you exhibit as you take the first step in that door to His love, is just the first evidence of how wise you’ve become!  It’s then you’ll hear those words, well-done, faithful one!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

            Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

Chester's Prayer  and  When It Hurts So Much      

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

The Harvest of Wisdom

Friday, February 3, 2023

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.  For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom.  Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.  For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.  But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds.  It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.  James 3:13-18

The words of Apostle James flow as if a peaceful, cold stream of welcome water, refreshing a thirsty man trudging through the desert.  He presents a word picture of Godly wisdom (from above) that is healing and strength for anyone who would influence his generation for peace.  A true poet, James holds up the fruit of good deeds as an agricultural image of the holy grail of wisdom, resulting in a harvest of righteousness.  It’s a verbal feast of wholesome nourishment for any soul that longs for Godliness.

Quiet, gentle, and humble are words mostly evaporated in 21st century culture.  Sometimes it seems our Gross National Product is only measured in Loud, Irritating, and Bragging. 

Apostle James is lost on a culture preferring an elephant stampede over a quiet contemplation next to a peaceful stream in the valley.  For all the shrewd intellect creating mind-bending technological toys, released each year with much fanfare by Apple and its imitators, we have unhinged the consequence of our progress from the process.  We dabble with artificial intelligence, not intentionally planting seeds of righteousness in human children, to point the machines in peaceful directions.  We have six-year-olds, enamored by heroes of violence on their screens, bringing a gun to school to shoot their teachers.  They don’t have a clue that momentary act of selfish impulse will extinguish any peace their future could possibly hold.  In foolishness, like Esau, we forfeit the legacy of birthright to satisfy the craving for a pottage of the next half-second’s thrill of power. 

So, what’s to be done?  Is there a possibility of ever reclaiming something of a harvest of righteousness in the present caustic soil of selfishness and anger?  Are we doomed to starve for the lack of goodness?  Is there no peace whatsoever in our future?  I believe the answer to each of those questions is an unqualified YES, unless we are willing to return to planting wise seeds of purity, gentleness, kindness, mercy, hope, and worship of God in Christ Jesus.  If there will ever be a crop of righteousness, preparing the soil comes first.

For You Today  

The best grapes come from cultivated vines.  Those vines were planted long ago, and cared-for.  As the lineage of God’s people, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph recalled the mistakes of their forbears, and culled the weeds from their lives, all the while making new mistakes for the following generations to unravel, we must choose each day to plant new vines for a righteous harvest.  What seed do you hold in your hand right now?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

The Marriage of Belief and Behavior  and  Humility 

This is an updated version of “So Much Anger” published on Rocky Road Devotions January 16, 2014

Images:  Title Pixabay.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Without a Single Fault

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.  Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment.  Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.  Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.   Jude 22-24

It takes a mountain of skill, experience, and work for a carpenter to take a log and make it into a flawless work of art.  One careless, ill-placed strike of the hammer or chisel can make kindling for a fire, rather than a priceless piece of furniture, to be handed down from one generation to the next.  Wood, by its nature, carries with it the internal characteristics of all it has faced since the day the tender shoot broke the surface of the earth…storms, dry times, wind, cold, and every other force of every day.  There are flaws cradled in the core of every tree’s story.

Apostle Jude cautions each believer to take part in caring for each other, rescuing our brothers and sisters from the self-destructive nature we all possess.  At the same time we are to be careful we don’t cross the line of judging, doing more damage to our own walk of faith.  It’s a fine line between helping and harming.

I recall a time more than thirty years ago when the pressure of a challenging time as pastor of a dying church had stripped-away my outer bark to bare, cracked wood.  Internal power struggles were destroying what was left of that church.  I began to realize I was losing hope.  I spent more hours weeping in my study than preparing for Sunday worship.  My heart had more cracks than wood left in the desert sun for forty years.

A couple of men who were prayer warriors, and far above my pay-grade in spiritual warfare, recognized my empty fuel tank, and just happened to show up at the church one day around lunch time.  They would not take “no” for an answer, loaded the weary preacher in the back seat of the car, and carted me off for a two-hour lunch and time of prayer.  It didn’t solve the problems of that church (which took another two decades to finally close the front doors), but it lifted this man from the abyss! 

Those two could have been on the golf course, or tending to some need of their own; they chose to push the delirium of my personal faith crisis to a front row seat.  They helped me face the reality of a quagmire I’d allowed to overshadow and swallow my faith.  On that sunny Florida afternoon I received no epiphany of knowledge – and, truth be told, I didn’t need any more facts, or opinions about strategy, or just head knowledge – I got much better than any lesson.  What still stuns me from that afternoon has nothing to do with what I ate for lunch.  Or what was prayed.  Or who drove, or which car it was.  The memory I carry deep within is how much I was being loved. 

For You Today  

The fact of the quagmire with which you struggle, that deep, boggy, wet-mud that wants to drag your faith into oblivion, is part of the structure of your being’s core.  You were born with a sin nature that has endured many storms and parched moments.  You don’t know how it could be, that Jude could believe you will be presented to Christ without flaw.  But it’s even better than you hoped. 

That whole group of believers you gather with at church on Sunday – God has prepared them for you, and you for them…to be carpenter’s glue to all your woody cracks and flaws.  He’s building a masterpiece of an heirloom out of your life.  You are loved by Him, through them.  You go cooperate with Him in that!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

       Living in a War Zone   and   Chained Like Angels

Images:  Title Pixabay.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Stan...

Friday, November 4, 2022

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:  to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8

On Wednesday we said goodbye to Stan Bingham, a friend and church member.  Only time and the unfolding of life’s mystery and purposes of God will tell the total of Stan’s doing right, loving mercy, and walking humbly with his God.  However, I strongly suspect the talley of all that will not do his memory any harm in his new home, a place not made with hands, where he sees clearly what he has meant to the countless people his life and kindness touched, as well as the love with which his Savior, Jesus Christ, embraced him.

I’m writing this on Thursday (the day before you read it, and the day after the gathering of saints and sinners to say that goodbye…and I am as exhausted as I’ve ever been – maybe more).  Being in a sizeable crowd, and responsible to lead a service for someone who is a legend in North Carolina’s legislative chronicles, well…my supply of energy isn’t grand to begin-with…yesterday ran the tank dry.    I feel a little like one of Stan’s dogs from a story posted in Lexington’s Dispatch, about the VW Stan had converted to run on used cooking oil.  

Whenever the Senator would arrive home from an event where he drove the Bug, the hounds would come running to the scent of french fries.  Stan said he feared he’d not get to them in time to keep them from killing themselves on fry-fumes.

From saving his old dogs from themselves, to more than 170 bills passed in the legislature over 16 years, Stan was always shooting for doing right, loving mercy, and being humble enough to not care who gets the credit.

One of the speakers at the service[1], Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, shared that story in his eulogy, and it helped continue the theme of a joy-fillled homegoing for a much-loved, larger-than-life, prank-loving legislator, who was taken home so suddenly.  It was a grand send-off.

As a personal note of observation, tempered by 75 years of watching people, more than 40 of those years being a people-watching pastor, I can say I was most impressed by a mother and her four daughters, Stan’s closest family, long used to the press, and the fishbowl of public life, but less-mindful of the presence of all the trappings of that life, rather focused on celebrating the joy of a man who loved, and lived his life working for justice and mercy, all the while walking humbly with his God.

For You Today ,

You might be a good-sized cog in the wheel of life, or, like me, a rather smallish cog, who gets worn-down easily amongst the bigger cogs; either way, remember this:  you’re a cog that God loves, and has you in the right place on His wheel. 

So take that as seriously as my friend, Stan, by loving God with your whole heart, poured-into doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with He who gave you that first, and every breath you take on this planet.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions libraryI.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

       Do What?   and   Resetting the Compass

[1] Images: Title image courtesy of The Denton Orator, Used with permission by Bingham family   

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] You can watch the entire homegoing service for Stan Bingham on YouTube HERE