2 SWORD OF THE LORD January 20 , 2023
“ And let us not be weary in well doing : for in due season we shall reap , if we faint not .”— Gal . 6:9 .
We are fully aware of the laws of sowing and reaping . For example , you sow first , then you reap . The reaping always comes later than the sowing . You cannot reap unless you sow . You always reap more than you sow . You can expect to reap whatever it is that you sow . We know these basic laws . Many times we have seen them function just as God designed them .
The verse I ’ ve noted above brings some additional light to the matter . So let ’ s apply what we see here .
1 . You do have sowing options ( vs . 8 ). Just as the farmer will choose which crops to plant , each of us must decide what we sow and where we sow in both life and ministry . If you run with a worldly crowd or with a company of compromisers , you will con - sequently be sowing negatively .
2 . Both sowing and reaping are definitely work . You can dream ( and you should ). You can spend time in your office ( and you should ). You can fellowship with your fellow Christians ( and you should ). But you must not let even such good things deter you from “ the work ” of sowing and reaping .
The secret to your success in ministry is not your computer or other technological gadgets . As important as it is for us to have the power of God , it is still necessary for us to “ work .”
3 . We may get tired , but we must not become “ weary .” The person who is weary is about to be a quitter . He is no doubt giving discouragement a place to lodge . He may be sidetracked by the grunts and groans of the people around him .
“ Weary ” may be somewhat physical , but it is primarily mental and spiritual . If you see it coming your way , deal with it and correct the situation .
4 . The “ weary ” complex always attacks the best things . It is the “ well doing ” where most of us cave in . I ’ m talking about the solid Christian life , the separated lifestyle , the spiritual disciplines , our church attendance , our soul winning , our giving and our service ( preaching , teaching , bus routes , etc .).
5 . The key is “ faint not .” That simply means don ’ t wilt under pres - sure . Don ’ t let up because you are unappreciated . Don ’ t let your critics back you off . Stay at the task . Don ’ t lose heart . Stay excited about the Lord and what you are doing for Him .
In other words , let it never be said , “ Well , I used to .…”
6 . There is a “ due season .” If you sow some every day , you have a good chance of having a year - round harvest , but you must not be impatient . The reaping often comes weeks , months and even years after the sowing . You must give it time .
7 . The Lord ’ s sure promise is “ we shall reap .” As I review Matthew 13 in Jesus ’ parable of the sower , I am informed that a lot can go wrong in the sowing and reaping process . As a result of living in this old world , where the Devil roams about and things are spinning wildly out of control , you will sow some seed that will be destroyed .
Jesus made it clear that some would not produce , but He also assured us that if we sowed generously some of our efforts would produce in full measure . Yes , His promise is “ we shall reap .”
In View of These Principles , Let ’ s Do Our Best
Just this morning a pastor friend called and was rejoicing over the Lord ’ s blessings in his church . He said to me , “ Don ’ t tell anybody ; but having church Sunday morning , Sunday night and Wednesday night still works . Preaching the Bible still works . Knocking on doors and winning souls still works . Running buses still works . Singing out of the hymnal still works .”
He was kidding , of course , when he said not to tell anybody , but we rejoiced together . His Sunday school is up , the auditorium is full , giving is up , people are joining , con - verts are being baptized and a lot of other good things are happening .
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Remember this :
1 . The world may be headed wrong , but the way of the Lord is always right .
2 . While others are wasting their time whining , you and I can be busy at the task .
3 . The Lord ’ s orders are the same today as they were a decade ago or a century ago .
4 . The darkness may be gath - ering , but the light of the Lord still shines through it all .
5 . The toughest of times creates the greatest of opportunities for us .
6 . The servants of God can still be Spirit-filled , Heaven-blessed and abundantly fruitful .
7 . The Lord ’ s presence , His prom ises and His power are all available to us every single day .
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Let ’ s keep living the Christian life . Let ’ s keep praying . Let ’ s keep training soul winners . Let ’ s keep preaching . Let ’ s keep going after the lost . Let ’ s keep running buses . Let ’ s keep giving . Let ’ s stay in church . Let ’ s do it . Now is the time .
Amen ! Amen ! Amen !
A Happy Camper
At the Sword Men ’ s Conference last November I did a thirty-minute teaching session that I entitled “ I ’ m a Happy Camper .” I ’ m not going to give you the outline or the script of what I did then , but I do want to strum that chord once again .
From my own personal ex - perience and my observations in working with a lot of other people , I ’ m convinced that as a Christian you need to get yourself happy . If you want to serve the Lord with your life and do so successfully , you need to get happy . Certainly if you are a pastor , evangelist or missionary , you need the joy of the Lord and you need to be a happy person .
Of course , happiness is the ex - ternal expression of that Holy Spirit-produced internal joy . So you must let the Spirit of God produce what He can do if you expect to perform as you should .
I ’ m aware that a person can fake happiness for a time , but it will be for only a time . Some people smile big in public and then crash hard when they close their doors on the day .
When I talk about a “ happy camp er ,” I ’ m talking about your be - ing saved and thrilled about it . I ’ m talking about your being stirred and excited at church time .
There is simply no good reason , no excuse , for any of us to be “ down in the mouth ” whiners who com - plain all the time .
If you are taking your daily sus - tenance from Hollywood , cable television and the internet , it is no wonder that you are a grump .
You ’ re saved , so cheer up ! You ’ re born again , so rejoice ! You ’ re justified , what a deal ! You ’ re forgiven , thank the Lord ! You ’ re redeemed , what a blessing !
You ’ re eternally secure , amen , amen !
You ’ re Heaven-bound , shout it out !
How about it , dear friends ? Join with me and let a part of your testimony be “ I ’ m a happy camper !”
Ponderings From My Pen
In the pursuit of living for the Lord , I struggle every day against petty things to do priority things , against good things to do great things , against incidental things to do eternal things . The struggle is normal ; it ’ s when there is no struggle
Continued on p 3▶
Noteworthy News
■ Continued from p 1■ Twitter Files Release Major News
The release of Elon Musk ’ s “ Twitter Files ” has seemingly bolstered long-standing suspicions about the efforts of the social media company to suppress information that does not align with its employees ’ preferred opinions and narratives .
Since purchasing Twitter in October , Musk has committed to free speech as a top priority , vowing transparency .
— Ryan Foley , christianpost . com
EDITOR ’ S COMMENTS : The release of these files is major news because they show that a major amount of corruption attended both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections .
Pelosi Praises a Pedophile , Says Same-Sex Marriage Reflects “ Divinity ”
As one of her last acts as Speaker of the House , Nancy Pelosi ( D- Calif .) declared a bill foisting same-sex marriage on all 50 states reflects “ the divinity ” inside every human being , then praised the memory of a homosexual-identifying pedophile . She and her fellow Democratic colleagues then derided “ the forces of hate ” that oppose same-sex marriage ....
By forcing Americans to support homosexual unions , Pelosi said on the House floor , “ we stand up for the values that the vast majority of Americans hold dear : a belief in the dignity , beauty and divinity — divinity — spark of divinity in every person , and abiding respect for love so powerful that it binds two people together .”
— Ben Johnson , washingtonstand . com
EDITOR ’ S COMMENTS : When the president signed the bill , he also commented about the “ hate ” of those who opposed homo - sexual marriages . Let ’ s be clear — the “ hate ” is being exhibited by them toward those who disagree with them . As Christians , we do disagree , but we do not do so in any hateful or violent way . We simply cannot give our consent to what God calls “ an abomination ” ( Lev . 18:22 ; 20:13 ).
Detransitioning Navy SEAL Says Transition “ Destroyed My Life ”
Chris Beck , a retired Navy SEAL who announced nearly a decade ago that he wanted to change his sex , has revealed that he is now detransitioning . Beck , who served as a Navy SEAL for 20 years , explained in a recent podcast interview with conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck that he wants to share his experience to help young people who may be considering transitioning . Beck described how it only took a one-hour visit with Veterans Affairs to be offered hormones for gender transition . “ I walked into a psychologist ’ s office [ and ] in one day , I have a letter in my hand saying I was transgender .... I had so much going wrong ... when I started taking those [ hormones ].
“ Some of that was paid for by the VA , and I ’ m sorry to the American people that I did that ,” Beck stated . Beck also asserted that people should not believe his 2013 CNN appearance during which he told Anderson Cooper why he wanted to identify as a woman . “ Everything you see on CNN with my face , do not even believe a word of it . Everything that happened to me for the last 10 years destroyed my life .”
— christianpost . com
U . S . Cautions About “ Next Generation ” of Jihadi Fighters
U . S . forces and their allies killed at least 686 Islamic State operatives in Iraq and Syria in 2022 “ to degrade the terror group ’ s ability to direct and inspire destabilizing attacks in the region and globally ,” according to the U . S . Central Command . “ No U . S . forces were injured or killed ” in the 313 operations the American troops and partner forces conducted this year , per CENTCOM . “ While we have significantly degraded ( ISIS ’ s ) capability , the vile ideology remains uncontained and unconstrained ,” CENTCOM commander General Michael “ Erik ” Kurilla said . Kurilla further cautioned about the “ potential next generation of ISIS ,” saying , “ These are the more than 25,000 children in the al-Hol camp ( in northern Syria ) who are in danger . These children in the camp are prime targets for ISIS radicalization .”... Advocates have long raised human rights concerns within the al-Hol camp where over 50,000 people , mostly Islamic State fighters ’ family members , live .
— christianpost . com
Judge Rules Against New York ’ s Ban on Guns in Churches
Judge John L . Sinatra Jr . of the Western District of New York has temporarily blocked the state of New York from enforcing its new law banning guns in houses of worship against a pastor and church who argue that the law violates their constitutional rights .
Sinatra ruled ... that Senate Bill S51001 , which prohibits carrying firearms in “ sensitive locations ,” including houses of worship , violated the Second Amendment to the U . S . Constitution .
— christianpost . com
EDITOR ’ S COMMENTS : The so-called “ safe zones ” where no guns are allowed makes everyone unsafe . The people who commit violence with guns look for places where nobody can fight back . This New York judge got this right .
Biden Leaves Name of Jesus Out of Christmas Message
Joe Biden left the name of Jesus Christ out of his Christmas message .... Continued on p 11 ▶