Some facts about Traduction Francais Rihanna Russian Roulette

Raleigh January 19, 2013
Greensboro January 12, 2013
Hickory January 12, 2013
LIKE DAVID’S MIGHTY MEN
By Ron Kelley
Sometimes we are puzzled by why some things are contained in the Bible. There are the
listings of the “begets”; the description of all the animal sacrifices; and the intricate description
of the fixtures in the tabernacle. Yet all these things are there for a reason and meaning and
purpose can be found for them all. Perhaps another example of this can be found in the
naming of David’s mighty men in the Book of Chronicles. There is a detailed listing of the
names of the men and where they were from. We may wonder why this is there. Yet
contained in the listing of these mighty men is something that we may have overlooked. This
was something that Mr. Kilough mentioned in one of his seminars at Winter Family Weekend
and it struck me that this was something I had never noticed before. I decided that this would
make for a good sermon, so that’s why we’re going to take a look at this today. What can we
learn from the men David selected to be his mighty men by the descriptions given for us in this
chapter? In what ways should we be “Like David’s Mighty Men?” That is our title today. As we
begin, let’s first simply read through a few selected verses of the account, then we’ll go back
and make some comparisons for today.
1 Chronicles 12:
1 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a
fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men,
helpers in the war,
2 armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and
shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.
8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men
of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose
faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the
mountains.
18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We
are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to
you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you. So David received
them, and made them captains of the troop.
21 And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty
men of valor, and they were captains in the army
32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what
Israel ought to do”
33 of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war
with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks
36 of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation,
38 All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal
heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one
mind to make David king.
40 Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and
Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules
and oxen—provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine
and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
What are the analogies for us today? Certainly we can learn a lot from the historical record of
such Biblical accounts, but in order to maximize the spiritual intent of the Biblical instruction,
we often need to look for the spiritual application of the Old Testament accounts for us today.
So let’s look back and this account and notice some key phrases and descriptive words about
David’s Mighty Men that could apply to us as “God’s Army” in that we are considered to be
“Christian soldiers”.
Notice the phrase back in verse 1
1 Chronicles 12:
1 “helpers in the war”.
The word helper can also be translated “to surround, protect, aid, or to support”. They were
coming to help David who was not yet King! It says that he was still a fugitive from Saul. In
other words, these men were risking their lives to offer help and support to David. They no
doubt knew the risks involved with publicly offering aid and support to David, but they saw the
corruption of King Saul and the honorable and right ways of David and consciously made the
decision to “come to David”. They made the choice on their own; it was not forced on them to
support David. If things had not turned out as they did, these mighty men could have been put
to death for treason against the King, but they were willing to do that. They believed in
something for which they were willing to die. Does that sound familiar to us?
Luke 14:
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My
disciple.
27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My
disciple.
God expects a total commitment from us after we have made the decision to respond to His
calling. We cannot be part-time Christians and follow God whenever it’s convenient for us. At
baptism, we “joined the army” voluntarily, and our responsibility is” to help, to aid, to surround
and support” the Church of which we are now a part. As we do that, we are “helpers of God”.
We provide help to the Church in any way we can. For example, notice Romans 16: 1 Paul
said:
Romans 16:
1 “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in
Cenchrea,
2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and
assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has
been a helper of many and of myself also”.
We have many people like that today, but we can use more. All of us have ways in which we
can be helpers in the Church. There is much to do. If you have an attitude of wanting to help
and to serve, you will find a way.
Let’s move on to the next phrase: "armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left"
1 Chronicles 12:
2 armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and
shooting arrows with the bow.0pt"
[email protected]
Page 2 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
So these men were armed with the proper instruments of warfare for that time. We notice
especially that they were FULLY armed, both with the right and left hand – totally prepared for
offensive warfare – not just playing defense. It doesn’t take too much imagination for us to
think of a spiritual comparison for this.
Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the
breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God.
This is an active fight – we don’t’ just sit around passively and do nothing. We need to be on
the offensive—marching forward - progressing against Satan’s methods of warfare—not letting
him get a foothold on us. We are always moving ahead towards the Kingdom of God! Back to
Verse 8.
1 Chronicles 12:
8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness.
These were men from the tribe of Gad who were obviously very dissatisfied with what King
Saul was doing and willingly and bravely defected to the “righteous” ways of David. Again,
they were risking their lives to do this. The place where David had set up his base of
operations was called a “stronghold” and it was in the wilderness. It wasn’t out in the open as
part of everything else in the society. You had to know where it was in order to get to it. Even
though it was isolated, the location was fortified and well established. It wasn’t just some tent
out in the open desert. David operated from a position of strength and stability. He always did
that.
1 Samuel 23:
14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the
mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did
not deliver him into his hand.
19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding
with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah.
29 Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi.
David’s strongholds had to move from place to place –as he was always being hunted; but still
his fortification was strong and secure. The Church of God should be our stronghold and the
base of our operations as a Christian solder. The Church of God has had to move from time to
time also physically speaking, but we should operate from a foundation of strength.
1 Timothy 3:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct
yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar
and ground of the truth.
[email protected]
Page 3 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
See the strength associated with the Church here? The Church is not a social club. It is active
and alive and is to be a very powerful force in our lives. It is to change our lives.
Acts 16:
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to
keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number
daily.
We cannot be a congregation filled with people who are weak in the faith, and not spiritually
grounded. We must fight our Adversary from a position of strength and with the power of God
– with total faith and confidence in knowing from where our strength comes. In addition, the
Church is not your highly visible “church on the corner” and “ya’ll come”. We are very much “in
the wilderness”, not in view of the society around us. You have to be seeking the Church of
God in response to God’s calling if you are to find it. One more scripture I want to look at in
regards to strongholds is.
Nahum 1:
7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those
who trust in Him.
Not only is the Church our stronghold, but here we see that God is our stronghold too. I hope
we see that we are in a place of strength and security when we are an active part of the
Church and have a close relationship with God. Through these relationships we have a strong
defense against our enemy but we also move forward on the offense to conquer this enemy.
Without the Church and without a strong relationship with God, we are powerless to fight him.
Let’s go back to 1 Chronicles 12. The next descriptive phrase in verse 8 is
1 Chronicles 12:
8 “mighty men of valor”.
Most of us know the story of Gideon and his army of 300. Let’s notice the account when
Gideon is first approached by “the angel of the Lord” to deliver Israel from the Midianites.
Judges 6:
11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was
in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon
threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is
with you, you mighty man of valor!”
God is complimenting Gideon by calling him a mighty man of valor. What does that mean?
The definitions include: “exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in
battle; strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness:
personal bravery”. The New King James Bible has this phrase: “mighty men of valor” used 34
times. God appears to recognize the quality of courage and bravery in individuals and admires
it. Why do you suppose that is? What does God want us to learn about valor? In Deuteronomy
31:5, God speaks of courage when facing a fearsome situation.
Deuteronomy 31:
5 “The Lord will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to
every commandment which I have commanded you.
6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the
Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor
forsake you.”
7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be
strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land
which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause
them to inherit it.”
[email protected]
Page 4 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
We’re on our way to the Promised Land also; and we have a certain amount of danger and
obstacles to overcome on our journey. We’ll be talking more about that as we head into the
Days of Unleavened Bread. We cannot be fearful of what lies ahead of us. We cannot shrink
back from our responsibilities that God has given us. What things ARE we afraid of? Do we
lack the faith to obey God no matter what? Are we afraid of losing our jobs, so we give in and
work on the Sabbath? Do we miss the Feast of Tabernacles because we’re afraid of being
fired? Are we afraid to send in our tithes because we think we can’t afford it? If so, where is our
valor? Have we forgotten our commitment to God – no matter what? Is anything in our life
more important than Him? Is our very life more important to us than obedience to God?
Psalms 23:
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
What is this saying? Read it like you mean it! Revelation 2:10, this was the message to the
Smyrna Church and it certainly applies to us today.
Revelation 2:
10 “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the
devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and
you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you
the crown of life”.
It takes “mighty men (and women) of valor to face the uncertainty and possible persecution
that may lie ahead of us. When we think of having courage in the face of adversity, another
scripture that often comes to mind is
Psalm 91:
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take
refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by
day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays
waste at noonday.”
Do you have the courage to believe that? Do you have confidence or faith in statements like
that, or are you really fearful of the things that are coming? Our commitment to God must be
complete and total. We cannot hold back anything. When we were baptized, we totally
surrendered to Him – it’s not my life anymore – it’s yours. We pledged to do whatever He
asked us to do in service to Him. We are slaves to God; slaves to righteousness. God
expects us to face the future head on as “mighty men of valor”. There is certain amount of
honor and integrity in those words. It’s like we are well-trained soldiers marching together
undaunted by the challenges and battles ahead of us. We face the future with courage and
determination like David’s mighty men. That leads us to the next phrase of Verse 8.
1 Chronicles 12:
8 “men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear”.
[email protected]
Page 5 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
Part of the mission statement of the Church is that we are to “prepare a people”. Another way
of saying that is that we are a people who are being trained for special service to God. We
battle our Adversary today, but we are more importantly training for Administrative Offices in
the Government of God beginning in the 1000 year Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ. Our
training manual is the Holy Bible, and Sabbath Services and the Church itself is our school.
How are we doing in our training? How well can we handle our spiritual weapons?
2 Corinthians 10:
3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling
down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments (can we do that?) and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to
the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Do we fully appreciate the strength that God makes available to us? The Holy Spirit springs
from the Great God of this vast powerful universe! We really should feel like “mighty men” who
are capable of fighting – and winning – all spiritual wars; no matter how strong our adversary
may seem to be. We should enter any battle with full confidence that we are going to prevail.
God is with us! We should have no problem winning the arguments that would try to make us
give up or return to a sinful life. There’s really only one way we can do that – and that is to
know your Bible, and have full faith and confidence in what it says.
Hebrews 4:
12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Do we really look at the Bible in that way? Remember when the people heard Peter’s sermon
on the Day of Pentecost? What was their response at what they heard? They were “cut to the
heart”. That’s what needs to happen to us when we read the Bible and apply it to our own
lives and our personal situations. It needs to “pierce” us – or so convict our conscience that
we know what we MUST do. It is not optional. When we have that type of conviction and faith
in the Word of God, then we have a tremendous offensive and defensive weapon and are “like
David’s mighty men”.
The next phrase in Verse 18 says:
I Chronicles 8:
18 “Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We
are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to
you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.”
Can you imagine how that must have felt to David hearing such words as that? To have the
Chief of the Captains proclaim boldly and openly: “we are yours David! We are on your side!
We said that to the “General” of our Army when we were baptized. We told Jesus Christ and
God the Father – we belong totally to you – we are yours; we are on your side now. We gave
our lives to God in total surrender to His will for our lives.
Romans 6:
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God,
you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
[email protected]
Page 6 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
In every sense of the word, we are to become slaves to God. We can serve no other Master.
He has purchased us with the blood of Jesus Christ. Perhaps the major difference is that we
entered into this master/slave relationship willingly, but really our only other option is to face
eternal death. The mighty men of David then proclaimed their hope that David would find
peace for all of them. They really didn’t want war. What kind of peace do we have as soldiers
of Jesus Christ?
Philippians 4:
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:
15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called
in one body; and be thankful.”
John 14:
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I
give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Isaiah 26:
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because
he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever.”
Brethren, if we are not at peace, then something is wrong. These scriptures proclaim louder
than David’s Mighty Men that we are going to have peace when we are on God’s side! Like
Matthew 6 tells us – we don’t worry about anything! We are not anxious and upset about
anything. We are simply at peace. We know we are on God’s side, but more importantly, we
should know that God is on OUR side!
Psalms 118:
5 I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad
place.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Psalms 124:
1 “If the Lord had not been on our side...” (Israel should repeat this.)
2 “If the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us alive when their anger exploded against
us.
4 Then the floodwaters would have swept us away. An overflowing stream
would have washed us away.
5 Then raging water would have washed us away.”
6 Thank the Lord, who did not let them sink their teeth into us.
7 We escaped like a bird caught in a hunter’s trap. The trap was broken, and
we escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth”.
[email protected]
Page 7 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
The descriptions here are so colorful, but they are meant to paint a vivid picture for us of what
it is like for God to be “on our side”. You cannot be in a more safe and secure place – and that
leads to that perfect peace we were talking about. We need to ask ourselves if we are going to
believe this, or are we going to leave here today with all our anxieties, cares, concerns,
worries, problems still troubling us? Are you really on God’s side?
Back to 1 Chronicles 12:32
1 Chronicles 12:
32 “…of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what
Israel ought to do”.
If we don’t see the analogy to today pretty quickly there, then we’re not looking very closely!
This is the goal we should have individually, but certainly, this should be the objective of the
Church as a whole. We must be able to discern the times we are living in, and then know
exactly what we ought to do.
Matthew 24:
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already
become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the
doors!"
We often talk about watching world news. We’re told in Luke 21:
Luke 21:
36 "Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to
escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son
of man."
Do we? Are you going to be caught off guard because you have let down your guard – you’re
not aware of the times we’re living in? Parents, do you help your children understand world
news? Do they ever sit down and watch news shows with you? Do you talk about it with them?
Our teens need to know how today’s news relates to Bible prophecy. If you don’t teach them,
how will they know “what they ought to do?” When we understand the times, it helps us put
our priorities in the right place. We have our relationship right with God; we are walking with
God; we are on His side; we don’t worry about things; and we know what we ought to do. So
what should the Church as a whole be doing? I believe we are doing it. We need to be
preaching the Gospel as effectively as we can with the tools God provides us to work with; and
we need to be preparing a people. Yes, our organization is small, but I believe we are doing
the best we can with what we have and I believe God is going to bless our efforts as He sees
fit. I believe that as the Church also understands the times that God will show the Church what
we ought to do.
Amos 3:
7 “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His
servants the prophets.”
[email protected]
Page 8 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
I hope we believe that. I hope we recognize God’s servants by the fruit being produced in their
lives. I hope we are learning to trust when we see Godly fruit and Godly wisdom on display. I
hope we know that God really does work through human instruments who submit to His will. I
hope we all understand the times we are living in; how close we may be to the end of this age
and therefore what we ought to be doing. We cannot go on day after day thinking that things
are just going to continue as they have been.
2 Peter 3:
3 “knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking
according to their own lusts,
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation”.
10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the
heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with
fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons
ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.”
Just like the mighty men of God, this is our responsibility today. We must understand the
times we live in and therefore we ought to conduct ourselves in holiness, godliness and
righteousness.
Back to 1 Chronicles 12: Verse 33
1 Chronicles 12:
33 “…expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep
ranks
36 of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation.”
We’ve really already talked about being expert in weapons of war. But let’s stop on that
descriptive word: “stouthearted”. Some of you may remember a song about that from the
movie: “New Moon”, a 1940 film starring Nelson Eddy who sang this song to rally his men to
face a grim situation:
Give me some men who are stout-hearted men
Who will fight for the right they adore.
Start me with ten, who are stout-hearted men
And I'll soon give you ten thousand more.
Oh! Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder
They grow as they go to the fore!
Then there's nothing in the world can halt or mar a plan,
When stout-hearted men can stick together man to man
[email protected]
Page 9 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
Hopefully as the men and women of the Church, we feel that camaraderie with one another –
that we can face the future “arm in arm” knowing that we have each other’s back. As we walk
into the troubled times ahead, it’s going to be vitally important that we are courageous and
united in one body. That means that we are a people who are able to “keep ranks and stay in
battle formation”. This has certainly been a challenge for the Church of God over the past 40
years or so. Just because it has been a challenge does not mean it is not possible. We
cannot just assume that there will always be division and going in different directions. We
have read so many times about how we are to be speaking the same thing in unity and
harmony. Paul pleaded with the brethren that there be no divisions among them. The army of
God should not be divided – we should not break ranks – especially when we are being
attacked. That’s when the fearful will turn and run for their lives. I am not saying that any of us
were wrong in making the decision we made to be a part of this particular organization. We
make right choices based on right principles. I don’t believe any of us felt we moved away
from anything. As I told someone not long ago, I believe that I have not been the one who has
moved over the past 40 years. I believe the same as I did when I was a young adult in the
Church. So what can we do to help ensure that we will continue to stay in our ranks and in
battle formation in the future? That actually brings us to the next point in 1 Chronicles 12
Verse 38:
1 Chronicles 12:
38 “…came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and
all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king”.
The main way is to follow the Commanding Officer – Jesus Christ. We must be loyal to Him as
our King. I know everyone thinks they already do that; everyone’s ways are always right in
their own eyes. Remember we talked about knowing where Christ is working by clearly seeing
righteousness and the fruits of the Holy Spirit; and that the Word of God is accurately being
preached and followed. When we see that in our leaders, we must not break ranks. We
cannot go it alone or we will be picked off. We have a very powerful enemy to fight against.
The only way we defeat him is through the safety and protection of both of our spiritual parents
– are Father and our Mother. Remember from our last sermon what happens when we
separate from the vine; we become a withered up branch ready for burning.
"Romans 15:
5 “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded
toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is quite the challenge for us here. We’re told we need to be like-minded toward one
another as well as being like-minded toward God. Did you ever consider that if you are a
soldier, you aren’t really supposed to think differently from the Generals and commanders in
the army? You need to think like they do. Sometimes your life may depend on that. That’s
the way it is with us as soldiers in God’s Army. We had better be on the same page as the
Generals. Every soldier should be of the same mind and the same heart – knowing why we are
fighting and clearly knowing who the enemy is. The enemy is certainly not each other.
[email protected]
Page 10 of 11
LIKE DAVIDS MIGHTY MEN
Church of God, a Worldwide Association
Let’s wrap up by looking at the last characteristic of David’s Mighty Men in 1 Chronicles 12
Verse 40:
1 Chronicles 12:
40 “Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and
Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules
and oxen—provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine
and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel”.
I love this conclusion! The last descriptive characteristic of the mighty men was to bring a lot of
food and shout for joy! I can relate to that. What’s the spirit and intent of this verse for us in
our analogy? I believe it is a willingness to share and a spirit of fellowship, camaraderie, and
love for one another. Isn’t that what we’re doing when we bring food for snacks and food for
our social activities? We don’t have to do that, but we want to! We enjoy having a meal
together. We enjoy one another’s company and fellowship. There is such a special close
relationship among all of us that is just hard to describe. What is the result of all this? “There
was joy in Israel”. There is joy in the Church of God – in our congregations, in our homes, and
in our own hearts.
1 Peter 1:
7 “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold
that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and
glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet
believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”
I hope we all have that joy and that peace of God ruling in our hearts. There is no reason for
us not to. We’ve been called to be part of the greatest event of all human history. In fact, we
are called to be part of the greatest event in all spiritual history. What will be greater than the
birth of multiple thousands of God Beings all at once at the sound of the 7th Trumpet? What an
army that will be! The world will get its first glimpse of this army and God’s Mighty Men when
that Trumpet sounds and Jesus Christ begins to descend to this Earth.
Revelation 19:
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on
him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes
war.
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had
a name written that no one knew except Himself.
13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word
of God.
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed
Him on white horses.
15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the
nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS.
What an awesome time this will be! What a blessing God has granted to us that we should be
numbered among the Mighty Men of God! Let’s be sure we learn these lessons from David’s
Mighty Men of War. Our ultimate victory is coming soon!
[email protected]
Page 11 of 11