Category Archives: Serving

Killing lions, cleaning toilets

Indiana Jones would be a little jealous of all the amazing acts of bravery by this Mighty Man, Benaiah. Never heard of him? He was in charge of David’s bodyguards. He wasn’t over the army, Joab was The Big Cheese there but once a year Benaiah took a month-long shift as the leader of David’s army. He also supervised the mercenary forces that also fought for the cause and for David. Details are important here, stick with me! (smile)

Benaiah was especially known for his bravery and skills in combat. “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab.” 2 Samuel 23:20a ESV.

The meaning of the word ariel is not known. The KJV originally translated it to lion-like because the word ariel was similar to lion. Others think the meaning might have been closer to an army or a cohort of men, meaning he killed more than two by himself. Regardless, we see he was not afraid to take on the impossible.

The next verse says, “He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

I have read this so many times my head hurts. My big question is “Why?” and all I can come up with is because it needed to be done and I am sure no one else volunteered.

If the oversized cat was injured, or stuck in the pit, then Benaiah was on a mercy mission. Maybe he thought the lion could escape and do more damage so it would be best to take care of him while he was semi-captive.

Think about it: It’s snowing outside so the pit would be slick and difficult to get in and out of if you did need to get away. He is fighting the King of Beasts under the worst possible conditions in a most difficult place. If he starts swinging he had better not miss!

This group of scripture also tells us, “And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

Other translations say this huge Egyptian was 7 ½ feet tall. Not quite as tall as Goliath but still a giant of a man. The giant had a spear in his hand as big as a weaver’s beam and Benaiah only had a club. He decided these were not the best odds so he just took the spear from the Egyptian by using his club to swipe it out of his hand! Then he proceeded to kill him with his own spear.

Fearless.

“Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors.  He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.” 2 Samuel 23:20-23 NIV

As famous as The Three, held in greater honor than any of The Thirty but not included among The Three. We are not told why Benaiah was so well thought of but then not elevated to the prestige of The Three.

And it doesn’t really matter.

For if Benaiah was anything like the other men in David’s elite group of warriors, he wasn’t looking for fame and notoriety. He was looking to serve and do for David whatever it took to keep him safe and to forward the kingdom. Benaiah wasn’t afraid to take on the enemy!

The devil is talked about as a roaring lion, going about and seeking anyone that he can devour. We can picture a lion roaming and stalking its prey until the time is right to pounce. But Benaiah didn’t wait for the attack he went in and took care of the enemy before he had time to do any damage.

We can do that same thing today. As Mighty Warriors in the army of God, we are given one offensive weapon in the Armor of God.  This Sword is the Word of God and if we use it offensively, to fight back the kingdom of this world, the kingdom of darkness, we can build a hedge of protection around our families, churches, neighborhoods, etc.

This Sword is powerful! For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…” Hebrews 4:12.

It is our job to serve, as Benaiah did David, to be ready at our post in the Kingdom of God and do whatever it is that needs to be done.

Think you are called to preach the Gospel? Begin your ministry in the janitor’s closet.

Maybe you literally are the janitor at your church; there is no greater honor than to make sure the house of God looks its very best! If you can clean toilets, and do it with a joyful heart, God knows He can use you for other things; maybe to kill a lion or two!

Learn to serve, to humble yourself and realize that ministry is more than just standing behind a pulpit.

Ministry is all about serving, not being served.

Benaiah realized that and just did what needed to be done for his king. He wasn’t elevated to the level of The Three but he did go on to the position of General when Solomon became king. He was trustworthy because he had spent his time working for the kingdom, not for himself.

It wasn’t about him, it was about the one he was following.

May we be moved by Benaiah’s story of fearlessness today to do our part in the Kingdom of God. Whether it is killing lions, or cleaning toilets in our local assembly, let’s do it all for the glory of God.

This post is part of a series on David’s Mighty Men. Check it out! Frozen to the Sword, But Shammah took his stand and All for a cup of water.

Kingdom2

The Daniel Fast: Looking for the Redemption

The Daniel Fast: Looking for the Redemption!

 So glad you are joining us for 31 Days of Fasting in January! You can catch up on posts you have missed here. Be blessed and feel free to message me with any questions.

“And there was one Anna, a prophetess…she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” Luke 2:36-37.

The story of Anna, the prophetess, as found in the Gospel of Luke, is fascinating on so many levels. Let me introduce this amazing lady to you.

Anna was old. The Bible tells us she had been married for seven years and then widowed. Then, it is a little difficult to decipher whether she has been a widow for 84 years or she is 84 years old when we encounter her in Luke 2.

If it is the former, then she is around 105, which would not be out of the question, and many scholars agree this could be the case. She could have married at age 14, a very common age back then, become a widow at 21, and then we come upon her at the temple 84 years later, at the ripe old age of 105.

This lovely lady serves in the temple, night and day. The Word even tells us she doesn’t leave! She is the only woman mentioned in the New Testament as being a prophetess. (Phillip’s daughters are said to have prophesied as well but not actually taking on the title. Acts 21:9.) She is highly honored in this regard as someone who can touch the throne of heaven with her prayers.

What is her significance here today?

Joseph and Mary have brought Jesus to Jerusalem to “…present him to the Lord…” Luke 2:22.  As was the custom in those days, every Jewish male baby had to be brought and a sacrifice made to the Lord; a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

The parents of Jesus first encounter Simeon when they arrive at the temple. “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.”

“Waiting for the consolation of Israel”…what does that mean? The same word used here for consolation is the same word Jesus used later when He describes the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. The word is paraklesis and it means “one who comes alongside to help, one who pleads a cause…”

So, Simeon was waiting for the Comforter; he was waiting for the Messiah! And when Mary and Joseph handed the child, Jesus, to him the Bible says, “Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

The Comforter, the Consolation, the Messiah, had come; as far as Simeon was concerned, he could die in peace.What he had been working for, waiting for and living his entire life telling others about, had finally arrived.

Then, they encounter Anna who had spent her time much like Simeon, fasting, praying and telling everyone she could about the One who was to come. She sees Joseph, Mary and Jesus with Simeon and this is what the Bible has to say about their meeting:

“And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:38.

Look closely, or you will miss it. She comes up…she is not introduced. But immediately, in that instant, she gives thanks, she begins to give God praise! She doesn’t hesitate for one moment to tell everyone there that this is the REDEMPTION of Jerusalem!

The Daniel Fast: Looking for the Redemption

How did Anna know?  Because she fasted, she prayed, daily. She spent time with God, she knew Him and she was waiting for the promise.

She recognized Him when He came.

Will you know Him?

Will you recognize Him in an instant?

We must KNOW Him! And like Anna, we must spend our days in relationship with Jesus Christ. We cannot afford any less than to love Him, to delve deep into the Word and into prayer and fasting. To deny our flesh the pleasures of this world and realize that these things WILL PASS AWAY! We will not be taking them with us!

Only what is done for Christ will last. Only reaching for the lost will be what really matters in the end. We will be so glad we spent our time on things eternal.

Reach out to Him today…He is waiting for you!

fasting unto the lord

 

 

The Daniel Fast DevotionalIt’s never too late to purchase The Daniel Fast Devotional! It is such a help to you during ANY FAST. Twenty one devotions and three days of preparation devotions, you will be encouraged and learn about nearly every fast that took place in the Bible.  You can click on any of these links and order from Amazon on the Kindle or paperback.

 

 

Beauty weeps the brave: The story of The SS Dorchester

And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave. ~ Joseph Rodman Drake

Memorial Day means different things to different people. Some do not realize it is a day to honor those that have given their lives in defense of our country. We come together with family and friends and celebrate a long weekend with camping, cookouts, mini-vacay’s and tons of food and all of that is good! (Well, most of it is good, some of it we want to forget). But relaxing is a good thing and a great stress reliever. There is nothing wrong with the cookouts, picnics and apple pie.

But can we be reminded of those that have bought us this freedom with their very own lives? Let me bring to your memory, or introduce you afresh, to some that literally gave all not too long ago that we might enjoy this beautiful holiday as a free people.

Beauty weeps the Brave: The story of The SS Dorchester

The SS Dorchester was a U.S. passenger ship that launched officially March 20, 1926. It was a luxury liner that carried passengers between Miami, Jacksonville, Savannah, Norfok, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston. When I say luxury, for a ship that was built almost 100 years ago, it was quite different than those of today but check this out: They had electric fans and telephones in every room and they were even equipped to send wireless messages! Not quite as high tech as Facetime and text messaging but hey, for a century ago it was pretty fancy.

When the United States entered WWII, the SS Dorchester, like most passenger ships, was converted to carry troops. More lifeboats and life jackets were added, and some necessary artillery, such as four 20mm guns, one 3-inch 50-caliber gun (fore), and one 4-inch 50-caliber gun (aft). When she was relaunched on January 24, 1942, she was capable of carrying 906 passengers and crew. Quite a jump from the 350 or so she normally carried as a luxury liner.

On January 22, 1943, she sat sail for Greenland with troops for replacement, carrying 902 total passengers. Since it was possible that they could be attacked at any moment by the Germans, the captain insisted that everyone was to keep their life vests on at all times, even while sleeping. That was difficult to do as the vests were so bulky and many of the troops did not comply.

On February 2, the crew detected a submarine but couldn’t pinpoint its position. They were only 150 miles from Greenland and by morning they would have air cover from the American base. Everyone was edgy and found it almost impossible to sleep. Trying to help comfort the passengers were four chaplains on board: Lt. George L. Fox, a Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, who was Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Reformed.  The four walked through the ship trying to calm and reassure everyone that morning would soon come and they even passed out soda crackers for those with nervous stomachs and seasickness.

Unfortunately, at around 1 a.m. on February 3, a torpedo struck, hitting the boiler room and panic ensued. The fierce explosion spewed clouds of steam and ammonia gas and thrust the ship into darkness. Fourteen lifeboats were available on board but in the panic only two were actually launched into the water. Many were still trapped below but those who made it to the top were so dazed and confused they didn’t know what to do and most had left their life jackets in their bunks.

Enter the chaplains, who were doing their best to hurry the men toward the lifeboats and urging them to abandon the ship which was sinking fast. They found a locker of life jackets and passed those out and when they ran out, the four men of God took off their own life jackets and gave those away.

In less than 20 minutes, the SS Dorchester was sinking to be seen no more. Only 230 of the 903 passengers were rescued.  Hundreds perished in the frigid water. As for those that survived,  many survivors told the same story of the four chaplains: “As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything. The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the Four Chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a chance without their life jackets.” Survivor Grady Clark

beauty weeps the brave

President Ronald Reagan, once said,

Those four men, and thousands upon thousands of others acted as if they were unafraid and have literally given their lives in times of war for our country and our freedoms that we cherish.  Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 ESV. We can never repay them, or their families, for giving the ultimate sacrifice but we can remember them and honor them on their special day, Memorial Day.

President Bill Clinton set aside 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day as a National Moment of Remembrance. In 2000, he asked, “…Americans everywhere, to pause for one minute at 3:00 p.m. (local time) on Memorial Day, to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom for all.”

Records tell us that since 1775, 1.8 million have given their lives for our country. 1.8 million!

As the Church, we mourn with those who mourn and weep with those who weep. If you have lost a mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent, husband, wife, son or daughter in combat, we pray for you today that God will comfort you in your great loss. And we salute the fallen in great tribute for the ultimate sacrifice they gave for those that remain and this great country that they served.

Salute. Celebrate, yes, remember, most definitely. Have a blessed Memorial Day.