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Recent Comments
Aloha, I just wanted to thank you all, so much for the new way you are doing the Daily Devotionals, I love it and it has been such a blessing to me.. Have a blessed week !
Posted by Muriel Louise Williams on Jan 09, 2012, in response to the devotional on
Thursday, January 5, 2012
I' ve read all your messages from my arriving to Hawaii last November and I have been much blessed.Please, keep up the good job. I m sure there very many like me who appreciate it. Thank you pastor Wayne, thank you pastor Andy.
Posted by Carmen Teresa Coronado on Dec 27, 2011, in response to the devotional on
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
As you point out, Pastor Mike, today's passage is much deeper than most people think. It is a wonderful verse to take the time to ponder. Let us go to a quiet place with this verse, and invite our hearts and minds to reflect upon the deep meaning that the Holy Spirit wants us to learn. Thank you for giving us a nudge to do just that.
Posted by Ann Verblaauw on Dec 09, 2011, in response to the devotional on
Friday, December 9, 2011
We try to also use the "presence gauge" of Jesus Himself: "Would I do this thing if Jesus was visibly sitting right next to me?" His Spirit is, after all, right here inside of us believers. Another challenging gauge that helps us is: "Would I want to be doing this, if Jesus came back at this very moment to take us to Heaven?" We miss Hawaii and send everyone our aloha from Virginia
Posted by The Brzostowski Ohana on Dec 05, 2011, in response to the devotional on
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Thank you, Pastor Wayne.
Posted by Ann Verblaauw on Nov 19, 2011, in response to the devotional on
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Daily eMail Devotional
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
II Samuel 23:8-39 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three. Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard. Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.Our passage today is perhaps one of the most interesting and intriguing passages for guys and maybe some ladies to read in the Bible. We read of David’s Mighty Men and some of the courageous and unbelievable things they had accomplished. We read of one who killed 800 enemies in one battle with just a spear, we read of one who chased down a lion in the snow and killed it, and another who was able to get a spear out of a great Egyptian warrior’s hand and kill him with it using only a stick. These guys were the real deal and were special men used by God to do unbelievable things but I do not think they were special just because they had all these fighting abilities but what made them special, I believe, was that they stood up to the enemy when everyone else ran away.
In verse 9 and 10 we read, “And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.” What make Eleazar so mighty here in our verses was not his fighting ability, which is never mentioned, but that while all of the Israelite army fled from the enemy Eleazar chose to stay and fight. We have too many Christians nowadays allowing Satan and the world to overrun them instead of standing up to them and fighting and because he stood his ground verse 10 says, “the LORD wrought a great victory that day.” If you were in Eleazar’s sandals what would you have done?
In verses 14-17 we read the account of three of the Mighty Men breaking through the enemies’ lines for the sole purpose of getting their King a drink of water from a well while in the process risking their lives. One would say, “Just for some water!” Well, anything to please the King. Would we do anything to please our King even if it took enduring and battling the odds? How about in times of trial and uncertainty do we still strive to please our Lord?
David’s Mighty Men; I do not believe they were so mighty because maybe they had huge, bulging biceps or great warrior skills but because they were willing to stand when others ran. What would you have done? Would you have been the one standing or the ones running? Well, luckily I do not think any of us will have to face an army of Philistines with swords coming at us but we will have to face the fiery darts of the wicked. Whenever that time does come, which it will, will you run or stand?
Love you all!
Pastor Mike
Don't Forget -
