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Post by Brother Ben on Aug 11, 2005 8:03:34 GMT -5
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. II Sam. 23:8-10
I am thankful for the sisters who have been attracted to this board because of the covering issue, but in the words of the "old time preachers," Where are the men?" Notice in our text, the hero of the hour was the mighty men. This plain conservative lifestyle is not just a manifestation of our desire to look different, but a commitment to be different. It is a heart issue, and men you need to take the sword on behalf of your families and cleave unto it until it becomes ingraftted into your hand. In the old days the soldiers would fight so intensely that the muscles would literally freeze shut and they would have to pour warm water on the hand to free the sword from their hand after a battle. Are you battling feverishly for your family? Come, man of God in the words of young David the giant slayer, "Is there not a cause?" Our families are sometimes lanquishing under the cruel hand of the oppressor as he afronts our wives and children with his weapons of mass destruction. Peer pressure, pride, the world, the flesh, media, liberal infulences (whether it be friends or Grandma!) Shake off these wicked fetters! Arise, oh men of God! There's a war, brothers! Put your boots on!!![/color] Hold each other up in sacred prayer!
More later.
Bro. Ben
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Post by theschwarz1 on Aug 11, 2005 16:19:19 GMT -5
THank you for that Bro. Ben......I need that sort of encouragement especially bein f surrounded and pressured by popular american christianity today.
I am speking this sunday at my parents church in Lancaster, Pa (it's plymouth brethren)
I am giving a presentation of our Thailand trip.....last night I was laying awake with the verse rolling throu my mind "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature"
I couldnt sleep as I mulled over each word and the Lord began to expound on EACH word!
I got up out of bed (because the Lord was talking to me!) and began to write...I was up till 2am! PRaise God!
I am going to speak on these thoughts on sunday before our slide show....
I will post these thoughts tommorrow!
Praise the Lord for speaking to us!
-Bro Rob
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Post by Brother Randy on Aug 12, 2005 19:16:47 GMT -5
Thank you Bro Ben for sharing these thoughts. WHERE ARE THE MEN OF GOD? We need more men today and I speak to myself too that are willing to follow after Joshua 24;15 but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. It goes on to say that the people answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the LORD , to serve other gods.
What are those other gods? too much work , entertainment, sports? what is it that consumes our time. We have been slack in being men of God that take the leadership in our homes that God would have us to have. Because of whatever excuses we have we have laid a heavy burden on our poor sisters. Because of this the sisters have had to take up the slack in raising the children,schooling, home finances spiritual leadership. And some seat back and wonder why it is that there is not the submission in the home that there should be.
WHERE ARE THE MIGHTY MEN OF GOD? Men we need to pray that God will bring conviction so strong on us that we fall down on our knees and confess our short comings, before it is to late and we lose our families to the world.
I agree with Bro. Ben on the plain life style. It has to be a heart felt conviction not just something we prefer. Other wise it will not stand the test of time. I have seen all to much when things are just preferred and a conviction. I have seen ladies cover and wear modest dress only due to pressures turn away and go back to makeup, jewelery , worldly clothing. It grieve me to see such.
The pressures are so great on the family today that we dare not lead our families in the paths of Godliness. Unless we live in the back woods somewhere it is a daily challenge to teach and lead our families, one that our dear wives and sisters should not have to bear. Oh brothers if we would only realize the heavy load we place on them that should not be. WE NEED TO BE THOSE MIGHTY MEN OF GOD , REAL MEN.
I trust this does not seem to harsh, I speak to myself on this too. It is a burden on my heart I guess you could say. Enough said for now.
Spoken in Christian love.
Bro Randy
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Post by George on Aug 13, 2005 0:12:58 GMT -5
Ah brothers, as Preacher Ben has asked in the words of David, "Is there not a cause?" There most assuredly is a cause. It is the Cause of The Lord. It is the Cause of righteousness. It is the Cause of faith.
One of my favorite verses int he bible is also in one of the shortest books.
To me the "cause" is stated right there. The cause is to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Just exactly what was that faith? It was pure faith. It was unblemished and uncompromising. It was not carnal or worldly.
When Jude says, "which was once delivered unto the saints," I believe he means the pure and unblemished faith that was delivered by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Notice particularly that Peter says in the latter part of verse 2 that we are to eschew the things of the flesh. We are to no longer live in the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life. But to the will of God.
I believe the faith that is spoken of in Jude 3 is directly related to our need to live wholly within the will of God. I also believe that to be the Cause that is necessary and required. We are expected, as saved and born again Christians to live our lives as a completely different creation. We are born again a new creation, a Christian. Praise God for that. Praise God that He sent His only begotten Son to die for my sin so that when I am outside His will for me I have an outlet for my sin.
That is a part of the faith we are to earnestly contend for. The faith that God can and will forgive us is we confess to Him. Then we are expected to not continue in the same sin over and over again. We are not expected to be carnal Christians. We are expected to live wholly within the will of God.
Does God have the right to expect that? You had better believe He does! After what God has done for me there is little I can do to even begin to scratch the surface of what I owe. It is the least I can do to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. It is my reasonable service, to use the words of the Apostle Paul, that I work for and toward the cause.
Where are the mighty men? the mighty men are not there unless they have someone to train them up. The mighty men of faith must have a personal trainer of sorts. The Bible says, again in the words of Paul,
How can they hear if they do not have someone who is earnestly contending for the pure faith and striving for the Cause?
Yours in Christ,
George Groce
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Post by restored on Sept 5, 2005 22:23:01 GMT -5
Where are the men?" men you need to take the sword on behalf of your families and cleave unto it until it becomes ingraftted into your hand. In the old days the soldiers would fight so intensely that the muscles would literally freeze shut and they would have to pour warm water on the hand to free the sword from their hand after a battle. Are you battling feverishly for your family? Come, man of God in the words of young David the giant slayer, "Is there not a cause?" Our families are sometimes lanquishing under the cruel hand of the oppressor as he afronts our wives and children with his weapons of mass destruction. Peer pressure, pride, the world, the flesh, media, liberal infulences (whether it be friends or Grandma!) Shake off these wicked fetters! Arise, oh men of God! There's a war, brothers! Put your boots on!!! Hold each other up in sacred prayer!
Thank you Bro Ben for the encouragement. Oh, that we would fight so intensely as to need warm water poured over our hands to release them from being wrapped around the word of God after a ferocious battle against the gates of Hell in prayer. May we have the word of God so engrafted in our hearts that The demons would tremble, knowing that the Holy Spirit is alive and well and living inside us and we are fully armoured for God.
I long for the day when I can say with joy that God kept me up all night just so I could have the privilege of sitting at his throne and listening to him and puring my heart out to him and bringing the concerns of my fellow man to him. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
That he would love, save and hear such a wretch as I.
Amen and Amen.
Bro. Allen
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Post by benshelpmeet on Sept 6, 2005 23:06:17 GMT -5
It is good to see the brothers posting with conviction.
How encouraging to see that there are brothers who have hearts toward the Lord.
Thank you all for taking the time to post.
God is so good to His children, ~ your sister in Christ, ~ darlene ~
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Post by Brother Ben on Sept 14, 2005 7:57:46 GMT -5
I would like to thank the Lord for my sweet wife, Darlene. It is such a blessing that when it comes to convictions and such I do not have to "fight" my wife, but on the contrary she is a strength and a blessing to me. How good and nice it is when couples do not have to struggle with imbalanced convictions while treading this pilgrim pathway. Ya'll keep my sweety in your prayers, she has some health problems that give her difficulty in her daily responsibilites yet she is faithful. What a blessing and encouragement to me.
Bro. Ben
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Post by George on Sept 14, 2005 10:43:40 GMT -5
Of course, Darlene as well as you and your entire family are in my prayers. Prayer is also being made for the construction of your home. I pray things go well and smoothly for you in that endeavor.
Yours in Christ,
George Groce
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