 This is the listing of David's top men.
Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred—killed them all in a day.
Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted—but he never let go of his sword! A big win for God that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the cleanup.
Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God!
One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God, saying, "There is no way, God, that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it.
This is the sort of thing that the Three did.
Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three. He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three.
Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion. Another time he killed a formidable Egyptian. The Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip and killed him with his own spear.
These are the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada is famous for. But neither did he ever get ranked with the Three. He was held in greatest respect among the Thirty, but he never got included with the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
"The Thirty" consisted of:
Asahel brother of Joab;
Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
Shammah the Harodite;
Elika the Harodite;
Helez the Paltite;
Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;
Abiezer the Anathothite;
Sibbecai the Hushathite;
Zalmon the Ahohite;
Maharai the Netophathite;
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite;
Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites;
Benaiah the Pirathonite;
Hiddai from the badlands of Gaash;
Abi-Albon the Arbathite;
Azmaveth the Barhumite;
Eliahba the Shaalbonite;
Jashen the Gizonite;
Jonathan son of Shammah the Hararite;
Ahiam son of Sharar the Urite;
Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite;
Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;
Hezro the Carmelite;
Paarai the Arbite;
Igal son of Nathan, commander of the army of Hagrites;
Zelek the Ammonite;
Naharai the Beerothite, weapon bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah;
Ira the Ithrite;
Gareb the Ithrite;
Uriah the Hittite.
Thirty-seven, all told.
BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.
BE #38
 As a Christian man and father, I can't be happier for Tebow's stand as a Christian athlete. His stand for integrity and virtue is absolutely remarkable and laudable. However, today, I'm disgusted about Tim Tebow. I'm not disgusted with him, I'm proud of him and his example as a man, a real man. I'm disgusted that a $1,000,000 hit has been placed on his head. A website that encourages affairs and lascivious living has stated that $1,000,000 will be awarded to anyone who can come up with real evidence that Tebow is not a virgin. Wow. That's just flabbergasting. I'm flummoxed. I'm fuming. Tebow needs our prayers for his protection. We have a man who is trying to turn the tide in the professional athlete arena and make being a real man respectable. Tebow has not been shy about being a Christian and being a virgin. He is a real man. A real man is faithful in all areas of his life, especially his sex life. Before you read further, stop. Say a prayer for Tebow as he brings his Christian witness to a society who believes that all Christians are hypocrites. This lewd website has placed Christian virtue on the chopping block. Tebow has stuck his neck out for God and what can we do to help him? I've talked to some men about this and I have been surprised at some of the answers I have received. "Wow! I would love to be Tebow and have women chasing me!" or "I don't know how Tebow will be able to resist. He's gonna give in some day." Before you get too upset at the quotes from these two men about Tebow, I want to warn you, these quotes came from Christian men... Is that what we Christian men expect nowadays? We can't resist temptation? All men are weak and eventually give in to lust, greed, etc.? A man is no match for a woman who wants to have sex with him? Come on, I've heard enough of this. Men, stand up. Be men. Be counted worthy of bearing the name Christian. If you really think that you and all men will eventually give in to sin, just stop now. Stop calling yourself a Christian. Stop embarrassing the name of Christ. If you want to make a difference, be a real man like Tebow. Repent of the attitude that sin is stronger than Christ. God's Word tells us that we are no longer slaves to sin but are now slaves to righteousness. Pray for Tebow. BE HOLY.BE A MAN.
 A common problem that men have is how to handle it when a coworker has pornography at work. This is a very touchy issue. What do you do when men are gathered around on the work site looking at pictures of naked women? If a guy doesn't participate, he is "hen-pecked" or "gay" or.... The name calling starts and the accusations fly if a guy isn't "one of the guys." He's not a "team player." What's a man to do in these situations? After all, he has a reputation to protect. Reputation is the key word in this story. Reputation is the answer. Jesus took His reputation and laid it all on the line for us so that we could have strength in times like this. Jesus could have been satisfied to leave things the way they were and stayed in heaven. However, He put aside His reputation, His Deity, to become like us. He risked, knowing that His Father would take care of His reputation. Like yesterday's post, honesty is needed. Asking God for strength to be vulnerable and transparent is how you handle porn at work. Have the gumption to step up and tell your coworkers why looking at porn is not healthy. Let them know that there is much more to a woman than just what she does to make a man feel sexual. You know what will happen if you take this step? Like Jesus, you may be crucified. I don't mean that these guys will string you up and kill you but they will belittle you. They will tell you that you are not a real man. They will tease you because they want you to participate in their sinfulness. You know what else will happen? There will always be at least one guy who agrees with you. He may not publicly, but he will at least come to you privately or at least not join in when the teasing starts. If you stick to your integrity and respect women, you will make a statement. You will only have to say it once. Your statement will have an impact. If you never participate with them in objectifying women from that point on, God's Holy Spirit will work on these men. They will watch you. So, if you have integrity in everything you do at work, they will see it and they will change. Your reputation? Don't worry about it. God will protect your reputation if you are doing what He wants. A real man respects and honors women. A real man stands up for what is right, even if it means standing alone.BE HOLY.BE A MAN.
 Yesterday, I posted about how a young man used the retelling of the crucifixion of Jesus so that he could sin and take others with him in his sin. Today, I want to share something beautiful from my experiences with the Easter Musical. In this church that annually would share the Easter story with its community, there was always a special private showing of the final dress rehearsal. The final dress rehearsal was an invitation to individuals who were physically as well as mentally challenged. The church would clear out much of the seating so that people using wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and canes could easily navigate into the auditorium. This was a fun tradition in this community because these individuals got to see the musical before anybody else. In this final dress rehearsal that I am remembering, Jesus was being taken down from the cross. This is a very solemn and quiet scene, taking a good ten minutes or so. Jesus is carefully removed from the cross, given to Mary, Joseph of Arimathea, John and Nicodemus. They lovingly prepare Jesus' body for burial, wrapping him in cloths. Well, during this scene, one man in the audience who couldn't speak or walk due to his challenges, started weeping uncontrollably. It was quite a poignant scene that was enhanced by this man's sensitivity. I firmly believe that this man was so touched by this reenactment that he said yes to God's invitation to accept Jesus as his Savior. Needless to say, this man's behavior affected many others not only in the congregation but many of the actors and orchestra members as well. In my own heart, I felt a revival of my own commitment to serving Jesus. I'm sure that many had a similar experience. An unspoken revival of sorts happened right there because of this man's sensitivity to Jesus' gift of salvation. I want to tell you that the man that was weeping was so much more of a man than many men I have ever met. Especially, more so than that young man from yesterday who wanted to have sexual conquests to prove his manhood. That weeping man allowed God to transform him. Outside he was still the same but I believe that man left the church a new creation. You may be wondering how the above picture of the extreme mountain climber fits into this story. Well, I'm thinking that when this guy gets to heaven, he's gonna want to do the things he always wanted to do but couldn't because he was in an earthly body that didn't work as he wanted. I'm gonna find him and we're gonna do some extreme mountain climbing. When we get to the summit, I'm gonna ask him, "remember when you were at that private showing of the Easter Musical? I want to know what you were thinking." I anticipate he will share with me his love for God and how the Holy Spirit worked in his life that night. Together we will agree with the Roman Centurion, "Surely, this man was the Son of God!" and we will spend a couple hundred years on that summit praising our Savior and recalling all the wonderful things that God did. Do you want to experience something beautiful? You can right now as you ask Jesus to lead your life, turn from your sinfulness and allow God to transform you. We want you to join us on that summit in eternity. BE HOLY.BE A MAN.
 I heard this saying by an old man in a bar, "men have three knees. They have a left knee, a right knee and a weenie. My observation is that a real man tends to use his weenie the most." This seems to be the way that many men think. Hugh Hefner is considered by many men to be a "real man" because he has women available to him. However, the truth is, Hugh Hefner exploits women and engages in sex trafficking. The Playboy bunny has become a popular symbol. It attracts women as well as men. Sadly, women are willing to be exploited because they think it makes them popular, makes them money, and makes them famous. Men are attracted to the Playboy bunny because it allows them to act with their third knee and seek sensuality. When they do so, they brag about their sexual exploits, have sexual contests with other men, and put down men who are faithful to one woman and one God. In other words, these men act like weenies. The truth is:- The more promiscuous you are before marriage, the more likely you are to commit adultery AFTER marriage.
- Couples who engage in sex before marriage are far more likely to divorce
I can assure you that sex according to God's design is what makes a man real man.So, when you are tempted to use your third knee, know that this is true: a real man uses his left and right knees the most. He uses them by kneeling in prayer and submission to his Savior and Deliverer.BE HOLY.BE A MAN.
 After reading yesterday's post a good friend of mine wrote me. He is a professional dog trainer. He said, "I may have said the dogs natural impulses are bent and conditioned to serve the purposes of the trainer, and maybe made a parallel from there. " I really appreciate his feedback. I'm gonna follow his lead. Since we have dominion over creation, the natural impulses of animals, especially those that are domesticated , are to obey/fear us. However, we humans don't have a natural impulse to obey/fear God. Rather, we have a natural impulse to obey our natural impulses. We are handcuffed by our impulses. That's why it is so important to get our impulses under the control of God. God clearly talks about this. "So put to death your worldly impulses: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed..." If you feel overwhelmed by your impulses and feel defeated by your inability to resist temptation, know this: For every temptation, there is a way out. How do I know this? Because the Bible reminds us that God is faithful. He doesn't just create us and say, "Good luck! I hope you can ignore sin." God wants to work in your life so that you don't react impulsively but respond the way that He desires. God wants to remove that selfishness that's within you and transform you so that you learn to please Him. You learn "to serve the purposes of your trainer." What does "serving the purposes of your trainer" look like? Well, you change channels when Go Daddy puts up a sensuous commercial during the Super Bowl (since when do we need scantily clad women to sell website hosting?). You have paid channels blocked when you check into a hotel. You meet with men who hold each other accountable for godly behavior. You dump your porn. However, "serving the purposes of your trainer" goes beyond behavior. It goes to a heart change. God wants your sanctification. Sanctification means that you permit God to change you from the inside out and reserve you for His special purposes. Can you let that happen? Yes, you can. Are you humble enough to let God make you into a real man? Yes, you are. BE HOLY.BE A MAN.
 Raising boys has its own special challenges. I was fortunate enough to have two sons who have grown into godly men. They are excellent sons and husbands, men of whom I can be proud. To the left is our family crest that my wife and I designed. I've only raised two boys, so maybe I'm really lucky that they are so great or maybe it is more than luck. We instilled from them at an early age our family verse. Psalm 23:4 "I will fear no evil because You are with me." Also, we gave them three principles to live by: 1) reject passivity, 2) accept responsibility, and 3) lead courageously (see the book Raising a Modern Day Knight). Further, we taught them how to respect their mother, knowing that would be how they would respect women and ultimately their wife. One simple way to respect their mother was to raise and lower the toilet seat when using the restroom. There are three things that we did for them that made them see how a real man is supposed to be: 1) I loved their mother and put her ahead of them. They recall many nights I put them to bed with the idea that I needed to spend time alone with their mother. If they cooperated and stayed in bed, they would notice that they would get along better with their mother the next day. They believed me. 2) They both had a "manhood ceremony." This was a time that each of them met with me and several men, to "learn how to be a man." These men each gave advice of how to be a man. They all also said that they would be watching them and hold them accountable for proper conduct not only as a man but as a Christian as well. 3) They learned that behavior had consequences. Karyn and I were quick to show them our mistakes and the consequences of our behavior, even as adults. We modeled forgiveness and respect. They came to see their parents as real people whom they could love in spite of their imperfections. Honesty in relationships is required. To be in a relationship with someone meant to be real. No phoniness allowed. Now, we are not perfect parents and maybe we just lucked out by having really good sons. However, we would like to think that godly parenting and prayer had a lot to do with it... I
 I have never lived with cats before. When we moved to Indianapolis, Karyn wanted to replace our cat that she graciously gave up from our last move. So, we adopted two kittens that are sisters from the same litter. I always thought that animals didn't have personalities; however, these two are widely different from each other.
Lucy is a cat that investigates everything and if anything is missing, she is the culprit.
Ethel is a cat that prefers to watch Lucy get into trouble and sit on the sidelines. (Fitting that their names reflect their personality.) However, I noticed one thing that is similar about both of them. They act like they are the center of the universe. You know the old saying, "Dogs have owners but cats have staff." That adage seems to run true with Lucy and Ethel.
Funny thing, these cats remind me of my own selfishness. I can do pretty good and look out for others and try to serve Karyn but eventually, I resort to my old man and think, "I am God." I can tell you that when I think I'm God, I am not very much like God. God showed His Love thru sacrificing His Son Jesus. Jesus showed His Love by emptying Himself of His Godliness and "took the form of a servant (Phil 2:7)."
So, that is my challenge to you. Will you join me in putting yourself last? Know that this is not done by firm resolve. The only thing that keeps us men from being selfish is connecting with God regularly. Paul coined the term "I die every day." A godly man dies to selfishness, pride of life, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes because these are not from God but from the world.
Are you gonna be a real man?
A real man doesn't follow the crowd. Especially when the crowd is wrong. He also faces the consequences of his action.
August Landmesser was a worker at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and is best known for his appearance in a photograph refusing to perform the Nazi salute at the launch of the naval training vessel Horst Wessel on 13 June, 1936. He had been a Nazi Party member from 1931 to 1935, but after fathering children with a Jewish woman, he had been found guilty of “dishonoring the race” under Nazi racial laws and had come to oppose Hitler’s regime….
[He] was discharged from prison on 19 January, 1941…. In February 1944 he was drafted into a penal unit, the 999th Fort Infantry Battalion, where he was declared missing in action and presumably killed.
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