1 Chronicles 12:1

1 Chronicles 12:1 says, Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.  David had men who stayed near him because of the threat Saul posed to him.  As followers of Christ, we should never pose a threat to one another.  Verse two adds, They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.  These were kin to Saul but chose to come to serve David.  Our earthly birth parents don't determine whether we will serve God or not, but our rebirth through putting our faith in Jesus Christ does bring us salvation and should lead us to serve God.  It is a free choice. We are told that they could use a bow and hurl stones, or use a sling, with both their right and left hand.  Verse three continues, The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite.  We are told who six of these men were.   Once more, the names of some of the great men of faith will be remembered here, while others will not, but God will remember them all.  Verse four states, And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,  Next, we are told of some of the men of Gad who were noted as being mighty men and serving David.  This continues for the next several verses.  Verse five adds, Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,  Verse six continues, Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,  Verse seven concludes, And Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.  Verse eight says, And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;  The next few verses single out some of the men of Gad who served David in the hold and the wilderness.  They were also known as mighty men and stayed close to David.  If we are to be mighty men and women of God today, we must remain near Him at all times, and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we are, but we can still refuse to be obedient to Him.  Verse nine adds, Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,  Verse ten continues, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,  Verse eleven says, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,  Verse twelve adds, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,  Verse thirteen continues, Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.  Verse fourteen says, These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.  Thess men of Gad were over anywhere from a hundred to a thousand others.  We are not all called to be over the same number of people in God's kingdom today, if we are called to be, and must be content with serving where God call us, whether it is to a great or smaller area of service. Verse fifteen adds, These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.  These men were also willing to brave the raging river Jordan when it was flooding to pursue the enemies of Israel.  We should never allow conditions to stop us from presenting the gospel.