One-hundred-fifteen years after the crew abandoned Endurance and she sank, that great ship has been discovered.  The expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackelton . Twenty months of constant life-threatening experience.

Five-thousand men applied to go on the Endurance Expedition. Each job application contained the same question: “Can you sing?” One man protested that he was not a performer to which Shackelton defined the task as joining in to sing with the rest of the crew.

During the ten months on the doomed ship, regular nights were designated as gramophone nights for listening to and singing with recorded music. When orders were sounded to abandon ship. Shackelton informed the chief musician that he had already carried his banjo off the ship. Months later, the crew was informed they would be limited to two pounds of personal articles. Shackelton said the banjo would be taken on the trek. “For we shall need it.”

One of the strangest parts of the A&E movie about the expedition was watching the crew singing after supper. Can you imagine mechanics at your car dealership or stylists at the beauty salon singing as they work on your car or style your hair? How about your family singing at the supper table? Feels odd, doesn’t it? Had there not been singing in Antarctica, life would have seeped out.

There is no way to describe the harrowing months for this crew. Shackelton joyfully proclaimed that not one person was lost. Sometimes, you just must sing or hum!

©2015 HopePushers, D. Dean Benton, (Smashwords, Spring Daisy Publications) Chapter 13

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/572059

The words from Revelation 22:1-2 have hung in my soul space for three weeks.

“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.”

I admit my lack of expertise in the End Times. I have avoided Revelation out of concern of misinterpreting it and misapplying it. This book in the Bible is not a collection of revelations about the unknown. It is rather The Revelation of Jesus Christ as He accompanies us through the restructuring of the world and establishing The New Earth and the New Jerusalem. For whatever value it has, the chapter heading/title is “New Jerusalem” which was inserted by a group of editors. That title tells us where and when this incident with the angel and Apostle John visioned it happening: Post-establishment of The New.

Part of our family is vacationing in Guam today. That seems extremely odd to me, though they really like the place. All I can think of is how bloody its history during WW2. In my mind that island never moved beyond the fighting and devastation. I have to keep reminding myself that our family is not in Ukraine.

I have tried to figure out Putin’s motivation, listening to lots of news and opinions. Neither have I figured out how or if Ukraine figures into biblical prophecy, although Russia seems to be connected to the Bible prophecies of Gog and Magog.

I listened to Andy Andrews’ podcast this morning with his guest Joe Savage who is the director of the largest rescue ministries in Eastern Europe. https://andyandrews.com/roads-of-hope/   100,000 orphans in Ukraine and for those who are trafficked—and that business is brisk along the borders among the refugees. Sexual and slave labor trafficking! Half of those orphaned kids will be dead before they reach twenty years old.

We watched the news during supper tonight. My lettuce did not want to be swallowed! Nor did anything. The word “corruption” defines so much of that nation. At the same time, the arts are alive with music. Loyalty, patriotism, and courage are capturing headlines and social media videos.

I have a young acquaintance whose adopted grandparents are close friends. He spent several years in a Russian orphanage. I have generally avoided the Baltic, Balkan and Slavic Nations. They seemed so far away and so very different than me. But there is that young man whose wounds have been touched by Jesus. It doesn’t seem so far away, now. Two years ago, we were on a work trip listening to Glenn Beck talking about Hunter Biden and corruption in Ukraine. The Slavic Nations became part of our personal and national conversations. CORRUPTION!

To Revelation 22:1-2:

That river fascinates me. Does it flow in a median? Is it The River of Life? The headwaters are at the Throne of God and the slain but resurrected and enthroned lamb. Will we swim in that river?

Trees on each side of the turnpike which yield a fresh crop each month. How many trees per city block or rural mile? Is there any connection with the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden? Is the eternal assignment of that tree in the garden revealed in Revelation 22? The Creator has always been into fruit and orchards. I heard recently that there are so many kinds and types of apples that if you ate a new variety each week, it would take you 20 years to get to the bottom of the peck. But it is the leaves that John the Revelator tells us about. Water, trees, leaves.

Here is the point of the revelation:

“The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.”

If, historically, this event happens in the latter stages of The End Times or in The New Times, what are the nations? Which nations? In the Reign and Rule of God’s Kingdom, are we to understand there are still nations? Nation states? Sheep nations and goat nations? If this is “historically” after the Rapture of the Ekklesia and the Revelation of Christ, why would those nations need to be healed?

What kind of trees are they? What is the substance in the leaves that heals nations?

Back to World, 2022.

I think each nation has powerful exceptionalism and treasures—natural and human. Yet those treasures are damaged and destroyed by what God calls sin. Every nation needs the healing Apostle John describes.

I’ve been wondering if God wants to turn on the spigot, plant trees and harvest leaves. The news people keep telling us there are nations that need to be healed.

Please, Father. Heal our nation. And Russia. China. Ukraine. Portugal. Ethiopia. All of the nations. And those who hurt and cry.

©2022 D. Dean Benton

Dean’s ebooks: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/889323

My book, Mining for Reality & Truth, goes to the formatters this weekend to prepare it for digital publication.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One                Your View of Your Worldview

Chapter Two               Streetlights on the Highway to Truth

Chapter Three             Totalitarian Tools

Chapter Four               Christian Worldview

Chapter Five               Developing & Maintaining a Christian Worldview

Chapter Six                 Kingdom Spiritual Infrastructure

Chapter Seven             Enquiring of the Lord

Chapter Eight              Red Pills Available OTC?

Chapter Nine               Front-End Alignment

Chapter Ten                Tidying Up the Mine

Publication expected by April 1.

My other published ebooks: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/889323

Plan now to read the free sample when published. Thanks.

©D. Dean Benton

“Movement in the right direction.”

That phrase, from Pastor Bill Johnson (Bethel Church—Redding, California) grips me. Of course, the response is to ask which is the right direction.

Today is Fat Tuesday. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Movement in the right direction today is toward a place where serious food consumption takes place. That would include shrimp po boy sandwiches, red beans and rice—perhaps shrimp and andouille or Étouffée, with Mardi Gras King Cake for dessert.

According to Google—

“Mardi Gras is French for ‘Fat Tuesday’, reflecting the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual Lenten sacrifices and fasting of the Lenten season.”

It feels as if Fat Tuesday is really the last chance to stock up—gorge ourselves—to take in adequate supplies to help us make it through the next few weeks. I’m thinking the “right direction” is getting to the good food and then getting out of town before darkness falls and scrimping and sacrifice begins.

I know what Lent is about. After the past two-plus years and war fog this season, we don’t need to enter another season of darkness. We know the horrors of the Cross, but we celebrate Easter!

I propose we give up for Lent those things that blur or steal whatever moves us toward righteousness—victory for people facing war, poverty, darkness, addictions, bondage, and limitations. Remove—like a sacrifice—all things that limit our prayers, worship, and celebration of God’s presence.

Movement in the right direction—Celebration and declaration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

©2022 D. Dean Benton