I found this on Mark Batterson's blog and had to share it. Mark's an amazing reader and researcher, not to mention a great writer. I've had the pleasure, along the way, to get to know him and he's the real deal.
The way the 12 disciples of Christ lived and died is truly a testimony to who Christ was.
James the brother of John was killed with a sword during a persecution initiated by King Herod in AD 44. Andrew was hung on an olive tree around 70 AD. Thomas was thrust through with pine spears, tortured with red-hot plates, and burned alive around 70 AD. Philip went to Phrygia where he was tortured and crucified in AD 54. Matthew was beheaded sometime after 60 AD. Bartholomew was flayed after he refused to recant. After the removal of his skin, he was crucified in 70 AD. James the lesser was taken to the top of the Temple where a crowd gathered. When he refused to recant, he was thrown down. He survived the fall so a mob beat him to death with clubs in 63 AD. Simon the Zealot was crucified by the governor of Syria in AD 74. Judas Thaddeus ministered in Mesopotamia where he was beaten to death with sticks in AD 72. Matthias, who replaced Judas Iscariot, went to Ethiopia and was stoned to death while hanging on a cross in AD 70. According to Eusebius, the third century historian, Peter thought himself unworthy to die in the manner in which Jesus was crucified so he requested that he be crucified upside-down. And last but not least, John the beloved is the only disciple who died a natural death, but that doesn't mean he was exempt from persecution. He was exiled to the Island of Patmos and according to legend, thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
A Friend Who Will Find You
I was reading in 2 Timothy 1 today. Paul says two things there that jumped off the page at me.
First he says "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." That word "standard" is what stood out. Paul is saying, "what I am saying comes from Christ and it's the standard and you should hold on to."
The timeless principle there is that the words of God, whether spoken by Christ or Paul or any other writer of scripture should be our standard - the thing that guides our lives.
Then Paul goes onto talk about the folks who have abandoned him, let him down. Except for one person, Onesiphorus. He says that this guy was not embarrassed to be seen with Paul even though Paul was NOT someone to be seen with. Paul was actually in prison at the time, for his beliefs.
And then Paul says this about Onesiphorus - "...when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me AND found me.."
I think EVERYONE needs a friend like that, a friend who will EAGERLY search for you and will not quit until they find you. Here's what I think that friend looks like:
They will...
...stand with you when no one else will.
...encourage you when all you want to do is whine and everyone else
is tired of listening to you.
...tell you what you NEED to hear not what you WANT to hear.
...hold you accountable.
...help you see things for what they are.
...love you no matter what.
...risk for you.
...look for you and not quit until they find you.
I don't have a lot of people in my life like that, but I'm truly glad for the few that I do.
First he says "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." That word "standard" is what stood out. Paul is saying, "what I am saying comes from Christ and it's the standard and you should hold on to."
The timeless principle there is that the words of God, whether spoken by Christ or Paul or any other writer of scripture should be our standard - the thing that guides our lives.
Then Paul goes onto talk about the folks who have abandoned him, let him down. Except for one person, Onesiphorus. He says that this guy was not embarrassed to be seen with Paul even though Paul was NOT someone to be seen with. Paul was actually in prison at the time, for his beliefs.
And then Paul says this about Onesiphorus - "...when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me AND found me.."
I think EVERYONE needs a friend like that, a friend who will EAGERLY search for you and will not quit until they find you. Here's what I think that friend looks like:
They will...
...stand with you when no one else will.
...encourage you when all you want to do is whine and everyone else
is tired of listening to you.
...tell you what you NEED to hear not what you WANT to hear.
...hold you accountable.
...help you see things for what they are.
...love you no matter what.
...risk for you.
...look for you and not quit until they find you.
I don't have a lot of people in my life like that, but I'm truly glad for the few that I do.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
New Dream - Part 2
Most of us hate to wait. In today's culture we have instant everything. A friend of mine told me he was helping his young son make popcorn in the microwave. As the timer was ticking down his son looked up at him and said "Daddy, why does it take so long?" Microwave popcorn! We hate to wait.
Kids can't wait for Christmas to get here. Adults can't wait for Friday to get here. And none of us can wait when it's a new Ipad, Google phone, 3-D TV, new car... and the list goes on. But one thing I've learned is that when God gives us a dream there's always a waiting period - ALWAYS!
I admit I hate to wait on the things I just mentioned. But I love waiting on God when it comes to His dreams for my life, and here's why. Every time God has given me a dream, it's always been something bigger than myself. Something that there's know way I could accomplish on my own. That's what makes it a God-given dream. I love the waiting periods because I grow by leaps and bounds during those times.
Several years ago God began to give me a vision for our church. I was not the Lead Pastor at the time and the church was going through a very unhealthy period, one of many unhealthy periods in our history. But God began to show me what could happen if we got healthy again and allowed God to use us for His purposes. Many of the things that are happening in our church today were a part of that original dream almost ten years ago. But getting that dream and making a decision to go after it was followed by a three year waiting period for me.
Looking back on those three years I can see how God grew me in ways that I never would have grown otherwise. And that growth prepared me to be the leader I was eventually going to have to be.
I learned to loosen my grip on things that I was trusting in rather than trusting in God. I learned how to be patient with people who didn't like change and were grieving because of changes. I learned to delegate so that I could stay focused. And I learned that God's ways of doing things are sometimes different from how I would do them - and His ways are always better.
So when I find myself in God's waiting room, I have choice, and so do you.
I can choose to complain, like the Israelites did in the desert. "God why are you moving so slow? I want to get there now!" I seem to recall every time the Israelites got impatient they took matters into their own hands, messed up big time, and it was another lap around Mt. Sinai.
Or I can choose to enjoy the ride knowing that God is getting me ready for something that only He can do. Regardless of our choice, we're still going to wait because God is God and we're not.
Two of my life verses are Jeremiah 29:11 and Habakkuk 2:3:
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
"These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled."
Kids can't wait for Christmas to get here. Adults can't wait for Friday to get here. And none of us can wait when it's a new Ipad, Google phone, 3-D TV, new car... and the list goes on. But one thing I've learned is that when God gives us a dream there's always a waiting period - ALWAYS!
I admit I hate to wait on the things I just mentioned. But I love waiting on God when it comes to His dreams for my life, and here's why. Every time God has given me a dream, it's always been something bigger than myself. Something that there's know way I could accomplish on my own. That's what makes it a God-given dream. I love the waiting periods because I grow by leaps and bounds during those times.
Several years ago God began to give me a vision for our church. I was not the Lead Pastor at the time and the church was going through a very unhealthy period, one of many unhealthy periods in our history. But God began to show me what could happen if we got healthy again and allowed God to use us for His purposes. Many of the things that are happening in our church today were a part of that original dream almost ten years ago. But getting that dream and making a decision to go after it was followed by a three year waiting period for me.
Looking back on those three years I can see how God grew me in ways that I never would have grown otherwise. And that growth prepared me to be the leader I was eventually going to have to be.
I learned to loosen my grip on things that I was trusting in rather than trusting in God. I learned how to be patient with people who didn't like change and were grieving because of changes. I learned to delegate so that I could stay focused. And I learned that God's ways of doing things are sometimes different from how I would do them - and His ways are always better.
So when I find myself in God's waiting room, I have choice, and so do you.
I can choose to complain, like the Israelites did in the desert. "God why are you moving so slow? I want to get there now!" I seem to recall every time the Israelites got impatient they took matters into their own hands, messed up big time, and it was another lap around Mt. Sinai.
Or I can choose to enjoy the ride knowing that God is getting me ready for something that only He can do. Regardless of our choice, we're still going to wait because God is God and we're not.
Two of my life verses are Jeremiah 29:11 and Habakkuk 2:3:
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
"These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled."
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
New Dream
If I'm honest, I don't like the first couple of phases of a God-given dream. In fact, if I'm really honest, I hate them. The phases are: Dream, Decision, Delay, Difficulties, Dead-in, and Deliverance.
I can handle the difficulties, delays and the dead-ins. In fact there's a weird part of me that enjoys those phases in some ways. Given my personality and strengths, that's when I tend to shine.
But I'm not a risk taker. I like things mapped out. I don't mind challenges, but I like to see them coming so I can hit them head-on. So the second phase of a dream, Decision, is the hardest for me to move through.
For the last few months I've had this sense that God is preparing a new dream in my life. I have NO IDEA what that is, where it will take me, or what the risks will be. And that more than makes me nervous, it actually scares me.
It scares me because I know once I have the vision I will have to make the decision to go after it. And making the decision is that point where you feel like you're suspended in mid-air, 100 feet above the ground, with no net below, holding on to a rope with all your might. Not my idea of fun.
But more than anything else in the world I want to be where God wants me to be. So that means saying yes even when it's scary. Even when it's uncomfortable. Even when everything inside me says "don't do it." Even when I don't know what I'm saying yes to.
Because it's not about WHAT I'm saying yes to, it's about WHO I'm saying yes to.
I can handle the difficulties, delays and the dead-ins. In fact there's a weird part of me that enjoys those phases in some ways. Given my personality and strengths, that's when I tend to shine.
But I'm not a risk taker. I like things mapped out. I don't mind challenges, but I like to see them coming so I can hit them head-on. So the second phase of a dream, Decision, is the hardest for me to move through.
For the last few months I've had this sense that God is preparing a new dream in my life. I have NO IDEA what that is, where it will take me, or what the risks will be. And that more than makes me nervous, it actually scares me.
It scares me because I know once I have the vision I will have to make the decision to go after it. And making the decision is that point where you feel like you're suspended in mid-air, 100 feet above the ground, with no net below, holding on to a rope with all your might. Not my idea of fun.
But more than anything else in the world I want to be where God wants me to be. So that means saying yes even when it's scary. Even when it's uncomfortable. Even when everything inside me says "don't do it." Even when I don't know what I'm saying yes to.
Because it's not about WHAT I'm saying yes to, it's about WHO I'm saying yes to.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Did Jesus Laugh?
Did Jesus laugh? The obvious answer is yes. He was human and humans laugh. But I don't think we think of Jesus as laughing very much. I think he probably laughed and smiled a lot. I mean He was on the greatest mission ever in the history of the universe; He had a lot to smile about.
Yesterday I was working on the teaching for Sunday. I'm teaching from Mark and in 
the passage Jesus says "It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter heaven." We don't get it, but that's funny.
If you think about what Jesus was saying to his followers it's funny. The largest animal in Palestine trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle. I think Jesus chuckled as he told that one. I think his disciples laughed when they got a mental image of it.
the passage Jesus says "It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter heaven." We don't get it, but that's funny.If you think about what Jesus was saying to his followers it's funny. The largest animal in Palestine trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle. I think Jesus chuckled as he told that one. I think his disciples laughed when they got a mental image of it.
I think sometimes we take ourselves way to seriously. I think we need to be more like Christ. Part of that means slowing down enough to enjoy life. Having fun. And laughing at the funny parts of life.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Encouraging Words File
I have two rituals when it comes to encouraging words: 1) I try to be intentional about giving them out and 2) I hang on to everyone that I get.
I'm a pretty routine person and every Tuesday I try to write at least two to three people a note of encouragement. Sometimes I know they are going through something tough and sometimes I just sense that I should write them. That small act of encouraging someone else actually encourages me.
I also have a file in my office marked "encouraging words." Anytime someone writes me a note, sends me an Email or turns in a communication card from the Sunday bulletin, I file them away. It's great to be able to pull that file out when I'm having a tough week and look through it. I literally have notes that are over ten years old.
Several years ago, when I was the youth pastor, our group was pretty upset about a new rule that needed to be put in place. Probably 90% of the students were not happy with me and made it known. After a particularly difficult youth group meeting I wandered into my office feeling really down. Laying on my desk was a handwritten note from one of the students, an eight grader. It said "Hang in there, you're doing a good job. I'm glad you're my youth pastor." Wow! That blew me away.
This week has been one of those weeks. Not bad, just busy, a lot on my mind and feeling really overwhelmed. Out of habit, a few minutes ago, I looked at my Blackberry on my way downstairs to watch some TV. Sitting in my inbox was one of those notes. This time it wasn't from an eight grader, rather someone in their eighties. It said "You're doing a fine job. I'm glad you are my pastor." Those kinds of notes, at just the right time, still blow me away.
Imagine the impact we could have on our world just by encouraging a few people each week. I think we could actually have a part in people being better people. And imagine how your life could be different if you held on to the encouraging words and filed them away and let go of all of the discouraging words.
I'm a pretty routine person and every Tuesday I try to write at least two to three people a note of encouragement. Sometimes I know they are going through something tough and sometimes I just sense that I should write them. That small act of encouraging someone else actually encourages me.
I also have a file in my office marked "encouraging words." Anytime someone writes me a note, sends me an Email or turns in a communication card from the Sunday bulletin, I file them away. It's great to be able to pull that file out when I'm having a tough week and look through it. I literally have notes that are over ten years old.
Several years ago, when I was the youth pastor, our group was pretty upset about a new rule that needed to be put in place. Probably 90% of the students were not happy with me and made it known. After a particularly difficult youth group meeting I wandered into my office feeling really down. Laying on my desk was a handwritten note from one of the students, an eight grader. It said "Hang in there, you're doing a good job. I'm glad you're my youth pastor." Wow! That blew me away.
This week has been one of those weeks. Not bad, just busy, a lot on my mind and feeling really overwhelmed. Out of habit, a few minutes ago, I looked at my Blackberry on my way downstairs to watch some TV. Sitting in my inbox was one of those notes. This time it wasn't from an eight grader, rather someone in their eighties. It said "You're doing a fine job. I'm glad you are my pastor." Those kinds of notes, at just the right time, still blow me away.
Imagine the impact we could have on our world just by encouraging a few people each week. I think we could actually have a part in people being better people. And imagine how your life could be different if you held on to the encouraging words and filed them away and let go of all of the discouraging words.
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