THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

ANDREW: Left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.  He is always seen leading other to Jesus including his brother Peter.  He died a martyr of the faith by crucifixion in Achaia, Greece.

NATHANAEL (Bartholomew): Phillip told him about Jesus the Messiah.  He was skeptical at first but met Jesus and was converted.  Jesus said he was an Israelite indeed with no deceit.  History places him in various countries preaching, including Armenia.  He died a martyr. 

JAMES:  Brother of John and son of Zebedee.  He was a fisherman in a family business in Galilee.  He was a member of the Lord’s inner circle, which included his brother John and Peter.  He was killed by Herod with the sword (Acts 12:1-2).  

JAMES (The Less or Younger and son of Alphaeus): He is the more obscure disciple with little information about him in the gospels.  He is a picture of serving Christ graciously in the shadow of others.  He was apparently stoned to death in Jerusalem. 

JOHN: Brother of James and son of Zebedee and a fisherman.  He was known as the beloved disciple.  Wrote a gospel, three epistles, and Revelation.  He preached among the churches of Asia Minor.  He was banished to the island of Patmos.  He died an aged man in Ephesus.  

JUDAS: From Kerioth of Judah and treasurer of the band of disciples.  He stole from the money bag and betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  He committed suicide.  Jesus said it would have been good for that man if he had never been born. (Mark 14:21)

JUDAS (Thaddeus/Lebbaeus): The disciple with the three names has zero information about him in the New Testament.  Hippolytus records he preached to the people of Edessa, and to all Mesopotamia, and died at Berytus (Lebanon), and was buried there.

MATTHEW (Levi): A tax collector by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus called him.  He was better with a pen than with a fishing pole (like most of the other followers) and so has the distinction of writing the first gospel.  Details of his death are uncertain but most say he died a martyr. 

SIMON (Peter/Cephas): A Galilean fisherman and brother to Andrew.  He was the outspoken disciple and writer of two epistles.  With the keys to the kingdom he opened up doors for the gospel. He was martyred on a cross upside down because he felt unworthy to die like his Lord.    

PHILIP: An early follower of Jesus who was tested by Jesus at the feeding of the five thousand.  He knew how to lead others to Christ and asked Jesus to show the Father.  It is said he preached in Phrygia and was crucified in Hierapolis.   

SIMON (The zealot): Not much is known about Simon except that he was likely a fanatical Jewish nationalist prior to his conversion.  A church tradition holds that he spread the gospel in Egypt as a missionary and was martyred in Persia.  

THOMAS (Didymous or the twin):  He was willing to die with his Lord and asked Jesus to show him the way.  He is best known as the doubter of the resurrected Christ who was later convinced by his Lord’s scars.  Strong church tradition places him as a martyr in India.  

Louie

GOD’S B-TEAM

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

GOD’S B-TEAM

(1 Cor 1:26-29) For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Growing up did you ever want to be a part of the in-crowd but felt excluded from all those popular people?  Did you always feel like you were on the outside looking in?  Were you always chosen second down to last when it came to groups, sports, etc.?  Maybe you’ve always felt just average and that you could never be with the first class crowd.  Then welcome to God’s B-team!  

The Lord loves to take what is humble and ordinary and turn it into something worthwhile for His glory.  Think of the disciples.  They were just plain old Joes but these are who the Lord picked to be on His team.  Fishermen, a zealot, a tax collector, just the rank and file of commonplace individuals that never stood out in a crowd.  But they were chosen to be with Him and to pass on the gospel to the world. 

I think of the Calvary Chapel movement and how God has used ex-hippies and drug dealers to pastor some of the finest churches in the nation.  I think of those in church history as well as currently that God has raised up to make a dent for the Kingdom.  You look at them and just marvel that God has used them so mightily and effectively.  No charisma, no personal magnetism, just people of clay.  (2 Cor 4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

How Mary felt so unworthy to be the mother of the Messiah!  (Luke 1:48-49) For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. (Luke 1:52-53) He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.

God is looking for an individual He can use for His special purposes.  You might be used up front or perhaps in the background.  But who cares?  It’s all for His glory anyway.  (2 Chronicles 16:9) For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…

God uses the humble and brings down the proud.  God’s B-team is really His A-team.  It’s just that the world doesn’t recognize what true greatness is all about.  (1 Pet 5:5-6; Mat 20:20-28)  

Louie

THE REAL VALENTINE’S DAY

 

 

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

THE REAL VALENTINE’S DAY 

. . . the greatest of these is love.  (1 Corinthians 13:13) 

 

HERE IS THE HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY AS WE KNOW IT: 

Valentine’s Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular military campaigns. Claudius the Cruel, as he was known at the time, was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that Roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome.

This was when a Christian priest named Valentine came to defend love in the empire. Valentine began to secretly marry couples despite the emperor’s orders. When Emperor Claudius was informed of these ceremonies Valentine was sent to prison where he remained until his death on February 14 in the year 270. 

It wasn't until a few hundred years later when Valentine's Day began to develop as we know it. At the time Christianity was beginning to take control of Europe.  As part of this effort the Church sought to do away with pagan holidays. Valentine's Day came to replace a mid‑February fertility festival called Lupercalia. In honor of his sacrifice for love Valentine was made a saint and Lupercalia renamed in his honor.

 

BUT HERE’S A GREATER STORY OF LOVE THAT GOES BACK EVEN FARTHER . . . the real Valentine’s Day! 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16)   

NOW WE CAN LOVE GOD BASED UPON WHAT JESUS DID FOR US ON THE CROSS: 

We love Him because He first loved us.  (1 John 4:19)   

AND NOW WE CAN TRULY LOVE ONE ANOTHER: 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you . . . (John 13:34)   

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. (John 15:13)   

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. {8} He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  (1 John 4:7‑8) 

Brethren . . . let us love one another! 

Louie