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ILLUSTRATION… Claire Schenot Burkat, "Five Myths of the Perfect Pastor"
His sermons were over their heads. His opinionated views alienated his colleagues. Coworkers found him boastful, even arrogant. A physical disability drove him to over-function in ministry. The first two congregations he pastored rejected his leadership, and, unable to still their internal strife and bickering, he went on to a third. By some measures of success, his ministry was a failure. This was no mythical pastor. This was the Apostle Paul.
Andrew
Was the brother of Peter. He preached the gospel to many Asiatic nations; but on his arrival at Edessa he was taken and crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground. Hence the derivation of the term, St. Andrew’s Cross.
Bibliography Information
Foxe, John. "Book - Chapter ". "Foxe’s Book of Martyrs".
Bartholomew
Preached in several countries, and having translated the Gospel of Matthew into the language of India, he propagated it in that country. He was at length cruelly beaten and then crucified by the impatient idolaters.
Bibliography Information
Foxe, John. "Book - Chapter ". "Foxe’s Book of Martyrs".
MEMORANDUM
To: Jesus, Son of Joseph,
Woodcrafter Carpenter Shop,
Nazareth;
From: Jordan Management Consultants,
Jerusalem....
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational-aptitude consultant.
It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education, and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue searching for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no leadership qualities. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings, and both regist...
Bartholomew
Preached in several countries, and having translated the Gospel of Matthew into the language of India, he propagated it in that country. He was at length cruelly beaten and then crucified by the impatient idolaters.
Bibliography Information
Foxe, John. "Book - Chapter ". "Foxe’s Book of Martyrs".
*Just outside of Orlando last Sunday morning a Presbyterian minister died as he was preaching his sermon. Maybe you saw it in the paper. His name was Jack Arnold.
*And of course it was traumatic to the church...
-But the Associate Pastor later pointed out how wonderful it was that he died in his own church among the people he loved the most...
*And here’s what I really want you to hear...
-Before he collapsed, Bro. Jack quoted John Wesley:
-Until my work on this earth is done, I am immortal...
-But when my work for Christ is done. I go to be with Jesus
*Then, the last thing the preacher said was: -And when I go to heaven...
*Before he could finish that sentence... -He did go to heaven.
*Adapted from (AP) Jan 10, 10:43 PM (ET), 2005 OVIEDO, Fla. As reported on My Way News)
Death cannot stop us from walking with God.
Philip
Was born at Bethsaida, in Galilee and was first called by the name of "disciple." He labored diligently in Upper Asia, and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis, in Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified, A.D. 54.
Bibliography Information
Foxe, John. "Bo...
Dr. Adrian Rogers tells, "Before the late and great Dr. R.G. Lee died I was in his home with Billy Graham, Cliff Barrows, and Tommy Lane, our minister of music at Bellevue Church. Dr. Lee was one of my predecessors at Bellevue, considered perhaps the best preacher of the twentieth century and one of the greatest in the history of Christianity. His adopted daughter came out and gravely announced, ’I believe Dr. Lee is dying.’ We were shocked. An elderly doctor rushed over and found that Dr. Lee was alive but unconscious.
Because we thought he was close to being with Jesus, Tommy suggested, ’Let’s sing him into heaven.’ So we sang as best we could ’Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned,’ Dr. Lee’s favorite hymn. Then Cliff Barrows led us in ’Come Thou Angel Band.’ I was ready to enter heaven myself.
Then Dr. Lee revived and opened his piercing blue eyes, and his daughter said, ’Papa, Billy Graham is here.’ Dr. Lee pulled Billy’s head down and kissed him. Later, Dr. Lee testified, ’I saw heaven. I saw Jesus. I saw my mother. I never did justice to heaven in my sermons.’ You say he was hallucinating? Oh, how I hope God gives me an hallucination like that!”
Who among us hast not feared death at one time or another? The chorus of a Bluegrass Gospel Song recorded by such artists as Loretta Lynn and Decatur, Illinois’, Alison Krauss sums it up so well:
Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die.
Lord I wanna go to Heaven, but I don’t wanna die.
Well, I long for the day when I’ll have new birth,
But I like livin’ here on earth,
Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die.
[SOURCES: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/krauss-alison/everybody-wants-to-go-to-heaven-16294.html or http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/loretta_lynn/everybody_wants_to_go_to_heaven.html].
Whether our fear is mainly our own physical death, eternal damnation by forever being separated from God, or the combination of the two, “the sting of death is sin.”
As Easter people we praise the Lord and affirm with Paul, “But thanks be to God, who give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
