Dave Dishman

Paul was a tough guy. In one situation an angry crowd swarmed around him and beat him to the ground. An eyewitness described the scene: They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple…seeking to kill him.

Only a cohort of Roman soldiers saved Paul’s life. Remarkably, as they pulled him from the clutches of the mob, Paul asked to address the crowd. Wiping blood from his face, he delivered a speech about his conversion. Needless to say, the rabble was not impressed. They demanded Paul’s life. Whisked away by his guards, Paul escaped to teach another day.

God needed a resolute and hardened man to take the message of Jesus to the world. As a bonus, Paul came highly educated and wrote brilliantly. Physical courage and intellectual prowess characterized this most unlikely apostle.

Paul shared the secret to his boldness when he wrote to live is Christ and to die is gain. While alive he would preach Jesus, and when he died he would go be with Jesus. In his wake many would discover Jesus.

I may not possess Paul’s bravery, or compulsion to preach to hostile crowds, but I benefit today from his writings and life example. Let’s pray for more and more followers of Jesus with the brains and brawn of Paul to spread the gospel anew in our world today.

Acts 21 & 22

Photo by Jon Tyson

David recorded several psalms during the year or more Saul wanted him dead. During that time David escaped out windows, hid in wilderness areas, and even moved under the protection of Israel’s enemies, the Philistines. There he acted like a madman to avoid suspicion (he had killed their champion Goliath not that long ago).

It’s amazing to me that David wrote prolifically while on the run. At least one psalm emerged from a cave, and somehow David kept these manuscripts safe and dry during his constant movements. As you might guess, his words reflect a dire situation and the attitudes of those stalking him:

Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.

David faced men who sought power above all else, who understood that the head of David on a spike promised riches and honor in the court of Saul. Like bounty hunters of the Old West, hardened assassins gunned after David.

But David knew where to place his faith. In the chaos he sought the Lord for relief: Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

The Lord answered. In the midst of this storm, while running for his life, David experienced the steading presence of the Lord: But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

I may not face off with bounty hunters, but life brings plenty of storms. David’s wilderness psalms, written under duress, remind me of the ultimate source of hope and courage when life looks bleak.

Psalm 38 & Psalm 52

Photo by Maciej Karoń

I love the original Rocky movie. A down-and-out fighter turned muscle for a neighborhood loan shark gets a shot at the title. Rocky goes all-in. Up before dawn to train, guzzling raw eggs (I tried this once, almost threw up), pounding sides of beef in a meat locker. Rocky trained relentlessly. In the ring he proved his mettle. In leadership parlance we call this dynamic determination.

Paul the Apostle was a lot like Rocky. After taking a right hook from Jesus, Paul relentlessly pursued the mission given to him by the Lord. Following one episode of mistreatment and stoning, he and his companion Barnabus picked up and moved to the next city where we’re told they continued to preach the gospel. That’s dynamic determination.

Screams in their face, rods broken across their back, rocks bouncing off their head—all part of the job. Paul and Barnabus proclaimed the the good news until they died. Paul’s preaching career ended in Rome, beheaded by Nero. Barnabus was stoned to death by a crowd in Cyprus.

A simple formula, really. Preach Christ until you die. Their determination changed the world, and ushered in the faith we enjoy today.

Acts 14:7

Photo by The Ordinary Moments

I know a guy. Words you like to hear when you tell your friend you’re looking for an electrician. The right connections make life easier. True when job hunting, and true when getting stuff done around the house. Sometimes, however, we may know a guy who we wish we’d never met.

Several men are listed as leaders of the young and growing church in Antioch. One of the teachers referenced is Manaen, a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch. This is the only place in the Bible Manaen is mentioned, and the only info we gather about him is his long friendship with a corrupt and murderous leader.

Do you remember Herod? This unscrupulous king lopped the head off John the Baptist and mocked Jesus during his trial. He detested the early Christians. But Manaen grew up with Herod, likely as a foster brother. As a result, Manaen came to age in a privileged, wealthy and severely anti-Christian household.

Did Manaen witness John’s beheading? Did he watch the mocking and beating of Jesus on the streets of Jerusalem? Did he follow the crowd to Golgotha? Regardless, at some point he heard stories of the resurrection. Truth seeped into Manaen’s soul. He turned from the ways of his family to embrace the ways of Jesus.

No one is insulated from the grace of God. Manaen’s life demonstrates the power of the gospel to reach individuals from elite environments dead set against the ways of the Lord. God works the same way today.

Manaen rejected the dark side of power and turned to Jesus instead. Many today are trapped, allured by the same darkness. Pray for the light of the gospel to reach them, no matter how far from Jesus they appear, because everyone a new set of friends.

Acts 13:1

Photo by Bruno van der Kraan