YOU AIN'T HYPE!

In little over 44 hours, God willing, about 60 kids will walk through the doors of "the yellow church" and start their five weeks of the summer day camp learning about God, playing Challenge Circle, dancing, singing, arts and craftsing, and having fun.  As many people working the camp would probably agree, we're not really sure what to expect at camp.  How many kids will show up?  Will rainy days mess up plans?  Although there are many unknowns, we wait and trust that those God would have be in the camp would be changed in a very positive way.

Decorations are finally finished.  A cardboard castle was erected, stone walls made, tissue-paper torches "lit", and giant scrolls unrolled.  Our theme this year is "The King and Me" and we hope that all of our Bible lessons and instruction will point to the King of Kings and how He rules over all.  Please pray that in all the planning, and in all the fun, we as staff remember to point the kids to Jesus and how great He is and not how fun and exciting we appear to be.  It's not about us.

One of the favorite cheers at our camp is when the person running Challenge Circle (a circular relay race game) yells "You Ain't Hype" at a specific team and they, in unison, yell back "You Ain't Hype!"  The team that shows the most energy wins points.  Also, during the relays races, teams are awarded points by winning the races but also for being the loudest encouragers of other teams.  There is so much tearing down of other people that happens in the community and we hope that God will work in the kids' hearts.

More updates to come.....

Two In the Books

Year number 2 of the after school program is in the books.  Done.  It reminds me of the end of a track race.  During the race, I try to conserve energy and push to the finish and expend all the speed I can before the finish line.  As the finish enters my vision, I anticipate rest despite feeling tired.  The closing moments are usually the most painful but then when I finish, I can look back on the race and the sport that I love and get excited and forget about the struggles.

I know there have been times this year that the struggles and pain were more illuminated than the triumphs, the positive growth, and the hope I can reflect on now.  In our end-of-the-year evaluations of the two:fiftytwo After School Program, I was very grateful for the section labeled "Highlights."  It had been awhile since I'd really only focused on the positives of the year.  I think the intent of this section was to discuss in what ways the program functioned better this year than the previous year, the first year.  What God brought to my heart were not aspects or changes to the program, but memories. Memories?  I wasn't expecting that.  As I look at some of my top 10 moments from the year, some include just simple interactions with the kids.  Challah laughing uncontrollably when I impersonated an old man, Michaella getting so excited to show us her loose tooth, Diallo's face lighting up when he was asked to explain the gospel to the younger kids, Mekhi going from running around and not being able to sit still in a chair, to sitting quietly, absorbing every piece of educational information, and even opening up more to the adults when before he just seemed very sad all the time.

I thank God for all the ways that this year was harder than the last, in that, we had the "opportunity" to undergo difficult situations in order to obtain more experience and also to thank God for the times that He shows up and works in the kids' hearts.

Here are some of my favorite photos I took with my ipod this school year, looking back.

Diallo and Ferrell cheating during a keep-the-cone-on-your-head relay race

Chassidy and Charity pretending to drive Mr. Marc's car when we took them home.

Diallo, Mr. Andrew, and Ferrell in the van on our way to a field trip

Haha, my sister's Christmas gift to me, face in the snow.

Field trip to the arboretum.  Da boyz

At the beach with my beautiful girlfriend Missi and visiting-sister Erin

Challah wrote a story where I was the Merman (male version of mermaid) King where I helped her find her magic shell.  Dreams do come true

In light of the end of the school year, most all teachers and students get a few well-deserved months off in the summer from all the planning and brain-growth.  In order to foster this "brain-growth" in kids over summers, many people around the country have baseball leagues, tennis lessons, summer camps, and other programs that keep the kids focused.  I heard an interesting study done for white, middle-classed kids versus black, under-privileged kids.  Both groups learn at the same rate during the school year, but there's a significant drop-off in knowledge and remembering facts during those summer months.  Therefore, many black kids return to school having lost much of what they learned previously.  We at 2nd Mile Ministries in the process of planning for our sixth ever Summer Day Camp (SDC), and it's coming quickly.  I will hopefully tell you more details about the different aspects of the camp next week so stay tuned.

Last week we spent two days just decorating for the camp in which the theme will be "The King and Me" (a grammatically correct version of "The King and I").  We want the kids to know that God is the King of Kings, so the idea of His throne will be hammered into the this summer.  Here are some beginning decorations.

Along with SDC preparations, this past weekend we put on our annual rummage sale at Eastside Community Church, where all money that is raised goes towards the summer camp.  This rummage is HUGE!  Tools, furniture, old TV's from way way back in the 90's with VCR's attached, toys, books, clothes, you name it.  It was a ton of work.  It was as if we set up a huge thrift store and then closed it down the next day.  There was some very interesting stuff including this bike helmet with some billiards balls on them.

After lots of sweat, organizing, and hauling furniture, I can look back and see that all the hard work paid off, quite literally too.  We pulled in about $4,500 for camp which will hopefully cover most of what we need to run a successful camp.

Please pray that all the new responsibilities would not overwhelm me, that the planning for the camp is thorough and seeking to serve God by loving the kids, and that those on staff with 2nd Mile would be able to find at the end of these small races (school years, big events, etc.)

Growing Pains

When I was a freshman in high school, there were few that were shorter in height.  By some miracle, my height didn't prevent me from making the basketball team, but did hinder my playing time.  I believe it was right before the basketball season that I began to feel pain in my knees and upper shins.  It wasn't enough discomfort to go to the emergency room, but I did get it checked out when I had my physical.  "Probably growing pains," the doctor declared.  It's about time, I thought.  Walking through the harsassment-filled hallways of high school as a tiny little freshman became a greater challenge than normal, especially now that the pain in my legs caused me to disguise a slight limp.  (For those of you worried out there, I never really got harassed, I didn't tried to draw any attention to myself).

It turns out, I didn't hit my growth spurt until two years later when I had already given up on organized basketball and started running track and cross country.  Relating to basketball, I used to always handle the ball well.  Being lower to the ground, I could dribble quicker and have better control.  I used to guard the other team's shortest or weakest player since there wasn't much expectation for me to rebound the ball.  Nowadays, with my tall appearance, I've had to "guard up" and defend people much bigger and stronger than I.

Although this type of physical growth is normal for pretty much everyone, it doesn't take away from the fact that it can be uncomfortable and hard to deal with.  Growth is sometimes hard to see, especially when you see someone almost every day.  When I go home and I see my nephews are 8 inches taller and their voices are lower, I'm filled with awe at first ("Dang, you grew!") and then I think about the fact that I'm getting older as well and, supposedly, getting more mature and grown up.  I was asked recently, "What ways have you seen yourself grow this year?"  Honestly, I didn't want to answer that question because I wasn't sure I had.  This past school year, I've had more frustrating days at work and been put in many situations that have left me unsure how to handle them.  I think in regards to the after school program, the fact that I can so easily point out what is going wrong reflects on what I choose to focus on; the negative.  This kid talks back to adults now when they didn't before.  That kid never used to call people names.  It's so easy to see what's wrong and try to fix it.  I think one reason I've had more frustration at work is because when I see little or no growth in the kids, it reminds me of my own frustrations with myself not growing the way I would want.

But God has a plan.  Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  When I look back and seek the positive memories of the year, I see that the biggest growth has been relationships.  The kids at our program are pretty much best friends with other kids in the program, they are more and more trusting of us as their authority figures.  As you may know from the previous blog, we have made an effort to spend time with the kids outside of the program at the parks or at organized Boys and Girls Days.  Sometimes, I feel like a part of their families, someone closer than just a teacher or babysitter.

What got me so in love with serving Brentwood in the first place was imagining these kids in 5, 10, or 15 years down the road, where they'll be, what plans God has for them.  Yesterday, I was at the park playing basketball and throwing the frisbee around and I saw Breon, a once 14 year old boy who came to our summer day camp back in 2010 who had a huge effect on me.  He is now 17, as tall as me, and asked me to play him one-on-one with him.  He still refers to me as DJ Andrew, my name at camp since I helped out with the music selection.  Another kid in the park, when we'd ask him a question, he'd reply with sir or ma'am, even though we are only in our lower to mid 20's.  It was a reality check with being 25 and not in high school or college anymore.

With my grandmother's passing back in March and only one grandparent still alive, it's been strange to think about losing a generation of your family.  This life, although slowly, continues to move forward and all of us grow, mature, get stronger, weaker, wiser, older, and eventually begin their eternity at death.

Have you ever walked in a cemetery?  Alone?  It's extremely humbling.  Suddenly, that TV show you love to watch becomes pointless, friends and family become more important, a fixation on the fragility of your life comes over you.  As a snake sheds its skin in seasons, and a hermit crab moves from shell to bigger shell as it grows, as the dead skin on my back peels after a wicked sunburn attacked the hard-to-reach places on my back, something new emerges.  My older brother is now a dad, even though I still see him as my buddy who I grew up with.  It's crazy to think about.  Look at your life, where you came from.  Generations back, generations forward.  The ol' days.  These new changing times.

It turns out the kids I've invested in this year are growing, and God is a huge part of that growth.  Although it's hard to see the day-to-day growth, the changes are more evident when I think back to the beginning of the school year.

Here are some pictures my sister found for me of my childhood.

 

I think I've grown up (
?)

These things have been on my mind.  Thanks for reading.  Hopefully you've taken some time to contemplate your life and all the characters in it, the people that God used to shape you.

Boys Day 2

The end of the school year is only a few weeks away.  For any of you teachers out there, I bet you can't wait for some rest in the summer.  With the big Florida testing over with, many teachers in this neighborhood coast, go on more field trips, watch more movies, and try to have more fun in their classrooms.  The FCAT is a big indicator on whether or not a student will go on to the next grade.  Helping out in the North Shore Elementary offices, it's sad to see students who, according to their age, should be one or even two grades higher than where they are.

As a worker in an after school program, I have noticed that the past couple of weeks have been a bit more difficult to get the students to want to read or want to do a worksheet that isn't their homework.  Our creativity has had to step it up a notch.  We went from individual reading time, which we call DEAR time (drop everything and read), to partner reading where an adult facilitates specific questions about the book or about grammar/vocabulary.  Although there have been difficulties with the school year finishing, I've actually been generally more excited.  Knowing there's always that chance that a student will move away or not join our program next year makes me want to take advantage of any opportunity I can to help them, love them, care.  If you've watched a couple of the last episodes of The Office, you might remember when Darryl left his job at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company without saying goodbye (he didn't like goodbyes).  Then when he was seen at work gathering some things, all his co-workers suddenly wanted to hang out, grab lunch, spend time.  I would hate to have to lose something to know how much I miss it.

Hopefully in the next couple weeks, I will have had time to sit down, really think about this past school year, all God has taught me, put me through, and be able to give you some highlights, one of which I'm sure will include Boys Day 2.

Our second boys day was this past Saturday and we went to Hanna Park.  This park has hiking, camping, fishing, but the section we spent all our time at was the beach.  Adults included me, roommates Marc and Evanda, and neighborhood friend Ernest.  Students included Alex (4th grade), Ferrell (2nd), Diallo (5th), Mekhi (2nd), and Emery (5th) who was a part of two:fiftytwo last year.  We got to the beach, parked, went over some ground rules, then went for the ocean.  Most of these kids don't get the opportunity to go the beach too often.  It was awesome!  The waves were in good form, we dug some holes, made some sand castles, buried some people, play catch with the football, played baseball in the water, and ate apples.  Yes, apples.  After our 3 hours in the sun, we headed back home and got some McDonald's on the way.  These kids love them some McDonald's.  I could write about the beach for a long time.  Each kid was interested in different things.  Alex loved baseball and attacking the waves, Emery was content with his shovel digging holes, wanting to make a hot tub.  Ferrell, who I know could be a child-comedian if he wanted, said "I need to go work on my tan," on more than one occasion.  It was fun to partake in their excitement.  It was great!

Alex escaping from his sand grave.

Ferrell enjoying the water.

Emery, Diallo, Alex, and Mekhi playing catch with the unseen football.

With the school year nearing its end, we are beginning to get prepared for the summer day camp.  My mindset can sometimes drift to the summer prematurely and forget about the now.

Please pray:
-As a staff, that God would give us the drive and strength to be intentional with the next few weeks, hoping the kids grow in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and men.
-God would provide not only the supplies needed for summer day camp, but also the right volunteers, the right students from the neighborhood, the right instruction, etc.

True Rest

Have you had a long day?  Are you tired?  Is reading this blog pulling much needed energy from you at this moment?  Sometimes a whole day of scheduled duties goes by and I fall into bed, just to get enough sleep to do the same thing the next day.  Sometimes the days blend together.  My calendar is the only thing that jolts my brain to remember the day of the week.  For me, and maybe for you too, the more tasks and things on the schedule, the more lines drawn on the calendar, more or less resemble prison bars to me.

Once every month, the full-time staff members are required to take a "personal retreat day" which basically means an entire day to devote to the Lord, meditating on the word, reflecting on the past month, praying, resting, worshiping, etc.  I was skeptical at first, thinking that I had to go through a certain method, checking off things I needed to reflect on, but after that first time, I was excited to experience the next one.  This past Thursday was my most recent retreat day.  Normally it falls on a Saturday but this unique situation of the middle of the week and having a borrowed car at the time allowed for me to spend my retreat day outside of the Brentwood neighborhood.

I decided that early morning, right after a healthy Apple Jacks breakfast, I'd drive myself to the beach (about 25 minutes away from where I live)  I was hoping that the early time of this week day would mean barely any beach goers.  I parked the car, left my shoes and socks, my towel, my wallet, and my backpack behind and proceeded to the beach on foot...barefoot.  I walked the path to the beach, probably about 9:15am, and the sun was still pretty low which meant a beautifully bright reflection from the water and into my unexpecting eyes.  I approached the water, looked to my right, to my left, a few ambitious walkers here and there but not too many people.  With no intention of finding a spot to sit, I picked a direction, put my headphones in, and began to walk.  Look at all the seashells.  Look at the waves.  Look how far out into the ocean I can see.  I can't even see the end.  Someone in Africa might be looking in my direction thinking the same thing.  After almost an hour of walking and enjoying the vast blue water on my left, the side of my face warm from the sun, I turned and headed back.  (Not very profound to the story, but I did indeed turn around.)  As I recall, this is the first time I've ever gone to the beach by myself.  I definitely enjoy taking intentional alone time, and even though the beach began to get more populous, me alone with my thoughts and praise to God was awesome.

I needed that rest.

Last night I went to a showing of one of the most powerful and intense movies I've ever seen.  I'm not talking about any Hollywood films but rather a documentary called Nefarious, which I looked up means "wicked or criminal".  It was about global sex trafficking.  Honestly, I didn't know this fact until I already made plans to see it.  It was a faith-based film with interviews from former prostitutes, former pimps, former sex clients and unveiled the hurt, pain, helplessness that many women and children experience.  It is definitely worth watching and understanding, but I know that if you're like me and knew that it would be hard to watch and learn of what terribly evil things are happening, you wouldn't want to watch it.  You probably won't watch it.  I'm not being judgmental.  I'm right there with you.  I fear bringing pain on myself.  Even if the pain is not directly effecting me, learning of other people's pain in hard for me.

A 10 year old girl, raped by her father.  Now she's a prostitute.  People in poor Cambodian villages consider mothers blessed if they have a daughter because they can sell them into sex slavery for money to buy TVs and cell phones.  Billboards in Thailand advertise women as more delicious than a fresh durian.  The average prostitute starts prostituting between 12 and 13 years old.  These stats one after another are hard to believe and even harder to face as someone who has very little idea of these things happening.  I don't really know how to respond to a documentary like that.  What can I do but make others aware and pray?

The most powerful part of the movie was probably when a couple of ex-prostitutes talked about how they got out of that lifestyle.  The answer.  Jesus.  One of them should've died from too much cocaine, but she called out to Jesus and survived.  The other had a dream where Jesus and her were sitting on a bench.  His eyes didn't judge, didn't lust, didn't condemn, just loved.  He knew everything she had ever done and still loved her.  You could see as they were retelling their stories that they there was an incredible weight lifted from their shoulders.  Hope was born.

Anyway, there's this thing in the Bible called the Sabbath.  Most Christians might believe the word is synonymous with Sunday, just a word.  I know I did.  I think having an intentional day of rest, true rest, not just taking naps or not working, is one of trusting the Holy Spirit and following His leading.

Please take time to pray.

-Pray for these women trapped in a life where they'd rather be dead than alive because of all the abuse.

-Pray for courage to face these facts yourself with a burdened heart.  The worst day of your life may seem like heaven to some.

-Pray for my heart, that I don't just get worked up about these things and easily angered at everybody. I do pray that whoever reads this does not feel judged for not knowing about these things or for doing nothing.  I pray that you would take time to pray and open your heart for the broken people around the world who do exist despite not seeing them with your eyes.

Fernando Ortega's "I Stretched Out My Hands"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRhujopTr9k

A Special Request

Today is the first of May, 2013.  It's less than two months before 2nd Mile Ministries begins its 5th Annual Summer Day Camp!  I'm super pumped to be in Jacksonville this summer.  The first summer that I lived in Jacksonville (2010), the camp was the main event.  Everybody was hype (energized) and so many kids got to hear the gospel message.  I haven't been in Jacksonville for a summer since that year and I'm excited to experience similar excitement as well as developments and changes made to the camp the past few years.

When the school year is over on June 7th, 2nd Mile has two weeks to plan different camp stations which include dance, arts and crafts, Bible lessons, music, sports, and challenge circle.  Our camp director has been busy planning already and compiling lists of things needed for camp to run well.

Take a quick look at some things we need for camp.
http://www.2ndmile-jax.com/camp-summer-2013/

If you want to send any of those items, you can send them to 325 W. 22nd St., Jacksonville, FL 32206.  Or if you'd rather donate online, you can donate at 2ndmile-jax.com and specify what you'd like your donation to be used for.

If you have worked at kid's camps before and have ideas for a fun Friday activity for between 50-60 kids, please let me know.  You can email me at lilvollmer@gmail.com.  Feel free to comment with ideas on this blog.

Prayer requests (which I realize I don't often offer)
-That our after school program leaders would continue to run all the way through the finish line of the school year without slowing up on discipline and educational-focused activities.
-That we'd make the most of whatever God provides for us this summer for camp.
-That the summer interns come energized and willing to serve and love the community.
-That Christ would be glorified and that'd it be clear that it is because of Him that any hearts would be changed for Him.

For your meditation and listening time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jjpK7Kn2IM

Suffering Anyone?

It seems human nature to adapt to surroundings and people and search for the easiest way to be comfortable.  My head hurts.  Let me take something to get rid of this pain.  Homeless people keep asking me for money.  I'm going to walk on the opposite side of the street and pretend I don't see them.  I had a long day of work and don't want to cook dinner.  I'll get some fast food.  There are many more examples of this in our daily lives.  I just gave a few from my own life.  (Well, maybe not the headache one.  Not a big fan of taking pills.)

Being more comfortable is all around us.  If conflicts with people arise, they can be unfriended with the click of a button, or avoided with silence.  Adjust the seat.  Add some sugar.  Turn on the AC.  Turn down the volume.  Bigger car.  Newer clothes.  One more chocolate.  Drop an unwanted call.  The game is on.  My show is on.  That one show is on.  How can I feel better?  What annoyance in my life must I get rid of?  Whatever the situation may be, our own comfort probably comes high on our priority list.  Selfishness is something I battle all the time.  I often ask myself, How can I be comfortable in this situation?

Us on staff have been taking classes where we've been learning a lot about the "ignored scripture" in "white churches" across the country.  Forgive me if it seems I'm over generalizing this, but living in an urban neighborhood has opened my eyes to the culture in which I grew up.  Last Tuesday, we talked about comfort versus suffering and what the Bible has to say about them.  Turns out, God doesn't want you to climb the corporate ladder, make more money, seek comfort.  This might sound like I'm saying God doesn't want good things for us.  That's true.  God says in Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."  Awesome!  This doesn't mean He'll give you what you want, but that when you delight in God, He'll give you desires that are from Him.  The importance of your desires will melt away in comparison with God's plans for you.

After learning in class that our involuntary actions towards comfort might, in fact, not be what God wants for us, I watched a Francis Chan sermon titled "Comfort and Suffering."  If you'd rather watch the sermon instead of read the rest of this blog post, I won't be offended.  Here's the link.  He explains it much more eloquently than I ever could. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igtHC5wbfFE (Part 1 of 5)

At the beginning of the sermon, Chan makes it clear that he has no problem if the following week he has nobody in the congregation because of the seriousness and truth of what he was about the preach. He assured the church that this was not one of "Francis's radical sermons" but rather a message from God that he felt many in the church are missing or ignoring.  What I love about it is that he shows one passage of scripture from each book of the New Testament that has something to do with suffering and how it is good.

Take a deep breath.  I would encourage you to even pray before reading these.  Perhaps everything you feel you know about what it means to be a Christian will be challenged.  You probably have a strong understanding of how to become a Christian, but what then?

Matthew 10:34-35, Jesus says, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' "

Not exactly the sing-me-to-sleep Jesus I grew up learning about.

Mark 8:34-36 "Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?' "

Is my life a living sacrifice for the sake of the gospel?

Luke 6:22-23 "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.  For that is how their fathers treated the prophets."

People may hate, exclude, insult, and reject me and you may relate.....but is it because of my faith in Jesus?

John 15:18-20 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.  Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.  If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."

Have I been persecuted?  I usually tend to avoid any opportunity for people to persecute me.  I often focus on how I can get people to like me.

Acts 5:40-41 "His speech persuaded them.  They called the apostles in and had them flogged.  Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name."

Again, rejoicing because they share in Christ's sufferings.

Romans 8:16-18 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

A very powerful if-then statement.  We are his children, heirs, if indeed we share in his sufferings.

1 Corinthians 15:19, 30-32 "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men....And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?  I die every day -- I mean that, brothers -- just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.  If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained?  If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' "

Choosing to endanger themselves.  Not my desire as of now.

2 Corinthians 1:5-7 "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

Galatians 6:12 "Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised.  The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ."

Jews justifying their fear of suffering.

Ephesians 6:11-12 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

This is a war!  If life is easy, maybe the devil doesn't even have to worry about you being ineffective for the sake of Christ, because it's possible you already are.

Philippians 1:29 "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him"

Granted to you, as if a gift.  It is a privilege to suffer for him.

Colossians 1:24 "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

1 Thessalonians 3:4 "In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted.  And it turned out that way, as you well know."

Paul, Silas, and Timothy knew ahead of time that they'd be persecuted.  Sometimes I know the conflict that will happen so I avoid stepping out in faith.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 "All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering."

1 Timothy 1:18 "Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight"

As Paul too fought the good fight without losing faith, Timothy is encouraged to keep the faith through whatever he might face.

This next one gets me thinking.

2 Timothy 1:8, 2:3, 4:5 "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.  But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.....Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.....But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."

Reputation in the world's eyes does not equal the glory that will be revealed as a result of suffering for the name of Jesus.

Titus 1:10-11 "For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.  They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach -- and that for the sake of dishonest gain."

Some church leaders will preach whatever theology allows them to keep in a powerful and comfortable position in society.  There's a church in downtown Jacksonville that gets their pastor a brand new car every year.  Not the gospel.

Philemon 13 "I would have liked to keep [Onesimus] with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel."

Hebrews 13:12-13 "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.  Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore."

"Hey come on!  Let's bear the disgrace Jesus bore!"  Doesn't exactly get me jumping up and down excited.

James 5:10-11 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.  When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it."

1 Peter 2:19-21, 4:12-13 "For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.  But how is it to your credit if you receive a bearing for doing wrong and endure it?  But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.  To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.....Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

2 Peter 2:2-3 "Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  In their greed these teachers will exploit  you with stories they have made up.  Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."

1 John 3:13, 3:16-18 "Do not be surprised my brothers, if the world hates you......This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

2 John 7 "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh have gone out into the world.  Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist."

3 John 9-10 "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.  So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us.  Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers.  He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church."

Jude 8 "In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authorities and slander celestial beings."

Revelation 2:10 "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.  I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.  Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

"What you are about to suffer" suggests that there will be suffering.  But in the end, when it really matters, the crown of life will be given.

If you've made it all the way down here, thank you for reading.  Sometimes I can get long-winded on these blogs.  I want to leave you with a video I just watched yesterday.  If you've never experienced any kind of injustice or don't exactly know what that looks like, put yourself in one of these kid's shoes in this experiment.  I hope you have the courage to click this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeK759FF84s