THE DIRTY DOZEN

WITNESS

7-13-13

THE DIRTY DOZEN

Have you ever seen

The movie-“The Dirty Dozen”

It was a 1967 film

With an all-star cast

About a group of criminals

A group of rejects

Trying to accomplish an impossible task

Behind enemy lines

In world war II Germany

The mission

Almost failed

Because of a traitor

But in the end

They got the job done

God had a dirty dozen too

Approximately 2000 years ago

They too

Were considered to be

The rejects and outcasts of their day

There was Peter-the field marshal

Who was their “ROCK”

Who had the capacity

To strengthen the others

And did

It is believed

He preached in Rome

After Christ’s death

There was Andrew-Peter’s brother

Who was notable

In the feeding of the 5000

There were

The brothers-John and James

The sons of thunder

John was considered to be

The one who Jesus “loved

Greater than the rest

Bartholomew ( also known as Nathaniel )

Who may have made it

All the way to India to preach

Matthew-a tax collector

Of the Jewish race

Who worked for the Romans

Only to leave all

To follow the call of Christ

Philip-who left John the Baptist

To follow Jesus

And received the SPIRIT

At Pentecost-like the others

Thomas who was notable for “doubting”

For his lack of faith

But remembered by us

Because we can identify with him

When we go through

Our own doubts

Thomas too-died as a martyr

For the faith

James-son of Alphaeus

Who was beaten to death

With a club

And wrote an epistle

Thaddeus

Also known as Jude

The Saint of the Impossible

Simon-the Zealot

Who fist preached in Egypt

Then was martyred

Along with Jude in Persia

And Judas the traitor

Later replaced by Matthias

Who followed Christ

From his Baptism

To the Ascension

And was a witness

At the Resurrection

Jesus came to them

And said,

“Go and make disciples

Of all nations”                                                              Matthew 28:19

And they CARRIED OUT his commands

To the point of their own deaths

Mission impossible

EXCEPT

-FOR THE DIRTY DOZEN

Robert P. Wallman

6-21-12

Ps            May we too be 21^st CENTURY APOSTLES

                And carry on the work of the originals

WITNESS        7-13-13

“These are the TWELVE he appointed-Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),

James-son of Zebedee and his brother John ( to whom he gave the name-Boanerges

-which means Sons of Thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas,

James-son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot-who

Betrayed him”                                                                  

Mark 3:14