The Not So Popular Bible Characters #5

Moving on to the New Testament, An interesting story comes from the account of :

Simeon - Luke 2:21-35 read it here!

Simeon was a very righteous and devout man (v.25) and what must of been awesome in his life was knowing that he would get to see the Messiah before he died. I can imagine everyday was filled with wonder and expectation for the coming King of Kings. One day while he was in the Temple, it says the Holy Spirit moved him (v.27) and he knew the Christ was there! Simeon then blessed the child and gave a message to his parents about Jesus' future (v.34-35).

The relevance: Why did God give Simeon the honor of prolonging life until the Christ came? Perhaps it was because he was righteous, holy, a true worshipper of God. Simeon had to have daily anticipated the Lord's coming! Do we? Does the Holy Spirit move us in ways He moved Simeon in the Temple? The Holy Spirit is always trying to move us...we don't always yield to Him! I'm not prophesying on the return of our Lord in our lifetime or anything like that, but are you anticipating it? Think about it.

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #4

Ashpenaz - (Daniel Chapter 1)

In the book of Daniel, we see the capturing of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar (cool names huh?) anyways, Ashpenaz was the chief of all the king's officials. He was ordered to bring some of the Israelite men to be royal servants and such. Daniel was one of them. Daniel and his close friends Hananiah (Shadrach) Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abednego) did not want to defile themselves with the unclean food at the palace. Ashpenaz was afraid he would be killed if they didn't follow the orders but Daniel gained trust in Ashpenaz (v.9). Ashpenaz allowed Daniel to test the diet for 10 days and they were more healthy and nourished than all the others!

The relevance here is that Ashpenaz was not a believer but gained compassion, trust, and liking towards these men. What was it that made him change? I think that Daniel and his buddies were very respectful, obedient, etc. and Ashpenaz remembered that. We as Christians are constantly being watched by unbelievers. They want to see if we really live the way we believe. Ashpenaz saw the truth in these men, do others change their way of thinking based on your life? Think about it!

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #3

Obed – (Ruth 4:13-22) read it here

Obed was interesting due to who he was born to. The story of Ruth is an awesome story of redemption, faith, and perserverance. It is a picture of our Lord redeeming us and providing our every need. Obed was born to Boaz and Ruth after Boaz became kinsmen redeemer to her. Obed then went on and was the father of Jesse who was the father of King David! The lineage of Jesus can be traced back through Obed and Ruth. Another interesting tidbit about the name “Obed” it means “Worshipper” Are you Obed? Do you worship the One true God? (Obed-Elohim) or the world (Obed-World???) I don’t know the Hebrew for world in case you were wondering.

Good to Great Book Review

I received this book at a pastor's luncheon a month ago and decided to thumb through it. To be honest with you...the book didn't do much for me. It's a basic ten step outline book with too many illustrations and not enough author input. I can't stand it when authors don't write on their own thoughts. Illustrations are vital to makes points come alive from time to time but come on writers...every point and sub point doesn't need one! To save you time, all you need to read is the 10 steps headlines: Great Christians...

1. Think Great Thoughts

2. Read Great Books (ironic isn't it)

3. Pursue Great People

4. Dream Great Dreams

5. Pray Great Prayers

6. Take Great Risks

7. Make Great Sacrafices

8. Enjoy Great Moments

9. Empower Great People

10. Develop Great Habits

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #2

Ham - (Genesis 9:18-29) read it here

This is one of my favorite stories because Christians are too embarrassed to talk about it because of Noah being a drunk naked man!

After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard (v.20) and when the harvest came he made some wine and got drunk on it! (I'm sorry but this wine must not of been grape juice if he got drunk) anyways, about Ham...Ham walked in on his father while he was passed out naked on the floor and he didn't do anything to hide the shame. Ham went and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth covered there father with a blanket. When Noah woke up (probably with a hangover!) he cursed Ham and decreed that his descendants will be slaves to the other brother's descendants!
When we see someone we care about doing something stupid, sinful, etc. what do we do? Are we like Ham and tell others about it? or are we like Shem and Japheth that realized the problem, helped the individual, and did not involve themselves in gossip or mockery. Something to think about!

The Not So Popular Bible Characters #1

O.K. readers, I'm embarking on a journey for the next few weeks on Bible characters many have either never heard of or haven't payed much attention to. The reason I am doing this is first, they are in the Bible for a reason, they teach us great truths, and in some ways are just like me and you today. I hope to add a new one each day (except weekends) while also entering in any other post I feel I want to share. Hope you enjoy it! And the first contestant is.....

Ehud - (Judges 3:12-30) click here to read passage!

This man is one of my favorites so I'll start with him. If you read the passage, you are probably wondering what's so great about him...all he did was murder a morbidly obese king. The thing I love about this man is that the Bible does not say he is talented in many ways, good-looking, rich, or popular among people. Look in verse 15. Ehud is given the adjective "left handed man" that's it! God called Ehud to deliver Israel because his special gift was his left hand! Because of his uniqueness, he was able to hide a dagger\small sword in his right thigh (the normal soldier wore in on the outer left thigh. The guards didn't notice he was "packing heat" (no concealed permits needed back in those days!)

THE RELEVANCE : God can use you for his purpose! Each of us are created uniquely for His glory. Many times we wish that we could sing like someone else, be famous, speak better in public, etc. when all we need to do is use the abilities and talents God gave to us. The only thing special about Ehud was that he was left-handed and look what he did!