Thursday, September 22, 2011

Bible Characters Come To Life

My dad was a huge history buff.  He often said history repeats itself.  If you are a student of history, you can prepare yourself for recurring events.

The Bible is loaded with stories about troubled people who turned their lives around after encountering God.  In the Old Testament, God the Father touches the lives of ordinary people and they become extraordinary visionaries.  In the New Testament, it's Jesus who gives new life to the lost.  After His departure, the Holy Spirit appears to bring inspiration to the followers of Jesus.

Many Bibles sit on bookshelves collecting dust because people have trouble finding a connection with these ancient figures.  Odds are you are more similar to the Bible characters than you are different. If you can learn to see yourself in the very people you are reading about, you become part of the story.

When you picture yourself meeting Jesus, everything changes.  It's impossible to encounter Jesus and still be the same person.  I must caution you about bringing Bible characters to life.  Once you become part of the story, you won't be able to put this Book down.  If you are content with who you are today, don't try this exercise.  If you are having relationship troubles, financial woes, or if you are sick, you can see yourself in every chapter of the Bible.

My life changed radically as a result of finding myself in that naked caveman guy Jesus met in Luke 8:26-40.  Here was a crazy man, bound up in chains, living in a remote area.  Demons entered his body and controlled him.  The crazy man found Jesus and everything changed.  Once he met Jesus and became healed, he spent the rest of his life publishing all the good Jesus had done.  When Jesus came back, there was a crowd waiting.  Everyone in the crowd had a story to tell and each was a reflection of all the characters in the Bible.  Which character are you most like?

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