Tag: #biblicalmen

The main characters in the book of Ruth are two women and the story is told from their viewpoint. But Boaz has a significant role in the events that unfold, and he is central to the outcome. The story of Boaz in the Bible is important because of the underlying message it reveals. There is a hint of what is to follow and the basis of the hope that we now depend on.

The story of Moses begins with God’s hand of protection on his life from his birth. Through a series of events he grew up in the palace of the king of Egypt. But Moses’ life took a dramatic wrong turn and he had to flee Egypt. He made his home in the wilderness until one day he had an encounter with God that changed his life forever. What can we learn about our relationship with God from the call of Moses?

In the early church, there was a man who was commended by the Apostles for having the gift of encouragement. That man was Barnabas and he stood out, not so much by the words that he spoke, but by his actions. The characteristics of Barnabas reveal the spiritual gift of encouragement in its many different forms. A gift that we all need to give and receive!

At the beginning of the life of the early church we read of one man who stands out because of his generosity towards the poor. This was a man from Cyprus, a Levite, called Joseph. He was recognized by the Apostles as a man with the gift of encouragement. But who is Barnabas in the Bible, wasn’t he known as an encourager?

Spiritual transformation is sudden and dramatic when we first encounter Jesus. But there is also a slow process of transformation as we come to know and love the Lord more and more. The story of Saul to Paul reveals someone who was dramatically changed in an instant but who was also continually being transformed throughout his life.

The story of Saul’s conversion, from opposing the gospel to becoming a follower of Jesus, is found in the book of Acts. Unusually, the details of this story are repeated more than once. This is because Saul had a dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus which immediately turned his life around! What happened to him to completely change his way of thinking? Are there lessons that we can learn from his experience for our lives today?