People in the Bible – Karen Gamble Writes

Looking At Judas

Looking at Judas Iscariot I sometimes see myself.

Judas turned his back on Jesus in search of personal gain., choosing to put self and money first.

He even went so far as to betray Jesus by telling the Pharisees where to catch Him so they could arrest Him.

I may not try to get Jesus arrested, but every time I turn my attention to the world and it’s shiny objects, making them more important than my faith walk, I betray Him.

Every time I choose to spend time watching t.v. but decide I’m too tired or don’t have time to read my bible, I betray Jesus.

Every time I say I don’t have tithe money but go out to eat or shopping, I steal from Jesus.

Every time I do it my way instead of submitting to His will, I choose self over Jesus.

The answer is simple, really

Give Jesus the attention He deserves.

Give Him the first of my time and money, not the leftovers.

Category: Faith, God, Obedience, People in the Bible, Submission | LEAVE A COMMENT

Did Judas Go to Heaven?

One question I’ve seen asked a lot is whether Judas Iscariot went to heaven.

Some say there is no way he could have since he betrayed Jesus.

Others assume he did because the Bible says he regretted what he’d done.

Let’s look at these a little further.

First of all, yes Judas did betray Jesus.

But, at the same time, so did Peter when he denied Christ 3 times before the cock crowed. (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75 NIV)

If I am real honest with myself, there are times I betray Jesus, too.

No, I don’t do anything “big” like sending people to kill Him.

But…

Category: God, Jesus, New Testament, People in the Bible | LEAVE A COMMENT

Judas Iscariot

One of the people involved in Christ’s crucifixion was Judas Iscariot.

Judas was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus.

He traveled with Jesus.

He had first-hand experiences and in-person visits with Him.

Unfortunately, Judas didn’t see things from the same point of view as Jesus did.

Part of Judas’ responsibility was to look after the money bag.

Category: Holiday, Jesus, New Testament, People in the Bible | LEAVE A COMMENT

Who Wrote Ecclesiastes?

We don’t know for sure who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.

The author never outright names himself.

We do know he called himself the Qoheleth, a Hebrew word that translates into Teacher or Preacher.

Most scholars agree it was King Solomon and that he wrote it toward the end of his life.

There are a few clues in the book that point toward this being true.

In verse 1 : 1 the author calls himself the “son of David, king of Jerusalem”. (NIV)

We know that Solomon was David’s son by Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 12:24

We also know that David appointed Solomon as his successor to his throne. 1 Kings 1:23-37

Sometimes, though, the phrase, “son of” is used to mean a descendant of and not necessarily a literal child of. We see this when Jesus is called the son of David in Matthew 1:1, Matthew 21:9, and Mark 12:35.

Keeping this in mind we can assume the person writing Ecclesiastes was one of King David’s descendants, but it doesn’t confirm it was Solomon.

We can look to another clue.

Category: Ecclesiastes Study Series, Old Testament, People in the Bible, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

Saul of Tarsus

Saul was a Jewish man who lived during the early days of the Christian church.

He was a scholar who spent a lot of time studying Jewish religious law. He was very zealous for the Jewish traditions and learned more about the laws than the other men his age.

Saul hated Christians and spent a lot of time persecuting them. He was present at the time of the stoning of the apostle Stephen, witnessing it and giving his approval of it.

That same day a great religious persecution broke out and Saul went house to house dragging out Christians and throwing them in prison.

He really believed he was doing the right thing and that by destroying Christianity he could protect the Jewish traditions he so dearly loved.

He did so many other violent acts towards Christians on a regular basis that his reputation was known far and wide.

The last time he tried it, he went to the high priest and asked for paperwork to take to the synagogues (Jewish houses of worship) in Damascus. He wanted to gather up any Christians there and take them back to the prison in Jerusalem.

As he neared Damascus a bright light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground.

A voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Saul asked who it was.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and I will tell you what you must do.”

Saul got up and immediately realized he was blind.

Category: Galatians, New Testament, People in the Bible, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT