Bible Character Madness #2

First, Thank you all for your prayers today as my family had the privilege and excitement of meeting a new faith family. It was amazing and we are excited to see what the Lord is going to do in and through us. Please keep us in your prayers as we may have some big decisions to make in the coming weeks. As you all pray, I will keep everyone posted.

Now on to the next set of Bible Character madness match ups. Today will explore 6 more Bible characters and only 3 will move on into the next round.

Match-up #1
Nehemiah vs. Habakkuk
So this is a fun match-up. We have first the man of God who was the cup bearer to King Artaxerxes. God sends him on a mission to lead the effort in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after the 70 year exile was over. The other guy is a prophet of God who preached to the southern kingdom of Judah in the final years before the exile. He has a book named after him, which was the message that he shared with the people of Judah. His message is a written version of his discussion with God and questions about what God is doing.
Nehemiah 1:11
"O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant (Nehemiah) and to the prayer of this your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."
Habakkuk 1:1
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Winner: Nehemiah

Match-up #2
James, the Apostle vs. Mary Magdalene
Here we have an apostle of Jesus. One of the 3 closest men on earth to our Savior, who was close to Jesus on many big occasions like the transfiguration and Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Then we have Mary who Jesus cast demons out of and turned her sinful life around into a servant of God who was one of the women to show up at the tomb on Easter morning.
Luke 9:28
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
Luke 8:2
and also some women who had been cured of some evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.
Winner: James                                                                           

Match-up #3
John Mark vs. Zacchaeus
Finally we have John Mark who was a young man during Jesus ministry and got to see many of the final hours of Jesus first hand in Jerusalem. he is the younger cousin to Barnabas and later joined his cousin on missionary work in Cyprus. he might have spent some of Paul's final days with him in Rome. Zacchaeus was a cheating tax collector who Jesus changed and converted and after meeting Jesus gave half of his money to the poor and paid everyone back four fold that he wronged.
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke us with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
Luke 19:5
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
Winner: Zacchaeus


*Tonight voting was done by my beautiful bride*