Think the Minor Prophets are a bit esoteric? So did Operations Pastor Tim Beltz, once. But a trip to Greece and Israel put those texts in a new light. Now he’s asking himself how those once-irrelevant passages apply to his life today. MHB: What book of the Bible are you currently reading in your personal devotional time? TB: I just finished Joel, Amos and Obadiah and entered into the first chapter of Micah. This is a strange and unfamiliar place of study or devotion for me. Candidly, it takes me a few minutes to search for these particular books of the Bible and forces me to begin mental recitation of the order of books in the Old Testament. The last time I read through these books came two years earlier as part of a "read through the Bible" annual discipline. But after the life-changing journey to Greece and Israel on the MHC tour last summer, I felt drawn once again to the Old Testament books of the Minor Prophets. This time around, it was different. The places, locations, nations and governments mentioned by these prophets jumped off the pages as I could visualize and see in my mind’s eye what the prophets were describing. For instance, in Amos 1-2, references to Jerusalem, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Moab, and Judah bring to mind modern day images that transcend the 2,500 to 3,000 years separating the time of writing and now. I can see mountain ranges, valleys, roads and paths, terrain and landscapes in an amazing and clear array of fresh perspective. My mind better comprehends the context of the messages the prophets were bringing from God Almighty to the hearers of their prophecies which launches new, questions I’ve never thought of before, such as, "What application do these prophecies have for me, right now?" Fresh revelations about the sinfulness of Judah, Israel, and their neighbors, God’s unchanging hatred toward sin, and his enduring love, mercy, and compassion jump off the pages and into my heart. The news and promotion of the next MHC tour to the seven churches of Revelation went public and coincided with my time in the Minor Prophets. For a guy who avoids tours like the plague, I feel an irresistible desire to sign up for this next tour in July 2011 to Turkey to gain the same context, understanding and delight for the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Revelation as we did for Corinth and Israel. So we did sign up. See you next summer on the Blue Bus! Behind the Pulpit is a new series we’re starting here on the blog, where we’ll ask some pastors the same question and then post their responses throughout the week. Make sure to check out what Pastor Mark and Pastor Jamie said they’re reading these days and stay tuned for future installments that give us a closer look at the church’s leaders.