"PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS AND TROUBLE"--BIBLE TRIVIA ANSWERS

God encourages us through our troubles

Good Evening to All!

One of my favorite Devotional Books to read happens to be "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.  Today's really hit spot on for me.  

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.  Psalm 105:4

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

Whether I am just having a day full of Chaos, no problems or anything going wrong, just a hectic day, or whether I'm having problems at every turn, I know I can sit back, close my eyes and concentrate on Jesus for a few minutes and become full of peace and calmness.  For He is my "Rock" and my Refuge" in times of trouble.  Thank you Jesus.

The Answers to Last Nights Bible Trivia are as follows:

Rivers, Brooks, Lakes, Seas

 Jordan River at baptism, near Gath where Goliath was from

1.  The Nile  (Exodus 7:7-15)
2.  The Jordan  (Joshua 12:1-2)
3.  Gihon, Pison, Tigris, and Euphrates (Genesis 2:10-14)
4.  Love  (Song of Solomon 8:7)
5.  Elijah  (1 Kings 17:1-4)
6.  Ezra (8:21)
7.  The Pharaoh  (Genesis 41:3)
8. Zophar  (Job 20:17)
9.  From the river of Egypt to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18)
10.  Pharaoh  (Exodus 1:22)

Cave Men, Cave Women

Cave where Dead Sea Scrolls were found

1.  Lot  (Genesis 19:30)
2.  Joshua  (10:16-27)
3.  Lazarus  (John 11:38
4.  Elijah (1 Kings 19:9)
5.  The Midianites (Judges 6:2)
7.  Obadiah  (1 Kings 18:4)
8.  The Philistines  (1 Samuel 14:5-7)
9.  Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob  (Genesis 23:19; 25:9; 49:30-31)
10.  Moses (Exodus 33:21-23)

Have a Wonderful Night and May God Bless!

Bible Trivia Answers to "THE LAST WORD" and "A LOOK AT 1ST THESSALONIANS"

Good Evening To All!

The answers to last night's Bible Trivia Quiz are as follows:



1.  Stephen  (Acts 7:59-60)
2.  Jacob      (Genesis 49:31)
3.  Elisha     (2 Kings 13:19)
4.  Saul        (1 Samuel 31:4)
5.  Joseph    ( Genesis 50:25)
6.  Moses    (Deuteronomy 33:29)
7.  Joshua    (24:27)
8.  Samson  (Judges 16:28)
9.  Jesus      (Matthew 28:19-20)
10.  The repentant thief on the cross    (Luke 23:42)
11.  David    (1 Kings 2:9)
12.  Eli         (1 Samuel 4:16)
13.  Jesus     (Acts 1:8)
14.  Elijah    (2 Kings 2:10)
15.  Jezebel  (2 Kings 9:31)
16.  Goliath  (1 Samuel 17:44)
17.  Ahab     (1 Kings 22:34)
18.  Jesus     (Mark 16:18)

I hope you did well or learned a lot from this little Trivia Quiz.  Be sure and let me know.

Now, for the "meat" of this post.

There are many books in the Bible that I favor. Proverbs, because of its lessons, but I took another look at 1 Thessalonians. It concerns itself with the "return of Christ" and what we should do to make ourselves ready to meet Him up in the air.   

At this date and time, I think we should all take heed to what this book, along with other books in the Bible such as Proverbs say because they are excellent teachings that if followed will enable us to join our Savior in the heavens.

It teaches guidelines for growing in Godliness.  Godly believers live unto God and for God.  They seek to honor and reflect God in everything they think, say, or do.  Godliness lives quietly, is absorbed in doing good for others and works productively.  Godliness has a good reputation with unbelievers, and last but not least, Godliness is knowing the commands of Scripture and doing them

• Understand that successful Christian living consists of 1) work that flows from faith, 2) labor that flows from love, and 3) patient endurance that is born of living hope.  Insure that your life is characterized in this manner.  (1:3)
• Be faithful to intercede for other believers and other congregations.  (3:10)
• Live your life in order to please God, not yourself (for if you truly have the Holy Ghost within you, your desires will change to be what God wants as well).  my emphesis  (4:1)
• Live a quiet , peaceful life,  Never gossip.  Be diligent in whatever work you have chosen to do.  Earn a good reputation with unbelievers.  (411-12)
• Conduct your life, being alert and self-controlled.  (5:6)
• Practice the commands of Scripture.   (5:16-22)

It has Key Lessons in Faith--The person of faith prays that God will demonstrate His power in the church today.  Faith is able to receive God's Word through human beings, believing God's ability to use human vessels, and faith looks forward to the promise that the Lord will appear a second time for salvation's consummation.

• Pray that your preaching of the gospel will be attended by the power of signs, wonders, and miracles.  (1:5)
• Receive the preaching and teaching as God's Word!  Refuse to receive the Scripture as merely human opinion, and avoid negating its authority or nullifying its effectiveness for growth in your life.  (2:13)
• Encourage brothers and sisters in Christ often, giving hope through expecting Jesus Christ's return.  (4:17)

1 Thessalonians also has Lessons for Leaders.  Although righteous spiritual leaders speak the truth of God boldly, they do so gently.  The are unmoved by flattery or praise from humankind.  They only seek praise from God.  They are diligent workers who never take advantage of those they serve.

• Leaders, seek to please God, rather than cater to humans.  Never employ flattery; rather speak the truth forthrightly.  Look only to God for praise.  (2:5-6)
• Leaders, practice gentleness in your ministry.  (2:7)
• Leaders, understand that ministry means hard work and long hours.  (2:9)

It tells us the Keys to Moral Purity.  The church must sustain a biblical commitment to sexual purity.  The worldly attitude that produces sexually immoral behavior rejects God and His ways.

• Recognize that sanctification includes sexual purity and moral self-control.  Never defraud others; that is, do not cheat brothers through wrongful sexual liaisons.  (4:3-6)
• Understand that living in sexual impurity is a rejection of God as well as His Word.  (4:7-8)

Last but not least, I has the Keys to Relating to Authority--Pastoral leadership is a gift from God.  We must treat God's appointed leaders and teachers with appropriate respect. 

• Honor church leadership.  Recognize that their Bible-based instruction comes with Jesus' own authority.   (5:23)

Good Night, and MAY GOD BLESS!

"FACING THE GIANTS" and Trivia Answers

Good Evening to All!

What are "giants" in our lives you may ask.  Giants are problems or situations that we fear, or have
trouble overcoming in our lives.  How do we deal with them?  We turn them over to God.  That's what we do.  He is bigger than any problem or situation which we may encounter.  He does not say in His Word that He will keep us from having to face them, or deal with them, only that He will be there to help us.  Running from our problems is not the answer.  David did not run from the giant Goliath.  He knew that God was with Him, just as He is with us.  As long as we have faith that God will see us through our troubles we will be overcomers.

• Truth--Put on the belt of truth.  God is truth and no deception abides with His will.
• Righteousness--Put on the breastplate of righteousness.  As we repent of our sins, Jesus forgives us.  Only through Him can we live a righteous life.
• Peace--Put on the shoes of the gospel of peace.  As we study God's Word and seek His will for our lives, He gives a peace beyond description.  In turn, we can learn to carry that same peace to others.
• Salvation--Put on the helmet of salvation.  According to God's Word if you will ask His forgiveness for your sins and repent by turning away from sinful ways, you can know for sure with your heart and mind that you can count on God's salvation.  By repenting, you are turning your life around and living FOR Him.  This is the true way to journey toward Salvation. and being saved.  I cannot in all good conscience say Once saved always saved, or that being saved is an "event".  It is a lifestyle.  Being saved is a lifetime journey.  That is why even the Apostle Paul said "I die daily".  He knew that it was and still is a lifetime journey.  God said "be ye holy as I am holy.  In other words we must STRIVE for perfection (or completeness) which is a journey.  We must be diligent not to let the devil creep in with his subtle ways.  That is how he gets people.  A tiny bit at a time.  That way, they don't realize what is happening before it is too late and he has them sucked into sin again.  Be watchful.

• Faith--Put on the shield of faith.   Because of His promises to us, because He first loved us, and we belong to Him, we can relax and know that He has our backs.  We can know that He will be there to help us through anything, as long as we listen to Him.  All we have to do is ASK HIM.  This is where so many people mess up.  They don't understand that He expects us to ask for His help.  He will not intrude.  He does not force His way into our lives.  He wants to be invited.  Therefore if we need His help, even though He already knows what we need, He wants to be asked.  We have not because we ask not.  That is what He tells us directly.

• God's Word--Put on the sword of the spirit.  God's Word--your Bible.  Read it often.  Carry it in your car, your briefcase, backpack, purse anywhere that it can be handy to pull out and call on God for strength and direction.  Keep it especially in your heart. If we read it often, it will seep into our hearts and we will be able to recall scriptures as we need them.

When we put on the full armor of God and obey Him, then we can stand back and watch our giants fall, and declare what a WONDERFUL GOD WE HAVE.

The answers to the Bible Trivia Questions from my Previous post below  are as follows:

Rings On Their Fingers:

1.  The Pharaoh  (Genesis 41:42)
2.  The parable of the prodigal son  (since the son was given a ring by his father upon returning home) 
3.  Haman  (Esther 3:10-13)
4.  The king (Daniel 6:17)
5.  As a freewill offering for the tabernacle (Exodus 35:22)
6.  Mordecai  (Esther 8:2-13)

Glad Rags:

1.  John the Baptist  (Matthew 3:4)
2.  Saul  (2 Samuel 1:10)
3.  Joseph  (Genesis 42:42)
4.  The Israelites  (Deuteronomy 29:5)
5.  Joseph's (Genesis 37:3)
6.  The high priest  (Exodus 28)
7.  Job  (42:1)
8.  Jacob  (Genesis 27:16)
9.  The Midianites  (Judges 8:24-26)
10.  The "princes of the sea"  (Phoenicians) (Ezekiel 26:16)

I hope you did well, and maybe remembered or learned something new a long the way.

Have a wonderful night!  May God Bless,

“THE ARMOR OF GOD”

Good Evening to All!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, (all you can do) to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in lace, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV)

When I read this, one of the first examples I thought of was David.  One, because he is one of my favorite people in the Bible, but the other is because he showed unwavering faith  in God by going up against Goliath.  When all of the “soldiers” were hiding behind rocks, and cowering down, David knew the power he had behind him.  He knew that God was there and would not let him down. 

I am reading a book right now that talks about Jesus, being talked about in the Old as well as the New Testaments, but I think it speaks of other types and shadows as well. 

 The reason I say this is because the Armor of God is specifically talked about in Ephesians, yet even though David didn’t have a Bible to read about God’s Word, he knew that as long as he had faith in God, as long as he put God first, as long as he was girted with the truth of God, and did right in the sight of God, God would bring Him through with a victory. 

Of course I know that this may not be the “Full” Armor of God, because at that time the “helmet of salvation could not have been in place, nor the Gospel of peace, because there were no disciples to spread it as of yet.  They had prophets, though, so I guess in a way if  we want to stretch it we could include the prophets as having the shoes of the gospel, as they did bring God’s Word to the people. 

Comparing this to a more modern example, I like this little example I came across.  There was once a girl who loved to roller-blade.  For Christmas and birthdays she had always received all of the proper gear from her parents in order to do this sport safely which included pads for everything. 
 
Of course as young people do sometimes, one day she was in a hurry and grabbed all of her gear except for her wrist guards.  Sure enough, she rounded a corner too quickly and went flying, landing and breaking her wrists. 
 
It goes the same way with the Armor of God.  We cannot live victorious lives without having the Full Armor of God on.  It won’t work with having everything but faith, nor will it without knowing or telling the truth, or neglecting to obey God with a righteous life.  Not only that but we certainly will have no protection if we are not saved in Jesus Christ. 

What about peace?  How many times have we been saddened because we know someone who says they love the Lord, yet they spend time gossiping, or stirring up trouble instead of carrying a message of peace?

The devil knows our weaknesses.  He knows that we are not perfect and fall short of the glory of God, so he figures all he has to do is wait and he will find a “chink in the Armor”.  It doesn’t even have to be a big one. 

Once he gets in, his deceit and negative thoughts can spread like wild-fire.  We HAVE to daily clothe ourselves completely in God’s Spiritual Armor, because when we hit the curves and the rough spots in our road of life, we will come crashing down and the  weak spot in our armor will be dented or badly broken. 

God is our Spiritual Parent.  He knows what is best for us.  He teaches us  what to do for our own good, but we have to dress ourselves COMPLETELY in His Spiritual Armor, pray, listen to Him, then abide by what He says and obey Him. 

The answers to the Trivia questions of Monday are as follows:

1.  Who was hung on a
gallows fifty cubits (about seventy-five feet) high?  Haman--Esther 7:9, 10

2.  What were the names of the first and last judges of Israel?
  Othniel--Judges 1:13; 3:9; and Samuel—1 Samuel 7:8

3.  Who was the individual who watched over Baby Moses while he floated in the bulrushes?
His sister—Exodus 2:4

4.  What was the name of the mother who made a little coat for her son every year? 
Hannah for Samuel—1 Samuel 1:20; 2:18, 19

5.  What Bible prophet spoke of the killing of the children?
Jeremiah—Jeremiah 31:15

6.  What type of bird did Noah first send forth from the Ark? 
A raven—Genesis 8:6, 7

7.  The name of David’s first wife was___________.
Michal—1 Samuel 18:27

8.  The title written above Jesus’ cross said, “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Name the three languages that the title was written in.
Greek, Latin, and Hebrew—John 19:19, 20

9.  Because of Achan’s sin, he was stoned in the valley_________.
Anchor—Joshua 7:24-26

10.  What was the name of the sorcerer who was struck blind by Paul the apostle?
Elymas—Acts 13: 6-12

I hope each of you who took the time to take this Trivia Quiz did well and enjoyed looking up the scriptures.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!