Answers - and a remembrance.

Thanks to my dear wife for reminding me that I had not provided the correct answer to the quiz I posted, ten days ago (in spite of my good intention to post them on Resurrection day)!!!! So, with my apology to anyone who has been waiting, here they are:

1. (a); 2. (b); 3. (c); 4. (c); 5. (a); 6. (c); 7. (c); 8. (b); 9. (c).

How did you do? If you scored from 0-3, it would appear that you have never looked at the hard evidence that Jesus, the Christ, rose from the dead.  If you scored 4-7, then you would appear to know something about the resurrection. If you scored 8-9, then you certainly know the facts. However, question 10 would be: "Do you know Him as your own Saviour and Lord, alive today?!

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On a different note, sunset today in Israel sees the beginning of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). All over the nation, places of public entertainment will close, and a state ceremony will be held in the Warsaw Ghetto Square in Jerusalem to honour the Jewish people who perished in Nazi Germany.

The flag will be lowered to half-mast, prayers will be recited, and six Holocaust survivors will light the six torches that symbolize the Six Million Jews who perished in the Holocaust (half the world's Jewish population at the time) under Hitler's "Final Solution".

Multiple railway tracks led from all over Europe to concentration camps like Auschwitz. Jewish people were crammed into cattle cars and shipped to these death camps. Very few survived. Of course, the Nazis intended that no one survive. Many were gassed immediately upon arrival and their bodies burned in ovens.  Those who were healthy enough to work when they arrived were literally worked to death.

This horrible, unfathomable number—six million murdered—does not include the many Jewish children who will never be born because of this genocide. Whole families were destroyed.  Some Jewish people who came out of the Holocaust were the sole survivor of their family.  They were left completely alone. 

May We Never Forget.

If you are a praying person, please take a moment to pray for the survivors and families of survivors, and the emotional scars they carry.

Quiz-time (again!)

Okay, a little light relief for this belated start to October's posts.  Some fairly straightforward questions on characters from the Bible.  One clue - each answer begins with a vowel!  Correct solution in a few days' time.

1.   He introduced his brother, Peter, to Jesus.

2.   This man was deceived by one of his twin sons.

3.   Telling a lie about the money raised from selling some land cost this man a lot!

4.   This person was appointed as spokesman for his brother when they were used to free a nation from slavery.

5.   This woman's husband was struck dumb until their child was born.

6.   Who was the prophet who had to hide from an angry queen?

7.   In the year that this king dies, a famous prophet had a wonderful vision.

8.   This woman became queen after having been chosen in a beauty pageant.

9.   The shortest book in the Old Testament is named after this person.

10. This king was almost persuaded by the testimony of the apostle Paul.

11. He caused heartache to his father by leading a rebellion.

12. This man was a criminal who ran away - but returned, a changed man!

13. The boy, Samuel, told this man about a voice he heard.

Good place to stop (I am not superstitious!).

I wish you well.  :-)

It's Quiz-time, again!

After a number of posts that have dealt with serious, and sombre, subjects it is maybe time for a little 'light relief'!  So here, for your delectation and edification, is another wee quiz.

This one is on Bible Characters (well, you didn't really expect one from me to be on BGT, Big Brother, or even Corrie, did you?!).  The only clue is that each answer begins with a vowel.  The correct solution will, as usual, be posted in a few days' time (DV).

1.  He introduced his brother, Peter, to Jesus.

2.  This man was tricked by one of his twin sons.

3.  He, and his wife after him, lied about the money raised form the sale of some land.

4.  He was appointed as the spokesman for his brother, when they were sent to free his people from slavery.

5.  The husband of this woman was struck dumb until their baby was born.

6.  This prophet had to hide from an angry queen.

7.  In the year that this king died, a famous prophet had an amazing vision.

8.  This young woman was chosen at a beauty pageant, and eventually became queen.

9.  The shortest book in the Old Testament is named after this person.

10. This king was almost persuaded to become a disciple of Jesus, by Paul's testimony.

Okay!  Ten people.  How many of their names can you discover?

Strangers!

It's been a while since I posted a wee brain-teaser so, for those who enjoy exercising their minds, here is something for you to think about (or, something about which you may wish to think, for the true pedants among us!).

Each of the following groups contains one 'stranger' - someone/something that does not belong in the group.  I wonder how many of them you will detect!   Some are very easy - just to encourage you.  A few are quite difficult - just to test you!  Answers some time next week.

1.   Eagle, Scorpion, Sparrow, Quail, Raven.

2.   Olive, Fig, Frankincense, Pomegranate, Locust.

3.   Romans, Syrians, Hebrews, Galatians, Ephesians.

4.   Athens, Jerusalem, Philippi, Neapolis, Corinth.

5.   Amos, Hosea, Isaac, Isaiah, Jeremiah.

6.   Mark, John, Matthew, Paul, Luke.

7.   The Good Samaritan, The Widow's Mite, The Sower, The Dishonest Steward, The Prodigal Son.

8.   Philistines, Midianites, Syrians, Babylonians, Nazarites, Edomites.

9.   Damascus, Jerusalem, Bethany, Bethlehem, Jericho.

10. Benjamin, Joel, Simeon, Reuben, Dan.

11. Jordan, Sinai, Carmel, Horeb, Zion.

12. Promised Land, Canaan, Egypt, Holy Land, Israel.

13. Finger, Centimetre, Span, Handbreadth, Cubit.

14. Barabbas, Peter, Andrew, Bartholomew, James.

15. Titus, Daniel, Ruth, Samuel, Esther.

16. Saul, David, Jonathan, Solomon.

17. Judges, Kings, Chronicles, Colossians, Proverbs.

18. Luke, Timothy, Silas, Stephen, Barnabas.

Go to it, brainy busy beavers!

Hidden creatures.

In a topical message - in the light of the release of the film, 'Noah' - we looked, this evening, in Wishaw Baptist Church, at some of the lessons that may be learned from the true story, as found in the Biblical book of Genesis.

Maybe that's why, as a wee brain-teaser, I've decided to post the following.  Enjoy - solution in a few days' time.

The names of Biblical creatures are hidden in the following sentences (no doublers!!).  For example, "Deborah, are you going to the shops?" contains the word 'hare'.  The names of three creatures are similarly hidden in each of the sentences.  Happy hunting!

1. The Bowling Club at the Green will do very well.

2. If Roger will go at once, it might do good.

3. Are you as sure as I am that he noticed the sign at the entrance?

4. She came late, but I want you to be early.

Building on a good foundation.

After this afternoon's Thanksgiving Service for an elderly member of Wishaw Baptist Church who died last week, and whose mortal remains had earlier been cremated, one of the other ladies of more mature years commented to her companion: "It's always good to have the old hymns".  At least I hope that that was what she meant!  However, as she was looking at me at the time, I did wonder if she was referring to some old "hims"!!

This evening, I received a 'quiz' from the pastor - groups of letters that were the first letters of the words of the first line of the songs (aka hymns) that we expect to be singing on Sunday morning, at the worship service.  JE; BSFTPOTLTHOIH; to give the shortest and the longest!

So, I've been thinking hymns.  Augustus Toplady was saved when he attended a small evangelistic meeting in a barn in a rural district of Ireland.  The preacher was an illiterate layman, with neither training nor eloquence (cf. I Cor.2:1), but he pointed the young man to the Rock on Whom he could stand securely, and in Whom he could find peace and forgiveness - that spiritual Rock Who is Jesus, the Christ (I Cor.10:4).

Having his feet established on this solid foundation, the young Toplady studied for full-time ministry, seeking to attain to "... be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ." (Eph 4:13; NLT).  Sadly, his zeal and effort put too much strain on a body that was already frail, and he contracted tuberculosis (or 'consumption' as it was then known) - a veritable death sentence in the 18th century.  His faith, however, never faltered, and it was during his illness that he wrote the words of the hymn for which he was to become famous - "Rock of Ages".  Toplady died when he was only 38 years of age, but the words he wrote live on, and continue to bring comfort to many (as do a lot of the 'old' hymns!).

God's Word has many references to the Rock, and to the need for each of us to build upon that solid foundation.  What we are to build is not a pyramid of the acts of the sinful nature (Gal.5:19-21), but a temple of the Fruit if the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23).  We are also to be constantly watchful that the 'building blocks' do not get mixed up; that our faith, and our walk, are constantly brought under the searching gaze of God the Holy Spirit; that we repent of those natural inclinations that would cause us to stumble, and fall.

Then we may have confidence that, on that Day that will bring all things to light, what we have built will survive, we will receive our reward, and Jesus will be glorified (see I Cor.3:10-15).

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me; let me hide myself in Thee.
 Let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed
 Be, of sin, the double cure - cleanse me from its guilt and power."