The words to this hymn have rang out in many churches. Every race and every creed, have lifted their voices and let these words echo in the atmosphere. There is assurance, comfort, and love in every line. For it says “be not dismayed” meaning, don’t worry about how things look. Don’t be afraid or discouraged at the prospect of trouble, perils, or hard times that may come your way, because God will take care of you.

The enemy wants us to live in fear and anxiety. He wants us to be in confusion, our minds in disarray, because he knows that God doesn’t dwell in confusion. Whether it’s in a situation or in our minds, he wants us to be fearful. Do you know what the word fear stands for? False Evidence Appearing Real. He shows us nothing but lies for he is the father of lies. John 8:44 tells us that there is no truth in him.

God cannot and will not lie. If God promises to do a thing you can rest assured that He will do it! Hebrews 6:18 and Titus 1:2 explains this very well. God is not a truce breaker. Even though we re living in what the world calls a recession, we s

God has promised that we, His children, may lead prosperous fulfilled lives, joyous and victorious lives. We have assurance as that old hymn says, no matter what betides us, what may come our way, whatever happens, we can rest on the promises of God. He is a caring God and He will take care of us.

Trust Him, be comforted in the Holy Spirit. Stay under His wings of protection and love. Cast all of your cares on God for He really does care for you.

Have you ever put all of your trust in someone or something and nothing came of it? Has someone ever made you a promise and didn’t keep it or maybe someone said “I’m coming but didn’t come? Or “I’ll go” but didn’t go. How did that make you feel? Were you hurt, disappointed, or angry? Did you want to cry, scream and fight? When your trust has been broken it is hard to regain it. Especially when it’s by someone you love, a family member, or a friend. Now I’m not saying that we shouldn’t trust anyone or anything, for trust is a firm belief in honesty, the reliability of others. It is when we place more trust in a human being, than we do God, is where the problem begins.

In the natural, when we trust in man we are relying on him as though they have all the power to do whatever we need to have done. But, in the spiritual, when we trust in God we are trusting in a living God. One who has all power and can do all things. He is the Savior or all men.

When we place our trust in God there are some benefits we receive:

* God knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 explains “That the Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble: and He knoweth them that trusteth Him.” You can’t fool God by your actions for He sees your heart.

* In trusting God you will also obtain the loving kindness of God. Psalm 36:7 shares with us saying “How excellent is thy loving-kindness Oh God, therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.”

* When we trust we gain riches. God advises us to be careful not to get caught up in the riches of the world, but in God who supplies the riches. I Timothy 6:17 says “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” God never intended for us to lack anything but He doesn’t want us to place all our trust in things.

* Just as you trust and love those who are dear to you, God does too. Who else would tell you as He does in I Peter 5:7 “Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” Nobody but a Mighty God would take ALL your troubles.

* Trust should always come from the heart. It should never be a surface trust, we should never waver in our trust. Proverbs 3:5 says to “Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart and lean not unto your own understanding.”

* We should teach our own children to trust God. You say “How do I teach trust?” I’m glad you asked. You teach your children how to trust in God by being an example. You trust Him in all situations and as they grow, they too will learn to trust God. Psalm 71:5 explains it this way “For thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou art my trust from my youth.”

* Our trust should be solid, it should be fixed so that no matter what comes our way, we are rooted and grounded. II Samuel 22:3 says “The God of my rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high power, and my refuge, my Savior.” That scripture carries a lot of power! Job says it this way “Though He (God) slays me, Yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15)
GOOD GRACIOUS!!! Now that is trust. All you have to do is stand still and trust God, your Father, in every situation.

Bible Trivia Facts

The Bible is full of fascinating stories and facts. There is nothing that we experience in our lives today that someone in Bible times didn’t go through.

To learn some of these facts you have to study the Word of God. There are many ways to study the Bible and Bible Trivia is one of the ways to search scriptures to find answers to the questions. Once you have found them, they will be locked into your mind forever. Let’s explore the scriptures and learn together some fascinating facts about the men and women of the Bible.

*Throughout this study you will see *FYI. These will be bonus facts for your information.

I. Have you ever become angry at someone? Reacted to the situation, said some things, did some things, and afterwards you wish you had handled the situation differently? Well there are some “hot heads” in the Bible. Let’s see if you know who they are…

Q. Who was hot with anger when he left the presence of a stubborn king?

A. Moses in Exodus 11:8

Q. What soldier became angry because his young brother left sheep-tending to come to a battle site?

A. Eliab, I Samuel 17:28

Q.   What man became so angry he cut a yoke of oxen into pieces?

A. Saul, I Samuel 11:4-7

Q. Who became angry with his mule and beat it with a stick?

A. Balaam, Numbers 22:27

Q. What king left a banquet in a rage and went into the palace garden?

A. Ahasuerus, Esther 7:7

Q. Who became so angry with his father that he left the dinner table without eating?

A. Jonathan, I Samuel 20:34

II. Grief comes to all when a loved one has passed on. It not only affects us now, but it also touched the men and women in the Bible as well.

Q. What bereaved father, whose two sons had been killed by fire, was forbidden to mourn for them?

A. Aaron, Leviticus 10:1,2,6

Q.   What woman, whose husband and two sons had dies, changed her name to one that means “bitter”?

A. Naomi, Ruth 1:1-5, 20

Q. What prophet was instructed by God not to weep for his dead wife?

A. Ezekiel, Ezekiel 24:15-18

Q. What bereaved husband purchased a cave for his wife’s burial place?

A. Abraham, Genesis 23:1-6

Q. What bereaved king mourned for his dead son, wishing he could have died in his place?

A. David, II Samuel 18:33

Q. What bereaved husband set a pillar upon his wife’s grave that is still there today?

A. Jacob, Genesis 35:9-20

*FYI: King Solomon had more women in his life than anyone else in the Bible. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many of his marriages were political. He accepted daughters of foreign kings in exchange for promises of peace. For more information read I Kings 11:1-3.

III. In today’s society women who wear make-up sometimes use a product that is called a concealer. This product helps to cover blemishes so that when the make-up goes on the face, it is flawless. There were some men and women who were concealers in the Bible. They did a “cover-up” and hid something from others. The person on the left hid something, match them with what they hid on the right.

1. Jochebed                               A. Battle spoils under a tent.
2. Obadiah                               B. Idols in a bag.
3. Jeremiah                               C. Baby by the riverside.
4. Jacob                                     D. Little prince in a temple storeroom.
5. Moses                                    E. Money in the earth.
6. Rahab                                    F. Body in the sand.
7. Servant in a Parable             G. Earrings under an oak tree.
8. Achan                                    H. One hundred prophets in a cave.
9. Rachel                                   I. Two spies on a housetop.
10. Jehosheba                           J. Stones in clay near a palace.

*FYI: The Bible mentions the angel Gabriel only four times. He appeared twice before Daniel to teach him things he could not understand (Daniel 8:15-27, (:20-27). He announced the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:7-20) and told Mary of the conception of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Gabriel means “God is Mighty”.

As you go through the Bible Trivia, write it down, share what you have learned today. God’s people are empowered people. Help someone to become empowered in the Word!

Section III. Answers: 1. C, 2. H, 3. J, 4. G, 5. F, 6. I, 7. E, 8. A, 9. B, 10. D.

Prayer is conversation between you and God. Talking to Him, being a covenant partner with Him. There’s no specific time frame to talk with Him, no certain day of the week to go to Him. Prayer should be a continual process.

I. Thess 5:17 says that we should pray with out ceasing. I Timothy 2:8 tells us to pray everywhere lifting our hands, without sin and do not doubt.

You must trust, when you pray that God will hear your request and He will answer. Look at Mark 11:24, here is proof that if you believe, God will answer you.

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

Every believer is obligated to pray. It says so in Psalms 30:4. It says every saint of his, that means those who belong to God, should pray. Go look at Psalms 148:12 is shows that no age is left out when it comes to prayer. It’s from the young as well as the old. God’s ears are open to everyone who prays to Him. Prayer strengthens the one who prays. It gives hope to the hopeless. It helps us through any situation that we face.

Sometimes we need assurance or proof that God will answer our prayers. I know that statement sounds silly but there are those who carry the title as believers but don’t believe that God really hears them. Let’s go to the Bible for some help, Psalms 91:15 gives us assurance that if we call upon God, He will answer. Isaiah 58:9 gives support that when you call, the Lord shall answer. Isaiah 65:24 lets us know God knows everything about us. It says before the request is made, he will answer and while we are asking He hears.

You need more assurance? Go to Zech. 13:9, Look at Luke 11:9. In John 15:7 we can find a stipulation for our being able to receive. Jesus says that if we abide in Him (live in Him) and He abides in you (lives in you) ask what you will and He will answer. Need more? Let’s look at some people in the Bible that prayed and God came through for them:

Hannah in I Samuel 1:27 prayed for a child-REQUEST GRANTED.
Gideon in Judges 6:39-40 praying for an answer to a situation-REQUEST GRANTED
Elijah in I Kings 18:37-38 praying for God to reveal Himself to the people-REQUEST GRANTED
Jehoshaphat in II Chron. 18:31 facing a battle, cried out to God for help-REQUEST GRANTED
Moses Exodus 5:24 leading a group of people who were thirsty, he cried out to the Lord for help-REQUEST GRANTED
The thief on the cross in Luke 23:39-43 acknowledged his wrong doing but asked Jesus to remember him-REQUEST GRANTED

WOW! We’ve seen examples from the word of God in scriptures, in others making prayer requests and receiving answers. Do you believe that God will answer you? Prayer is powerful. A prayer that is prayed in the confidence in God (I John 5:14) with a desire that God will hear it (Neh. 1:6) with a desire for it to be answered (Ps. 102:2) in faith (Matt. 21:22) with sincere lips (Ps. 17:1) a true heart (Heb. 10:22) and in truth (John 4:24) REQUEST GRANTED!

There’s one more thing to be said. In all that you’ve read today, I want to encourage you to pray. No matter how bad it looks to you, pray. God is bigger than any and every problem. When it seems as if there is no way out, pray. When the doctors have said there is no hope, pray. When you feel you’re all alone and no one’s there for you, pray. And when you pray, begin by repenting of your sins- go before Him clean. Give thanks to God for who He is and what He has already done. Pray and make your requests known unto Him (Phil. 4:6). Thank Him in advance for the answer, then seal it in the name of Jesus. You are seeking His will and submitting to His authority (John 14:13, I John 5:14-15) . There are many promises in the Word of God. If you seek Him, you will find Him. If you ask , it shall be given. If you call Him, He will hear and answer. Just ask, just pray, God has promised these things to you and He can not lie.
Bend your knees, bow your head, stretch before him, lift your hands. However you do it. Remember: PRAY.

Bible Trivia!

Turn it over

Philippians 4:6-7

It’s coming to the end of the year when people begin to make New Year’s Resolutions. Plans on how they are going to change or what they will do different in order to have a better, more prosperous, new year.

We believe that all we have to do is make a few changes, we can move money from this account to another one and… Voila! We have fixed the problem. We really don’t have the power to change anything. Oh, I know someone might be thinking “Oh yes I can. If I cut back on my eating, I will lose weight. If I do this, then I can change that…” What we must realize is that if we turn it over (it being anything and everything that concerns us) to God, He will work it out!

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that we should not be anxious or worry about anything, but in everything with prayer and petitioning (that’s asking) God for what you need, turn it over to Him and He will give it to you. He will give you peace while you wait. Others may watch you and wonder why you aren’t troubled or anxious about the situation you are in. But, when you turn it over to God, He will bring you through just like He did the Hebrew boys in Hebrews 3:1-30. When you have time, read the story, you will be blessed.

In Exodus 1 through Exodus 14 you read how Moses and the children of Israel went through. They turned all of their problems over to God and in the midst of their situation He brought then through.
In Exodus 14:13 God gave instructions through Moses for the children of Israel to follow. 1) Don’t be afraid. 2) Stand still and see.
When you turn it over and let it go, He will do for you what He did for Moses and all of Israel. He caused Pharaoh and his men, who were the problems, to be done away with and never to be seen again.

When we turn all our cares over to God, don’t worry about them, pray and seek Him with a thankful and grateful heart, He will give you peace in the midst of your storm. In Philippians 4:19 it gives us the assurance that the way has already been made. It tells us that “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” So remove the words “me”, “myself”, and “I”, and let God do it.

Remember . . . Turn it over.

Everywhere you look there is a book, a game, or a television show on some kind of trivia. Filled with information about pop culture, music, world events, the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, who’s who in America. The Bible is also full of the same information on current events, music, and who’s who. Just like the books, games, and TV shows, the Bible also gives the answers. Bible trivia is not only a fun way of learning bible facts, but it is a way of learning that which will allow believers to be able to study the word and be filled with knowledge to share with others.

Let’s begin…

I. The Old in the New Testament

Here are passages from the New Testament. Each of them a quotation from the Old Testament. Name the Old Testament book. If you are sharp, name the chapter and verse where the passage appears.

1.“Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (Acts 13:3)

2. “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” (Romans 3:14)

3. “Vengeance is mine: I will repay.” (Romans 12:19)

4. “As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11)

5. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God had prepared for them that love him.” (I Corinthians 2:9)

Let’s continue…

II. Who said it?

We always want to know who said this and who said that. Let’s see if you know who said it in the Bible.

1. “ I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”

2. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

3. “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established, believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

4. “God forbid that I should justify you; till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.”

5. “Behold my servant whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him.”

III. Places

Any place you visit and you see new construction sites, homes, businesses, or new developments going up, you know that someone, somewhere, has a plan. These individuals did too.

1. Who rebuilt Gezer, which had been given as a wedding gift to his Egyptian wife by her father?

2. What man of Bethlehem rebuilt Jericho during Ahab’s reign?

3. Who rebuilt Ramah in order to keep people from entering or leaving Judah?

4. Who built Nineveh?

5. Who built a city called Enoch east of Eden?

IV. Last Words

We all want to have the last word in a conversation. These last words were final.

1. “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of al people; a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.”

2. “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.”

3. “God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”

4. “Lord Jesus receive my spirit. Lord lay not this sin to their charge.”

5. “Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith: lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me.”

V. Take a letter

If any of you ever worked in an office, you were sometimes asked to take a letter, wrote one, deliver one, or even mail one. Even in biblical times the job was one of great importance.

1. Who received a letter from David telling him to put Uriah in the heat of battle?

2. What Queen wrote to the leaders Jezreel concerning Nabath?

3. What leper carried a letter from the King of Syria to the King of Israel.

4. Who wrote to Philemon concerning his runaway slave, Onesimus?

5. Who wrote a letter granting permission to continue construction on the second temple?

To some this may be trivial, but to others these trivia questions and answers may open up their minds to want to learn more about the Bible.

Here are the answers to this month's Bible Trivia!

I. The Old in the New Testament

1. Ps 2:7
2. Ps 10:17
3. Deut. 10:17
4. Isa. 45:23
5. Isa. 64:4

II. Who said it?

1. Job, Job 19:25
2.Stephen, Acts 7:59
3. Jehoshaphat, II Chron. 20:20
4. Job, Job 27:5
5. Isaiah, Isa. 42:1

III. Places

1. Solomon, I Kings 9:1-17
2. Hiel, I Kings 16:34
3. Baasha King of Israel, I Kings 15:17
4. Asshur, Genesis 10:11
5. Cain, Genesis 4:17

IV. Last Words

1. Simeon, Luke 2:25-32
2. Jacob, Genesis 49:31
3. Joseph, Genesis 50:25
4. Stephen, Acts 7:59-60
5. Saul, I Samuel 31:4

V. Take a Letter

1. Joab, II Samuel 11:4, 15
2. Jezebel, I Kings 21:8
3. Naaman, II Kings 5:5-6
4. Paul, Philemon
5. King Darius, Ezra 6:6-12

As believers there are some steps we must take to follow Christ. Matt 7:13-14, talks about the broad way that leads to destruction and that the narrow way leads to life, but only a few find it. Look at Psalm 37:23, it tells us that the steps of a good man/woman are ordered by the Lord and when we are walking the way God wants us, he is pleased.

What believers have to remember is as we walk there are others who are watching us those who haven’t yet chosen to have a relationship with the Lord. They’re looking at us to see if we are truly walking with Christ. Some may say they need not watch me, but look to God, but we are to be the example of what God represents.

When walking instep with Jesus we need to show newness. II Cor 5:17 says, If we are in Christ we are new creation, the old is gone and the new has come. Romans 6:4 backs up this scripture for if we are buried with Christ into death, and raised up with Christ by the glory of the Father, we should walk in the newness of life.

Since we are free from condemnation, free from sin, we should walk not after the flesh, the things we want to do, the things that make us feel good, but walk after the Spirit. The Spirit of God, how he wants us to do things, how he wants us to say things, (Rom 8:1) then the unbelievers begin to see Christ in our walk.

In this walk we have to show faith 2Cor 5:7 reflects, that no matter what we see, believe that God will make a way and keep walking. For God will bring you through. We must walk in consistency, not wishy-washy, not unstable. Be steadfast, stand firm, unmovable, let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord that your labor is not in vain (2 Cor 15:58).

Believers must walk with caution, you can’t live any kind of way and represent Jesus Christ (Eph 5:15). You cannot hang out in the bar; fool around with married men and women, in bed with someone who isn’t your spouse. This is living foolishly not as a Christian should. We must live our lives wisely, with rooted and built up in him strengthen in faith, over flowing with thankfulness (Col 2:6).

John 8:12, shows Jesus telling the world that he is the light of the world and that whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. I John 1:7, goes on to say that by walking in him who is the light we have fellowship one with another, a relationship, a kinship, a partnership with him and by this the blood of Jesus Christ his son washes away all sin. We are made whole.

Lastly we need to be Christ like for I John 2:6, says if we abide in him, we should walk, as he walked. Jesus knew no sin he loved the world and treated everyone fairly. We need to represent Jesus in our walk, in our lives so that men, women, boys, and girls can see the Christ that lives in us.

USING WORDS WISELY

As a child there was a rhyme that I often heard other children recite when they were being picked on, or teased. It went like this “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”   That sounds good when you were little, but words cut deeper than we sometimes realize. Words have tendencies to last a lifetime. You’ve heard people say “you’ll never amount to anything”, “You’re stupid”, “you can’t do anything right”, or some may say “your daddy was no good, and you are just like him”.

    We all have a way with words. Our words can either build up or they can tear down, they either help or they hurt. As disciples of Christ we need to be careful of what we say and how we say it. As my pastor, Pastor Kenny Eldridge, tells us, we can’t be effective and offensive at the same time.

    In James 3:1-9, it speaks of how hard it is to control our tongue. The tongue is a muscle in our mouth that is used for swallowing our food and to talk . In verse 2, it lets us know that we all make mistakes, if we don’t it means we are perfect and able to keep ourselves in check. It seems strange that we can take a small bit and place it in a horses mouth and lead him and control him or a small rudder that helps steer an ocean liner across the seas. But the tongue is a small part of our body and we can’t control it. It is said that we should think before we speak.

    Titus 3:2, says to speak evil of no man. 1 Peter 2, advises us to lay aside all evil speaking. The wild fires in California start to burn, it is hard for the firemen to contain it. It gets out of control quickly, that’s how ill spoken words about others burn. They are like small embers in a dry place. Rumors, and lies spread faster than the truth could travel. The tongue and its venom is ungovernable. James 3:8, tells us that no man can tame the tongue for it is unruly, evil, full of poison, impossible for cursing and blessing to come out of the same mouth. When we as Christians get together with friends should our speech change? Do we speak with forked tongues? Romans 12:2, says that we should not conform to this world, talk as the non-believer do, use the curse words or curse others, but we should be changed to show some signs, speak as thought Christ is living on the inside of you. It’s said that what is in you, comes out. If Christ doesn’t abide on the inside He will not show up on the outside.

    Our words are valuable, if we speak harshly to someone, you can’t gather them back, its like leaves you have gathered in a pile to bag up and a storm wind comes and blows them all over the place, you aren’t able to get them al back. Words are that way, those leaves that are blown away someone else may gather them, but those ill spoken words stay with the one they were said to edify them rather than using words to hurt, harm, or destroy. Let’s use them to build up to encourage. James 1:22-26 in essences says if we call ourselves religious as Christians and doesn’t control our tongues, we deceives our selves and our witness is worthless. I want to share with you a few simple words I read in a devotional that help to soothe and bring life to others.

    Please and thank you, these words are like water they refresh the soul. I’m sorry these words quench the flames of a heated argument. I’m praying for you, this let’s others know that you will petition God for them. I love you, three powerful words that when spoken with a loving heart and controlled tongue it will bring joy and peace to others.

   In Colossians 1:10-12, it speaks about living a life worthy of the Lord. A life that’s lived to please him in everyway. To show the harvest of good works, to grow in the knowledge of God. We’re to be strengthen with power according to his will in order for us to endure, have patience and joyfully give thanks to him. For it is because of him that we share in the inheritance of the saints in his kingdom.

   Holy living is what he is calling for. Living a life that is set apart from God. As Christians, we are called to this life. In 1st Corinthians 1:2, when Paul was speaking to the church in Corinth, he was speaking to the people who were sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be holy. Holy living is not the style of clothes you wear, nor is it the church you attend, but it is a life style that has been set in place by God, that calls for obedient submission for those who have been saved.

   According to 1st Peter 1:13-14, there must be a mind change, you can’t handle situations the same as if you were in the world. You are called to be holy because He, God is holy. There are some characteristics that should show in us, as we are living the life that God has called us to.

   Witnesses: Christ challenged believers throughout the world. Acts 1:8, a believers witness is to be true and faithful. Reflected in both speech and lifestyle. Being able to tell of the goodness of Christ.

   Salt: Matt 5:13, We are to preserve the image of God, as we are living according to the will of God. We must live our lives not to being a disgrace upon the kingdom.

   Light: According to Matt 5:14, we are the light of the world. We are reflectors in a darken world transmitting through the lives of others. The light of the eternal son of God.

   Branches: As Christ is our source, we are branches, as long as Christ dwells in us, and we in him, we will bear much fruit. We will prosper like a vine in water, be able to spread the word of God all. (John 15:5)

   Ambassador: We are representatives to God. We are examples that changes has come through Christ Jesus. 2nd Corinthians 5:17-18, that we are making an appeal to the world on Christ behalf 2nd Corinthians 5:20.

   Stewards: 1st Peter 4:10, That in all our gifts that God has given us, we will use them to be a blessing to others.

   These are just a few character tics of holy living. I am sure you have some that I didn’t mention, add them to your list. When you get a chance share your list with other believers.

   We are now Christ disciples, we must change our lifestyle to live holy. We have been called to a higher dimension of living. Allow the characteristics of God to shine through your life in order to reflect to the world the benefits of holy living.