Therefore, since I am on a self-imposed sabbatical, I am challenging you guys to educate yourselves for the next two weeks by reading the following blog post and finding 30 titles of books of the Bible hidden in the following paragraphs. Give yourself an A+ if you can find all 30 of them. Resume taking your memory enhancing vitamin pills if you miss more than 3. Start now.

This is a most remarkable puzzle.  It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours.  He enjoyed it so much; he passed it on to some friends.  One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john-boat.  Another friend studied it while playing his banjo.  Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it, she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column.

Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, that she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves.  There will be some names that are really easy to spot.  That's a fact.  Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized.  Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst.  Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in these paragraphs.  During a recent fundraising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new sales record.

The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had ever seen.  As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight."  Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown.  One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers.  Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle may not be normal.  A chipper attitude will help you to compete really well against those who claim to know the answers.  Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus; there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in these paragraphs waiting to be found.  The End!


 

You have one week to resolve this Bible Quiz by finding 30 Names of Bible Books hidden therein. May the Heavenly Forces be with all of you.

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME! 

All of my life, God has been tenderly calling me to come.

(This is an updated re-blog of a true event in my life that helped me to consummate my relationship with the Lord.)

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!  And life (especially eternal life) comes from the Son of God…Christ Jesus and what He did on the cross!

When I was a child, growing up in the church back in Illinois, one of my favorite Sunday School songs was “Jesus Is Tenderly Calling Thee Home,” by Fanny Crosby a blind Methodist hymn writer.  My sister and I used to sing that song in two part harmony.  We were pretty good, too, if I must say so myself.

Although, my family was Baptist, my sister and I and our father used to perform gospel music in a variety of other denominational churches in our town upon their invitations.  Dad also sang bass in his men’s octet group called the Benevolent Gospel Singers.  Their group performances were somewhat famous because they secured a contract to broadcasted locally for fifteen minutes on WDAN Radio station every Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.   I remember walking down the dusty roads in our town on Sunday mornings, heading to Church with my siblings on a bright and sunny day, while listening to the 8-part harmony of the booming male voices of the Benevolent Gospel Singers. You could also hear them slapping their thighs as they metered out the rhythm.

Two people on their way to Church on a Sunday morning.

How was that possible you might ask more than seventy years ago.  Well I’ll tell you.  All the houses along the street in the neighborhood had their doors and windows open to collect the warm summer breeze and as my family walked along the sidewalks towards the Church we could  hear the voices of my dad and the other men blasting aloud from the radios of our neighbors all the way to church.  The music would be coming from their home radios.  I want you to visualize 5 little children jumping and strutting along to the rhythm of the gospel songs.   Happy as a lark.  Strutting to the beat or our dad as the Good Lord invited us to come and be a part of His family. What precious memories I have of those childhood days.

 Children on their way to Sunday School

The Holy Spirit Called Me a Second Time…

You see, not only was God calling me from the doorways and windows of houses as a child, but when I grew up, He was also calling me from the jitterbug floor of my favorite nightclub.   As a young adult in Motown (Detroit, Mi.), one Saturday evening a few of my girlfriends and I went out for a night of dancing.  We stayed out late and into the wee mourning hours. We had a good time.  The next day was Sunday and I had to be at church because I was the church clerk and had to read the weekly announcements to the awaiting congregation.

While sitting in the pew and bidding my turn to speak, the Sister sitting next to me kept  turning towards me and sniffing me.  Finally, she whispered, my sister, you smell like smoke!  Fear ran through me and I started to tremble.  (The night before, at the club, everybody was smoking cigarettes and that smoke was in my hair.  (For the record, I was not smoking.) Although I had bathed in preparation of Church, I did not have time to wash my hair.  My perfume and hair spray was no disguise!  But what was more frighting, I heard a silent-still-small voice say; ‘You cannot serve two masters.’  Now I realize that God was calling me even then.

Ooops! You smell like smoke!

Okay.  So I have been very transparent with my readers today and do you know why?….because what God was actually conversing with me was this message…Come as you are but don’t stay as you are.  You know the scripture verse: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I Corinthians 13:11)

Please pray for me that I will forever be on the battle field for the Lord. And I will do likewise for you. Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and he who is hearing — let him say, Come; and he who is thirsting — let him come; and he who is willing — let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!  

…for You have ears to hear and eyes to see…tarry with us just for a little while…

Welcome to Part 2 of the continuation of last week’s blog with the same title. You are invited to review Part 1 prior to embarking on Part 2. Just scroll down this page until you see last week’s post.

Also, please consider the contents of Part 2 only as an example dialogue in prayer for you to lift up to the Almighty when you devote deliberate solemn time in meditation.

Most holy and Everlasting Father; the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:  The God who has ears to hear and eyes to see...Please hear our prayer this evening.

For these are troubling times, My Lord, and the world needs Your guidance, Your help and Your strength.  We are asking that You look down on us as a people...as a nation...as a world in chaos and have mercy on us.

We are pleading that You remember the cries of a destitute flock of believers and accept our offerings of repentance.  Oh, Lord, our God, please grant to us according to our hearts desires and within Your will and Your ways and fulfill all our needs.  Within Your DNA and strength we will forever raise our banners high to give You all the praise, all the honor and all the glory in Christ Jesus' Name.

We beseech You, therefore Heavenly Father, to grant us Your peace, Your tenacity, Your true grit, Your steadfast determination and faithfulness by which abilities we will become more than conquers.  For we are weak and You are strong.

So, Dear Lion of Judah, there is no doubt that You can save to the utmost...and save You will.  Forgive us and hear our prayers and become our Strong Deliverer and save Your children!

All of our supplications this day have been directed upwards towards heaven...towards the All-powerful God of our strength.  Forever, Lord, may Your mighty right hand reach out towards our enemies and render them discombobulated.

We stand in unison on these requests; bound together in love, determination, steadfastness and harmony.  Being ever so careful to give You our praise and not to put our trust in chariots of fire, or swift horses, or human might.  But remembering Your Name, Lord Jesus.  The precious Name unto which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.  The matchless Name of Jesus.  The Name that is able to cause our enemies to stumble and fall.

The Name that is able to raise up all those who call upon it!  JESUS!  Hallelujah to the Name of JEUS!!

SAVE, OF LORD.  That is our warrior cry.   Send down Your Holy Spirit and Waring Angels among us so that they may orchestrate Your commands and will in this sweet hour of prayer and praise.

This is our petition unto Thee, this day.  In the Precious Name of Jesus Christ, we pray...AMEN AND AMEN

And I/we don’t mind waiting, My Lord, on Your answers.

(Please just click the ‘red’ recording time below to be highly blessed in a mantra-style meditation hymn.

5:54 Juanita Bynum -I Don’t Mind Waiting

Scripture Lesson: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!