COOL TOOLS: Timer from AppCubby

We don't talk about it much, but one of the most important parts of any quiz is actually the timer. That little wristwatch, stopwatch, or wall clock is the tyrant that decides whether your brilliant answer counts for points or not. So, it is important to have the right timer around to quickly count off 10, 30, or 45 seconds. If you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), one such tool might be the app "Timer" from App Cubby. It allows to set up a series of preset timers and have them count down at a tap. Plus, you can set a fun or weird sound to go off when the timer is done. It's 99 cents in the App Store.

WEEKLY COMIC: Naïvette

BIBLE FACTOID: How many manuscripts of the Bible exist?

In ancient times, there were no scanners or copy machines.  If someone had a book and needed another copy...  someone had to sit down and write it out by hand.  It was an incredibly labor-intensive process.  This made ancient books very valuable and rare.  And the more copies you have available to you, the easier it is to trace back to what the original looked like.  

So, how many manuscripts of the Bible have survived?

• There are presently 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament.If we were to compare the number of New Testament manuscripts to other ancient writings, the next highest is 643 copies of Homer(Iliad)
• In addition to the Greek copies there are over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages.  The total supporting New Testament manuscript base is over 24,000

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Live Like That

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Old Spanish Church

BIBLE NEWS: Evidence for the Queen of Sheba

There is a saying amongst apologists, "If you see a conflict between archeology and the Bible, wait a few years.  Archeology will eventually catch up."  There's more evidence for this turning up in Ethiopia of all places where modern genomic research is turning up evidence for the existence of the Queen of Sheba, a character that historians and archeologists have questioned for centuries.

The team detected mixing between some Ethiopians and non-African populations dating to approximately 3,000 years ago. The origin and date of this genomic admixture, along with previous linguistic studies, is consistent with the legend of the Queen of Sheba, who according to the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast book had a child with King Solomon from Israel and is mentioned in both the Bible and the Qur’an.

HUMOR: Hymns vs Praise Choruses

Found online.

A man accustomed to a mainline church went to a seekers’ service one Sunday. He came home and his wife asked him how it was. 

“Well,” he said, “it was interesting. They did something different. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns." 

“Praise choruses?” said his wife. “What are those?” 

“They’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the man. 

“What’s the difference?” asked his wife. 

He replied, “Well, it’s like this. If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ that would be a hymn. Suppose, on the other hand, I were to say to you: 

‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, 

the cows, the big cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, 

COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the CORN, CORN, CORN.’ 

Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing five or six times, that would be a praise chorus.”

COOL TOOLS: Online Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls represent some of the oldest copies of the Bible in existence (as well as commentaries).  Many were written over a hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ!  If you're interested in taking a look at these amazing archeological treasures, check the Digital Dead Sea Scrolls. This website offers scans of some of the best-preserved of the artifacts, along with a description of their history.

WEEKLY COMIC: Take a Closer Look

BIBLE FACTOID: How were the books of the Bible named?

Have you ever noticed that the naming system for the books of the Bible seems to be all over the place?  You have seemingly topical names (Genesis), summary names (Psalms), author names (Matthew), recipient names (Philippians), and even literary names (Song of Solomon).  Is there any pattern?  (Actually, yes.)

• The names of OT books in Hebrew are based on the first prominent word or phrase in that book
• The names of OT books in Greek (and English) are based on the general topic of the book

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Ancient of Days

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Origami Jesus

BIBLE NEWS: Cycling the Holy Land

For much of the last century, Israel has been a dangerous place. But recent security gains have revitalized the Holy Land as a destination for tourism and education. Now, Israel has established a series of cycling trails for people who want to tour the land of Jesus on two wheels.

n a loose way, the trail follows the route Jesus might have walked from Nazareth, where he grew up, to Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where he established his ministry. Along the way, you can visit a kibbutz – its perimeter marked by barbed wire and its gate manned by a machine-gun toting guard – and even stay in a hotel there. At only 60km in length, the trail can be cycled in a day or two, so the avid biker will quickly be looking for other perspiration-inducing options. Of these, there are many, ranging from off-road mountain-bike trails in the Ella Valley near Jerusalem to road circuits in various parts of the country.

HUMOR: Confusion

Found on the internet.

This is a story about a little girl who, on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the Preacher's sermon this morning confused me." The mother said, "Oh! Why is that?" The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?" "Yes, that's true," the mother replied. "He also said that God lives within us. Is that true, too?" Again the mother replied, "Yes." "Well," said the girl. "If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn't He show through?"

COOL TOOLS: Reformed Theological Seminary

One of the most amazing ways the internet has changed our lives is by taking learning outside of the school. If you have an interest in anything, you can find a class for it online... usually for FREE. Reformed Theological Seminary (or RTS) has been at the forefront of bringing Bible teaching to everyone. They have great courses on just about any book of the Bible, or any aspect of theology. You can download them as Podcasts, MP3s, or via their own Apps. Click on thru and see what they have to offer!

WEEKLY COMIC: Tag Team Prayer Warriors

BIBLE FACTOID: What books of the Bible do not use the word "God"?

The Bible is the story of God's relationship with humankind, from our creation to our salvation to our ultimate fate in a New Heaven and New Earth. So are there any books of the Bible that don't actually mention "God"?

 Yes! The two books are "Esther" and "Song of Solomon". (But the fact that His name is not mentioned, doesn't mean they're not about Him!)

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Me Without You

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Illuminated Bible

BIBLE NEWS: "The Story" Wins an Audie

The Bible is old, but there are always new ways to present it. Zondervan's "The Story" has been awarded a prestigious "Audie Award" for its new audiobook adaptation.

Zondervan's bestselling The Story, NIV: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People was honored with a 2012 Audie Award at a ceremony in New York last night. The Audie Awards, hosted by the Audio Publishers Association, are the most prestigious honor in the audio book industry, recognizing the audio books that made the greatest impact over the past year...Recorded in 31 chapters, The Story is a concise, abridged chronology of the Bible that takes the listener through an unfolding progression of vital Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation.

HUMOR: Alphabetical Prayer Warrior

Found online.

An elderly gentleman passed his granddaughter's room one night and overheard her repeating the alphabet in an oddly reverent way.
What on earth are you up to?" he asked.
"I'm saying my prayers," explained the little girl.
"But I can't think of exactly the right words tonight, so I'm just saying all the letters. God will put them together for me, because He knows what I'm thinking."

COOL TOOLS: One Year Bible Online

We normally hear about this in January, but there really is no right time to start reading the Bible. It should be part of our daily routine, to listen to what God has to say to us. If you're ready to start on an epic journey of discovery, check out the One-Year Bible Online which offers you the chance to build a customized plan to read through the entire Old and New Testaments in one year. Start now or start when school ends. It is a great way to start digging into the great story ever told!

WEEKLY COMIC: Going another way

BIBLE FACTOID: What DOESN'T the Bible actually mention?

A few things that are talked about all the time in "Biblical discussions" but which are not actually in the Bible:

• The Bible does not say Adam and Eve ate an apple. It just says, ‘Fruit’.
• "Cleanliness is next to godliness," was actually published by Benjamin Franklin, not any author of scripture (although he borrowed it from a rabbi who was its original author)..
• The Bible never mentions 3 wise men. It only says the Maji (Wise men) from the east came bearing their gifts. There is no number recorded.
• "God helps those who help themselves." is not in the Bible.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: 10,000 Reasons

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Jump Into the Bible!

NEWS: Monroe Bible Quiz Team

If you've been checking your e-mail, you're probably already aware of this. But we wanted to make this official for those who might have missed it. Coach Mark and Coach Matt will be attempting to start a new Bible Quiz Team over at Beacon Hill Church in Monroe, CT for the 2012-2013 season! We presented the ministry to the church for the first time at their Ministry Fair in May, and got a lot of positive feedback and several sign-ups.

Please be praying for this new ministry program, and visit us now and again over at MonroeBibleQuiz.Com!

HUMOR: The Sibling Commandment

Found online.

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

COOL TOOLS: BibleGateway.Com

We use BibleGateway.Com all the time to post quotes from scripture, but did you know it has a whole lot more to it than that? It includes commentaries, introductions, notes, cross-references, daily devotionals, and much more. Click on over and do some exploring!

WEEKLY COMIC: Ducks or Ducts?