January 1st 2021: A New Opportunity to Read Through Your Bible

 1-1-21 (Friday):

Day 1:   Philippians, chs. 1-4, yes, the whole 'book'. I decided to start here after listening to a sermon by the late Ronald Dart on Youtube, titled, "The Bread of Affliction'. He quoted Phil 3:4-11 so I thought I'd read the entire book and quote most of the vs read in the sermon by Ron Dart which he delivered in early 1991.

Phil. 3:7-11 (ESV):

7.   But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8.   Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

9.   and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith

10. that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

11. that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Powerful words!

Something to note: Compare the following scriptures: 1 Cor. 11:1 & Phil. 3:17 & 4:9.

Together, let us read and study ALL of God's Word, the Holy BIBLE, throughout  2021. 

Yes, every day! Let us see if we can read the entire OT once and the NT twice.

TODAY IS THE ANNUAL DAY OF ATONEMENT

 "Day of WHAT?", I hear you ask. It's known as Yom Kippur by the Jews and it's a day all Bible believers should observe. It's listed with six other annual Sabbaths (or, high days) in Lev. 23. The LORD of the Old Testament (Yahweh, 

the One Who became the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, when He was born of a virgin, Miriam about 4BC in Bethlehem of Judea. Known as the Word (Jn 1:1-3,14), He was the Divine God-being Who Created the universe (Gen. 1).)

is the One Who declared to Moses that the 'appointed Feasts' listed in Lev. 23 were His festivals or  holy convocations (commanded assemblies), not (just) the festival of the Jews'! They are NOT 'Jewish holy days', as most seem to believe! That is a Satanic LIE! It is vitally important to know that they are holy days that belong to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are for all mankind, not just for the Jews! But, realistically, only those who have been called and had their minds opened by God can come to a true knowledge of the Christian Scriptures! All humans should observe God's commanded festivals at this period in human history but it is not possible due to some fine details in God's plan of salvation! The seven annual holy days / festivals plus Passover were in God's mind when He created the moon of Day 4 of Creation Week (Gen. 1:14-19). The Hebrew word for seasons in v 14 is mow'ed, which can also be translated festivals, or 'appointed times'. Eg. the 1st Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring (March or April) and the 1st day of the Feast of Tabernacles every autumn (September or October) falls on a full moon. The Feast of Trumpets falls on a new moon every autumn. The other annual Sabbaths (Pentecost and the Day of Atonement) can fall on or near a new or full moon from year to year but that's just a coincidence as their dates are derived by counting from another High Day Sabbath. 

Now back to the Day of Atonement, which informed people of God are observing today, September 28th, 2020. According to the Sacred calendar, it is the 10th day of Tishri, the 7th month. Beginning at sundown yesterday, it was required of God that all His people who have been enlightened, deprive themselves of all food and fluids until sundown this evening, a period of roughly 24 hours. The name of the day can be read 'At-one-ment' with God. The Eternal, our Creator, Saviour and High Priest wants His people to be at one with Him in every way. Eg. Jesus commanded His disciples, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Becoming perfect, for just about everyone, is a journey, not a destination. Because we live in a fallen world, we will always be imperfect compared to God as long as we are in the flesh. But we must strive to become perfect and uproot sin out of our lives every day by seeking God's help diligently, or we never succeed. 

The Day of Atonement is mentioned indirectly in Acts 27:9 showing it was still known to (and observed by) 1st century believers. It is a vitally important holy day in God's plan of the salvation for the entire human race. It is a sad truth that the vast majority of professing Christians are missing out on a very important and exciting truth, namely that God is very close to each one of His children. He wants us all to be like Him so we can enjoy eternal joy and happiness with Him forever, after this temporary life is over. 

***More to be added soon***

Does Anyone Have an Immortal Soul?

 It is commonly believed by nearly all religions that every individual has, or is, an immortal soul that will forever exist in some state or location beyond the physical body's death. This is a universal but false belief that billions of people of most religions take for granted. 

The purpose of this study is to come to the TRUTH of the matter and find out the REALITY of the subject of the soul. I offer no apology for basing my beliefs on the teachings concerning the soul found in the Christian Bible. The 66 books of the Bible are God's revelation to mankind and it offers the final word on any subject concerning spiritual matters. When properly understood, the Bible is more reliable than the greatest discoveries and writings of the best human minds on any subject (that it touches) under the sun. 

Rather than re-invent the wheel, so to speak, I will put a link for MANY well-researched articles explaining what the Bible really teaches about the soul. Here it is:

https://www.ucg.org/bcse/search/immortal%20soul

 

Here's another link to dozens more articles on the same subject:

https://rcg.org/search.html?q=immortal+soul

 

Some key Scriptures to keep in mind:

Genesis 2:7 - man became a living soul, not an immortal soul; 

Ezekiel 18:4, 20 - this tells us that the soul of man can die; it is not immortal;

 Malachi 6:1 - this is a strong revelation that the wicked will be destroyed, body and soul;

Matthew 10:28 - God 'is able to destroy both soul and body in hell' - the soul is not immortal;

1 Cor 2:11 - every individual has a spirit within from God. Without this spirit, the body dies! This spirit been confused with the soul.

Some Notes on Biblical Prophecy

"I consider it a sin to talk about prophecy without including hope." So said Ron Dart in a sermon he gave on 10-10-98, titled 'Why Prophecy?'
No prophecy is unchangeable and while some negative and fearful prophecies in the Bible seem destined to occur as written, such is not always the case.
Consider the dire message God gave Jonah to deliver to the people of Nineveh?  God commanded His prophet Jonah to cry out to the people of Nineveh, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown."
Let's consider what happened. Did Jonah obey God and warn the people of Nineveh that God would destroy this great city-state in 40 days if it did not repent? Yes. Was this a true prophecy? Yes. Did it come to pass? No. Why not? Simply because the people of Nineveh heeded the warning and repented. From the least to the greatest.
As a result, God changed His mind and allowed the people to live. He 'repented' of His decision to destroy the vast city and everyone in it.
See an example of where God again changed His mind and did not destroy another people He came close to wiping out because of their idolatry (Ex. 32:14).
Did God know what the outcome would be? Hardly. If the future had already been set, then the people of Nineveh would have had no choice and God would have known how they would have reacted to Jonah's warning in advance. The whole exercise would have been pointless
Notice Jonah's incredible reaction to God's mercy in not carrying through His intention to destroy Nineveh. He was 'exceedingly displeased, and it kindled anger in him (Jonah 4:1). Wow. Listen to his reasoning. 'And he prayed to the Lord and said, "Please, O Lord, was this not my saying when I was still in my land? Therefore on account of this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and One who repents of the evil" (v.2). Jonah tried to avoid carrying out his assignment not so much because he was fearful of the response from the people of Nineveh but because he knew there was a good chance that God would not destroy its' inhabitants. Nineveh was a very warlike city-state that had done great damage to Israel and so, Jonah wanted the city totally destroyed. It was a totally understandable desire (but not a godly one) and when it did not happen, he said to God, "And now, O Lord, I beseech You, take my life from me, for better is my death than my life" (v. 3). That is the reason why Jonah is called 'the reluctant prophet'.
A good insight on the message of Jonah's mission is explained in this article. 

Six Ethics of Life

I read this list of advice by Tony Robbins on Pinterest just now:

Before you pray - Believe

Before you speak - Listen

Before you spend - Earn

Before you write - Think

Before you quit - Try

Before you die - Live


Some very good advice and tips to live by!



Also, think on these things:

Things Money Can't Buy:

  1. Manners

  2. Morals

  3. Respect

  4. Character

  5. Common Sense

  6. Trust

  7. Patience

  8. Class

  9. Integrity

10. Love

More tips and nuggets of wisdom from 'The Cork Advertiser' magazine

I picked up a copy of the latest issue of The Cork Advertiser magazine, a fine free monthly glossy publication for the people of Mallow and large parts of Cork county.
There's always a big supply at the Customer Desk at Douglas Court Shopping Centre, where I usually pick up my copy as soon as it's available.
The following tips and nuggets of wisdom are from the issue dated 28th February 2020.

Page No.

 2     Life without a goal is futile

 3     Take this day as a gift from God

 4     Today I will drive out all fear from my life

 5     The only limits in your life are the buts you use today

 6     A lack of vision today costs credibility tomorrow

 7     Today get out of your comfort zone

 8     What is not started today is never finished tomorrow

 9     Don't let yesterday use up too much of today

10    Live a day at a time

11    What children need today are parents - not buddies

12    Worry empties today of its strength

13    To succeed today, you have to set priorities

14    Let today be a fresh start

15    If you fell down yesterday, stand up today

16    Plan your work today, then work your plan

17    Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today

18    Today I will do someone a good turn

19    I will try to live through this day only

20    Today I will do someone a good turn, and not get found out

21    Life is too short to wake up today with regrets

22    Live for what today has to offer

23    Be the reason someone smiles today

24    Today's society has become so fake that the truth bothers some

25    Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings

26    One day at a time is enough

27    Just for today, let go of anger

28    Today I will have a quiet hour to myself

29    Today I will enjoy what is beautiful

30    Today I will save myself from hurry and indecision

31    The beginning is always today

32    Expect something good to happen today

33    Today is yours to shape

34    Harness the power of today

35   Today is the first day of the rest of your life

36   It's our attitude about today that matters

37    Let's bring that 'someday' today

38    Today I decided to let go

39    Hello to today, I'm so glad you're here
        (Say "Hello" to today, "I'm so glad you're here")

40    Today is non-refundable

41    Start today creating a vision for yourself

42    The destiny of future generations depends on our actions today

43    Each day is a gift. Don't take it for granted

44    Today is sacred - for it will never come again

45    Tomorrow isn't better than today - yet

46    What you do today defines tomorrow

47    Every tomorrow is an outcome of what I do today

48    Do something positive today and make a difference

49    Carpe diem, today and every day
        (Seize the day [Latin])

50    Love all, trust few, do wrong to none

51    Today is a new canvas. Paint it well








A Special Bonus

Also, from the same magazine, is a list of

10 Things Money Can't Buy:

 1.   Manners

 2.   Morals

 3.   Respect

 4.   Character

 5.   Common sense

 6.   Trust

 7.   Patience

 8.   Class

 9.    Integrity

10.   Love

How to Avoid King Saul's Spiritual Mistakes

I just heard a helpful worthwhile sermon by a preacher, Ron Dart, 1930-2016, about the mistakes/sins of ancient Israel's first king, a man named Saul. [Click (here) to watch: The Forgiveness of Kings.]

(Sadly, the quality of the sound is poor much of the time. Also, it has helpful subtitles.)

Near the end of this sermon, Ron Dart gives 7 tips to avoid being like Saul. They are worth knowing.

1)   Don't blame others. When things go wrong, look within yourself and ask where (and why) YOU made your mistake/sin

2)   Do not minimize your mistakes/sins. Let them be as bad as they can be in your own eyes. Own up to being wrong. Be totally honest with yourself.

3)   Don't justify yourself. As long as you're trying to justify yourself, how can God justify you? And how can the blood of Christ justify you of your sins. Confess you did what you did because you wanted to do it. Don't try to 'get off the hook' by claiming 'the devil made (me) do it'.

4)   Accept responsibility for what has happened. Accept the blame. (Again, don't blame others'.) Pick it up. Wear it. Deal with it.

5)   Admit you were wrong. Confess your sins to God. Be totally honest with Him. Admit your sins to yourself too.

6)   Apologize to those you have wronged or hurt. (When you do wrong to others, be humble and say, "I was wrong. I'm very sorry." Those little words, sincerely said, will get you out of more trouble than you can possibly imagine.) You can only really be considered to be sorry and repentant when you're accepted responsibility and apologizing does that.

7)   Repent. That means you turn your conduct around and you start living your life differently.


All these tips go together. All 7 must be put into practice. None of them are easy but any other course of action than the repentant course leads to a kind of insanity which is what eventually happened to King Saul.

"If you lie to others, that makes you a sinner; if you lie to yourself, that makes you insane."

Finally, remember, with God's help, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).