More Tips and Advice from the New Issue of The Cork Advertiser

Today, I picked up the latest issue of FREE 60-page glossy magazine, The Cork Advertiser.
At the foot of almost every page is a piece of advice to help the reader have as successful and happy a life as possible.  I plan to put as many tips as possible (and relevant) into practice in my life. I hope they are helpful to you too.

Page:

 2   Be different; be daring; be first
 3   Take time to recharge your batteries
 4   Never ever accept mediocrity
 5   Don't wait for opportunities, seize them
 6   Be open to change
 7   To thine own self be true
 8   When (the) decision is made, the debate is over
 9   Live one day at a time
10   Emotions are choices
11   Smile and walk tall
12   A wise man changes his mind sometimes, a fool never
13   Respect others
14   No-one is exempt from disappointment
15   Follow your intuition
16   Call on God, but row away from the rocks
17   The hardest victory is over oneself
18   Success doesn't come to you, you go to it
19   Seize the moment
20   The price of success is hard work
21   Never talk defeat
22   No half measures
23   Life is not a dress rehearsal
24   Enjoy what you can, endure what you must
25   Don't let fear stop you
26   Simplicity is complex
27   Never put people on pedestals, we all have clay feet
28   Man talks, but God directs
29   True friends are better than gold
30   Penny wise pound foolish
31   Adventure is the champagne of life
32   Always do your best
33   The best time to worry is tomorrow
34   Talk slowly, think quickly
35   Take the initiative
36   Live according to nature
37   Only fools rejoice at promises
38   Out of debt, out of danger
39   Research, plan, do
40   Every sunrise is a second chance
41   The less you talk, the more you are listened to
42   Pride is the author of all sin
43   Standing still means going backwards
44   Cheap is dear
45   Don't think, just do
46   Wise words don't come cheap
47   Become a person of value
48   Soft words win hard debates
49   Poverty is the mother of crime
50   Growing old is a privilege denied to many
51   Work hard at work worth doing
52   Adversity makes a man wise, not rich
53   As you sow so shall you reap
54   Desire conquers fear
55   Deliberate often, decide once
56   Learn to love silence
57   Never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you
58   Still waters run deep
59   The slow horse reaches the mill

Feast of Trumpets - September 30, 2019

Today, Monday, Sept 30th is the Feast of Trumpets, an annual Holy Day to the LORD (Yahweh), the God of the Bible. It is an annual Sabbath, a 'high day', a commanded assembly and a day of rest from regular work, school, shopping, entertainment and other secular activities. It began at sunset last night. (As an aside, very day of the entire [Sacred calendar] year, according to Gen 1 and Lev 23:32, starts at sunset the previous day, not at midnight!)
The Feast of Trumpets is the 4th of God's 7 annual Sabbaths. (Yes, it's the middle one.) It falls on the first of Tishri, the seventh month of the Sacred calendar. Very little is said about its' significance in Lev 23:24-25 where it's first mentioned. Elsewhere in Scripture, more revelation about the meaning of this Sabbath is recorded for God's people to glean, examine and understand. We learn that trumpets are associated with war (ex. Num 10:9). In I Cor 15:52, we learn the dead in Christ will rise at the 'last trump', a yet future time when this present evil age of man will come to an end and the glorious 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ will begin throughout all the Earth. Much could be, and indeed already has been written about this major meaningful biblical Feast day. I suggest all those interested in knowing more read the following articles and Bible Study Guides. NB. Be sure to look up the Bible references to get maximum understanding of the messages.

https://www.cogwriter.com/trumpet-plan.htm

http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-plan/feast-of-trumpets-war-and-rescue.htm

https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/the-feast-of-trumpets-a-turning-point-in-history

Poem recited by hot Cameron Diaz in 'In Her Shoes' (2005)

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)

I am never without it 

anywhere I go you go, my dear;

and whatever is done by only me 

is your doing, my darling

I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

I want no world, for beautiful, you are my world, my true

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows 

here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; 

which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/49493/i-carry-your-heart-with-mei-carry-it-in

Cam's character Maggie recited this poem at her long-suffering sister, Rose's wedding in a film called 'In Her Shoes'.  

This movie brings back some rare memories for me. I first saw it when I went to a cinema in Wellington in November 2005. I spent about 25 days in New Zealand that month. I took extra time off work to accompany my mother who wanted to visit family about an hours drive from Auckland. I stayed in a hostel in Auckland for five days during the first full week we were there. The second week was 'a bit' quieter. The third week, I traveled to Wellington where I stayed in a hostel near the train station. It was a cool time even though I was a solo tourist. On the plus side, I had complete freedom to go where and when I wanted, at a moment's notice. I explored the city centre every day and discovered a great Irish pub in Cuba street and other surprise places of interest including the awesome free museum Te Papa, and 'the Beehive' where I took a very interesting guided tour. My main regret was not taking time out to sail on the Inter-islander ferry to South Island. I bet the scenery is awesome on a good day. I hope to go back to Wellington again some day and I will not leave NZ's capital city until after I've traveled to South Island by ferry and taken lots of photos. 

By the time I got back to my then-digs in Aylesbury, UK, I'd flown on 10 planes from the start of my holiday. Five flights from UK to NZ (via Ireland, Singapore/Hong Kong and Australia) each way. I loved all the flying. I miss flying a lot these days. I have hardly flown since Nov 2005. Don't ask "why not" as I don't have a good answer.

I do have plans to fly to Spain next April however to embark on a new mega-ship for my first ever cruise 'vacation'. Hopefully there'll be very few youngsters and teenagers on my ship as schools will be in session.
Even more hopefully, MSC won't 'pull the plug' and cancel my dream cruise vacation due to the wretched coronavirus, Covid-19, that is turning up in many countries and causing people to cancel their holidays to avoid contracting it and even dying from it. I hope a cure is developed for it soon.

Tips and advice from the new Cork Advertiser magazine

I picked up a copy of (The) 'Cork Advertiser' last week in Douglas, Cork; date of issue: 30 August.
It's a free 52-page glossy magazine that comes out every month.
At the foot of every inside page is a tip, a proverb or a piece of advice for the reader to consider and try out.  I hope you find some of them work for you. Here goes:

Page  2:  Best way to escape from your problems is to solve them
Page  3:  Inside every problem is an opportunity
Page  4:  Intolerance is one of the greatest problems in the world
Page  5:  Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines
Page  6:  Running away from your problems is a race you'll never win
Page  7:  Happiness is the ability to deal with your problems
Page  8:  Problems can always be solved by a person not frightened by them
Page  9:  Whatever the problem, be part of the solution
Page 10:  It is what it is, learn from it, and grow from it
Page 11:  Keep your mind clear, and your heart at peace
Page 12:  Overthinking can ruin your life
Page 13:  Don't let little struggles break you, let them make you
Page 14:  We waste time waiting for the ideal moment to appear, it never does
Page 15:  Have faith that life will work out
Page 16:  Know your worth, never settle for less
Page 17:  No one is too busy, it's all about priorities
Page 18:  In the culture that seeks instant results, we must be strong, patient and steadfast
Page 19:  No matter what our problem, God is the solution
Page 20:  Keep silent and speak only when you must
Page 21:  Any person capable of angering you, becomes your master
Page 22:  It is how you react to a situation that matters
Page 23:  You should act without the approval of others
Page 24:  Do not give people free lodgings in your head
Page 25:  Keep company with people who uplift you
Page 26:  Good things come to those who wait
Page 27:  The best way out is always through
Page 28:  Never let your past decisions determine your future
Page 29:  Our character is defined in hard times
Page 30:  Make a difference
Page 31:  Our lives matter, God created everything for a purpose
Page 32:  Retirement gives you time literally to recreate yourself
Page 33:  Retirement is a new beginning
Page 34:  Believe that your greatest contribution is always ahead of you
Page 35:  Age is only a number
Page 36:  The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention
Page 37:  Be kind and compassionate
Page 38:  We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give
Page 39:  Inspire with your actions, not with your words
Page 40:  Count your blessings, not your troubles
Page 41:  Can all your worries add a single moment to you life?
Page 42:  Don't count your years, have your years count
Page 43:  The most important things in life aren't things
Page 44:  Antidote to depression is gratitude
Page 45:  He can who believes he can
Page 46:  One thing I can't recycle is wasted time
Page 47:  Live a life that is well balanced
Page 48:  It's never too late to have the best day of your life
Page 49:  Don't put off the important things in life till tomorrow
Page 50:  Without a struggle what is your success anyway?
Page 51:  Spend less time on what is urgent, and more time on what is important

The names of the wives on board Noah's Ark

I had a thought recently about finding out the names of Noah's wife and his three sons' wives as they are not mentioned in the Bible. I went to visit my friend 'Prof Google' to see if he could satisfy my curiosity. I went to the Wikipedia link where the four women's names were given. The source of the information was the Book of Jubliees.

It gave the name of Noahs' wife as Naamah;

Shem's wife's name was: Sedeqetelebab;

Ham's wife's name was: Na'eltama'uk

Japheth's wife's name was: 'Adataneses

There are several alternative names for the four women who survived the historical world-covering deluge as you will see if read the entire article. It's possible they might all be incorrect but don't get too 'hung up' on not being 100% sure of their correct names.

Another woman who is somewhat famous and who is not named in the Bible is Lot's wife. In Luke 17:32, Jesus said "Remember Lot's wife". He was warning His disciples against allowing the cares of the world to control their actions and decisions. Because she wanted to go back to 'the world' (in this case, Sodom, God turned her into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19 esp. v.26; the Hebrew infers she didn't want to turn her back completely on the evil city of Sodom and so God punished her as an example to others.) Again, I referred to Wikipedia for my information.
According to some Jewish traditions,

Lot's wife's name was either: Ado or Edith or some other name no-one today knows about.

Cold Comfort

I just finished watching a recorded sermon by the late Ron Dart of Texas. His sermon was titled, 'Cold Comfort'. It was sobering and revealing in several ways.

I will share some of the notes I wrote as I listened to his message. They are not exhaustive, by any means. If you want to get the full import of the message, I advise you to listen and watch the entire sermon here.   [My own added thoughts are within square brackets.]

By the time we reach a certain age, we should, especially if we claim to be Christians and if we are alert to our life's experiences, know that God is not interested in our comfort and helping us live a life of ease and endless happiness.

Consider the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. We are expected to be overcomers (see 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Overcomers of what? Our natural sinful nature, the devil and the world. That takes much effort. Our eternal security will not be beyond doubt until our names have been written in the Book of Life at our life's end. While eternal life, (which is 'the gift of God', Rom 6.23b) is a free gift, it is something we must fight to obtain and retain. Also, note what Jesus said in
[Remember we are saved by grace, not by works. Grace is a great Bible word. Think of it as: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.]

We were born to win this great prize, namely salvation/eternal life. We were born to be (spiritual) winners, not whiners. Develop the attitude that the Christian life is a serious competition that we must win, at all costs. [Don't believe 'getting saved' is as easy as 'falling off a log'. It isn't! Many preachers are guilty of claiming "Once you've said the 'sinner's prayer' and received salvation, there is no way you can be unsaved. The truth is, as long as you're a physical being, the devil will try to get you to backtrack and regret the lifelong process of repenting and overcoming sin and worldly pleasures.]

Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is not a book for comforting us (at least in the short term). However, the Bible does have a lot to comfort us if we think in the long term and are saved and we exit this mortal life in a state of grace. The Bible is not about helping us feel better; it's about helping us become better. [It could be said, a life lived without reading the Bible a lot is a life wasted. Note Jesus' words in John 6:63b (A Faithful Version), 'The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life'.]

So, accept that God is not interested in enabling us to go through life with no problems, pain or suffering. He usually doesn't have to do anything as life is tough for nearly all people anyway. However, if it is His will for an individuals life, He may intervene and cause a persons' life to be blessed (for a season, possibly), as He decides.

God wants us to change, toughen up and mature spiritually to become perfect and righteous, just like Him. That is the reason why we were born. May He help us to succeed.

Is This the Only 'Day' of Salvation for Everyone?

Most Christians believe that if you die without having made Jesus Christ your personal Saviour, you will not, and indeed cannot, be saved. They claim that 'Now is the ONLY Day of salvation'. Interestingly, they get this idea from 2 Cor 6:2 which is a MIStranslation of Isaiah 49:8 where Isaiah wrote, "...in A day of salvation, I helped thee...." (quoting Yahweh, KJV). The Bible does NOT teach that this is THE Day of salvation for all humanity. Down through the centuries and even millennia, the religion of the God of the Bible has never been the main religion of humanity. Even today, the vast majority of people do not believe the Bible is the reliable authoritative Word of God. That includes most of the two billion plus professing Christians around the world who are Christian in name only. Let's face it, IF this is the only day of salvation, God is on the losing side!
We read in 1 Titus 2:3, 4 that it is God's (Jesus') desire that all men (people) be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.  That requires a converted mind and a love of the Scriptures. That rules out the vast majority of professing Christians. So, what's gone wrong and what are we to make of this worrying situation? Is there, as one denomination teaches, a 'great controversy' or fight going on between God and Satan?  Is God really weaker than Satan who desires that everyone be lost? This is a complex dilemma that most people cannot make sense of. That is because very few people share Jesus' desire that all men (people) come to the knowledge of the truth. That requires time and effort. That seems too high a price for even most professing Christians. Instead of asking those questions above, they should be ready always to give an answer (1 Pet 3:15) to unbelievers to help them understand the real 'behind-the-scenes' situation that cannot be seen by human eyes.
A famous worship hymn is titled 'Trust and Obey'. If a person wants to come to the knowledge of the truth, he or she must learn to trust and obey God. Then, as you grow (spiritually) in the Lord, your understanding of the truths of God's Word will increase and He will enable you to see hidden nuggets of truth that the vast majority of humanity cannot see. They are hidden from all but a small select 'few' who are selected by Him to be members of His body of believers who make up the Church (which come s from a Greek word that means, a calling out or, called out ones). Jesus taught those who followed him that 'No one can come to Me unless God (the Father) call him (or her) (John 6.44 and v. 65). No-one can just decide for themselves to become a Christian. Each individual must be called and drawn by God the Father. No-one chooses God; He chooses us, individually. Great mystery!
When God draws a person toward Him, He will open that persons mind to realize that the Sabbaths of Leviticus 23 are to be observed by His people today.That includes the 7th-day Sabbath (Saturday) and Passover and the six annual festivals that He gave to His people in the wilderness under Moses' leadership. They were never 'done away' and 'nailed to the cross' as so many professing Christians believe. When the person who is being called by God grows in wisdom and understanding, He (or she) will believe that they must start observing those holy days. The last of the annual seven Sabbaths is the one that's relevant to this topic. This day is 'tacked onto' the Feast of Tabernacles, a 7-day post harvest festival that's held in September/October every year. It is a separate festival with a distinct meaning even though it's called the 'eighth day' (of the Feast) (Lev. 23:36). This day represents a time after the long-awaited Millennium when all those who were never called in this life will have their first opportunity to be saved. God has a wonderful plan of salvation that is only fully understood when you observe the annual Sabbaths. God will help you understand various hard-to-understand passages and verses when you 'trust and obey' Him enough to do as He says and keep His festivals. Never forget these are 'the feasts of the Lord' (Lev 23:2). They are still valid for God's people today in 2019! It is vitally important to realize we are NOT talking about a second chance of salvation! The vast majority who have ever lived, as well as all those who were not born alive, never had a fair chance to accept Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary's cross as full payment for their sins! Vast numbers of people never even heard the name of Jesus through no fault of their own. And yet we read in Acts 4:10-12 that there is no other name under heaven by which we can (must) be saved.  After the Millennium, the soon-coming one thousand year reign of Jesus over the entire Earth, there will be a vast resurrection of upwards of 50 BILLION people who died uncalled by God to receive salvation. This will be their first opportunity to receive the full knowledge of the truth. Satan and his demons will be banished and there will be no false religions to confuse and divide people then. There will be one pure language and everyone will be steered toward living according to the Ten Commandments. All those who died before and as a result of the Flood of Noah's time will come up in this 'Great White Throne Judgment' also known as the second resurrection. As well as the many billions of people who lived and died during the 3,500 years since the Flood. (During the Millennium, a massive worldwide project to increase fertile land will take place so there will be enough room for everyone who will be brought back to physical life in a little over a thousand years from now.) That will be the day of salvation for the vast majority of humanity, not our time on Earth now!

***I will be adding more material to and 'polishing up' this post during the coming days so check back soon***

Yahweh is an AWESOME God

I was watching a worship video on Youtube and decided to do a short message about it here. Messianic worship leader Paul Wilbur sang a song called 'Nobody Like You' about God's unlimited greatness and how He created the vast heavens as proof of that power and ability.

Holy is the Lord of Glory.  He revealed His Name to His servant Moses as "I AM". Another name for the Almighty is 'Eternal'. God (Yahweh) is eternal. He is the One Who became Jesus Christ about 4000 years after creation week (Gen 1). It was the pre-incarnate Jesus who spoke the entire universe into existence. It was He who said, "Let Us make man in Our image" (Gen 1:26).

He is past finding out but He has given us enough evidence in His Word and nature that He is worthy of recognition and devotion to the exclusion of all other 'deities'. All other 'gods' and religious philosophies are of no value.

The God Who reveals Himself in the pages of the Christian Bible is infinite in power, glory and love.
He is an infinite spirit being (Jn 4:24) and therefore immortal and greater than everything, since He created everything (Col 1:15-17) by His spoken word. God spoke the cosmos into existence about 6000 years ago, according to the Bible and science, when properly understood by real scientists with honest hearts and minds and a fearless integrity to follow where the Truth leads!

Since He brought the cosmos into existence, He is greater than the cosmos! Even if the cosmos is a trillion light years in diameter, that is nothing to God since He is infinite and outside of time and space. He is spirit and we are less than specks of dust compared to Him. And yet He offers us a blessed opportunity to have a close loving relationship with Him. When we respond to the evidence of His reality and choose to believe, He draws near to us because faith endears us to Him! He loves when His highest creation comes to see himself as helpless and in desperate need of a Saviour! Only then will He come into our hearts and lives and we start becoming the person we were born to be!
How foolish to disbelieve in your Creator and the Master of your eternal destiny (Ps 14:1; 53:1)!
Do not waste any more time but seek Him while He may be found (Isa 55:6; Zeph. 5:3 etc.).

***This is a post still in construction 

and therefore unfinished. More to be added soon***