Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 11, 2022

Saved, Saved, Saved!

The Joy of Singing a Congregational Favorite!

As a young boy, my family attended church at Baptist Temple, in the Houston Heights. The congregation was very enthusiastic about singing hymns at the beginning of each service; one of the top favorites was the hymn, (click Saved, Saved to listen) “Saved, Saved!” on page 339 of the Broadman Hymnal.

There would always be a little murmur of excited appreciation in the congregation as the introduction was played by the organ.

All verses would be sung and some adventurous sopranos would even end the hymn singing the high b flat on the last note. We would all join in, singing our respective parts in the refrain, soprano, alto, tenor, or bass which most of the congregation had memorized in the distant past.

The church had the prized “Hammond Organ” which was played from the hymnal so the vocal parts were always mirrored by the organ. The vast majority of the congregation would sing out with great gusto and enthusiasm.

Those moments of congregational singing are engraved in my mind and still flood me with joy and dear, precious memories! The words for this particular hymn are copied below, each verse would be followed by the refrain:

Saved, Saved!

(Verse 1) I’ve found a Friend, Who is all to me,
His love is ever true;
I love to tell how He lifted me
And what His grace can do for you.

Refrain

Saved by His power divine,
Saved to new life sublime!
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,
For I’m saved, saved, saved!

(Verse 2) He saves me from every sin and harm,
Secures my soul each day;
I’m leaning strong on His mighty arm;
I know He’ll guide me all the way.

Refrain

(Verse 3) When poor and needy and all alone,
In love He said to me,
“Come unto Me and I’ll lead you home,
To live with Me eternally.”

Refrain

Saved, Saved, alternate version!

Words and music by J P Scholfield

The great hymns of the Christian church are a priceless heritage for those of us who had the joy of singing them; they are a storehouse of sound Bible doctrine and taught the truths of the Bible as one sang them!

Getting Saved is the Reason Christ Died on the Cross!

OSAS is an acronym for once saved always saved; the popular expression for the eternal security of the believer. Christianity teaches that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross provides an eternal, unalterable salvation for the one who accepts the finished work of Christ as the payment for their sins.

This very simple concept is amazingly difficult for many Christians to believe and accept. I find it saddening that so many who should be rejoicing with confidence in their salvation are afflicted by doubt and uncertainty when it comes to the security of their position as members of God’s family.

There seems to be a feeling that some sins are just too bad to be so easily forgiven by simple belief in the Lord as one’s Savior; certainly, they think, some sins are so hideous that some sort of special penance or additional payment is required for God to forgive those sins.

Notice particularly that I selected the word feeling because these ideas come from our own feelings of unworthiness. There are times when all of us are disgusted by memories of our failures and feel unworthy of salvation; feelings that God should just send a lightning bolt down from heaven and obliterate us, giving us what we truly deserve.

GOD KNOWS US BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES

As painfully aware of our failures as we might be, God knows our failures even better and in spite of all of them has sent His Son to die in our place and pay for all of our sins past, present and future.

In Romans 5:8 the apostle writes: “But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” It is at this point that the confusion about sin begins in the minds of many.

When we think of being sinners our minds review the committed sins of which we have been guilty during the course of our lives. The knowledge of those sins can all too easily haunt us as our minds replay those events of rebellion and transgression against God.

Is this the sort of thing the Holy Spirit had in mind as He inspired Paul to write those words? I think not because a few verses later He inspired Paul to explain the primary reason Christ died on the cross.

Next time, why Christ had to die on the Cross.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 4, 2022

Independence Day!

July 4, 2022

For 246 years, the United States of America has generally served as a platform for God’s grace to this fallen world. It was founded on Biblical principles and was a beacon of Godly life and liberty. Although led by flawed individuals, those principles had a profound influence on the actions taken by this nation.

Thousands upon thousands have paid with their lives that we might preserve those principles and arrive at this point in our history!

Over the years, an organized effort has sought to remove the influence of those principles and establish ungodly standards as the benchmark for our behavior at both the individual and national levels. In verse 4 of our national anthem, we find:

“Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

This clearly expresses the truth of our existence, as a nation, we were made, and have been preserved as a nation by the power of God, almighty! While we placed our trust in God, we have been preserved as a nation; now that we are nationally turning our backs on God, our existence is open to serious question!

Recently, I published an essay on a scenario where the United States was no longer a world power! The Bible has no reference to the United States in prophetic verses describing the last days. It may well be the United States does not have too many more birthdays left; only God knows the answer to that question and the answer will be devastating to those left behind!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 26, 2022

Troubled by the News? You have some Great Options!

God has a Better Plan for his Children!

When any person is born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, amazing and wonderful things are instantly applied to them and their spiritual situation is totally changed forever! That portion of you which was created in the image of God, and is eternal, is restored to a close relationship with the Holy Trinity; a relationship which is sustained by the power of God, and can never be broken!

All of this is only observable by faith; our mortal bodies, which have not been restored, are still struggling with the ravages of sin and the deadly consequences of Adam’s direct disobedience to God! There will never be a better time to observe God’s counsel to his children which is found in 2 Corinthians 5:1-7

“5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

While the time in our tents is a limited assignment, our place in God’s family is eternal and will never change! We know this by faith and not by sight; living a life by faith is an essential element in finding the joy and happiness available to those who have been given the new birth!

As Christians, our time in the tent is one of very uncertain circumstances; we are located on a spiritual battlefield in a world controlled by Satan. Satan is the prince of the power of the air and exercises profound influence on the affairs of men.

The Ancient Spiritual War

We are serving as soldiers in an ancient spiritual battle that started thousands of years ago; I have written more on this in a series, “To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War.” The secret to a life of joy, is living a life of faith, not a life based on your circumstances, not a life based on sight!

The world, in which we live, is dedicated to distracting us by flooding our mortal senses with a profusion of noise and disturbing images! We do ourselves a great disservice when we let the world control our perceptions of reality; to the extent we let the world determine our view of life is the extent we are living a life based on sight and not on faith!

Our Not so Secret Weapon!

As Christians, we are given the most powerful gift that exists in the entire universe; we are made one with God, the Holy Spirit, in an unbreakable, eternal union! The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, joins with us as we live out our lives on the spiritual battlefield called Earth.

God puts in place, for each of us, a perfect plan which will be fulfilled in accordance with God’s will for our lives. In Romans 8:26-30, we are given a summary glimpse of this plan:

“26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

Will You Live a Life of Faith or a Life of Sight?

While our old sin nature is reckoned to have been crucified with Christ at the point of our new birth, our old sin nature still remains within us and can control us if we let it. The secret to controlling it is confession of sin. In 1 John 1:8-10 it is written:

“8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

Confession of known sins results in the forgiveness of all unrighteousness; the Holy Spirit can take control of our lives at that point and restore the fruit of the Spirit! The contrast is explained in Galatians 6:16-26 where it is written:

“16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

As a born again Christian, indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit, you do have the option and right to live a Holy Spirit led life, a life filled with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

I encourage you to fill your life with God’s joy and happy expectations!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 20, 2022

Finding Stability in an Unstable World, Part 2

Israel!

Israel has been an object of hatred by its surrounding nations since it was formed in 1948 and has endured periodic attacks which it has successfully repelled. The major obstacle to an all out attack has always been the threat of retaliation by the United States.

When the United States is thrown into chaos by the rapture, the door will be opened to stage an all out attack on Israel. While Israel is referred to as the “Little Satan”, the United States is referred to as the “Great Satan.”

The rapture may well open the door to an attack on both the Little Satan and the Great Satan. The Bible makes it clear, Israel will be protected by God, the United States has no such promise.

A carefully placed nuclear explosion in the air over the United States could plunge it back into the nineteenth century by the destruction of its electricity grid and the electronics that control most of the technology.

https://securethegrid.com/a-call-to-action-for-america/

The Task Force on National and Homeland Security has issued warnings of the impending danger:

“The threat of the U.S. power grid crashing is a very real but preventable problem but the average American has no idea of the severity of vulnerability under which we live.  Experts say our power grid can be destroyed and, when that happens, 70-90% of the U.S. population will die within the first year.  Experts also say it is not a mere possibility but a near certainty that the grid will be hit and it could happen at any time.  

“That poses a real threat of possibly being able to win a war with a single blow by means of an EMP attack,” said Peter Vincent Pry, the executive director of Task Force on National and Homeland Security, a congressional advisory board.” https://emptaskforce.us/

All Born Again Christians Gone!

It is estimated there are just over 147,000,000 born again Christians in the United States. The removal of over 147,000,000 Christians would be catastrophic for this nation; follow that up with an EMP attack and it becomes very easy to understand why the United States would no longer be a world power.

The Christian responsibility to the United States and all mankind is to clearly present the good news of Jesus Christ as Savior. We serve as God’s ambassadors to a fallen mankind, but that assignment will be completed when we are called home at a time appointed by God.

When the time comes for God to recall the church, the world will be changed forever, nothing will ever again be the same. In the meantime, there is an open call to all who will receive Jesus Christ as Savior and join God’s eternal family; believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

“8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Next time, God’s plan for your peace and stability!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 13, 2022

Finding Stability in an Unstable World, Part 1!

Everywhere you look, the world and our nation seems to be increasingly plagued by strife and misery! Is it even possible to find inner stability in the midst of so much stress and turmoil? The answer to that question is yes, God has a plan for his children!

Establishing and Maintaining a Solid Biblical Foundation for Your Worldview!

Any hope of peace and joy in life depends on seeing life from the right perspective, the Biblical perspective. In Ephesians 1:10-11 we are given a foundational principle that clearly establishes the most basic fact of life:

10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

It is important to notice that all things, not some things, are working according to the sovereign will of the Lord Jesus Christ! All things includes everything and excludes nothing!

This means that everything we see happening today is all part of God’s plans for the end times!

“Things are Not Falling Apart, but Falling into Place!“

This phrase, which has gained some popularity on the web among Christian writers, aptly describes the situation we face today!

Bible prophecy describes world conditions prior to the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. This will be a time of terrible testing as God’s plan for the end times is unleashed upon a world that has turned it’s back on its creator.

The United States of America

A description of the world powers involved during the final days excludes one world power that is presently playing a major role in global affairs: the United States is conspicuously absent from the pages of Bible prophecy; why is it a major world power is not referenced in prophetic verses? What could happen that will remove the United States as a major world power?

A casual examination of the United States today reveals a nation in turmoil, a nation struggling with almost everything from baby food to inflation, even to nuclear war! I’m reminded of two verses in Psalms 73:18-19 where it is written:

18 Indeed, you place them on a slippery slope
and make them fall to their ruin.

19 How suddenly they are destroyed,
swept away by terrors!

It would appear a veil of Satanic deception has descended over the minds of a large portion of this nation’s population. Current events, too numerous to mention, and the response to those events seem to defy logical explanation!

In Romans 1:18-32 the Bible describes a nation and a people who have rejected God; in the following verses the results of this rejection are shown:

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 

The remaining verses in this passage further describe the actions of the people and the consequences of those actions; I encourage you to re-read Chapter 1 in Romans.

Foolish thinking seems to be the order of the day; decisions that make absolutely no sense are emerging from the highest to the lowest levels of life; we see lives that are truly full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.

The Coup de Grâce

There are two events, prophesied in the Bible, that will dramatically effect the United States and potentially deal a death blow to the United States as a world power; the first of these is the rapture of the church.

At a time known only to God, every born again Christian will be taken up into the air to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ and be forever changed; this is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The sudden removal of all Christians will produce a chaotic impact on the United States that will severely compromise it at all levels of activity! This event is what I believe will be the catalyst for the second event, the Battle of Psalm 83.

Next time, the United States plunging down the slippery slope!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 5, 2022

Happy Birthday to the True Church!

As a Christian, You’re Part of a Body that is 1,989 Years Old!

On Sunday, June 5, 2022 some churches will observe Pentecost, the 1,989th birthday of the true church; an event generally overlooked by many. It was “born” on May 25, 33 AD on the date that year of the Jewish celebration of the Feast of Pentecost.

God’s New Creation!

This was truly an amazing event as the face of humanity was changed forever! At that point a completely new type of human being came into existence, human beings who had been permanently indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit. The former type of human being was still around in great abundance but now a completely new creation, human beings indwelt by God, began living on the earth.

Before the creation of the church, the Holy Spirit had been with individuals chosen by God for special ministries but the Holy Spirit had not permanently indwelt them as He would indwell all who were born again during the church age.

Before that momentous occasion, the Spirit of God, had dwelt successively in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple in Jerusalem before the Babylonian Captivity, but had not been present in the restored Temple in Jerusalem which later came to be known as Herod’s Temple. During those earlier periods, the indwelling of God produced visible results in that the radiance of God was manifested when the Spirit of God dwelled in the Tabernacle and the Temple.

Just as the visible glory of God was hidden in the Lord Jesus Christ, the visible glory of God would also be hidden as the Holy Spirit indwelt each and every human being who received Christ as Savior regardless of denominational affiliation or lack thereof. The situation was complicated by the fact that the outward appearance was not changed at all and by simply looking at people one could not tell whether they were indwelt by God or not.

A Hidden Change with Great Eternal Significance

Although the visible manifestations of the new creation are hidden, the spiritual realities are profound and eternal. Long after this physical realm in which we find ourselves has been destroyed, these spiritual realities will still be in full force and effect. The eternal destiny of those who are spiritually dead is the Lake of Fire, for those spiritually alive and indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit, a future in the new heaven and the new earth as a member of the family of God.

Those who are alive are cautioned to avoid being unequally yoked with those who are dead; there is a great gulf fixed between the living and the dead which can only be bridged by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. We who are alive are commanded to offer directions on passage over that bridge to those who are dead. Those who choose to cross the bridge can join the ranks of the living and become a part of the new creation while those who reject the offer to cross that bridge continue to live under the wrath of God.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36

Happy Birthday to All Who Have Crossed from Death to Life!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 30, 2022

Guns Misbehaving Yet Again

The Uvalde Tragedy Triggers New Attacks on the Second Amendment!

In a remarkable flight of fancy, some seem to be trying to personify inanimate objects and assign to them a decision-making role in the killing of innocent children. This is, of course, absolute foolishness as guns are nothing more than manufactured tools and have no agenda whatsoever! Any tool can be used for good or evil in the hands of an individual with evil intent in their heart!

The Same Old Problem

What then is the source of this wicked misbehavior of tools about which one hears so much? Well, no surprise there, it too comes from the fallen sin nature of man; whether guns, tire irons, or any other tool, all can be used for good or evil depending on the motivations of the individual human using the tool. A tire iron can be used to change a tire or bash someone over the head, tire irons do not kill, people kill people; the same principle applies to all other tools as well. Tools are not good or evil, they are just tools!

We do ourselves and society a great disservice when we endorse the idea that societies’ problems are the result of tools gone wild. If we tighten up on the behavior of tools all would be well: let us pass more laws controlling tools and societies’ problems will disappear.

I hope you realize just how foolish that sounds; what amazes me is that this is the popular solution in many parts of our society today. Legislating the ownership or use of tools fails to address the problem at its roots; the problem is the fallen nature of man, not the fallen nature of tools!

Two Philosophies of Behavior

When my wife and I had little children, we believed children should be taught to behave. There were clearly defined boundaries for their behavior and going beyond those boundaries resulted in certain discipline of some sort. We also knew that children were not born with this knowledge and had to be taught.

We had learned that it was not the severity of discipline that counted but the certainty of discipline that provided the deterrence; a violation of the boundary resulted in certain discipline, it was non-negotiable. The children learned very early that it was far better to observe the limits set for their behavior so within a few years little discipline was ever required; they had learned the value of self-discipline.

During this time a new notion was becoming popular, a notion which we rejected for our family; a notion that avoided setting limits on children’s behavior coupled with efforts to remove all temptations that might result in inappropriate behavior. Families were trying to childproof the environment of the child so there was nothing the child could actually do to step over the boundaries of acceptable behavior; I referred to it as childproofing the house.

I was amazed at those efforts and thought of all the problems that a lack of self-control could generate when these children grew up and tried to integrate into society. What I had not anticipated were the efforts that society would eventually try to childproof itself and remove all things with which the out-of-control child/adult could damage or use to possibly harm themselves or others.

I had not anticipated society seeing these undisciplined adults as victims of an unfeeling society that had failed to adequately remove all of the dangerous objects from their environment. The beautiful vase was there so they broke it, the sharp object was there so it was used to injure themselves or others, and regardless they were innocent victims of a thoughtless society that had failed to properly prepare the environment for their arrival.

What Does the Bible Say about This?

In Proverbs 22:15 it is written:

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

Proverbs 13:24

24 Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Hebrews 12:7-11

“7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

These verses reflect our attitude toward child-raising and discipline; I can testify that they have worked as our children have harvested righteousness and peace, praise God for His faithfulness, mercy and grace. During the early years when I would occasionally have to discipline a misbehaving child the first part of the process, after we got home, would involve an explanation from me on why the discipline was required; we wanted them to clearly understand the reason discipline was to be administered.

Later one of our boys told me that my lecture was the hardest part for them and was much more painful than the mild discipline which followed. Fortunately, it got their attention and quickly became no longer necessary as they learned the value of self-discipline.

The Perfect Society

There is a perfect society coming but it is not in the immediate future; the Bible tells us we are in for troubled times which will get progressively worse until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to set things straight. I’m sure all of us who love the Lord look forward to those times!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 26, 2022

The Uvalde Tragedy

The Events at Robb Elementary

The media is filled with reports of a young man, Salvador Ramos, 18, who shot and killed 19 children and 2 adults on a shooting rampage at Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, Texas.

Salvador Ramos

Many theories are being advanced on how and why this horrific incident could happen; various groups are using it as an opportunity to advance their agendas. Much is being said about mental illness, and gun control.

What is conspicuously absent is any reference to sin! In Galatians 5:19-21 this young man’s basic problem is explained:

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The behavior of Salvador Ramos would indicate he was spiritually dead and under the control of his sin nature; as is pointed out in the verses above, murders are part of the evident works of the flesh.

The only solution to his problem would have been to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior and the new birth by the power of the Holy Spirit; sadly, for all involved, it is too late for that.

May God’s peace, comfort and guidance surround all those who grieve over the loss of those precious lives!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 23, 2022

How Much Time do You Have Left?

Does Tempus Really Fugit?

In his infinite wisdom, God lightly references many things in the Bible which are totally beyond my understanding. One example is found in 2 Peter 3:8 where it is written:

“8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

While I may not forget that verse, I surely don’t understand it! This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my failing to understand things God has revealed to his children. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 there is hardly a page that does not reference something about God and his holy will that I cannot understand.

There are two verses in Proverbs 3:5-6 which provide some solace:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

Those verses provide advice I can not only understand, but verses in which I can rejoice and attempt to obey! (In all honesty, I have found myself occasionally trying to understand that which is beyond my understanding.)

Time as we Know it, is Unique to Us

NTS

A year, a month, a week or a day is something to which we can all relate; we all have a sense of what that means and how it impacts our lives. What is of particular interest to me, is the unique nature of those terms and how they relate to only one place in the universe, the planet Earth in the Solar System.

Those measurements of time rely on the speed of rotation of the Earth, (which at 66,615 MPH, happens to be the third fastest rotational speed in the Solar System,) as well as the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. No other planet in our solar system has the same rotational speed and orbit; while it takes Earth only 365 days to complete one year, one Pluto year would take Pluto 248 Earth years to circumnavigate the Sun!

1 AU (Astronomical Unit) = 92,955,807 Miles

Meditation on that small portion of the universe visible to mankind is very humbling and it helps me realize how limited my experience, regarding God’s creation, has been and can ever be during the years of my mortality.

In my own, very finite, mortal life of 89 years, I have observed the changes in my perception of life and time which have developed over the years. I have written more on this in an essay “A Surprising Discovery.“

Changes in Perspective

As a child, my notion of the passage of time was vastly different from what it is now as an old man; everything seemed to go slower and take longer. As a young adult, one could easily be lulled into the notion that things would stay the same for a truly extended period of time. The way things were would hang around for an undetermined amount of time, there was little or no thought of getting old!

As I grew older, I began to realize that changes were coming much faster than I had anticipated; and as more time passed, I began to realize that time was flying by; “Tempus Fugit” (time flies) took on a whole new significance!

When it got to the point I could look back on the birth of a child, watch the child grow into an adult, get married, have children, watch the children grow up, marry and have children making the original child a grandparent and then having that grandparent die; I was deeply impacted by the fleeting nature of time and the brevity of mortal life!

Now, as I look at a young person, it is easy for me to see the transience of their situation; it is easy to imagine the passage of years and the changes time will inevitably bring to them. While a young person can more easily live in the moment, I am now finding it close to impossible to isolate the moment from the past and the future.

Life in Review

Looking back over my life, I realize how blessed I have been by the Lord. I have written a seven-part series on my early life starting with an essay called, “Once Upon a Time, I was a Little Boy.” By God’s grace, I was raised in a home filled with born again Christians who made their faith a major part of their lives. To the best of my knowledge, I received Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was around four years old, I was baptized when I was twelve and cannot remember a time when I didn’t know and love the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.

I did not begin a serious study of the Bible until after I was married to my beloved wife, Adele; together, we began to discover the vast wisdom of God as revealed in the pages of the Bible. By God’s grace, we were both filled with a great desire to study God’s word and began to grow in our faith.

The Bible revealed to us the true nature of our being, we were created in God’s image as eternal, spirit beings who would occupy a mortal body for a brief period of time. Having been created in God’s image, we exist outside of God’s physical creation and the time restraints it imposes which answers the question, “How Much Time do You Have Left;” you have no limit to your time, you are eternal, created in God’s image!

While it pleased our Creator to place us, for the moment, in temporary bodies of the clay of this earth, our eternal essence, which was breathed into those bodies, will never die and will, in fact, always exist in some form somewhere.

The Bible describes the history of God’s creation of man, man’s catastrophic failure, and God’s solution for man’s failure. We were told of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the eternal Son of God, who came to die on the cross for mankind’s sin; it revealed to us the importance of receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior and being born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit.

Looking Ahead

The Bible tells us there is a new heaven and a new earth coming, in Revelation 21:1-4 it is written:

21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

The Bible does not specifically tell us how time will be reckoned in eternity; perhaps we will join our creator in seeing one day as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day!

After due reflection, yes, Tempus really does Fugit!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 16, 2022

Knowing God

I was Deeply Moved by this Inspiring Devotional from Jeff Wells and Wanted to Share it with my Readers!

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB)  
 
God is looking for the man or woman who thirsts to know him.  He is looking for the person who longs to be close to him, to be one of his intimates, to know him personally.
 
This is not the person who is enamored by wisdom or money or riches.  This person will not be enamored by the things that the world is enamored with.  He will not be over impressed by the wealthy and the powerful of the world.  He will not be awed by those who are mighty in athletic performance.  Nor will this person be unduly moved by the scholars and the writers who accumulate degrees and publications.
 
No, this is the person who has caught a glimpse of glory and who breathes the breath of eternity.  This is the person who has seen God and has never gotten over it.  This is the person who is impressed with God himself, with the Creator not with his creatures.  This is the one who longs to know God and understand God and be close to God.  This is the one who knows that God is the Lord, the almighty and sovereign God.  This is the one who knows that God is the God of steadfast love and justice and righteousness in the earth.  This is the one who knows that God is good and God is great, and it is the privilege of our lives to know this God.
 
Where are the people like this?  The people who thirst to know God?
 
To know God is our highest good and our deepest joy.  To know God is more life-giving and more soul-thrilling than anything else.  To know God is our purpose, our mission, our life.   To know God is the glory of a human life.     

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