Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 4, 2022

Palm Sunday 2022 and its Enormous Significance!

April the 10th, 2022 is Palm Sunday

This Sunday we observe and remember the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem where He had come to die. This week was to be a terrible time of testing for the Jewish nation although they had no idea of the great significance of what was to happen from that point on.

The exact date for this momentous event had been prophesied by the Prophet Daniel and that prophecy, among many others, was being perfectly fulfilled by our Lord as He rode into the city. I would say it was certain that among the tens of thousands present that day, only the Lord understood the staggeringly wondrous truths that were being put into place as that amazing prophecy was fulfilled.

Four hundred and eighty-three years had passed since the beginning of the third and final group of three 490-year periods that had been given to Israel by God. The second group had ended with the Babylonian captivity and now the third group of 490 years had been put on hold at year 483 as also foretold by Daniel; I have written on this in some detail in a three-part series, The Seventy Weeks of Daniel.

Israel was being set aside for an unspecified number of years while a mystery was revealed, the mystery of the church and the age of grace, the age in which we now live. The remaining 7 years promised to Israel would resume at a point yet future when Israel would sign a covenant with the Antichrist.

The Entry into Jerusalem

Contrary to what we customarily celebrate, the entry was on a Monday, not a Sunday and it was not triumphal for our Lord; it was a time of great sadness as evidenced by Luke 19:41-42 where it is written,

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

The particular Greek word used for wept (ἔκλαυσεν) means a loud wracking sob; our Lord’s body was shaken by His sobs as He entered Jerusalem. He is likely the only one who understood the enormity of what was happening; the Jewish nation was being temporarily set aside, their rejection of their Messiah was going to yield great suffering for centuries to come. Their judgment would be severe and is still in force today.

It is likely, in His omniscience, that Jesus saw the Jerusalem of 70 AD as destroyed by Titus and could also see the bodies of some of those welcoming Him as they lay silent in death. This was a momentous, tragic moment that was being recognized only by the Lord and the thought of what was going to befall Jerusalem and His people reduced Him to wracking sobs. I suspect His disciples were totally confused by His reaction to the sight of Jerusalem and the excited crowds.

From the Shephard’s Notes.com

There is another extremely touching aspect of our Lord’s entering Jerusalem on Nisan 10. If we examine Exodus 12:3 we read,

“Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month (Nisan) each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.”

This was part of the instructions given to Israel on the occasion of the first Passover in Egypt. Traditionally, the family would select a perfect lamb and place it on display in front of their dwelling so all could see they were offering the Lord their very best.

God’s Passover Lamb put on display

On March 30, AD 33, the 10th of Nisan, the Father put His Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world on display for all Jerusalem to see that the Father was offering them His very best. (In 2022 we are in year 5782 according to the Jewish calendar and the 10th of Nisan will be Monday, April 11th.)

After the passing of that day, Israel had been set aside for an undetermined number of years. Today we are at year 1,989 and still counting as Israel continues to suffer judgments until the return of the Lord they rejected.

The countdown clock on the remaining seven years of Israel’s last 490 years will recommence when Israel signs a covenant agreement with the Antichrist; this event and not the rapture of the church will be the trigger that starts their final countdown and the beginning of the Tribulation.

While this was an amazing week, filled with suffering and anguish for our Lord and judgment for Israel, it was the reason our Lord took on human form; that was necessary that He might die for our sins. The moment of triumph was coming soon, the following week our Lord would rise from the dead having perfectly paid the price of our redemption.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4

(First published March 28, 2015, updated and revised)

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 28, 2022

God’s Timeline Revealed!

God’s Plan for the Redemption of Adam’s Fallen Family was Made in Eternity Past!

There is no doubt the timing of the First Advent as well as the Second Advent, has been precisely set by God. While the timing of the First Advent was revealed to Daniel, the timing of the Second Advent has not been revealed.

The only clues that have been given regarding the Second Advent’s timing are general references to the world condition as the end times approach. I have written more on that in the series that starts with, “What’s Going to Happen Next Part 1”

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel, A Truly Remarkable Prophecy!

While I have written a three-part series on this subject, I want to provide a short summary of that series for this review of the First Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s divine precision is revealed in the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel; here, the exact date of Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem is announced in the establishment of Israel’s third and final period of 490 years.

The second period of 490 years had ended with the Babylonian captivity and God’s judgment of 70 years on the land of Israel for Israel’s failure to observe the Sabbatical seventh year according to the Mosaic Law.

In Daniel 9:24-27 it is written:

24 “Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.

25 “Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”

(A prophetic week in this prophecy is a period of seven years, not days.)

In this amazing prophecy, the “Times of the Gentiles” is summarized right up to the time of the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Biblical chronologists have carefully studied this prophecy and have used it to calculate the exact day Jesus Christ would be cut off as Israel’s Messiah.

In his book, “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ,” Dr. Harold Hoehner determined from his research that Israel was set aside for an undetermined number of years which started on the day Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on the week of his crucifixion.

The day Jesus Christ entered into Jerusalem was Monday, March 30, AD 33 which was Nisan 10 on the Jewish calendar. This was a time of great sorrow for the Lord as he knew what was coming for the Jewish people; the Gospel of Luke points out our Lord’s body was wracked with sobs as he entered the city.

The entry came at the end of the 69th week which would leave one week, 7 years, still future for Israel to complete the task described in verse 24. Today, we are living in the gap between the 69th and the 70th year of the prophecy; to this point, 1989 years have passed. Only God knows when this age in which we live, the “Church Age” will come to a close by the removal of the true church, all born again believers.

Today, we are living in a remarkable age of grace, anyone who takes advantage of God’s offer of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, is given new life by means of the new birth! This new life is accompanied by the indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit in an eternal, unbreakable relationship!

The signs around the world would indicate this age is soon coming to a close; when that happens, the world will experience a time of divine judgment that will grow increasingly severe until the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I urge you, with the greatest sincerity, to look to Jesus Christ and receive the salvation God is offering to you as a free gift of his love! Jesus warned his apostles in Matthew 24:21-22 where it is written:

“21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

Next we will consider Palm Sunday and the enormous changes triggered by the crucifixion and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 21, 2022

Adam’s Family, the First Adam’s Deadly Mistake!

Today, Humanity is Divided but was it Always like That?

The short answer is no, initially there was one family with one father and one mother; we are all descended from that one family!

Adam, the father, and Eve, the mother, enjoyed a close relationship with their creator and would meet with him in a beautiful garden which had been given to them as their home.

Very sadly, the father made a catastrophic mistake and disobeyed the one command he had been given by his creator; this story is provided to us in the first chapters of the Book of Genesis and is familiar to most of us. I have written more on this in a series that starts with, “The Creation Story”, a multi-part series that focuses on the first six chapters of Genesis.

The first six chapters of Genesis establish the foundation for the balance of the Bible and are of the greatest importance to understanding God’s plan for mankind! Due to the father’s disobedience, God’s plan for the first family was revised from ruler, to tenant-farmer.

East of Eden, art by Adele Bower

A Unity in Death

Genesis 5 has been referred to as the death chapter as the descendants of Adam, through Noah and his sons, are listed and each reference, excepting Noah and his sons, ends with, “and he died.”

The Bible points out, the penalty of sin is death, but the only divine prohibition, to that point, had concerned the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and eating of that tree was no longer possible.

Why then, was everyone still dying, after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, as no one could eat the fruit of that tree?

In Romans 5:12-14, the Apostle Paul provides God’s perspective on sin;

“12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”

Every subsequent human, born of a human father, had died spiritually in Adam, and was born spiritually dead.

Fortunately, Paul does not stop the narrative in verse 14; in Romans 5:15-17 it is written:

“15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)”

God’s Gift of a Kinsman/Redeemer

There would never be anything mankind could do on their own to restore what had been lost by Adam; in Adam, the human race had sold out to Satan and was hopelessly enslaved to sin. Nothing anyone could do would change the basic fact of their spiritual death and their bondage to sin!

What was needed was a human, who was not spiritually dead, that could pay the price required for the redemption of all. Since the wages of sin is death, only one who was sinless, alive and could die, would meet the needed requirements.

God had already formulated a very precise plan which set the exact date this would all take place. Significant details of the plan would be revealed to the Prophet Daniel at a time determined by God. In the Book of Daniel, a prophecy is given to Daniel which specifies the date the redemption of mankind shall be accomplished.

Let us now take a look at that prophecy.

Image by Adele Bower, copyrighted

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 10, 2022

When God is Silent

Over the next few weeks, leading up to Easter, I would like to devote some time and thought to examining the reasons Jesus Christ had to die on the cross. As I worked on this project, a devotional from Jeff Wells came in my inbox; it was so timely that I wanted to share it with my readers.

Life today is filled with uncertainty and change; it is truly a time to live by faith and not by sight!

March 10
  When God Is Silent
 
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Psalm 22:1  
 
Psalm 22 describes a time of intense suffering in the life of David.  He is on the run.  Perhaps Saul is pursuing him.  David is desperate and he cries out to God.
 
Little did David know that the Holy Spirit put these words on the tongue of David to describe the crucifixion of God’s own Son a thousand years in the future.  What’s more remarkable is that David describes crucifixion, which he had never seen, which had not even been invented as a form of execution.  Notice David’s language for his own suffering and then how it is vividly echoed in the Gospels to describe the crucifixion of Jesus.
 
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Jesus would utter these same words from the cross.  When he took our sin, he was separated from the Father, for the first time in all eternity.  Their perfect oneness and community was shattered, and it was incredibly painful for Jesus.
 
All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads (22:7).  Matthew 27:39 describes Jesus:  And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads.
 
He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him (22:8).  In Matthew 27:43 we read:  He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him.  For he said, “I am the Son of God.”
 
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint (22:14).  This describes the physical collapse of Jesus’ body on a cross.
 
They have pierced my hands and feet (22:16).  For David this was figurative language for attack.  For Jesus, this was literally true on the cross.
 
They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots (22:18).  This was fulfilled exactly at the cross.
 
Psalm 22 is the Psalm of the cross, figuratively true of David and literally true of the Son of David.  It was true of David in a limited sense, but true of the Son of David in an ultimate sense.
 
What a remarkable portrait of Christ’s suffering on the cross, given a thousand years before Christ even came, given before crucifixion was even used.  God is the Sovereign God and he is working his plan, a plan that culminates with a Savior dying for sinners.    

© 2021 WoodsEdge Community Church. All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced for any non-commercial use.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 7, 2022

Wars and Rumors of Wars!

The media is full of horrific accounts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the Russian attack seems indiscriminate and heartless as we see images of destruction and carnage. Having lived through a number of war’s, it is very saddening to see another war play out on the world stage.

Fox News Photo

Drone picture of residential building destroyed by shelling, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, in the settlement of Borodyanka in the Kyiv region, Ukraine March 3, 2022.  (REUTERS/Maksim Levin)

While it is saddening to see such pictures and hear accounts of the war, it should not be a surprise as the Lord Jesus Christ warned of such things at the time of his First Advent. In Matthew 24:6-8 it is written:

“6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

The End of the Age

The evidence is growing that we are indeed living in the end of the age as referenced by our Lord. The Church Age is now in it’s 1,989th year and the speed of change seems to be increasing exponentially!

You have been cautioned by the Lord to not be troubled, as all these things must come to pass. We can know, with complete confidence, that these things will indeed pass as the Lord has told us.

As Christians, this troubled world is not our home; we serve as God’s ambassadors to this world and have been instructed to represent his interests, not ours during the time appointed to each of us. My favorite life verse is Galatians 2:20 where it is written:

“20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Scofield Memorial Church

During the time I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, I served as music director at Scofield Memorial Church. Our evening worship service would always open with the congregation singing a refrain which has always been very special to me.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.“

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/laurendaigle/turnyoureyesuponjesus.html

There has never been a better time to let these words serve as a guide for your life! The things of earth grow increasingly corrupted and distorted; turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 28, 2022

Humanities Great Divide

There is a Critical Point of Division in the Human Race and it has Absolutely Nothing to do with the Appearance of our Bodies!

The human race is divided into two distinct groups; this division began in A. D. 33 and has dramatically increased in scope since then. Almost nothing is said or written about this division although its effects are profound and eternal!

There is no other distinction which even comes close to this one; nationality, gender, ethnicity, none of these can even come close to this great divide in the seriousness of its impact upon all people.

It is truly tragic so little attention is paid to this great divide by the media, nations, and ethnic groups. Inconsequential distinctions become the subject of discussions, sometimes heated, and even descend to physical violence including national wars.

Over the next few weeks, I intend to devote some attention to the subject of this great divide and explore how we got here and where do we go from this point forward.

Easter Sunday

On April 17, 2022, we will observe Easter Sunday, our recognition of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. The death and resurrection of the Lord was the turning point in God’s relationship to mankind; Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and eliminated sin as the barrier between God and man.

In recognition of the spiritual reality, the massive veil between the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place was torn in two from top to bottom in Herod’s Temple. There remained one additional step that was needed to fully implement the new dispensation; Jesus must return to heaven and send the Holy Spirit to mankind. In John 16:7-11 it is written:

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

A New Dispensation

It would be at this point, mankind’s relationship to God would be altered forever; in John 14:15-17 it is written:

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

This change was implemented at Pentecost, May 25, AD 33 as described in Act 2:1-4 where it is written:

2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

A Radical New Development, Many Members but just One Body!

At this time, a totally new form of human came into existence, a human, born of a human father, but permanently indwelt by God! Collectively, this new humanity is called the church, the body of Christ and is joined as each individual receives Jesus Christ as Savior and is born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit.

This point is clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 where it is written:

“19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Again in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 where it is written:

“12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

Fortunately, we are not required to understand this new reality of being many members of one body; just to accept it as our new reality by faith. I find it very interesting that our creator God, one God in three persons, has designed the body of Christ to be composed of many members, but only one body!

Next time, we will explore some details leading up to this rather amazing development.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 21, 2022

Keeping a Positive Outlook on Life in Today’s Troubled World!

God Wins, Satan Loses!

God’s victory over Satan is absolutely certain; watching world events play out at this point is more like watching a replay of a game that is already over and has been decisively won by the home team! We already know the final score and Satan crashes and burns!

The same God who works all things after the counsel of his own will has shared his plans with us in the pages of Bible prophecy.

Bible prophecy has long been a subject of great interest to me; the thought of the Lord’s return is indeed exciting to me and I look forward very earnestly to the time of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe it entirely possible that, even at my rather advanced age, I shall be a part of the terminal generation of Christians at the time of the Rapture, but that is in the Lord’s hands and I’m at peace with that thought!

In chapters two and three of the Book of Revelation, we read of seven churches which also symbolize the seven historic eras of the organized Christian church. While the seven eras indicate the overall condition of the churches worldwide, each of the seven types have existed in all the historic eras.

While reading Bible prophecy is exciting, living out the events described is filled with challenge! Today, many students of Bible prophecy see striking parallels between events taking place today with events described in the Bible for the last days and I include myself among them.

We are given a description of the last church age, Laodicea, in Revelation 3:14-22 where it is written:

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”

I find the word picture in verse 20 to be particularly touching, to think of the Lord Jesus Christ standing outside the door of the church and knocking to see if anyone will hear his voice, open the door and let him in is tragic and sad! Way too many churches today have closed the door to Jesus and opened the door to the world!

While a large part of the organized church is showing signs of the end times, we can also observe significant prophetic signs in society as a whole. In Matthew 24:4-8 it is written:

“4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

In 2 Timothy 3:1-7 it is written:

3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, [b]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The world seems to be filled with irrational behavior at all levels; decisions being made at the highest levels of government defy logic and common sense! It appears those who do not have the stabilizing influence of the Holy Spirit are being easily confused by Satanic deception!

How Can Christians Maintain a Healthy Outlook on the World Situation Today?

Jesus himself provides the answer to that question in John 8:31-32 where it is written:

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The Bible is God’s assembly instructions for life; it you would enjoy life the way God planned for you, then abide in his word, faithfully follow the instructions and apply them to your life every moment of every day!

Let the Holy Spirit lead in your life and manifest the fruit of the Spirit to all as described in Galatians 5-22-25 where it is written:

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.”

Finally, it is important to rejoice in the Lord always as described in Philippians 4:4-9 where it is written:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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.

Embrace God’s counsel for your life, abide in his word and walk in the power of God, the Holy Spirit and the God of peace will be with you!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 14, 2022

The Spiritual War is Growing in Intensity!

The Process of Revelation, Deliverance, and Redemption has Begun!

Although we are living in an age of God’s grace towards the world, at the spiritual level, we are also engaged in a spiritual war that has been waged for millennia. As Christians, we are soldiers of the Lord in this spiritual war and will live out our entire lives on a spiritual battlefield.

A critical milestone was passed in this spiritual war at the time of the First Advent; the incarnation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity introduced a dramatic change in God’s relationship with mankind.

After the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, a new relationship was revealed at Pentecost, May 25, AD 33, when God, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, took up residence in all who were born again by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior!

We are now living in the time spoken of by Jesus when he told the Samaritan woman in John 4:21-24 where it is written:

“21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The temple is no longer a structure built by man, the temple is each individual born again Christian; in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it is written:

“19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.“

The Emergence of God’s Expeditionary Force!

On May 25, AD 33 a truly wondrous change was introduced to mankind, a unique, truly new creation, made its appearance on the earth; the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, God, the Holy Spirit, indwelt every born again Christian in an eternal union of God and man.

The process of conformation had begun as described in Romans 8:28-30 where it is written:

“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.”

As Christians, we have been given a variety of jobs that need to be done for God, after all, we are God’s representatives on earth and have been left here to serve him!

I have written extensively on the spiritual warfare and in a three-part series named, “To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War.” I covered, in some detail, the nature of the spiritual war in which all Christians are soldiers.

As soldiers in a war situation, it is very important to be able to identify the enemy, the Bible provides the information needed to make that vital identification.

It is Essential to Clearly Identify the Enemy!

In Ephesians 6:10-20, we are given the basic essentials of the conflict we are fighting.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

“14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Please note a key point, we are not fighting flesh and blood, other people are not the enemy; unbelievers of all sorts are nothing more than victims who need rescue from the “principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. These spiritual forces are the enemies of God against whom the spiritual battle is being waged!

To see flesh and blood as the enemy is to fall into Satan’s trap; this is the Satanic deception which works to Satan’s advantage! Satan has been particularly successful using race as a point for conflict!

Flesh and blood, humanity in other words, is now living in an age of grace, a time when the sins of the world have been paid for in full by the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus Christ told Nicodemus in John 3:16-17;

“16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

As God’s representatives on earth, Christian soldiers are at war with spiritual forces, not flesh and blood. It is vital we fight this war in the power of God, the Holy Spirit and use the whole armor of God as God directs.

As empowered by God, the Holy Spirit, our offensive weapon is the word of God, the same power God used to create the heavens and the earth and will use to restore the earth to mankind.

“11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.“

The world is changing before our eyes, only God knows if this is signaling the approach of the end of “The Times of the Gentiles.” The Bible reveals a deterioration of world conditions before the removal of born again Christians but we do not know exactly how bad it will get before those born again by faith in Jesus Christ are removed at the Rapture.

We can know one thing with absolute conviction, God is in control of all things and is working all things after the counsel of his own will. Our responsibility and privilege is to rejoice in the Lord, always, again I say, rejoice!

(Art, “East of Eden” by Adele Bower Copyrighted)

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 7, 2022

A Sacred Trust for Every Christian!

Toi Kay – A greatly loved family member for many years!

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.” Matthew 10:29

In the beginning, God created man to have dominion over every creature. In Genesis 1:26 it is written:

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Sadly, that dominion was lost by Adam when he disobeyed a direct command from God; the magnitude of that loss was immense and still impacts mankind and all of the creation he was supposed to rule.

Today, creation groans under the burden of Adam’s fall from grace; in Romans 8:18-23 it is written:

“18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.“

Our Responsibility as Born Again Christians

As Christians, we have been greatly blessed by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God; by God’s grace, we have the firstfruits of the Spirit which have been given to us now and forever! With this blessing comes responsibility, our relationship to God’s creation is changed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

In addition to being a temple of the Holy Spirit, we are also royal priests of God and God’s ambassadors to this world. The Bible explains we have been crucified with Christ and no longer live as Christ is living through us; the life we live today is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since we have been charged with the responsibility of being God’s representative to his creation; we must relate to God’s creation as his personal representative! We do not represent ourselves, we represent God’s interests and God’s perspective to his creation.

The impact of this truth is immense and reshapes how we deal with everyone and everything! During this age of grace, God is a God of love! God’s ministry to the world, at this time, is best summarized in John 3:16-17 where it is written:

“16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The Bible does not leave us in the dark regarding what this love means; in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 it is described:

“4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

In his grace, God even gives us the resource which enable us to manifest his love; the fruit of the Holy Spirit who indwells us is described in Galatians 5:22-25

“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.”

God’s love is a gift we have been given, it is not of ourselves, it is of God! As the Holy Spirit leads in our lives, we show forth God’s love by the power of God, the Holy Spirit!

In the power of the Holy Spirit, we can let God’s love shine forth from us to all of his creation; from the least to the greatest! For some of God’s creation, you just may be the closest thing to God they will ever see; you can faithfully represent to them their creators love.

A stray cat that wandered into our yard.

A greatly loved member of the family

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 24, 2022

An Eternal’s Perspective on the Supernatural!

A new movie has been released by Disney that tells a story about a group of ten superheroes named “Eternals.” This topic has been popular with fantasy buffs for many years; this time, the Eternal’s must save mankind from a new attack by “The Deviants.” I watched the movie and found it had some interesting moments; fantasy fans may find it entertaining.

While the movie is pure fantasy, it did bring to my mind some reflections on the human condition. (I’ve warned you before, I examine the theological implications of everything.) Humanity lives in a world system that is devoted to a massive deception. The true reality of mankind’s situation has been buried beneath multiple layers of misinformation and outright deception!

I have written on this in a number of earlier essays, including: “Your Dream World and the Red Pill” and “The Real Matrix Revealed.”

In my mind, the parallels between the movie “Matrix” and our world situation today were, and are, truly amazing. The world system in place today is controlled by Satan and, as usual, Satan is doing all he can to confuse and deceive the human population.

In the “Matrix” story, the main character, Neo, is given the opportunity to take a non-reversible red pill that will change his life forever and discover for himself what reality is really like; he decides to take the red pill and his adventures begin.

We too have a red pill called salvation in Jesus Christ which is also non-reversible; when we take that red pill we are born again and given spiritual life and God, the Holy Spirit, to live in us forever.

Only then do we have the power of discernment and the ability to distinguish between the Satanic matrix in which we live, and true reality; our adventures have also begun!

Who are the True Eternals?

In the “Eternals” movie, a small group of eternals must fight to overcome an attack on humans. When we look at the world in which we live, we see a vastly different situation; every human born into this world is an eternal and will always live in some form, somewhere, eternally! Every human being is supernatural, we are spirit beings who are eternal in nature and will continue to exist forever!

It pleased our creator to place our eternal spirits in earthen vessels; the challenge to mankind is its limited ability to discern the truth of what is truly real. All we can see or detect is the clay body we occupy, our temporary tents, our true living essence, the eternal spirit breathed into us by God, is totally beyond our ability to detect in any form or fashion.

It is only when we are born again and indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit, that we can finally understand, and perceive by faith, the reality by which we are actually surrounded!

Spiritual reality is revealed by the word of God, the Holy Bible; as we carefully study the Bible, the clarity and depth of our understanding of our true reality and the eternal truths which it encompasses broadens and deepens.

This process of growth in spiritual understanding is a life-long experience; not a day goes by that new insights and discoveries can be made as we carefully study God’s word, the Holy Bible!

Progress and growth come as we let spiritual insight increasingly determine our world-view and begin to more consistently see ourselves and the world from a divine perspective. At almost 89 years of age, I am still, by God’s grace, a work in progress.

Supernatural Beings

How often have you been told you’re a supernatural being? Probably never as the Satanic world system wants to keep a lid on that bit of information! It is only in the Bible that fact is revealed; in Genesis 1:26-27 it is written:

“26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

The Holy Trinity is the only true reality (see What is Reality) and is inherently supernatural! Mankind was created to be supernatural and placed in a body of the earth to have dominion over the earth and all its inhabitants. This is the message of the Bible to mankind, you are created in the image of God, you too are supernatural by design!

How many people do you know whose perception of the world and themselves is built on a foundation of biblical truth? How many of them see themselves as essentially supernatural and eternal and make their life-decisions based on biblical reality; empirically there is absolutely nothing to support that belief!

Receiving, understanding, and applying Biblical truth to life is a work of the Holy Spirit. As the true teacher of biblical truth, it is the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit to illumine the understanding of the Christian who faithfully studies the Holy Bible!

There is a plan and a progression revealed in Romans 8:28-30 where it is written:

“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.”

I encourage you to submit to and rejoice in this process of being conformed to the image of His Son; let the sure knowledge of your predestination to glorification be a source of unfailing joy!

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

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