Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 22, 2025

The Charlie Kirk Memorial and The Feast of Trumpets

Turning Point USA claimed the memorial reached over 100 million views globally across all platforms!

We watched and were richly blessed by this service; it was deeply gratifying to see how the Lord Jesus Christ was the focus of this man’s life.

The good news of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was clearly stated by many of the speakers! This represents a historic milestone in Gospel presentations for one event!

Exactly how many individuals were born again, because of this presentation of the gospel, is known only to God! In light of what could happen tomorrow, this is a clear manifestation of God’s grace!

I’m filled with hopeful longings and excitement that this time our Lord is going to meet us in the air! One thing is sure, we don’t have long to wait to discover the truth about the Feast of Trumpets, 2025!

20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.

Revelation 22:20-21

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 15, 2025

A Possible End-Time Scenario for September, 2025 as We Continue to Speculate

The Church is Gone, Now it’s up to Israel!

Israel has some tough times ahead; in the seven remaining years promised to them in the Book of Daniel they will be charged with:

24 “A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Rosh Hashanah is a time for introspection, repentance, and seeking forgiveness which would fit in nicely with God’s second step in Israel’s restoration:

“25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

What If?

What if God has chosen this Rosh Hashanah to begin the spiritual restoration of Israel as described Ezekiel 36:25 – 37:28?

“25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

God has been in the process of fulfilling Ezekiel 36:24 and Ezekiel 37:1-14 since 1948.We know how God loves the number 7 and it has now been 77 years. I can definitely see how students of Bible prophecy would connect those two dots!

What Prophecies Await Fulfillment?

There are three major prophecies awaiting fulfillment after the Rapture of the Church:

  1. The Battle of Psalms 83
  2. The Battle of Gog and Magog
  3. Signing of the Covenant Agreement Between Israel and the Antichrist which signals the beginning of the Tribulation

I’m of the opinion 1. and 2. will both take place before 3. although this is speculation on my part.

By Way of Summary

Should this be a reasonable analysis of coming events, then the next thing to happen would be the Rapture on the 16th or 17th of September. The Rapture will create world-wide chaos and potentially serve as the catalyst for the Battle of Psalms 83 which could follow fairly soon after.

The obvious divine intervention in Israels victory over the invading forces could provide a time of peace for Israel as referenced in Ezekiel 38:11; this encourages the response described in that chapter.

At some point after that, I believe Israel will sign the agreement with the Antichrist and the last seven years will be activated. While this is only my effort to connect the dots, it has a ring of plausibility to it.

What About 2 Thessalonians 2?

Some have suggested the Antichrist must be publicly identified before the Rapture can take place based on 2 Thessalonians 1:3.

2 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

While it is possible the Antichrist is already a public leader whose name is well known to the world; his identification as the Antichrist must remain secret until the Holy Spirit’s restraining ministry is withdrawn at the Rapture of the church.

One thing is sure, however, we don’t have long to wait! If this is valid speculation, then I’ll not be writing any more; if this line of speculation is wrong then we can consider other options.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 9, 2025

A Possible End-Time Scenario for September, 2025

The Feast of Trumpets, 2025

I have found the rather extensive speculation about the Feast of Trumpets this year to be interesting and provocative! There is so much going on around the world that fits Biblical prophecy for the end-times that it is not surprising many would be trying to connect the dots!

As a δοῦλος (servant) of Jesus Christ, I would like to invite you to join me in some speculation about the future.

What If?

Did our Lord share an important clue when he referenced “Noah’s day”?

“37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.” Matthew 24:37-39

Seven days before the flood came, the Lord told Noah to come into the ark so those who were to be saved would be safe from the coming judgement. At that point, the door to safety was sealed by God, not Noah!

How would that apply to the situation today?

Today, the entire world seems to be in a state of rebellion against God. The Bible predicted this in several places

“1You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

A time is coming when the Lord will remove all born again believers and many believe that will happen soon! Let us presume this will be connected to the Feast of Trumpets which takes place this month, on the 22nd or 23rd.

Counting back seven days would be the 16th or the 17th of September. All born-again believers would be moved to a place of safety on one of those two dates by their removal to heaven.

What Happens Then?

The instantaneous removal of millions of people will create confusion and chaos among those who are left behind; the United States will be devastated when this happens. Those who view the USA as the “Great Satan” may well see this as an opportunity to attack both the USA and Israel.

While God has promised to protect Israel, the USA has no such promise from God; one well placed EMP over the USA could make the situation much worse! God’s dramatic intervention on behalf of Israel could inspire Israel and intimidate her enemies leading to a temporary cessation of hostilities!

Some have suggested this Feast of Trumpets will initiate the Tribulation but I am of the opinion this is not the case. There are too many unfulfilled prophecies remaining for the Tribulation to start at this point.

In Israel, the Feast of Trumpets is also known as Rosh Hashanah which is the Jewish New Year, meaning “head of the year” in Hebrew, and marks the beginning of the High Holy Days. It commemorates the creation of the world and humanity, serving as a time for introspection, repentance, and seeking forgiveness.

It could also be the time the Lord takes the next step in Israels restoration. In Ezekiel 36:24 – 37:28, we read of the restoration of Israel and it would appear the first step is in progress:

“24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.”

Israel’s Second Step

The second step is still future and describes the national spiritual awakening of Israel.

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Next time we will look at Israel’s response to the new situation facing the world in the absence of Christians and the loss of the USA as a world power.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 13, 2025

Will the Feast of Trumpets 2025 Have a Special Significance? Is There Something Different this Year?

The Feast of Trumpets in 2025 will be observed from sunset on September 22nd to sunset on September 24th. There is renewed speculation that this year could be very special to the true church, all born-again believers. There are some new points being discussed that associate this Feast of Trumpets with the Rapture of the Church or the beginning of the Tribulation.

The 2,550 Day Component of the Prophecy in Daniel

The Feast of Trumpets this year includes some very special elements; it is the last year the 2,550 day interval between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement will take place since the founding of Israel.

Based on prophetic calendar studies and Hebrew feast date calculations, the 2,550-day span between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement seven years later has occurred only seven times since 1800, all after the rebirth of Israel in 1948. These alignments are considered rare due to the variability of the Hebrew calendar.

Years with 2,550-Day Alignment

Here are the seven known occurrences:

Year Feast BeginsYear Atonement EndsTotal DaysNotes
195119582,550Post-Israel rebirth
197819852,550Rare alignment
198119882,550Prophetic interest
200820152,550Popular in prophecy circles
201120182,550Matches Daniel/Revelation pattern
201420212,550Lunar calendar fit
202520322,550Final known occurrence

Why It Matters

  • The 2,550-day count aligns with Daniel 12:11 and Revelation 11:3, combining 1,260 days and 1,290 days.
  • Some interpret this as a prophetic timeline for the Tribulation period, with the Feast of Trumpets marking its start and the Day of Atonement its end.
  • The number seven has a special significance in the Bible and this Feast of Trumpets is the seventh one that fits the prophecy.

The Feasts of the Lord

In the Bible, there are seven feasts established as special feasts of the Lord. Four of those have already been fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ at the time of his First Advent; the fulfillment of the remaining three are yet future. While the first four had a clear application to the church and its creation, the fifth, the Feast of Trumpets has been the subject of much speculation as to whether it belongs to the church or to Israel.

The Spring Feasts Fulfilled

At the time of our Lord’s First Advent, He fulfilled the prophecies associated with the spring feasts.

Passover, fulfilled at the crucifixion of our Lord on April 3, AD 33

Unleavened Bread, fulfilled by the life and death of our Lord on April 4, AD33

First Fruits, fulfilled by the resurrection of our Lord on April 5, AD 33

Pentecost, the Lord sends the Holy Spirit to indwell Christians on May 25, AD 33

These dates are based on the work of Dr. Harold Hoehner in his book, “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ.”

The Fall Feasts Await Fulfillment

What is of particular interest is the spring feasts were fulfilled on the exact day of the feast; one may make the reasonable assumption the fall feasts will also be fulfilled on the exact day of the feast.

Should that be the case, the fall feasts this year would occur in September and October and begin on the following dates. May I remind you the Hebrew day begins at sundown of the preceding day.

The Feast of Trumpets, (Rosh Hashanah) on sunset September 22nd to sunset on September 24th.

The Feast of Atonement, (Yom Kippur) on Wednesday October 1, 2025

The Feast of Tabernacles, (Sukkot) Monday October 6, 2025

We Are Living in Exciting Times!

I may be engaging in some wishful thinking, but I have an underlying feeling there is something special about 2025. I’m truly weary of sin and death and long for the rule and reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I rejoice in the reality of the Lord’s total control of all things and joyfully anticipate the future he has planned!

I have complete confidence in the certainty of the Rapture; I am convinced the Rapture will take place before the beginning of the Tribulation as the last seven years, before Christ’s bodily return to earth at the Second Advent, belong exclusively to Israel as per God’s promise to Israel.

The exact timing of the Rapture is not specified but the signs surrounding the Rapture are already in place with no unfulfilled prophecies remaining before the Rapture can take place. If this Feast of Trumpets introduces the Tribulation, then the Rapture would have to take place before September 22nd!

In addition, we should expect the signing of an agreement between the Antichrist and Israel at this point as well.

There is one thing that is certain, we don’t have long to wait before the observance of the Feast of Trumpets in 2025; then, we shall discover whether this particular Feast of Trumpets is special to the church or to Israel, to both or to neither!

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 16, 2025

When Life Takes a Dramatic Turn!

One Misstep and My Life was Changed Forever!

On February 8, 2025, one careless step resulted in a fall that broke my neck! I remember thinking, as I fell, “Oh no!” I had no idea how much damage I would do, but knew it would be bad!

I fell on the concrete patio, face down so I broke my nose in two places and cracked my skull in several places around my right eye. My first thought as I laid on the concrete was to get up; to my great surprise, I was unable to even move!

Very shortly after I fell, our next-door neighbor showed up and knelt beside me; she said her son had heard me fall and called out to her so she came to my aid. Needless to say, there was blood all over the sidewalk so I didn’t have to say anything about my injury for them to call for an ambulance.

My right arm was trapped beneath me but with her help I was able to pull it out, only to discover the middle finger had been hyper extended, torn the skin back at my knuckle, to reveal the bone of the knuckle.

At that point I was convinced I needed a doctors care. By that time, my wife got to the backdoor and saw what was happening.

It didn’t take long for the ambulance to arrive and I was placed on a gurney and then in the ambulance and taken to the emergency room at the hospital. I remember them cutting off my clothing, which was a bloody mess.

I remember the doctor coming in to care for my finger and then a series of tests including an MRI on my head. By God’s grace, there was no bleeding in my brain to the great surprise of the examining physician who, reportedly, checked the scan three times just to be sure!

Rehabilitation Comes Next

Fortunately, there is in the same hospital, a rehabilitation facility to which I was transferred after less than a week. I was truly surprised how the physical trauma of the fall had impacted my body; I felt so weak and needed help for the simplest of tasks.

I stayed at this facility for around three weeks before they felt I was ready to be discharged. The next big question was where do I go next? The entire family, including me, realized that I was going to need more help than ever before.

For years I had been the caregiver and now things had changed, I would need a caregiver’s help. Fortunately, many years before, we had purchased long-term care insurance and all of us understood it was now time for a life change.

Our entire family had previously settled in a fast-growing community on the opposite side of Houston and we found a senior living facility near them, that offered the level of care I needed, and moved in after checking out of the re-hab facility.

Senior Living

Two days after moving into our new residence, we observed my 92nd birthday. Observing my 92nd birthday in a senior living facility across town from our house of almost 50 years had never even been considered as a possibility, but here we were!

It has now been almost five months and we are adjusting to our new environment. We now live in the same general area as our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and that is truly a blessing!

I have previously written, and once again endorse, the concept that home is a person, not a place! My beloved wife of over 72 years is with me so I am home in this new location!

Our former house has been sold and occupied by a fine young Christian family which has provided some comfort to me and my wife.

While we both recognized this change would have to come at some point in our lives, neither of us expected it so soon and so abruptly! The Lord had his own schedule in mind and worked it all in accordance with his plans for our lives.

We both rejoice in Ephesians 1:11 where it is written:

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,

May God’s will be done!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 6, 2025

Happy Birthday to the True Church!

The Birth of the Church

2 And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

As a Christian, You’re Part of a Body that is 1,992 Years Old!

On Sunday, June 8, 2025 some churches will observe Pentecost, the 1,992nd 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 now 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 26, 2025

The Worlds Very Best Coconut Cake

It All Started with a Single Coconut

From ages two to eight, my mother and I lived with her parents just outside of downtown Houston in a small two-bedroom house in the Norwood part of the Houston Heights. This was back in the 1930’s and everything was dramatically different.

Every so often, grandma would come home with a coconut in her shopping bag; we all knew, when that happened, a day was coming soon when we would enjoy one of her fabulous coconut cakes.

Everything was made from scratch and that included preparing the coconut. When the day arrived, early in the morning, Grandma would take the coconut and start the process.

First, she would take an ice pick, poke holes in the end, and drain all of the liquid out of the coconut into a bowl. Then she would take a hammer and crack the coconut to extract the white coconut meat inside.

At that point, I was available in case she wanted me to taste the coconut for her and surprise, surprise, I was always more than ready and greatly enjoyed the small piece of fresh coconut meat she handed to me.

She would mix up the cake batter and used the liquid from the coconut to add moisture to the cake batter. She also added some shredded coconut meat to the batter.

While the cake was baking, she would finish shredding the coconut meat to add to the icing. When the baking was completed, the cake would be allowed to cool down to room temperature.

Mixing up the icing was always a tasty affair in which I was always ready to lick the utensils used in its making when grandma had finished with them. She made a white icing with coconut shreds mixed in and used a generous amount to ice the cake on the top and sides.

When she had completed icing the cake, she would add more coconut sprinkles to the top and side of the cake. At that point, her masterpiece was ready for supper and the family spent the rest of the day looking forward to a piece of that cake for desert, after supper!

That coconut cake set the benchmark for coconut cakes all over the world! Even though many, many years have passed, the memories of her coconut cake are still vivid in my mind!

I’m the little boy and my Grandma is standing directly behind me.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 8, 2025

The Real Problem with Sin as Explained in the Bible!

Why Does Mankind Have Such a Monumental Problem with Sin?

I love to hear people speak on Christianity and the Bible. I view the Bible as God’s gift to mankind to help us find the truth which the world tries so hard to conceal. But I must confess, with great sadness, I have yet to hear a sermon or Bible lesson which fully revealed the Biblical truth behind the sin problem which harasses humanity.

The vast majority of the teaching I’ve heard has focused on the symptoms of the sin problem without delving into the source. A brief review of the news will provide an endless supply of the symptoms of human sin but only in the Bible do we discover the source.

A Family Problem

The first six chapters of the Book of Genesis identifies the source of the sin problem with which we must live as descendants of Adam. In these chapters we read of Adams direct disobedience to God’s command which, as God had warned him, would result in his immediate death.

While Adam continued to live as a mortal human being, he had died spiritually along with Eve and all his future descendants which includes all of us. This is explained in Romans 5:12f

“12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.”

As descendants of Adam, every human being is born spiritually dead and is inhabited by a fallen Adamic sin nature. As long as we are members of Adam’s family we will exhibit the family traits we inherited from Adam.

That is why Jesus emphasized to Nicodemus, “3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.””

Salvation involves changing families, we must be born again into the family of God and leave the family of Adam! As a part of this process, our spiritual lives are resurrected from the dead and we once again have a living spirit within us.

A New Creation

At the First Advent, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sin of humanity, the sin of being born into Adam’s fallen family! The new birth brings a new creation, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 it is written:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, the new has come into being.”

A new birth, a new creation, a new family; salvation changes everything! In addition we’re given a new companion for all of time and eternity, the Holy Spirit to live within us.

A New Challenge

When Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, our Lord quoted one example from the Old Testament in John 3:14-15

“14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”

I published an essay in January of 2022, “What Does Being a Christian Really Mean?” and wrote:

“An interesting point occurs to me by way of application; nothing is mentioned about separating Israel from the fiery serpents; the focus was on neutralizing their poison.

Today, when a person is born-again and becomes a child of God; the child remains on this spiritual battlefield called earth, but the Satanic poison has been neutralized by the new birth.”

In Roman 6:5-14 it is explained,

“5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”

Our sin nature is counted as crucified with Christ and we no longer are obligated to serve it; it is, however, still present in our lives and seeks to sabotage our efforts to serve God.

God understands our struggles and has provided a solution, confession of sin. In 1 John 1:8-10 it is written:

“8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

Confession of sin restores the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and quenches the power of the sin nature! While we must share our tent with our sin nature, God gives us the power to confine it.

Your responsibility as God’s new creation:

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 17, 2025

Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Beginning of the End!

The End of What?

This Friday is the day we observe Good Friday and while that is the day we remember the crucifixion, death and burial of our Lord Jesus Christ; Easter Sunday is the occasion we celebrate His resurrection from the dead.

A historic change in man’s relationship to God had occurred; by God’s grace, the barrier between God and man that had been created by Adam’s deliberate sin of disobedience had been removed by the death of our Lord, the Second Adam from above.

You may recall in Genesis 2:15-17

“15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Unfortunately, Adam chose to disobey God and when he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he, and all of humanity present and future died in Adam. As I’ve observed before, that means that you and I and every human born of a human father are born spiritually dead. It is the sin of Adam that created the barrier between God and man and the primary reason the Lord Jesus Christ suffered death as our kinsman-redeemer.

The Tearing of the Curtain on Good Friday

God gave us a symbol of the removal of this barrier when, at the time of the crucifixion, the curtain between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in Herod’s temple was torn from the top to the bottom; signifying that access to God was now open to mankind through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

By his death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ had paid the penalty for all human sin for all time; sin had been removed as a barrier between God and man. As hard as it may be to imagine, personal sin is no longer the issue; the only remaining issue requiring resolution is receiving the forgiveness of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and God.

The Good News

Because of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, the end had come for sin as a barrier between God and man. This is effectively expressed in 1 John 2:1-2 where it is written:

“2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

The church can now proclaim a message of hope, a message of reconciliation and good news for a suffering humanity:

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED!

(First published April 3, 2015)

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 13, 2025

Palm Sunday, 2025 and its Enormous Significance!

April 13th, 2025 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 2025 we are in year 5785 according to the Jewish calendar and the 10th of Nisan was Tuesday, April 8th.)

After the passing of that day, Israel had been set aside for an undetermined number of years. Today we are at year 1,992 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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