Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 23, 2021

The Future’s Christianity, the New Heaven and the New Earth, Part 1

The Final Preparation for Eternity, the Second Resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment

There are two final steps that must be taken before the New Heaven and the New Earth can become a reality; the Second Resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment! These events come after the completion of the 1,000 year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ and are described in Revelation 20:11-15 where it is written:

“11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Finally, after thousands of years, the redemption of the heavens and the earth will have been fully accomplished by the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Fiery Lake of Burning Sulphur

The words in verses 11-15 describe a scene so terrible, the human mind is incapable of fully processing what is happening! God’s hatred of sin is revealed to the reader in calm, understated words which remind me of the account of Noah’s flood where the death of billions of people and uncounted billions of animals is described in calm, understated words in Genesis 7:21-23 where it is written:

“21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.”

I have found it interesting to note the earth was drastically reconfigured at the flood, but it was still the same earth which had been totally revised. I believe this same principle will be followed at the creation of the new heaven and the new earth when the heavens and earth will be purified by fire; I will discuss this point more in the last section.

While we live in what’s left of the Age of Grace, it is the ultimate in foolishness and self-deception to think God doesn’t hate sin! The repercussions of rejecting God’s gracious offer of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ are horrible to the extreme. I urge you to avoid the Satanic distortions, so prevalent today, and receive the free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior!

The New Heaven and the New Earth

There is an ongoing debate concerning the creation of the new heaven and the new earth as to whether the Lord creates a completely new heaven and earth or re-configures the present heaven and earth.

God can do whatever pleases him, but at this point in my thinking, I’m inclined to believe the old heaven and the old earth will be given a divine purification and become the New Heaven and the New Earth. I base this conclusion, in part, on Romans 8:18-23 where it is written:

“18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

God shows an amazing love for his creation and I’m inclined to think this present creation will be subjected to a refining process that will ultimately produce the new creation, think in terms of refining gold to purify it. In my mind, the sentence which includes verse 21 clinches the matter: “But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ”

I have great difficulty believing that God, who has allowed the creation to have an eager hope and the looking forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay, would, at the very last minute, annihilate it!

While the Genesis creation account of creation is “ex nihilo” out of nothing, I suspect the New Heaven and the New Earth will be “ex materia” out of something. I’ll freely admit this is just my speculation on the subject but I feel good about it and believe it conforms better to the nature of God as revealed in the Bible.

In Part 2 we will reflect on eternity with God.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 16, 2021

Tomorrow’s Christianity, Returning to Earth

The Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ

The long-awaited return of the Messiah will likely take place in the not-too-distant future. While the exact time is known only to God, the certainty of the Messiah’s return is absolutely without question! Israel’s last period of 490 years will finally be over and Israel’s Messiah will return to restore Israel to the land God had given to them.

The New Testament revealed the name of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who will return as King of kings and Lord of lords and defeat Satan at the battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 19:11-21 it is written:

“11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. 18 Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.”

Restoring the Earth

The last three and one-half years of the Tribulation, known as the Great Tribulation, will have devastated the earth so the earth will need extensive repairs. In the Book of Daniel, chapter 12, verses 11 and 12 we find a cryptic reference to 45 days which are not explained; I’m of the opinion this is a reference to the reconstruction period where Jesus Christ restores the earth to a condition similar to the pre-flood earth.

11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

The Beginning of the Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know from various scripture verses, that only believers will initially populate the world. There will be a mortal human population comprised of those who received Jesus Christ during the Tribulation, both Gentiles and Jews.

The church will have returned with Jesus Christ at the Second Advent, and Old Testament saints will be resurrected at the Second Advent along with Tribulation saints who had been killed. The world will be totally populated by believers.

Starting with a Celebration!

The 1,000 year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ will begin with a celebration, the marriage supper of the Lamb! While the marriage of the Lamb to the Church has already taken place in heaven, the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place on earth with both Old Testament and Tribulation saints invited. This will be a celebration of Biblical proportions!

Perfect Environment

For 1,000 years the earth will experience perfect environment and perfect government; Satan is bound and sin is held in check. While the mortal human beings, both Jew and Gentile, still have their sin natures, their natures to sin are suppressed by circumstances.

It appears length of life is extended again to the pattern found before the flood; although the Bible does not specify it, I believe the water vapor canopy is restored to the earth.

Children are born to the mortal parents and the population of the earth will grow rapidly. While many of the children receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior, many do not! In spite of environmental and social perfection, the number of those rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior will continue to grow.

Satan Released

During the 1,000 years of the Millennium, Satan will have been bound, in Revelation 20:1-3 it is written:

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

When the 1,000 years are over, Satan is released to deceive the nations.

In Revelation 20:7-10 it is written:

“7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

It is exceedingly difficult for me to imagine how anyone, who had lived their entire lives in perfection, could be so angry with the status quo as to want to attack and kill those who had provided that perfection! To my mind, it conclusively demonstrates that environment has never been the answer to the sin problem.

All of the worlds “isms” have looked to cultural and social change as the answer to man’s problems; changing the external environment has never been the answer; man’s problem has always been a dead spirit and a fallen nature. It is an internal problem, not an external problem!

Next time, the Great White Throne and the New Heaven and the New Earth.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 9, 2021

Today’s Christianity, Heaven Bound!

The Rapture will be Over Before Christians can even Realize it’s Happening!

Our mortal bodies, our tents, as they are called in the Bible, were always intended to be temporary housing and must be either left behind or totally transformed by the power of God! In 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 it is written:

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

There will be no time to worry about the transition, it will be over before we know it’s happening! After that, we, as human beings, will be entering into what is unexplored territory for us! Fortunately, this is very familiar territory for the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and our God!

It does not surprise me that little is written about the details of heaven; there has been nothing in our experience that would prepare us for the wonders we will encounter when we get there. Imagine trying to describe New York City to an individual that had lived their entire lives in a mud hut in the middle of nowhere; there’s no frame of reference, no words in their vocabulary to describe what they will see.

I’m confident the realities we will discover when we get to heaven will be infinitely greater than anything we can imagine! In 1 Corinthians 2:9 it is written:

9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Some Unfinished Work

While the true church will have been called home to heaven, there remains some unfinished work on earth that must be completed before the Lord’s triumphant return at the time of the Second Advent. The Bible does not specify the exact time involved other than to mention Israel’s last seven years God had promised to them.

I have written more on this in the three-part series, “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel,” In this series, I discussed the final period of 490 years, given to Israel, cut short by seven years by the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ and Israel’s rejection of the kingdom offer being made at that time.

Those last seven years are still in the future and will be known as the Tribulation; they will be a time of terrible judgment on the earth!

Since there are a number of unfulfilled prophecies remaining, I have projected a period of up to 12 years between the rapture of the true church and the Second Advent.

Events in Heaven

The Bible references two events that are scheduled for Christians in heaven before the Second Advent, with the Judgment Seat of Christ coming first, and the Marriage of the Lamb coming second.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

One point must be made absolutely clear, the Judgment Seat of Christ is primarily an awards ceremony where our brothers and sisters in Christ receive their awards for services rendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a time of great joy and happiness for all.

Works done in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of God will be rewarded; works done in the power of the flesh and for self-glory will be discarded and have no value in heaven.

The Lord Jesus Christ paid for the sins of Christians at the First Advent; there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” and those who are not in Christ Jesus will still be on earth!

The purpose of the Judgment Seat of Christ is to evaluate the works done by the Christian to determine which of those works have eternal value in heaven and to reward those who do. This event is referenced in 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 where it is written:

9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

It is likely each of us have foundations built with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw. The Apostle Paul probably thought, as Saul, the Pharisee, that he was building an eternal foundation before God as he persecuted the church.

In Revelation 21:4 it is written:

“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.”

We all carry a knowledge of past sins which, on occasion, have been used by our sin nature to torment us and cause sorrow! I rejoice in the thought the memories of past transgressions will be included among those former things which have passed away!

The Marriage of the Lamb

The second heavenly event that will take place before the Second Advent is the marriage of the Lamb. Christians have been enormously blessed by the indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit when they are born-again. The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge for the glories that will later be given to them in full.

The marriage of the Lamb represents the consummation of the pledge that was made with the two becoming one; Christ and his church united forever! What a joy to meditate on the future God has planned for us!

Next, we will cover the Second Advent and the victorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 2, 2021

Today’s Christianity, God’s Powerhouse!

There is a Vast Gulf Fixed Between Many Churches and God’s True Church!

Make no mistake, although the organized church may be stumbling, God is very busy in the world today as he grows his family, the true church, comprised of all who have been given new spiritual life and born-again into God’s eternal family!

While many organized churches may be turning to the world for guidance, the true church, God’s church, is a growing, dynamic powerhouse empowered by God! Each day the Lord tarries, thousands are being added to the family of God by the saving power of God, the Holy Spirit.

It seems likely the church age, this age of grace, is soon coming to a close but God is busy adding those last souls to his family! I’m convinced God knows the name of every individual that will be called to salvation during this age of grace and will not close the doors before that last soul has been called and welcomed in!

We are living in exciting times and I believe the winds of change are blowing ever harder each passing day!

The Beginning of the End!

The end of this age will come in a spectacular fashion; the Bible tells of a shout and the trumpet of God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 it is written:

“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 Bible does not specify who will hear the shout and the trumpet blast, whether it will be heard by all or only by God’s elect; in either case, it is impossible for me to even imagine such power!

The results will, however, be seen by all as millions vanish from the face of the earth; from that point on, nothing will ever again be the same!

The removal of all born-again Christians is referred to as the rapture of the church and will occur before the Tribulation and the Second Advent. I have written extensively on what happens next on earth; this time let us focus on heaven.

Our Eternal Bodies

At the rapture, we are given our heavenly bodies; this is described in 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 where it is written:

“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.”

Home with the Lord!

For born-again Christians, earthly struggles are now past, gone forever! From this point on, our future is with the Lord Jesus Christ as members of God’s royal family! Not only have we been given heavenly bodies, but our sin nature, which had always been there to trouble us, is now gone forever, never to return!

I suspect there are no words in any language of man that can even begin to do justice to the things we will see and experience in heaven. This is what we were created for, this is why we were created in the image of God; we are home at last!

The Bible tells of two events that will take place in heaven, the judgment seat of Christ, and the marriage of the Lamb. Next time we will cover the information God has revealed on those two events.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 26, 2021

Today’s Church – Dangers on a Slippery Slope!

Some Extraordinary Changes are Taking Place!

Recently I received a letter from a young Christian in Africa that described a church that has excluded the Bible as a source of guidance. This church depends on members of the church, who have been designated as apostles and prophets, to provide the spiritual guidance needed by the congregation.

Members of the congregation are encouraged to look to them, rather than the Bible for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

While I see this as an exceedingly dangerous path; it is not the only dangerous path being followed by churches today. In the United States, churches and church organizations are moving, both socially and morally, in a variety of strange directions that are serious deviations from the biblical standard.

By way of an example, Patrick D Hampton, a Christian writer and family man has recently expressed his grave concern over a summer camp, sponsored by a church in his community, where the LGBTQ agenda was being promoted to the children in attendance including two of his little children.

This is just one of the many reports of apostasy in churches appearing in the media; sadly, this apostasy is spreading to the organized church all over the United States!

 The Nature of the Church

You may recall that I subscribe to a devotional letter written by Pastor, Jeff Wells, and distributed by WoodsEdge Community Church. It was so timely that I wanted to share it with my readers; I have attached it below:

“July 20

 The Nature of the Church

 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 2:42

There is no better summary of the church than Acts 2:42-47.  Acts 2 begins with the creation of the church and ends with the character of the church.

Acts 2:42-47 is God’s portrait of the church.  This is what God wants every church to look like, not so much in details but in values and focus.

 The passage begins in verse 42 with the essential characteristics:  teaching, community, worship, prayer.  The church in Jerusalem was devoted to these four things.

 First, they were devoted to biblical teaching.  It is impossible to be a healthy, God-pleasing church with any other foundation than biblical teaching.  If you are looking for a church, find a church where the pastor and the leaders believe the Bible is God’s Word not man’s word.  Find a church that preaches biblically-rooted messages, not motivational speeches with a few Bible verses.  Find a church that is focused not on knowing the Bible but on obeying the Bible.

 Second, the Jerusalem church was devoted to fellowship, or community.  They shared their lives, their hearts, their struggles, their joys.  They loved together, they served together, they suffered together.  They did life together, not as lone rangers.  They met in the large group celebration at the temple and they met in small group community in homes.  Find a church that deeply believes in authentic community.

 Third, they were devoted to the breaking of bread, or worship.  Breaking bread refers here to communion, which in many ways is the high point of worship, when we joyfully celebrate Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.  From Acts 2:42-47, one gets the strong impression that the early believers, having fallen in love with Jesus, were now caught up with love, wonder and praise.  Find a church that is full of worshippers of God and not just workers for God.  Find lovers of Jesus!

Finally, the early church was devoted to prayer.  This was the power source.  This was the engine that drove everything else.  All through the book of Acts you see it:  The early church was devoted to prayer.  No wonder God showed up and did remarkable things.  Find a church that is devoted to prayer because they are desperate for God.

 This is what God wants every church to look like.  This is what God wants your church to look like.

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

Dangerous Repercussions

Today, too many churches seem to have lost a biblical focus; it seems as if the church has chosen to adopt the ways of the world as a pattern for church services. Darkened rooms, smoke machines, flashing lights, performance music with spotlights on the singers all seems so alien to me.

The Bible warned us of the final 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.

It seems as if the advice, offered by Jeff Wells, is very timely indeed!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 19, 2021

What is the Real Story on Sin?

Sin’s Final Destination, the Lake of Fire

A Unique Question of Profound Importance!

For many years now, I have taught individuals and classes, but never, over all those years of teaching, has a student asked the question cited below until now:


“My question though is, when the bible mentions that Christ is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is the sin that is referred to the same sin we commit as flesh or is there a special sin committed by the world as a whole?”

Yes, there is a special sin committed by the world as a whole, the disobedience of one man, Adam. God’s solution to the problem created by Adam was to provide a deliverer in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the unique God/man, he was able to die for the sins of the entire world and offer deliverance from the coming judgment to all who will simply receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

I responded with the following:

“Congratulations, you are the very first one to ask that important question!

The Bible explains the answer to your question in Romans 5: 12-19 where it is written:

“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. 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.)

18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

All mankind sinned when Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden; we all died spiritually in Adam there in the Garden of Eden; each of us are born spiritually dead. Our personal sins are just a symptom of the greater problem, our dead spirit.

For Christians, when we received Jesus Christ as our Savior, God, the Holy Spirit resurrected our dead spirits and brought them back to life. In addition, God, the Holy Spirit came into each new Christian to live forever; as Christians, we are eternally indwelt by God and an inseparable part of his family.

Sadly, the sin nature, the old man we inherited from Adam is still in us but has been considered crucified with Christ; we are no longer under any obligation to serve it and can now serve God. These principles are taught in Romans chapters 5-8 and are of critical importance to understanding what it really means to be a Christian.

Since our sin nature is still in us, it can present problems from time to time. In 1 John 1: 8-10 we find God’s answer to that problem.

“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.”

Please notice it says God will cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess our known sins to him! The power of God, the Holy Spirit is restored in our lives when we confess our sins to God!”

Getting it Right

The subject of mankind’s sin problem is all too often misunderstood by the Christian community. While we are all too aware of our many failures regarding personal sin, our personal sins are nothing more than a symptom of the real problem.

The real problem is we were all born spiritually dead with a living sin nature (our old man) we inherited from Adam! When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior, our dead spirits are brought back to life, we are indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit, but our sin natures remain within us as well. This is discussed in some detail in Romans 6, in verses:6-14 it is written:

“6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Paul’s reference to “our old man” is a reference to the sin nature we inherited from Adam. Our old man/sin nature, is counted as crucified with Christ so we are no longer under any obligation to serve it.

Resolving the Sin Problem

Unconfessed sin in our lives permits our old man/sin nature, to influence our actions; confession of our sins to God, quenches the power of the old man/sin nature and restores the power of the Holy Spirit. This is explained, in part, in 1 John 1:8-10 where 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.”

With the Holy Spirit in control of our lives, we can demonstrate the “fruit of the Spirit” in our lives:

“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.” Galatians 5:22-26

At the time of the First Advent, the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with mankind’s sin problem by dying on the cross and rising again on the third day. I have written more on this in “Is There One Unforgivable Sin?” Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and there remains only one unforgivable sin, rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior!

By God’s grace, Christians are now able to live a Christ-honoring life by confession of sin and letting the Holy Spirit retain control in our lives!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 12, 2021

God’s Plans for Your Retirement

A Normal Progression

Each of us devote a large block of our lives to gainful employment but for most of us, a time comes when we must retire. The question is how do we view and deal with the changes that retirement brings into our lives; there may be touches of mystery and even apprehension as we think about it. There is a massive amount of literature on the subject of retirement planning so I’ll not go there.

Instead, let us examine the subject from God’s perspective. The Bible assures us God has carefully planned every moment of our lives; in Psalms 139:16 it is written:

“16 You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.”

It is not possible that our retirement caught God by surprise; there is, however, a clear message that God has always had our retirement laid out in great detail. In addition, you have a promise from God; in Romans 8:28-30 you are promised:

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

Let us look at our retirement from God’s perspective; to God, there is absolutely no mystery involved in what he has planned for you! Please, let me share my story with you.

The End of One Career and the Beginning of Another, God’s Grace to a new Retiree.

As a young man, after a bit of trial and error, I finally settled for a job in residential construction where I worked for 36 years. I had planned on working until I was 75, but the winds of change prevailed and I retired when I was only 71 years old.

At the time of my retirement, I had no plans for the rest of my life; I would take it one day at a time and see what developed for me. I didn’t have too long to wait as a series of events began to change my life. One of the changes was a heart attack that required open-heart surgery and five by-passes. Happily, that was dealt with successfully and I was able to return to a reasonably normal level of activity.

Whereas I may have had no plans for my life; it appears the Lord, with his customary efficiency, had carefully laid out his plans for the rest of my life.

July 21, 2011 was the Beginning of a Journey that Continues to this Day!

I had developed an interest in genealogy the first part of the summer of 2011. I could go back a short distance but no more past that point. My paternal grandfather had done some research that carried our family line back to Dublin, Ireland but it stopped there.

During the course of my research, it occurred to me I had never had an in-depth conversation with either of my grandfathers, or even my father about the deeper issues of life. I was saddened by the thought I had no idea what they believed about so many issues of great significance.

Setting the Stage

Having retired from business in 2004, without any plans for life after retirement, I had sort of let circumstances control my activities until the time I was notified of a new program at Dallas Theological Seminary. In December of 2008, I got an email from DTS telling me of a new program which would permit students who had attended DTS, but had not graduated, to return and complete their work and graduate.

I responded to that email immediately and was later told my application for admission was the first one they received for the new program. Although it was past the normal deadline for admission to the next semester, my application was fast-tracked through the administrative process and I was able to enroll for the next term beginning in January of 2009.

My failure to complete my seminary studies, which I began in September of 1960, had troubled me for many years; the opportunity to complete my studies and graduate from DTS was a dream I had never expected to realize, but in June of 2009, it finally came true! I walked across the stage and was given my diploma, oh happy day!

I had finally completed my preparation to serve the Lord; next, the challenge of discovering where I should serve him! As often happens in life, when old doors are closed, new doors open wide. While I had no agenda for my retirement, now, in retrospect, I can see the Lord had it all planned out and would reveal his plans for my life on his own timetable.

Phase One

Back to the summer of 2011 while I was doing my genealogical research, I began to wonder what I could do to pass along my deeper spiritual thoughts to my family. While we often discussed the Bible and doctrinal topics at family gatherings; our time together always seemed too short to cover all that deserved time and discussion.

My beloved wife had suggested on a number of occasions that I should write a blog but I always responded in the negative, protesting that I was not a writer. On one occasion, in July of 2011, my wife brought the subject up again and, after giving her my customary response, went to my computer and started researching the subject of writing a blog. Within two hours I had published my first blog, “A Starting Point.”

It happened that her suggestion, and my desire to share my deeper spiritual thoughts with my family had joined forces so I took action. I know I have a teacher’s heart and delight in sharing Bible doctrine with those who hunger and thirst for the word of God; as a result, I have now discovered I enjoy writing about the Lord and the lessons he has taught me.

I recently checked the WordPress statistics and saw I have now published 494 essays on “Life from a Christian Perspective.” This one will make the total 495 and counting!

Phase Two

The next step in the Lord’s plans for my retirement did not materialize until six months later, January of 2012. One Sunday morning an announcement was made in church that caught my attention; Global Media Outreach was looking for volunteers to serve as online missionaries.

This would involve online work using one’s own computer and could be done at home. I was painfully aware of the toll age was taking on my endurance; things that had once been easy had now become difficult to manage. Working at home from my computer seemed like a very good fit for me as I had become something of a “computerphile.”

I volunteered, took the training, and started working as an active online missionary and have now done so on a daily basis since February of 2012. According to the statistics kept by GMO, I have now helped 9,447 people and have received 17,711 replies from disciples.

It has been a joy and a privilege to work with people all over the world. I have had the opportunity to get to know and work with brothers and sisters in Christ in locations I will never visit in person. GMO publishes a map showing the countries in which each online missionary has had an impact. The following shows the countries where God has permitted me to have an impact.

The good news of Jesus Christ is going all over the world; technology has opened doors to areas that have been out of reach for many years! Christians now have a wonderful opportunity to grow in their faith and learn to follow the commands of a loving God! This is truly an exciting time to be a Christian!

Remember, the Lord can use you in his service regardless of your age and abilities; when God opens the door, it is our responsibility to walk through! Your retirement can be the beginning of something wonderful, God’s plan for your life will be revealed to you one day at a time, as you live it!

Let Philippians 4:13 be your guide: “13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I praise God and thank him for his plans for my retirement!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 6, 2021

Getting a Grip on Life in a World Going Crazy!

The World Seems to be Possessed by a Wild Dynamism and is Changing at Ever Increasing Speed!

There is a well-known quote that says, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” This quote is attributed to Heraclitus of Ephesus, c.535BC to c.475 BC.

To paraphrase, in a gender-neutral manner, one might say, No person ever wakes up to the same world two days in a row; it’s not the same world and they’re not the same person! While that is a very true statement, the reality of that fact is difficult to apply to our lives each day!

The idea is that nothing stays the same, everything is changing. Today we are living in a world where change is occurring with ever greater speed. This has been observed by many, including Alvin Toffler, the author of “Future Shock,” who have commented and written on the subject of the speed at which things are changing.

A typical dictionary definition of dynamic I found online is “constant change or motion;” which seems to be a reasonable description of society today; the world is changing at political, social, moral, and technological levels with startling rapidity. While the technological advances are producing some significant improvements to the quality of life, the social and moral changes seem to be doing just the opposite.

It appears the organized church is not exempt from change; the majority of church services we’ve observed today bear very little resemblance to past church services which have been a source of great blessing. A spirit of reverence and awe has been replaced by darkened rooms, smoke, flashing lights, and music performance featuring the performer.

Is the Lord Sending Christians a Message?

Could it be the Lord is sending his children a message? I’m reminded of Jeremiah 17:5 where it is written:

“Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.”

It appears all of the usual crutches for Christians, the organized church, the various levels of government, social institutions and the economy are showing increasing inability to cope with the problems and challenges they’re being forced to confront today.

As the Lord steadily removes these crutches, the Christian is required to seek alternatives; the obvious alternative is to return to the Lord as the source of stability and strength! I’m reminded of the Lord’s words in John 4:23-24 where it is written:

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 Samaritan tradition had established the top of Mount Gerizim as the place for worship whereas the Jews identified the temple mount in Jerusalem as the true place of worship. Our Lord was establishing the New Covenant where no geographic location would be the place of worship. Under the New Covenant, each individual became a temple of God, the Holy Spirit and could worship in spirit and truth wherever they might be!

I have heard it said, in some contemporary services, that the Christian must come to church to find and be blessed by the Holy Spirit; the fact of the matter is, the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit and brings, in a manner of speaking, the Holy Spirit to the building called the church. 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 Biblical truth of the matter is the temples of the Holy Spirit assemble in a building as a matter of personal choice but the Holy Spirit is within each temple forever!

The New Testament Christians assembled in private homes; the Lord had told the Apostles in Matthew 18:19-20,

19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Today, Christians all over the world are once again meeting in private homes; a return to New Testament Christianity!

Where Can a Christian find Stability?

This world is inherently unstable; at virtually all levels of existence, this world is not a refuge from the storms of change. Natural and man-made disasters have threatened life all over the world since the Genesis flood.

I have been fascinated for years by the structure of the earth; the nature and action of the tectonic plates which cover the earth is both fearful and intriguing. The Pacific, “Ring of Fire” is an awesome example of the power of the movement of those plates.

While I don’t live in a seismically active zone, my area, the Gulf Coast region of Texas, experiences hurricanes and flooding which can threaten lives and property. There is no place on earth that is totally free of risk; looking to locations and circumstances for safety and peace is an exercise in futility; after all there is always the possibility of an asteroid falling from outer space!

For a Christian, true wisdom is to look to God for our stability and peace; we are told the God of peace will be with us if we are obedient to God’s commands. This is a part of living a life of faith and not a life of sight. Uncertainty has been a part of the lives of everyone that has ever lived; it should come as no surprise to any of us that we too are faced with uncertainty.

There is one hymn that has always touched me deeply; I share the words with you here:

When Peace, Like a River

1 When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.

3 My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

4 O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.


I encourage you to let those words be your guide and let the promises of God fill you with rejoicing and peace in the Lord! “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 4:9

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 28, 2021

Getting a Grip on God’s Plan for Your Life

Two Distinct Types of Humanity!

As I mentioned previously, humanity is divided into two distinct groups, the spiritually alive and the spiritually dead; while this has absolutely nothing to do with race, it has everything to do with whether the individual has a living or a dead spirit!

Although all humanity, born of two human parents, are born spiritually dead and are in desperate need of help; there is absolutely nothing they can do to deliver themselves from the bonds of death. Help must come from the outside and that is exactly what God did by sending his son to die for the sins of all humanity.

A new life, resulting from a new birth, is available to all, regardless of race or nationality, who will receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. The new birth changes everything. In 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 where it is written:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

The impact of that change transcends time and is eternal in scope; long after this present world system is gone, the reality of our position in Christ will still be sustained by the power of almighty God!

Now, as a born-again Christian, God is in you and has given you the ministry of reconciliation to the world, not imputing their trespasses to them as we proclaim God’s word of reconciliation! Please understand that this ministry is of God, not of you; God has committed to you the word of reconciliation!

Exactly What Happens When a Person is Born-Again?

Being born-again is a work of God, the Holy Spirit; the individual who is born-again has no power in this matter other than to receive Jesus Christ as Savior! The new birth is a gift that is given to the individual by God and once given, can never be reversed; it is not possible to become unborn once the Holy Spirit has provided the new birth and taken up residence in the new Christian!

The newly born-again believer did not earn the new birth by anything they could ever do on their own and cannot reverse the work of God in their lives by anything they might ever do in the future! God’s love for that individual has been established and will never change. In Romans 8:38-39 it is written:

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It seems to me that pretty well covers all the bases!

Some Details on the Change

There are a number of significant things that happen to the individual at the spiritual level for those who are born-again. The dead spirit of that individual is brought back to life; the spiritual life that died when Adam disobeyed God is fully restored by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, and results in the new birth for the individual!

In addition, God, the Holy Spirit comes into that individual to live with them forever; they have become a Temple of God, the Holy Spirit! 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 sin nature which mankind inherited from Adam, although not removed, is counted as crucified with Christ on the cross and the born-again Christian becomes free to serve God! In Galatians 2:20 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.”

God is Now in Christians Reconciling the World to Himself, not Imputing their Trespasses to Them!

Jesus Christ now lives in you and is busy reconciling the world to God; you no longer live but Christ lives in you! In Ephesians 2:8-10 it is written:

“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

By Way of Summary

As God’s ministers of reconciliation, we are God’s messengers to the world, the same world which God so loved he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross as payment for the sins of the world!

The image of God has been restored in us at the spiritual level; we have God, the Holy Spirit living in us and by faith, leading and guiding our words and actions.

Let the Fruit of the Holy Spirit break forth in your life as described in Galatians 5:22-26 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. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Remember, you just may be the closest thing to the image of God some of God’s greatly loved creatures will ever see; after all, you are God’s help from the outside, God’s minister of reconciliation to this fallen world!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 21, 2021

Getting a Grip on the Realities of the Spiritual War!

Thorns and Thistles

We Will Live all our Lives as Soldiers on a Spiritual Battlefield! Wouldn’t you agree it’s Time to Determine who it is We’re Supposed to be Fighting?

The Bible clearly explains what the spiritual war is all about but too many well-intentioned people seem to ignore the Bible’s instructions. I have written more on this in the three-part series, “To The Soldiers in the Spiritual War.”

Speaking specifically of religion, one can observe religious factions fighting and demeaning other religious factions all over the world. Additionally, religious factions are fighting against non-religious factions who are promoting lifestyles and philosophies of life that stand in opposition to their own.

While true Christianity, is not a religion but a relationship, it too is often found guilty of vigorously fighting other groups as though they were the enemy of righteousness.

Deadly battles between secular groups of all sizes have been a fact of life from the beginning and can be expected to continue until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In view of all this world-wide conflict at so many levels, I think Christians should be able to agree on the identity of the enemy!

The Bible Identifies the True Enemy

In Ephesians 6:10 it is written:

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Please let that sink in, it should be clear from that statement, that all of this fighting going on against flesh and blood is a part of the Satanic deception and is totally contrary to Biblical teachings!

The more mankind fights mankind the more we are aiding the cause of Satanic confusion and deception! While it is Biblically true that mankind is now divided into two distinct species, the spiritually alive and the spiritually dead; it is the responsibility of the spiritually alive to see the spiritually dead as victims of Satan, not the enemy! The true enemy is unseen by mankind but has a profound impact on what is happening in the world we can see.

For the sake of convenience, I’ll refer to the spiritually alive as the saved, and the spiritually dead as the lost. What is the situation with the lost, how did they get there and what can they do to get out?

All it took for them to get there was to be born of two human parents; a situation that describes all of us excluding the Lord Jesus Christ and Adam. God has provided a way for them to get out, and it is the only way, and that is to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and experience the new birth by the power of God, the Holy Spirit!

The only difference between the saved and the lost is the new birth by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and is available to all who will receive him as their Savior. The lost are not the enemy of the saved; they are the fields, white unto harvest!

Thinking on Christian Love

John 3:16 is well known to most Christians:

“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.”

The Bible uses a form of the root word, “ἀγαπάω” which describes a love as something you do, not something you feel. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 this word for love is defined:

“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.”

The original King James translation translated the word as charity which may be a clearer translation of the thought. This is not emotional love, it is a charitable attitude in action!

Interestingly this is the same word used by Jesus in Matthew 22:39:

“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Briefly considering self-love; if you’re like me, you don’t even like some of the things you have done but you’re willing to try and put those things behind you, move on with your life and try and do better the next time. We’re inclined to have a charitable and forgiving attitude where we’re concerned.

The Lord tells us to have that same attitude toward others! When others do something wrong, and they will, they’re just like you and me, cut them some slack, give them another chance to get it right, OK? I think this sums up the idea of loving others as yourself.

Next time we’ll take a look at our God-given responsibilities.

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