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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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 3, 2025

A Parade on my Birthday, A Celestial Birthday Gift

A Special “Planetary Parade” on my Birthday!

“An illustration of the upcoming February planetary alignment as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. (Star Walk)”

“A very rare treat is about to grace Earth’s night skies.

On the evening of 28 February 2025, all seven of the other planets in the Solar System will appear in the night sky at the same time, with Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars all lining up in a neat row – a magnificent sky feast for the eyes known as a great planetary alignment.”

Space 08 January 2025 by Michelle Starr

The next “Planetary Parade” is not expected until the year 2492, 467 years from now. Living in an area filled with trees, it is unlikely I will see the parade on my birthday and only the Lord knows where I will be 467 years from now.

Is There a Biblical Significance?

The Bible clearly states God uses celestial bodies to serve as signs; in Genesis 1:14-15 it is written:

“14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.”

Many of us, who love the Lord Jesus Christ, believe we are living in significant prophetic times. There are numerous signs that suggest the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is growing ever closer. Those of us who long for the Lord’s return see these signs as encouraging indications that time may be near.

I will be 92 on February 28, 2025; I would be truly delighted to receive my resurrection body on my 92nd birthday! While that is probably unlikely, it is a happy thought! My times are in his hands!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 1, 2025

2025, A Year of New Hope!

The Biden Administration has been a Grim Tunnel of National Darkness!

God’s hand of grace has once again showered the United States with mercy and love as he placed Donald J. Trump back in the Whitehouse! The four years of the Biden administration saw a proliferation of evil and sin that started at the top and permeated to all levels of our nation!

It is thrilling to hope that Biblical principles may once again become a factor in the decisions made by the government of the United States. Over the last four years, too many decisions, coming from Washington, have been unmitigated nonsense.

President Elect, Trump has often mentioned the need for a return to “common sense” and I enthusiastically endorse a national return to common sense!

A nation, just like a business, must operate sensibly and follow some semblance of economic propriety. The nation’s ability to print money provides some latitude, but, as this nation has discovered, there are limits on how far that can be taken.

The Soveriegn Will of God

I am a strong believer in the Bible and acknowledge the basic truth contained in Romans 13:1 where it is written:

“13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

 Consequently, I acknowledge the successive presidencies of Trump, Biden, Trump were all part of God’s plan. I believe, however, God was sending a message to his people and the world reminding us, perhaps, of Daniel 4:17 where it is written:

17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

Christian Responsibility

God, in his mercy, has shown us examples of the best, and the worst, Trump and Biden; it is now our responsibility, as Christians, to faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ and carefully follow the commands we have been given in Matthew 28:18-20:

“18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I read of large numbers of people finding salvation in Jesus Christ all over the world; the Holy Spirit is moving in other nations, let us pray the Holy Spirit will move many in the United States as well. Let us see these next fours years as an opportunity to bring a Spirit led revival to this country!

Photo by Patricia McCarty on Pexels.com

May our Lord Jesus Christ bless, strengthen, and guide you in 2025!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 25, 2024

Merry Christmas, 2024!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us rejoice in the love God has shown to us by sending the Second Person of the Holy Trinity to take on human form and be born of a virgin.

God alone, in his perfection, could provide the sacrifice for our sins by his physical death on the cross so that all who simply believe in him as Savior can receive full redemption from all sin and join him in Heaven!

Having risen from the dead and ascended back into heaven, our Savior, Jesus Christ, sealed our salvation by his own blood and permitted us to join him as members of God’s eternal family!

Therefore, rejoice and be glad, you are now a new creation!

“17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and you will be Saved!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 23, 2024

The Mysterious Magi and Daniel’s Amazing Prophecy!

Who Were the Magi?

One of the traditional parts of the Christmas story has always been the account of the wise men as related only in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 – 12. The Greek word used in these verses is magi which is from a Persian word for men who were expert in the study of the stars and also the word from which we get our English word magic.

This Persian word is equivalent to the Hebrew word chakamim used in the book of Daniel to describe wise men who were one of three different types: astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

We learn that Daniel, who was later made chief of the chakamim, was responsible for their deliverance when God enabled him to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. God’s continued blessings enabled Daniel to become a wealthy and influential leader in the Babylonian Empire who lived a long and successful life, aiding not only the Babylonian leadership but also the Medo/Persian leadership after Babylon fell.

Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks

One of Daniel’s most amazing prophecies concerns the prophecy of the seventy weeks; it is in this prophecy the timing of the Lord’s First Advent is revealed. God revealed to Daniel there would be 70 weeks, or 490 prophetic years, divided into a span of 69 “weeks” which is a prophetic reference to 483 prophetic years and a period of 1 week or 7 years, which would come later. I have written more on this in a three-part series that starts with “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel.”

The 483 years would come to an end when Messiah would be cut off; the prophecy was fulfilled on the 10th of Nisan, March 30, 33 AD on the occasion of the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This date is based on the research done by Dr. Harold Hoehner in his book: “Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ,” published by The Zondervan Corporation, 1977, ISBN 0-310-26211-9.

Although the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem is usually portrayed as a triumphal entry, we learn in Luke 19:41 the Lord wept over the city as He beheld it. The Greek work used here is eklausen which is the word for a loud, wracking, sob; this was not just a few tears running down our Lord’s cheeks but a loud sobbing that shook His whole body.

Israel is Set Aside for a Season

It was on this occasion Israel was being set aside for a long period of time during which a people would be called out as the Church, the bride of Christ, the body of Christ. The Church was a mystery hidden from the Old Testament prophets; this mysterious age of grace would continue until the time the church was removed by the Rapture. At some point, after the Rapture, the last seven years promised to Israel would commence as a time of severe judgment on the world but that is a different subject.

There arises now a question of timing; how did the wise men know there was something very special about this star and how does Daniel and his prophecy of the seventy weeks fit into this picture? We can speculate the star/shining appeared to the wise men at the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe it possible, at some point, the star/shining started moving toward the West and would the next night start its Westward movement all over again until the wise men realized the star/shining was inviting them to follow.

An Impressive Caravan

The Bible does not address the subject of the background of the wise men nor does it even tell us how many there were. Because of the three types of gifts it has often been assumed there were three but this is nowhere confirmed by the Bible; the Bible does not even address them as kings, but only as wise men.

There are some who believe the wise men, however many there were, rode on horseback rather than camel and more who believe they were accompanied by a large enough group of men to provide complete protection, serve the traveling needs of the group and properly impress any observer; the Bible is completely silent on these details.

It is at this point I acknowledge I’m speculating when I suggest a possible source for the expensive gifts they gave and their understanding of the timing of this particular star; this particular line of speculation is held by others as well.

Daniel’s Legacy

God so blessed Daniel that he was to be placed by Darius, the Mede, over the entire kingdom much to the distress of the presidents and princes of the land. The result of this distress resulted in Daniel’s lion’s den experience as described in Daniel 6. The reason I mention this was to show the great prominence Daniel had in the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians.

What I believe happened is Daniel, after God’s revelation of the seventy weeks prophecy, established a group of sympathetic chakamim that would preserve a legacy for the coming Messiah. It would be a simple matter for them to determine the 483 years and to calculate the likely date of the birth of Him who was to be cut off at the end of that period.

I think it possible that Daniel entrusted to them the financial resources that would make the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh available at the time of the Messiah’s birth. I believe they were given a time frame during which to expect a special birth which would be signaled in a special way.

What Kind of Star Did They See?

Since one of their areas of expertise was the study of the stars, the appearance of a new star would certainly attract their attention. That brings up the nature of the star that led them to Bethlehem; it’s my speculative opinion that this was not a regular star, but was in fact the Shekinah Glory of God, the glory the shepherds experienced in Luke 2:9.

Although God was certainly at liberty to create a star and move it around as He willed, I’m more inclined to believe that this star-like manifestation was God’s Shekinah Glory. The Greek word used here is astera which can also refer to a luminous, shining body.

In summary what I’m suggesting is Daniel, inspired by the seventy weeks prophecy, established a special group of wise men to hold a legacy in trust and await the arrival of the Messiah. An approximate time frame was provided as to when those entrusted with the legacy could expect the birth of the Messiah. The starting point for the 483 prophetic year countdown came on March 5, 444 BC when Artaxerxes issued the decree noted in Nehemiah 2:1-8 and prophesied 95 years earlier in 539 BC by Daniel in Daniel 9:25.

When the supernatural star-like shining appeared to them in the sky, they correctly interpreted it as the long awaited sign and eventually followed the star/shining to Bethlehem where they were able to worship the Messiah and give Him the gifts that had been entrusted to their predecessors so many centuries before.

It is interesting to note for a time they must have lost sight of the shining; they went to Jerusalem and asked directions from Herod who, after consulting with the chief priests and scribes, sent the wise men to Bethlehem where Herod had been told the Messiah would be born.

In Matthew 2:9 we read the star/shining was now visible again and “went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” In verse 10 we read: “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” I think this joy was based on their temporarily having lost sight of the star/shining which resulted in their effectively announcing the birth of the Messiah to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

Although this is speculation, it is based on fact and is, in my opinion; more plausible than saying these wise men just happened to see the star and just happened to have a small fortune available to give to Him, and just happened to stop by Herod’s palace and ask for directions to the one “born King of the Jews,” as Herod was not a legitimate king of the Jews.

The gifts enabled Joseph and Mary to escape to Egypt and avoid the murderous rampage of King Herod when he ordered the death of all male children in Bethlehem two years and younger. Matthew 2:13-18

Our family has always been thankful for Daniel’s ministry even to the point of naming our second son after him; so giving him additional credit for planning ahead is appropriate and fitting especially when credit is so well deserved.

First published as “The Original Star Trek” on December 19, 2011; revised and updated.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 20, 2024

The Christ of Christmas

For Over Four Hundred Years, God had Remained Silent!

The Prophets of Israel had not heard from Yahweh for hundreds of years; the last revelation had been given to Malachi in the 5th Century BC, then silence.

There was to be a massive change that would be made, instead of giving words of advice and instruction to the Prophets, God was going to send the Word made flesh; God would send the Messiah to take on human form and bring the good news of the Kingdom to Israel!

While there may have been silence from Yahweh, a great deal was happening that would prepare the way for the First Advent. I have used the Schofield Reference Bible from my early days at Berachah Church in Houston, Texas. On page 984, there is a summary of the 400 years of silence which has always been very dear to me; I have copied it below:

  1. The experience of the captivity seems to have destroyed the Jews’ tendency to idolatry. Their problem during the captivity, when they were deprived of the Temple and priest, was to maintain the exalted spiritual and moral ideals given them by the older prophets. Afterward, during the intertestamentary period, the problem continued. Despite the revival of Temple and priesthood, the struggle became one of preserving the prophetic faith of the Jews in the midst of outward persecution and sordid divisions within.
  2. The external means to this end was the synagogue, an institution which formed no part of the Biblical order of national life and which did not develop as a separate entity until after the time of Malachi. Its origin is obscure, but its roots may go back to the captivity when the Jews, who were without the Temple and its rites, met on the Sabbath for prayer. Such meetings, which would give opportunity for the reading of Scripture, would require some order of procedure as well as some authority for the restraint of disorder.  Whatever be its precise beginnings, the synagogue doubtless grew out of the necessities of the situation in which the Jews were placed during the closing centuries of the pre-Christian era. It served the vital purpose of maintaining familiarity with the inspired writings. Upon these the spiritual life of the true Israel (Rom. 9,6 note) was nourished.
  3. Also during this period there was created that mass of tradition, comment, and interpretation, known as Mishna, Gemara (forming the Talmud), Midrasim, and Kabbala, that was so superimposed upon the law that obedience was transferred from the law itself to the traditional interpretations.
  4. During this same period there arose the two great sects known in the Gospel narratives as Pharisees and Sadducees. (See Mt. 3,7 with notes.) The Herodians were a political party rather than a sect.

Among these people, the Jews, governed under Rome by an Idumean usurper, torn by bitter religious controversies, and maintaining an elaborate religious ritual, appeared Jesus, the Son of God, the Christ, and the Savior of the world.”

The world stage was being set by God for the massive change that was coming to mankind; the Pax Romana provided some stability while the Koine Greek provided a way to communicate.

God Breaks His Silence

The four Gospels tell the story of God’s visitation to his creation; the 400 years of silence were broken when the angel Gabriel spoke to Zachariah in the Temple:

 8 One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty. 9 Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense. 10 All the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of incense offering. 11 An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear.

13 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John. Luke 1:8-13

Six months later, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary:

“26 When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, 27 to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” 29 She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. 31 Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33 He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. 36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing is impossible for God.”

38 Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38

Although this happened over 2,000 years ago, the impact of this change still reverberates around the world today! The First Advent concluded with the Holy Spirit coming, to replace the ministry of the Son, with a ministry that is still in full effect even now!

Individual Christians have become a Temple of God, the Holy Spirit! Now, instead of a structure, the Holy Spirit indwells born-again believers! Every believer is a Temple of the Holy Spirit in this Dispensation of Grace, the Church Age!

Observing the Incarnation of God, the Son, at the First Advent!

The time for joyful recognition of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ will soon be here; this year, we observe the birth of the Lord on Wednesday, December 25, 2024. While no one knows the actual date of our Lord’s birth, the 25th of December is the day we observe and celebrate the event!

The fact the exact date is unknown is relatively inconsequential in comparison to the overpowering reality it happened at all! To think, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, our Eternal Creator God, was willing to join his creation by being born of a virgin woman and taking on the mortal form of his creation is impossible to even imagine!

The Impact of Christmas!

The Lord Jesus Christ was born in a manger, that he might die on a cross for the sins of the world. His death opened the door to reconciliation with God by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior!

This opportunity has divided the world into two groups; those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior and been born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, and those who have rejected God’s offer of redemption and reconciliation through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior!

As a direct result of this choice, the world is divided into two groups; those spiritually alive and those spiritually dead. While the entire human race, born of a human father, is born spiritually dead; God has prepared a doorway to spiritual life by receiving Jesus Christ as Savior.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 12, 2024

A Surprising Development – Feelings of Hope and Encouragement!

The Promise of a New Day

The Welcome Feelings of Change!

This Christmas is already feeling different; there is a greater optimism almost everywhere as people look forward to this special time of the year. There is now a new hope for 2025 as the promise of a move toward Christian principles seems to be increasingly possible.

These past four years have seen a darkness, a nation deeply impacted by Satanic deception; this has been a difficult time of testing as violence and sin have played a major role in national affairs. The hope of an emergence from that darkness is exhilarating.

God, in his mercy and grace, has given us a President who loves this country and seeks to lead it in a direction that honors and glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ! As a Christian father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, I am immensly grateful to God for this gift of his love to our nation!

I feel very thankful for the promise of God’s grace to the USA and for the more Christian environment in which my descendants may have a future.

The Job Ahead

God, in his grace, has given this nation a reprieve for which we should all be grateful! This reprieve comes with obligations to be faithful to the commands we have been given by our Lord. In Matthew 28:18-20 it is written:

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This nation is filled with victims of the spiritual war, victims who are totally ignorant of the situation they face and the dangers that await them. It is our responsibility, as Christians, to share, with all who will listen, the reality of their situation and the remedy God has provided.

Jesus gave this advice to Nicodemus and we should share it with all who will listen; in John 3:14-21 it is written:

“14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

“ALL WHO BELIEVE WILL BE SAVED!”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 6, 2024

December 7, 1941

Photo from google.com/site/mgmartinezx/mgmartinez

“A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”

As the years pass there are fewer and fewer of us who can remember where they were and what they were doing when the bombing of Pearl Harbor was announced on the radio; I still remember that Sunday afternoon. I was an eight-year-old boy riding in the backseat of a Chevy, four door sedan, on a Sunday afternoon drive to look for campsites for the Boy Scout Troop my stepfather led. I’m sure that none of us could imagine the impact that attack would have on our country and our lives.

Although, by God’s grace, we were not as profoundly affected as many other countries around the world, it would certainly change life as we knew it. Some of the older boys that had been members of the troop would join up and never return; their lives lost on a distant battlefield. My stepfather had concerns about all of the boys that had gone through the troop and especially the boy leaders who had become patrol leaders and later assistant Scoutmasters. There were too many sad moments when we got the news that another former scout had died in the war.

War is Declared

Little time was lost in Washington D. C. in reacting to the attack; Congress was convened and President Roosevelt spoke to both houses.

Address to Congress
Requesting a Declaration of War with Japan
December 8, 1941

“Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces- with the unbounding determination of our people- we will gain the inevitable triumph- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”

Once the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor the United States responded on December 8th with a declaration of war on Japan; because of treaties between Japan, Germany, and Italy that meant we had declared war on all three nations. Below is a copy of the declaration of war on Japan.

Congressional Declaration of War on Japan

“December 8, 1941

JOINT RESOLUTION Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial Government of Japan and the Government and the people of the United States and making provisions to prosecute the same.

Whereas the Imperial Government of Japan has committed unprovoked acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America:

Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared;
and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial Government of Japan; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

Approved, December 8, 1941, 4:10 p.m. E.S.T.”

This was a remarkable moment in the history of the United States. The country had been burdened by an economic downturn known as the “Great Depression” which had created many hardships on the American people. In addition, the Central Plains had been ravaged by a drought that was so bad the whole area became known as the dust bowl. Having been raised in Houston, Texas I was indeed fortunate to have experienced little hardship from the depression or the drought.

Fortunately, the drought was beginning to lift by the time the war started and many speculate that the Second World War was the catalyst that brought the United States out of the Great Depression.

A Time for Remembrance

Saturday will be December 7, 2024, let us remember the great price that has been paid that we might continue as a free nation. The old saying, “Freedom is not Free” is as true today as it was on that fateful day in 1941.

Sadly, another form of treachery has once again endangered us, now a second date that will live in infamy has been added to the history of this country and that is 911, September 11, 2001. This is another vivid reminder that our freedoms must be defended or they will be lost.

If we value our nation, it is vital we recognize the changes in tactics that are being employed by those who wish to destroy it; attacks from without and within will continue until we are willing to deal decisively with those wishing its destruction.

First published December 7, 2011; revised and updated.

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