Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 12, 2018

Once Upon a Time I was a Teenage Boy

The Later Years of My Childhood

Finding my Forever Home

In March of 2015 I wrote a three-part series on some of my experiences as a little boy, “Once Upon a Time I was a Little Boy” was part 1 in the series. Part 3 concluded with the victory over Japan and the end of World War II; I was 12 years old and my life was about to experience another big change.

My parents divorced when I was two and my mother and I had lived with my grandfather and grandmother Kennerly until I was seven at which point my mother married again and we moved into a rental house with my step-father.

I continued to live with my mother, step-father and their daughter until I was nearly 15 years old and had just graduated from junior high school. A few weeks before my 15th birthday I was told I could no longer live there and had to move out.

Time to Find a New Place to Live

Fortunately, my father and step-mother had a room which had been built for me by my grandfather Bower so I was permitted to live there as I started high school. This was a rather significant change for an almost 15-year-old boy so I had some mental adjustments that needed to be made. Life with my step-father had not been easy but it was the only life I had known since I was seven.

I had accidentally discovered classical music when I was 8 and was convinced a life in classical music was what I wanted for myself. No one else in my family had any interest in classical music so I sort of stumbled around trying to figure out a way to make it work for me.

For the record it didn’t work out as a career, too little, too late I’m afraid. It has, however, become a wonderful hobby which I enjoy to this day and it did something else for me as a teenager; it gave me a focus for my energies and hopes which helped me through a very difficult period of my life.

Life with my father and step-mother would continue to present challenges as my step-mother was very annoyed at having to have me live with them. After about 1 year my step-mother divorced my father and my father and I lived in the house by ourselves for some time.

My father’s mother invited us to come live with her so we moved across town to live with her for several months. By that time, I was in my senior year at high school and by God’s grace had met the girl I would eventually marry.

Time to Once Again Find a New Place to Live

It seems my father and step-mother had been communicating and she agreed to return to my father on the condition that I was removed. I had graduated from high school and had started college on funds given to me over the years by my grandfather Bower. I do not recall the exact timing but I was once again told I had to leave the house and find somewhere else to live.

Briefly Homeless at Eighteen

Since I was fresh out of parents that would take me in I was faced with some new choices. I had no money as the funds given to me by my grandfather Bower had been used by my father for his own purposes; that meant I had to find a job and a place to live as living on the street as a homeless street person never even occurred to me. My future wife was probably suffering more over my situation than I was and helped me find a furnished room to rent with a family that attended their church.

I don’t remember the details but I somehow found an interesting job as a counter salesman for a machine tool supply company; the Oliver H. Van Horn Machine Tool Supply Co. gave me a job. I remember the excitement I felt as I busily discovered a whole new way of life; the store was filled with big machines and an almost endless assortment of parts which sparked my imagination. I reported to a man who knew the business very well, Mr. Weaver, and could answer any question I might ask about any part in the store.

Fortunately, the rented room I had was close enough to town that I could walk to work and back to the room in the evenings. There was a small neighborhood store nearby and I would frequently have cheese and crackers for supper; I still love cheese and crackers by the way. My future wife and her mom and dad helped me by seeing that my clothing was laundered each week.

Finding My Forever Home

You have probably heard some form of the expression, “home is not a place, it’s a person.” That was certainly soon to prove true for me; my forever home, my beloved future wife, had found me and my years of wandering and uncertainty were soon to close forever.

It was during this time we decided to go ahead and get married, we had known each other for almost two years at this point; she was 17 and I was 19 so her dad and my mother agreed to get the marriage license for us to get married.

The lovely wedding dress in the photos was made by her mother while I had on an old suit and a pair of well-worn shoes in serious need of repair with a hole in the bottom of the right shoe (I had carefully polished them so they looked better when I was standing up).

I’m still amazed that her dad would even let her marry a young man with such an unstable background who wanted to be a musician. Some, including my mother, questioned how the marriage could last more than a few months but time has proven the naysayers to be so wrong; over 65 years and counting to date.

In October of 1952 we got married at her church with her brother officiating for his first wedding, we were all nervous. We had a short, low-budget, honeymoon in New Braunfels, TX and came back to a small second floor apartment in an old house in the Montrose area of Houston. A marriage which has now lasted over 65 years had begun very modestly to be sure.

We had no car, we had been loaned a car for our honeymoon, so we both rode the bus when we needed to go anywhere. Our apartment was much farther from town so I now had to ride the bus to get to work; we lived just off Westheimer and there was very good bus service in that area.

The Blinding Glare of Hindsight

This is a very condensed “executive summary” of those growing up years but it gives an overall impression of what happened to me. As I look back, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see the hand of the Lord so clearly present in my life. I had received Christ as my Savior as a child and been blessed with a strong Christian environment until I was 7 years old. That was to provide a protection for me over those troubled years that helped me to maintain a balanced outlook that would not have otherwise been likely or perhaps even possible.

I have deliberately refrained from detailing the difficulties I encountered from age 8 – 18; let me assure you they were many. I see the Lord’s hand of mercy reaching out to me when other hands seemed to so often turn against me. I had an inner strength and determination which helped me through those trying times and I’m convinced this was of the Lord through the presence of the Holy Spirit; there is no other logical explanation. Somewhere during those years, I picked up a phrase which has become a part of my life; “If it’s going to be it’s up to me!”

My discovery of classical music, although it would not result in a music career, provided a target for my youthful dreams that kept me focused on music and not on things that might have proven destructive. I am still rather amazed at the singular devotion I felt to classical music and my determination to make it my life’s work.

Not too long after we were married we decided I would try to finish school; we moved to Ft. Worth, TX and I started attending TCU. This was during the Korean War and much to my surprise I received my draft notice. Having been an active reservist in the USNR and a USNR officer candidate I was given the option of volunteering for active duty as a non-commissioned officer in the USN and chose that option. I was able to resume my education after my release from active duty two years later but that’s another story.

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 5, 2018

Your Duty to the Family!

Castles and Such

The Implications and Ramifications of a Royal Birth

The Bible is clear, as Christians we have been born again into the family of God; we have become children of the creator and ruler of the entire universe, he has become our father, our daddy.

Would not our membership in God’s own royal family suggest certain obligations to the family to represent our family honorably to those we meet; would there not exist a certain noblesse oblige for which we would become responsible?

I suspect we have all heard the expression, noblesse oblige but how exactly would it be defined? One finds many definitions of the expression on the web; this is one example:

Noun 1. noblesse oblige – the obligation of those of high rank to be honorable and generous (often used ironically) duty, obligation, responsibility – the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force; “we must instill a sense of duty in our children”; “every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty”- John D.Rockefeller Jr (The Free Dictionary.com.

Having been born (the first time) and raised in Texas, in modest circumstances, the very notion of nobility and privilege had always seemed to be very remote and irrelevant to my life; when I was born-again, by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, and began to grow in my Christian faith I began to realize I was more involved than I had guessed.

Do You Belong to the Nobility?

In some parts of the United States a class system based on money and power has developed over the years but that is probably true to some degree of all human gatherings of any size; a pecking order develops and some see themselves as superior to others for an assortment of reasons.

The benchmark for exclusivity can take many forms; the most obvious are wealth and power over others. In other cases, the benchmark can be simply the length of time one’s family has participated in some sort of social gathering, it may be a community or even an organization; anyone who has not lived/participated in the gathering for the prerequisite amount of time is considered an outsider, a stranger to the group and therefore inferior to those who have met that particular requirement.

Regardless of the arbitrary points of reference used to define the nature of one’s imagined exclusivity, the fact of the matter is we are all sinners before God and must be born-again, born the second time by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, if we are to escape the judgement which is inevitably coming. By receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we not only escape the coming judgement but find ourselves elevated to the ultimate royal family, the family of God.

Noblesse Oblige for God’s Family

Noblesse oblige is a French phrase literally meaning “nobility obligates”. It denotes the concept that nobility extends beyond mere entitlements and requires the person who holds such a status to fulfill social responsibilities. For example, a primary obligation of a nobleman could include generosity towards those around him. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

As members of God’s royal family, we too have many responsibilities to both the Lord and our fellow man. God desires his children to live their lives in a manner that reflects well on the family.

We do not have to wonder what our attitude should be and how we should behave ourselves; the Bible makes it quite clear in several places. One of my favorites is Galatians 5:22-26 where it is written:

“22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”

The Bible also makes it clear we cannot do this in our own power; we must have God, the Holy Spirit empowering us if we are to consistently express the Christian’s “noblesse oblige” in our lives.

The Challenge Before Us

Christians face a remarkable challenge; we live in two realities, a spiritual and a physical reality at the same time. What makes this so difficult is the only reality we can experience with our senses is the physical; the spiritual reality which is equally real and actually more enduring can only be perceived by faith.

The nature of our spiritual reality can only be seen and understood through the pages of scripture; it is only there we can catch a glimpse of what is true about our spiritual existence. What is really strange to consider is the spiritual reality will far outlast the physical reality in which we find ourselves and is so easily observed with our senses; yet, in the truest sense we must so focus our thoughts and minds on the truths of our spiritual reality that they become more real to us than the world we can see, taste, hear, touch and smell. This is what is meant when Paul writes, “7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

At this point you may be asking yourself what does this have to do with noblesse oblige and there is a simple answer to that in my mind; the more we think of ourselves as children of God the easier it becomes to think in terms of our obligations to the family to properly represent the family’s values to those with whom we come in contact; for those we meet, we are the family’s representative.

You have a responsibility that was conferred upon you when you joined the family of God by your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior; you became a child of God, a child in God’s family and you must now let your duty to the family control your behavior and attitude toward others.

No one ever said this would be easy and quite frankly, without the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit it is impossible. Therefore, (in a Pauline sense) let the power of the Holy Spirit always be in control of your life; be aware of his unfailing presence and take great care to make sure he stays in control and then you can be empowered to manifest your duty to the family. Noblesse Oblige!

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 29, 2018

The Coming Glory, It’s All True, All of it! Concluded

The Coming Eternity

In one way the Bible’s account of eternity reminds me of its account of the antediluvian world; short on details. As we consider the subject of eternity it is easy to start wondering about many things that are simply not revealed. I have always endorsed a principle of Bible interpretation which I shall apply here: any interpretation that honors God is probably correct, any interpretation that honors man is probably incorrect.

The majority of the limited amount that is revealed is given mostly in the Book of Revelation in the last two chapters. There are a few basic things that are revealed there starting with the arrival of the New Jerusalem on earth; we are told of its size and beauty as it descends to the new earth; that description alone is overwhelming in its scope.

I find it impossible to truly imagine something of the size of the New Jerusalem descending from heaven onto the surface of the earth; that is not too surprising as I find it impossible to imagine creation as it now exists; once my mind tries to cope with stellar distances it sort of shuts down; references to light years is really beyond my ability to visualize.

That, I believe, is one reason the Bible is so short on details; they are simply too grand and glorious for us to understand; I have come to love David’s observation in Psalm 139:6 where he exclaims:

“6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!”

I’m particularly fond of the King James translation of that verse:

“6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”

I can most assuredly relate to those feelings of inadequacy when it comes to the glories of the eternity that awaits us; it is, however, fun for me to try my best to imagine the wonders the Trinity has prepared for those who love him. In light of this I will acknowledge that some of my efforts will be speculative, but fun, at least to me. I am admittedly a fan of science fiction and have enjoyed the imagined universes of many writers; how much more fun to imagine the real universe that is coming; a universe that is glorious far beyond what the mind of man can even conceive.

That portion the Trinity has chosen to reveal is found in the Bible in both the Old and the New Testaments in terms that are understated and calm; the most incredible events are described in brief statements with none of the embellishments one might expect in modern advertising yet providing descriptions of profound, earth-shaking events.

I will try and take my cue from this example and keep my descriptions toned down but first a brief moment of reflection. Mankind’s creation in the image of God had profound ramifications; remarkable privilege coupled with deeply serious responsibilities. Mankind’s failure to live up to those responsibilities resulted in exceedingly grave consequences which are eternal in scope.

Deliverance from those consequences was provided by God at the First Advent of God, the second person of the Trinity; in his grace and mercy, reception of deliverance was made as easy as possible, simply receive the free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

A Place of Eternal Judgement

First, I will consider the eternity of those whose names were not found in the “Lamb’s Book of Life.” In Revelation 20:10-15 it is written:

10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

The Bible gives no indication where, in the new universe, this place of eternal judgement will be located; I suspect it will be far removed from heaven and the joy that will be found there. Mankind has speculated on the existence of parallel dimensions, perhaps the lake of fire will be in one of those. By the way, have you ever smelled burning Sulphur? I assure you it is distinctly unpleasant and once you’ve smelled it you’ll never forget the stench.

A Place of Eternal Joy and Happiness

Those whose names have been recorded in the “Lamb’s Book of Life” can look forward to an eternity that is completely different from those whose names were not recorded there. We have hints in Revelation 21-22 that tell of the wonders yet to come. I shall not repeat those recorded wonders here but will engage in some speculation based on the information that has been revealed to us by the Trinity.

I’m really pleased to think my sin nature will be gone forever; what a blessing to have that ugly phase behind me. The innocence we had before the fall will have been restored; the Bible suggests that even our memories will be cleansed of past sins; so that nothing mars our joy of the presence of the Trinity and the joys of heaven.

I think we’ll have plenty to do; I’m encouraged to believe that we’ll have responsibilities assigned to us which we will be able to perform with joy and skill. We are told we will judge the angels and yet also have governmental responsibilities under the Lordship of King Jesus; I so look forward to a theocratic kingdom which will be ruled forever by King Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!

We are told of the many mortals who will enter eternity in their mortal bodies but free of the sin nature; I see this as a new beginning, similar to the Garden of Eden but free of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and Satanic interference. Once again God is providing a fresh start for humanity which will be a complete success this time.

I can see mankind spreading among the stars and populating many distant star systems; I can see trade and commerce between star systems all under the umbrella of the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can imagine Christians, as children of the Trinity, given key roles to play all over the universe as mankind expands to the stars. I’m of the opinion we’ll be happy, productive leaders in the world to come!

While there is much more that could be said I’ll close with this thought; I invite you to exercise your imagination and dream of what the Trinity has planned; at a point yet future we shall know but now we can dream.

Pleasant dreams!

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 23, 2018

The Final Judgment, It’s All True, All of it! Part 6

The Great White Throne Judgement

The Bible describes a series of resurrections starting with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Broadly speaking there are two classes of resurrection, the resurrection of the justified and the resurrection of the unjust. The resurrection of the justified is in three stages and one last stage for the unjust:

Stage 1, the Lord Jesus Christ

Stage 2, the Church

Stage 3, Israel and the Old Testament saints

Stage 4, all who have rejected salvation by faith in Jesus Christ

The resurrection of the unjust comes last; this is described in Revelation 20:11-15 where it is written:

“11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

The scene presented by these verses is fearful beyond our ability to even imagine. Those who have rejected Christ have usually turned to the creation as their support and verse 11 tells us that earth and sky have fled from his presence; all of the things on which the unbeliever has depended is now gone. Imagine a black void with only a great white throne in view and on that throne the judge who will pronounce you guilty and condemn you to an eternity of torment and suffering; nothing is worth that, absolutely nothing!

What About the Earth and Sky?

In verse 11 we are told the earth and sky fled from his presence; in other sections of the Bible we are told of it’s future with varying descriptions. For example, in 2 Peter 3:11-13 we are told:

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”

In Romans 8:18-22 we read:

“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.”

For a number of years I was under the impression the present heaven and earth would be destroyed by fire but then the significance of the verses in Romans began to have an impact on my thinking and I began to believe that possibly the fiery destruction of 2 Peter just might be a refiner’s fire, a purifying fire that would destroy the corruption left by sin and restore the original purity of God’s creation, the kind of creation that would cause the Trinity to once again say:

31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31

I’m inclined to believe this is what the Trinity has planned but this time it will be even better! I have long observed what I believe to be a respect the Trinity shows to his creation; it would have been so simple to just wipe the slate clean and start all over. Instead of doing this the Trinity sought redemption for his creation even if it meant becoming a part of that creation and dying a painful death.

The loving grace and mercy the Trinity has shown will continue and the creation, which has groaned under the curse, will finally join in with God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. The refiner’s fire which will purifiy all of God’s children from sinful works as described in “The Coming Family Celebration” will also purify all of creation as a new heaven and a new earth, totally free of the corruption of sin.

The Preservation of all Life

In light of my comments about creation and the Trinity’s respect for it I’m compelled to express my opinion on one other matter; a comparable respect for the many animal lives that have been so beautifully and wondrously created. I’m encouraged by several verses including Matthew 10:29 where it is written:

“What is the price of two sparrows–one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.”

To me this suggests an awareness and concern if even a small bird shall fall; if the Trinity holds such a view it becomes very easy for me to believe that those special lives that have been created with such loving care and remarkable individuality will not be ignored but find their place along with a restored creation in the new heaven and the new earth. I’m truly hopeful that “the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” will include the wonderful, beautiful animals with which we have been blessed by God.

There is no specific Biblical support for this position but to me it would be so like the Trinity to lovingly care for them too. In all too many cases these small treasures have suffered at the hands of man and I can imagine them too, as a beautiful part of creation, looking forward to the day when they will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Next time we will think on eternity and the new heaven and the new earth.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 16, 2018

Perfection on Earth and Fire from Heaven, It’s All True, All of it! Part 5

The 1,000 Year Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ will return as King of all kings and Lord of all lords with great glory and power at the time of the Second Advent and will defeat Satan and the forces that have persecuted believers during the Tribulation. We read in Revelation 19:11-16;

“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.”

The Beast and the False prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire with all who have taken the mark of the beast while Satan is thrown into the abyss where he will remain for 1,000 years. Those who have received Christ as Savior during the Tribulation and lived will go into the Millennial kingdom to populate it and enjoy the blessings of Christ’s reign. All Old Testament and Tribulation saints who have died will be resurrected and given their eternal bodies.

The Mysterious 45 Days

In Daniel 12:12 there is referenced a mysterious period of 45 days:

“11 “From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. 12 And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days!”

The 1,290 days mentioned is the Great Tribulation, the second half of the Tribulation when judgements will become more severe; the additional 45 days would bring the total to 1,335 days and may be the time the Lord Jesus Christ is preparing the earth for his Millennial reign. The Tribulation will produce massive destruction which would certainly not be consistent with the Millennial Kingdom.

We are told those who had received the mark of the beast will be removed from the earth; only those who had been saved by faith in Jesus Christ would remain until the 1,335th day and are the blessed ones who will repopulate the earth.

Who will Live on Earth during the Millennial Reign?

There will be a core group of mortal believers who will survive the Tribulation; these believers will have a new start in life after the Millennial Kingdom is established. There are indications that those believers will live very long lives and have many children; although it is not specified I’m inclined to think the environment will be more similar to the earth before the flood.

Although the Millennial Kingdom will start with believers exclusively, they and the children born to them, will still have a sin nature. There will be those born who reject the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. This shows that perfect environment is not the answer to the sin problem as the only lives they will know will have been lived in a perfect environment.

Just as Adam could only violate one commandment those living during the Millennial reign, (just as all of us born after the First Advent, see “Is There One Unforgivable Sin?“), have only one commandment separating them from God, reception of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; Christ died for their sins too.

In addition to the mortal believers there will be the Old Testament saints, and Christians who will have access to the earth. The land of Israel is God’s gift to the Jewish nation, the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Christians on the other hand have been promised a city, the New Jerusalem. Christians will likely have occupied the New Jerusalem from the time of the Rapture. While we will have access to earth our home will be in heaven in the New Jerusalem.

The New Jerusalem

It is not clearly expressed in the Bible but the general thinking is the New Jerusalem will not descend to earth until the time of the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth. This is mentioned in Revelation 21:1-4 where it is written:

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

The Final Battle of Gog and Magog

We are given an assortment of clues about life during the Millennial reign and I have no doubt it will be wonderful indeed; people born during the Millennium will have only known the perfection of life in a perfect environment in a perfect society.

It is almost shocking to discover that many of these people will turn on the Lord and seek to destroy all they have known when Satan is released from his prison at the end of the Millennium; it certainly demonstrates the perversity of the fallen human sin nature.

Despite the wonder and perfection of the reign of the Lord at the end of the 1,000 years Satan is loosed from his prison and foments a massive rebellion against the Lord and his rule. We have a reference to this in Revelation 20:7-9 where it is written:

“7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.”

Satan’s Judgement

The Bible then tells us of the fate of Satan; in Revelation 20:10 it is written:

10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

This verse reveals an interesting fact, after 1,000 years of burning in the Lake of Fire both the beast and the false prophet are still identifiable individuals.

We will consider the Great White Throne Judgement and the future facing the earth next time.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 9, 2018

The Battle for the Earth, It’s All True, All of it! Part 4

 Thorns and Thistles, art by Adele Bower

The Preparation for the Next Big Step

The Trinity had made a promise to Adam and Eve to provide a Redeemer, one who would strike Satan’s head; this would be done in an unexpected manner, by God, the second person, taking on human form, dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Before that supreme act of redemption there was a lesson to teach, a lesson of humility that would show mankind the futility of human effort regarding redemption and pardon.

The Mosaic Law was given to demonstrate the helplessness of mankind to meet the requirements of a righteous and holy God; if Adam could not obey one command what are the odds his descendants could obey ten? Paul, a man with extensive training in the Mosaic Law, observed in Galatians 2:15-16:

“15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

The promise God made to Adam and Eve was later repeated to Abraham; Paul reviews this promise in Galatians 3:16-19 where it is written:

16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. 17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.

19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised.

The Mosaic Law has proved to be very effective in showing Adam’s descendents their sin; Paul addresses this in Romans 7:7-12 where it is written:

“7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life,10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.”

The Next Big Step

Even a casual reading of the Old Testament will reveal the extent of human failure under the Mosaic Law; what is surprising to me is the patience and grace shown by the Trinity to the stubborn and hard-hearted people he had chosen to be the channel of the great blessing he would provide at the appointed time. Approximately 400 years before the First Advent of the second person of the Trinity, all communications from the Trinity stopped, not a word was given to a single prophet of the Lord.

God had a wondrous plan prepared; at a carefully predetermined time the Living Word would come and become the Kinsman Redeemer, the long promised Messiah who could and would provide the redemption which mankind could not secure for itself. The birth, life, death and resurrection of the Promised One had been carefully scripted from eternity past; I have written on this in a three-part series named, “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel.”

The Trinity leaves nothing to chance; while years may pass with no evidence of change the plans of the Trinity move on with a precision that is beyond our understanding. Today we can look back over 1,984 years since the last divine manifestation; we can, however, know the next event planned by the Trinity is coming with absolute certainty and once again the change will be dramatic and forceful.

The Rapture and the End of the Church Age

A time is coming when the divine plan will again be overtly implemented; according to the Bible the next event is the removal of the church from the earth. This age in which we live started at Pentecost on May 25, 33 A.D. and was a mystery hidden from the Old Testament prophets. During the Church Age the Trinity has spoken through the Bible, his completed revelation to the church at this time. The Bible, and especially the New Testament, is God’s handbook for living for his adopted family, the church.

Then the true Church, all those who have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ, will be resurrected or taken up to meet with Christ in the air at an event called the Rapture of the Church.  This is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 where it is written:

“13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.”

The Great Tribulation

At some point after the Church is removed, the Age of Israel will resume for a period of seven years; this will be a time of severe judgement on the entire world and Jesus warns his disciples in Matthew 24:21-22 where it is written:

“21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.”

This time of judgement will be brought to a close by the return of the Promised One, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ to judge the unbeliever and reward the believer; those who survive this time of judgement will populate the earth during the 1,000-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next time we will consider the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ and the final rebellion.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 3, 2018

Satan Attacks, It’s All True, All of It! Part 3

A Second Major Assault and God’s Judgement on His Creation

Over the centuries, following the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the population grew at astounding rates; the atmosphere was still ideal and the population had very long lifespans and excellent health. Despite the perfect environment people still died; we know death is the penalty of sin but since the Garden of Eden had been placed out of reach, of what sin were those uncounted thousands that died found guilty?

Only one commandment had been given to mankind and that was to not eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; that tree was no longer accessible so what was the charge against mankind? The Bible answers that question in Romans 5:12-14 where it is written:

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.”

What this means is that Adam’s sin was imputed to everyone including you and me; since Adam all of mankind, born of human father’s, have been born spiritually dead and infected by a sin nature. It is this problem the Lord Jesus Christ, whose father was God, the Holy Spirit, came to correct; only Adam and Christ were directly “fathered” by God.

Genesis 5 is sometimes referred to as the “Chapter of Death” because of the life cycles described there, born, lived, died going on for hundreds of years. The Bible indicates the time gap between Adam’s creation and the flood to be approximately 1,656 years; I’ve written on this in several essays starting with “The World Before the Flood.”

In Genesis 6 we are given a brief summary of Satan’s efforts to corrupt human DNA and the deadly results that follow. The success of this attack is illustrated by the severity of the judgement; the entire population of the earth minus selected animals and eight humans are all killed; this is covered in the series just referenced.

The Earth as we Know it Today Emerges

The earth today has been dramatically altered by the flood; “The World Before the Flood” series addresses this in some detail; the earth is much the worse for the losses suffered during the flood. The flood was accompanied by severe geological upheavals that dramatically altered the face of the earth; in addition the water vapor canopy that had surrounded the earth became part of the deluge that flooded the earth. The removal of the water vapor canopy was the catalyst for the weather we have today and the increased exposure to radiation we experience today.

Imagine 1,656 years, that’s a very long time with very little happening from a divine perspective; then suddenly something starts to happen, something that has never happened before, water starts falling from the sky and gets heavier and heavier and doesn’t stop; a huge boat that was built on dry land by some “crazy man” suddenly makes a lot of sense but it is too late to do anything about the deluge.

The change was sudden and violent and produced extremely rapid changes in climate producing such phenomena as the “Beresovka Mammoth,” a mammoth elephant discovered on the banks of the Beresovka River in Siberia that was frozen so quickly that ferns and flowers in the stomach that have never been know to grow in Siberia were still identifiable by specific type.

The flood was a single meteorological and geological event that totally changed the earth. After the flood mankind began to settle into a new pattern of life dictated by the major climate changes caused by the flood; nothing has changed since then on the scope involved in the flood; the post diluvian world in which we live today is essentially what was produced by the action of the flood event.

The Survivors

Eight people and an assortment of animals were preserved from drowning by the building of the ark; it was to be their job to repopulate the earth in a much more hostile environment. Earth, without the water vapor canopy, had become a planet of extremes; from frigid cold to sweltering heat swept by storms and blistering sun. The human lifespan began to fall as adversity took its toll on mankind; what had been a lifespan of hundred’s of years began to drop to what we have today.

The Bible leaves out much detail on what happened as the Bible’s purpose is to record man’s fall and God’s remedy to the fall; the Bible is a book of redemption, not a record of man’s history. I suspect that many who have studied the Bible wish more details had been included about the antediluvian world; I suspect it was a fascinating time with a total world population that exceeds what we have today according to some statistical speculation.

The focus of the Bible is on the path that will lead to mankind’s redemption; God had promised a redeemer and the Bible’s mission is to record the essential points along that journey of redemption. The parts of that story that have been revealed tell of mankind’s failure and God’s grace and faithfulness in the face of human frailty.

Next we will consider the preparation phase that is covered in the Old Testament.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 20, 2017

A House Divided

A Word of Warning

Today the Congress of the United States passed a new tax bill along strict party lines. The Republicans voted for the bill and the Democrat members of Congress voted against it. This was the most recent example of the political polarity which has enveloped this country.

The angry rhetoric and emotional outbursts primarily from progressive liberals in all walks of life against conservative values and those endorsing conservative values has reached a new level of intensity. The energetic efforts by the left to destroy the national fabric of our society has left little doubt as to the value they place on the national sovereignty of the United States.

Globalist ambitions have been hampered by the nationalism found in the United States of America; efforts to submerge this nation in a more global political structure have been sorely frustrated by the economic strength and strong spirit of nationalism that has characterized this country and its people.

In addition to those obstacles to globalization there exists in this country a very strong Christian influence which still rejects the notion of a global government. The Bible is clear that a form of world government will exist during the Tribulation overseen by the Antichrist; it is this form of government that will be defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.

A Tactical Victory

While the passage of the tax bill represents a small victory in the battle for the United States it does not mean the war is won; the battle for control will continue for a time as determined by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The time of the rapture of the church is known only to God but I’m of the opinion that it is this event that will tip the scales in favor of globalism; the removal of all born-again Christians will spell the end of the United States as a sovereign nation.

I have written of the spiritual war which has been in progress for thousands of years; as Christians we are all soldiers of the Lord charged with the responsibility of fighting the good fight in the power of God, the Holy Spirit.

While the ultimate outcome is assured there are many battles yet to be fought and one recent battle has been won; a battle to preserve the national integrity of the United States for a little longer.

The deep divisions we are seeing in this country bear eloquent testimony to the increasing severity of the war being fought. The Lord Jesus Christ warned us of this danger when he said:

“25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Matthew 12:25

There seems to be little doubt that the United States is now a kingdom divided against itself; it is foolish to think that this kingdom will stand if that challenge is not addressed and corrected sooner rather than later. Although nationalism has won some battles; the globalist faction is not about to give up.

The United States has accomplished what it has to this point by God’s grace; let us pray that God’s hand of grace may again restore this nation. The fourth verse of our national anthem most beautifully expresses this important principle:

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

Let us never forget to praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation nor fail to put our trust in God! Let us pray by God’s grace the star-spangled banner may continue to triumphantly wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 18, 2017

Christmas, When the Word was Made Flesh

The Happiest Season of the Year

On December 25th of each year Christian’s traditionally observe the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ although no one really knows exactly when Christ, the Messiah, was born. Contemporary scholarship seems to lean toward a winter birth in the winter of 5/4 BC; the events described by the authors of the Gospels which were taking place at the time of the Lord’s birth would suggest such an approximate date for the First Advent of our Lord.

While we do not know, with any degree of certainty, when the Lord was born we can know with absolute certainty that he was, in fact, born and that alone is sufficient occasion for rejoicing.

The enormous significance of the First Advent of our Lord may sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle of the season and the sometimes-frantic preparations that seem to be an inevitable part of the days before Christmas. We have even witnessed an effort on the part of some to remove Christ and Christmas from the winter “Holiday Season” and to secularize the season so as not to offend those who prefer to reject the message of Christ and Christmas; fortunately, that trend is losing ground.

For those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ, this season is a beautiful reminder of our Lord and the wonder of His birth.

Four Hundred Years of Silence

The voice of God through His prophets had become silent; for 400 years Israel did not receive any word from God through the prophets. Much had happened that was instrumental in setting the stage for the events that would transpire during the First Advent but there was no word from the Lord; just silence for 400 years.

God was planning on breaking that silence in the most dramatic way possible; God the Son, the living Word, would be born of a virgin by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, and become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone. The silence would finally be broken by the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord; the spoken word would be replaced by the living Word of God who would be made flesh and dwell among us. We would have a Kinsman/Redeemer, a Savior who would take our place of judgment and die on the cross for the redemption of our sins.

The Birth of the King

It is fascinating to me to reflect on the decisions God made as to the birth of the Son of God. The eternal creator of the universe was not to be born in a palace or even a major city of the time; but was to be born of humble parentage in a small insignificant village named Bethlehem. Although both were descended from King David by two different lines of descent, Mary through David’s son Nathan, and Joseph through David’s son Solomon, any association with royalty had faded generations before. His mother, Mary, was a peasant girl and her husband, Joseph, was a simple carpenter; hardly a likely couple to become the caregivers for the humanity of the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.

All proceeded according to God’s eternal plan and the precious baby was entrusted to humans to care for and love as He grew in stature and wisdom over the early years of His life.

The Shepherds

The Bible describes two events surrounding the birth and early childhood of our Lord. The first had to do with the angelic host appearing to the shepherds. I have read that these particular shepherds and the sheep of their flock were very special; these were the sheep destined for temple sacrifice. How fitting that the announcement of the birth of the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, should be made to shepherds tending the sheep to be sacrificed on the Temple altar.

The Magi

The second event concerns the arrival of the magi whose number is not specified in Scripture. I have previously written on the magi and the mysterious star they followed and have some strongly held opinions concerning both. The account of the magi is only given in Matthew 2:1-12, and the implications are the magi appeared around two years after the birth of Jesus. I believe these particular magi were of a group founded by the prophet Daniel, and the gifts presented by the magi were placed with that group originally by Daniel himself.

Daniel had prophesied the very day our Lord would enter Jerusalem as the Lamb of God and I believe he instructed the magi to pay particular attention as that time drew closer. I believe the star was in fact the Shekinah Glory of God and led the magi to the place where Jesus was living. While none of this is specified in Scripture, it would explain a lot.

Christmas Today

While admittedly under attack, Christmas is still a powerful factor in the lives of many. I think we can all agree that the mood becomes a bit more joyous and happy around Christmas especially in the Christian community. The traditions of Christmas are always welcome and bring remembrances of Christmas past and the fun and fellowship of family and friends. The traditional Christmas hymns are a great blessing and tell the story of our Lord’s birth with beauty and simplicity.

Christmas is a happy time and I’m thankful it is here again! I’ll continue the “truth” series on January 3, 2018 D.V.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed, Happy New Year

 

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 11, 2017

It’s All True, All of it! Part 2


In His Own Image, by Adele Bower ©

Creation Begins

There came a time before time that a decision was made to create; to that point only the Trinity existed as it always had, unchanging, eternal, but now a decision had been made to create. The existence of the angelic creation is referenced in many places in scripture but the occasion of their creation is not revealed in the Bible. I believe it is safe to assume they were created before Adam and Eve because Satan, as a fallen angel, is present in the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve.

The Bible reveals the existence of angels, and tells of an angelic rebellion followed by the fall of one third of the angelic creation and the ongoing spiritual warfare that has been going on a very long “time” (I use that word advisedly); I wrote of this in a three part series called, “To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War.” I’m inclined to believe that initially the angelic creation existed as spirit beings in a non-corporeal environment; the Bible is silent on that point. To question how long this condition was the norm is essentially meaningless in a timeless eternity.

From there we move on to what seems to be a later creative act described in Genesis 1, the creation of the heavens and the earth. This is a distinctly physical creation with the universe as we know it coming into existence by the word of the Trinity. This process is summarized in the first six chapters of the Book of Genesis on which I have written in a series starting with “The Creation Story“. I am of the studied opinion the earth and the universe as we know it is only a few thousand years old.

At the point man is created, it appears the Trinity would have engaged in three classes of creative acts, the angelic, the physical universe as we know it including animal life, and mankind, who was uniquely created by the breath of God in God’s image; eternal spirits temporarily housed in bodies of the “dust” of the earth. The distinctive nature of man’s creation is a topic I’ve discussed in several essays including “Let’s Face it, your Eternal,” and “Your Temporary Clay Jar – Another Thought.”

The Creation Phase comes to a Close

After the creation of man, the revealed or implied acts of creation by the Trinity came to a close. At some point in the future the Trinity will either create or recreate a new heaven and a new earth; currently in my thinking I’m leaning toward a refiner’s fire; think of the refining of gold to burn out impurities.

By way of review, the eternal Trinity had decided to create; the sequence seems to be the angelic creation came first followed by the creation account recorded in the first chapters of Genesis. The Trinity spoke creation into existence with the exception of man which was breathed into existence and created in the image of the Trinity.

Mankind was placed in a perfect environment and told to rule the animal population and to populate the earth. Adam was given one restriction, he was never to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After that commandment was given Eve was created from Adam’s rib and became the suitable help God wanted Adam to have.

There is no time reference given to determine how much time had passed after Adam’s creation until the creation of Eve; there is also no time reference for Eve’s creation to her temptation by Satan in the form of a serpent. I am inclined to think in longer rather than shorter terms; I’ve covered this in “The Fall.”

It was during the time after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden I believe Adam and Eve had many children before the recorded birth of Cain; the only information that might be helpful in this regard was Adam’s age of 130 years at the birth of Seth. Remembering that Adam was created as an adult male and Eve as an adult female could open the door to a rather large number of children, wouldn’t you think?

The Bible’s mission is to reveal mankind’s sin and God’s solution to mankind’s problem; not to provide a comprehensive history of mankind; I believe Cain’s wife came from this growing pool of individuals.

Before Adam’s disobedience the earth was a far more hospitable place, precisely designed for mankind’s requirements; after the fall the earth was still a protected environment conducive to man’s health but the Garden of Eden was no longer accessible. The flood, however, severely compromised the earth’s environment and resulted in the general conditions we have today. After the fall and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden Satan’s second assault on God’s plan was to be implemented.

Access to the Garden of Eden was prohibited as a manifestation of God’s grace in order to provide the needed protection for mankind to prevent access to the Tree of Life; living forever with a fallen sin nature is not a happy thought.

Next time we will consider the nature of Satan’s attack and the resulting judgement.

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