Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | November 5, 2024

The Presidency, a Reflection of the People.

“Americans gaze into their moral mirror”

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In an article by Abraham McLaughlin, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor / January 19, 1999 the Christian Science Monitor discussed the results of a survey of 800 Americans which was commissioned by The Christian Science Monitor and conducted by Technometrica Institute of Policy and Politics (TIPP), based in Oradell, N.J. The subject of the survey was President Clinton’s behavior after the Monica Lewinsky scandal had been revealed.

The article went on to say, “Nearly one-fifth of those surveyed in a nationwide poll said Mr. Clinton’s actions have prompted them to reexamine their own standards. The poll also found this moral mirror-gazing is more common among those who disapprove of the way Clinton is doing his job.”

This election year we are given another opportunity to gaze into the mirror of our moral fiber as a nation; we are given two widely disapproved candidates of questionable moral worthiness for the highest office in the land.

The candidates for the office of President of the United States are, should you read the evaluations provided by the opposing party, more worthy of prison than the White House. Since the epithets being thrown by both parties are such common knowledge I will not repeat them here; I suspect most of us are quite weary of all the mudslinging that has characterized this election cycle.

What is our Responsibility as Christians?

I have never before seen such a polarizing election as this one; emotions are running high as self-appointed spokespersons for this or that cause speak out against what they feel to be the most egregious transgressions of a particular candidate. There appears to be no such thing as a clear choice between the two candidates, no moral high ground as both are equally unacceptable to many.

Is there any stability available to the Christian in this time of political turmoil? I believe there is a stability that can be found in the Bible for those who trust God and believe his word.

What does the Bible have to say about governments and leaders; can we find any comfort in the pages of the Bible as we live through this time of unrest? Should we vote for the lesser of two evils or simply not vote for the office at all; that seems to be the question in the minds of many Christians.

The Bible on Governments and Leaders

I am convinced of the absolute sovereignty of God; I believe God is in complete control of all things and is working all things after the counsel of his own will!

As I study the Bible certain sections of scripture come to my mind first; Daniel 4:17 for example:

17 For this has been decreed by the messengers;
    it is commanded by the holy ones,
so that everyone may know
    that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.
He gives them to anyone he chooses—
    even to the lowliest of people.”

In Romans 13:1 this principle is restated when Paul writes:

13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

I believe those verses make it very clear who is in charge in this matter; it is God who determines who the leaders of government will be, not chance, not cleverness, not popularity, not force, not even the vote!

How then should we apply this principle to the present situation? If God is in complete control, and he is, then what is our responsibility as Christians?

Christian Responsibility

I believe our responsibility as Christians can best be summarized by the verses in Proverbs 3:5-6 where it is written:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

Regarding this election either vote or don’t vote for the office of President as you feel led but above all you should experience no concern that things are out of control; simply know that God is in complete control and is working all things after the counsel of his own will.

The next President of the United States, should there be one, will function as a servant of the Most High God and will be used for the accomplishment of God’s will for this nation. That you can take to the bank!

It would appear that either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States on Monday, January 20, 2025; it is wise, in these volatile times, to remember God is in complete control and may have another plan already in place that excludes both of them.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.

(This was first published on October 20, 2016 during a period of intense national turmoil. Nationally we have been experiencing a repeat of those conditions of turmoil in 2024; challenges to the established order always seem to generate violent resistence.)

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 25, 2024

Adventures on Horseback

One Imagines a True Texan as Someone on a Horse!

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas and have lived here most of my life. Although that might qualify me as a true, native Texan, I am somewhat embarrassed to report my experience on horseback has been limited to two occasions: once as a child, and once again as an older adult.

In Houston. at that time, horses were still in use for hauling delivery wagons which means I occasionally saw a horse in the street in front of our house. We had ice delivered to our ice box and on the days we needed ice we would place a sign in the window showing how much we wanted delivered to us that day.

My very earliest memories were of a horse-drawn ice wagon and the giant of a man who would come into our house with a big chunk of ice on his shoulder. He would deliver it to our ice box and then return to his wagon and move on to the next house on his route.

We also had an “Ice House” which would sell block ice and all sorts of household goods, candies and soft drinks; these later became “convenience stores”

The Great Depression

I was born in 1933 and the “Great Depression” had been in effect for several years by that time. Fortunately, Houston was not hit as hard as some cities by the depression and I, as a child, was totally unaware anything like that was even going on.

Life was so different from what we have now that it would be difficult to try and explain all the differences, but there were a lot of them indeed!

Even in Houston, some people had to get really creative on making a living.

One of those more creative ways was bringing a pony to people’s house and letting them buy pictures of a family-member sitting on the pony. This just happened to be my experience as a child, some adult in my family decided it would be cute to get a picture of me sitting on the pony.

The photographer had all sorts of props available to wear for the occasion; some cowboy attire was chosen for me. Those chaps were obviously meant for someone considerably taller, my two-year old legs were no where near that long!

That brought my horse-riding career to a screeching stop; 62 years were to pass before I next sat on the back of a horse. Life has a strange way of setting new priorities as time passes; I have written more on this in the series “Once Upon a Time, I was a Little Boy”

Flying L Ranch Resort and Golf Course.

My wife and I wanted to take our grandchildren on a special vacation; often, it is difficult to think up and arrange a trip with Grandma and Grandpa that would seriously interest grandchildren. After a lot of careful deliberation, we came up with an idea we thought would appeal to the grandkids, a dude ranch.

This turned out to be a great choice as all of us had a wonderful, and memorable time. As a part of our adventure, we went on a trail-ride on horseback; this was the occasion, after 62 years, that I was once again to sit on a horse.

This is me riding “Strawberry”. We rode through some beautiful Texas countryside and all four of us enjoyed the experience and have fond memories of it to this day.

It is easy to see how a deep bond could develop between a rider and his horse. I feel a sense of responsibility to all of God’s creatures; I’m mindful of the original charge given to man, to rule over all of God’s living creatures.

As God’s image bearers, we are the closest thing to their creator these creatures will ever experience. It is our responsibility to manifest God’s loving care to them when we can. While we will never be the owner of horses, we have been privileged by the Lord to be his image bearer to the two rescue cats that he has entrusted to our care.

Addendum to Horseback Riding! The Grand Finale!

This morning, 10-26-2024, it occurred to me that I will have more horse riding in my future; the Book of Revelation reminds me I will be riding a white horse at the time of the Lord’s return at the Second Advent. Wow, talk about a special experience, this one will be once in a lifetime! In Revelation 19:11-16 it is written:

“11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

King of kings and Lord of lords.“

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 21, 2024

God’s Plan for the United States of America

God’s plan is Precise, Perfect, and Inevitable!

In the Book of Romans, chapter 13, verse 1, it is stated, emphatically;

“13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”

(It is important to keep in mind the Roman Emperor, Nero, was leading the Roman Empire at that time. The Apostle Paul was not writing this from a position of safety, but a position of potential danger!)

When the Bible makes a statement like that, I take it at face value, it is the truth and I accept it as the truth! Governments are established by God to do his will even if those governments operate in direct opposition to Biblical standards.

This principle is expanded upon in Daniel 4:17 where it is written:

“17 For this has been decreed by the messengers;
    it is commanded by the holy ones,
so that everyone may know
    that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.
He gives them to anyone he chooses—
    even to the lowliest of people.”

Looking back over history, we can see how God has used the “lowliest of people” in the accomplishment of his will.

The Election of 2024, a Battle for Control of the United States!

The citizens of the United States are scheduled to vote on November 5, 2024 for one of two candidates to be the next President of the United States and to select their representatives to the House and Senate. The outcome of this election has been known by God from eternity past and is, in fact, a part of his precise and perfect plan for this country.

I have never seen the USA so divided before, the gap between the moral, spiritual and philosophical positions of the two opposing parties is immense! The Democrat Party is so intensely anti-Biblical as to stagger the imagination; there is little, if anything, about their beliefs that reflects a Biblical perspective!

I am convinced that we, as Christians, have an obligation to vote for the candidate who most closely follows the teachings of the Holy Bible! Although the outcome of this election is in the hands of God, we, as Christian citizens of this nation, have a moral obligation to promote the principles taught in the Bible!

While neither candidate is perfect, there is no living person on the face of the earth that is perfect; the truth of the matter is, there has only been one human that was perfect and that was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Life Versus Death

I have written recently on the dilemma facing mankind; we have all been born spiritually dead and need outside help to become spiritually alive. This help was provided, by God, when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross as payment in full, for the sin of Adam, which killed the human race, spiritually.

Anyone who receives Jesus Christ as Savior is born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, and becomes spiritually alive and an eternal member of the family of God. This is the only way spiritual life can be achieved by anyone.

By embracing principles of spiritual death, the Democrat Party has clearly identified itself as the party of death while the Republican Party has identified itself as the party of life. Any casual examination of the principles of either party will clearly reveal where it stands.

God’s Fourth Intervention

Last year, I wrote on the subject of God’s overt intervention into the affairs of mankind. I noted that God, on seven occasions, has and will take dramatic action that greatly impacts the life of men on this earth. Today, we are living in a time when the “Fourth Intervention” can be expected at any time.

The fourth intervention is the removal of the Church at the Rapture; an event that will remove all born again Christians from the face of the earth instantaneously.

Should this event take place today, I doubt the Democrat Party would experience any significant impact at all; its leadership would likely remain intact, left behind when this happens. I believe it likely the Republican Party will essentially disappear from the face of the earth.

If God chooses to place the Democrat Party in control of the United States, I believe this will be a signal that the “Fourth Intervention” will follow soon. I, for one, certainly hope this will be the case!

I have already voted, by mail, for Donald Trump and the other Republican candidates for office and hope God’s hand of grace will be extended to this country one more time. If God has decided to place the Democrat Party in power; then there may likely be some intensely dramatic times ahead as the Lord intervenes in the affairs of men.

I’m reminded of, and rejoice in Ephesians 1:10-12 where it is written:

“10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

God’s Will Shall Be Done!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 17, 2024

Seventy Two Years and Counting!

Today my Wife and I Observe our Seventy-Second Year of Marriage!

On October 17, 1952 my wife and I were married at a small church in Houston, Texas. Her brother, a fresh graduate from seminary, performed the ceremony as his very first marriage ceremony. We were all nervous but the results have endured for seventy-two years and, by God’s grace, will endure even longer.

I was 19 years old and my wife was 17 years old

The ceremony took place at Woodland Christian Church which was later torn down to make room for the new freeway to Dallas. A close examination of the photo will reveal the hole in my right shoe; we were both monetarily challenged and had learned to make-do with what we had. My wife’s dress was made by her mother and was very lovely! My shoes looked better when I was standing up, I had carefully polished them.

We had a reception for our guests there at the church and observed the usual cake-cutting ritual.

We had been given $100 ($1,186.00 in 2024 dollars) and a borrowed car to celebrate our honeymoon. That afternoon, we drove to New Braunfels and stayed at the Faust Hotel. Thus began an adventure which continues to this day.

Back home from New Braunfels

As I look back over those years, I can clearly see the Lord’s hand of blessing on our marriage. While there have been challenges, the Lord has always been faithful to us and helped us as we occasionally had to struggle with life events.

Together, we have grown in our faith and learned to love and trust the Lord in all circumstances. Today, our lives together are filled with joy and peace as we each delight in the presence of the other. While it is true our advanced age has brought new challenges, we can share these challenges together and rejoice in the companionship and love that 72 years of life together have produced!

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 7, 2024

The Feast of Trumpets 2024 – Yet Another Rapture That Didn’t Happen

The Feast of Trumpets, 2024 is Now History

Last time we were reflecting on the likelihood of the Feast of Trumpets, 2024, being the signal for the Rapture of the Church; now we can look back and say that was not to be the case. At the time, in the second paragraph, I wrote, ”I’m not convinced the church will be taken up at this Feast of Trumpets or any other Feast of Trumpets for that matter.”

As I speculate on the Rapture, my mind moves in the direction of eternal membership in the church; I’m of the opinion that God is waiting on a specific number of individuals whom he has predestined to be a part of the church from eternity past. Some verses in 2 Peter 3:8-9 refer to this:

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Notice particularly Peter is writing to the “Beloved” and adds the Lord is longsuffering toward us, the beloved, and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. I believe the Lord is holding back the Rapture of the Church until the very last Christian, foreknown by God from eternity past, has been added to the church.

The beloved are those who either had or at some future point would be born-again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, into the body of Christ, the true church; I’m also convinced the Lord knows the precise second that will happen and will act instantaneously to remove the church from the earth.

I’m confident that every Christian alive today is grateful the Lord has been longsuffering toward us; because of his patience, we too are a part of the true church. I continue to be amazed at the large number of people all over the world who are receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior. The church is growing mightily each and every day that passes!

It may be timely to reflect, for a moment, on what it means to be a Christian, a born-again member of the true church. I assure you the distinction between a member of the church and one who is not is truly enormous with ramifications both in time and eternity!

A Mystery Hidden from the Old Testament Prophets

God, in his infinite wisdom, chose to conceal from the Old Testament prophets, the future existence of a special group to be known as the church. Two notable future events had been revealed to the Old Testament prophets, and they stood out like two mountain peaks, off in the distance; the First advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Second Advent of our Lord. What had not been revealed was the presence of a long valley that stretched out below those two mountain peaks and would be referred to as the Church Age; it is this valley in which we find ourselves today!

While the church age would be built on principles found in the Mosaic Law, it would make a complete departure from the Law, as practiced by Israel. Whereas the Temple in Jerusalem was the focus of worship for Israel under the Mosaic Law, the church age would abandon a temple of wood and stone and be endowed with multiple temples of human flesh and bone; each individual member of the church would become a temple of God!

Another dramatic change would be the membership in the church; both Jews and Gentiles would be equally welcome into the church and would become a new creation by the power of God. God would actually indwell this new creation and become one with it. In a fashion similar to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the glory of God would be hidden from mortal view in those who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

A Starting Point

The church was created by God on Pentecost, May 25, AD 33; this event is described in Acts 2:1-4 where it is written:

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

An amazing thing had just happened, a completely new type of human being had come into existence, a human being indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit! This had been promised to the Apostles in John 14:16-17 where it is written:

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

This is precisely what happened at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit begin to indwell human beings for the very first time; the Holy Spirit was no longer just with God’s saints but in them forever.

To prove this was of God and not of man; God initially provided evidence of this change with the rushing mighty wind, the tongues of fire and the speaking in unknown tongues.

A Valley of Unknown Length

While the existence of the valley of the Church Age was not revealed to the Old Testament prophets, neither is the length of that valley revealed to those of us who are living in it! Currently we are 1,991 years into this valley and have no idea how much longer this valley will exist although we can be absolutely certain the end will occur just as God has planned it.

It would appear the next prophetic event will be the rapture of the church; this event will precede other prophetic events that will occur during the end times; there are no remaining prophecies that must be fulfilled before the rapture can happen. In addition, we are surrounded by events that have fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies chief of which is the reestablishment of Israel as a nation.

The Great Catching Up

The removal of the church is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 where it is written:

“13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.“

I believe it possible that I may be a part of this last generation of Christians; although I am now 91 years old, I think it could happen that the Lord will return before I die. This, for me, is a blessed hope that I’m sure I share with many! It all depends on when the last soul to be included in the church has finally been added!

The Church Age and the special blessings associated with the Church Age had a starting point and will have an ending point. When this age comes to a close, then Israel will, at some point, begin the last seven years promised to it by God. At the end of this seven years, the second mountain peak event will transpire, the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ and bring “The Times of the Gentiles” to a close.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 30, 2024

Will the Feast of Trumpets 2024 Signal the Removal of the Church?

Will the 2024 Feast of Trumpets Signal the End of the Church Age?

This year, the Feast of Trumpets begins on Octomber 3rd and continues through October 4th. There has once again been a great deal of speculation that this year could be very special to the true church, all born-again believers. There is a great deal of discussion that associates this Feast of Trumpets with the Rapture of the Church.

Those who pursue this line of thought, see a number of prophetic lines converging on this date; while I find this interesting, I’m not convinced the church will be taken up at this Feast of Trumpets or any other Feast of Trumpets for that matter. I do admit proponents of this view can produce some compelling arguments.

The Feasts of the Lord

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

The Spring Feasts Fulfilled

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Fall Feasts Await Fulfillment

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

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

The Feast of Trumpets, (Rosh Hashanah) on October 3-4

The Feast of Atonement, (Yom Kippur) on  October 12

The Feast of Tabernacles, (Sukkot) on October 17-23

Needless to say, I, personally, would welcome the Rapture before I finish typing this sentence, but, unfortunately, that was not to be the case! I have complete confidence in the certainty of the Rapture; I am convinced the Rapture will take place before the beginning of the Tribulation as the last seven years, before Christ’s bodily return to earth at the Second Advent, belong exclusively to Israel as per God’s promise to Israel.

The exact timing of the Rapture is not specified but the signs surrounding the Rapture are already in place with no unfulfilled prophecies remaining before the Rapture can take place.

There is one thing that is certain, we don’t have long to wait before the observance of the Feast of Trumpets in 2024; then, we shall discover whether this particular Feast of Trumpets is special to the church or not.

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 23, 2024

Your Worldview, Fact or Fiction?

Your Worldview Serves as the Foundation for Your Life!

As we live out our lives, we will inevitably create a perspective on life, living and, in the process, establish a worldview that will have a profound impact on how we see and prioritize life’s challenges and opportunities.

In an essay on Reality I wrote many years ago, the second paragraph says,

“All of us have heard the expression “get real” which usually means to deal with life as it really is and stop dreaming. That is good advice as reality is the ultimate judge of the value of all of our actions and decisions.”

Once again, I emphasize reality is still the ultimate judge of the value of all of our actions and decisions. The process of separating fact from fiction is a life-long struggle!

Mankind is Immersed in a Sea of Satanic Deception!

The earth was forfeited to Satan when Adam disobeyed a direct command given to him by God. He died spiritually, along with every other human being that would be born of a human father and was reduced to a life of servitude instead of the life of rulership that had been planned for him by God!

In Genesis 1:26-28 it is written:

“26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Adams disobedience resulted in judgment and death; in Genesis 3:17-19 it is written:

17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;
    through painful toil you will eat food from it
    all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
    and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return.”

These verses describe the rise and fall of the human race; from ruler to tenant farmer all in one brief span of time. The tragic results of this fall continue today with every human, born of a human father, being born spiritually dead and indwelt by a fallen, Adamic, sin nature. That is not a very pretty beginning to human history, I think we would all agree!

How About You and Your Life?

You are the world’s top expert on you, you know more about you than anyone else on the planet; in light of that advantage, how would you say you’re managing in life? Are you pleased with the progress you’ve made and the overall situation in which you find yourself?

You have been subjected to enormous pressures by the world; pressures seeking to mold you into the world’s image and those pressures have been accompanied by serious deceptions. Efforts by the world to convince you that what you can see is all you can expect from life!

You are living in a world where Satan is the “Prince of the Power of the Air”, a fallen world where the human species is born spiritually dead and inhabited by a fallen sin nature. No one, born of a human father, has been spared that fate; every human with a human father has shared those same deadly characteristics!

To make matters even worse, you are living on a spiritual battlefield where spiritual war has been continuously waged for thousands of years and there is absolutly nothing you can do on your own to solve any of those deadly challenges.

Are You Ready for a Savior Yet?

While some of this may be news to you, God has known from eternity past you were going to need big-time help. That is why God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for the sin of Adam, which you inherited, plus all your personal sins and shortcomings by dying on the cross in your place!

By simply turning to Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you can be born again into a new family and, once and for all, leave your fallen, sin-cursed family behind! In John 3:16-21 it is written:

“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.”

A Worldview Based on the Bible leads to Eternal Life; a Worldview Based on the World leads to Eternal Judgment in the Lake of Fire!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 14, 2024

Praising the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Our Nations Flag

On September 14, 1814, 210 years ago today, Francis Scott Key begin writing the words of our national anthem under very dramatic circumstances! Later it was assigned to a popular melody of the time but only after 102 years was it officially designated as our national anthem by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916,

I discovered a long time ago, that verse 4, of our national anthem, is the one that is most likely to move me to tears. The words of verse 4 are:

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

source: lyricsondemand.com/n/nationalanthemlyrics/usanationalanthemlyrics.html

Any examination of the history of the United States will clearly reveal we’ve had help from above; God’s hand of blessing is so clear to those who can look at our history objectively.

A History of Controversy

I most sincerely wish I could say the behavior we are observing in Washington D. C. is not typical for our nation, but I simply cannot say that; if anything at all it seems to be the normal behavior historically exhibited by our national leaders. Looking back through the pages of our nation’s history we see time and again the same sort of behavior.

In spite of this childish behavior, our nation has done so much good over the years; we are aware of the many accomplishments this nation has achieved over its 248 years of history.

As one reviews history it would be easy to believe there is a fundamental problem shared by all of us; some flaw in our natures which allows the unruly behavior which seems so typical of our species. The Bible speaks very plainly on that point, we do all share a flaw which is hereditary to our species, a cursed, fallen sin nature which we inherit at birth.

God’s Process of Preservation

God has a plan to work around that flaw, a plan which offers redemption and restoration to the individual and preservation to the nation. This plan was purchased by God at great expense, the death of God, the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, at Calvary as full payment for Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden.

Appropriation of this wondrous gift is by simple faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and God; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, it is that simple! While simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ provides redemption and restoration, the matter of national preservation is something else.

The Bible, once again, provides insights into the place and function of nations in God’s plan. In Daniel 4:17 it is written:

17 For this has been decreed by the messengers;
it is commanded by the holy ones,
so that everyone may know
that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.
He gives them to anyone he chooses—
even to the lowliest of people.”

The Preeminence of Israel

There is one nation, one land that has been chosen by God to be his nation, his people; that is the nation of Israel. No other nation has been promised a land by the creator of the universe, only Israel. Although God has established the church and given the church responsibilities to spread the gospel and teach the commandments; the church’s home is not on this world, it is in heaven with God.

As we examine the Old Testament, we see God establishing and destroying nations as they relate to Israel; while nations may be called on to judge Israel, we see those nations pay a terrible price for their actions against Israel; this is not only true historically but also true prophetically.

The United States of America has been a historic friend and protector of Israel and as such, has received God’s hand of blessing. In addition, it has been a safe haven for the church and a center for the spread of the gospel and instruction in Biblical righteousness. As a result of God’s grace and mercy to this nation, we have been the recipient of God’s hand of blessing for many years.

Conspicuously Absent

An examination of prophecy reveals one major nation that is conspicuously missing from the world scene; the total absence of the United States. I believe the Rapture of the Church and the following battle of Psalm 83 will eliminate the United States as a world power; I have written more on this in other essays.

While we have no idea on God’s timing for these events, we can know, with complete confidence, that his timing is exact and certain and will be fulfilled precisely as he wills. In the meantime, we have the great commission to obey and instructions to rejoice in the Lord always; rejoice and be glad,

God’s will is being fulfilled before our eyes!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 5, 2024

The Walking Dead Among Us!

Are You Wondering Why So Many People are Doing and Thinking Such Total Nonsense?

The answer is they’re spiritually dead, have a fallen Adamic sin nature and a severely damaged moral compass! All human beings, born of a human father, are born spiritually dead and there is absolutely nothing they can do to change that without outside help!

The only path to spiritual life is looking to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and being born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit! This is the primary message of John 3, you must be born again! This is God’s plan for redemption and must be observed if anyone is to ever gain spiritual life! In John 3:5-8 it is written:

“5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

The spiritually dead all have a confused worldview that is based on fiction. We live in a Satanically controlled world that is filled with false notions of reality that lead one down a dangerous path of deception and ultimate destruction!

I have previously written on the subject of reality; in the essay, “What is Reality?“, I describe reality as revealed in the Bible. You can believe me when I tell you Biblical reality is as far removed from the human viewpoint as the thinking of God is removed from the thinking of man!

The actions making most of the headlines today are largely the actions of those who are the walking dead; they have a dead spirit, a severely damaged moral compass, a perverted worldview and are easily influenced by demonic powers.

They have only one hope and that is to turn to Jesus Christ as Savior and be born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit. If, by the grace of God, they can respond to the call to salvation, be born again and be made spiritually alive, they can also become a new creation in Jesus Christ and be given a place in the family of God!

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 16, 2024

The Election of 2024

Is There Anything of Meaningful Significance that we do not Know About These Two Candidates?

While there may be a great deal yet to be discovered about the two Vice Presidential candidates, we, as a nation, have had years of time to discover how the policies and practices of the two presidential candidates have impacted the United States of America!

As American citizens, we have had four years to observe the impact of President Trump’s policies and practices on our country and almost four years to observe the results of the policies and practices of the Biden/Harris administration.

We have lived through these experiences one day at a time and should not need further arguments and discussions to predict the widely divergent paths proposed by the two different parties!

For years one of my favorite cliches has been “After all is said and done there is more said than done!” Never has this been more true than during the esstenially meaningless rhetoric one hears during a political campaign!

I am honestly astounded by any voting age American citizen who labels themselves “undecided”. What additional information could possibly be required if you have lived in this country for the last ten years? The results and the consequences of both administrations have been indeliby recorded in the pages of history.

I have lived in the United States of America all of my life and I’m deeply thankful for the privileges and opportunities it has afforded to me. As a Christian great-grandfather, I hope my family will be able to enjoy those same privileges and opportunities!

November 5, 2024 may well be the most important date in the history of this country; this could be the date the American electorate either decides to move forward to greatness or downward to destruction!

Let us pray that God has not removed his hand of mercy and grace from this country and will permit the return of Donald J. Trump as the President of the United States!

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