Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 10, 2017

What is Practical Christianity?

Higher Ground by Adele Bower©

What does Practical Really Mean?

I was listening to a sermon the other day when the pastor spoke to a subject I had heard many times before; the idea that whether you’re a teacher or a preacher it is important to leave the hearer with something they can apply to their lives immediately. In one way that may sound like a good idea but then in another way is it always the best thing to do?

I worked as a homebuilder for over 36 years and early on was taught one lesson I never forgot; the importance of a good basic foundation and structure for the home you were building. The idea was if you had the basics right, then the additions could be adjusted as needed in order to get the desired results. Cosmetic details could be changed provided you were working with a strong, solid foundation and the basic structure was true.

Over the years I have come to see how life has some similarities to building a house; I think we’ll all agree that life comes with a lot of assembly required. I’m convinced that many of the same principles apply to life building as they do to home building. If our lives are to be a success they must have a solid foundation and a strong basic structure on which to add the cosmetic details.

Would it not be considered “practical” to build our lives on such a foundation and structure as well? While the cosmetic details of our lives are unique to each of us we share a common need to have a solid foundation on which to build our lives, do we not? It is vital that our construction decisions be based on the best available information even if that information may not appear to meet an immediate need for tomorrow or the day after.

The last several years of my homebuilding career were in an area with very active soil; the soil would expand dramatically when wet and shrink with equal drama when dry. This resulted in a lot of stress and strain on the foundation so we had a soil investigation done for every building site in order to determine what the characteristics of the soil were at that particular location.

The soil investigation was given to an engineer who would design a foundation for those particular soil conditions and we would build the house on the foundation designed by the engineer; we were trying to use the best available information starting from the beginning.

How Dependable is the Foundation on which you are Building your Life?

I suggest it would be unwise to use unrealistic information as a basis for making decisions when it comes to your life. In an earlier essay I wrote, “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.” What is Reality

In this same essay I wrote, “If the world and all we see is nothing more than a stage setting then what is reality? The answer is both simple and yet complex beyond our ability to understand. As always the only source of truth about anything ultimate is the Bible.”

I’m sure you already see where I’m going with this; if we are looking for solid, reliable information on which to design and build our foundation for life we must go to a source that can be trusted to give us the correct information and that is the Bible; nothing else even comes close!

There is nothing really beautiful about a foundation and almost nothing to find beautiful about the basic framework of a house; it is, however, of the greatest importance that these elements by thoughtfully and carefully crafted as the ultimate success of the entire house will depend on them.

Building Your Foundation

If I were to try and identify the foundation for each of our lives I would identify the basic perceptions we have of ourselves and the world; when we wake up to a new day how do we see ourselves, how do we see the world in which we live? We might call these perceptions our basic assumptions about life and we generally make our daily decisions based on these assumptions.

Are our perceptions of reality and our assumptions about life based on the Bible or on popular opinion? Building a solid, realistic worldview requires reliable information and the Bible is the only source of that kind of information; if our assumptions are to be realistically valid then they should be based on the Bible.

While the Bible does not generally address the daily details of life it does establish broad principles for living which can provide the needed guidance when the time comes to make decisions about the details of life. These broad principles are present in both the Old and New Testaments but for the Christian, living under the New Covenant, the New Testament is the best source of rock solid information about life.

There is a body of knowledge which has been accumulated over the centuries that extracts this foundational knowledge about life from the pages of the Bible. I have found the doctrinal statement of Dallas Theological Seminary to be an accurate source of information for preparing a foundation for living. It can be found here: DTS Doctrinal Statement I personally believe and follow the “Full Doctrinal Statement.”

At first it may appear that a good knowledge of Bible doctrine is not essential to living the Christian life; I can attest to the truth that it is, in fact, an exceedingly valuable tool for living the Christian life well. I encourage you to look to the Bible for the basics of living a successful Christian life and encourage you to follow Paul’s advice to Timothy: “15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

My thoughts and suggestion on this subject are not original, please consider the following:

“46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49

I encourage you, no, I respectfully urge you to build your house on the solid rock and that rock is the Lord Jesus Christ! Practical Christianity is Christianity that works; I believe this kind of Christianity is best described in Galatians 5:22-25 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.”

 

 

 

1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 3, 2017

The Survivors Fund

A Very Worthy Cause

For several years now I’ve been a life member of “The 100 Club” and have chosen to exercise the privilege of contributing monthly to what is called the Survivors Fund. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Survivors Fund here is a brief description from their website:

“100% of your tax-deductible donation to the Survivor’s Fund goes to help the dependents of peace officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. When the unfortunate happens – The 100 Club appeals to its members and the public for donations and then, based on need, disburses funds to the dependents family.”

I noticed this month an appeal to spread the word about the work being done by the Survivors Fund and thought this might be a good opportunity to share this information which is why this is appearing this week.

For those of us who live in the Houston area this is another opportunity to help those who help us. I encourage you to check it out and make a donation if that idea appeals to you.

1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 26, 2017

Your Dream World and the Red Pill

The Matrix

 Directed by the Wachowski Brothers; winner of four Oscars.

In 1999 the movie, “The Matrix” was released to considerable acclaim by both audiences and critics. I do not recall exactly when I first saw the movie but remember being impressed with what I found to be a totally new plot theory unlike any I had encountered before. Having been a science fiction fan since around 1939 that took some doing as I had read or seen so many science fiction stories and found many of them repeating, with minor changes, a similar storyline.

It was going to take some time but I began to realize the parallels between our life on this earth and life in the “Matrix Universe.” For those of you not familiar with the story a character named Thomas A. Anderson, alias Neo makes a life changing discovery; here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on the movie:

“The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction film written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called “the Matrix”, created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies’ heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer “Neo” learns this truth and is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the “dream world.”

I have written on this before in my essay The Real Matrix Revealed but would like to think more on this idea of true reality and the real matrix in which we ourselves will live out our mortal lives, our very own “dream world.”

The Red Pill

In the story, Neo is told the truth of his situation and given the opportunity to take a non-reversible red pill that will change his life forever and discover for himself what reality is really like; he decides to take the red pill and his adventures begin. We too have a red pill called salvation in Jesus Christ; when we take that red pill we are born again, given spiritual life and given God, the Holy Spirit to live in us forever. Only then do we have the power of discernment and the ability to distinguish between our matrix and true reality.

In the movie, a character named Morpheus who was already free of the matrix had to help Neo discover the truth; in real life we too must have someone outside our matrix deliver to us the truth of our situation if we are to ever be free. For us the truth has come in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the red pill is the new birth which comes by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

The truth of creation and all reality is revealed exclusively in the Bible; only those who are spiritually alive and willing to study learn and apply those teachings to their lives have any hope of successfully dealing with the matrix of our lives and true reality.

In the movie, the characters that had been freed from the matrix had the ability to either connect or disconnect from the matrix. In our matrix this is not possible; although we are empowered to distinguish between reality and the matrix this is a matter of faith as we must continue to live out our mortal lives in the matrix.

A Vastly More Complex Matrix

The matrix in the movie existed only as a complex digital program that altered the perception of those individuals plugged into it but left all else unchanged; our matrix exists on both a spiritual and physical level and has the appearance of permanence; we are removed from this matrix only by our mortal death.

This winds up confusing a lot of people into thinking this world is reality and the final arbiter of what is valid and what is invalid; such a self-deception is both dangerous and destructive to any who fall into that trap. I have discussed this danger more in the essay, What is Reality and encourage anyone who has not read it to take a look.

I will once more emphasize the importance of perception; your perception of reality is so vitally important to your present and your future. If your perception of reality is not based on the teachings of the Bible it is probably based on your dream world and that can be disastrous for you; a mistake in judgment here can have profound, eternal consequences; choose carefully.

6 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 16, 2017

Are You Living in Interesting Times?

Turmoil and Discord Prevails

The most casual perusal of the news today reveals we are living in a country that is deeply divided against itself. The Democrat Party is in full attack mode against the Republican Party and each other and the Republican Party is fighting Democrats and each other. It appears that the best interests of the people and the nation have little or no place at all in the national arguments that fill the news.

It saddens me to observe the deep divisions that have divided this country into many factions that are fighting and attempting to destroy each other. The electorate has given the Republican Party an opportunity to run the country and it seems that all the Republican Party can do is to run each other into the ground and defend themselves from attacks by Democrats.

 Admittedly President Trump came in as an outsider with the declared intention of “draining the swamp” which became fighting words to the swamp dwellers who were thriving in the swamp environment. Lines have become ever more clearly drawn as the factions attack each other hoping to find vulnerable spots in the others defenses. This internecine warfare seems to be the primary focus of those who should be more concerned with the welfare of the nation and the people.

While national well-being is ignored all efforts are focused on the fight between those who should be brothers working for the common good. It compels one to wonder if there is any hope for this nation or has it, perhaps, run its course and is now ready for a major change.

Now James Hodgkinson, a Bernie Sanders Democrat campaign volunteer, has been killed by Capitol Police as he was attempting to assassinate a number of Republican Congressional Representatives at a baseball practice Tuesday morning.

The Lord Jesus Christ told the Pharisees; “25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” The way things are going now makes me wonder if this nation can stand.

There is Something Else Going On

While we are inundated by a flood of bad news about the government, the nation and the world there is a process at work which will ultimately and profoundly affect all things but is going unnoticed by almost everyone. God is not mocked; His will is being implemented at all levels of life and experience and will at some point, known only to God, emerge with awesome power and conviction.

Although the timing on this revelation of God’s power is known only to God, I believe the very first manifestations of this emergence are beginning to appear before us even now. We are given clues for which we can watch in several sections of the Bible. In Matthew 24:6-13 it is written:

“6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Again in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 it is written:

“3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

I believe we are seeing the beginnings of these birth pains referenced by the Lord; it seems to me the signs the Lord mentions are fairly well all in place at this point in time. While this is only the beginning, their intensity will certainly increase as time goes by.

The First Indisputable Sign of the Lord’s Return and the End of the World as we have known it

Bible prophecy tells us there are no remaining, unfulfilled prophecies that must occur before all born again believers are taken home by the removal of the church by the rapture; this could literally happen at any moment. The timing on this event is known only to God, however; we have no idea whether this will be measured in days, years or even centuries of time remaining before the Lord calls his children home.

The Lord has told us there will be signs and as his children we are to be mindful of the signs that will be given to us. These signs should be an encouragement that the Lord’s plan is being fulfilled and he is working all things after the counsel of his own will. One of the criticisms the Lord had for the Pharisees was their failure to notice the signs God was providing for them. In Matthew 16:1-4 it is written:

“16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.”

The sign of Jonah was fulfilled by the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord but even this sign was rejected by the Jewish leaders. Today the equivalent sign from heaven will be the removal of the church but this too will be rationalized away by world leaders.

As Christian men and women we are to see this world with eyes of faith; we are to see God’s hand at work in all that is occurring in the world today. We have been promised that God is in complete control of all things and is working them in accordance with his own will. Like it or not we appear to have been made spectators to what will be the most dramatic occurrences in the history of mankind.

There is, purportedly, an old Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times;” it seems as if this may apply to us.

8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8 

5 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 13, 2017

The Mystery of Eternity in You

The following was written and published yesterday by my wife, Adele, on her blog, Letters From Adele.  I thought it very beautifully expressed the feelings of many Christians; being made in the image of God has profound ramifications!

Thoughts About Disney World and Eternity

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of man; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” ___Ecclesiastes 3:11

If the Lord has given me the privilege of taking from His Word what I think is a valid meaning……..and I think He allows me to do that……..then Ecclesiastes 3:11 is one of my favorite to contemplate.

MY THOUGHT: I think the Lord has put in our hearts (as His children) an intense desire for many wonderful things; perfection, love, belonging, beauty, fellowship with Him…..in His words…..”eternity”.

I love Disney World…as many of my friends know. We love to take trips there with as many of our family members as possible. It is truly a magical place, where perfection is job one. After being there very long and returning to the real world, I often wonder why other businesses do not try a little harder to create a better experience for their customers.

But Disney World is only a creation, certainly a very successful one, but nevertheless, a creation. It occurred to David and me long ago that DW senses that longing in our hearts that Solomon mentions in the verse above.

As the old saying goes, “There’s no place like home”, and eternity is our home, not our current location. We strive to create perfection, love, etc……in a world that belongs to the evil one right now, but we continue to try…because we “…cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

I’ll keep trying to satisfy that longing while here, but am very happy to know that perfection only the Lord Himself can create is waiting for me…..and you. Praise Him!

‘Til He Shouts!
Adele Bower

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 31, 2017

A Happy Birthday Message to the Church!

The Church is 1,984 Years Old

According to the Jewish calendar today is Shavuot, Pentecost, May 31, 2017; on Sunday, June 4, 2017 some churches will observe Pentecost, the 1,984th birthday of the true church; an event generally overlooked by many. It was “born” on May 25, 33 AD on the date that year of the Jewish celebration of the Feast of Pentecost.

This was truly an amazing event as the face of humanity was changed forever. At that point a completely new type of human being came into existence, human beings who had been permanently indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit. The former type of human being was still around in great abundance but now a completely new creation, human beings indwelt by God, began living on the earth.

Before the creation of the church, the Holy Spirit had been with individuals chosen by God for special ministries but the Holy Spirit had not permanently indwelt them as He would indwell all who were born again during the church age.

Before that momentous occasion, the Spirit of God, had dwelt successively in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple in Jerusalem before the Babylonian Captivity, but had not been present in the restored Temple in Jerusalem which later came to be known as Herod’s Temple. During those earlier periods, the indwelling of God produced visible results in that the radiance of God was manifested when the Spirit of God dwelled in the Tabernacle and the Temple.

Just as the visible glory of God was hidden in the Lord Jesus Christ, the visible glory of God would also be hidden as the Holy Spirit indwelt each and every human being who received Christ as Savior regardless of denominational affiliation or lack thereof. The situation was complicated by the fact that the outward appearance was not changed at all and by simply looking at people one could not tell whether they were indwelt by God or not.

A Hidden Change with Great Eternal Significance

Although the visible manifestations of the new creation are hidden, the spiritual realities are profound and eternal. Long after this physical realm in which we find ourselves has been destroyed, these spiritual realities will still be in full force and effect. The eternal destiny of those who are spiritually dead is the Lake of Fire, for those spiritually alive and indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit, a future in the new heaven and the new earth as a member of the family of God.

Those who are alive are cautioned to avoid being unequally yoked with those who are dead; there is a great gulf fixed between the living and the dead which can only be bridged by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. We who are alive are commanded to offer directions on passage over that bridge to those who are dead. Those who choose to cross the bridge can join the ranks of the living and become a part of the new creation while those who reject the offer to cross that bridge continue to live under the wrath of God.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36

Happy Birthday to All Who Have Crossed from Death to Life!

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 17, 2017

Your Place in Heaven

OSAS

OSAS is an acronym for once saved always saved; the popular expression for the eternal security of the believer. Christianity teaches that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross provides an eternal, unalterable salvation for the one who accepts the finished work of Christ as the payment for their sins.

This very simple concept is amazingly difficult for many Christians to believe and accept. I find it saddening that so many who should be rejoicing with confidence in their salvation are afflicted by doubt and uncertainty when it comes to the security of their position as members of God’s family.

There seems to be a feeling that some sins are just too bad to be so easily forgiven by simple belief in the Lord as one’s Savior; certainly, they think, some sins are so hideous that some sort of special penance or additional payment is required for God to forgive those sins.

Notice particularly that I selected the word feeling because these ideas come from our own feelings of unworthiness. There are times when all of us are disgusted by memories of our failures and feel unworthy of salvation; feelings that God should just send a lightning bolt down from heaven and obliterate us giving us what we truly deserve.

GOD KNOWS US BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES

As painfully aware of our failures as we might be, God knows our failures even better and in spite of all of them has sent His Son to die in our place and pay for all of our sins past, present and future.

In Romans 5:8 the apostle writes: “But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” It is at this point that the confusion about sin begins in the minds of many.

When we think of being sinners our minds review the committed sins of which we have been guilty during the course of our lives. The knowledge of those sins can all too easily haunt us as our minds replay those events of rebellion and transgression against God.

Is this the sort of thing the Holy Spirit had in mind as He inspired Paul to write those words? I think not because a few verses later He inspired Paul to explain the primary reason Christ died on the cross.

THE FEDERAL HEADSHIP OF ADAM

Mankind truly has a big problem with sin, but it is not the sins of commission or omission which so quickly come to our minds; it is rather the sin of being a human being; it is the sin of being a descendent of Adam.

In Romans 5:12 the apostle writes: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned.” In the following verses Paul goes on to explain what is called the doctrine of the federal headship of Adam. Adam, as the first man had within him all who would be born subsequently into the human race. When Adam sinned against a direct command from God, he died spiritually and all who would be born of his seed died at the same time.

What this teaches is that both you and I and everyone who was to later be born died spiritually in Adam in the Garden of Eden! This is God’s primary charge against the human race and the main reason Christ died on the cross.

There is absolutely nothing you can do or undo that would change that one fact, you are a human descendant of Adam’s race and you spiritually died in Adam in the Garden.

TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF HUMANITY

The earth today is inhabited by two distinct types of human beings; those who are spiritually alive, and those who are spiritually dead. Spiritual life comes only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s Savior. In Ephesians 2:1 Paul writes: “And you hath he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins;” spiritual life came with salvation and only salvation can provide spiritual life.

These then are the issues at play when one accepts the saving work of the Lord as their payment for sin. The Lord Jesus Christ as our kinsman redeemer has paid the price necessary for our redemption from Adam’s transgression. We have received the gift of spiritual life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Where then does personal sin enter the picture? With regard to the believer’s eternal place in God’s family it is irrelevant; with regard to the Spirit led life it is critical. In I John 1:8-10 John writes: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

The good news there is that God hears us when we confess our sins to Him and is also faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Confession of our sins before God restores the power of God the Holy Spirit in our lives and permits us the privilege of enjoying the fruit of the spirit as described in Galatians 5:22f.

The motivator for resisting sin should not be fear of losing our salvation which is impossible, but rather our devotion to and love for the Lord Jesus Christ and our sincere desire to please the one who died in our place!

With regard to our salvation there is nothing whatsoever that can separate us from the love of God; in Romans 8: 38-39 Paul writes: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

With this you, as a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, can know beyond any doubt that your place in God’s family is preserved eternally by the mighty power of God. Rejoice in your good fortune and give thanks to your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

First published October 4, 2011 as “Eternal Security of the Believer,” revised and edited

7 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 8, 2017

Christians with Dirty Feet, Concluded

Lessons at Two Levels

From other sections of scripture we learn the disciples had been discussing their notions of who would be most important in the coming kingdom; not a situation where humility and service would be foremost in their thinking.

Any of the disciples could have taken on themselves the servants job of washing the other disciples feet before the meal but this was certainly not on any of their mental agenda’s.

The Lord was fully aware of what had been going on and wanted to help them learn an important lesson; earlier He had spoken to them about being a servant in Matthew 23:11-12 where it is written:

“11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

I think it safe to say this message fell on deaf ears; not one of the disciples was able to apply this advice to the situation they faced in the upper room. I suspect it may have even occurred to some of them that they could do this but their pride kept them from humbling themselves before the group.

The first and most obvious lesson is the lesson of humility and service to others; this is the lesson that Jesus mentions in verses 12-17 where it is written:

“12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

I do not think this was the most important lesson that they would later come to understand as referenced by the Lord in verse 7:

“7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

Why would our Lord say:

“Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

Then Jesus says in verse 10a, “10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.”

How do These Statements work in the Life of the Christian Today?

As we look back at this scene we see the Lord beginning to explain an important lesson in the Christian life today. As Christians we have been washed free from sin by the shed blood of Jesus Christ but we live our lives, inhabited by a sin nature, in a fallen, sin cursed world which causes our spiritual feet to gather the dusty residue of this sinful world.

The Lord knew we would need to have our spiritual feet washed by the confession of sin to God; that is why we have that section in 1 John 1:8-10 where it is written:

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

Confession of sin to God is the spiritual foot washing that only Jesus can do, that is why He can say “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Only God can forgive sin and the spiritual foot washing we need can only come through confession of sin to God.

While the first lesson of service and humility is important, the second lesson is equally important; if we would be completely clean before God we must wash our spiritual feet by confession of sin to God.

When we confess our sins to God the Holy Spirit can take control of our lives and we can manifest lives controlled by the fruit of the Spirit.

One final point, please keep in mind this has everything to do with fellowship and quality of life for the Christian; our salvation has been eternally secured by the death of Christ on the cross so our spiritually dirty feet have only to do with the Holy Spirit being in control of our lives. This is an important point and helps us understand why the Lord would want to teach this lesson to the disciples on His last night on earth as a servant.

“5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

6 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 1, 2017

Christians with Dirty Feet

The Washing of the Disciples Feet

In John 13 we are told a remarkable story; Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. The very next day Jesus was going to be crucified and He understood all too well what was coming upon Him; Jesus was being called on to do what we could not do for ourselves, pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross.

Does it seem strange that Jesus would take the time to wash the disciples feet on the night before His crucifixion? Of all the things He might have done He choose to wash their feet; on the surface this may seem rather incongruous but if we look at this foot washing episode from a spiritual perspective we begin to see answers to questions that are otherwise too obscure to explain.

Most of us understand the need for foot washing in New Testament times; open sandals and dusty streets equal dirty feet and usually arrangements were made to provide for foot washing when one entered the host’s house as a guest although this was not usually done by the host.

The Background

Let us examine this episode as described in John 13:1-17 where it is written:

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Since they had rented an upper room there was no host to greet them or arrange for a servant to wash their feet; in most instances each guest washed their own feet with facilities made available by the host. One might speculate that no convenient facilities for foot washing were available as they entered the building or the upper room.

Since foot washing was a common practice at that time Peter and the other disciples would have understood the need for foot washing; what was it then that they would later understand? What was the lesson Jesus wanted to teach to them?

Next time: Lessons at Two Levels.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 21, 2017

Is There a Safe Place for You?

We Live in a Troubled World!

East of Eden © Adele Bower

Even a casual examination of the media today reveals troubles in almost any direction you may choose to look. Local news headlines murder, assault, robbery, and the national media follows suit on an even greater scale. I am reminded of Matthew 24:6-8 where it is written:

“6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

While this is a direct reference to a time yet coming the description seems to fit all too well today. We are seeing all of these signs to a greater or lesser degree even as you read these words. For many there are questions about what is going on, where will this all end and when can some order and calm be restored to the world.

A time of world peace will indeed come but only when the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, comes to restore it as described in the Bible. In the meantime what about those who love the Lord and long for His return? We know we live in a world dominated by Satan and can see clear evidence of His influence in what is happening around us.

While it has pleased the Lord to delay his return, Christians are not left without help and reassurance that they are loved and cared for. We have been given great and wonderful gifts to help us as we live out our lives on this troubled world.

A Love Letter to You from God

The eighth chapter of Romans begins and ends with triumphant joy for all Christians; there is no condemnation for born again Christians and nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. In between those two spires of doctrinal reassurance lie the abundant promises a loving God has lavished on His family. Although 1 Corinthians 13 is considered by many as the “Love Chapter” I suggest to you that Romans 8 is God’s love letter to His very own family!

Over the last seven essays we have considered some of the ways God has shown us His grace, mercy and love; particularly in this love letter to His children. Although we are loved it has pleased God that we should remain in our mortal bodies so that we might serve and honor him with our lives for those years of our mortality he has apportioned to us. I think often of those verses in Psalm 139 which speak to the point of our mortality:

“13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.”

To me that is a blessed thought; to know that God has carefully thought through all the moments of my life; how could I ask for any better assurance of his loving care than that? At age 84 I will joyfully testify to his loving care and with the advantages of hindsight acknowledge and rejoice in the wondrous blessings he has poured out on me over those years.

The Task that Remains

As we seek to serve and honor the Lord in the time he has given us it is so important that we retain a clear Biblical perspective on who we are and what we must do. The Bible seeks to warn us of the dangers we may face and offers many reassurances to us as we live out our lives. While it is certain we will face difficulties it is equally certain we will enjoy the blessings of God’s loving watchcare over us.

“35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I cannot even begin to imagine a more comprehensive summary of God’s unfailing love for his children, can you? I love the way God describes our situation in Isaiah 41:10 where it is written:

“10 Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”

4 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories