Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 11, 2016

Deeds, Not Words!

The Anniversary of the Birth of Alice Paul

On January 11, 1885 Alice Paul was born, a young woman who was to be influential in the fight for women’s suffrage. While this was a significant event for that cause, it is the motto associated with Alice Paul that caught my attention: “Deeds, not words.”

Alice Paul

From “The Home School Mom” November 5, 2012, by Mary Ann Kelley

“Deeds, not words.” has a wonderful ring to it, don’t you think? How often do we let the opposite happen in our lives, we talk a good fight but that’s the beginning and the end of it.

I encounter this endlessly in the Christian community but with a pious twist, let’s pray about it, or I’ll pray for you sounds so devout, so holy and while prayer to God is very important it was never intended to replace action. Christianity is something you do; not just something you talk about or even pray about but something you take action on, something you do!

I’m Sinning, Please Pray for Me

As an online missionary for Global Media Outreach I get mail from all over the world from Christians who are struggling with various personal sins. I often get letters forwarded to me from others who have been asking for and getting prayers for the personal sins they are committing but are having no success in quitting these sins.

It’s almost as if there was a disconnect between the prayers and the sinful actions; just pray for me regarding my sin and suddenly something wonderful will happen and the sin will go away. That’s not the way it works; you can’t just pray about the sin and continue to practice it; you have to change your deeds, you have to change what you’re doing, you have to stop that sinful action! “Deeds, not words.”

The Problem with Personal Sin

Most Christians with whom I come in contact have no idea of the nature of their enemy. They have no idea they are soldiers who will live their entire lives on a spiritual battlefield. They have no idea they are under attack and must defend themselves if they are to be victorious in battle. They don’t even know there is a battle in progress.

I have written on this before in the series called, “To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War” a three part series that describes the challenges we face as Christians in the Lord’s army.

A vitally important point I try to emphasize is the fact that we cannot do it on our own; by ourselves we are fearfully outclassed and under powered. The Bible makes this clear in Ephesians 6:10-17 where it is written:

“10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Battlefield Casualties

In the first essay of the series I wrote in the second paragraph:

“Although it will change during the final conflict, we are now dealing with destruction and carnage in the lives of everyone at a spiritual level as the spiritual battle for men’s soul’s rages around us. The carnage is being displayed in many lives as people make bad choices and cause themselves and others serious harm. Broken lives, broken marriages, broken commitments of many sorts litter the battlefield of this war.”

From a worldly perspective things may not appear too different from how they were before; but from a spiritual perspective we are seeing destruction and carnage in a cascading volume of misery and sin.

The Power of God, the Holy Spirit

When I write to Christians who are struggling against attacks from the “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” I hasten to tell them of the power available to them in the person of God, the Holy Spirit.

I want them to understand how they can release that power in their lives; a power that can tip the balance in their favor as they engage in combat. This is promised to them in 1 John 1:9 where it is written: “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.” Confession releases the power of the Holy Spirit and helps us to defend ourselves against the attack of the enemy.

It is the power of God, the Holy Spirit that can make possible the deeds that will make the difference in our lives. Deeds that will turn back the attacks of personal sin and free us from the bondage we would otherwise suffer.

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 31, 2015

Carrying Excess Baggage into 2016

A Storage Problem

From time to time I find myself reluctant to dispose of things for which I have no immediate need; I rationalize and say to myself there may someday be a need for whatever is in question and I err on the side of caution and decide to store it somewhere for possible future use. It appears I’m not the only one who does this as storage facilities are to be found everywhere.

This, however, is not the sort of baggage I have in mind here; I’m thinking of the mental baggage we accumulate and lug around with us through life for which there seems to be unlimited storage space.

Each year that passes contributes its own share of baggage to our storage facility; some of that baggage is pleasant and cheerful but some of the baggage is dark and sad. The passing of years can dispose of some of the baggage but some of it seems to defy disposal and remains in storage ready to be retrieved; unfortunately the dark and sad baggage seems to fall into this category all too often.

2016 is Almost Here!

Traditionally the new year is seen as an opportunity for a new start; one sees the promise of the new year as a blank sheet of paper upon which it seems possible to write something new; a fresh start as it were.

The making of new year’s resolutions has been a part of this picture as long as I can remember followed by all the jokes about failing to keep those resolutions. I suspect we’ve all been a part of that scene at one time or another.

The challenge is the baggage we keep in storage in our minds; we carry that baggage into the new year with us and let it sabotage our efforts to make a new start.

What if it were possible to deal with the problem of excess baggage, to eliminate it as a source of trouble; would that help make a new start more feasible?

Saul of Tarsus

The early descriptions of Saul of Tarsus reveal a man with a mission; sincere, earnest, but misguided. In Acts 9:1-2 we read:

“Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.”

Can you imagine the sort of baggage that would deposit in the Apostle Paul’s baggage storage facility? It was this kind of baggage that would prompt Paul to later say, “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.” 1 Timothy 1:15

The point is even the Apostle Paul had dark and sad baggage he kept in storage; just like you and me; the Bible makes it clear, we’re all in this together.

What to do, what to do?

Fortunately the Bible has answers for us in that regard; answers that we must accept in the same way we received our salvation, acceptance completely by faith!

First we must confess our sins to God. 1 John 1:9 it is written:

“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.”

As Christians we have the privilege of confessing our sins directly to God the Father; in His matchless grace God forgives us of our sins and purifies us from all unrighteousness. I love that part, when we confess our known sins God also forgives us our unknown sins as well; such grace!

Second, and this is important, we must believe we are forgiven and receive that forgiveness even though we don’t deserve it; just as we received our salvation, by faith alone!

Finally

Again we turn to the Apostle Paul for guidance here; Paul who had accumulated so much dark and sad baggage as Saul of Tarsus. In Philippians 3:12-14 we read:

“12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Let each of us join with Paul and press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed us; forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, let us press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

May your 2016 be richly blessed by the grace of God!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 21, 2015

The Happy Return of Christmas

The Happiest Season of the Year!

-Merry Christmas

Art by Adele Bower

That wonderful, happy time of the year is almost upon us, Friday the 25th is Christmas. The stores I’ve happened to visit have been packed with customers who seemed to be in a good mood in spite of the long lines; it seems that Christmas can often bring out the best in us.

The enormous significance of Christmas, 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 seems to be losing ground.

For those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ, this season is a beautiful reminder of our Lord, the wonder of His birth and the enormous significance of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

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 to break that silence in the most dramatic way possible; God the Son, the living Word, would be born of a virgin 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 Word of God 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 of the line of King David, 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

Although 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!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

This is an updated version of an essay first published on December 18, 2013.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 14, 2015

A New Poem from Jerusalem

Life in Jerusalem

I received a new original poem from our Jerusalem poet, Hanna Awwad. I cannot even begin to imagine what life in Jerusalem is like at this point in time. Living in an environment where attack is a constant threat and lives are being lost would be very difficult.

The poem follows:

My message to the world

My message to the world that terror reached its top,
In brutality, and it became worldwide so ruthless job,
Its goal to bomb restaurant, stadium, cafe and shop,
To crucify, terrify, behead, hang, burn alive and chop,
To chop people here and there as chopping the crop,
And create a state of chaos, horror and panic on top,
The peace and joy of our hearts, terror intends to rob,
Civilization from the account of time, it wants to drop.

My message is that terrorism has no way but to stop,
For it reached the top, and there is no top over the top.

When The West opened, for terror, the border’s socket,
They did not know, they put the snake in their pocket,
It ate the honey, stole the money, it ignored the culture,
When it became strong, it attacked them as a vulture.

My message to you that terror is nothing but a thought,
Based on the satanic verses that the Quran has taught,
That terror should be fought by pure Christian thought,
By the plan of salvation that Jesus has already brought.

By: Hanna Awwad

More on Hanna Awwad can be found here: http://hannaawwad.webs.com/

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 7, 2015

Pearl Harbor and Terrorism in the United States

Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941

Today we observe the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; an attack that was to catapult this nation into the Second World War. There are fewer of us now that can remember where we were and what we were doing when the announcement came over the radio to a stunned nation on that Sunday afternoon.

None of us could comprehend the impact of that attack on our nation and the lives of the citizens of this nation and the world. Two thousand four hundred and three people lost their lives from the attack that day and one thousand one hundred and seventy eight were wounded. More information can be found here:

Pearl Harbor Day, by David Bower

September 11, 2001

As an attack on the United States this record would stand until September 11, 2001 when Islamic terrorists attacked the World Trade Center resulting in the deaths of two thousand nine hundred and seventy seven people and the wounding of close to ten thousand others.

There was a fundamental difference in the nature of this attack; this time we were being attacked by fighters for an international ideology and not a nation.

Is the United States in Danger from an Ideology?

When one considers an enemy it is probably best to know something about that enemy, wouldn’t you agree? The media is pummeling us with information about terrorism so what does that really mean? We are told of terrorists and the terrorist threat, of the war against terror and cautioned about all the dangers of terrorism; is this danger real, is terrorism a potential enemy of the United States?

What does terrorism actually mean, how does the dictionary define terrorism? WordNet defines terrorism as:

Noun

  “The calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear”

That would suggest to me that terrorism is not an enemy, it is a tactic used by an enemy to attempt to accomplish certain political, religious, or ideological goals. The logical question would then be; who is the enemy using this tactic, can the enemy be identified?

There seems to be a common denominator in all of this called Islam; if that is the case then is there a central core from which these tactics spring? I believe the answer to that question is yes, it is called the Quran.

There is one vitally important principle to keep in mind with regard to Islam; it is not a peaceful religion, it is a comprehensive worldview focused on complete domination of the world and has maintained that focus for almost 1,400 years with varying degrees of success.

The Quran

The Quran is the heart and soul of Islam and the driving force behind Islamic behavior. If the Quran is the driving force behind Islamic terrorism then how could Islam ever be called “a religion of peace”? There just happens to be a simple explanation for that seeming contradiction; the Quran has two opposing points of view.

There is an early phase called the Meccan phase and then a later phase called the Medinese phase. The early Meccan phase was inspired by the efforts of Muhammad during Islam’s infancy to provide protection from the more powerful forces of Judaism and Christianity. The later Medinese phase was inspired by Muhammad’s success in gathering an army and beginning his warfare against his neighbors.

These two opposing ideologies produced contradictory statements with the last written verses replacing contradictory verses written earlier according to the Islamic law of abrogation. In other word the warlike Medinese verses replaced the peaceful Meccan verses. The internet has many examples of the law of abrogation and the contradictory writings in the Quran.

Muslims in Name Only

Needless to say there are many Muslims that do not practice the harsher Medinese teachings of Islam just as there are many Christians in name only who are not born again. The danger that exists, however, is any who truly believe Allah is god and Muhammad is his prophet could, at some point, embrace the law of abrogation and become convinced that the warlike Medinese verses have replaced the more peaceful Meccan verses.

This could potentially result in a more aggressive posture toward those who are not Muslim and greater use of terrorism as a tactic.

Fundamental versus Radical Islam

When this most recent round of Islamic terrorism first began to gain the world’s attention there was confusion about what it should be called; some referred to it as fundamental Islam and others referred to it as radical Islam. I propose to you that fundamental Islam is a more precise name and better describes what is happening.

This is the Islam practiced by Muhammad during the later years of his life and reflects the warlike attitude he maintained during those years. The Islamic terrorists are more faithfully duplicating the attitude and behavior of Muhammad during the last years of his life.

Our failure to clearly identify the enemy and take appropriate steps to deal with the threat presented by this enemy is an invitation to disaster. At some point there will have to be a showdown; there will have to be another Charles Martel and a Battle of Tours (732) if the tide of Islamic aggression is to be turned again. I wonder if this battle will be called the Battle of Armageddon?

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | November 30, 2015

The 1933 Model Year

A Wide Range of Things were Happening in 1933

In spite of the fact of the “Great Depression” auto manufacturers were producing a variety of automobiles that looked and performed in dramatically different ways. Whereas today it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish different makes of cars; in the dusk it is almost impossible, in 1933 the cars had very distinctive appearances that were much easier to identify.

One notable contrast was the difference between the 1933 Cadillac V-16 and the 1933 Austin Seven pictured below.

1933 Cadillac V-16 1933 Austin SevenCadillac above and Austin below (in case you were wondering)

The Cadillac, even with all 16 cylinders didn’t really measure up to the fabled Pierce Arrow, Silver Arrow…

1933 Pierce Arrow, Silver Arrow

and then for racing fans there was always the 1933 Bugatti.

1933 Bugatti Race Car

At least from an automotive perspective there was a great deal of innovation going on in 1933. There’s no doubt in my mind that any of those on the streets today would make heads turn.

Why Pick 1933 You may well ask?

Well, there is in fact a personal reason I selected that year; that was the year my model made its first appearance.

David Baby PictureThe 1933 model of David

Today I must confess feeling more of a kinship with the Austin than with any of the others. While the Lord has been exceedingly gracious and merciful to me time does take its toll. I actually find it kind of exciting to watch the changes taking place in not only my body but my perspective on life and living.

My wife and I occasionally discuss this and we’ve both observed the differences in our attitude toward life; how less is now quite sufficient for us. I see this as a real blessing from the Lord; as our physical abilities are reduced our expectations and desires are reduced correspondingly. The Lord is always so gracious and loving to His children!

I can recall wondering, as a much younger man, how older people could be at peace with their more limited lifestyles; now I understand and it works beautifully. My wife and I have been blessed with reasonably good health and are still somewhat active around the house. While we both keep busy there is the reassuring realization that when we get tired we can take a nap; nap time is good, very good!

We are having a wonderful time in my retirement; I wouldn’t have missed it for anything except, of course the Rapture, that would be a great reason to miss it!

At Disney Land cropped

(My apologies to those who got an error window yesterday; there was a temporary technical mishap that has now been corrected.)

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | November 23, 2015

Your Temporary Clay Jar – Another Thought

  1. An Amazing Contrast

I occasionally reflect on the rather curious situation we face every day of our mortal lives; all that our physical senses can detect is very temporary. This world and the universe of which it is a part are all scheduled for destruction; they are to be replaced in their entirety, nothing will be left.

It is probably best to try and avoid an undue attachment to the physical body you occupy; it too is a temporary clay jar you occupy for only a few fleeting moments.

The Apostle Paul writes of this in 2 Corinthians 4:7:

“7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” NLT

In previous essays I have mentioned the dramatic contrast between the origin of our living essence and our human bodies. Our living essence was directly from God and shares God’s image; our mortal bodies are from the dust of the ground and to the dust they shall return. It would be difficult to imagine a more extreme contrast than this yet this was exactly God’s plan for us; an immortal essence temporarily housed in a mortal body, a fragile clay jar.

Life can be a tough experience for both our eternal essence and our clay jar. This is complicated by the fact our clay jar finds itself on a spiritual battlefield and is constantly under attack; an attack at both the physical and spiritual levels.

While the Bible makes it crystal clear our clay jars do not have a place with us in heaven, and must die or be transformed by the power of God; our mortal lives are dependent on these clay jars and we do our best to help them last.

Cracked clay pot by Adele Bower

Artwork by Adele Bower

The Ravages of Time

Regardless of how careful we try to be time will take its toll on our jars; they will start to develop nicks, small scratches and hairline cracks that show they are aging and that doesn’t include the damage that’s being done to our eternal essence.

Our eternal essence has also been under attack and has suffered under the ravages of time. These spiritual signs of aging can include an assortment of fears, doubts, and knowledge of a vast assortment of personal sins. What’s more we received our eternal essence with a huge defect, it arrived spiritually dead; a defect that all humans born of a human father inherit.

Those who are born again have been given a living spirit to replace the old dead spirit but it too has been placed in the same old clay jar with all of its nicks, scratches and hairline cracks.

God’s Grace

God, in His wondrous, grace, mercy and love, has made provisions for His children as they struggle with the adversities of life. In the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ God has made redemption a very simple process. Simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation is secured for all of time and eternity.

Knowing the life of His child would be encumbered by a battle with sin, both within and without; God has graciously imputed the very righteousness of His Son, Jesus, to all who receive Him as Savior. God’s children can believe with absolute certainty the reassurances given in Romans 8:1-4 where it is written:

“8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”

The Ultimate Grand Finale

As an encouragement to His children, God has given us a blessed hope, a promise that something new and vastly improved is on its way. I enjoy the Star Wars movies and am always touched by the occasional celebrations portrayed in the movies as once again good vanquishes evil.

Those scenes remind me of a glorious celebration that is planned by God for His own family; a celebration infinitely beyond the imagination of man. We will enjoy this celebration in new eternal bodies fashioned for us by God; bodies, no longer of the dust of the earth, but heavenly, eternal bodies created for us by God.

This ultimate celebration will take place in the presence of God for the pleasure and enjoyment of His family. A time will come when evil will have once and for all been vanquished and sin, with all its associated woes including death, will be gone forever.

In the meantime we wait, serving and rejoicing in our Lord and living out our appointed lives in the span of time allotted to us, but God in His grace, has given us a down payment on our inheritance, the Holy Spirit who has made us His home.

We have the opportunity and privilege to enjoy some of the blessings that will be ours in the future as we let the Holy Spirit control in our lives. Even this dust bound clay jar we occupy can benefit by its association with the Holy Spirit.

When Your Body Rejoices, Smiles and Laughs

When the Holy Spirit is in control of your life you have the opportunity to enjoy a blessing that will be fully realized in the future.

When you were rejoicing in the Lord and praising Him you have probably experienced this remarkable feeling; a flood of joy and peace seems to fill your entire body, it’s almost as if your body is rejoicing in the Lord too along with your soul and spirit.

A wave of good feeling sweeps over you and it feels as if your entire body is smiling and rejoicing. This can often burst forth in smiles, laughter and even tears as the joy of the Lord overwhelms you. To experience this is a rich blessing reserved for God’s children; a promise of greater things yet to come.

This blessing is only one reason Paul’s advice to the Philippians makes such good sense where in Philippians 4:4-9 he writes:

“4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

“4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | November 17, 2015

The Painted Veil that Hides Reality, Revisited

Avoid Chasing Shadows

Last time we considered the true nature of reality and cautioned against making a potentially fatal mistake; the mistake of chasing shadows and overlooking the light which created the shadows. In this essay we will look at the same subject from a different perspective.

It would be impossible to overemphasize the  importance of your worldview; seeing past the creation to the creator is truly the beginning of wisdom. A worldview based on reality is the only foundation for a truly successful life.

The Sonnet, the Novel, and the Movie

The Painted Veil Poster Resized

A few days ago we had the opportunity to watch a fascinating movie, an epic movie experience filled with intense drama, “The Painted Veil” which led me to the discovery of a book, and a sonnet which all addressed, to some degree, a subject on which I had written in the past.

To start at the beginning of this line of thought, Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote a sonnet whose first line is “Lift not the painted veil which those who live Call Life.” This sonnet was a source of inspiration to W. Somerset Maugham as he wrote a novel in 1925 named, “The Painted Veil.”

This novel was later made into three different movies, “The Painted Veil” 1934, “The Seventh Sin,” 1957, and the most recent, again named “The Painted Veil,” which was released in January of 2007. It was this last version which stirred my spirit of inquiry into researching the background of the movie and the novel on which it was based which, in turn, led me to the discovery of Shelley’s sonnet.

The heart of the movie can possibly be reduced to one line spoken by Dr. Walter Fane to his wife Kitty, “It was silly of us to look for qualities in each other that we never had.” To some degree, each had come into their marriage with preconceived notions of how it would be and how the other would respond. This, of course, is the never ending challenge to young couples entering into marriage; separating fantasy from reality.

The Sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Shelley’s sonnet has been declared a mystery by some and aggressively analyzed by others; here is the sonnet:

“Lift not the painted veil which those who live

Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,

And it but mimic all we would believe

With colours idly spread,–behind, lurk Fear

And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave

Their shadows, o’er the chasm, sightless and drear.

I knew one who had lifted it–he sought,

For his lost heart was tender, things to love,

But found them not, alas! nor was there aught

The world contains, the which he could approve.

Through the unheeding many he did move,

A splendour among shadows, a bright blot

Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove

For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

What is Reality?

Those of you who have followed my blog may recall the essay I wrote called “What is Reality?” In this essay, which I published in September of 2011, I questioned the identity of true reality which was defined as, “the quality or state of being real: something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily.” Using that dictionary definition I determined that only the Triune Godhead was real, all else was derived and dependent on the will of the Creator.

I went on to write, “I suggest to you that this is not true reality at all but little more than a facade, more similar to a stage setting one would find on a movie set. It is admittedly a complex and involved stage setting and has the appearance of permanence; permanence, however, from a finite point of view. The tragedy is that most people devote their entire lives to responding to the stage setting and ignore the true realities of life.”

Effectively then, what we call life is the painted veil that is described by Shelley as unreal shapes with colours idly spread.

Mankind’s Desire for a Deliverer

I found it fascinating that Shelley would describe a hopeful figure “who had lifted it–he sought, For his lost heart was tender, things to love, But found them not, alas!” Here was Shelley’s redeemer, but a redeemer who was doomed to failure and he, like the Preacher, found it not.

The identity of the Preacher has also been an subject of debate, but in the context of the sonnet, I thought of the first two verses of Ecclesiastes, also known as The Preacher; “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Here we find a similar longing for that which is not found.

I have long noted the need for a messianic figure in literature; the example that immediately occurred to me was Ayn Rand’s John Galt. In her novel, “Atlas Shrugged,” Ms. Rand creates an intellectual super hero named John Galt who is able and willing to take the necessary steps to deliver society from its many ills. I find these futile hopes for a messiah, as devised by the mind of man, to be pathetic and sad.

Lifting the Painted Veil

It is only in the Bible that the painted veil is lifted and the true nature of reality is fully exposed. It is only in the Bible that we learn the true nature of our existence and the fact that we are created beings living in and sustained, from moment to moment, by our creator as a part of that creation.

It is only in the Bible that we discover the identity of our true Messiah our very own, “splendour among shadows” and then discover that He has come to redeem us and that His work of redemption has been successfully begun. It is only in the Bible that we learn that this process of redemption will be fully completed at a time determined in eternity past by our Creator; that our Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, will lift the painted veil forever.

It is the Bible that reveals what the painted veil conceals and it is infinitely more than the scene painted by Shelley’s words “behind, lurk Fear And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave Their shadows, o’er the chasm, sightless and drear.”

Behind the painted veil we call life lies an eternal plan of which we can be a part by simply receiving Christ as our Savior. There is also a terrible place called the Lake of Fire which is reserved for those who reject the salvation available to all who will receive Christ as Savior.

The veil has not only been lifted, it has been torn by the power of God; we have a Redeemer and a Messiah, one who is still seeking things to love, and ignore Him at our own peril; receive His love and love Him in return!

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”

Next time another thought about our clay jars.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | November 3, 2015

What is Reality – a Review

Your Worldview Shapes Your Perception of Everything!

In my last essay we considered the negative impact of disobedience to God on the quality of our lives. We reviewed Solomon’s failure to effectively deal with the basic realities of life when he placed more emphasis on the creation rather than the creator.

At some point in our lives we too may start asking questions about who we are, why we are here, and what is our purpose in life; life itself does not provide easy answers to those questions leaving them open to speculation and theorizing.

I suspect a tremendous amount of time has been devoted to discussion and debate on these basic questions of life since they become increasingly important the older we get.

As young people we likely had dreams of what we would like to be and what we would like to do someday. My dream was to be a world famous conductor of music and lead great music ensembles in the performance of classical music. The closest I ever came to realizing that dream was the opportunity I was given as a teenage boy to conduct the Houston Symphony Orchestra in concert.

As I grew older the realities of my life began to dramatically change my goals and dreams and I realized I had to reshape my thinking to conform to my actual life situation; I had to face reality, my youthful dreams were no longer viable.

Face Which Reality?

The dictionary defines reality as “the quality or state of being real: something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily.” Could it be that reality is vastly different from what is generally believed and if so then what is it like?

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.

The idea to “get real” would most often refer to the reality as expressed by the world in which we live but the so-called reality of our world is, I believe, both derivative and dependent. I suggest to you that this is not true reality at all but little more than a facade, more similar to a stage setting one would find on a movie set.

It is admittedly a complex and involved stage setting and has the appearance of permanence; permanence, however, from a finite point of view. The tragedy is that most people devote their entire lives to responding to the stage setting and ignore the true realities of life; this appears to be the mistake Solomon made.

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.

The Creator Revealed

Although the beauty, intricacy and harmony of creation demands a Creator, it is only in the Bible we discover the existence of the Triune God; an eternal, unchanging God that is one in essence yet composed of three persons. That basic revelation already moves us to a point beyond our understanding.

Ultimate reality then is the Trinity; everything else is both derivative and dependent!

The Trinity is the absolute uncaused cause and present before time was created by the Trinity. It is impossible for us to imagine what the Trinity’s existence was like before the decision was made to create; it is equally impossible for us to imagine a timeless eternity that has no beginning and no end.

We know from the Bible a decision was made to create therefore the heavens and the earth came into being. The Bible also reveals that the Second Person of the Trinity was the instrument of creation and actually continues to sustain the existence of creation by the exercise of His power.

All creation therefore derives from and is dependent upon the Creator.

In other words all of creation, most specifically including you and me are sustained from moment to moment by an exercise of the will and power of the Second Person of the Trinity; the Bible identifies the Second Person of the Trinity in His incarnate humanity as the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Triune God, in His grace, uses terms that have some familiarity to mankind to identify the three Persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. I doubt that these terms even begin to describe the complex relationship that has always existed between the three persons of the Triune God.

The World as a Testing Ground

Considering the true nature of our being it should be obvious that the focus of our attention should be on the Triune God, not the creation as altered by man into the stage setting in which we now live. To only respond to the stage setting and not to the Creator is most seriously delusional and potentially catastrophic.

I’m reminded of a science fiction series written by Arthur C. Clarke referred to as the Rama series in which a gigantic spacecraft is sent to earth to provide a galactic civilization an opportunity to evaluate earth people for inclusion in a galactic empire. A cross section of humanity moves to an earth-like environment in the spacecraft and immediately reverts to type, completely forgetting or ignoring the fact they are being judged for membership in the galactic empire.

We too are being individually judged by God for inclusion in His eternal family. The only truly significant decision with intrinsic value we can make in life is our membership in God’s family; all other decisions are insanely trivial by comparison.

God has made that decision as easy for us as He can; just believe on His Son, the Second Person of the Trinity as one’s personal savior and membership in God’s eternal family is secured.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will have effectually and successfully responded to true reality; your life will have been a success regardless of whatever else may happen.

I do not ordinarily repeat an earlier blog (September 8, 2011) but have decided to make two exceptions to this rule, one this week, updated and revised, and one next week. 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 26, 2015

Do You Want to be Happy?

What Would You Do With $100,000,000,000?

It has been estimated that King Solomon would have a net worth of around $100,000,000,000 in today’s dollars; that is two and one half times the value of Bill Gates net worth.

I suspect that many of us at some point in our lives have wondered what it would be like to have a huge amount of money; what we would have, how we would live, how we would be treated; these flights of fancy may come but are soon forgotten as reality reasserts itself.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes we have the opportunity to read a first hand account from someone who has had that kind of wealth; from King Solomon himself as he writes in Ecclesiastes 1:1-11:

“1 These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.

2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again.6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new.11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.”

Wow, that does not sound like a happy camper; where has all of the fulfillment, contentment, and happiness gone that great wealth is supposed to provide? How has someone with $100,000,000,000 managed to miss the boat?

Do you think there is possibly a lesson there for the rest of us? Can it be that wealth does not guarantee those qualities of life everyone seeks?

 In the Final Analysis What Does Solomon Learn?

In the final chapter of Ecclesiastes King Solomon provides his summary of life where in Chapter 12, verses 13-14 he writes:

“13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”

Do you see the prominence Solomon places on obedience and the parallels between Solomon’s conclusions and the last words he received from his father, David? Solomon was notoriously disobedient and paid a terrible price both individually and as the national leader of Israel; his disobedience caused Israel to pay a severe price as well as it reeled from the repercussions of Solomon’s disobedience.

Is There a Lesson For Us?

In 1 Samuel 15 we find the story of King Saul who is sent on a mission by God with specific instructions on what to do. Sadly, King Saul decides to disobey God and on his return is told by the prophet Samuel that God is not pleased with what he has done.

“22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Here again we see obedience surfacing as the preferred response to God; are you beginning to see a priority being established here? Now you just might ask yourself how faithfully do you follow God’s commands? If you’re being honest with yourself I believe you would have to say, “Not so good.” Just in case you have any lingering doubt in your mind about your track record on obedience just remember Romans 14:23b which tells us that everything that is not of faith is sin and sin is a failure to be obedient to God’s commands.

In Matthew 28:18-20 the Lord gives us His “Great Commission” and one of the key parts occurs in verse 20:

“18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I draw your attention to the words, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” In the Great Commission obedience is important; do you practice obedience much less teach it? In your own mind can you say you are obedient to all the commands we have been given?

God’s Help for His Disobedient Children

After Christ died for our sins on the cross the situation changed; those of us who have Christ as our Savior have been freed from all condemnation. All of our disobedience, past, present, and future, have been covered by the shed blood of Christ and as I mentioned before, we shine with the resplendent virtue of the Lord Jesus Christ before the Father.

The remaining factor now is quality of life and service for the Christian; do we share in the blessings God wants for His children by living a Spirit led life? Do we practice obedience and teach obedience to other Christians? The fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-25 includes all of those blessings that Solomon hoped to find in his extravagant wealth but was frustrated and disappointed by his failure to find them; these blessings are ours when we keep in step with the Spirit.

“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Do Not Make Solomon’s Mistake

When reading about the life of Solomon it becomes clear that Solomon focused entirely too much of his attention on the creation rather than the creator. He accumulated a vast amount of the creation for his own personal use and seemed to forget the creator that made all things.

The world hammers on all of us relentlessly to do the same thing; let material possessions dominate our lives, our hopes and our dreams. I can promise you that if you let this happen you will get the same results Solomon did, ““Everything is meaningless, completely meaningless!””

The Spirit Led Life

Our creator God knows us perfectly and loves us with a perfect love; in His love, mercy, and grace, He has provided for His children the very things that Solomon and everyone else who has ever lived searches for all of their life if only they will heed His word. These are the qualities available to all who will let the Holy Spirit control in their lives and is 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.”

When we focus on the creator rather than the creation we are responding to true reality in a manner that will have eternal benefits.

Only obedience to God can open the door to the qualities of life the world cannot provide!

Next time we will take another look at the true nature of reality.

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