Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 15, 2014

Starvation – Concluded, by David Bower

How do we Combat Spiritual Malnourishment and Starvation?

The first step in combating any illness is a proper diagnosis of the problem. All too often symptoms of spiritual malnourishment or starvation can be attributed to something else not really related to the problem.

If you’re feeling depressed, sad, discouraged, fearful, angry, or any of the many other ills that may come, you might feel like I’m too whatever (fill in the blank) to go and read the Bible right now; all I feel like doing is sleeping, crying, hitting or kicking something or someone or a variety of other useless actions that do nothing to solve the problem.

Proper therapy and healing can come when we study, learn and apply the word of God to our lives every moment of every day! The Bible is a food pantry filled with healthy, nourishing spiritual food that will feed our spirits and help us grow and remain spiritually healthy. We need to eat from it many times a day and thereby provide the needed nourishment for our spirits. When we’re not studying it we need to meditate on it and pray over it so the word can become real in our lives.

As we fill our lives with the Lord and His word, we force out those symptoms of spiritual illness! I’ve seen that happen in my life time after time over a period of many years; it really does work!

Too often we look at the Bible as a spiritual medicine cabinet to which we go when we get a spiritual cut or bruise; while there is value in that regard, it is not the main purpose of the Bible which is meant to serve as a spiritual food pantry from which we regularly get the spiritual food we need to grow and prosper in our Christian lives.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

I bring up the subject of the power of the Holy Spirit at this point because the Holy Spirit is the one true teacher of spiritual truth. Any hope of assimilating and applying spiritual truths to our daily lives will be totally dependent on the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Lord told this to the disciples in John 14:26 when He said to them:

“26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” If you desire to absorb God’s word and make it a part of your life then you must let the Holy Spirit teach you and open your heart to the truth of the word; this is the life changing application of the word of God to your experience of living.

The Holy Spirit can be quenched in your life by unconfessed sin; when that happens, and it can happen all too easily, then you lose the fruit of the Spirit in your life and cease to live a Spirit led life. God recognized the problem Christians would have with personal sin and provided a solution which is described in 1 John 1:8-10 where it is written:

“8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

While verses 8 and 10 describe the problem, verse 9 provides God’s solution to man’s problem of personal sin; we confess it to God and “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I’m particularly grateful for the “purify us from all unrighteousness” part. I’m an 81 year old retired Christian grandfather who lives at home yet I confess my sins to God many times each day!

A Private Test

Ask yourself what percentage of the time you feel the Holy Spirit is in control of your life; how many hours out of each day are you manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit within yourself and to others? Do you think those who know you best would agree?

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is described in Galatians 5:22-25 where it is written:

“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.”

Then ask yourself how you see yourself and all that is around you; do you see all things as a creation of God which is sustained from moment to moment by the mighty power of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you see God’s hand everywhere you look and know He is in control of everything and everyone? Do you understand that God is working all things after the counsel of His own will? Does the thought that we are all created beings and, along with the entire universe, exist by and for God cause you to rejoice and give thanks to your creator? If you can give a heartfelt yes answer to those questions then you most likely have no problem doing the following;

“4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 8, 2014

Starvation, by David Bower

Starvation is Dangerously Widespread in the United States

I can imagine your first thought as you read that headline; what in the world is he talking about, there’s a greater problem in the United States with obesity than there is with starvation. While physically that may be true, what about the spiritual condition of most people in the United States, are they spiritually well nourished and healthy; are they even spiritually alive?

We have all seen pictures of people who were physically starving to death; the visible symptoms are stark and disturbing. Many pictures were taken of emaciated men and women in prison camps in Germany and Japan at the end of World War II where prisoners were starved to death; it is a tragic sight.

What about pictures of spiritual starvation, where would you look to find those? Almost any place you go and anywhere you look you will see multiple signs of spiritual death, starvation or at least serious malnutrition. Most of the problems we hear about today are active symptoms of spiritual death, malnourishment or starvation but are all too often misdiagnosed. The world’s answers to these problems are always physical in nature and simply do not work; only in the Bible do we find answers that work!

Who is it that’s Starving?

I think we can all agree that only a person who is alive can starve. No one would go to a graveyard and express concern about starvation over those dead and buried. Accepting that point, then only those who are spiritually alive could be thought of as spiritually malnourished or starving. Those who are spiritually dead have a bigger problem; they need to become spiritually alive by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. This is referenced in Ephesians 2:1 where it is written:

“2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

By God’s grace we were born again by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and were made spiritually alive; after that it is our responsibility to see that we are spiritually well nourished.

What are the Signs of Spiritual Starvation or Malnutrition?

We are provided some clues in Galatians 5:19-21 “19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

In Romans 14:23b the definition of sin is broadened, “and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” I’m always awed by the all-encompassing nature of what it says. Everything that is not of faith includes much of what we think and do each day; every fear, doubt, worry, complaint, lust, apprehension, concern is all sin and quenches the power or the Holy Spirit in our lives robbing us of the fruit of the Spirit and the joy of our salvation.

Paul goes on to describe the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-25 “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.”

The fruit of the Spirit reveals a well nourished Spirit led life and unsurprisingly I see more evidence of this in church than anywhere else; sadly these symptoms are not universal even in church. I served as an usher for several years in a local church where I stood at the main entrance to the Worship Center and greeted people as they entered and offered them a bulletin.

Where I stood I could see everyone walking in a main entrance to the church and could observe their facial expressions. I noticed that a large number of those coming in appeared to be greatly burdened by something; there was little or no evidence of the joy of the Lord in their expressions. I set myself a goal to try and put smiles on as many of those faces as I could before they passed me by on their way into the Worship Center; often I was successful.

If you are not living a Spirit led life and manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit most of the time in your life is it possible you are either malnourished or starving spiritually.

Remember this has nothing to do with salvation, which is secured for the believer by the power of God, and everything to do with fellowship with God and quality of life while in our mortal bodies which is dependent on our walking by faith and not by sight!

 Those wonderful verses in 1 John 1:8-10 help us recognize the nature of the sin problem and why we may be walking be sight and not by faith: “8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

While verses 8 and 10 describe the problem, verse 9 provides God’s solution to man’s problem of personal sin; we confess it to God and “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I’m particularly grateful for the “purify us from all unrighteousness” part. I’m an 81 year old retired Christian grandfather who lives at home yet I confess my sins to God many times each day!

That part about “and everything that does not come from faith is sin” in Romans 14:23b hits me pretty hard. I’m a planner and consequently a worrier, I can start worrying or just start experiencing feelings of concern about almost anything at any time and have to carefully watch myself; I have to acknowledge that my worry and feelings of concern are sin and need to be confessed to God. The challenge today is the world seems to be so filled with worrysome things but letting those things control our outlook on life is walking by sight which is sin.

Next we will consider combating Spiritual Malnourishment and Starvation

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | October 1, 2014

ISIL, ISIS and Islam Concluded, by David Bower

Don’t be a Jonah

Most of us know the story of Jonah and his great reluctance to preach repentance to the Ninevites; we must not let our emotions get in the way of our responsibility to individual Muslim men and women; the Lord is saving thousands of them on a regular basis.

The Muslim appearing man or woman you see walking down the street, or shopping at the store is just possibly a present or future brother or sister in Christ; they do not differ from anyone else in their need to find salvation in Jesus Christ and the Lord is doing an amazing work bringing large numbers of them to salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

A Field, White for Harvesting

Trying to leave Islam can have deadly consequences yet many Muslims are being saved by faith in Jesus Christ. The following is a quote from World Magazine: http://www.worldmag.com/2014/07/the_rising_tide_of_muslim_converts_to_christianity

The rising tide of Muslim converts to Christianity

By Warren Cole Smith

Posted July 28, 2014, 11:08 a.m.

“If you spend any time keeping up with the news, you know that radical Islam is a significant and destructive force in the world. David Garrison, does not disagree with that assessment, but he says it’s only part of the story. There is also a revival in the Muslim world, Garrison says. He believes between 2 and 7 million former Muslims have converted to Christianity in the past two decades, and he has impressive research to back up his claim. He documents his findings in his book A Wind in the House of Islam.”

Global Media Outreach

As an online missionary for Global Media Outreach I can personally testify to the substantial number of converts to Christianity from many closed Muslim nations. The Lord is doing a wonderful work in calling His sheep out of the nations of Islam. I am always touched by those who are receiving Christ as Savior in Muslim nations as they are embarking on a very dangerous road.

The Lord has definitely not given up on Muslims and neither should we; only God knows who, among those Muslim men, women and children, is destined to become our brother or sister in Christ. Our responsibility before the Lord is to faithfully plant and water the seeds of the Gospel and trust to Almighty God to give the increase as He chooses. While it is true there are some hard cases out there that seem to be devoted to warfare and bloodshed;  I remind you of another hard case, a man named Saul of Tarsus, whose life was totally changed by the Lord and the Lord is still in the business of changing lives.

Islam Today

With the inflow of oil money Islam has begun a resurgence world-wide. Islamic tactics include terrorism, ideology, and demographics. The unifying force behind this attack is the Islamic determination to restore Islam to its rightful place as a world power and the establishment of a caliphate that dominates and controls the entire world as taught in the Qur’an.

The battle between Sunni and Shia is still a major factor in this Islamic effort to dominate the world. According to Islamic teaching the world is divided into two classes of nations:

Dar al Harb and Dar al Islam

Dar al Harb (Arabic: دار الحرب “house of war”) refers to areas outside Muslim rule, as opposed to Dar al Islam. The precise designations of such territories can vary widely according to the speaker’s idea of who is and is not a Muslim, and which governments are or are not Muslim in practice. The inhabitants of the Dar al-Harb are called harbi (Arabic: حربي), as opposed to dhimmi (second class citizens of the book – Christians and Jews) or kufr (non-believers, pagans). According to ancient law, a harbi does not even have the right to live. To enter the territory of Islam (Dar al Islam) he needs a safe-conduct pass called an aman. The term has meaning today for Islamist extremists.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi was quoted in As Sarq al Awast of July 19, 2003 as saying:

“It has been determined by Islamic law that the blood and property of people of Dar Al-Harb are not protected.”

Likewise, Sheikh Ali Gomaa said in an interview published in July 2003 by the Egyptian newspaper Al-Haqiqa:

“…it is permitted to kill him, because he is a Harbi and the Harbi spreads corruption throughout the face of the earth.”

Dar al-Harb, like Dar al Islam and similar terms, are not found in the Quran or in the Hadith which are the core basis of Islam.

Dar al Islam

Dar al Islam (Arabic: دار الإسلا) is the area of the world under the rule of Islam , literally, “the home of Islam” or “the home of submission.” This is often used by extremists to include areas that used to be part of the Muslim world such as Al-Andalus (Spain) as well as the Muslim world. It is not a Quranic term or used in the Hadith and has various interpretations. Moderate Muslims may say Dar al Islam can be any place where Muslims are secure, even if it is a secular society, whereas extremists have a different view.

Dar al Harb

Dar al Islam is defined as opposed to Dar Al Harb, the house of war, (the United States is Dar al Harb) where it is permitted according to some to wage Jihad, holy war for Islam. There are also various intermediate areas defined, such as Dar al Hudna, lands outside Islam that are subject to trucial obligations, and Dar al Kufr (the home of the unbelievers), a term specifically used by Muhammad to refer to territories of the Quraish tribe.

The Danger to the United States

The United States, as Dar al Harb, is facing this foe here at home and across the world. Our failure to openly acknowledge the identity of our enemy puts us at a severe disadvantage. Our failure to recognize the seriousness of our foe’s intentions puts us at great risk. The recent beheadings in the United States are a legitimate tactic according to the Qur’an as they took place in Dar al Harb.

While the individual Muslim may be called by God to salvation, and many are being called; Islam, as an ideology, is evil and must be recognized as the dangerous enemy that it has been for centuries; it is, at the very least, reckless foolishness to paint Islam as a “religion of peace.”

As we have seen, fundamental Medina style Islam is not a new foe, but has been a historic foe for the last 1,392 years; one that has succeeded in the past in establishing control over large areas of the world. A foe that sees us as “The Great Satan,” a foe that seeks our national destruction! We ignore history at our own peril; we must not continue down this path of deliberate “ignorance;” Islam seeks to bring an end to life as we have known it in the United States.

 

 

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 24, 2014

ISIL, ISIS and Islam Part 2, by David Bower

How did the violence start?

Islam has had a history of warfare and conquest from the beginning and is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a peaceful religion; but is rather, a violently aggressive geopolitical worldview that promotes Sharia Law, which is a comprehensive plan for all aspects of life. ISIL/ISIS seeks to reestablish an Islamic Caliphate which would then impose Sharia Law on as much of the world as they can conquer by any means necessary and if you’re wondering, this is not good.

There is an ongoing distrust between Sunni and Shia today; Saudi Arabia (Sunni) is fearful of the power that is developing in Iran (Shia) and concerned that Iran may seek to expand its influence over other Muslim nations. Iran is now developing concerns over ISIL/ISIS which is Sunni, (Sadam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party was Sunni).

A Brief History

Islam’s formal historic existence can be partially summarized as follows:
1.Umayyad Caliphate 622 AD to 750 AD (Sunni)
2.The Caliphate of Cordoba 929 AD to 1031 AD (Sunni)
3.Abbasid Caliphate 750 AD to 1519 AD (Sunni)
4.Fatimid Caliphate 909 AD to 1171 AD (Shia)
5.Ottoman Empire 1517 to 1924 (Sunni)

Umayyad Caliphate 622 AD to 750 AD

Umayyad CaliphateUmayyad Caliphate c. 750 AD

Conquest and control has been a key part of the spread of Islam from the beginning. After Muhammad’s flight to Medina in 622 AD, called the Hegira and used as the starting year for Islam, he waged jihad (holy war) 77 times before his death in 632 AD.

In this time he expanded his area of control from Medina to include the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. This conquest led to the formation of the Umayyad Caliphate which became the fifth largest contiguous empire in history.

In 656, Ali, who became the fourth Caliph, was a  cousin and son-in-law of Mohammad, and had supporters that killed the third caliph. Soon after, the Sunnis killed Ali’s son Husain. Fighting continued but Sunnis emerged victorious over the Shiites and came to revere the caliphate for its strength and piety. Shiites focused on developing their religious beliefs, through their imams.” Paul R. Pillar, retired C.I.A. official who coordinated intelligence on the Middle East.

At its largest in 750 AD it included Spain and Portugal and could have expanded into the rest of Europe had it not been for its defeat at the hands of Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours on October 10, 732. A number of 18th and 19th century historians give this victory the credit for turning the tide of Islamic aggression and preserving Europe for Christianity.

The Battle of Tours, 732 AD, a Turning Point in HistoryThe Battle of Tours, 732 AD, a Turning Point in History

Caliphate of Cordoba (Spain) 929 AD to 1031 AD

Caliphate of Cordoba, SpainArea Controlled by the Caliphate of Cordoba

This was a spinoff of the Umayyad Caliphate after it fell under attack by the Abbasid Muslims. Abd-ar-Rahman I became Emir of Córdoba in 756; fleeing for six years after the Umayyads had lost the position of Caliph held in Damascus in 750. Intent on regaining a position of power, he defeated the existing Islamic rulers of the area who defied Umayyad rule and united various local fiefdoms into an emirate. The Great Mosque of Cordoba, which is now a Catholic Church, was built at this time. The Caliphate finally fell in 1031 AD returning to small independent Muslim kingdoms.

Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain.jpg 2Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain

Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain ExteriorExterior View of Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain

Abbasid Caliphate 750 AD to 1519 AD

Abbasid CaliphateArea Covered by the Abbasid Caliphate

The Abbasids staged a successful attack on the Umayyad Caliphate with the aid of the Persians by temporarily converting to Shia Islam as a condition of Persian participation; this resulted in the establishment of the new Caliphate with the capitol moved from Damascus to Babylon as payment for the Persian support in the overthrow of the Umayyad. Once in power the Abbasids moved their loyalties back to Sunni Islam which left the Persian Shia Muslims very angry.

It was during this period that the Islamic Golden Age emerged. The first recorded paper mill was built in Babylon by Chinese captives, the mathematics of algebra was refined and the Arabic system of numerals was developed. Scholars there became a clearing house for knowledge of the time and many writings were preserved by translating them into Arabic and later into Hebrew, Turkish, and Latin. Hulagu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan sacked Baghdad on February 10, 1258, causing great loss of life. The Abbasids maintained a semblance of control but it was limited to religious matters only. The dynasty finally fell in 1543.

Fatimid Caliphate 909 AD to 1171 AD

Fatimid CaliphateArea of Fatimid Caliphate

This is an exceptional period in Muslim history where the Shia and the Caliphate were united. The dynasty was founded by Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah who claimed descent from Muhammad through his daughter Fatima. Wide spread defection from the Caliphate and attacks by outside forces eventually caused the end of the Caliphate by 1171 AD.

The Ottoman Empire 1517 AD to 1924 AD

The last of the Caliphates, the Ottoman Empire, lasted over 400 years under the leadership of Turkish Sultans. During the life of the Empire poor leadership, out of date political systems, and a failure to keep up with new technology resulted in steady erosion of territory when more technologically advanced nations attacked. The lack of strong leadership helped create the emergence of the Muslim pirates along the Barbary Coast; it was during this period in 1801 – 1805 that the United States sent eight Marines leading a force of 500 mercenary soldiers cross country from Egypt to capture the Tripolitan city of Derna. It was also at this time that Thomas Jefferson acquired a copy of the Qur’an to better understand the enemy he was fighting at the time.

Ottoman Empire 1914

The 400 Year Old Ottoman Empire in 1914

In 1914 the Ottoman Empire entered WW I on the side of Germany; when the war was lost the Empire collapsed and was arbitrarily divided by the Treaty of Versailles and a series of later treaties over the following years. It is this division which has created many of the problems today.

My objective in all of this is to show the true nature of Islamic thought; there is a clear, centuries long, history of conquest and control and although we have lived in a short period of calm, since 1918, that period appears to be over.

I’m reminded of Hegel’s famous observation:

“What experience and history teach is this–that people and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.”

In the last part of the series we will consider Islam today.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 17, 2014

ISIL, ISIS and Islam, by David Bower

The War on Terror, or Kamikazi, or Blitzkrieg?

 Our reluctance, nationally, to acknowledge the reality of the world situation we face today is disappointing to me. I know it shouldn’t be as our national leaders have been placed there by the sovereign will of God and are busy executing His plan for our nation and the world. It does not matter that national leaders, worldwide, may be totally unaware of God’s leading in their lives but leading He is.

I wonder to what extent the national leaders in the United States actually believe what they are saying or if most, if not all, of what is being said can be chalked up to political expediency or correctness.

To say we are fighting a “war on terror” is a ridiculous denial of reality that has been practiced by virtually everyone in the government and on the national media; terror is not an enemy per se, it is a tactic used by an enemy. In World War II the Japanese used a tactic called “Kamikazi” but never once did we say we were at war with “Kamikaze” in the Pacific arena; we were at war with Japan, the enemy who used Kamikaze as a terrorist suicide tactic against us.

In the European theater our enemy, Germany, used a tactic called “Blitzkrieg” but never once did we say we were at war with Blitzkrieg in Europe, we were at war with Germany and Italy. One does not wage war against a tactic, one wages war against an opposing force, an enemy who uses tactics and strategy to try and defeat us!

If Not Terror, Then Who or What?

That is not a difficult question; we are offered many clues as to the identity of the enemy. First let us consider the identity of ISIL or ISIS, the group which is making most of the headlines today. These are alternate names for the same group, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The common denominator is Islamic, they make a clear claim to being Islamic and have an announced objective of establishing an Islamic Caliphate which will dominate and control the entire world.

The challenge presented to those who would seek to stop Islamic terrorist attacks is the driving force behind the attacks; an ideology that does not always have a geographic location. The enemy knows no national borders and exists in the minds of individuals who live in many traditional nations around the world. These individuals have embraced the teachings of Islam and those who are violent have chosen to follow the most recent teachings of that worldview in accordance with the Islamic doctrine of abrogation.

The Qur’an (Koran)

The tenets of Islam were written down in a volume called the Qur’an (Koran); this document was the reported words of Mohammad written down after his death by those who heard him speak. The Qur’an can be divided into two groups of writings; the Meccan verses and the Medina verses. The tone of the chapters (Suras) grows increasingly hostile between those two groups.

Muslims or Muslim defenders who try to promote Islam as a religion of peace quote the Meccan verses; the Islamic doctrine of abrogation requires that verses written later replace and cancel earlier verses on the same subject. The later verses, the Medina verses, are war-like and hostile. The next to the last chapter written, Chapter 9, contains the “verse of the sword” 9:5 “When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. God is forgiving and merciful.”

This, however, is only part of the story; a major part of the story of Islam involves the two distinct groups Sunni and Shia.

Two branches of Islam, Sunni and Shia

The following is a quote from the History News Network, “The Sunni branch, (which has the larger Muslim following 80-90%), believes that the first four caliphs–Mohammed’s successors–rightfully took his place as the leaders of Muslims. They recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as legitimate religious leaders. These heirs ruled continuously in the Arab world until the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, which was a Sunni caliphate, following the end of the First World War.

Shiites in contrast believe that only the heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the legitimate successors of Mohammed. In 931 the Twelfth Imam disappeared. This was a seminal event in the history of Shiite Muslims. According to R. Scott Appleby, a professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, “Shiite Muslims, who are concentrated in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, [believe they] had suffered the loss of divinely guided political leadership” at the time of the Imam’s disappearance. Not “until the ascendancy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1978” did they believe that they had once again begun to live under the authority of a legitimate religious figure.” http://hnn.us/articles/934.html The term Shia or Shi’ite derives from a shortening of Shiat Ali or partisans of Ali.

What caused the original divide?

“The groups first diverged after the Prophet Muhammad died in 632, and his followers could not agree on whether to choose bloodline successors or leaders most likely to follow the tenets of the faith.

The group now known as Sunnis chose Abu Bakr, the prophet’s adviser, to become the first successor, or caliph, to lead the Muslim state. Shiites favored Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law. Ali and his successors are called imams, who not only lead the Shiites but are considered to be descendants of Muhammad. After the 11th imam died in 874, and his young son was said to have disappeared from the funeral, Shiites in particular came to see the child as a Messiah who had been hidden from the public by God. The largest sect of Shiites, known as “twelvers,” have been preparing for his return ever since. The Iranian leaders are all “twelvers.”

But What About ISIL/ISIS?

This group is Sunni and is devoted to the creation of the next caliphate. The last Sunni caliphate, The Ottoman Empire, came to an effective end in 1924 so the Sunni branch has essentially been without true religious leadership for almost 90 years. This is the longest timespan since 622 AD that the world has not had an active caliphate somewhere in existence.

In the next segment I will discuss the historic caliphates from 622 AD to 1924 AD.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 11, 2014

Don’t Let This One Slip By Unnoticed! By David Bower

The Book That Changed the World.

KJB 3

While looking for movie’s to watch on Netflix, I ran across this movie, “KJB, The Book that Changed the World.” My initial reaction to that title was mixed, it sounded sort of dry and academic and I had to think about it before I finally added to our queue. In retrospect I have to thank the Lord for His grace in prompting me to add it because it has turned out to be one of the most exciting and rewarding films I’ve seen all year; I have now purchased a copy for our movie library.

Those of you who follow my blog may have noticed I occasionally recommend movies to my readers; this is one which I hope all of you will take the time to watch.

In 1773, William Cowper wrote a hymn which  starts with these words,  “The Lord moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.” Certainly those words describe the amazing events surrounding the creation of this honored translation of the Bible. I suspect you’ll be as happy as I was to view this movie and discover those amazing events for yourself!

I’ve added my Amazon Vine Voice review of the film below.

An Amazing Treasure!

By David Bower TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE VOICE on September 4, 2014

Format: DVD

We watched this movie on a hunch and struck gold; this is one of the most gratifying movies I’ve seen in a long time and it almost moved me to tears. I had no idea what story the movie would tell; I’ve appreciated the language of the King James Bible for almost all of my life and still use a version of it for my primary study Bible. I had no idea of what had gone into the making of this translation and found myself fascinated by the well crafted story which provided the background and told of the intrigue surrounding the scholarship and effort involved in putting it all together.

I remember my Greek professor in seminary commenting on the quality of the King James translation from the original languages. While it is true that the English language is a living language and is in a constant state of revision as determined by popular usage, the King James translation, with minor updates to better translate the intended thoughts of the original writers, still communicates the message of the Bible with power, accuracy and dignity.

I heartily recommend this movie to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ and all who simply appreciate an exciting story very well told.

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | September 4, 2014

Noah, the Movie, by David Bower

Noah, the Movie, an Exercise in Ridiculous Fantasy and Fiction

I had heard enough about the movie, Noah, to avoid spending any money on a disc so I waited until it was available on Netflix. We watched it for the first and last time the other afternoon and I was delighted I could ship the disc back to Netflix and try and forget it as soon as possible.

As an Amazon Vine Voice reviewer I usually review items I’ve used or seen on the Amazon.com website. I’ve attached my review below.

Mostly Fantasy and Fiction with Just a Sprinkling of Fact., August 1, 2014
By David Bower (Houston, Texas, USA)

This review is from: Noah (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD) (Blu-ray)
In all fairness I’ll admit to being a serious student of the first six chapters of Genesis. I’ve spent countless hours reading, studying, and researching the world before the flood with a particular emphasis on the flood and its cataclysmic impact on the earth.

While there were small parts of the movie I felt reflected the Biblical account with some degree of accuracy; the bulk of the movie was a hodge-podge of fantasy and fiction which, at times, I found extremely annoying. Fortunately I rented the movie and watched it for my first and last times this afternoon.

I was fortunate in that I had a very low level of expectations concerning the movie and was therefore not particularly disappointed by what I saw. There were some scenes, not intended to be humorous, at which I laughed out loud at the very silliness of what was happening.

I felt compelled to watch it once, now that’s out of the way I shall try to forget it.

I deliberately kept my review short as there was entirely too much I wanted to say and I felt that I needed to focus more on the bottom line for any who might take the time to read my review.

The World Before the Flood

Some of you may recall the extended series of articles I wrote on the first six chapters of Genesis; for those of you not familiar with that series it starts with this blog; The Creation Story and completes with my blog on May 18, 2012. There are other related articles which can be located using the search feature for example, the word Nephilim.

The world of the movie, Noah, is only vaguely similar to the world before the flood as described in the Bible. The account of Noah and his family is largely fantasy and again bears little or no resemblance to the Biblical account which is fact. In summary, the movie failed to live up to even my lowered level of expectations in spite of the fact I had been warned to not expect very much. This was a rich opportunity totally wasted.

I encourage any of you who have not read my series on the pre-flood world and the flood to look them up and get a much better insight into what the Bible actually says about that amazing time.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 21, 2014

God’s Prophetic Calendar, by David Bower

 What is Left in God’s Prophetic Calendar?

The Bible is reasonably clear on what has yet to happen but not so clear on the timing and the order of events. Listed in the chronological order I believe to be the most consistent with the revelation of Scripture, I would order events as follows:

  1. The Rapture of the Church
  2. The Battle of Psalm 83
  3. The Battle of Gog and Magog
  4. The signing of the covenant agreement between Israel and the Antichrist
  5. The beginning of the Tribulation
  6. The Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ
  7. The beginning of the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ
  8. The second battle of Gog and Magog at the end of the Millennium.
  9. The destruction of the present heavens and earth and the Great White Throne Judgment.
  10. The creation of the new heaven and earth and the beginning of eternity.

The first three events are the subject of much debate and discussion as to their order and timing; events four through eight are clearly ordered and timed in Scripture. The order of events nine and ten is reasonably certain but the timing is not specified in Scripture. In the remainder of this article I will provide brief comments on events 1-6.

  1. The Rapture of the Church

There is nothing prophetic that remains to be done before the church is taken home; the rapture could occur at any second at a time known only to God. The rapture will have a very disruptive impact on the United States and to lesser degrees in other countries as the percentage of Christians in those countries is far lower. It is impossible to determine in advance exactly how devastating the removal of the Christian population in the United States will be for our nation. I believe it will produce sufficient chaos to encourage Islamic groups to attack both the United States and Israel. The “Big Satan,” the United States will be in chaos so how could there be a more opportune time to attack both the “Big Satan” and the “Little Satan,” Israel.

  1. The Battle of Psalm 83

While Israel will be under the protection of God, there will be no comparable protection for the United States; this explains why the United States is absent from the world stage in the end times, it is only a shell of its former self. Israel survives this attack but the United States suffers a devastating blow. God’s hand in the protection of Israel will be clear enough to grant Israel a time of peace. It will become, under God’s protective hand, a nation finally at peace.

  1. The Battle of Gog and Magog

How long that peace will last is not revealed in the Bible. We are told in Ezekiel 38:8 where Gog is being warned, 8 After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.

In Ezekiel 38:11, and again speaking to Gog, “11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.” I believe it will be the decisive victory in the Battle of Psalm 83 which sets the stage for this time of peace.

This battle will be ended decisively by the intervention of God in such a powerful display that Israel will again enjoy a time of peace. You may recall from a previous blog that earthquakes will be a part of God’s judgment on the attacking forces. I think it is these earthquakes that will clear the ground for the rebuilding of the temple. This time there will be no serious objections to the rebuilding.

  1. The signing of the covenant agreement between Israel and the Antichrist

Although the dry bones have been returned to the land and God has demonstrated His care for Israel, they have not yet received spiritual life from God as a nation; Israel, in its historic perversity, finds itself looking for a protector to replace the United States and what do you know, they find a volunteer, the Antichrist. It is the signing of this covenant agreement between Israel and the Antichrist that is the actual beginning of the Tribulation. With the signing of this document, Israel has pushed the start button on a time so terrible that if it were not cut short no flesh should survive.

  1. The beginning of the Tribulation

The Tribulation is the last seven years of the last 490 years promised to Israel by God. The 490 years was brought to an abrupt close on March 30, 33 AD, the day the Lord Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on the week of His crucifixion. The divine clock had stopped but will start again with the signing of the covenant with the Antichrist. God does not mix Israel and the church, Israel’s countdown clock stopped at year 483 at the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem; the church did not have its beginning for another 57 days when the Holy Spirit indwelt Christians at Pentecost on May 25, 33 AD

The Tribulation will be divided into two parts, the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation; as the name suggests, the second half will be very severe. Initially the Antichrist will appear as a messianic figure who promises to cure all the world’s ills. At mid-point, Satan is cast out of heaven and indwells the Antichrist and things take a dramatic turn for the worse.

  1. The Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ

As Israel’s last seven years draws to a close a terrible battle will take place in the vicinity of the Valley of Megiddo, the battle is called the Battle of Armageddon and will cost hundreds of thousands of lives. At the peak of this battle the Lord Jesus Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and bring the battle to an end. The church will return with the Lord as observers.

Those who have survived the Tribulation will be divided into two groups, those who have been faithful believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and those who have not. Those who have not will be thrown into the Lake of Fire with the Antichrist and the false prophet while those who have been faithful will join the Lord as mortal believers during the Millennium.

Next The Millennial and Eternal reigns of the Lord Jesus Christ and events 7 through 10 see “What Does the Future Hold for Us?

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 14, 2014

The Miracle of the Missile, by David Bower

A Miracle, the Missile That Flies Into the Sea!

There is much being written about the “Iron Dome” over Israel and its success in protecting Israel from rocket attacks by Hamas. There may be some interesting clues that God’s divine dome is beginning to harden as well.

Following are some excerpts from a recent article on the Hamas attacks by the Israel Today Staff: Aug 4, 2014: Israel Today:

“One would think that the 10 percent or so of Hamas rockets predicted by Iron Dome’s radars to hit populated areas that are not intercepted would still cause significant Israeli casualties. But somehow, they don’t.
An earlier, unconfirmed report floating around the Internet had a Gaza resident attributing the lack of Hamas accuracy to Israel’s God moving the rockets off-course to protect His people.
“We do aim [our rockets], but their God changes their path in mid-air,” a Hamas commander was said to have told someone who wondered why Gaza-based militants can’t seem to hit their targets.
Whether or not that report is [true], an Iron Dome operator whose battery failed three times to down an incoming missile headed toward Tel Aviv last week, said the overall assessment is [accurate].
In remarks relayed to an Israel news site (Hebrew), the Iron Dome battery commander recalled:
“A missile was fired from Gaza. Iron Dome precisely calculated [its trajectory]. We know where these missiles are going to land down to a radius of 200 meters. This particular missile was going to hit either the Azrieli Towers, the Kirya (Israel’s equivalent of the Pentagon) or [a central Tel Aviv railway station]. Hundreds could have died.
“We fired the first [interceptor]. It missed. Second [interceptor]. It missed. This is very rare. I was in shock. At this point we had just four seconds until the missile lands. We had already notified emergency services to converge on the target location and had warned of a mass-casualty incident.
“Suddenly, Iron Dome (which calculates wind speeds, among other things) shows a major wind coming from the east, a strong wind that…sends the missile into the sea. We were all stunned. I stood up and shouted, ‘There is a God!’
“I witnessed this miracle with my own eyes. It was not told or reported to me. I saw the hand of God send that missile into the sea.” The complete report can be found here:http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art_pf.html?ID=14315.

I was touched and excited by this article, to me it is an encouraging sign that the Lord is beginning to make His presence increasingly known among men. During Old Testament times and during the End Times, God’s presence was and will again be manifested among men in a manner with which we are totally unfamiliar.

The Battle of Gog and Magog

God’s clear and direct intervention on earth will characterize the end times. An example of this kind of intervention is given in the description of the Battle of Gog and Magog. Although I do not believe this event is next on God’s prophetic calendar, it does graphically illustrate how divine intervention will look.

In Ezekiel 38:17-23, referencing the Battle of Gog and Magog, it is written:
17 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

Then in Ezekiel 39:1-6 we read:

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. 4 On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. 6 I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

From that last sentence it appears that judgment will not only fall on the armies attacking Israel but on their homelands as well. After the church is removed, the world is going to become a vastly different sort of place; conditions will continue to deteriorate until the final Battle of Armageddon at which point the Lord Jesus Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Nest week we will review a summary of what the Bible tells us is left to happen before the end of this age.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | August 8, 2014

What Does the Future Hold for Us? by David Bower

The Amazing Future that Awaits Us!

I am convinced that the words in our vocabulary cannot begin to express the grandeur and scope of the world and the universe God has planned for those who love Him. As we reflect on things to come, we should not be surprised so little is revealed in the Bible; our minds and experiences have not equipped us to understand the wonders of what will be.

The remainder of this article will provide a brief summary of what the Bible reveals about the future.

7 – The Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ

This will be the third time mankind has been given a fresh start; the first time it began with Adam and Eve and ended in failure, the second time it began with Noah and his family and ended in failure, the third time will this pattern be repeated?

The earth will have been restored and the environment will be perfect but in spite of perfect environment many will reject Christ as Savior.

At the end of the Tribulation the only mortal humans left to repopulate the earth will be those who have received Christ as Savior; they will be saved but still have the sin nature they received from Adam. Their children and their children’s children will be born, some to receive Christ as Savior and others to reject Christ.

8 – The second battle of Gog and Magog at the end of the Millennium.

During this period Christ will reign and Satan will be bound but then at the end of the 1,000 years Satan will be released from his confinement and will go out and deceive those who have rejected Christ as Savior; despite perfect environment many will reject Christ. Under Satan’s leadership, those who follow Satan will attack. This is briefly described in Revelation 20:7-10,

“7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

9 – The destruction of the present heavens and earth and the Great White Throne Judgment.

In Revelation 20:11-15 we read,

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

In verse 11 we read “the heavens and earth fled from his presence,” I believe this is a reference to the destruction mentioned by Peter in 2 Peter 3:10 where it is written, “10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” All in which unbelieving man had placed his trust will be gone, their reality will consist of the Great White Throne and empty blackness to be followed by eternal torment in the Lake of Fire.

10 – The creation of the new heaven and earth and the beginning of eternity.

The Bible does not provide a great deal of information about eternity and the new heavens and earth. If I were to guess I would explain that omission by comparing it with efforts to describe a major world city to a young boy who only knew of mud huts and jungle trails; there would be no standard for reference or even words in the boy’s vocabulary to try and help him understand what it was like. I’m convinced that the differences between what we know and what will be are infinitely greater than that; we will simply have to wait and see what God has planned for His children.

The Bible’s revelations of the new heavens and earth are largely contained in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. Chapter 21 begins with these words:

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Chapter 22 ends with these words,

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”

“4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

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