Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 23, 2014

To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War Continued, by David Bower

After the Flood

In my previous article I related the history of the ancient spiritual war through God’s judgment on the earth by the world-wide flood. By way of summary we covered the original act of sin when Lucifer became Satan, Lucifer’s fall from grace followed by his successful effort to destroy the spirit of man and his almost successful effort to corrupt human DNA.

We discovered that although Satan no longer has a place in the kingdom of God, he still has access to heaven and is seen in God’s presence having a discussion about Job. The next big shift in the spiritual war is about to develop.

The Birth of the Seed of the Woman, our Kinsman Redeemer

Despite Satan’s best efforts, human DNA remained pure through Noah and the seven members of his family. It has been estimated that the earth’s population at the time of the flood was around 9,000,000,000 people, all but 8 drowned; which is certainly a catastrophe of Biblical proportions!

Now the work of correcting the distortion that had been created by Adam’s sin would be begun by the one person who could do it, the Lord Jesus Christ. The eternal Second Person of the Trinity, the one who created the universe and continues to sustain it by His power, would humble Himself so as to become a man, flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and, as our Kinsman Redeemer, restore mankind to its rightful place as intended by God.

In the perfection of His saving work, He would even elevate us to a much higher plane than Adam ever knew, we were to become children of God and joint heirs with Christ in God’s eternal family. It was this that Satan dreaded and hated and sought to stop by his unsuccessful effort to corrupt human DNA. God’s promise to Adam and Eve of a seed would be perfectly fulfilled in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most of us are familiar with the story of the birth of Christ and Herod’s attempt to kill him; our Kinsman Redeemer was born in order to die on the cross on our behalf and nothing was going to interfere with His perfectly achieving that goal.

The Victory is Won

It may seem strange to think of a horrible death on a Roman cross as a moment of victory, but that is exactly what it was; at that point the ransom was paid and the earth redeemed from Satan, Christ’s work of redemption was finished. It pleased God to delay the final implementation of this redemption to allow all who would be called to enjoy the blessings of salvation; this delay resulted in our becoming part of God’s family and more are being added every day.

The Next Big Step

Around 50 days were to pass after the resurrection before a new type of human being would be created by the power of God; this process of re-birth would continue until the Church was removed at the Rapture. The Holy Spirit of God came to earth to indwell all who had received Christ as Savior; the fabled temple in Jerusalem had been replaced by frail human bodies as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. From that point on the world contained two distinctly different classes of people, those who were spiritually alive and indwelt by God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who were not and were still spiritually dead.

For an unrevealed number of centuries, God would be creating a new form of life, the born-again Christian who collectively would form the true Church, the body and bride of Christ. It would be impossible to overemphasize the vitally important nature of this change; God Himself would now indwell each individual Christian and never leave that individual either in time or eternity.

Individual human beings would be added to this group by the power of God starting at Pentecost and ending at the Rapture of the Church; before that there was no equivalent creation and after that process is closed, at the Rapture of the Church, that process will be stopped forever.

What Does This Mean?

God has done an enormous thing in creating this new creation, the Christian; those who have been born-again have been blessed beyond measure by being made a dwelling place for God. The Christian can never be separated from his creator because his creator is in him, forever. This should be the dominant thought in the mind of every Christian, we are the temples of God, we are the vessels through which Christ lives His life on earth.

There are several sections of the Bible where this is revealed:

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:9-11

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:15-21

What an unqualified cause for rejoicing and gladness; this knowledge alone should make every day of your life a joy and be a never-ending source of praise and thanksgiving! We have every reason to rejoice in Christ always and delight ourselves in the blessings He has poured out on us. The words of Philippians 4:4-7 should dominate our thoughts, “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.”

One More Thing

While the Holy Spirit is now indwelling all those who are born-again, there is another ministry of the Holy Spirit to the world which is described in John 16:7-11 ” 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

The Holy Spirit is restraining sin in the world today, as bad as it seems to be it will get worse when the Church is removed at the Rapture; things will become more like they were before the flood when, “5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5

In the last of this series we will cover from the Rapture to the end of the spiritual war.

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 16, 2014

To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War, by David Bower

Like it or Not, You’re a Soldier if You’re a Christian

Have you ever thought of yourself as a soldier? There are few classic physical manifestations of warfare in most of our lives; we’re not surrounded by bombed out villages and carnage so we may doubt the reality of a spiritual war or be lulled into thinking we really don’t have to be involved in any “spiritual warfare.” If you’re thinking any variation of these thoughts then you’re wrong and potentially endangering yourself and others.

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.

What is Going On Today in the World?

Last week I wrote on right and wrong and this week I would like to dig into more of the background that has produced the framework for this spiritual battle between right and wrong. While the trend in society seems to involve an abandonment of objective moral standards; the problem of right and wrong, and good versus evil, goes back to a time before the creation of man.

It is entirely possible that we are approaching the climax of this ancient struggle; the Bible has outlined the general conditions that will prevail at that time and it appears that more and more pieces are falling into place. God moves according to His own timetable so this climax may occur within the next few years or the next few hundred years.

I feel it a real blessing that God is waiting; it is pointed out in 2 Peter 3:8-9, “8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

I suspect each of you can join with me in an outpouring of praise to the Lord for our opportunity to join the body of Christ by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. By God’s grace we are still living in a time when people all over the world are being saved. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47b It is exciting to see how many are coming to the Lord in faith and being saved each day that passes!

Going Back to a Time Before Time

The problem with sin did not begin with Adam’s direct disobedience to a command from God but at a time, possibly before the creation of time, in eternity past. There are a number of brief references to this event given in the Bible. Let us start with what appears to be an account of the earliest recorded incident which is described in Ezekiel 28:12b-17; the following is believed to describe Lucifer who is later known as Satan:

“‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”

We are given further information in Isaiah 14:12-15 where the infamous five I wills of Satan are recorded:

12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.”

At this point Lucifer/Satan had lost his position in heaven but still had access to heaven; we encounter Satan in heaven speaking with God in Job 1:6-7:

“6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

Notice how Satan brags of his authority over the earth; when Adam sinned, the human race died spiritually and forfeited its position of authority over the earth to Satan, Satan became the “Prince of the Power of the Air” and mankind became spiritually dead slaves to sin as described in Ephesians 2.

“2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:2-3

The World and God’s Plan Put in Danger

If this was not enough, a Satanic plan was put into effect to try and eliminate any possibility of one who would be the seed of the woman and crush the head of the serpent described in Genesis 3:15:

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The reference to the offspring of the woman is seen as the first promise of the Messiah and the victory that would someday be won at the cross when Christ would spiritually crush Satan’s head. The striking of his heel is seen as the death of Christ on the cross, a short lived victory as Christ rose from the dead three days later.

Satan’s plan involved a corruption of human DNA that would prevent the promised redeemer from ever being born; a dangerous plan that required extreme measures to defeat it, the death of billions of human beings by a world-wide flood. This event is described in Genesis 6 and has been covered in some detail in other articles. It is sufficient to point out Satan’s plan was defeated and those most directly responsible, the sons of God who kept not their first estate, are being severely punished.

4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly” 2 Peter 2:4-5

6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day” Jude 6

To be continued.

 

 

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 10, 2014

But What About Right and Wrong?, by David Bower

Is There Such a Thing as Right and Wrong Anymore?

Can you remember a time when there seemed to be a much more general consensus on what was right and what was wrong? A time when asked, the majority of adults could agree that such and such was either something that was or was not acceptable behavior. There were, of course, certain areas that were more a matter of opinion but there seemed to be fewer of those areas than we find in today’s society and of less consequence in their impact on society as a whole.

There seemed to be a greater unity, a greater harmony of opinion on what was right and wrong than we are finding today; is there any explanation for that change? I believe there is a simple explanation for that change and that is the gradual removal of a reference point for behavior; an elimination of the benchmark for right and wrong.

If there is no standard, no law, then there is no way that standard or law can be violated; if there is no speed limit then it is equally lawful to drive at 35, 85, or even 125 miles or more per hour without breaking the law.

The Apostle Paul addressed this fact in Romans 5:13 where it is written, “13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.” One might even ask if there is any such thing as sin if there is no reference point for personal behavior. If “no one is hurt and it feels good” should it not be considered right? What’s more, if there is no standard for behavior, would it not be right to simply dispose of another person if you felt they stood in the way of your achieving personal satisfaction and you were stronger and able to dispose of them?

It’s easy to imagine how chaotic society would become if all moral standards were removed; there would be no individual rights and we would be thrown into a “survival of the strongest and meanest” mode for sure; reminiscent of the world just before the Genesis flood. Very few, if any, would really want to see this as the norm for society; this implies the need for some standard of behavior, perhaps some moral absolutes to govern behavior if a society is to prosper and grow.

Are There Any?

We have all seen many changes; some are clearly beneficial, while others would be open to debate as to their true value. Since changes are coming at such a fast pace, I’m confident that all of us can quickly enumerate developments that may be viewed as positive or negative in their impact on life and living.

While the technological advances have provided amazing benefits to many, that is really not the subject of this essay; what I would like to discuss here is the question of relative versus absolute morality. Society seems to be in the process of aggressively following a path that leads to a relative, rather than an absolute moral standard; we are moving from a law abiding to a more lawless mentality.

Laws have become more arbitrary, more subject to interpretation to fit the whims of the moment; they can be bent or broken with impunity and sadly, we are seeing this from the top of our nation’s leadership on down.

While there are absolute standards in science and technology, the concept of absolute standards in moral behavior is being increasingly viewed as archaic and unsuitable for contemporary society. If one is to have an absolute moral standard then there must be a reference point against which all moral behavior would be measured, a benchmark for morality as it were. Following that line of thought, it is interesting to note that science and technology, with its absolute standards, are progressing rapidly while society, without absolute standards, appears to be in a downward spiral of moral decay.

For centuries, the Bible had served as that benchmark; it provided the specific information needed to serve as the standard for moral behavior. Now, the Bible is being cast aside and rejected as irrelevant and out of date. Acceptable moral behavior is now seen as negotiable, subject to interpretation based on the circumstances; anyone who would try and impose an absolute standard is also viewed as irrelevant and out of date.

What Constitutes Moral Decay?

When I referenced above, “a downward spiral of moral decay” was I not being judgmental, was I not imposing some objective standard, some benchmark of moral excellence? I confess, I was, I was being irrelevant and out of date by referring to the Biblical standard.

Would it not be possible that those who reject the Bible would see society as moving toward moral perfection? Is morality, then, a matter of personal interpretation and subject to the whims of the moment? I believe it is not, even if we should eliminate the Bible from consideration, I believe there is an objective standard in nature that will demonstrate whether moral relativism or moral absolutism is correct. Now the question; how could we determine which is correct?

I suggest to you that sustainable workability is the natural standard by which the validity of any philosophy of morality must be measured. Does the moral system promote the successful continuity of the society in which it is practiced; does the society grow and prosper, offering opportunities to pursue health and happiness to the members of that society? If it offers those opportunities over an extended period then it is valid; if it does not then it is not valid.

God’s Plan for Long Term Sustainability

If you should check out population or demographic decline you will find over 18,700,000 results in a matter of seconds. It appears that Western Civilization as we know it is on the way out. As the Western nations have increasingly discarded the Bible and Biblical standards they have begun to decline; we can easily see these forces at work in the United States.

The Bible offers a moral standard that works but that is no surprise to those of us who believe it was given to us for our instruction and guidance to successful living by the Creator God who gave us life. The Biblical standard was given to enrich our lives and help us find the very best path to a rich, full life that brings the greatest joy and provides for the healthy continuation of any society.

The perfect expression of moral excellence is found in the New Testament by both illustration and example; we have in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ a living expression of absolute morality perfectly displayed; it is in this life we find the example established.

Our Creator God, in His omniscience, knew we would need a lot of help and provided the Living Word, the Son of God, as well as the written word, the Bible to help us find the best way to enjoy life and living. To ignore God’s help is to invite disaster and sadly, we seem to have chosen the path of ignorance as God had predicted we would.

There is really good news for those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior; a time is coming when we shall be able to enjoy life as God had planned it; a time when God’s perfect moral absolutes will be perfectly fulfilled in society. What is exciting to me is the possibility that time may come soon.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 26, 2014

The Painted Veil That Hides Reality, by David Bower

 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 object 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 been lifted; 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”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 17, 2014

The United States Government – Under Control or Out of Control, by David Bower

What if we Ran Our Family Finances the Way the Government is Running the Nation’s Finances?

I can recall, as a young husband and father, the agony I felt when we ran out of money before we ran out of month. I can remember the soul searching my wife and I would go through as we tried to determine what options were available to try and hold our family finances together in those difficult and frustrating times.

Fortunately those times were short lived because we both came to the same conclusion; nothing whatsoever was worth the price that kind of problem generated in our lives! To try and make sure we wouldn’t have to go through those times again we lived simply and frugally and made do with what we had. At times we both worked, at other times I had two jobs and worked very long hours but we were determined that we were no longer going to run out of money before we ran out of month! The Lord blessed us with the health and determination to do that so those times became nothing more than a painful memory.

Lessons from Life

The lessons we learned, as a young married couple, my wife was 17 and I was 19 when we got married, have continued to stand us in good stead; although we have been greatly blessed by the Lord, we still live a relatively simple and frugal lifestyle and are perfectly content with what we have.

I see our contentment as a blessing from the Lord and am reminded of Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:11-13 where it is written, “11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

By no stretch of the imagination do we compare ourselves to Paul, but we are in the process of learning and have made some progress, by God’s grace.

The Norm for Most Families

I want to re-emphasize the key place God’s grace and mercy has had in our efforts to maintain a balanced family budget; I am fully aware of the devastating impact that bad health, injury or any of a countless number of other calamities can have on a family’s finances; our family too has experienced a number of those kinds of events.

Despite the unexpected, however, most families manage to attain and maintain a workable financial equilibrium by means of hard work, restraint, and most importantly, God’s grace and mercy.

Under Control or Out of Control?

Let us now consider the subject of our nation’s finances; by any rational standard it is seriously out of control. Every family that has achieved a reasonable financial balance would be horrified to suddenly be placed in the financial predicament being faced by our nation. How and why did our national leadership get us into this mess in the first place and why does there seem to be so little interest in extricating our nation from this mess?

I hasten to add, at this point, that I am neither an economist nor an international banker and make no pretense of understanding such things. I do have some common sense which tells me if you don’t have the money to spend you don’t spend it anyway. I recall how the United States Government was compared to a drunken sailor spending money but the analogy was considered unfair to the drunken sailor because when he ran out of money he just went back to his ship.

Why are we Spending Our Nation Deeper and Deeper into Debt?

There are a number of theories that suggest answers to our out-of-control spending but I’ll limit my observations to only one. It has long been observed that the financial health of the United States has been a major obstacle to one-world government. While there are a number of well intentioned intellectuals who see political unification as the answer to many of the world’s problems, we know from the Bible that the final form of world government will be under the influence of Satan.

We also know, from the Bible, that the United States is conspicuously absent from the world scene when that final one-world government becomes operational under the leadership of the antichrist. What I see, as I look at the United States and the rest of the world, is the heavy hand of God beginning to more overtly move in the affairs of men and nations.

Although I know, from the Bible, that this must take place, it is still hard to watch it happen. I believe we are watching God at work in the affairs of this nation as well as the world to bring world events and circumstances into conformity with His plan for the End Times. I have no idea how much time is left, how long it will be before the ranks of the church are finally complete.

The Lord is hard at work, bringing in those last sheep that are part of His flock into the fold that they may join the rest of the sheep at the time all are called home.

“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.”

Revelation 22:20-21

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 13, 2014

Is Peace Hard to Find? by David Bower

Silhouettes-Watermarked for David's blog 5-13-14

“Silhouettes”, Artist: Adele Bower, www.artbyadelebower.com

“Yes, I am looking for peace in my life and surely peace is hard to find.”

I work as an online missionary for Global Media Outreach and made a discovery recently; GodLife, from Global Media Outreach, had sent a letter to subscribers which concluded with the following:  “Are you looking for peace in your life? Hit reply and tell your volunteer what is going on. We can help!”

As a volunteer worker, one of the replies I received had the statement in quotes, above. This Christian brother, with whom I have worked since January of last year, is from Zimbabwe. He and I have exchanged letters on a regular basis ever since so it was good to see his name in my mailbox; his was the first reply that I received on the subject of finding peace.

I believe we can all agree it seems to be getting harder to find even small pockets of peace in this troubled world in which we live today. I began to suspect that there might well be others who were drawing the same conclusion, “peace is hard to find.” I’ve decided to share with the readers of my blog, the reply that I wrote to fulfill the “We can help!” promise made by GMO on behalf of the volunteers.

I’ve deleted the brother’s name to protect his privacy.

Finding the Peace Which Passes Understanding

Dear _______,

The success of your search for peace all depends on what kind of peace you seek and where you are looking for peace. We are living in a spiritual war so peace in this world cannot be found; there is a peace available to God’s children and that is inner, spiritual peace which is beyond understanding. It is this peace God invites you to enjoy as one of His children, _______.

We can enjoy this peace as we let the Holy Spirit lead in our lives; this is promised 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.”

This deep, inner peace is always available to those who are led by the Holy Spirit; this is the peace which passes understanding. In Philippians 4: 4-7 it is written, “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.”

If you look to this world and all of its life situations you will not find peace; the secret to finding peace within your heart is to trust in the Lord always and do not try to understand circumstances. The key to the Spirit led life is confession of sin _______, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, even as Christian men and women. In 1 John 1: 8-10 this is explained, “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.”

Notice in verse 9 that when we confess our known sins God even forgives us of our unknown sins as well. When we confess our sins to God, the power of the Holy Spirit is restored in our lives and we can again enjoy the fruit of the Spirit. When you fail to find peace it is probably because you have unconfessed sin in your life; confess your sin to God and you restore the power of the Holy Spirit.

Keep in mind one thing about sin, _______, and that is the nature of sin as described in Romans 14: 23b where it is written, “everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Your doubts, fears and uncertainties are all sin _______, and suppress the power of the Holy Spirit in your life; when you feel any of these negative emotions, confess them to God and restore the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

I’ll pray for you now, _______:

Holy Father, I ask your blessing and guidance on _______ as he seeks to live a life that pleases and honors you. I ask that the Holy Spirit may help him understand the nature of sin so that he recognizes sin for what it is and is quick to confess his sins to you. Please help him discover the peace that passes understanding that you have prepared for those who trust you and follow you by faith. Please help him to understand that the fruit of the Spirit is his portion on this earth if he will only claim it. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit, _______ and you will find peace.

Your brother in Christ,

David

While many of the verses and thoughts are familiar to readers of my blog, the principles involved are of fundamental importance in the daily life of any believer and deserve daily application to the Christian life. If you are experiencing any difficulties finding deep, inner peace, then I encourage you to put these principles into full force and effect in your life too.

Live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit and you will find peace.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 28, 2014

The Mysterious Nephilim, by David Bower

The Nephilim of the Old Testament, a Little Background

In Genesis 6 we are introduced to a class of humanoid men called the Nephilim; in verse 4 we read, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.”

The exact nature of the Nephilim has been debated for a long time and I’m under no illusion that this one article will finally settle the matter; it is an expression of what I believe to be the most likely explanation of the limited information that has been provided in the Bible.

If you keep in mind there were 1,656 years between the creation of Adam and the flood, I believe it is reasonable to conclude that the afterward, referenced in verse 4, was part of that time before the flood, not after the flood. A reference to heroes of old could well mean the time a thousand years before the flood.

I have addressed the subject of the identity of the “sons of God” in other articles and will not open that discussion again here. I will simply conclude that they were a limited number of the fallen angels who had followed Satan at the time of the angelic rebellion in heaven. The Nephilim were the children of these angelic fathers and human mothers and had DNA of both the fallen angels and human women. They had a corrupted DNA and were part of a Satanic effort to thwart God’s plan for a human kinsman redeemer who would defeat Satan.

This was a major attack on God’s plan for mankind’s redemption and had to be dealt with in a manner that would put the matter to rest once and for all. This, of course, was accomplished by the flood which killed the entire human population of the earth except for eight people, Noah and his family.

It has been estimated by some statisticians that the earth’s population was close to 9 billion people at the time of the flood so one can see from that number the severity of God’s judgment on humanity and the earth.

Nephilim After the Flood?

If the purpose of the flood was to eliminate corrupted DNA then how could it be that there were Nephilim after the flood; did some of them survive that judgment or did they come from some other source perhaps? While there are a number of popular theories, let us examine the Bible’s revelation on that subject and see if we can find an explanation.

First, what does the Bible say about Nephilim after the flood? As we examine the Old Testament we discover that there is only one reference to the Nephilim after the flood and that is found in Number 13:31-33 where it is written, “31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

An important consideration on the use of the word Nephilim is its context; this was used as part of a “bad report” given to try and frighten the Israelites into not going into the land. As I understand it there is no justification from the Hebrew to think the Nephilim were anything but normal sized men.

Were the Nephilim Giants?

It was not until the creation of a Greek translation of the Old Testament from the Hebrew, the Septuagint that the term gigantes, giants, appeared in verse 4. Since the Septuagint was the basis for the Latin translation called the Vulgate, it is to be expected that this concept would be carried forward into the Latin translation. There is no real justification in the Hebrew word, gibbowr, for such a translation. The Hebrew word used signifies they were strong men, brave men, mighty men from the transliterated root word gibbowr.

In most translations, the Hebrew word is translated, heroes, mighty men, mighty heroes, and powerful men, by way of example, not giants. I believe it safe to say the people of great size were descendents of Noah and his family and did not contain the least particle of corrupted DNA.

I do not believe the use of this word in this context is sufficient evidence to say God failed in His efforts to eliminate the corrupted DNA; after all, these words were part of a bad report. I would, on the other hand, say all of the corrupted DNA was destroyed by the flood and the fallen angels who did this were confined to the Abyss where they remain to this day. I have a high degree of confidence that God will accomplish whatever He sets out to do.

By way of conclusion then, I believe the flood wiped out every last bit of corrupted DNA and that the fallen angels who had fathered the Nephilim were, and still are, confined to the Abyss. The giants encountered in the land were simply big descendents of Noah and his family.

There are volumes of speculation on the flood, the sons of god, and the Nephilim; you can enter any of those in a search engine and come up with a large number of articles.

 

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 19, 2014

It is Finished, Victory Has Been Won! by David Bower

The Weekend That Changed the World Forever

This weekend we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” This is a time of both sadness and joy; sadness as we consider the fallen condition of mankind that made the terrible agony of the cross necessary, and joy as we rejoice in the triumphant resolution of mankind’s sin problem by our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer.

The First and Second Adam

I cannot even imagine the feelings our Lord had as He entered the Garden of Eden, knowing full well what Adam had done, and watched Adam squirm and listened to Adam as he tried to pass the blame over to Eve. The Lord, in His omniscience, could see into the future and see the misery that was going to result from this foolish act of disobedience; He could see the terrible price He would have to pay to restore mankind from the results of Adam’s disobedience.

The contrast between the first and second Adam is given in 1 Corinthians 15:44b-49, “If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

We Bear the Image of the First Adam

We inhabit a fallen, sin cursed, body that has not been redeemed; we bear the image of the first Adam. This body cannot inherit the kingdom of God because it has not been redeemed by our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Although we enjoy a redeemed soul, and have had our spirits brought back to life at the point we received Christ as Savior, our mortal bodies still labor under the curse of sin and must be transformed by the power of God before it can enter eternity.

To this point, those who have died in Christ are spiritually home with the Lord while their mortal bodies have returned to the dust from which it came. Those of us who still live know there is a possibility that the Lord may return for us and we will never see physical death. In the event the Lord tarries, we too shall join those who have gone before and will await the Lord’s return for His church. This is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, “13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.“

We Shall Then Bear the Image of the Second Adam

When the Lord was resurrected on Sunday, He became the “First Fruits” of them that slept; this resurrection is what will happen to those of us who have experienced mortal death and will be followed by those who have not when the Lord returns and calls the church home.

I hope these words are an encouragement to you!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 24, 2014

Inner Peace in a Time of Turmoil, by David Bower

Is the World as we Know it Falling Apart?

It seems as if everywhere I look there are stories of calamity and disaster threatening someone somewhere. The emails I get are often filled with news of events which threaten to bring down civilization or at least bring down the United States. It seems as if we have always lived in turbulent times.

I, for example, was born during the Great Depression and grew up during the Second World War. This was followed shortly thereafter by the Korean War of which I am a Navy veteran. Then there was the Cold War with Russia, the Vietnam War, a number of recessions and many natural disasters, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Desert Storm, etcetera, etcetera. I know I’ve skipped a lot but I think you get the idea.

So, you might ask, what is new? It seems as if we are always either hearing of or in the midst of some crisis or other. Since that seems to be the pattern of life that is our portion, what should we, as Christians, do and how should we react to all these calamities?

All is Proceeding as Planned

We are indeed fortunate to have an authoritative guide to world events which also includes clear advice on what we should expect and how we are to respond. This authoritative guide is called the Holy Bible and is your lifeline to love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (See Galatians 5:22-25)

It is one thing to read the prophecies concerning the end times in the Bible and learn about the events that will be taking place; it is something else entirely to begin to see them playing out in the world around us. Can it be that these are the end times in which we live today? As the world situation continues to develop it keeps coming ever more closely into alignment with the world situation described in Bible prophecy and designated as the end times.

Although I know the United States is completely absent from Bible prophecy; I am nevertheless pained as I see it slip with increasing speed from a place of global significance. I have no doubt in my mind that this will continue but it still hurts to watch the process in action. Is it possible to feel hurt as one watches events unfold but to also experience inner peace as one focuses on God’s plan as it is revealed. I believe the answer to that question is yes, it is possible.

God is in Complete Control of Everything!

This is where the Bible offers significant help; the principle is established in scripture how important it is to evaluate events on the basis of knowledge, not feelings. Knowledge, based on the Bible, is sound and dependable, feelings are ephemeral. The Bible tells us that God is in complete control of everything, He is working all things after the counsel of His own will. Ephesians 1:11.

Talk about a comprehensive statement; could anything be excluded from all things? I think not, all things include everything. Can I understand the enormity of that statement, most assuredly not, I am just a tiny spec of a creation of that mighty God who works all things after the counsel of His own will.

All National Leaders are Servants of God

By God’s grace I have been given the faith to believe all that God has said about nations and national leaders. For example I believe Daniel 4:17 where it is written, “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’ Then again in Romans 13:1 it is written, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

Just as Nebuchadnezzar was a servant of the most high God so is every world leader today; they are all servants of the most high God whether they realize it or not! Their actions and decisions have been determined in eternity past by our omnipotent, omniscient, creator God. God’s plan for the end will take place exactly as has been determined beforehand by God alone!

What Then Should Christians do and How Should They Think?

As the end time events begin to unfold they will become ever more intense and disruptive. The next event on God’s prophetic calendar is the “Rapture of the Church.” This can happen at any time and I believe it will happen in my lifetime and considering I am 81 years old I don’t have too many years left.

While I am clearly speculating when I make this statement I believe the removal of all Christians from the United States will be a final nail in the national coffin; while nationally we are turning our collective backs on God, there is still a massive number of Christians in this country including many in the government and the military.

God has always known this time would come and has provided a lot of guidance on the attitude we, as God’s children, should have as these times take place. I will mention just a few of them:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30

I know that these verses are familiar to most of you; this, however, is a very good time to assimilate them and make sure they are a part of your daily life.

“For we live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 9, 2014

Sin and Grace, by David Bower

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

We have here in John 8:8 our Lord’s response when “3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.” The familiar story is given in John 8:1-11

I have long been intrigued by the statement that follows in verse 9, “9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.” What does “the older ones first” say to you dear reader? Could it be that age and experience deepens our awareness of our own personal sin? Could it be that our memories of past failures increases along with our age?

Our precious Redeemer knew we would have to live with failure and continually turn to Him for forgiveness and restoration. Life and experience makes this so crystal clear and deepens our gratitude for the marvelous provisions that have been made as an expression of God’s grace to each of us.

My work as a missionary for Global Media Outreach has brought this problem of personal sin so forcefully to mind as I answer letters from all over the world from brothers and sisters in Christ who are weary of personal sin and long to be delivered once and for all.

I wish I could give them a faith formula that would deliver them from the problem of personal sin but that is not possible; there is no way to accomplish that as long as we are in our mortal bodies. While we have been given a way to control and suppress personal sin, there is no way to eliminate it.

What Does the Bible Say About Personal Sin?

Let us approach this chronologically and first consider the origin of human personal sin. Personal sin entered the world when Adam disobeyed a direct command of God. When Adam deliberately disobeyed God he died spiritually on the spot and the rest of the human race died with him. You and I and every human being who was yet to be born, excluding the Lord Jesus Christ, died in Adam in the Garden of Eden at that moment.

All of us, with a human father, since then have been born spiritually dead and only those who have been born again by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have become spiritually alive. Humanity today is divided into two distinct groups, those who have a living body, soul, and spirit, the Christian, and those who have only a living body and soul, the unbeliever.

The turning point came at the time Christ was crucified; it is also pointed out in Scripture that our old sin nature was crucified with Christ at the time we received Christ as Savior that we might be free to serve and honor God with our lives. By God’s grace, the power of our sin nature is suppressed when we live in the power of the Holy Spirit who came into us, never to leave, at the moment we received Christ as Savior.

The Daily Battle with Personal Sin

There is a clear and present danger though involving personal sin; when we sin the power of the Holy Spirit is quenched and the power of the sin nature is released in our lives. For purposes of clarity it is important to understand what is included in the category of personal sin that can quench the power of the Holy Spirit. The answer to that is very scary, I’m sorry to say, and is described in Romans 14:23b where it is written, “everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

Let’s stop for a moment and let the enormity of that verse sink in. Everything that does not come from faith is sin; every fear, every doubt, every disobedient thought, anger, lust all is sin and quenches the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God knew we would have that problem and provided a solution for His children.

God’s Answer to the Problem of Personal Sin

In 1 John 1:8-10 we find God’s solution to the problem of personal sin. “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.”

God’s answer to personal sin is the 9th verse, “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” A professor of Greek at Dallas Theological Seminary pointed out the basic meaning of the word confess as used in this verse; it simply means to list or acknowledge the sin. It does not mean to do some sort of penance to earn forgiveness, but simply to see the sin from God’s perspective, a lack of faith. Forgiveness of personal sin, just like salvation, is a matter of faith alone; we do not deserve it nor can we earn it, it is a gift from God.

One other point on verse 9 and that is the impact of purification from all unrighteousness; when we confess our known sins, God, in His matchless grace, purifies us from all unrighteousness as well, all of our unknown sins. This permits the restoration of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and gives us the opportunity to live Spirit led lives.

The Good News for the Child of God!

There is good news in all of this; there are wonderful blessings God wants His children to enjoy as the earnest of their inheritance; part of the promise of good things to come. As God’s children we have available to us rich blessings which we can enjoy on this earth as we deal with the challenges of life in a sin cursed world.

When the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives we can enjoy the fruit of the Holy Spirit, blessings that are a beautiful glimpse of what God has in store for us in the world to come. This 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.”

Please consider this an invitation to always enjoy the Spirit led life.

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