Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 16, 2013

Peter the Roman, The Last Pope? by David Bower

 Saint Malachy and the Papal Succession

As you are probably aware, Pope Benedict XVI has announced his resignation to be effective at the end of February. This is the first time in almost 600 years that a pope has resigned from office; the last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII in 1415.

The reason I bring this up has to do with the prophecies of Saint Malachy, an Irish archbishop who died in 1148. According to the record, these prophecies were largely unnoticed until 1595 when they were discovered and then published by a Benedictine named Arnold de Wyon as a part of his history of the Benedictine order. The prophecies are supposed to list the Popes in order and provide some information on the nature of their leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

Needless to say they are in no way to be compared to Bible prophecy and have been the subject of much debate over the years. What has impressed many is their appearance of accuracy in describing the Papal reigns of the various Popes. According to the current list of Popes, the next Pope will be the last one, the 112th Pope on the list.

Peter the Roman

Here is an English translation from the Latin concerning the last Pope: “112 Peter the Roman, who will nourish the sheep in many tribulations; when they are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The end.”

Is any of this conclusive, and the answer to that is no, it is not. There is even debate over the authenticity of the 112th Pope as being part of Saint Malachy’s original list; some say it was a later addition to the list.

I mention it because as a part of the overall scene it provides some additional insight into the times in which we live. Just as the world didn’t come to an end on December 21, 2012, the next Pope may not actually be the last one; time will tell.

This week’s meteor exploding over Russia did bring a verse to mind; in Acts 2:19 Peter is speaking of the end times and says, “I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.”

We live in interesting times, do we not?

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 8, 2013

Abby Cat’s New Best Friend, by David Bower

The Arrival of Tomboy

Most of you know the story of Abby Cat and her discovery on the used car lot at the local Honda dealership how after seven years of feline deprivation we had relented and invited a cat to join our family. After that things seemed to go well for a few years but then a boy cat wandered into our lives.

This all started innocently enough when a beautiful black and white cat started hanging around our house. We thought at first it must be a neighbor’s cat and was just looking for more food. We were already providing a second breakfast for some other neighbor cats and so we believed this to just be one more cat out and about looking  for additional food. 

David and Tom Boy 1-11-13

Tomboy with a boyish smudge of grease on his right jaw

As time passed the boy cat, whom my wife decided to call Tomboy, started hanging around even more and we were beginning to experience some cold nights. Being a softy when it comes to animals, I fashioned a little shelter out of some cardboard boxes and some towels and an old shag rug. It turned out Tomboy seemed to appreciate the shelter and started spending the nights in the box. In addition Abby Cat had started noticing this cat that was hanging around the outside of her house more and more.

Abby Cat watches Tomboy - Jan. 2013

Abby Cat Watching Tomboy

That began to raise some serious suspicions that Tomboy was a legitimate stray and might be looking for a forever home. As time passed our convictions grew that this was the case and I started becoming concerned about Tomboy’s well being. Conventional wisdom suggests that male cats may have shorter lifespans because of their natural inclination to roam at night and that ran directly contrary to my growing concern for his well-being.

A Big Transition for All of Us

We definitely had mixed emotions about bringing Tomboy into the house as several considerations immediately surfaced in our thinking. The first was Abby; she had been an only cat every since she was just a few weeks old and we were concerned how she would adjust to Tomboy sharing rulership in her kingdom. After all she had enjoyed the exclusive use of two staff members and absolutely no competition from anyone else.

The other side of that coin was the distinct possibility that this might provide a playmate for Abby and could potentially brighten her life in a way that was beyond the ability of her staff. We knew that if we brought him in he would have to go to the vet for the usual assortment of vet inspections etc but we decided to go ahead and take the plunge. We took him in to the vet on January 24th for the full treatment and picked him up on Saturday morning, the 26th and brought him home.

Their First Encounter

Abby Cat is a very cautious girl and does not tolerate change or visitors very well. Any time the doorbell rings she runs under the bed and won’t come out until all the visitors are gone. We were very curious how she would react to a loud bawling cat (Tomboy did not like the cat carrier). We set the carrier down on the floor and left the door closed initially to see what would happen next.

Abby Cat was totally fascinated by that loud cat in the carrier and she came up and stuck her nose right next to the cat carrier’s door. Tomboy was probably still recovering from surgery and didn’t seem too interested in Abby Cat who was alternately hissing and overcome by curiosity.

First Encounter-Tomboy is home!

Abby Cat Sees Tomboy Up Close

 The next step was to open the door and let Tomboy out; I’ll have to admit to slight feelings of apprehension as we were unsure whether Abby would run under the bed or stand her ground; she stood her ground as the next picture will show.

See Tomboy leaning away from Abby Cat

Notice the Slight Lean Away from Abby Cat

It was to take about three days before Abby Cat finally began to accept Tomboy and now they are developing the playful relationship for which we had hoped. Tomboy has made an admirable adjustment to our household and offers his own unique personality as enrichment to our family.

Tomboy has accepted certain responsibilities around the house and contributes to the household chores as any good boy should.

in front of my monitor

Tomboy Helping Me Write My Blog

Tall and skinny. 1-26-13

Tomboy on Guard Duty

Don’t let me give the impression it’s all work and no play; there’s no telling what is going on in two kitty minds here.

Abby Cat peeking around the corner

Abby Cat Peeks Around the Corner at Tomboy

Tomboy asks why she keeps following him.

Tomboy Must be Asking Himself why is that Cat Following Me?

Playing with the brown ball

This was What we had Hoped For

Tomboy has a personality all his own and brings a lot of sparkle and life to our household. Abby Cat has begun to really enjoy him and they are playing together more and more; all this in a week and a half, thank you Lord.

Tomboy, full face 2-2-13

Tomboy Bower

It’s 4:40 AM Friday morning as I publish this and Tomboy is on the floor behind me purring.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 5, 2013

A Follow Up, by David Bower

A Fair Question

The question was posed about my speculation on the timeline and the sequence of events involved in Genesis 3:1-6. I wrote the response and thought there might be others that would be interested in my reasoning. I hasten to add that much of this is my speculation and in class I always tried to distinguish between the clear revelation of Scripture and my speculation on the missing parts.

Those of you who have been in any of my classes know how I tend to try and fill in the blanks where the Bible is concerned; in other words I love to speculate on the missing information. The Bible is a marvel of brevity and focuses on its message of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. In doing this many details are omitted as extraneous to this focused message.

I’m sure we have all had areas of special interest that were left unanswered by Scripture about which we had promised ourselves to ask when we get to heaven. The first six chapters of Genesis fall solidly into that category for me; there is so much in every one of those six chapters that fascinates me and leaves me wanting to learn more.

The Question

“I have a question about this new post on death.  What makes you believe that there were several days, or possibly weeks, in between Eve’s conversation with Satan and actually eating of the fruit of the tree?  That is so different from what I’ve been taught all these years where Adam and Eve are both with Satan and then she eats of the tree and offers some to Adam and then he eats. ” 

My Answer to the Question

The Bible simply does not say and the delay is my speculation based on my 60 years of marriage, the language in some of the verses, and my knowledge of human nature. I believe there was a time gap between verses 5 and 6. I think it unlikely that the conversation with Eve would have gone the way it did if Adam had been there. Had Adam been with Eve and the serpent it is unlikely that he would have remained silent when such a vital subject was under discussion. In verse 1 it is written that the serpent said to the woman, not the man and the woman. Again in verse 4 the serpent speaks to the woman with no mention of the man. I doubt very much that Adam would have been totally ignored if he had been part of that conversation.

I believe it is reasonable to believe that the Biblical account is a brief summary of what happened. In verse 6 it says, and when the woman saw it was good for food how did she know that? Satan had not said it was good for food, only that she wouldn’t die and would be as God. I think it is reasonable to assume that Eve had seen animals and birds eating the fruit with no ill effects and concluded it was good for food by observation.

One has to understand that the Bible is telling the story of man’s fall and God’s solution to the fall. There is no intention of filling in too many details as this would only muddy the water. The same principle applies to Cain who goes out and finds a wife; there is no mention of any girls having been born to Adam and Eve until Genesis 5:4 but we know girls too must have been born all along for the human race to exist. In Genesis 5:5 the age of Adam when he died is mentioned but Eve’s age is not.

I do not know of any source for this other than my own study. Fortunately I don’t have a scholastic reputation to preserve so I can enjoy myself speculating on areas where the Bible is not specific. Most commentaries of my acquaintance only address those topics spelled out in the text, which is the safe thing to do; there is enough argument over those sections without bringing in speculation.

By way of summary, when it is mentioned, the serpent is only speaking to the woman suggesting the man is not there. Human nature, being what it is, I suspect Eve pondered the information the serpent had presented and checked it out against what could be observed about the tree. When she chose to tell Adam, the shocker was probably that she had been eating the fruit for weeks and felt fine and had watched animals and birds eat the fruit with no harm. Information like that could have shaken Adam and been instrumental in his decision to eat the fruit.

The bottom line is this level of detail is not critical and I simply enjoy speculating on what might have happened that could fit in with what information was revealed in Scripture. I think my conclusion, although unprovable, is logical and consistent with human nature. When we get to heaven, if we still care, we can, perhaps, get all of the details filled in.

My next blog will be on a considerably lighter note, Abby Cat meets Tomboy, see you then.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 1, 2013

Death, Deaths, and the Second Death, by David Bower

 First of All What is Death?

I’ll confess I’m guilty of asking a trick question; I’ll ask someone what is the first death recorded in the Bible and I’m generally told the death of Able is the first death recorded in Scripture. That, of course, is a seriously wrong answer; the first death recorded in Scripture is the spiritual death of Adam and Eve when Adam disobeyed God.

Lets reconstruct the sequence of events; God told Adam in Genesis 2:17, “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Notice the timing – when he ate of it he would surely die. Next, let us recall Eve’s conversation with Satan in Genesis 3:4 where Satan tells Eve, “”You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.” At this point Satan is calling God a liar and seems to be giving Eve totally opposite information.

After Eve’s initial conversation with Satan as embodied in the serpent, I believe several days, or more likely several weeks went by while Eve watched the tree and may have even watched animals eating the fruit of the tree with no evidence of death. It is probable that Eve had previously mentioned this to Adam and, as I’ve mentioned before, Adam grew so tired of Eve always bringing it up that Adam added the do not touch part out of a sense of frustration with Eve.

One fateful day Eve decided to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree and what do you know, nothing happened. This may have gone on for several days before she finally mentioned it to Adam. She and the animals seemed to continue to enjoy good health even after eating the fruit of the forbidden tree; this seemed to support the serpent’s argument that one would not die.

At some point Eve confronted Adam with the facts and caused Adam to doubt God; perhaps he had misunderstood God or gotten confused about which tree was forbidden. Regardless of his excuse he joined Eve one day and ate of the forbidden fruit and they both died spiritually on the spot at the instant Adam ate.

The Federal Headship of Adam

What is really sad is the entire human race died spiritually in Adam at that same moment; you died, I died, everyone died. This is called the “Federal Headship of Adam” and is taught, for example, in Romans 5:12f.

Does this mean that Adam and Eve fell dead on the ground at that point? No they did not, in one sense Satan was bending the truth to serve his purposes. Although they died spiritually at that moment they did not die physically for hundreds of years, in Adams case, and an unspecified number of years in Eve’s case; although physical death had become certain it was delayed but spiritual death was instantaneous.

Let us reconstruct what I believe happened; the command had been given to Adam before the creation of Eve so I believe it applied only to Adam and not to Eve. The tree itself was not poisonous so its fruit did not cause injury or death to the animals and to Eve. The danger was the act of direct disobedience to the only command that had been given, don’t eat the fruit of this one tree.

When Adam disobeyed a direct command of God, the only recorded command at that point, by the way, Adam and the balance of humanity died spiritually and that specifically included Eve.

From this we can determine there are two forms of human life, spiritual and physical. The spiritual side is eternal and will last forever for each and every human being. The physical is temporary and usually lasts less than 100 years, in some instances much less.

Two Forms of Life and Two Forms of Death

When Adam and Eve were created they had living spirits and living bodies; at the time of the fall they died spiritually which meant they had dead spirits and living bodies. I think it likely that they were both eventually saved by faith and we’ll see them both in heaven.

After the expulsion from the Garden of Eden other children were born to them but these children and their children after them were born spiritually dead the same as today. Since the fall, only the Lord Jesus Christ who was fathered by God, the Holy Spirit, has been born spiritually alive. Spiritual life now comes to the rest of us only by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

There are two classes of humans walking on the surface of the earth today, those who are still spiritually dead and those who have been made spiritually alive by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior; between those two classes of humans there is a great gulf fixed. The only bridge is the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Second Death

There remains one fearful fact that I must mention and that is the eternal nature of those who are spiritually dead. Although they died once in Adam there awaits them a second death which is eternal in nature. In Revelation 20:11-15 we read:

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 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.

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 he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” 

If a person has rejected the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, that person’s eternal soul is given a body that will never perish and will suffer the torment of the second death, the lake of fire, forever and ever.

We live in what has been justly called the “Age of Grace” but this age may rapidly be drawing to a close. The Bible tells us the events following the end of this age are going to be terrible beyond description. I urge you by the mercies of the living God to avail yourself of the free gift of salvation; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 25, 2013

Stranger Than Fiction, by David Bower

Alternate Universes

I am a reader, I love books, I collect books, I make books a part of my life; I still have the first recreational books I was ever given as a child. I don’t recall exactly how old I was but I was given two books on some occasion which seemed to be the catalyst for my life-long love affair with books. I believe they were given to me by my father who is reported to have been a reader also. I’m looking at them as I write this and they are quite a bit the worse for wear and age but are still readable. They are “The Mercer Boys’ Cruise in the Lassie” and “The Mercer Boys on Beach Patrol” by Capwell Wyckoff and published in 1929 by The World Syndicate Publishing Co. New York City. Can you imagine – I still have those books plus two others in the same series I got later?

I discovered science fiction by way of the Saturday morning fun club at the old Heights Theater on 19th Street in the Houston, Heights around 1938. The hero of the series was Flash Gordon and the spaceships captured my imagination. Each Saturday episode was a cliff-hanger that left Flash in mortal danger and one had to come back the following Saturday to see if Flash would survive.

It was not until the early 1940’s that I discovered science fiction pulp magazines; WW II was underway and the Boy Scouts of America collected waste paper for the war effort. As I would pick up paper for recycling I would occasionally see a magazine with a lurid science fiction drawing on it; a space ship or a dangerous looking alien which was sure to catch my attention. I started collecting them and would read and re-read them for hours on end. My wife reminds me that when we got married about the only thing I brought to our marriage, besides myself, was a small stack of clothing and a large stack of science fiction pulp magazines.

By now you are probably wondering where I’m going with this brief recitation of my early life and there is a simple answer; in all that reading of science fiction I encountered many different universes as created by the minds of many science fiction writers. That process has carried on throughout my adult life as well, as my enthusiasm for science fiction has not waned as I’ve aged.

the-moon-colony

This is a copy of the dustcover of a 1937 edition of “The Moon Colony” by William Dixon Bell which I have in my library.

The Human Imprint

Since I have read so many science fiction stories  set in worlds of the writers imagination it would be impossible to remember each of them in much detail. Suffice it to say that most of them have seemed reasonable and internally consistent. The worlds, and the universes of which they were a part had a familiar ring to them; they were something devised by the mind of man and man’s imprint could be seen on each of them. They fit in with human thinking and human priorities and felt familiar in certain ways; one could sense humanities imprint upon them.

It is this human imprint, this quality of human thinking and human reasoning that is conspicuously absent from the Bible. Although it is the story of humanity it is told from what seems to me to be a distinctly non-human perspective. The Bible tells the story of a world and a universe in a manner that is so completely alien to all of the other worlds and universes about which I’ve read as to suggest to me a non-human author; the Bible is different in profound ways that speak loudly of non-human authorship.

What does this suggest you may ask and my response is it strongly indicates to me the author is not a human being, the author is the Creator God of human beings. While it is true that God used human beings to do the actual writing it is also true that those human beings were led in their writing by the Spirit of God who fundamentally influenced their writing and its content. This has produced an overall style that is distinctly non-human in its reasoning and priorities and often runs contrary to human reason; this is to me one of the greatest proofs of the divine authorship of the Bible, it was not written from a human perspective on life and living, it was written from the Divine perspective.

The Biblical Scope and Vision

The Bible’s description of reality is far and away more extreme than any fantasy or science fiction book I’ve ever read. The Bible introduces aspects of the world in which we live that no human author would ever even dream of including in a world or universe of their creation; our reality is totally incredible when compared with the writings of any human author.

One of the more amazing points that is made in the Bible has to do with reality; in an earlier blog, What is Reality?, I described reality as it exists in our universe and it is wild enough to blow your mind if you try and grasp the enormity of our reality. The only uncaused reality is the Trinity, the triune God; all else in our universe is a creation of that one reality. All but the Trinity is a creation of the Trinity and exists at the will of the Trinity. That is an overwhelming thought that should play some tricks on your brain if you think on it. We are not independent entities but exist as created beings whose very existence is dependent on an outside power.

This outside power, the Trinity, determined at some point to engage in a creative act and the universe came into being. The Bible tells us this was done in six days and is being continuously sustained in its existence by the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible also tells us this universe is to be destroyed in the future and replaced with a new one. The new one is to be peopled only by those who have received the gift of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The present universe is a testing ground with one question and one right answer; it is a pass/fail test and there is no grading on the curve.

The question is “What do you think of Jesus Christ” and the one right answer is “He is the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and I receive Him as my Savior.” This alone is what life is all about; everything else is fluff, window dressing, illusion! If you get that answer right then your life has been a great success; if you get that answer wrong then your life has been a sad failure.

Please don’t leave this life a failure!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 18, 2013

Life Lessons from Abby Cat, by David Bower

A New Member of the Family

Seven years had passed since our last cat died of old age; we had tried to convince ourselves we were too old to add another cat member to our family and that had worked for awhile until a fateful day in July of 2009. I had taken my wife’s car into the dealership for routine maintenance when during a stroll around the used car lot I happened to see a black and white clump that looked suspiciously like a kitten sleeping under a used car.

Being of a curious nature I walked over to the car and saw a small black and white kitten who just happened to have one of the cutest little faces I had seen in a long time. When I spoke to the kitten she looked up and my heart melted; I knew my resolve not to own another cat was in grave danger. Just about that time a used car salesman walked up behind me and asked me if I wanted a cat? He went on to explain that this little stray had been hanging around the lot for about a week and they would feed it scraps from their lunches occasionally.

About that time the kitten emerged from under the car ready to play; she came out in what we later came to call her ninja cat position standing on her back legs with her front legs stretched out over her head. Here is a picture of her in her ninja cat mode harassing a piece of paper on a string:

Ninja Cat

Ninja Cat

Recalling our agreement I knew I had to call home and see what my wife thought about having another kitten; I called and told her I was in trouble, hastening to assure her that I was OK but had come face to face with one of the cutest kittens I had ever seen. We quickly agreed that this one would be an exception to our resolution and that I would bring her home. I then faced the problem of trying to catch her and finally, with the help of a nice lady, was able to get her into a box to carry her to her new forever home.

When we got her home she disappeared behind the washer and dryer and wouldn’t come out. Not wanting to rush her adjustment to her new home we decided to let her take her time getting acclimated to us and her new surroundings. Because of our seven year old resolution we had gotten rid of all of our cat equipment so we had to start over and get her everything new. One of the items was a scratching post bunk which she still uses and just happens to be in this afternoon as I write this.

Abby in Her New Bunk Bed

Abby in her new bunk bed

The photo above was taken on July 22, 2009; the photo below shows her ladyship reclining in the same bunk. Don’t let that calm expression fool you though; she still likes to run and play in a very kittenish way and could be out of that bunk in a half second.

Abby in Bunk 8-20-12

 Abby today (her fur is even thicker and softer than it looks)

Just like every other cat that has been a member of our family, Abby has a unique personality that is hers alone. She is a very special family member that brings her own combination of personality traits to our family and has greatly enriched our lives. The fact of the matter is that Abby has taught me a great deal about my relationship to my Heavenly Father.

Life Lessons from Abby Cat

From time to time I reflect on the progression of events that brought Abby into our lives and began to see some interesting parallels between her life in our family and the believer’s life in God’s heavenly family. Initially Abby was living in a used car lot on the frontage road of US 59 and this became a point for consideration as we quickly debated her future with us. We both had mental images of her wandering out on the frontage road and getting injured or killed. Before we join God’s family we too are living in a dangerous world and are exposed to dangers and threats that can continue into eternity.

When Abby joined our family she was moved into a protected environment and has since lived her life protected from the dangers present in the used car lot. When we, as Christians, join God’s family we are eternally protected from the second death and the judgment to come. Although we, at present, still live in the world and are surrounded by dangers we have the eternal spiritual protection provided by our loving Heavenly Father.

We are left in the world and exposed to many trials and temptations as a part of God’s process in each of our lives to conform us to the image of His Son. We are all works in progress and can be assured that this work in our lives will be completed perfectly by God in His appointed way and according to His predetermined time table.

A Scaredy  Cat

Promise me you won’t tell Abby I told you, but she’s a scaredy cat. When just the three of us are at home, most of the time you would think that Abby is a mighty ninja cat who doesn’t know the meaning of fear. Let the door bell ring and she retreats under the bed and won’t come out. Visitors to our house have to take our word for it that we even have a cat because Abby is nowhere to be seen. Her keen ears can detect when everyone is gone and she reappears within seconds of the last departure.

We are so much like that and our Heavenly Father must be either amused with us of saddened by our behavior when we react fearfully to circumstances. We would love for our friends and family to see and enjoy Abby with us but this is not to be as Abby seems to think anything out of the normal is a fearful threat to her personal safety.  How often do we go around suffering in anticipation of things which never happen?

The Bible tells us in  Isaiah 41:10, “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.” This is just one of many verses that seeks to reassure us of God’s love and hand of protection over us; why do we so often act as if we don’t think He really means it?

Our Commitment to Abby

When we brought Abby into our family we accepted an obligation to love her and care for her. She is totally dependent on us for her food, water, and general care. We take that obligation very seriously and regularly devote the needed time to her well being; in the morning she eats first, has her litter box cleaned, fresh water poured and her floor swept before anything else gets done. We do this because of our love for her and our feelings of responsibility for her well being. We too are totally dependent on our Heavenly Father for all things; there is nothing we will ever have independent of His grace and mercy.

If we, with our flawed sinful natures can do this for our Abby Cat then what can we reasonably expect from our Heavenly Father who is perfect in His love for us? First of all the eternal heavenly things are all prepared for us. Second the Lord is working all things together for our good. Third the Lord is conforming us to the image of His Son and fourth the Lord’s love for us is absolutely certain and eternal. All of this is promised in Romans 8:28-39 which I encourage you to read again.

Abby in her bunk 3-25-2010 017

Abby in her bunk

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

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 11, 2013

Is True Contentment A Possibility For Us Today? By David Bower

Much Has Been Written About Contentment

     A web search of the word contentment produced 12,700,000 results in .20 seconds which suggests to me this may be a topic to which much thought has been given. I decided to spend a few minutes examining the results and found many references to the Bible and many quotes from philosophers over the ages. There seemed to be a common thread in all of this that focused on being satisfied with what one has instead of the rather hollow promise of finding contentment with the acquisition of more possessions.

Among the quotes on contentment I found the following to be of interest:

“It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.”
― Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People

“Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.”
― Lao Tzu

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”
― Socrates

“We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.”
― Immanuel Kant

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
― Epictetus

I have long been impressed by a quote from Viktor Frankl, a Jewish, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist,  on the “Last of the Human Freedoms.”

The Last Freedom
We who lived in concentration camps can remember
the men who walked through the huts comforting
others, giving away their last piece of bread.
They may have been few in number, but they offer
sufficient proof that everything can be taken from
a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms
— to choose one’s attitude in any given set of
circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
  ~ Viktor Frankl ~
(Man’s Search for Meaning)
     Choosing one’s attitude on life and circumstances became the secret of Frankl’s survival as he endured the sufferings imposed by the Nazi’s in a number of prison camps including Auschwitz. Whereas most of us will never have to suffer the way prisoners of Auschwitz suffered, the same principle of attitude still applies to each of us as we consider our life circumstances.
     This reminds me of a popular quote by Dr. Howard Hendricks, a longtime professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, who is reported to have always responded to those who commented they were doing thus and so “under the circumstances” by asking them “what are you doing under there?” The idea there is being under circumstances is a matter of choice and we can just as well choose to not be under any circumstances; it all depends on our attitude, our perspective in any life situation.
The Bible on Contentment
     Does the Bible have anything to say on contentment? You better believe it does! The first verses that come to mind are Philippians 4:11-13, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
     Here the Apostle Paul shares with us his perspective on life and contentment; what has interested me in his statement is that he too had to learn the secret of being content in any and every situation. We are not born with this ability; all one need do is to watch a baby (of any age) and see how quickly any feelings of discontent are loudly expressed. Sadly this is a secret all too rarely learned in today’s society.
     As Christians we have an advantage in that we have the teaching ministry of God, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us as we experience life. It is when we are controlled by the Holy Spirit that we have the opportunity to experience the fruit of the Spirit which includes the key ingredients that help comprise contentment. By way of review those are found in Galatians 5:22-25, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
     I will boldly step forward and say that one who enjoys the fruit of the Spirit as a way of life has found contentment. I point out that there is no reference, not even a hint to possessions or material plenty; contentment is a frame of mind not the possession of material things. Here I’m reminded of the quote by C. H. Spurgeon, the famous London preacher of the 19th century:
“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon
One might add to that tripled, or quadrupled with the same results.

     Although there are many verses on the subject I will limit myself to two more, Hebrews 13:5-6, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” All men look to something or someone in which to have faith. To the materialist their possessions, investments or their bank account are the focus of their faith. As we all know these are fleetingly insecure sources of security as they can vanish in a moment.

     The Christian has an alternative in whom he is urged to place his or her faith and that is in Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth. The Lord, our God is always there and is always the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We can know and count on His love for us as we are promised in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

     Living a life of faith is our very best opportunity to learn the secret of contentment and put it into practice in our lives; Proverbs 3:5-6 outlines the steps required, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Abby Cat Getting Sleepy in the Sun 5-18-12Contentment

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | January 4, 2013

Christianity and the Environment, by David Bower

What is the Christian’s Responsibility Toward the Environment?

While I have written a number of times on the Global Warming/Climate Change movement, I’ve not written on the specific subject of Christianity and the environment.  Specifically do we as Christians have a special responsibility to protect the environment? While there are a number of groups who are actively engaged in protecting the environment such as The Sierra Club, Greenpeace, The Cousteau Society, Better World Society, Earthwatch and many, many others, Christianity in general is conspicuously absent from those lists.

That in itself is rather interesting in light of man’s original charge as noted in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” As I’ve mentioned before the right to rule implies the responsibility to care for and nurture that which is ruled.

Sadly Genesis 1:26 is not the end of the story regarding mankind and the earth; the story takes a downward turn in Genesis 3:17-19 where we read, “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Because of sinful rebellion man was reduced from ruler to tenant farmer; now Satan was the ruler and man was the worker.

That is the situation we have today, this is Satan’s world and it and all of the heavens are under God’s curse. The heavens and earth as they are now will cease to exist at the end of the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be destroyed by what I believe to be a universal nuclear event that is triggered by the Lord releasing His hold on His creation.

What is the Christian Message and Ministry?

God’s message to man became much more specific after the revelation of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ at the First Advent. During Old Testament times the forward looking promise of a Redeemer was known to all who would inquire. The message of future deliverance by the work of a redeemer who was yet to come was beautifully voiced by Job in Job 19:25-27, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

Although we have been greatly blessed by the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ and can look back on His work of redemption, our hearts also yearn for His return, to see Him with our own eyes, and the joy of being with Him for all eternity!

The message of redemption through the finished work of Jesus Christ is the message of the church; the extent to which the church is distracted by other issues, regardless of how worthy, is an inappropriate diversion and should be avoided. The model for focus was the New Testament church; although there were numerous social ills in Roman society the message of the church was the finished work of Christ and the teachings directly associated with Christ and His ministry of redemption.

OK, But What About the Environment?

As a Christian man I see God’s hand everywhere I look; even under the curse the earth and its creatures can have a wondrous and touching beauty. Seeing God in His creation is part of His plan for revealing Himself and His holiness to His creation.  In Romans 1:20 Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

I respect this creation as a revelation of God and feel a responsibility toward it and its creatures. I am not a member of any environmental organization by choice but this doesn’t mean that I do not care about the environment. Should the Lord tarry, I would like for my children and grandchildren to enjoy the same beauty that I have enjoyed.

I do not see the earth as my mother and while I respect it as God’s creation I know its days are numbered. The Bible is very clear regarding the future of this planet and it’s not a pretty picture. The end times are going to be very destructive and the Great Tribulation judgments will change the face of the earth. Once this period of judgment is past the Lord will reconstruct this earth into a place of beauty similar to what was found at the beginning in the Garden of Eden. All of this will last for 1,000 years after which all of the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire.

A Short Timer

In the US Navy a man who was close to completing his time in the Navy was referred to as a “Short Timer” and was a frequent butt of jokes mostly from those who weren’t and wished they were. This present heaven and earth is a short timer compared to mankind and will soon be gone. In 2 Peter 3:11-12 Peter writes, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.”

This principle applies to the environment as well; whereas we should appreciate and protect God’s creation as best we can we should not make it an idol in our lives that we worship. Mother nature or mother earth is but a very poor substitute for the eternal creator God who controls the wind and the waves and works all things after the counsel of His own will.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 31, 2012

2012 in review

The Helper Monkeys Strike Again

 The following report was forwarded to me yesterday and I thought it had some interesting information, especially the number of countries represented by viewers of the blog and which countries they were; I would never have guessed that those particular countries would be near the top of the list.

There is a link below to view the complete report.

May our Lord richly bless you this coming year!

David

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,600 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | December 29, 2012

What Will You Do With 2013? By David Bower

It Appears We May Have Survived 2012

Although 2012 has a few more days to destroy the world it appears reasonable to conclude most of us will survive all the calamities that were being contemplated. I’m reminded yet again of Mark Twain’s comment on life which says something like this; “During the course of my life I have suffered many things, most of which never happened.” While it is true that a few opportunistic producers of movies and such may have made money, the rest of us lived our lives as if nothing would happen and what do you know, we may have been right.

 You can count on 2013 having its full share of calamities waiting in the wings. The solar disturbances that threaten our electrical and electronic systems are now projected for the middle of 2013. An article from NASA tells us, “Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun’s normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in 2013.” This will be the solar maximum of “Solar Cycle 24” which began in 2008 and, as usual, is subject to two widely varying interpretations; one says it will not be consequential and one says it will; time will tell.

If that were not enough there are a number of political and economic perils that threaten life changing events like the infamous “Fiscal Cliff” that we’re all expected to fall over on January 1st if our government doesn’t do a better job of getting its act together. I don’t know who is making money on that one but you can take it to the bank someone is. In addition to that problem we also have the ongoing threat of warfare in the Middle East; it seems as if the sabers never stop rattling in that part of the world.

On balance then it looks as if 2013 will have a number of similarities to 2012 and while it is true that something serious could happen it may well wind up in December of 2013 we’ll be looking back on a year similar to 2012; only the Lord knows for sure.

How Should We Approach 2013?

As Christians we really don’t have to wonder about that, do we? The Bible is filled with directions for God’s children on how they should view the future whether it’s a day or a year. I delight in the thought that my times are in God’s hands; I can’t think of a better place for them to be, can you? Whatever tomorrow or any tomorrow after that may bring I know I can count on God’s faithfulness to me in all things. Romans 8:28 continues to work and apply every moment of every day. “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.”

This is no more than the tip of a gigantic iceberg of promises to the child of God; the one I like best is Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” What a beautiful thought to know and live out that truth in one’s life; it hasn’t been about David since he was a child; it’s about the Savior that loves him and gave Himself for him and in whom he rejoices!

I am curious, from time to time, about what Jesus has planned for His life in the body He shares with me; I know that is His choice not mine, I just need to resist trying to be a backseat driver. When the time comes He will reveal His plans to me and all I need do is to trust in Him with all my heart and not try to understand what is happening and why it is happening the way it is; this is the life of faith and the only way to please Him.

I hasten to add this is not a unique experience for me but is the plan God has for everyone of us who love Him as Savior. I encourage you to live a life of faith in 2013 for without faith it is impossible to please Him. I encourage you to not be fearful as you can count on God’s faithfulness to you in all things and also important, I encourage you to rejoice in Him always.

In 2013 May You Lose Yourself in Christ!

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