Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | July 3, 2024

Independence Day!

July 4, 2024

For 248 years, the United States of America has generally served as a platform for God’s grace to this fallen world. It was founded on Biblical principles and was a beacon of Godly life and liberty. Although led by flawed individuals, those principles had a profound influence on the actions taken by them on behalf of this nation.

Thousands upon thousands have paid with their lives that we might preserve those principles and arrive at this point in our history!

A Clear and Present Danger

Over the years, an organized effort has sought to remove the influence of those principles and establish ungodly standards as the benchmark for our behavior at both the individual and national levels. In verse 4 of our national anthem, we find:

“Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

This clearly expresses the truth of our existence, as a nation, we were made, and have been preserved as a nation by the power of God, almighty! While we placed our trust in God, we have been preserved as a nation; now that we are nationally turning our backs on God, our existence is open to serious question!

A Time of Crisis!

The national elections in 2024 may well represent a significant turning point in the history of our country; we have two diametrically opposed candidates representing two polar opposites in party and governmental philosophy.

The choices made in this national election will either move us closer to our founding principles or move our nation down a path to its destruction!

I have previously published an essay on a scenario where the United States was no longer a world power! The Bible has no reference to the United States in prophetic verses describing the last days.

It may well be the United States does not have too many more birthdays left; only God knows the answer to that question and the answer will be devastating to those left behind!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 21, 2024

An Image Bearer’s Prayer of Praise, Worship, and Commitment to his Creator!

Holy Father, I come to your throne of grace filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for the many blessings you pour out on all who love you as their heavenly Father.

I joyfully acknowledge that I am your creation, created by you and for you and rejoice in your gift of salvation and new birth by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

I am delighted by your grace and mercy which has allowed me to live for you and serve you over 91 years; I thank you and praise you for the great love wherewith you have loved and cared for me. I can look back and clearly see your loving intervention at critical points in my life!

I further rejoice in the sure knowledge my times are in your hands, I acknowledge that the time you have appointed for me was established by you before I was even born, and only you know how many hours I have left in this mortal body; there is great depth of peace and contentment knowing my times are in your hands!

I acknowledge, with joy and thanksgiving, the indwelling presence of God, the Holy Spirit, who has been joined with my resurrected spirit in an eternal union. I thank and praise you that the Holy Spirit is my partner in prayer so my life might be a sweet-smelling savor to you now and forever.

By your grace, I pray that all my perceptions of life and living may be from your divine perspective; that I may always see all things as you see them. I am thankful to you for establishing me as your ambassador to this fallen earth, a royal priest to minister to those who suffer under the Adamic curse.

By your continued grace, may I faithfully serve and honor you with my life as long as I shall live! I ask this in the name of my beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, amen!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 17, 2024

Congratulations, you are Now Fully Cognizant of the Basic Facts of Life that Drastically Impact All of Us!

Knowing the “Who, When, What, Where, Why, And How” of All Human Life Enables you to Make the Wise Life Decisions Required for Complete Success!

Ultimate knowledge can only be found in the Holy Bible; it alone, was written by inspiration from God, the only true reality.

In my last four essays, using the Bible as my source, specifically Romans Chapters 5,6,7,and 8, I have provided you with the information needed to fully understand the five “W’s” and one “H” of life.

Your happiness and success in life are guaranteed by God if you faithfully follow and apply the information provided in those chapters.

As one created in the image of God, one who will live forever, you fully understand this mortal life is only the beginning of an adventure which will last for all eternity, do you not? You know that mortal death is not the beginning of oblivion for you but the transition to a new reality wherein you will reap the benefits or the judgments you have created for yourself by the decisions you have made during your brief time of mortality.

During your mortal life, you have only one totally critical decision to make and that is to either receive Jesus Christ as your very own personal Savior or to reject God’s offer of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. The ramifications of your decision have an eternal impact on what happens to you after the brief period of your mortality is over.

The First New Reality

For all those who wisely choose salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, the new reality is glorious indeed. At the time of transition, the saved Christian goes into the presence of their Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 it is written:

5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Historically this has been an individual process as each person who has been born again by faith in Jesus Christ is transitioned home to be with the Lord. God has appointed a time when the entire body of believers who remain will be called home, both physically and spiritually, at the end of the Church Age along with all who have died as born again Christians and be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven and eternally enjoy the New Heaven and the New Earth as a member of God’s family!

The Second New Reality

For all those who foolishly rejected Jesus Christ as Savior, things are grim indeed! At the point of transition, the rejector goes to a place of torments where they will await the “Great White Throne” judgment. The Bible tells us this judgment will take place at the end of the Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ which lasts for 1,000 years.

This judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-15 where it is written:

“11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Like Adam before you, everyone today is faced with one decision; whereas Adam’s decision was based on a negative do not, yours is based on a positive believe; believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own personal Savior and avoid the judgment that is surely coming for all who don’t!

If you receive Jesus Christ as Savior, your life is a resounding success regardless of anything else!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 10, 2024

Victory in Jesus!

Death Defeated

The Empty Tomb

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead paid the penalty for the sins of the entire world! Yes, that includes all of those horrible sins you have read or heard about; they were paid for too and yes, that includes all of your sins and all of my sins!

It is written in 1 John 2:1-2,

2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

The death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ once and for all put an end to both Adam’s sin and personal sin as a barrier between God and man!

It is on this foundation the Apostle Paul can write in Romans 8:1-3,

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

This is why Jesus could tell his disciples in John 16:9 where it is written:

“9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.” 

Both the Adamic curse and all personal sins have ceased being the barrier between God and man since the resurrection of Jesus Christ; the only remaining sin that serves as a barrier between God and man is rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior! The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior!

You share in Jesus Christ’s victory when you receive him as Savior and are born-again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit!

God’s New Plan for Christians

God had a new plan for Christians; he would send the Holy Spirit to baptize the new believer into a new spiritual entity called the body of Christ; this would be an eternal, unbreakable union that was sustained by the power of God! In 1 Corinthians 12:13 it is written:

“13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”

In addition, the Holy Spirit would be joined with the new believer’s spirit as a guarantee of the promises that await the new believer. This new relationship is described in Romans 8:9-17 where it is written:

“9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

Combat Reinforcements

Although victory is assured, the spiritual war is still in progress and Christians are God’s soldiers in this war. Positionally we are seated, in Christ, at the right hand of the Father; experientially we are still fighting as soldiers on the spiritual battlefield called Earth.

As God’s soldiers, we have tactical support in our struggle against the forces of evil as described in Ephesians 6:12-17 where it is written:

“12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We must never overlook the presence of the Holy Spirit with our spirit; the Holy Spirit effectively stands by our side as we struggle with sin and death. In Romans 8:18-30 it is written:

“18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

We share in the suffering that we might share in the glory God has promised to all of us who are born-again by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

The Results, as God has Promised, are Absolutely Certain!

In Romans 8:31-39 it is written:

“31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

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

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

Rejoice, Christ is Risen and Victory is Certain!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 3, 2024

Life on the Battlefield

A Daily Struggle Against Sin, Internal and External!

For reasons known only to God, it pleased God to leave his adopted children in fallen bodies of clay, our temporary tents, fighting a spiritual war on a spiritual battlefield; on a sin-cursed world heading for judgment! I have written more on this in the series that starts with; “To The Soldiers in the Spiritual War.”

Having served as a soldier in the Lord’s army for over 80 years, I can testify to the results it has accomplished in my life; I have come to detest sin, death, and disobedience. My ultimate desire before the Lord is to be found an obedient, faithful servant to my creator!

By God’s grace, I was saved very early in my life; it saddens me greatly to recall the times I decided to dabble with sin and disobedience. Despite my straying, God has always been faithful to me and has faithfully guided me through some very difficult times during my life’s journey.

In retrospect, I can look back and see his hand of love and mercy faithfully guiding me back to him and helping me establish a pattern of life that shows my love and respect for him and the wisdom of obedience to his commands!

The Battle Rages On

We fight against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

The spiritual battle, which has been waged for thousands of years, is still in progress and I can feel the presence of my old sin nature always trying to undermine my efforts as a soldier of the Lord.

Fortunately, the Lord has given me an early warning system that alerts me to the efforts of my sin nature and allows me to utilize the shield of faith by confession of sin to God.

I am eternally thankful for the grace of God which recognizes my struggle with sin and permits me to seek refuge in confession of sin to him. In 1 John 1:8-10 it is written:

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

I am particularly thankful that my confession results in the cleansing of both my known and unknown sins; I am truly grateful to God for his thoroughness!

A Shared Experience

I find the 7th chapter of Romans to be filled with reassurance and comfort; I, as a Christian soldier, do not stand alone, but know I am joined by legions of other Christian men and women all over the world. We are not alone in our struggles with sin, but share that historic struggle with none other than the Apostle Paul.

Romans chapter 7 begins with an explanation of the purpose of the Mosaic Law, it helps us understand the extent of the problem we all have with sin. The chapter ends with a statement of the fact of sin in our lives as Christians. In Romans 7:14-25 it is written:

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”

Happily, Paul does not stop there but provides God’s answer to the sin problem in Romans 8 which we will cover next in “Victory in Jesus!”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 27, 2024

The Enemy in the Camp

Within Each of You Dwells a Crucified but Still Living Emissary of Satan!

At the point of salvation, many wonderful things change in the life of the new Christian man or woman. Although these changes are not visible to the world, they are eternal and of vital importance!

An extremely significant change is the resurrection of our dead spirits along with the Holy Spirit taking up residence with our born-again spirits. Christians become a temple of God, the Holy Spirit, who comes into us in an eternal union!

At the point of salvation, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body, the body of Christ; in 1 Corinthians 12:13 it is written:

“13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”

(With today’s volatile racial climate, we would need to add; “some are black, some are brown, and some are white. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”)

Whereas we had been under the control of a fallen, sin nature, that sin nature was effectively crucified with Christ on the cross at Calvary. By the baptism of the Holy Spirit we are all joined to one body “and we all share the same spirit.”

From God’s perspective, at the point of salvation a number of very significant things happened; in Romans 6:3-4 it is written:

“3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

Water baptism, by immersion, is our visible witness to what has already happened to us, spiritually, by the power of God, the Holy Spirit! In Romans 6:5-11 it is written:

“5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”

The Struggle Within

Your Mortal Body – An Earthly Tent

The Christian life is a life of faith, “we live by faith, not by sight!” Although our spirits have been resurrected, they still occupy a fallen, sin-cursed body of this earth. Our experience is just the opposite of Adam’s experience. Whereas Adam died spiritually in the Garden of Eden, he lived for hundreds of years in his mortal body; at the point of salvation, we are given a resurrected spirit but remain in our fallen, un-resurrected mortal bodies until our spirits are called home.

We are promised a heavenly body at a time of God’s choosing; in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 it is written:

5 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

That is truly something to which we can look forward with eager anticipation! At 91 years of age, my body is showing signs of wear which are non-reversable and, by God’s grace, I am at peace with that!

God has chosen that our lives will be lived out on a spiritual battlefield; we live in a world where Satan is the prince of the power of the air and a large percentage of those in this world are the walking dead, they have dead spirits and active sin natures in living mortal bodies.

To further complicate the situation, we must also do battle with the crucified, but still active, sin nature within us. In 1 John 1: 8-10 it is pointed out:

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

Confession of sin to God is the way we suppress the sin nature and let the Holy Spirit control in our lives; when we confess our sins, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Although the sin nature is still present, it is suppressed as the Holy Spirit takes control of our lives.

Next time, “Life on the Battlefield”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 20, 2024

When Humanity Died

Created to Rule, but Fallen into Spiritual Death and Bondage!

The first six chapters of the Book of Genesis tell a tragic story of a missed opportunity that resulted in truly disastrous results for the entire human race!

Mankind was created to rule over God’s creation, to be God’s image bearer to his creation and care for it. In Genesis 1:26-28 it is written:

“26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27 So God created human beings in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

A Prohibition and a Warning of Death!

Adam was given one command before Eve was even created; in Genesis 2:15-17 it is written:

15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

I have written of this event in greater detail in the essay, “The Garden of Eden.” By way of summary, I doubt there was anything dangerous about the fruit of that tree; the danger was in disobedience to God’s command. Disobedience would be followed by the spiritual death of not only Adam, but all who would come from him, including Eve!

Adam’s decision to be disobedient is recorded in Genesis 3:6-7 where it is written:

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Adam’s deliberate act of disobedience caused them both to instantly die, spiritually, on the spot, and simultaneously caused the death of all of Adam’s descendants who would have a human father. This means everyone including you and me!

This is all explained in Romans 5:12-21 where it is written:

“12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

A New Command and a New Hope!

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he paid in full the penalty mankind had incurred by Adam’s disobedience to God; now we have been given a new command and a new hope: receive Jesus Christ as Savior and you will be born-again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, into the family of God and join him as his child eternally!

Adam’s disobedience, which caused your spiritual death as well as all the symptoms of your spiritual death, which are referred to as personal sins of every sort, have all been paid for by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

That is the precise reason Jesus could tell his disciples in John 16:9 where it is written:

9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.

Rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior is the only sin that was not covered by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; all of the other hideous sins we hear about, all over the world, have been paid for in full by the death of Jesus Christ!

One sin alone will keep you out of heaven and that is rejection of Jesus Christ as your very own personal Savior!

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and you will be delivered from the judgments to come!

Next time, “The Enemy in the Camp!”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 13, 2024

The Scramble to Satanic Deception!

The News Today is Filled with Reports of Rioting and Madness Spreading from Coast to Coast!

While I believe it is helpful to have some awareness of current events, it is becoming increasingly difficult to watch TV news programs. It would appear that Satan is spreading a web of deceitful lies that is capturing the minds of a large number of victims.

It appears the ancient spiritual war that has been waged for millennia is now heating up. I know it is being suppressed, at this time, by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, but this suppression will be removed when the church is called home.

Despite the suppression, the intensity of the spiritual war is beginning to increase at a serious pace; irrational, hurtful behavior is becoming widespread!

As the Bible predicted, Israel is at the center of controversy all over the world.

A nation that had not existed for over 1,800 years has quickly become an object of hatred!

Very sadly, elements in the United States have joined in this campaign of hatred; riots on college campuses are calling for the elimination of Israel; this trend, if not reversed, will have devastating results for the United States!

I am always amazed how quickly Satanic deception can take hold in the minds of human beings who are spiritually dead; they seem to have no defense against Satan’s lies and immediately embrace these deceptions with enthusiasm.

The most fearful example of this enthusiasm is found in Revelation 20:7-9 where it is written:

“7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.”

This embrace of Satanic deception comes after 1,000 years of environmental and social perfection under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ! Satan is released and multitudes of the spiritually dead flock to his deceptions for the last time and are destroyed!

Next time, we will examine the cause and effect of the death of mankind’s spirit.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 29, 2024

Will America Self-Destruct?

What Happens to the United States if it Turns it’s Back on Israel?

David Jeremiah 2024 🌸”When America Would Turn Her Back on Israel”🌸

Today I watched a video of a significant sermon by David Jeremiah (click on “David Jeremiah” link) on the importance of our support for Israel. He pointed out the protection God has provided for his people over the centuries.

In Genesis 12:2-3 it is written:

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

While Israel’s rejection of their Messiah, Jesus Christ, has resulted in their judgment by God for over 1,991 years, God has preserved their national identity and has now begun the process of their restoration to the land of their fathers.

History has shown that God’s judgment will fall on any nation that curses Israel and David Jeremiah’s sermon does an excellent job of outlining that very pertinent fact. I encourage you to watch it in its entirelty as presencted on You Tube.

I agree with David Jeremiah’s conclusions and feel a deep concern for the future of our country if we continue to call for Israel’s destruction!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 25, 2024

The Strange Surge in American Antisemitism!

A Very Disturbing Increase in Hostility Toward Israel!

Fox News

Israel hosts the largest core Jewish population in the world with 7.2 million, followed by the United States with 6.3 million. I find this very interesting in light of the times in which we live!

It is disappointing to me to see what is happening around the United States as increasing numbers of protestors demonstrate against Israel! Students identifying with the terrorist organization, Hamas, promote the destruction of Israel with calls for “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

A God-Given Land!

Israel is the only nation on the face of the earth whose land was specifically given to it by the Creator of the universe! Israel has a right to that land that no earthly force can reverse. The Bible offers a description of the land as follows:

Genesis 15:18-20 describes the land given to Abram (later Abraham) as stretching from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt[a] to the great Euphrates River— 19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
Genesis 17:7-8 also mentions the land of Canaan being given to Abraham and his descendants.

7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

The northernmost city of the Kingdom of Israel is described as Dan, and the southernmost city settled by the Israelites is Be’er Sheva. The Promised Land is generally understood to include territories that would encompass modern-day Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and parts of Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.

As a born-again Christian, I believe the Bible, in the original languages, is the inspired word of God from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. The matter of Israels right to the land is fully settled by God!

Israel’s Time of Judgment!

After Israel’s rejection of their Messiah, they were temporarily set aside and dispersed around the world; they have now endured this judgment for over 1,991 years. God has promised them a time of restoration to their God-given land and this process was begun in 1948 and continues to this day. A time is coming when the restoration will be complete but that time is still in the future.

The church must be taken out of the way and Israel’s last seven years, in the “Times of the Gentiles”, must play out according to prophecy. One can say with confidence that Israel has glorious promises waiting for them in the future!

Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel!

Israel’s time of judgment will end and the nation shall be restored in accordance with God’s plan for Israel. Where they were scattered, they shall return to the land given to them by God! Since the second largest number of Jews in any nation are exiled in the United States, this establishes a special situation when one thinks of Jews returning to Israel!

In Ezekial 37:12-14 it is written:

 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

Is Antisemitism One of God’s Methods for Leading The Exiles Back to Israel?

I wonder if history is repeating itself? Could this rise in American Antisemitism be the beginning of the removal of the “good figs?” In Jeremiah 24, the prophecy of the good figs and the bad figs is recorded. Israel was to come under judgment from God, so God removed his chosen ones, the good figs, and sent them to Babylon for protection. The bad figs were left in the land and would be judged along with the land.

Could it be that God will use Antisemitism to drive his exiled chosen ones out of the United States and back to Israel so they can escape the judgment coming on the United States?

In my previous article, “Where is the USA in Bible Prophecy?” I discuss the future of the United States after the church is removed; it could well be a time of extraordinary suffering for those left behind.

This rise in Antisemitism, especially if it increases in scope and intensity, may just be the Shephard leading his exiled sheep back to safety before the storms descend on the land. Time will tell.

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