Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 15, 2012

Music and Movies at Home, by David Bower

Accidental Exposure

I suspect I was no more than around 8 years old when I accidentally discovered classical music. My mother and step-father were not particularly interested in music but when they did listen it seemed to be mostly country-western.

I remember that Sunday afternoon with great clarity; it was quiet and boring so I decided to turn on the radio and see what I could find. By accident I found a broadcast of the New York Philharmonic and discovered a whole new world of sound that I didn’t even know existed.

I was instantly transported by the music they were playing and it became engraved in my memory never to be forgotten; much later I discovered the music I heard was the “Donna Diana” Overture by Reznicek. This was the beginning of a journey which has yet to end, my pursuit of classical music and the reproduction of “high fidelity” music at home.

Many years were to pass before I got my first classical recording, a 78 RPM recording of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky. Although all of my 78 RPM records were sold by me when the new LP’s came out I was able to acquire an LP mono recording of this same performance which I’m looking at as I write this, RCA LM 1047.

My Next Big Discovery, Component High Fidelity

As I began the shift from 78 RPM to 33 1/3 RPM LP records I realized I had to get a player that could play them and found a small Philco tabletop player that could handle both. That had to suffice for several years and was all I had even after I got married which followed rather quickly; I was 19 years old when we got married.

In 1951 I joined the Naval Reserve and by the time I was a student at TCU I had become a Naval Reserve Officer Candidate. As part of my training I had to attend training at the Naval Station in Long Beach, California. While there I made another life-changing discovery, I discovered component high fidelity equipment while in Los Angeles.

This was just about as big a discovery for me as the Donna Diana Overture had been years before. I had no clue that reproduced music could sound so good. When training ended I returned to Ft. Worth and went to the Ft. Worth Library and asked about books on high fidelity. The librarian said they didn’t have any books on the subject but had just ordered one. Would I like to be the first one to check it out; you can imagine how quickly that yes came out of my mouth.

I read the book and was totally fascinated by what I read. The only home music I had heard was from Magnovox type open-back cabinet systems that were better than nothing but only just.

Public Address to the Rescue

I started looking for high fidelity equipment in stores but I couldn’t find any “high fidelity” stores in Ft. Worth that sold that sort of equipment. By accident I was visiting an audio supply store which sold intercoms and public address systems and asked the clerk if they had any hi-fi equipment and he said they had some in a back corner. You can imagine my excitement as I walked to the back of the store to see what was there.

The nature of the store should have immediately provided a clue as to what I would find; what was going on was public address equipment was being adapted for home music systems. The first hi-fi amplifiers usually had volume controls for microphones as well as for phono inputs; this was public address equipment being adapted to home use.

Even the speakers were being taken from the public address domain; a famous early hi-fi speaker like the Klipschorn used drivers and speakers designed for public address use.  Once I had discovered a possible source of equipment I started touring and calling all of the audio and electronic stores and checking out the hi-fi equipment they had in stock.

I Take the Plunge

It didn’t take too long before I could no longer resist the call of that equipment. My challenge was to figure out how to do that on a very slender shoestring budget; for me, that was part of the fun. The aforementioned Klipschorn was completely out of the question as it cost in 2012 dollars over $5,000 for a single speaker.

Klipsch made a cheaper version of his folded horn called the Klipsch Shorthorn which was available as an unfinished cabinet only model; that was just the raw wood enclosure without any speakers. I could just barely afford that and so that’s what I got.

Next came the challenge of the speakers so I decided to match the Klipschorn as closely as I could. All of the speakers components except the midrange horn and the crossover network were stock PA equipment so I decided to match those items for my new system.

Klipsch made the midrange horn specially for his big speaker and it was both too large and too expensive to use in my Shorthorn version. His mid-range driver, the University SAHF, was, however, stock PA equipment and was not too pricey so I ordered that along with the PA horn to which it was normally attached but this introduced yet another problem with which I had to deal. The Shorthorn enclosure was too small to hold even that mid-range speaker but the problem was only in height, not in width.

Klipsch had solved the mid-range problem on the Klipschorn by building a separate enclosure on top of the folded horn so I did exactly that with my Shorthorn, I added an enclosure on top.

My Very First Hi-Fi Speaker

  I was surprised and pleased to find this photo, I wasn’t even sure I had one left. What doesn’t show up in the picture is the beautiful top or the beauty of the wood finish. I applied five coats of finish to that wood and it was a thing of beauty, at least to me. As I recall it was just over five feet tall and had to be placed in a corner of the room.

The final product had the same speakers (except for the University C15W woofer and the mid-range horn) and drivers and crossover network that the Klipschorn had for a fraction of the price. From a hobbyist’s perspective that speaker was a major accomplishment, 90% of the big speakers sound for just a fraction of the cost.

I think this was the model Pilot I owned, it looks similar and was first offered by Pilot at the right time.

The balance of my first system included a Pilot 10W amplifier and a Garrard record changer with a GE monophonic cartridge. The fantastic efficiency of those PA speakers, including the University C15W woofer, permitted a hugely magnificent sound from that 10W amplifier let me assure you!

Next time, the draft board has unexpected plans for my life.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 8, 2012

A Radiant, Joyous Life in Christ, by David Bower

 Laughter is Highly Contagious

The first line of the poem, “Solitude,” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 – 1919) is “Laugh, and the world laughs with you: Weep, and you weep alone.” We can all relate to that especially when we see a baby laughing at something; it is so easy to smile and to even laugh out loud as the baby enjoys and reacts to what is happening.

 This is also true with a smile; I know when someone smiles at me it is the most natural thing in the world for me to smile back. Smiles and laughter are happy things and deserve to be spread around in this too often somber world in which we live.

My personality type is reserved and introspective; it is not natural for me to be up front in a group but to sit quietly at the back observing what is going on at the time. Being a quiet type does not indicate what is going on in my mind however. My mind may be enjoying a gathering in my way almost as much as the most outgoing personality in the room it just may not be obvious to an observer.

When we speak of happiness and joy each of us may have different ways of displaying those emotions. What is most important is what is going on inside us; joy and happiness is constructive to our psyches whereas misery and unhappiness is damaging in many ways.

While it is possible to put on a fake smile and try and fool others we cannot fool ourselves with our fake smiles no matter how hard we may try. Each of us knows from our own experiences the dramatic differences our feelings have on our bodies. Joy and peace is uplifting but general discontent, shocking events, and unhappiness is physically debilitating and can even cause sickness on occasion.

The Bible addresses this phenomenon in Proverbs 17:22 we read, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

What Does the Bible say About Christian Joy and Happiness?

Probably the first verses that will come to all of our minds are those in Galatians on the fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians 5:22-23 we read, “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.”

I believe we’ll all agree this is the complete opposite of the fake party smile that may be worn by some in public situations or the fixed grin of a politician running for office. To actually have the fruit of the Spirit as your normal characteristic is a worthy goal for all. The love, joy, peace, patience and other qualities are those qualities which the world in all of its deceptions always promises but never actually delivers.

Choosing the Right Foundation for Building Joy into Your Life

Each of us can remember times when our entire beings felt filled with joy and happiness and a sense of well-being. It is this feeling that God wants His children to experience as their normal, default, position; this is the Christian way of life.

Paul brings this up again in Philippians 4:4 where we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” So let’s analyze this; when are we supposed to rejoice? Always! In what are we supposed to rejoice? The Lord Jesus Christ!

When, on the other hand, are we supposed to walk around with a glum face looking like we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders? Never! That’s really not too complicated to understand, is it?

I’ll agree that circumstances can range from good to intolerable and if we’re basing our joy and peace on circumstances we’re surely in for a roller coaster ride but that’s not what God has in mind for us. He loves you as His child and He wants the best for you therefore He tells you to rejoice in the Lord because the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever.

The One who never changes provides a much surer and a much more rational foundation for rejoicing than circumstances. Building your foundation for rejoicing on circumstances is like the builder who built his house on the sand; the storms came and it all tumbled down. 

The Walk of Faith

We can all agree that the fruit of the Spirit is precisely as described in Galatians. The question then comes why do not all Christians seem to enjoy the fruit of the Spirit as a normal part of their lives? This question introduces the problem of sin.

The fruit of the Spirit can only be manifested in the life of the Christian when the Holy Spirit is in control of their lives. The power of the Spirit is quenched when we have unconfessed sin in our lives. When that happens our old man, the old sin nature, can take control and make us feel miserable. God knew we would have a problem and addressed that problem and provided a solution for His children.

Confession of Sin to God

In 1 John 1:8-10 we are told of the problem and God’s solution to the problem. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”

What are we being told here? We are all sinful creatures by nature and we have all sinned; if we say we aren’t or haven’t we make God a liar. It is important to understand that although we have been declared righteous from the perspective of our eternal security as a child of God, we must still deal with the daily struggle of our life in Satan’s world sabotaged by an internal nature toward sin. This has everything to do with quality of life and nothing to do with salvation!

God’s solution to this problem is simple; we simply acknowledge our sin to God and God is faithful and just to restore the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives along with the fruit of the Spirit. Remember, “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” so I utilize 1 John 1:9 many times a day and I’m an old retired man living at home.

God, in His grace, has provided all you need to live a joyful life of peace and kindness if only you will call on the resources that He has made freely available to you. Don’t waste your one chance at a quality, Spirit led life.

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

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | June 1, 2012

Perceptions Change, by David Bower

Time is Speeding Up

OK! OK! I know time really isn’t speeding up but sometimes it honestly feels that way to me; it seems as if the older I get the faster time goes by. Do any of you have that feeling too?

The weeks, the months and even the years are just flashing by as I think back on my life. Our children are in their 50’s, how can that be possible; I remember so vividly when they were just little children and now they have adult children of their own, that’s startling when I think about it.

When I see a young woman with her child walking down the street one of the first things that comes to my mind is how brief a time it has been since the mother was the child’s age. As I approach 80, the passage of 20 – 25 years does not seem to be a very long time.

I suppose this is all involved with the way we perceive the passage of time and as we’ve all heard, “perception is everything.” Our perception of life is a learned quality and is dependent on our social environment, our cultural heritage, our general upbringing and our age among other things; it has a profound impact on the way we view people and circumstances.

Thinking in Stereotypes

I have always been intrigued by the way many people, it appears, try to hastily assess other people. Although they may have little or no factual information about the other person some try and produce a label for them so they can pigeon hole them and move on to whatever catches their attention next.

A good example of that occurred when our children were in high school. At that particular high school the kids were placed in one of three groups by the other students: the heads, the kickers, or the jocks. If a particular student wasn’t a really good fit for any of those groups they would be squeezed into the closest group that seemed to fit.

On reflection that approach does seem childish but sadly one still finds that among adults who prefer to quickly classify people by some preconceived notions of dress, speech or mannerisms. I have occasionally commented to Bible classes I’ve taught how strange it is that the only part of us that has not been redeemed just happens to be the only part that can be seen, our physical bodies.

The Visible is Not the Most Meaningful Part of Who We Are

When we look at one another all we can see is the temporary tent we are occupying which is, in fact, in the process of returning to the dust from whence it came. My recent work as an online missionary has brought this forcefully to my mind.

I connect via the internet with a large number of Christian brothers and sisters all over the world that I’ll never see in person in this life. I have no idea how they look and must form my impressions of them by what they write.

This has brought home to me the relative unimportance of our appearance by comparison with what we think and the nature of our priorities.  For me these precious souls are letters and words wherein they express their hopes and fears. They obviously have bodies but the appearance of their bodies never enters into the matter.

I have frequently reflected on the complete lack of a physical description of Jesus in the Bible. We are given no clue whatsoever as to how Jesus might have looked; it is who He is and what He did and is doing that counts, not how He looked.

I must admit I have somewhat mixed emotions when I see paintings of Jesus, idealized in the mind of some artist to reflect the qualities they suppose He must have had. I fear this may be presumptuous to paint the physical appearance of the Son of God; we’ll know in due time what He looks like.

The Time Perspective

Another thing I’ve noticed is the way individuals of various ages see people and circumstances in distinctly different time frames. Younger people seem to be able to isolate an evening and the individuals involved in that evening into an independent box of time and view all of the components as they exist only in the context of this brief span of time; how they look and act at that moment seems to be the totality of who they are. The evening is the beginning and the end of the event and it’s as if once the event is over the people as they appear cease to exist or become someone else.

As the years pass by that ability seems to be lost; it has become normal and natural for me to see people as total human beings with a past, present, and future; I cannot isolate the present from the past and the future. The fleeting nature of life presses upon my thinking; the time we have on earth seems like the brief flicker of a candle.

I’m reminded of Psalm 103:15-16, “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”

Psalm 103:17-18 offers words of comfort, “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children–with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”

I find it very exciting when I consider our mortal lives are but a prelude and death is our doorway to eternal life with our Lord Jesus Christ. What a rich blessing, what a glorious future!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 27, 2012

In Memory of Jim, a Beloved Brother in Christ, by David Bower

A Special Friend and Brother in Christ

Tuesday morning, May 22, 2012 the phone rang and my wife answered it; after a brief conversation she hung up the phone and came in to tell me that Jim had died. It was a good thing I was sitting down as I felt a wave of shock flash over me when I heard the news. This special Jim was an old and dear friend.

On rare occasions someone comes into our lives that makes a profound difference; when that happens one can only feel blessed by God’s grace. Just over ten years ago I had that experience although at the time I didn’t realize the significance of what had happened.

My wife and I met Jim and his wife at church; I do not remember the exact circumstances of our meeting for the first time but all of us must have felt there was something there worth cultivating because our families developed a loving, caring friendship that would last many years.

A Shared Love for Classical Music

As we later discovered, Jim and I shared a love for classical music and what was even more unusual, we shared a love for classical pipe organ music. Again I cannot remember the exact circumstances surrounding our discovery but I suspect it didn’t take too long for me to tell Jim about my audio system and invite him over to hear it.

I had been an audio hobbyist for over 50 years and had developed a love for organ music; when I designed my dream system I made sure it could reproduce the full range of the pipe organ. When Jim heard my system he was delighted with the sound; it pleased him just as much as it pleased me.

We both agreed we would need to have more than one “music afternoon” and it developed into a regular thing that meant a lot to both of us. Once it started it never stopped; earlier Jim would come over and we would go out for lunch but as Jim’s physical condition became more of a challenge for him he wouldn’t come over until just after lunch and we would enjoy music until late afternoon.

Concert Level Music Enjoyment

One of the things Jim and I both enjoyed was playing back our music at concert level and by that I mean you’re either on the front row or standing on the podium concert level. After we were done for the afternoon my wife would have to go around and straighten all of the paintings which had been knocked sideways by the loud music. Jim and I had a great time!

Usually about mid-afternoon I would ask Jim if he would like some coffee or tea and he would always say he would if I was having some and I always did. The music stopped while we were having tea or coffee and we would start talking about something in which we had a mutual interest, it could be the Bible, politics, or some aspect of the world situation but our conversations could go on for an extended period of time.

My wife would usually join us in the conversation and we would have a great time talking about whatever we choose. On more than one occasion we would keep on talking right up until it was time for Jim to go home; he liked to coordinate his return home with his wife’s schedule.

Physical Challenges Increase

As Jim’s physical condition became more of a challenge to him I started noticing he tired more easily. Jim always sat in the same recliner/rocker and enjoyed slowly rocking while he listened to music. I started noticing out of the corner of my eye that the rocking motion would sometimes stop and I would look over and see Jim’s head would have fallen forward and he was asleep; usually that was for a brief period as a change in the music would awaken him and the rocking would start again.

I was so pleased that Jim felt relaxed enough in our home to fall asleep; this was to me a touching indicator of the depth of our friendship.

In addition to our music afternoons we also had movie nights that included husbands and wives from three families. This developed into a monthly event and we would all bring sandwiches and eat together at our breakfast room table and enjoy spirited conversation around the table.

Following our sandwiches we would retire to the den and watch a movie usually chosen by vote. This was a happy time for all of us and will occupy an important place in our memories. By God’s grace we hope to continue movie night with one chair empty; that will be difficult but the general consensus seems to be that it is a good idea.

My last music afternoon with Jim was on April 4, 2012; we had an enjoyable afternoon and no idea it would be our last. One of God’s rich blessings for His children is to not know the future; it is entirely sufficient that He does.

After Jim’s death, Jim’s wife called me and asked me to say a few words at Jim’s memorial service on Saturday morning as Jim’s friend and I felt honored to have the opportunity to speak about Jim.

One of the points I made was to tell those there how easy it was to be Jim’s friend as he was one of the finest Christian gentlemen I have ever known. Here was a man who exhibited a Spirit led walk and manifested the fruit of the Spirit in his life always without exception in my experience.

The Friday afternoon before the memorial service I was sitting in the den thinking over my friendship with Jim and trying to choose those things I would say the following morning. It was so easy to remember him sitting in his recliner slowly rocking. I was hit with a great sadness as I realized I would never see him in that chair again.

I forced myself to imagine him home with the Lord and having a marvelous time seeing and experiencing those things of which we can only dream. It helped overcome my sadness to imagine his joy and laughter as he enjoys being in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jim’s home-going leaves a hole in the lives of all who knew and loved him. For his family it is a formidably large hole and for his friends it is a painfully large hole. Jim’s wife asked me to mention a Bible verse and she happened to mention Proverbs 3:5-6 among others; when she mentioned those verses in Proverbs I told her those were my anchor verses in times of testing and immediately decided those were the verses I would use.

When a loved one goes home to be with the Lord there is no hope of understanding; the only viable alternative is to trust in the Lord who loves us and gave Himself for us. My anchor verses in Proverbs tell us, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Jim will be sorely missed.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 25, 2012

Spiritual Warfare, by David Bower

What Spiritual Warfare?

In Ephesians 6:11-12 we read: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

That sounds like some pretty serious business to me, wouldn’t you agree? Is Paul telling us we are in the middle of a spiritual war, could there be some danger involved? It appears the answer to those questions is yes and yes, there is a spiritual war going on and we, like it or not, are involved as soldiers and are living in “the day of evil.” In the following verses Paul goes on to describe “the full armor of God” and encourages us to make sure we are prepared as soldiers of the cross.

The Day of Evil

As I look about the nation and the world it becomes rather easy to believe we are living in the “day of evil.” One need not look too far or too carefully to find activities that could easily be so classified. If then we are living during a spiritual war should we not see some evidence of the battle in the Christian community?

I can remember this country during the Second World War and recall vividly how virtually everything was focused on the war effort. Although we were blessed by not having battles fought in our homeland everywhere I looked I saw reminders that we were at war and all were expected to make some sort of contribution to the war effort.

What serious signs do you see of our spiritual warfare at church? Are you often reminded of what’s at stake and your responsibility to make your own personal contribution to winning the war? Do you ever think of yourself as a soldier of the cross, armed and standing firm against the enemies of Christianity?

Personally I cannot recall a major sermon effort on the subject nor can I recall any serious Bible teaching on the subject in Bible study classes. The prevailing attitude seems to be more along the lines of “perhaps if we ignore it, it will go away.” I’m of the opinion it will not go away regardless of how dedicated we may be to ignoring it.

What is Going On Right Now in the Spiritual Warfare?

Although the Christian community at large seems intent on ignoring spiritual warfare if there is one actually in progress, and I believe there is,  then what is it like, who is on the front lines of this battle between the forces of God and the forces of Satan?

First Israel, and later the church have been involved in this spiritual warfare. The intensity of the involvement has varied over the centuries especially with individuals. Some believe and fight the good fight while others engage in denial or permit themselves to become casualties because of a failure to utilize the armor God has provided.

The battle, nevertheless, continues unabated among the supernatural beings of the spirit world, God’s angels and the fallen angels of Satan fighting with shockingly great power.

One point that may need clarifying is the true nature of the angelic creation. Often angels are portrayed as beautiful young girls in flowing white robes. The next most popular appearance alternative is a cuddly little babe with cute little wings on their backs. Let me assure you notions of this sort are wildly, madly off base; nothing could be further from the truth.

We have a few descriptions of angels given in the Bible and a few records of how human beings reacted to the unshielded glory of an angel.

In Revelation 10:1-3 we read, “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.”

In Daniel 10:5-6 we read, “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”

How did Daniel react to this vision? We are told in Daniel 10:7 “I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.”

I believe I can say with a high level of confidence if I suddenly came face to face with a being of that sort my face would turn deathly pale and I would be helpless too! I’m not embarrassed to say I might even faint.

We are protected by God’s grace and greatly blessed by our inability to personally observe the angelic struggle that is involved in the spiritual warfare going on around us.

How Can We Fit in With Soldiers Like That?

These are the front line soldiers in the spiritual warfare that has been going on for thousands of years. Who do we think we are to compare ourselves to those mighty beings? Well, we are a lot more than one might think at first glance; after all we have God the Holy Spirit dwelling in us! In 1 John 4:4 the believer is reassured by “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” We must fight this battle in the power of the Holy Spirit, not our own power which is laughably inadequate to the task.

This is what Ephesians 6:10-17 is all about; we have God as our armorer and He has provided all of the equipment we need to be effective soldiers in the spiritual warfare. On our own strength we are nothing, with God we can “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

You’ve heard the expression “last man standing?” Well with the power of God on our side that’s us. Welcome to the spiritual warfare, I suspect we’ll see the intensity of this war increasing over the next few years.

Be prepared, put on the whole armor of God!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 18, 2012

The Flood Changes Everything Conclusion, by David Bower

The Ark is Preserved

The scope of the devastation caused by the flood was severe and completely rearranged the surface of the earth. The Ark was delivered through this devastation by the power of God. It would not surprise me to learn someday that the voyage of the Ark was as if on a tranquil lake; after all He who told the wind and the waves “peace, be still” could just as easily calm the waters in the vicinity of the Ark with no difficulty whatsoever.

This may well be the device used by the Lord to preserve the marine life I mentioned last time. It may be that the marine life the Lord chose to preserve was drawn to the vicinity of the Ark just as the land creatures were drawn to go inside the Ark. Is anything too difficult for God? The Bible doesn’t address this question at all but as most of you know I delight in speculating on what the Lord might have done that He chose not to reveal.

In Chapter 8:1-2 we are told of the mercy and grace of the Lord, “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.”

In Genesis 8:13-14 we read, “By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.”

God then told Noah to come out of the Ark and bring all of the animals in the Ark with him “so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it.” The Bible is silent on the steps God took to distribute the animals around the earth but I’m sure He did exactly what it pleased Him to do. Understanding the Bible is much simpler when one believes that God is truly omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

The Newly Remodeled Earth was Completely Different

From now on the flood would be a part of history; the earth was completely rearranged from what it had been and I’m sure the sky looked vastly different too. It has been calculated that only the larger, brighter stars and planets could have been seen before the collapse of the water vapor canopy. The Sun and the Moon as well as the stars and planets would have all seemed dimmer before the flood as light was filtered through the water vapor canopy.

It is believed that observers would have seen only about 255 stars and planets before the flood due to the reduced visibility caused by the water vapor canopy whereas after the  flood there would have been around 2,500 visible. In addition the moon would have been much brighter at night and the sun brighter by day.

This sudden crystal clarity was actually a danger as the radiation from the sun was soon to greatly reduce the lifespan of mankind from hundreds of years to less than one hundred years on average.

After the flood, the world as we know it today emerged  from what had been a world in a greenhouse; a world protected from the extremes that are now a part of life on this planet. Although the sun, moon, stars, and planets were brighter, the prospects for life were much dimmer.

Further Study Opportunities

I owe a great debt to Joseph C. Dillow for his excellent book, “The Waters Above.” In addition I have found the work of Dr. Walt Brown in his fascinating website, http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/index.html to be a marvelous source of information on the pre-flood world. Dr. Brown’s extensive writings on the flood and the world before the flood are both informative and helpful to any student of the subject. Another website that has much good information is http://www.answersingenesis.org/.

Although “The Waters Above” is out of print, used copies can be obtained if one is determined to have a copy. Dr. Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., in his forward wrote on page xv, “In many sections the book will be difficult to follow, even for those with training in science and mathematics, but it is vital that these sections be included for those who may want to check their validity.” I will freely admit that many sections went right over my head but I found the remainder of the book more than interesting enough to compensate for those more difficult and technical sections which were beyond my understanding.

The two websites I mentioned could probably keep the student busy for the next 5 years if one desired to devote that much time to the subject. What I’m saying is there is no shortage of great information available to the Bible student who wants to learn more about the flood and the pre-flood world. Happy studying!

Next – Spiritual Warfare

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 11, 2012

The Flood Changes Everything Part 4, by David Bower

Unparalleled Destruction Rearranges the Surface of the Earth

What we see today around the world is the results of this horrific flood; this includes such things as the Grand Canyon, the deep ocean trenches and the highest mountain ranges. All can be accounted for by the actions of the waters below and the waters above.

The frigid polar extremes are also part of the flood phenomena and were produced by the collapse of the water vapor canopy that had previously enveloped the earth. A question had been raised after the last blog concerning marine life.

I commented that the global tumult that characterized the flood event likely produced tons of sediment which caused much of the marine life to perish. Although the Bible does not specify I believe it possible that God graciously preserved the life of the marine species we have today. It is evident from the fossil record that a great amount of marine life was buried in the sediment as seen in the fossilized remains of many species that no longer exist.

The Flood Covers the Entire Earth 

In Genesis 7:17-24 information is given about the devastation on the earth caused by the flood. In verse 20 we read, “The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet.” When the Bible says that I have absolutely no trouble believing it completely.

Today Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world at 29,035 feet. How high was the highest mountain in the world before the flood? The fact is no one knows and the Bible doesn’t say but those who have studied this from a Biblical perspective estimate the highest mountain before the flood was between 6,000 and 9,000 feet in elevation.

I could easily believe that during the flood the mountains were greatly reduced in height. For more information on the possible mechanics of this process put “hydroplate theory” into your search engine.

In Ezekiel 38:20b we read, “The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.” This is describing an event yet future but the principle can apply equally to the past where an Omnipotent God is concerned. I could easily believe the mountains were greatly reduced in height because of the violent upheaval caused by the flood.

As the waters below were being shot into space a great upheaval was taking place under the water on the surface of the earth. The masses of rock, up to ten miles thick that covered the waters below were being shoved around and in the process were creating canyons and mountain ranges. This is how the Himalayas and the Grand Canyon were formed as well as the ocean trenches and all other mountain ranges.

There is an interesting DVD which discusses the process by which these geological formations came into being called “Noah’s Ark & The Biblical Flood.” It is available from Amazon for $9.98 and is well worth the money.

This was an enormous event that is impossible for us to imagine today. God, in His grace, has promised to never do that again and has placed his bow in the sky as His guarantee.

Total Destruction of All Life

In Genesis 7:21-24 the most severe loss of life is described in calm understated terms. “Every living thing that moved on the earth perished–birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.”

To be continued.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 4, 2012

The Flood Changes Everything Part 3, by David Bower

How Long Did it Take Noah to Build the Ark?

There has been much discussion on the possible length of time it took for Noah to build the Ark. Suggestions I’ve read range from 55 to 120 years. In an article by Bodie Hodge, June 1, 2010 for “Answers In Genesis,” the writer suggest a range of a maximum of 55 to 75 years and presents some interesting arguments for that conclusion.

The Destruction of the Earth as it Was

In Genesis 6:17 we read, “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.” I doubt that it is possible for any of us to understand the way Noah must have felt when he heard those words.

All human life on the entire world was to be destroyed except for Noah and the seven other members of his immediate family; I hope Noah was sitting down when he heard that shocking announcement.

The Noahic Covenant Promised

God then announces His covenant with Noah which is detailed in Genesis 9:1-18 and is an unconditional covenant.

In Genesis 6:19 – 7:3 God tells Noah of the animals that should be brought upon the Ark to save them from the flood. In Genesis 7:2 a distinction is made between clean and unclean animals. Seven of the clean animals and the fowls of the air were to be taken on board the Ark while only two of the unclean animals were to be saved.

At this point the ridicule and laughter may have reached a fever pitch among those watching Noah and his family. This was an unprecedented event that was so strange that the skeptics had no frame of reference at all and may well have thought that Noah and his family had collective insanity.

Although not specified it is reasonable to conclude that the many assorted animals and birds entered the Ark as directed by God without any coercion. Watching these animals peacefully board the ark without guidance must have been unsettling to the observers.

In Genesis 7:4 God tells Noah, “Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.” In Genesis 7:5 we see the secret of Noah’s success, “And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.”

 The Flood

In Genesis 7:7 we read, “And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.” In verse 16b we read, “Then the LORD shut him in.” The door to the Ark had been sealed by God and those inside would be delivered from the judgment that was to shortly come upon the earth. I suspect that was the most watertight door ever seen on the face of the earth.

In Genesis 7:11 we read, “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month–on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.”

You may recall my earlier discussion of the waters above and the waters below. Now we see them as they begin to rearrange the world and in the process kill all those not in the Ark. The profound impact of this event on the earth produced all of the geological and climatic conditions we know today.

The collapse of the water vapor canopy permitted the flash freezing of the North and South Poles which resulted in the formerly semi-tropical regions irreversibly freezing into the icy regions we know today.  It was this flash freezing that created such phenomena as the “Beresovka Mammoth.”

Note the shovel handle in the center bottom of the picture as a reference for size.

Note the shovel handle in the center bottom of the picture as a reference for size.

The Beresovka Mammoth, flash frozen in a sitting position.

The other source of water was the waters below. It is estimated that a subterranean water table at least 3/4 of a mile in depth existed around 10 miles below the surface of the earth under considerable pressure. Since there was no rain before the flood it is believed that water from this source provided the water for the rivers referenced in the pre-flood world and provided the water for watering the surface of the earth.

At the time of the flood, God permitted the subterranean water table to “burst forth” with sufficient force to propel the water about 20 miles above the surface of the earth. This, combined with the collapse of the water vapor canopy, continued for 40 days and 40 nights with an unequalled severity.

To be continued…

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 27, 2012

The Flood Changes Everything Continued, by David Bower

Noah, Perfect in His Generations

Previously I had mentioned the problem of angelically corrupted DNA and concluded that Noah and the seven who joined him in the Ark had true human DNA and could safely carry forward the seed of Adam and Eve.

When one considers the unequaled devastation that took place at the time of the flood one feels compelled to balance that with an unequaled threat to the future of God’s plan for humanity. A corrupted form of humanity blending human and angelic DNA would certainly provide that unequaled threat; the marriage of believing men and unbelieving woman would not, that has continued throughout the history of humanity.

Noah’s Challenge

At the time God revealed His plan to Noah I would estimate Noah was around 480 years old. The world was an entirely different place and provided a considerably more healthful environment than it did after the flood. The water vapor canopy which surrounded the earth provided an excellent temperature balance with an oxygen rich atmosphere from North Pole to South Pole; I would estimate the two polar extremes enjoyed year-round semi-tropical conditions.

A casual search of the internet will reveal a considerable number of reports and articles on tropical vegetation and animal life found under the ice at both poles which, of course, supports the Biblical account of creation perfectly.

Another characteristic of this greenhouse environment was a total absence of rain; the ground was watered by streams or a mist emerging from the earth. All of this undoubtedly increased Noah’s confusion when he was told to build a huge ship. I can easily imagine he must have created a great deal of curiosity as construction progressed.

According to the Genesis record Noah may have worked on the ark for around 20 years before Shem, Ham, and Japheth were born. From the Bible we can determine that Japheth was born first, Shem second, and Ham third. One can only guess how many more years were to pass before they could help Noah in the construction of the ark.

Corruption and Violence Filled the Earth

In Genesis 6:11-12 we read, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.”

What is this… in the midst of environmental perfection mankind was filled with corruption and violence? Kind of reminds me of the Millennium; after 1,000 years of governmental and environmental perfection under the Lord Jesus Christ huge numbers of people will revolt under the leadership of Satan.

This very forcefully says to me that mankind’s basic problem is spiritual, not circumstantial or environmental which is precisely what the Bible tells us. Mankind’s default position since the fall of Adam is spiritual death until born again by the power of God the Holy Spirit when a person is brought back to spiritual life by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

Instructions for Building the Ark 

The Bible spends a brief time on the who, why and when of building the Ark but no time explaining the where and the how. I’m forced to assume Noah had help; handling the timbers that must have been involved would require either machines or men to help move and place the timbers for assembly.

In Genesis 6:14-16 a very summary description of the Ark is given which is likely an abbreviated account for the Biblical record. The Bible does not tell us much about Noah; nothing is mentioned as to his technical qualifications to design and build the Ark from the brief description given of him in the Bible. For all we know Noah may have been a major ship builder by trade and all of this was a piece of cake for him.

To be continued….

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 20, 2012

The Flood Changes Everything, by David Bower

What Would Justify Such Devastation?

We now come to the Genesis flood during which all but 8 people (0.00000000088% of the population)  perished from the face of the earth. In my last blog I mentioned the number of deaths at 8,999,999,992 to illustrate the massive loss of life involved in the flood. As we read in Revelation it does not appear the earth will again experience that number of deaths and at the very least the percentage of lives spared to those taken appears to be much greater at the end of the Tribulation.

There are two schools of interpretation concerning the first verses of Genesis 6 where the problem is described. The point of disagreement has to do with the identity of “the sons of God.” In Genesis 6:1-2 we read, “When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.”

One line of interpretation sees these sons of God as part of the Godly line of Seth and the daughters of men as unbelieving women, which I believe is incorrect. The major verse used to support that view is taken from Matthew 22:30 which reads, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” The context of this comment was the challenge the Sadducees, who did not believe in a resurrection, had made to our Lord concerning a woman who had a succession of earthly husbands. To extend this to mean angels in human form are sexless is rather a stretch in my opinion.

Fallen Angels

The second view, which I hold, maintains the sons of God were angels who “kept not their first estate.” The offspring of those unions became remarkable men. In Genesis 6:4 we read “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days–and also afterward–when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.”

Many, who hold this position, see the Greek and Roman mythological stories as remnants of memories about this period in the history of man. Verses used to support this view include Job 1:6 which reads, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.” It is also interesting to note that some translations translate the Hebrew phrase used here and in Genesis 6:2 & 4, “B’nai HaElohim” which means sons of God, as angels.

Other verses are found in Jude 6-7, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home–these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” Sexual immorality and perversion is the context for these two verses and that aptly describes the sons of God in Genesis 6.

There are a number of other convincing arguments involving identifying the sons of God as angels; if you have an interest in exploring this further please let me know in your comments and I’ll be happy to discuss it with you.

The next important question pertains to the why of this aberration. I believe this involved a Satanic effort to corrupt the DNA of the human race and make a completely human descendant of Adam and Eve which would bruise the head of the serpent an impossibility. Considering the judgment that was coming Satan’s efforts must have met with considerable success.

Noah

This brings us to Noah; in Genesis 6:9 we read, “These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.” This is understood to mean that Noah and the other seven that were delivered from death had pure human DNA from Adam and Eve and were free from the corruption of any angelic DNA. This passage is sometimes translated as “perfect in his generations.

It is evident to me that something drastic had to be taking place for God to consider the total destruction of mankind; in Genesis 6:7 we read, “So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth–men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air–for I am grieved that I have made them.”

To say that the marriage of godly men and ungodly women called for the total destruction of mankind is impossible for me to believe. I can, however, believe that a corruption of mankind with angelic DNA thereby preventing the pure seed of Adam and Eve to eventually produce mankind’s kinsman-redeemer makes complete sense to me.

To be continued.

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