The Abraham factor… Thursday, Aug 21 2014 

Biblical history and Church news and Old Testament and Political kennethbow 2:20 pm

Abraham is the father of three world religions. How much more can one life contribute to planet earth?

Abraham is considered the father of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. This encompasses much of the population of earth. Geographically it is quite a large area covered by these three religions. I would imagine most countries of the world are affected by at least one or more of these religions.

I had a discussion with a young pastor on the east coast and he contributed an interesting observation.

Pastor Bart Adkins of High Point, North Carolina is one of the brilliant young Apostolics of this generation. He is also a talented musician, singer and speaker. He made this observation:

“I had a conversation with dad one day musing on the thought that God has
attempted to make himself known to all the peoples of the Earth. It is
interesting to me in thinking about Judaism, Islam, and Christianity,
specifically, as though each one almost displays a particular aspect of God’s
character. The Jews had His law and Word, to a science. The Muslims have His War
and Judgement. The Christians have seen the revelation of His Grace and Mercy.”

Thank you Pastor Adkins for that keen insight.

Thanks for reading today….

 

The Sower Thursday, Aug 7 2014 

Uncategorized kennethbow 11:32 am

Matthew 13:3 (KJV)
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

It was the beginning of the second year of Jesus’ ministry. The religious leaders were growing increasingly wary of Jesus and began to pepper him with questions that illustrated their doubts. To avoid confrontation and debate that only led to confusion, Jesus began to speak in parables.

He had just been accused of working supernatural miracles by the power of evil, and while in this moment of confrontation, Jesus’ family arrived. Jesus throws down the gauntlet of future discipleship by declaring who his family was. His proclamation that his disciples were his family, separated him from the umbilical cord of family ties once and for all.

Matthew says “the same day”, Jesus began to speak the parables of Matthew 13. Jesus deliberately chose this method to reveal truth to his followers and conceal truth from his accusers.

The first parable Jesus spoke was about a sower that sowed seed in various places and the ensuing harvest.

I broach this subject today because it is my opinion many of us feel unqualified to teach a Bible study or witness or win a soul. This parable illustrates some interesting things to us.

For all of us who think we must be well prepared, intelligent, or qualified, to win souls, I want to point out some basic points.

The sower was not brilliant. In fact he/she was not a good sower at all! What sower with good sense would scatter seed where birds would immediately eat it up? If the sower was such a hot shot sower, why did he/she sow seed where the ground was stony and shallow? If Mr or Mrs Sower was as smart as we think we need to be to work with lost people, why did he/she sow seed among weeds?

I point out the obvious conclusion, the sower is not that important! The seed is what is important!

Even dumb sowers will get results if they just keep sowing. What would happen if all of us stopped making excuses about not knowing enough, or about being illiterate about the Bible, etc., and just sowed seed?

What if we stopped being soil analyzers and just threw seed there anyway? What if we stopped looking at the outward circumstances and just threw seed there anyway?

Maybe there is good ground not being reached because we analyze the soil before we sow? Maybe we feel like we need some kind of Union Card for Sowers International or something?

Maybe if we quit looking at the sower (us), and just threw seed everywhere like in the parable, maybe just maybe we would see more of a harvest?

Thanks for reading today….

 

The discarded Christian trait…. Friday, Aug 1 2014 

Doctrine and Motivational kennethbow 11:42 am

Ephesians 4.32 “And be ye kind one to another”

I Corinthians 13.4 “Charity suffereth long and is kind”

Kind: To show oneself mild, to be kind, use kindness.

I see a social phenomenon that troubles me. It is the habit some develop under the guise of humor or teasing that puts another person down so the person with inferiority can feel better about themselves.

Many barbed statements are communicated and then at the end, the attached “lol” is supposed to soften or deny the intent of the barb. By this means many people who do not feel good about themselves, or feel inferior, seem to put others down so they can feel better about themselves.

In my opinion this habit of teasing has a subtil purpose. Possibly it becomes a habit and the person may not ever realize they do it. Possibly they are in an environment where it is constant so they join the verbal fray. Whatever the reason it goes against Biblical teaching of honoring and esteeming one another.

I will possibly be looked at in this post as a “knit picker” or overly critical or even someone who cannot take the banter. However, let me take a Biblical approach. That is always safe 🙂

Is there Biblical teaching on this matter? Yes, there actually is. As a christian we are instructed to act and speak to one another in kindness. We are made to know from many places in scripture that our words are important. They can heal and they can wound.

There are times when the person who is the butt of the remark smiles and shows a good spirit, but down inside they feel the sting or hurt.

Are we big enough as Apostolics to look in the mirror and acknowledge this is part of living for God also? There are some inward standards that are important as well as our outward standards of dress and life style.

Putting another child of God down through humor or teasing them can indeed have consequences spiritually. We are judged by how we judge others. If we criticize, demean, make unkind jokes, and generally speak unkindly of others, well that is what gets delivered in our spiritual mailbox!

Colossians 4.6 Let your speech be always with grace…(grace here means: that which affords joy, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness).

I am an advocate of kind words, upbuilding words, words that encourage another pilgrim on the road to the Celestial City! Let’s help one another get to heaven by making their journey lighter and easier!

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord…

Thanks for reading today…