The Four Steps On The Journey Of A Reprobate Wednesday, Jun 16 2010 

Doctrine kennethbow 9:39 am

The four steps on the Journey of a Reprobate

Rom 1.28 God gave them over to a Reprobate mind

There is a difference between backsliding and becoming a reprobate! Reprobate means worthless, castaway, or rejected.

2 Thes 2.10-12 because they received not a love for the truth.

Lam 3.12 Marked for falling.

Jonah 2.8 Forsake their own mercy.

Spirits use people, the spirit wanders in dry places, seeking a dwelling place!  In John 13.27 Satan entered Judas.

Spirits looking for dry places, Mt 12.43, Luke 11.24 the spirit walks and looks.  The spirit is looking, looking, looking, are you exempt??

Consider the plumbline in Amos 7.7-9.  No one ever knows when God walks away.  He said it concerning Israel, then 800 years later he silently walked away in Matt 23.37.  The nation of Israel never knew when he left.  That is the way God walks away from a reprobate.  They never know the moment, and believe things are the same as always.

Jesus called the temple “my house”, and then finally with tears and sadness, the last thing he said of it was, “Your house is left unto you desolate”.  He simply turned and quietly walked away. To this day the nation of Israel does not recognize the moment.

No one used of Satan ever thinks they are, Rom 1.28, 2 Tim 3.8,Tit 1.16.

Years ago I talked to a woman on ferry.  She was living in a sinful relationship. Yet, she was convinced God approved of how she was living.  She even quoted scripture to defend her sinful life style. This shows me the power of the human mind to convince itself that it is right!!

The journey of a reprobate is a slow road!  People who backslide quickly come back to church often, but slow measured, calculated backsliders drift away, and many times become reprobate.

The road to being a reprobate always involves feelings toward the pastor or someone else. A reprobate never sees or understands what is happening to them.  People who backslide quickly can turn it around but there are reasons why a reprobate never returns to God.  There are steps in the journey.

Step one is Eph 4.30, Grieve the spirit (spurn an object of love).

Step two is 2 Tim 3.8 Resist the spirit, make excuses – argue with God (holiness, etc)

Step three is 1 Thes 5.19 Quench the spirit (cut off) stop it, won’t yield, override feelings

Step four is Heb 10.29 4) Blaspheme the spirit (refuse the only help available)

– 1. Trodden underfoot the Son of God

– 2. Counted the blood unholy

– 3. Done despite unto the Spirit of grace

No more sacrifice for sin!

Consider the 10 virgins, 5 were wise, 5 were foolish.

Someone is gonna be a foolish virgin! Go ahead walk out, let God mark you as a target.  Let God draw a bullseye on your back, draw his bow, set you for a mark, start the journey of a reprobate.  Not me, I’m going to find a place to pray!

A reprobate loses sense of time. They say not today, not now.

Rom 1.28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper. (NAS)

Rom 1.28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. (NIV)

Rom 1.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. (NKJ)

Rom 1.28 When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. (NLT)

Rom1.28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. (RSV)

Rom 1.28 So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. (TLB)

Verses for journey of a reprobate

Rom 1.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (KJV) reprobate mind = rejected, worthless, castaway

II Th 2.10-12

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because the received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  (delusion – to stray from orthodoxy or piety)

12 That they might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  (sentenced, condemned, judged)

Lam 3.12-13

12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

Jonah 2.8

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

John 13.27

27 And after the sop Satan entered into him.  The said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

Matt 12.43-44

43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Amos 7.7-9

7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.

8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou?  And I said, A plumbline.  Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

9 And the high places of Israel shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

Rom 1.28

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

2 Tim 3.8

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Titus 1.16

16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Eph 4.30

30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Step #1 – Grieve the Spirit – spurn an object of love)

2 Tim 3.8

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.  (Step #2 – Resist – make excuses, argue with God – holiness etc)

1 Thes 5.19

19 Quench not the Spirit.  (Step #3 – Quench – cut off – stop, won’t yield, override feelings)

Heb 10.29

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shal he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?  (Step #4 – Blaspheme).

A reprobate resists the only cure for sin, Jesus.  And thus completes the journey of a reprobate.  They step into the horrible land of the living damned.

God help me to never start down the steps on the journey of a reprobate!

Thanks for reading today!

 

Are You Surviving or Thriving? Friday, Apr 23 2010 

Biblical history and Doctrine and Family and Marriage and Motivational kennethbow 1:15 pm

Are the tears you shed for your marriage happy tears or sad tears?

Surviving or Thriving?

Somewhere around 3000 years ago a giant named Goliath walked out on the battlefield and challenged the armies of Israel. The gauntlet was thrown down and the challenge was bellowed.  The terms of conflict were clear for everyone.

It was winner take all and no survivors!

I am convinced today there is another challenge, on yet another battlefield.  Satan struts out on the battlefield of America and throws his challenge.  The battle in 2010 is for our homes.  Satan attacks with technology, with Hollywood, with busyness and time constraints, and stress.

One of his most effective attacks is on marriages.  He has rolled out the big artillery the last few years.  He is after the family values in America.

In 2009 there were 2,162,000 marriages in America.  The marriage rate was 7.1 per 1000 people.  The divorce rate was 3.5 per 1000 people.

In the 1996 presidential election 50% of the electorate said moral values were one of the most important issues.  In the 2004 presidential election, that percentage stood at 34 %. In 8 years 16% of support had eroded.

From the 2000 election to the 2004 election, support for gay marriages increased 50% in America.

For the last 30 years moral values have been some of the most important factors in elections.

In 2005, 11 of 17 states amended their state constitutions to prohibit gay unions or gay marriages.  Satan is attacking the Biblical ideal of marriage between a man and a woman.

But he does not stop there.  Satan also attacks the marriages of Christians.

Some statistics say the divorce rate for conservative Christians is higher than the rate for atheists and agnostics.  Others say the opposite.  Tom Ellis, Chairman of the Southern Baptist convention’s council on the family says the true fact is 1 in 39,000 marriages, end among conservative Christians. That is 0.00256%.

The question in your marriage is, are you surviving or thriving?

Are you and your spouse meeting each others personal needs?

Here we are in mainstream America where prayer is illegal, and abortion is encouraged.

Where, if you resist the gay marriage deluge, you practice hate speech, and you are homophobic!

Where our kids walk through metal detectors to get on the school ground and are handed condoms.

Does anybody believe me when I scream….the battle is raging?

If anyone is naïve enough to think you can ignore your marriage, and it will thrive on it’s own, by simple church attendance, you are sadly mistaken!

On January 31, 1996, I ended a journey of 9048 days of marriage.  Over 25 years.  I dated in the church, I married in the church, and was finally divorced in the church.  On that January day in 1996, I started a journey that has now stretched to 5,192 days, over 14 years of living alone.

If I could help even one person to not go down that road, it would be worth it all.  But even more, what if I could I help those still in the marriage, to make that marriage all God intended it to be?

I was driving down the road with Martyn Ballestero a few weeks ago.  We were on main street in Sumner Washington, right in front of McDonalds, in the left turn lane.

God spoke to me.  God said “What did the children say of their mother in Proverbs chapter 31?” In my mind I answered, they called her blessed.  And God said, “What did her husband do?”. I answered he praised her.  God told me to look it up and see what kind of praise the man gave his wife.  I did, and Brother Ballestero wrote a wonderful blog on it.

I hope you will click on the link, go to his blog site and read the blog on how to have the best wife in the world!

http://martynballestero.com/

Thanks for reading today!

=

 

The Book Of Acts, The Bridge. Sunday, Apr 11 2010 

Biblical history and Doctrine and New Testament kennethbow 6:53 am

Acts

Oft times I have wondered about certain books of the Bible.  I have thought, what if we did not have this book in our Bible?  How would that affect the whole?  When I place the book of Acts on that pedestal, and consider, I am certain of the answer.

Only Acts and Genesis seem to hold the place of absolute.  Without them we simply could not survive.  They are both irreplaceable.

The book of Acts was written by Luke.  Luke is the only Gentile writer in the Bible.  It is interesting to me that Luke is responsible for 25% of the New Testament.  His two books equal one fourth of the volume of the New Testament.

I am not positive, but it appears to me that Luke wrote at the bequest of a wealthy patron named Theopholis.  His two books address this individual.  This was a common practice that carried well into the middle ages.  A wealthy patron would sponsor someone to write a book or thesis. This is how men like Voltaire and Rousseau were supported financially.

To me, Acts is about three men.  Those men are Simon (Peter), Saul (Paul), and Stephen. The book is evenly devoted to the ministry of Peter and Paul with Stephen being the bridge from one to the other.

The contrast of these two men is stark.  Peter is a country fisherman.  Paul is a polished cosmopolitan.  Peter was ignorant and unlearned.  Paul was a trained rabbi, having studied at the feet of Gamaliel. Peter spoke Aramaic, the common language.  Paul could speak that language, as well as Greek.  Peter was a country Jew, Paul was a Hellenistic Jew and a Roman Citizen.

The first twelve chapters of Acts are about Peter.  In chapter 13 the spotlight shifts to Paul and never moves back to Peter again.  Peter, the great apostle fades from view in Acts.

How important is Acts as a book?  It is irreplaceable! Without the book of Acts we would go from the Gospels to Romans.  We would wonder who is Paul?  What is the church?  How did it start?  Acts is the link to all of the New Testament.

Acts begins with the ascension of Jesus.  It moves on to choosing Judas’ replacement. It then tells of Pentecost, the beginning of the church, and eventually documents the church’s emigration to the Roman Empire.

Christianity conquered the Roman Empire, period.  The Roman Empire paved roads, established peace and continuity, and through this open door walked the church.  The church flourished during the Pax Romana, the empire wide peace. Within 300 years 10% of the Roman Empire was Christian.

The book of Acts documents the beginning of this conquest of the church.

When the spotlight shifts to Paul in chapter 13, Luke begins to relate Paul’ missionary journeys.  Paul made three journeys.  ( Some scholars say up to five).  The dates of these journeys are:

  • 46-48, first journey
  • 49-52, second journey
  • 53-57, third journey

It is simply amazing that in 47AD there were no churches in Asia Minor.  In ten years there was a ring of churches that included every major city in Galatia, Macedonia, Asia and Acacia.  This remarkable achievement has never been repeated anywhere globally.

On his first journey, when he gains his first convert, the Apostle Paul jettisons his Hebrew name Saul, and forever becomes know as Paul.  He was the Apostle to the Gentiles and he bore his Gentile name to his death.

Luke is a gentile, writing a book about the gentile revival by the Apostle to the gentiles.  This fact shows up in the book repeatedly.  It is very clear in the story of the appointment of the deacons.  When the division came and the controversy showed itself, out of the seven men chosen, 5 were Greeks according to their names.  Luke makes this point, or rather the Holy Ghost does.

The final chapters of the book of Acts are concerning Paul’s last days.  I am left with one of the biggest questions of my life as to why the book ends so inconclusively.  With the Holy Ghost inspiring the man called Luke, why no closure?

My only hypothesis is that the book is still being written in heaven.  Maybe the final words were something like “to be continued”.

What chapter will you write to add to the book of Acts?

Thanks for reading today!

 

You are invited….. Tuesday, Apr 6 2010 

Biographical and Doctrine and Family kennethbow 7:18 am

First Pentecostal Church will be holding it’s

39th Annual Services April 9~11, 2010.

We would like to extend a cordial welcome to all who would like to attend!

First Pentecostal Church of the Puget Sound

Schedule of Guest Speakers:

Friday  7pm:

Garry Streeval,

Noblesville, IN

Saturday  6pm:

Jerry Rowell,

Yuma, AZ

Sunday 10am:

Martyn Ballestero,

South Bend, IN

Sunday 7pm:

Glen Burgess,

Chehalis, WA

Saturday Night following the service,

a Panamanian meal will be served at

Brank’s Restaurant.

Come celebrate 39 years of  ministry of

Kenneth Bow & First Pentecostal Church .

  • Recognition of visiting ministers.
  • FPC Choir,
  • Chorale
  • & Orchestra
  • will be singing and playing nightly.
  • Fellowship for all age groups.

For information about lodging please call our church office~~~ 253 862 4314.


Where truth still takes  center stage!

 

Burger King Got It Wrong! Monday, Apr 5 2010 

Biblical history and Doctrine and Motivational and Old Testament kennethbow 5:48 am

Burger King got it wrong.  They say have it your way.  The book of Judges shows me this is not the way to happiness or success!

The book of Judges opens to us one of the darkest times of man’s history.  The people of God should have been celebrating victories and conquering a new land.

Judges opens the window into the heart of mankind, and the picture is not pretty!

Seven times in the book the statement is made “Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord”, two times it says “Every man did that which is right in his own eyes”.  The result of that environment was catastrophic.  It further emphasis that there was no King in those days.  So every man was left to follow his own decisions.

This period of time lasted 450 years!  This period of time was as long as the entire duration of the monarchy.  Because there is one book of Judges, and six books of the Kings (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles), it is natural to feel like the Kings were a longer period of time.  Both of these time periods were 450 years.  Why?

God gave man 450 years to reveal what happens when man does that which is right in his own eyes.

The result of that time period is so abhorrent and tragic, we scarce can comprehend it.  The last five chapters of Judges are as bad and ugly as any period of history, any place on the Globe.  From this experiment and experience we can truly agree with God that it is not in man to direct his steps.

It might help to think of these Judges as freedom fighters.  The word Judge to us today speaks of courtrooms and juries.  These men, (and one woman), were liberators, fighters, leaders of armies!  They are renowned for their military campaigns.  The following is a list of Judges and their term of time.

Judge Enemy

  • Othniel/40 years                         Mesopotamia
  • Ehud/80 years                             Moab, Amon, Amalek
  • Deborah, Barak/40 years             Caanan
  • Gideon/40 years                          Midian
  • Abimelech/3 years
  • Toah/23 years
  • Jair/22 years
  • Jeptha/6 years                             Ammon
  • Ibzaim/7 years
  • Elon/10 years
  • Samson/20 years                          Philistines
  • Eli/40 years                                 Philistines
  • Samuel/20 years                          Philistines

By my addition there were 111 years of oppression and 339 years of peace for a total of 450 years of the reign of the Judges.  This is the same amount of time for the Kings!  There was 120 years of the United Kingdom, 200 years of a divided Kingdom with Israel and Judah side by side, and an additional 135 years of Judah.

The conclusion I get is this, God gave man 450 years of man doing what he thought was right on his own.  Then he gave man 450 years where a king ruled over his life.  Both time periods ended in abject failure.  Opening the door for the prophets and God’s voice being the law of man and earth.

The only successful government has proved to be when God himself rules over the affairs of men.

In the first 16 chapters of  Judges, it is all about God’s people being attacked from without.  The enemy is from the outside.  Then the last five chapters are the result when Israel turns upon herself and begins to carnage herself. The result is one of the most terrible times in all of history.

Before it is over Israel will have killed more of her own that any of her attackers ever did from the outside.  If fact, she will have killed more of her own that all of the outside attacks combined over the entire 450 year period!

What a statement God leaves on the pages of the Bible about what happens when we forget who our real enemy is and begin to war on our brothers.

In the last five chapters, it begins with the introduction of Idolatry into Israel with the story of Micah and his graven images.  The stage is set for idolatry and it takes a thousand years and a dispersion (Israel), and a captivity (Judah), to finally purge Israel of Idolatry!

The story moves on to the tribe of Dan.

This tribe is not satisfied with their inheritance so they look for new territory.  They journey east, then north, a total of about 144 miles to conquer Laish.  They rename the city “Dan”(hence the term from Dan to Beersheba).  This is not the inheritance God assigned to the tribe of Dan.

This story lets us see the terrible result of what happens when you are not satisfied with your inheritance!  The tribe of Dan is forever removed from the pages of the Bible.  The only mention I find is one descendant worked on Solomon’s temple.  Dan is never mentioned again, never included anymore in the list of the tribes all the way to the book of Revelation!

What more would anyone need to illustrate the danger of not being satisfied with our inheritance?

The book of Judges then moves on to the story of the concubine.

The woman was abused and finally dies.  Her master cuts her into twelve pieces and sends a piece of the evidence to each tribe.  The nation goes to war and the result is horrific.  Israel loses 65,000 men in the final chapters of Judges, all because they had a piece of the evidence.  The tribe of Benjamin is reduced to 400 men and almost obliterated.

I believe they would have been wiped out if not for a future son of Benjamin that would literally change the world, Saul of Tarsus.  God preserved the tribe for Israel’s first king, and Christianity’s first missionary.

The moral of the story is again so stark!  It is so dangerous to go to war over a piece of the evidence.

Was all lost for humanity?  Not at all.  God in his infinite wisdom was letting man work through the slow process of human government to help man self discover for himself his need of God.

All was not lost, for even in this morass, at the bulls eye center of the greatest carnage were faithful people who held on to God.  That is why Boaz steps onto the stage.  There was in the days of the Judges, Ruth 1.1

We will discuss that in the book of Ruth!

Thanks for reading today!

 

Why does the sun rise in the east? Wednesday, Mar 31 2010 

Doctrine and Motivational and Uncategorized kennethbow 7:13 am

Why does the sun rise in the east?

There is this something about the east!  The sun rises in the east.  Jesus is returning from the east.  Many if not most great philosophers are from the east.  So what is the significance of these things being from the east?

The Apostle Paul while in his early 40’s set out on his first missionary journey.  He arrived at the island of Cyprus.  There he converts Sergius Paulus, his first gentile convert, and jettisons his Hebrew name forever.  Saul of Tarsus is no more.  The Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles, steps forward to his life work.

Many have commented on the choice of Paul over other Apostles for this world task.  Why Paul?  It is my opinion it was for his philosophy.  His doctrine was the same, his heritage was the same if not better, so it seems to me it was his philosophy that tipped the scale in his favor.

Paul was able to be eclectic when he was before high-ranking Romans, or even Governors and Caesars.  It was his Hellenistic learning and background that made him the candidate to reach the population of Asia, Achaia, Macedonia, and Galatia.

I would like to be able to witness to all people about Jesus Christ.  As I have traveled this country for the last 35 years of preaching, I have seen very few Asian people in our churches.  It is a rare occurrence.

Why has the sun not risen in the east like it has in the west?

Could it be that we have not trained ourselves to reach the eastern mind set?  Do we understand how to reach out to them? The Buddhist? The Hindu? The Muslim?  How many of us strive to understand these eastern thinkers?

Are we as exclusionary as the Jews of the New Testament? Is heaven reserved just for the American, or English and Latin-speaking peoples?  I thought I read that in that celestial city there were people there from every tribe and nation.

Are the eastern people of your area being reached with this gospel?

Let me challenge you.  Have you ever read the Tao de Ching?  It is the second most read book in the history of the world!  It is the basis of all thought and doctrine for 3/5 of the world we live in.  Many of you who read this will never have heard of it.  When I have been with many pastors, and even bought it for them, they have smiled indulgently and said people here don’t read that.

How many Apostolics could effectively witness to a Buddhist?  How about a Muslim? How about a Hindu?

I do not expect this blog to start a stampede on the bookstore, but if there are any who are interested in being the most effective witness you can I am going to recommend some reading.

The “The World’s Religions” by Huston Smith is the standard textbook used on many campuses in America.  It is a distilled overview of the major religions of the world.  It at least explains the Bagadavita, (The religious book of the Hindu faith). It explains the Diamond Sutra and the Sutra of Hui Neng (Buddist books). It explains the Koran, (Muslim book).

I also recommend the  Tao de Ching.  The version I favor is by Stephen Mitchell.  There are many versions available. The Tao is a small volume that can be read in less than an hour.  The principals in it are similar to the principals in our Bible.

For many who read this blog today, this is nonsense.  I understand that, but Paul was the best-prepared man on planet earth to reach people of diverse views.  He stood toe to toe with the intellects of Greece on Mars Hill.  He could confidently say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is the power of God”.

Maybe it is time to consider why the sun has risen in the east every day for millenniums in our natural world, but has never risen in the east in the spiritual world!

Thanks for reading today.

 

There Were Giants In The Earth…Some Of Them Belonged To God! Monday, Mar 29 2010 

Biblical history and Doctrine and Motivational and Old Testament and Uncategorized kennethbow 7:23 am

Isaiah

In the eighth century BC while Homer was writing the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Lao Tse was writing the Tao de Ching, Isaiah wrote the book that bears his name.

The prophet Isaiah was a giant of Jewish history.

He is considered the Shakespeare of Hebrew literature. The New Testament quotes him more than all the other prophets added together.  No author in the Bible can match his eloquence and mastery of style and imagery.

He lived midway through the founding of the nation and it’s final destruction. He lived on the border between the Northern and Southern kingdom.  He was one of the prophets who observed first hand the fall and captivity of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

The Rabbis say that he was first cousin to King Uzziah.  Isaiah’s father, and Uzziah’s father, were brothers.  This would mean he was of royal lineage, and familiar with the palace and court life.  He certainly was the confidant and advisor to at least 5 kings.

Isaiah was not a “yes” man to these kings.  He stood against the popular tide of optimism.  His name meant “The Lord saves”.  He warned Kings repeatedly that to depend on military power or wealth or alliances or anything but God would bring disaster.

Isaiah outlived four of the kings he advised, but finally offended one King beyond the King’s tolerance. Manasseh is said to have placed Isaiah between two planks and had him sawed in half.  Thus ending the life of one of Israel’s greatest heroes.

Isaiah’s writings are about the nature of God.  It is a collection of many messages on many subjects.

His writings break down like this:

  • Chapters 1-12 warnings to Judah during their prosperous days
  • Chapters 13-23 messages to surrounding nations
  • Chapters 24-35 earth’s future and the imminent invasion of Assyria
  • Chapters 36-39 an interlude telling of crisis Judah faced
  • Chapters 40-48 prophesies 200 years into the future  (Babylon)
  • Chapters 49-55 The nation’s final deliverance through the suffering servant
  • Chapters 56-66 warnings to Judah and a view of the future

These are quick bullet references to Isaiah:

  • Began preaching before he was 20 years old
  • A contemporary of Amos and Hosea
  • Born during Uzziah’s reign
  • Called in the year Uzziah died
  • Saw the Glory of Jeroboam II (Israel)
  • Observed the fall of Israel in 721 BC
  • Influenced Hezekiah
  • Foretold the rise of Babylon
  • Killed by Manasseh
  • His book a mini Bible (66 chapter, 39,27)
  • Proclaims the coming Messiah
  • Quoted more in New Testament than all other prophets combined
  • Shakespeare of Hebrew literature
  • First cousin to Uzziah
  • Giant of Jewish history
  • Lived exactly in the middle of the founding of the nation and it’s destruction
  • His name means “the Lord saves”
  • Prophesied during 5 kings
  • Wrote same time as Iliad, Odyssey and Tao de Ching
  • Looks into the nature of God
  • He was Hezekiah’s “song in the night”

His supreme contribution was his fore telling Messiah is coming!  The nation hung onto this thread of hope until Jesus arrived.  It helped keep them through the 400 silent years of despair.  When the New Testament opens they are on point looking for Messiah.

Because he looks into the nature of God, He is our “One God” preacher! Verses like, 9.6, 7.14, 43.10-11, 44.6, 44.8, 45.15, as well as chapters 12, 35, and 53, are favorite one God passages.

When an Apostolic preacher preaches on Oneness, he invariably visits the book of Isaiah!

When Assyria threatened the nation, after conquering 200 walled cities and leading away 200,000 captives from the northern nation, it was Isaiah who stayed calm while Hezekiah panicked.  Isaiah was the song in the night with a word from the Lord.  The next morning 185,000 Assyrians lay dead, Judah was saved, and Isaiah was right!

Isaiah had heard from God and the Angel of the Lord went through the camp of Assyria and slew 185,000 men while Israel slept and never lifted a finger!

The Devil was not alone in using Giants to do great exploits!

God answered with some Giants of his own!

Of these, none stands taller than Isaiah.

Thanks for reading today!

 

Who signed the document to rebuild the temple? Friday, Mar 26 2010 

Biblical history and Biographical and Doctrine and Old Testament kennethbow 10:18 pm

Daniel

Daniel is considered a major prophet, even though his book is not that lengthy. In my notes about the Major Prophets I explain that it is more than length that determines a major prophet.

Daniel was carried away captive into Babylon in the first wave of captivity.  There were three waves of captivity.  In the first wave Nebuchadnezzar carried away the finest young men and minds of Jerusalem.  He then carried away 10,000 and placed them in a captives settlement on the River Chebar. Ezekiel was in this group.   Then the final gleaning carried all the rest into Babylon in 586 BC (2 Kings 24).

Daniel probably would have had a great career in Jerusalem, but he was never given the chance.  At 18 years old he is ripped from his prominent family and carried away into a far away country.  The Babylonians did not care about his dreams or plans.  He was a refugee to them, a captive.

The Babylonians saw his potential and trained him in their schools.  After his graduation Daniel was put to work for the King.  This same king Daniel worked for, continued to war against Daniel’s people for another 20 years.

I find no record of any family members around Daniel.  It appears he was alone except for some other young men also carried captive.

Daniel rose to the position of Prime Minister.  For an outsider to achieve this high position speaks volumes about Daniel.  He kept this position for many years, even when Kings were dethroned.  Daniel’s career at the top lasted at least 66 years.  When he was thrown into the Lion’s den he was over 80 years old. There is no finer example in the Bible about how to live and excel with people who do not serve your God or share your beliefs.

Later in His life, God gave Daniel a series of visions about the future of planet earth.  In grapic terms God showed Daniel the future. Daniel’s people would duplicate his personal experience on a world scale.  God used Daniel to show the Hebrew people what to do when the Diaspora unfolded.

The Hebrew people thought they had exclusive rights to God.  The book of Daniel shows God’s intent was to save the world, not just the Jew.

To me one of the most magnificent things the book of Daniel offers, is the proclamations by heathen kings. These proclamations brought more honor to God than anything a Jewish King had done in decades!  Daniel’s book teaches how God’s people can live caught in the jaws of brutal world politics.

Daniel continues his career at least until the 3rd year of Cyrus.  Cyrus was a despot.  When Cyrus was killed, the queen cast his head into a vat of blood and said, “Thy thirst was blood, now drink thy fill”.  Somehow this incredible man Daniel was able to navigate all these treacherous waters of politics, and remain unscathed.

The first 6 chapters of his book are stories about the life in Babylon.  The rest of his book is a series of visions about the world’s future.

An interesting note is that before the captivity is final, Daniel refers to God as “Lord of hosts”.  After the captivity happens, he refers to God as “The God of heaven”.  I wonder if he felt God had moved out of planet earth because of the captivity?

When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, he carried away 2499 vessels.  These were kept in storage until Cyrus gave the permission to return and rebuild the Temple.  Then these vessels were used in the rebuilt temple.

I am of the opinion that it was Daniel that signed the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.

That decree was issued in the first year of Cyrus, and Daniel continued at least until the third year of Cyrus.  What an honor to live your life in such a manner to be the one to attach your signature to the rebuilding of the temple.

I am also of the opinion that Daniel is the author of Psalm 119.  This great Psalm sings of the word of God.  That was all Daniel had.  Whoever wrote Psalm 119 had no temple to attend.  The author had enemies in high places, and was persecuted for his love of God.  These parameters seem to fit Daniel perfectly.  If this is true, how it must have thrilled him to be able to sign the document to rebuild the temple for all future Jews!

Daniel was forced to live for over 80 years without the house of God, but future generations would be blessed again with a temple.  His exemplary life allowed him to see this come to pass.

In addition to his long and fruitful career in foreign palaces, he also had a personal audience with the archangel Gabriel.

He also took up Jeremiah’s theme of 70 years and gave us the 70 weeks of years.

How much more magnificent could one life be?

Finally let me offer this about Daniel.

Daniel speaks about how a young person can do great things for God.  He was a contemporary of Ezekiel.  It is simply amazing to me how Daniel receives honor from his peers.  In Ezekiel 14.14, Ezekiel says though Noah, Job and Daniel stood before me, they would deliver but their own souls.  Again in chapter 28 and verse 3, Ezekiel speaks of the wisdom of Daniel.

For future generations to venerate you and speak of your greatness is not that uncommon. Here is a young man while in his prime that is seen by his peers as one of the greatest of all time.  Ezekiel looked at Daniel and placed him with Noah and Job, then used Daniel as the ultimate measure of wisdom.

Show me another example in the Bible of a young man who gathered that kind of honor while still young.  Show me another young man in the Bible who received such honor from his peers, and from God himself.

Daniel was a giant of his day and one of the truly great men of the Bible.

The shadow he casts reaches across thousands of years.

Thanks for reading today!

 

Kings, Harlots, Wars, Famine, and the Siren Song Of Victory! Thursday, Mar 25 2010 

Biblical history and Biographical and Doctrine and Old Testament kennethbow 7:46 am

Minor Prophets

All of the issues that produced the Major Prophets are the same for the coming of the Minor Prophets.  They are called “minor” for several reasons in my opinion.

First of all they are generally very brief in length.  Next, they are generally narrow in their application and audience.  For example, the Major Prophets spoke to the nations around them as well as to Israel.  Minor prophets focus on one area or nation as a rule.

Next their subject material is focused on a limited time era.  They generally are not dealing with a broad period of time.  And lastly, it is my opinion many of them played a supporting role to the Major Prophets.  Many of them were contemporaries with the Major Prophets.

They also, like the Major Prophets are diverse in background and ministry.  One thing is startlingly clear; God dealt with a world, not just Israel.  What an amazing revelation to all the Bible scholars who insist God was exclusively interested in the nation of Israel.  Some of these men of God spoke solely to Gentile nations.  There is the example of Jonah and Nahum to Nineveh, and Obadiah to Edom.

A poor analogy is, these men were short stories compared to the novels the Major Prophets wrote.  They are short, concise diatribes to very particular audiences.  They played an important role in the moment of their existence, but did not have the distilled major contribution that the Major Prophets had.

The Minor Prophets are God speaking a brief conversation with Israel, while the Major Prophets were a long involved discourse for many years.

However, do not let yourself think for even a moment they are less in importance.  To take that opinion would strip from you their magnificent contribution to God’s overall plan.  The Bible was written by Holy Men of God, and the spirit of God included each of these “minor” books for a reason that God saw need for.

The pageantry and principals in these books span from the Assyrian empire to the end of the Old Testament under the Persian Empire.

In the Hebrew writings these twelve books were one book called the book of the twelve.  There were actually twenty-one segments broken at different places without stopping at the books beginnings.

If read as one continuous book like the Hebrews do, it is quite a journey!  You will visit palaces and market places.  You will go from world capitals to country dells and villages.

You will read of Kings and harlots, siege and famine, plagues and songs of victory.  You will read of war and envy, of conquest and human endurance.

Above the din of this cacophony of human existence, you will hear the voice of a loving God, desperately in love with His people.  It is the voice of God weeping, wooing, and willing His people to return to Him.

The key to your automobile may seem small and easily replaced, but without it you aren’t going anywhere.  God saw they were needed and served a purpose, and we would be incomplete without them.

When studying one of these small brief conversations with God, I suggest you remember that the Creator saw the need for this to complete the Book of the ages.  Words from God called men, brief and pointed, that are forever settled in Heaven!

Could not all of us take encouragement from this, knowing that God included us in His master plan?

No matter how large or small our part on the grand stage of time, we are still important.

Without our part, the whole would be lacking.  While it is true that taking Obadiah out of the Bible would not have the same effect as removing Isaiah, it was God who decided Obadiah needed to be in the book that is forever settled in heaven.

It is apparent that God placed value on each man who contributed to the Bible.  What a lesson!  Will any of us refuse to do our part because it seems small and less important than that of others?

Here are my thoughts on the Minor Prophets as to who they spoke to and when:

  • Hosea, Wrote to Israel the northern kingdom, about 700 BC
  • Joel, wrote to northern kingdom about 800 BC
  • Amos, spoke to northern kingdom during Jeroboam II reign, 700 BC
  • Obadiah, spoke to Edom (Esau’s decendants), His date is very controversial
  • Jonah, spoke to Nineveh (world empire), 200 years before Nahum
  • Micah, spoke to northern kingdom, same time as Isaiah
  • Nahum, second voice to Nineveh
  • Habakkuk, spoke only to God, his book is a Theodicy, after the captivity
  • Zephaniah, spoke to the repatriated nation, after the captivity
  • Haggai, same as Zephaniah, spoke to the nation after the captivity
  • Zechariah, spoke to the nation after captivity and rebuilding of the temple
  • Malachi, spoke to the repatriates at the close of the Old Testament

One of my most helpful thoughts has been to think of about ten ministers you know.  Think of how they preach.  Think of how they approach a subject.  Think about their vocabulary, their illustrations, and their message.  That will give you a good appreciation of the Minor Prophets and their diversity.

They were  courageous men who devoted their life to delivering God’s message.  It was almost universal that their message was unwanted and unheard.  Yet, they obeyed their call and completed their message.

I look forward to the day when I can sit and talk with them and learn the rest of their story.

They were a magnificent breed indeed!

Thanks for reading today.

 

I. H. Terry and the Rose Wednesday, Mar 24 2010 

Biographical and Doctrine and Motivational kennethbow 7:31 am

My pastor was a great man!  He loved the doctrine, he loved preachers, and he loved poetry!  Brother Terry would read poetry to me when I would go to his house.  For seven years his wife was bed ridden, and I would go as often as I could to sit with him.  Most of the time it was one to two times a week.

When I got there he would reach over and take up one of the two books he used the most, we would settle in for the evening and he would read.  He had this cute look that he used, he would look up to see if you were getting the meaning.  He wanted to make sure you “caught” it.

There are many poems he would read, like “Maud Muller” by John Greenleaf Whitier.  It is an incredible story of a judge riding down a country lane who stops to get a drink of water at the hand of a young maiden.  He rides on but always remembers that moment.  Both of them go through life wondering what might have been if they had married.  It is from this poem the famous line is often quoted,

“the saddest words of tongue or pen, are simply these, it might have been”.

There were other poems he loved like “Curfew shall not ring tonight”, “The face on the barroom floor”, “The hell bound train”, “Casey at the bat” and the two sequels to “Casey”.

One poem he loved very much and used to help many people is called “Let it unfold”.  He preached about it and so have others.  The man who has made this poem most recognizable is Vaughn Morton.  Vaughn Morton has preached a classic, unforgettable message using this poem entitled “Let it unfold”.

The poem speaks about just letting life unfold the way God unfolds a rose.  Brother Terry would take people, mostly young preachers, out in his back yard and hand them a rosebud.  He would insist you unfold the rosebud.  As you tried you destroyed any chance of the rose ever reaching beauty or completeness.

Then Brother Terry wisely handed you a  rose.  Asked you to smell its fragrance, look at its beauty.  And he would quote the poem.

I remember like it was yesterday the moment I stood in his backyard with broken pieces of a rose in one hand and a beautiful red rose in the other.  With a tear in his eye, that old, wise mentor said…

It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God’s design,

But I cannot unfold the petals

with these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I,

The flower that God opens so sweetly,

Would in my hands would fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud

This flower of God’s design,

Then how can I think I have wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?

So I’ll trust in Him for His leading

Each moment of everyday

I’ll look to him for guidance

Each step of the Pilgrim way.

For the Pathway that lies before me,

My heavenly father knows:

I’ll trust him to unfold the moments,

Just as he unfolds the rose.

Thank you Brother Terry for one of my life’s greatest lessons.

Thanks for reading today!

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »