KennethBow's Blog

It is pretty hard to look back over world history and find someone as dumb as Pharaoh!

This guy was actually leading a Nation! Pretty crazy.

While reading the sequence of pain, anguish, and disaster again I again read a verse that has troubled me all my life.

Exodus 9.16 “for this cause have I raised thee up”. I have always struggled to believe God created him just to be the stubborn idiot that brought such horror to his country. This does not fit my template of who God is!

While reading it recently and doing the “be aware and compare” I wrote about in a recent blog, I was happy to understand this better.

In place of “for this cause I raised thee up”, is also translated “for this cause I have allowed you to remain”.

It appears God simply allowed Pharaoh to remain on his throne to show His (God’s) power and deliverance to Eqypt.

There is vast difference between creating someone just to serve a wicked purpose, and simply allowing them to remain there because it serves your purpose when you could have rubbed them out long before 🙂

That mental knot was untied for me today so I decided there could possibly be someone else out there in Blog-land that has also scratched their head and thought hmmm.

Thanks for reading today.

One Response »

Bible Versions: Be aware and compare.

This is a controversial subject among all faiths and many scholars. The reasons are complex and we make decisions based on what other “scholars” write and say. This makes it difficult to come to conclusions first hand. The issue becomes who to trust and who is right?

The basis of discussion is that we have no original manuscripts (hand written copies of scripture). We only have copies from many time periods and geographical locations.

To oversimplify, there are two camps of thought and translation today. One is a very large camp of manuscripts that number around 64,000. These are everything from a small scrap of paper, to whole books, and entire copies of the Bible. These are from all over the world, and from many different centuries.

The other camp is relatively small and represents only a few manuscripts from very few locations. These are dated around 100 years earlier so are considered more authentic by “modern” scholars. This is one of the hotly contested issues.

Most manuscripts are well worn from being copied many times until they virtually wear out. These “earlier or older” manuscripts are in excellent condition. The critics say this is because they are faulty, hence they were not used but were discarded.

This smaller group is referred to as the minority text, while the larger camp of 64k manuscripts is generally referred to as the majority text.

The King James Version is translated from the majority text group from a specific group of manuscripts sometimes called the Textus Receptus, abbreviated TR.

Virtually all other modern versions since the King James Version are based on the minority text.

There are somewhere around 60,000 plus differences between the KJV and the modern versions. When there is a difference it is called a textual variant.

Some of these differences are small and hard to notice while others are glaring and disturbing. The minority text omits some verses that are traditionally important to Pentecostal people.

Here are a few examples of verses that are omitted: Mark 16.9-16 (These signs shall follow, etc), Matthew 17.21 (this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting), Acts 8.37, 1 John 5.7, et al.

Other times the verses are changed such as in 1 Timothy 3.16 where God was manifest in the flesh is changed to He was revealed in the flesh.

Many times the words Jesus or Christ or Lord are omitted in the modern translations from verses. Another example is in John chapter 8 where the woman taken in adultery calls Jesus Lord in the KJV. Minority texts usually translate Lord as Sir.

These are the issues that cause debate and emotions to ride high among Pentecostals.

I have adopted the position that The King James Version holds the preeminent place for me. I personally trust the majority text more than the minority text. I still use the KJV in church exclusively. We are simply more used to it and more familiar with it. It also provides us with a uniform Bible text for our public worship service.

Having said that, I use, and encourage, the reading of other versions. I have adopted the phrase “Be aware and compare”. Be aware there are differences and always compare against each other to get the most complete reading.

Nothing will ever take the place of the KJV in my life, but I will be aware and compare as I continue my “life walk” through the Word by reading other versions also.

God bless you, thanks for reading today.

4 Responses »

Early Morning Light

This is the 2014 Theme for First Pentecostal Church of the Puget Sound.

God is light. Light is one of the two Biblical things that state what God is. The other is love.

In the history of planet earth, there has never been a single failure for light to appear every 24 hours. God is light.

Our desire is to incorporate that light into our life each morning before we begin our day. May we begin our day each day of 2014 as receiving that light and then truly lighting our world, beaming His light into the darkness.

The busyness of our modern world has stripped us of options with our time and demands we prioritize our day. It is our desire to begin each day fresh with prayer and reading of the Bible. By making this our first priority, we will have the fresh light of creation from God to shine into the morass of a world spiraling downward to endless darkness.

Our world is in need of His light more today than ever before!

We offer a reading plan for each month. It is not a daily reading plan, but rather a monthly plan. This allows for the time of daily consecration to be fluid for prayer and Bible reading. There will possibly be moments prayer will need more of your devotion time. Other days, time in the Word may be preeminent. Also this allows for Sunday reflection and catchup if needed.

We recommend a physical Bible of your choice and translation. We also recommend a study Bible with notes. It is our desire you hold the book, underline verses, write in the margin, and share insights, questions, and inspiration with others.

In this regard using the same Study Bible has great value. Using a Bible a friend or family member also uses allows discussion on the notes and helps. Reading an electronic Bible is fine in a pinch, but the goal here is involvement with the text, making comments and notations. Most of all absorbing and meditating on the Word!

This year I will use The everyday Life Bible (Amplified Version) by Joyce Meyer. I also follow in the KJV to note the difference in words and passages. I invite anyone who would like to, please read along and comment as you read. The more the merrier 🙂

Here is the reading schedule for 2014:

2014 Bible Reading

January Genesis 1 – Leviticus 19
February Leviticus 20 – Joshua 13
March Joshua 14 – 1Kings 13
April 1 Kings 14 – Ezra 8
May Ezra 9 – Psalm 90
June Psalm 91 – Isaiah 30
July Isaiah 31 – Ezekiel 17
August Ezekiel 18 – Zechariah 10
September Zechariah 11 – Luke 11
October Luke 12 – Romans 9
November Romans 10 – 1 Timothy 6
December 2 Timothy 1 – Revelation 22

May you find strength and inspiration in Early Morning Light!

One Response »

Grown up promises.

I suppose all of us feel like we are given promises from the Lord. Some promises are verbally spoken to us. Other times we simply feel the inner assurance of a promise. We latch onto these promises and cling to them with many emotions. Sometimes we hold on for dear life. Sometimes with patience. Sometimes with fragile hope.

As time goes by some of our promises die and we bury them unfulfilled, and maybe prematurely. May I encourage you to hold on to your promises until your promise grows up. Let me illustrate from the Bible.

Abram was 75 when we first meet him. He is a heathen. He lives in a land of idolatry. For reasons unknown to us, God singles him out and calls him. God instructs him to leave his familiar surroundings and everyone he knows and go to a land of promise.

His promise is born. His promise is a bit sketchy. It is undefined. It is hazy. It is a bit unnerving. But he responds and embraces his promise. He goes.

Farewell to all he has know for 75 years. Goodbyes to the family and the sneers of the doubters. He takes his family and father. He responds with partial obedience. He left Father’s house but he took father with him. So God waits patiently until father dies and then resumes the growth of the promise.

The next 100 years is most likely the most amazing 100 years in the history of our world. Abraham is now on the stage of our world for 100 years. During this 100 years he becomes father to three world religions. The Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. To this day he impacts over half the people on planet earth. Can anyone of us name any 100 year period that affects half the population of our world?

That is why we have to let our promise grow up! With a half born, half grown promise Abraham journeys on to the land God promised him. God says wherever your footprints land are the boundaries. It is a cloudy, uncertain, undefined, hazy promise. Exactly where is the boundary of my promise. Be patient Abraham, for our promises must grow up.

Events transpire and things happen. There are stretches of peace and accumulating wealth. There are times of conflict and war. There are moments and days and weeks of uncertainty. He meets Melchizedek, he fights wars, he separates from Lot, all with his promise still not grown up.

And then there finally comes a moment when his promise is grown! God says offer some animals three years old, and a couple of birds. While this man with only a half born promise and a thousand whys watches, God walks down the middle of the sacrifice and says this is the boundary of your promise! It starts at this river and goes north to such and such a place.

After years of waiting and a whole lot of living, the promise spoken years ago and miles away is finally all grown up!

May I encourage you today to hold on to your promise and just let it grow.

He that has promised is faithful!

Thanks for reading today.

4 Responses »

According to Jewish tradition, Abraham was born under the name Abram in the city of Ur in Babylonia. He was the son of Terach, an idol merchant, but from his early childhood, he questioned the faith of his father and sought the truth.

He came to believe that the entire universe was the work of a single Creator, and he began to teach this belief to others.

Abram tried to convince his father, Terach, of the folly of idol worship. One day, when Abram was left alone to mind the store, he took a hammer and smashed all of the idols except the largest one. He placed the hammer in the hand of the largest idol.

When his father returned and asked what happened, Abram said, “The idols got into a fight, and the big one smashed all the other ones.” His father said, “Don’t be ridiculous. These idols have no life or power. They can’t do anything.”

Abram replied, “Then why do you worship them?”

What or who holds the hammer in your life? What or who do you give adoration to?

Just wondering at this time of year what Apostolic people might allow to hold the hammer in their life?

Thanks for reading.

5 Responses »

Titus

Titus was a pagan Paul led to Christ.

He became one of Paul’s most trusted co-workers. Paul calls him brother, partner( 2 Cor 8.23), and fellow helper. Paul sent him to Corinth ( 2Cor 8.6) and to Dalmatia ( 2 Tim 4.10)

The book to Titus is about Crete. Crete was not an easy place. The people were duplicitous, wild and sensual. Cretans were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Maybe they took the gospel back to their island?

Titus is not mentioned in Acts. He is mentioned in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 2 Timothy, and of course Titus.

He first appears in Scripture as Paul’s companion in Antioch before the council of Jerusalem. Paul took him to that conference because he was a gentile, as a test case. Would he be accepted into fellowship without conditions?

He is sent to Crete or asked to remain there to deal with the problems of the church there. He had served well as Paul’s emissary to Corinth and dealt with the issues there. That experience possibly served him well on how to come to grips with the Cretians.

Titus appears loyal, wise, brave and capable, and most of all thick skinned.

He is usually compared to Timothy. Both were young and gifted protégés of Paul. Both were trusted with delicate missions at times.

There are differences between them. Timothy was half Jewish, Titus was full blooded gentile. Paul circumcises Timothy to increase his usefulness among the Jewish population. Paul then uses Titus as a gentile to face down the Jerusalem prejudice against Gentiles.

It seems to me Paul was released from prison for a while because he desires Titus to meet him at Nicopolis (Tit 3.12). Somehow maybe Paul visited Crete? He has a definite opinion of the character of Cretians.

Paul tells Titus to organize the churches there. In writing to Titus Paul lets him know that he wants Titus to come to Nicopolis. Paul tells Titus that either Artemas or Tychicus will replace him.

The book of Titus has 44 words that do not appear anywhere else in the New Testament.

Today I submit for your thoughts The Two Tituses.

Vespasian, the Roman general, and founder of the Flavian dynasty, had a son named Titus. Vespasian became Emperor, and his son Titus also became famous as a general. Titus concluded the siege of Jerusalem that was begun by Vespasian. Titus’ soldiers burned Jerusalem to the ground. Jerusalem in 70 AD was humbled for 2000 years by Titus the Roman General.

In AD 79 Titus became Emperor of the Roman Empire. The next year he dedicated the coliseum where many many Christians would eventually die.

Earth had it’s Titus!

The Titus we know belonged to another world. This Titus is revealed in the Book of the ages! He traveled with the great Apostle to the Gentiles. He was known to the Christians of the first century. We know him as the pastor of the church at Crete.

Many today would prefer the wealth, prestige, and legacy of being an Emperor of the Roman Empire. We in the church know that is but temporal and passing.

The Titus we honor and seek to emulate made it into the roll call of Heaven. Today around the world people will read of Him in their daily Bible reading. Every succeeding generation of people know of Titus the Christian Pastor.

When you compare the sheer number of people who know of Titus the Christian pastor verses Titus the Roman Emperor, it shouts what really matters. Millions and millions through the centuries and millenniums have read and admired Titus the Christian Pastor.

Those who read and know of Titus the Roman Emperor, learn of him in a history class mandated by their curriculum, and soon forget him.

Can this simple example speak to someone today to seek the eternal not the temporal? Earthly fame erodes with time, while heavenly fame endures eternity!

Personally I have no desire to meet Titus the Roman Emperor. But I smile at the thought of one day meeting in person, Titus the Christian pastor, companion of Paul, contemporary of Timothy, survivor of Jewish bigotry, and early church hero!

How about you? Which Titus do you admire?

Picture yourself standing at the great judgment seat of Christ. Which Titus do you want to be?

Titus the Christian pastor will no doubt hear the glorious refrain, ” We’ll done, Enter thou into the joy of The Lord”

And Titus the Roman Emperor? Anyone willing to change places with Him at that moment?

Thanks for reading today.

6 Responses »

When The Apostle Paul took down the temple of Diana!

In Acts chapter 19, Demetrius the silversmith opposed the Apostle Paul and caused an uproar over the worship of Diana. It was the beginning of the end of the most magnificent religious edifice in the world.

Let me explain.

The city of Ephesus where the great apostle spent several years on his third missionary journey was the scene of this monumental collapse of Phrygian worship. Sometimes in a brief reading of this chapter packed full of information and events, it is overlooked how important this moment was.

Ephesus was one of the early Greek colonies, later the capital of Ionia, and in Paul’s day it was the largest and busiest city of proconsular Asia.

All the roads in Asia minor centered in Ephesus and from it’s central location it was a meeting place of eastern and western thought. In fact it rivaled Alexandria as the most important city of ideas and logic.

The religion of Ephesus was oriental. It’s goddess was Artemis, also called Diana. This goddess represented the old Phrygian nature worship. She was a many-breasted figure, carved with animals, flowers and fruit.

The temple built to this goddess was built by Alexander the Great and was the most magnificent religious edifice in the world It was kept by priests and priestesses who rented out vast estates of land.

For literally hundreds of years Ephesus was a center of pilgrimage, and people came from all of Asia to visit this shrine! Paul was about to put an end to this forever!

The blow that brought it down was administered by a small, stoop shouldered, bald man in his early fifties. His name was Paul the Apostle!

Acts chapter 19 relates the incident. Paul had made Ephesus his headquarters for the third missionary journey. During this time the story is told of the beginning of a decline that brought the temple down. The temple never recovered. Christianity triumphed!

Sometimes your adversary can speak your exploits most nobly. Such was Demetrius’ speech of Paul’s work. He relates how Paul has affected all of Asia Minor and has done so for years. Demetrius saw the fall of his personal empire for he made silver shrines for the temple.

He gathers the like minded workers and inflames them into riot mode telling them Diana will be despised and “Her magnificence should be destroyed”! This temple was the worship of all Asia and the world (Demetrius words).

He called it right for that is exactly what happened.

The riot erupts and for two hours they scream “Great is Diana of the Ephesians”. The whole city is filled with confusion. Paul’s friends are drug into the theatre. Finally the town clerk calms the crowd and reason prevails.

So what was the result? Fifty years later, the most magnificent religious edifice in the world was deserted, the worship neglected, and the sacrificial victims were unsold. (Writings of Pliny). Paul’s religion, Christianity, would go on to convert ten percent of the Roman Empire!

Paul did more than start churches. He tore down centuries old false religions! He changed Asia minor forever by taking down it’s religious stronghold!

One Response »