KennethBow's Blog

This is an article I read, written by a good friend and wonderful man of God, James Groce.

I believe everyone will benefit by looking inside and evaluating our conscience

Happy reading….

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,

giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”

1Ti 4:1-2 

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Far too many people have an unconscious conscience. Most people seem to think that their conscience is a stable product of the spirit of man. They feel that it needs no education or instruction. We are seeing a generation today that has lost the ability to blush. The reality is, our conscience might have become useless because we have abused it or ignored it. Titus 1:15, “Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are defiled.”

Whether some like it or not — the basic form of man’s conscience is in dire need of spiritual education — while most have the basic feelings of right and wrong to a degree — their conscience needs to go to school to learn how to perform even better — hence the work of the Word must take place.

There appears to be many so-called church people that have an unconscious conscience — it is far inferior to what God designed for the Christian. The world and the mature Christian serve two very different consciences. We need more conscience education in church than ever before……..

A good conscience is enlightening because it is taught and by the Word of God. It is like a window that lets light into a room. The more light that enters, the better we can see areas that need to be cleaned up or changed. The more knowledge we have about God, the better our conscience will work. Knowledge and Conscience work together. The reason that some people consciences do not bother them is because they haven’t the knowledge to enlighten their consciences.

In this present age of “self-guidance” we see a deterioration of God’s way of salvation. And nowhere does it show itself more sadly than in the removal of God’s choice of “the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” I heard one very dim bulb say that “How shall they hear without a preacher,” meant NOT some MAN-MINISTRY but it could be “any thing” that would “preach” to man — and along with conscience “that is all that is needed — there is no need of Bible preaching or of a collective church gathering.” Amazingly this mentality seems to be the norm among many people today….. take a look about…..

Today’s over-fleshly crowd has made naming sin politically incorrect. They use “sexual preference” or “alternative lifestyle” to refer to what God calls vile affections, “sexually active” for fornication, “chemical dependency” for drunkenness. We no longer lie; we “embellish or stretch the truth.” Children are no longer unruly or disobedient; they have either “Oppositional Defiant Disorder Syndrome” or “Antisocial Personality Disorder Syndrome.” Today they wish to spell sin “syn”. And live with a conscience that is unconscious and out for the count!

With all the flim-flam prevalent among Pentecostal ranks these days it would do us well to remember one of the major functions of the Spirit is: John 16:8 “When He has come, He will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment.”

What seems to make a lot of people angry today is what Paul rejoiced over:

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.”

Without conscience there is no conviction (one of the reasons we are seeing so many “conviction-less” revivals (so-called). Conviction is an awareness of our sinfulness, of God’s righteousness and the great gulf that spans between the two.

Conviction cries out as those who listening to Peter on the day of Pentecost were pierced through to the heart with conviction, “What shall we do?” implying an apprehension of one’s peril and a sense of guilt but also a readiness to yield completely to the claims of God. To which Peter’s reply is found in Acts 2:38. Today instead of “What shall we do” we are hearing “Where’s the entertainment?”

The world says, “let your conscience be your guide.” But that’s not always a good idea. You can’t always do that because conscience doesn’t set the standard of right and wrong, it only applies the standards that you’ve been taught. Conscience is like a thermostat — it can be set to operate at many different levels.

Conscience is like a sundial–you can shine a flashlight on a sundial and make it say anything you want, if you hold it from the right angle. I’ve actually heard people with sin issues when confronted–only to hear back from them that they don’t feel it’s wrong. “I’m ok with it–I don’t believe it’s sin,” they are saying. Well, truth isn’t based on feeling it’s based on fact. Their conscience is still there, it’s just been defiled!

Conscience is like a window, and the light coming thru the window is the Word of God. The dirtier the window, the less light gets thru–it isn’t as pure–it blocks the light.

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Rom 2:15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;

This is the “given” in every man at the beginning. Its objective is to eventually allow man to pay recognition to a higher authority than themselves and to allow the gospel of repentance to work in their lives when the gospel is preached. It is the basis of morality among men — but has its limits in its basic condition — it must be lead to higher heights and deeper depths by regeneration and instruction in righteousness via the Word of God as schooled by the Spirit of God.

Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

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Yesterday in Alabama a wonderful happened that I wanted to share with you.

Pastor Chris Teeples told me of this sign/miracle this morning.

They have had a man with Jewish heritage visit their church once a month while he travels.

This man has come several times.

This gentleman says that he is of the linage of the tribe of Levi.

Yesterday he visited, and while the church was praying, this man began to hear someone in Alabama speak rapid, fluent Japanese.

He was startled because he is fluent in Japanese along with some other languages as well.

This Jewish man has attended several times and Pastor Teeples has taught that Jesus is the true messiah and that Jesus is God!

So here is the picture…This Jewish man, well traveled, visits a country church in rural Alabama, and there the great God of heaven speaks to him in a way that he cannot deny.

He hears in very rapid, fluent Japanese, “Turn to the right path and get in the center of the path.  This is the light”.

He was amazed and thought for sure they were trying to trick him.

The problem is no one in that church speaks Japanese.  They were speaking in tongues!

So for all those who think signs and wonders were only for those in the Bible days,  here is a modern day, current, sign and wonder!

Thanks for reading today!

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My studies of the Bible

About ten years ago I tried something new. For over twenty years I read the Bible through each year cover to cover. It was my goal, I felt I needed to do that. I still believe in that.

That year many years ago I decided to try and just truly understand one book.. I sought to know the author, the structure, the content, it’s relativity. I began with the book of John as it was and still is my favorite book in the Bible for a number of reasons.

So I spent the entire year just on John, nothing else. That year changed my life. For the first time I felt like I was understanding not just the words on a page, but the complete picture. I felt like I saw for the first time the purpose of that book in the holy scriptures. I was hooked! Thus began a journey I am still on today!

Next I went to Matthew and spent a year and a half. Then Luke, two and a half years of my life, very difficult for me. I moved to Mark for a year. I have continued to focus on the Bible and it’s books. Acts ( Paul’s journeys), Genesis, Job, then I went to the Prophets. Then the 400 silent years, and the Hasmoneans and Herods.

Currently I am trying very hard to understand the Kings.

There are 42 of them and one queen. I have sought to know these men. Who were their contemporaries, their enemies, the times they lived. It is hard for me and slow work but rewarding at the same time.

Especially hard because their years are denoted differently. Judah reckons her years beginning in the fall and Israel reckons her years beginning in the spring, so you have to go slow, make charts and timelines. At least I have to do that.

I have also attempted to do character studies. David of course, but also Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Josiah. I have tried to weave their lives into the complete picture.

Only the mind of God could write a book so inter-connected.

Can I tell you today that the Bible is the most fascinating book in the world! Please stop reading it out of duty and guilt and obligation and discover it’s tapestry and grandeur.

It will take you to remote places and introduce you to some of the greatest individuals in history. You will go to lonely Petra and busy Jerusalem. You will walk the capitals of the ancient world, and meet the giants of history. You will experience the pantheon of human emotions. You will laugh and cry and grow angry.

You will walk the market place, see idol shrines, observe the most tragic decisions of moronic men, and experience the most intense, sublime moments of your life.

You will hear the thunder of a prophet’s angry voice as he condemns kings, and then hear the love song of lovers as they speak of each other.

You will see hundreds of thousands led into slavery, and then see 42,000 return to the land they had violently been driven from 70 years before.

You will read with bated breath as the suspense unfolds and God steps on the scene at the last second to do the unthinkable. All that, in the book called the Bible. It is waiting for you to pick it up, spend time, meditate, explore, laugh, weep, grind your teeth in frustration, and get better acquainted with your God.

Please do yourself a favor and spend time with it.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Ten Commandments

400 years of slavery had ended with the glorious exodus and the crossing of the

red sea.  Now the challenge was a new fledging nation with an inexperienced

leader contending with a crowd of several million unhappy people.

In a wilderness like desert, without water or food, Moses had to lead several

million people to the Promised Land.  The task was enormous.  God provided Moses

with his greatest need, the need of government for this rabble.  Moses left to

go up the mountain for 40 days, and when he returned, he had in his hand the

foundation for every western civilization from that moment forward.

Every nation in western civilization has based their government on the Ten

Commandments.  It is the basis of the law for all people in the west for the

last 3500 years.

How much has the Ten Commandments influenced western civilization?  It is, and

has been, the bedrock of every single government, whether monarchy, democracy,

or theocracy.

The Ten Commandments represent the two great relationships in man’s world.

First, they represent the relationship man has toward God.  This is in

commandments 1-4.  Secondly, they represent man’s relationship toward his fellow

man.  This would be in commandments 5-10.

The first four commandments are about man toward God.  Thou shalt have no other

Gods, not take His name in vain, not make a graven image, and keep the Sabbath.

These are about how man is to interact toward his God.

The second six commandments are all about how to exist with our fellow man.

Thou shalt not steal, kill, commit adultery, lie, bear false witness, or covet.

Each of these commandments helps us survive with others and provide the concept

of personal ownership.

This second division is the basis for virtually every law on the books in the

United States.

Jesus himself provided this division for us.  When challenged by the Pharisees,

which was the first and greatest commandment, Jesus gave this reply.  He told

them that the first and greatest was hear O Israel the Lord our God is one.  He

then said the second is like unto it; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

To love God and to love our fellow man is the basis for the Ten Commandments.

It provides the foundation for all man’s relationships.

The Devil knows how important these Ten Commandments are, so he is trying

desperately to remove them from American society at any cost.

Our founding fathers knew their value, so they etched them in stone on the

Supreme Court building in our nation’s capital.

May the church ever be vigilant to defend the Ten Commandments!  When these Ten

Commandments perish, the foundation of America will erode and all will be lost.

God help us to love and protect the Ten Commandments.

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This is no joke, it is the truth.  I am getting married….finally!

Politicians and sports stars like Shaq are using social media to announce their future plans, so I thought I would announce my marriage on the

same stage of social media.  So this will be on facebook and twitter and you have my permission to pass on the word that I am getting married!

I think it will be the biggest event of my life.

The guest list is enormous. I want to invite all my friends to come and celebrate this great day with me.

I am not sure of the date so this is just a heads up to keep your calendar clear.

Something about that bride all in white makes me smile with excitement and anticipation.

Here are the details so far…..

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

and….

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

 ⁷Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

 ⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

 ⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. 

All my loved ones and friends are invited to attend…What a day that will be!!

RSVP by visiting Acts 2.38.com and completing the simple plan.

Thanks for reading today!

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I recently began to read some of the information the Devil is preaching on our High School and College campus’s.  It is information designed to misguide and destroy the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This heresy I am describing is called Zeitgeist, the spirit of the age.

More importantly it is blatant lies!

These liars, these new agers, these voices of hell, these prophets of Mithraism, are declaring that Jesus Christ is a re-cyclyed type of other saviors.

They have produced a movie and posted it on youtube and this blasphemous movie has had over two million views.

The prohets of Zeitgeist lie when they declare Jesus is the same as Horus the sun God, Ishtar, Mithra, and other man made dieties.

• They lie when they say all of these “saviors” were born on December 25.
• They lie when they say they all had 12 followers.
• They lie when they say all of these saviors were born of a virgin.
• They lie when they say all these saviors were resurrected.
• They lie when they say all these saviors were baptized.
• They lie when they say the three Kings were just stars in the sky.

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We have all done it.. We have asked the question, how much does that cost?

My dad worked at a Mercedes dealership years ago and he would always tell buyers “if you have to ask how much that car costs, then you probably cannot afford it”.

We see cars, houses, clothes, our hobby interests, and garage sales, and ask the simple question, how much does that cost?

I am reading the book ONWARD by Howard Schultz.  It is about the rebirth of Starbucks.  It discusses the return to the values that the company was founded on.

If I am reading it right, one of the downward turns of the business came when the CEO began to look only at profit and stock dividends.  When the bottom line is just how much profit we made, and the core values were left behind.

I am struck by the thought concerning churches.  Today there seems to be a premium placed on attendance alone,  The number of attendees outweighs all the rest.  Revival is seen as a must and whatever has to be re-evaluated and surrendered is the cost of revival.

Starbucks learned you can make a profit and still be headed downhill.  Can I say to some churches you may be bigger, but do you still have the core values that makes us Apostolic?

How much are you paying for that revival?

If 100 Starbucks stores make a profit of 1 million, then they open another 100 stores and make 1.2 million, did they make a profit?  Yes and no.  Yes in total dollars, but no in they are losing profit at average stores.

I want to pastor a good church and I do.  I want to increase my membership.  However, I do not want to lose or surrender the core values that have made us who we are to have that result.  That kind of revival would cost too much for me.  I just could not afford that.

In 2008 Starbucks closed every store for three hours, and taught every barista how to make an espresso again.  They went back to the foundation of the company.  It cost them 6 million dollars and much negative press.  But the result was a jump start to making the company what it once was.  They went on to record their best year ever in every evaluation.

How much does that revival cost?  One thing I know for sure, when the revival is over I do not want to have sold off our core values to please wall street.  I am only concerned with pleasing one.  I want to hear Him say “well done thou good and faithful servant”.

If the CEO of this thing called the church wrote to today’s churches like He did in the book of Revelation, I want him to give First Pentecostal Church a good report!

I refuse to pay too much for that revival!

Thanks for reading today!

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I was given the book “Onward” by a friend and have been enjoying reading it.  It is the story of the resurgence of Starbucks.

The book details how the company was in decline in 2007, and that is when Howard Schultz again assumed the daily oversight.  Schultz had retire from CEO in 2000, and in 2007 the company found itself in dire straits.

If this was an unusual story or even a one in a hundred situation, I might not pause to reflect.  It is not unusual, and actually is more typical.

I personally think leaders are not appreciated by many until they leave and then people see what they had.  Good leaders make it look easy.  When they are in the leadership position it appears that anyone could achieve the same results.  Let’s explore this a bit.

I would submit a couple of business examples, and then some from the Bible.

First, Apple Inc.  I am a devoted Apple user.  I like their stuff.  I began using their stuff way back in the 1980’s.  My first computer was an Apple IIc.  I moved on to the Macintosh.  The CEO of Apple was Steve Jobs back then.  Several years ago Mr Jobs stepped down due to a battle with cancer.  The next few years saw a decline and near crash of Apple.  When Steve Jobs returned, we saw the introduction of the new gadget iPod.  Then there was the new generation of macs.  Along came the iPhone.  Then there came the iPad.  All of this under the leadership of Steve Jobs.  It is an amazing illustration of how much valuable one man is to the direction and success of a business.

The second illustration of the importance of a leader is Starbucks.  Howard Shultz joined Starbucks in 1982 and rose to the position of ceo. (Starbucks does not capitalize their titles 🙂 ) In 2000 he stepped away from the daily business and concentrated on global strategies. By 2007 the company was in trouble.  Many factors were the cause.  The story of their rebirth and resurgence as a company is well documented.  No one doubts it is the leadership of Shultz that made the difference.

Are these two stories an anomaly?  I say no!  I say any business, any church, and organization is ultimately the product of leadership.  The small decisions based on life philosophy that ultimately flow into a river of success or failure.

Let me show an example from the Bible.  I submit Samuel as an example of this principle.  Israel had war with the Philistines for many years before he became the Prophet of his day.  We are informed in the Bible throughout his life the Philistines were completely subdued.  There were no wars or skirmishes.  As soon as he died, Israel was back on the battlefield again against the Philistines.  It was the leadership of this man that made the difference!

When you look at your local church, it is easy to not appreciate the leadership your pastor provides.  It is easy to think well it would be the same is someone else was doing the job.

Good pastors make it look easy.  Church splits are avoided.  Church factions are kept broken up and scattered.  Quarrels are kept to a minimum and out of the mainstream of the church.  Small problems are solved before they become large.  It all seems so easy until he is no longer there, the the Philistines re-appear, and the long forgotten wars begin again.

Is there a Samuel in your life?  Take time to appreciate Him.  Take the time to say nice things and show support.  Leaders live lonely lives.  They struggle with decisions.  They wrestle with issues.  They make hard things look easy.

Thanks for reading today!

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We have all been there.  Two people.  Both swearing they are telling the truth.  No way they are both telling it right.  Someone is lying!

How do you know?

Ziba said Mephibosheth hopes you get what is coming to you David for taking the Kingdom from my father.  David responds on the fly, ok, all his lands now belong to you Ziba.

Later, after Absalom’s demise, the crippled Mephibosheth says Ziba lied on him.  He says I asked Ziba to saddle my donkey so I could go with you David. (2 Samuel 19.24).

Again David answers immediately.  Ok, you two divide the land between you.

Seems unfair somewhere to me.  Either way a liar gets half the land.  Someone made out like a bandit.

Either Ziba told the truth and then lost half the land because Mephibosheth lied, or Mephibosheth lost half his lands because Ziba lied.

Life just ain’t fair folks!

And to top it off, the Holy Spirit just leaves it there forever.  Just hanging there for us to scratch our heads and wonder.  We still do not know who was lying!

Ever scratch your head and wonder?  Ever walk away and say man I just do not know?

Sometimes it seems like liars win.

Revelation 21.8 has something to say about this.  Check it out.

Thanks for reading today!

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In the Book of Revelation we are informed that the false religion, Babylon, rests upon seven hills.

It seems to me that false religion always imitates true religion.  If this premise is true, then true religion would also rest upon seven hills or mountains.

I am aware this is a premise, but I would like to suggest the seven mountains of true religion.

I see first of all the verse in Psalms that says I will look unto the hills from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord.

At a quick glance many things happened on a mountain in the scriptures.

Jesus was tempted on a mountain, taught on a mountain, prayed on a mountain, was crucified on a mountain, and ascended back to heaven on a mountain.

These are the seven mountains I postulate that true religion sits upon.

1. The mountain of sacrifice, Mt Moriah.  It was here that Abraham offered his only son in type of God offering His only son.  None of us will traverse this journey of life and end up saved without climbing this mountain at some point.  Sacrifice is paramount to true religion!

2. The mountain of learning, Mt Sinai.  On this lonely crag, God handed Moses the Law.  These instructions allow man to have fellowship with God.  We must climb this mountain of learning to be in fellowship with the Eternal One!  We must learn how to be disciples.

3.The mountain of decision, Mt Carmel. There has to be a supreme moment in our lives when we make the decision who God is.  On Carmel the Israelites were brought to the moment of decision.  Each of us must climb this mountain and make the ultimate decision about eternity.

4. The mountain of worship, Mt Zion.  David scaled and conquored this mountain and established it forever as the symbol of God centered praise and worship.  To refuse to climb this mountain is to refuse to acknowledge God’s rightful position in our life.

5. The mountain of dicipleship, Mt of Beatitudes.  All decisions and actions are wasted if we do not channel them into becoming a disciple.  To abort this climb makes you just a church goer, a church member, but not a disciple.  To fail to make this climb forces you to join the throng who will hear the words, “depart from me, I never knew you”.  While stunned voices wail, but I prophiesed in your name, I cast out devils in your name, only true disciples will enter into the celestial city.

6. The mountain of revelation, Mt Horeb. The tallest, hardest climb brings the greatest joy! On Horeb’s lonely summit, Jesus revealed who He was to the stunned apostles!  Now they understood what it meant….”Except you deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me you cannot be my disciple”. On a mountain with three summits, Jesus stands alone!

7. The mountain of salvation, Mt Calvary.  Each of us must climb our mountain of salvation.  Yes it is for whosoever will, but the choice always rests upon the individual act.  Thank God for His provision for our salvation!

What do you say?  Let’s go mountain climbing!

Thanks for reading today.

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