Firm Foundation

I am sitting comfortably in my den, multiple pages open before me with written news and photo spreads that are all too familiar. The earth beneath our feet is not firm and solid. We’ve been given multiple examples of this fact. This is neither new nor different.

What happens along the coast of South America has literal ripples across the Pacific basin. The greater the happening, the higher the ripples. Saturday, more news was coming through Twittered accounts, Internet phone service and social networking to news services than ever before.

Within a few hours everyone with a television or Internet connectivity had the news. That does make our information age different than before.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:6-8 KJV)

All of the above have happened before and most likely will happen again. Whether or not today is the day of our Lord’s return is not known, will not be known.

The 24th chapter has clues, sign, and confirms for us:

So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (Matthew 24:33 KJV)

But still, we will not know for certain.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Matthew 24:36 KJV)

So, what are we supposed to do about this? Many have destroyed their lives and bent God’s message in attempts to be ready. They forgot to believe God’s word.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:42-44 KJV)

Our concern should be doing God’s work NOW, simply because He has said to do so. Isaiah and Malachi wrote of the prepared way of the Lord. Matthew, Mark and Luke spoke of the man who did prepare the way. Should we do any less than Christ’s cousin John?

He is twice quoted, pointing to Christ:

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29 KJV)

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (John 1:36 KJV)

As I sit here and write this to an unknown, unnumbered audience, I do the same. And pray that these words might lead someone to do as two disciples then and billions of us later:

And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. (John 1:37 KJV)

Before His return.

A Somebody with God

“How many times have we had to reach the end of our own resources before we remembered to trust in God, the one steadfast resource of our lives? We’re all in need of a spiritual exodus day by day. When our faith causes difficulties, our first response is to fall back on our familiar resources—people, things, self—and only when these do not help can we truly lean only upon God for our needs.
“I like what Dwight l. Moody said about Moses in this connection. Moody, not a very erudite man, had an unusual insight into Scripture. He said that Moses spent forty years in the king’s palace thinking that he was somebody; then he lived forty years in the wilderness finding out that without God he was a nobody; finally he spent forty more years discovering how a nobody with God can be a somebody.
“And he was right. When Moses and the people found out they were nobodies without the resource of God, that’s when the exodus began.”
You are somebody with God. AMEN

Lord bless,
Bro. Harry Shomaker

Harvard vs Religion

My goodness! Harvard can’t cope with religion. Not my statement, it comes from a Newsweek article. Let me quote:

"But in practice, the Harvard faculty cannot cope with religion." I find this odd for a university named for a clergyman, begun as “a training ground for Christian ministers,” whose motto is Christo et Ecclesiae ("for Christ and the church") and whose seal states Veritas (truth).

The article states that Harvard knows the importance of religion. That understanding today’s world holds conflicts that are defined by deeply held religious beliefs.

“The conflicts between the Israelis and the Palestinians; between Christians, Muslims, and animists in Africa; between religious conservatives and progressives at home over abortion and gay marriage—all these relate, if indirectly, to what rival groups believe about God and scripture. Any resolution of these conflicts will have to come from people who understand how religious belief and practice influence our world: why, in particular, believers see some things as worth fighting and dying for.”

What do we believe that is worth fighting for? Worth dying for?

Some of the Harvard professors hold strong beliefs:

“Steven Pinker, the evolutionary psychologist, led the case against a religion requirement. He argued that the primary goal of a Harvard education is the pursuit of truth through rational inquiry, and that religion has no place in that.”

The pursuit of truth holds no place for religion. That is what Harvard is teaching.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV)

Christ was speaking of freeing us from the burden of sin, but the truth inevitably sets us free in so many ways.

My favorite example, Bereans, used scriptures in pursuit of truth.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11 KJV)

If I state that Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the scriptures should be searched to determine whether or not that is possible. If the possibility exists, further research should be done in pursuit of truth.

An Ethiopian did so while traveling in a chariot across a desert (Acts 8:26+). He recognized that the scripture he was reading promised a savior. God provided an explanation. I believe He will provide an explanation for everyone who seeks Him. He was speaking to Israel when He inspired:

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29 KJV)

Will we become more as Harvard is, denying, refusing to discuss beliefs strong enough to die for? Or do we not hold such beliefs? Will we grow as far from God as this university for Christian ministers?

Statue of John Harvard by Daniel Chester French 1884, in Harvard Yard, Harvard University (Wiki Commons)

followtheleader.mp3 Columbus Baptist Church (audio/mpeg Object)

follow.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

God Is Not Near-Sighted

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: II Timothy 3:16

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Psalm 12:6-7

Let me begin my first post in what has been...FOREVER...by making a very frank statement: "God is not stupid." I say this in response to the current debate about the inspiration of the KJB. Allow me to explain...

Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, God gave man His words. First He gave man his Old Testament in the language of Hebrew, along with a little Aramaic and Chaldean. Later, He gave man his New Testament. He put this portion of Scripture in Koine Greek. (Are you with me so far??? I know this is deep. Sarcasm)

Why did He choose these two languages? Is it true, as some seem to believe, that there is something mystical about these ancient languages? Did God sanctify Greek and Hebrew making them "better" than any other languages in some spooky way? Why did God choose Greek and Hebrew? Here is the answer:...Are you ready? Hang on to your kiddie chair...He gave the original MS in Greek and Hebrew because...THEY WERE THE COMMON LANGUAGES OF THE PEOPLE! There is nothing spooky or special about the Greek or Hebrew language. These languages were simply chosen to record Scripture because they were the common languages in their respective era. God gave the Hebrew people an OT they could understand. God gave the NT in Greek, the common language of the entire world at that time, so that people could understand. If at that time the common tongues were English and French, I dare say that God would not have given them a Greek and Hebrew Bible and said, "Here, you figure it out." "God is not the author of confusion" and would have simply inspired the original MS in the common language of the people as He did.

However, in the day we live not one single person on the face of this earth speaks Koine Greek. Furthermore, Hebrew is spoken by very few and those who do speak it usually have English as their first language. Do you honestly think that God didn't realize that Koine Greek would die? Did God inspire the originals and then 2,000 years later say, "Oops! What do I do now?" NO! God would have to make a provision so as to not allow His word to die along with the language. If the original NT was lost for a thousand years after it was written, and along the way Koine Greek died, what good would those copies do if they were found today when no one speaks Greek? NONE!!! The Word of God would be dead! It would be unprofitable! It would be of no use! God knew after He inspired the Word of God in Greek or Hebrew that one day those languages would die out. Something would have to be done so that God's Word would live on.

As a language dies, another takes its place. As Koine Greek died, other languages took its place. In order to keep God's Word alive and available to people God would have to do something so His Word could avoid death. This is where preservation comes in. God has promised to preserve His Word. God did NOT promise to preserve Koine Greek or OT Hebrew. As Koine Greek died, God was obligated to preserve His Word to "all generations." How did He do this? God used a simple method called Translation. What is translation? It is when something changes from one form to another to avoid death. We see this definition in the story of Enoch:

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5

Enoch was TRANSLATED, so that he wouldn't die. The Bible was translated so that it wouldn't die!!! If the Bible was exclusively in Greek and Hebrew and those languages were dead, as they basically are now, non one would be able to read the Word of God! It would be DEAD! So in oder to avoid death, God translated His Word into other languages. Here we see the very same definition of translation as I mentioned. Translation is when something is moved from one form to another to avoid DEATH. Koine Greek died. The Word of God did not. God simply TRANSLATED His Word from Koine Greek and Hebrew to other living languages to ensure that His Word would not see death! How did God preserve His word alive for you and me today? Through TRANSLATION!!! God is not near-sighted. He was not surprised when Koine Greek passed off the seen. Because God promised us His Word, He could not allow the Bible to be pulled down to the grave along with Greek and Hebrew. So...He preserved His Word in living languages like English! Isn't God awesome!!! God is never surprised! No matter how the critics assail or the foes of God cry out, His Word still stands! If the English language were to die in 1,000 years, God will simply preserve His Word in other languages for future generations. God is not bi-lingual! God is the inventor of ALL languages (Babel) and He is powerful enough to preserve His Word however He may choose. He has chosen to keep His word from ever seeing death by the simple method of translation. God's Word is ALIVE and well today thanks to translation! Thank God for an inspired Bible!

God is not stupid!

~ Zack Evans

Burned Biscuits

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.
On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"
Life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.
And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!
We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! "Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."
God Bless You..... Now, and Always.... So Please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine.!.!.!.!

Lord Bless,

Bro. Harry Shomaker

Moses and the desert..Some fun thinking...(copied)

Moses and the people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them? They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 million people requires a lot of food.

According to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day, two freight trains, each at least a mile long, would be required!
Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would have to have firewood to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day. And just think, they were forty years in transit.

And Oh yes! They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water!

And then another thing!
They had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights to get through. So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.

But then, there is another problem................each time they camped at the end of the day, a camp-ground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long........ think of it! This much space for camping.

Do you think Moses figured all this out before he left Egypt? I think not! You see, Moses believed in God. God took care of these things for him.

Now do you think God has any problem taking care of all your needs?

Columbus Baptist Church 100% surrendered.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

surrendered.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

Random Things I Consider

On Haiti: With tears of sorrow and concern, there are many good-hearted Christians that are donating money to the Haitian disaster relief effort. Hmmm, what is their motivation? Some of these same Christians will, with these same tears that are now flowing because of selfishness and regret, produce a puffed up ego when it comes to tithing and giving to the local church. Hmmm, what is their motivation?


On non-tithers: The local church would save money and resources if non-tithers stayed home...