Posted in Life Inspiration

The evolving of arrogance into stupidity

Written by talk2shari Published October 13, 2015 Discussion Leave a Comment

Why does the scientific world continue to shock me with their ignorance? Not all of them, just the ones who say “stupid stuff.” I know that I’m not the brightest crayon in the box… I’ve never professed that to be the case. But I do know that God is real, the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all that is; a fact that doesn’t take a scientific mind to conclude but rather takes the arrogance and self-importance of a mind to deny. This point was proven in an article published yesterday on evolutionnews.org with the following statement.

“Although we think that scientific evidence does not support neo-Darwinism, quality science education necessitates teaching students the strengths and weaknesses of evolution. As a result, Discovery Institute would never support removing evolution from the curriculum.”

This statement was prompted by the news that an Indian newspaper, the Deccan Herald, reported that India’s southwestern state of Karnataka was calling for the removal of evolution from school textbooks:

Branding Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution as unscientific, the Karnataka Unaided Schools Management Association (Kusma) is in the works to move the Union and State governments to remove it from school textbooks.

“Very shortly, the administrators and I will be calling a press conference to address the need to shelve Darwin’s theory of evolution from our school text books. We will be requesting both the Union and State Governments to make necessary changes to our textbooks,” said K V Dhananjay, legal counsel, Kusma.

So let me get this straight… It’s better to teach children a lie as a theory, than admit that you were wrong.

You really should read the entire article for yourself. My quoting of parts and pieces leaves much of their story out. Like the fact that they said

“Although we think the evidence points to design, and it is fine if non-public schools want to discuss it, evolution is a widely held and historically significant theory. It is a matter of basic scientific literacy for students to understand the full range of scientific views on evolutionary theory.”

Is this not the equivalency of saying… “We know that an apple comes from an apple tree, but if a child wants to look at the possibility it began as an oak, we think that’s good science.”

A quote and fact worthy of repeating and believing:

Genesis 1

In the beginning God created…

Aforementioned article: http://www.evolutionnews.org/2015/10/the_evolution_c100031.html

Posted in Life Inspiration

No Monkeys at Camp!

Written by talk2shari Published July 21, 2014July 28, 2014 Discussion Leave a Comment

I really don’t know at what point in my life I was introduced to the gospel. I was brought up in church from birth, and yet didn’t come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ until the age of 34.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Are those verses not amazing? Theologian Francis Junius told of how as a youth he was “infected with loose notions in religion,” as he puts it. But by the grace of God discovered faith in Christ by “accidently” reading John 1:1-5 which his father had purposefully laid in his way. Loose notions of religion… how appropriately does that describe our world today? Because of the light hand taken with the gospel at many of the churches I grew up in, the light of God did not penetrate my soul and I too had loose notions of religion. Oh, I believed in Christ (as does Satan), but I had no real comprehension of Who it was that Christ was. I believed that God created the universe, but what about those monkey’s people told me about in school? I didn’t really believe it, but it cast enough doubt into my mind that I was confused as to the creation of mankind, after all learned people were telling me these atrocities. Adults wouldn’t lie, right? My idealistic world of two Ozzie and Harriett parents didn’t prepare me for secular teaching and liberal preaching did solidify anything in my mind about Jesus Christ.

Tears well up in my eyes when I think of what children today are being exposed to. At least, Hallelujah and praise His Holy Name, I had a decent foundation. I had good parents. But the world is harsh.

When God gives that final exam in Heaven… “What did you do in your life for me?” There are going to be some educators who are going to stand before Almighty God and give an account for why they preached a monkey religion and cast confusion in the minds of children. “But it was a State Mandate! They’ll cry…” And God’s response… I don’t know. That’s for God to deicide, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be good.

That was a station break, now back to my sin. From the creation God was. Christ was. From 1962 Shari was (in human form anyway). And even as a child, in the pit of my soul I knew there was a Creator. God revealed that to me, but I was in darkness and I comprehended it not. I didn’t understand until I heard the Word of God preached in 1996 and it was literally as if God flipped a switch in my soul and I said, “Oh Jesus! Thank You for causing the darkness to flee, I’ve been scared and alone for 34 years.”

This morning I woke up in teen camp 2014. I fear that the switch has not been turned on in all of my campers, I’m pretty sure of it. They won’t get any monkey religion from me or any other leader of Victory Baptist Church this week; they’ll get the gospel. Please pray for our youth and our leaders. I hope to have some awesome stories of salvation this week!

Posted in Christian Service, Church attendance, Leadership, Life Inspiration

The Blossom Gang

Written by talk2shari Published January 10, 2014 Discussion Leave a Comment

I love beginnings! And I “mostly” only like endings because I know once something is completed, something new is beginning. It’s the part in the middle that I have issues with. Genesis 1:11 ~ And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

And so it was that the summer of 1996 a sapling sprung up in the depth of my soul that I believe God planted long before the baby known as Shari was born to Gene and Violet Hardway in Braxton County, West Virginia. Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” So I believe that God sowed a seed in eternity past that He knew would take root, and I believe the same is true with every human on the face of the planet, although every seed sown does not take root. The anomaly (inconsistency) that some get saved (accept Christ as their Savior) has nothing to do with the seed, or the Sower, but the soil for which it was planted. We are still free willed, God won’t force Himself upon us, at least at this point. There will come a day that everyone shall see Him as He is and know that He is indeed Truth and light. But for now, if men and women choose to stay in a state of denial, it’s their choice, and truthfully their loss.

But that fruit after its kind mentioned in Genesis 1:11 has captured my thoughts this morning. When God formed man He created him in the likeness of Himself (Genesis 1:26), and each child born, generation to generation is born from the same seed sown at Creation. Our lineage began with Adam and progressed over the years, or digressed over the years into a generation of people who many consider themselves independent of God; but whether they confess Him as Lord or not they cannot get rid of that seed in their soul that continues to try to take root, even in stoney soil. As Jesus described in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:5-6 “Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.”

But it’s not always a soil issue entirely. Sometimes it’s the lack of growth in those little saplings. There are some trees in the orchard that have beautiful bloom but that’s where it stops. They go to church (on Sunday morning and other “special services” and they look “churchy” when the go. They have a Christian fish on their car and if anyone asks they’re more than happy to tell them they’re a Christian and that everyone should have a home church. But… they are far too busy to make Sunday evening and Wednesday a priority, and sharing the gospel runs the risk of offending “good people” or even worse offending “bad people.” Then there’s the whole issue of church and state and the state they’re in… but they look pretty. I think I’ll start calling them the blossom gang, all flower… no fruit.

God planted the seed within us and if we allow He will continue to fertilize the crop with the expectation that the fruit He’s already given root to and nurtures Himself will be fruit bearing also – in His likeness.

So my question to myself and you as well is are you a member of the blossom gang, or the Alpha and Omega Orchard? There’s a beginning and an end to everyone’s story…

Posted in Uncategorized

Smack Dab in the Middle!

Written by talk2shari Published October 27, 2013October 27, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

Revelation 21:6

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Right smack dab in the middle, that’s where I want to be. Yesterday was another crazy day in life of the Jesus Chick. Early morning rising and then off to a new mission work that’s going on in our community (Eagle Ranch Mission and Revival Training Center). We spent the day with youth who sat outside in the cool of October and soaked up the gospel desiring their part of the middle. I left in the late afternoon to go back to the church to pass out candy and gospel tracks to community children in hopes that I could plant more than a seed of candy corn in their home.

I loved this thought today. God created the beginning and the end, but the middle is ours. God set a plan in action from day one with a designed end in His sight. It’s not ours to know the day or the hour of the end, just that it’s a done deal for which we need to be prepared for. Before I finish this writing the trumpet could sound. There’s an end to this story, but the middle… that’s now. That’s the awesome part!

That’s why I get up early, 4:30 a.m. (ish) sometimes earlier, sometimes later. I don’t want to miss the middle, and for me the middle starts early. That’s why I gave my Saturday to a new mission work, because being in the middle of something that could be life altering for someone is exciting stuff. It’s why Sunday mornings are a treat and I can’t wait to get to the house of the Lord. I’m hoping that in the middle of the message someone there will discover that fountain of the water of life, and I’ll get to watch them take their first drink.

Satan’s lie that serving Jesus is a chore has deprived so many Christians of their piece of the middle. It’s like eating the crust of an apple pie and leaving the gooey delicious cinnamon and sugar filled fruit in the bowl. How crazy is that? But that’s what Christians do when they fail to be in the middle of an active church.

It’s another crazy day in the life of the Jesus Chick. I’m up early, and preparing my heart for the services in the house of the Lord, afterwards I’m taking a group of youth to another service out of town called the Judgment House. I don’t say this to boast “look what I’m doing for Jesus!” I say this because I want you to understand how exciting it is to be in the middle and that you need to take every opportunity to be there.

The middle, it’s the awesome part. The end… woah baby! It’s going to be beyond awesome. Don’t miss out.