Still Waters

As of December 12, 2013 my blog will be the "Pastor's Blog" for Still Waters Baptist Church. We are still in the pioneering stages and have more of an internet church at the moment. We have adopted our constitution and bylaws and we are structured. Our leadership team meets regularly at my home office. We are taking it slow trying hard not to rush things and get ahead of where God wants us to be. But having said that we are almost completely positive that it will be in the Coshocton Ohio area. We are just watching and listening for God to point out the building. Meanwhile we are doing what  we can to share the Gospel in Coshocton County and the surrounding area. Check back here often as there will be a new blog posted weekly and I'll include updates on our progress. But for us it is a praise report that we have finally gotten over that first big hurdle of becoming a "church" according to law. Signing that constitution was a good feeling. Praise God and may He greatly bless all of you.
Yours in Christ, Pastor William "Shannon" Caplinger.

God bless America again

I have listened to this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COl-rPT203w) several times. My conclusion; he’s right. In short just consider his reference to the Iroquois Nation. That would/could resemble our core makeup of the 50 sovereign States. Next remember that our National Government was intended to be a government “by the people for the people”.

To explain it easily just think of a meeting of people (Governors) who are representing a variety of communities (States). At the meeting there needs to be an unbiased completely neutral Moderator to keep the meeting in order and to assure that all sides of an argument or opinion are equally reflected and considered by the group. What America has done through a long process is to complicate the matter with Congressmen and Senators who through two separate houses represent the States. And the Moderator (President) has become an authority in and of himself.

Add to that the illegal measures the current President has taken to elevate his power to that of a dictatorship. Congressmen and Senators were supposed to provide a system of check and balance to prevent this very problem.  Instead they have acted on behalf of big business and big money and ignored the people they are supposed to represent. And in the process, they allowed their authority to be taken by more government agencies (IRS, DOJ, FBI, CIA…) leaving themselves powerless to defend the Constitution and thereby defending the people.

Understand now the problem: America was never a democracy. It was always intended to be a “Constitutional Republic”. The Constitution is the system of Law intended to keep the States from straying too far apart to function as a Nation. It is the anchor of America’s freedom. “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom” - John Locke. The Supreme Court was established to make sure that all actions taken by the States, by Congress, by the Senate, and by the President were within the boundaries of the Constitution. Today the Constitution has been ignored and trampled by a Dictator and numerous big money institutions. There is only one solution left to save America. (Let it be known that I do not believe this can be accomplished by any man or group of men but by Almighty God alone.)

Revolution is no longer an option but a necessary course of action. But like the video states, if we try a revolution by show of violent force we will fail. We are out gunned in that arena. We must stand united as “We the People” and demand a return to the system of government our founders intended. In my opinion the easiest way to do this effectively is this November go cast our votes in an educated manner considering Godly principles. That does not mean the President must be a Christian per se but a man who will hold himself accountable for the responsibility we are giving him. And the best candidate must not be a politician. Electing another politician to the office of President will only lead to a continuation of the failed government we have now.

I have made my decision to step up and be counted. I will prayerfully examine the stance of each of the candidates for each seat on the ballot and cast my vote based on the result of self-educating on the issues without depending on the media that is owned by the same interest groups who pull the strings of the “elected” officials. I will not consider race, gender, or party affiliation as an excuse to vote for anyone unfit for the position for which they are running. And after I cast my vote I will continue to pray and let the Lord handle it. May God’s will be done. And I do pray that God will bless America again.

Two foundations

            Of all the parables of Jesus it is difficult to pick one as a favorite, or as most important. They all relate in one way or another to one or more other parables. And there is not one of all the parables of Jesus that should be left out of modern day Gospel preaching. However, one that stands out when churches are observed, especially in America, is the parable of the Two Foundations. This is found in Matthew 7:21-29¹. In this parable Jesus talks about two different kinds of people. In the parable itself He describes them as a builder who builds on sand and a builder who builds upon a rock. The builder who builds on the sand will be greatly distressed when the storm comes and his house collapses. He will see that all his hard work was for nothing. On the other hand the builder who builds on the rock sees that he has built on a firm foundation. When the great storm comes he will be secure knowing that because of the good foundation his house will weather the storm well. Of course in this parable Jesus is referring to Himself as the rock. He is the solid foundation that the Christian life is built upon. And in these troubling days that are getting increasingly worse in the “free world” there will come a time when many will deny the faith in order to maintain their temporal standard of living. This is evidenced by the way they live as Christians. Anyone can consider themselves Christian. And there are many who even go to church on a somewhat regular basis. But when their lives are examined there is nothing to be seen that would indicate that they are truly Christian. It is reminiscent of the parable of the tree and its fruit. (Actually these two parables are directly connected. Many try to start the parable of the Two Foundations at verse 24. But verse 24 starts with “Therefore²” and so is a connection to the preceding section which ends the Parable of the trees and their fruit). Saying one is Christian and actually being Christian are two entirely different things. There are many so-called Christians in America today who will scoff at this kind of teaching. They prove the point. What should strike at least a bit of concern in the hearts of many is that Jesus clearly stated the difference and the consequences of that difference in the opening of the parable! He stated that, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter³”. One should be able to see that it isn’t enough to “believe” in Jesus” as the word believe is defined today. And it is not enough to say “I’m a Christian”. Being a Christian means being built on the solid foundation which is Jesus. Being a Christian means doing the will of the Father. What this directly implies is that being a Christian involves obedience. Could this be why America is considered to be the third largest mission field in the world today⁴? As a Pastor, Church Planter and Evangelist this concerns me.

1.      New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 7:21–29.

2.      New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 7:24.

3.      New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 7:21.

4.      “Prayer targets world's 3rd largest mission field – America”, WorldNetDaily, July 27, 2008, accessed April 28, 2016. http://www.wnd.com/2008/07/70601/