Category Archives: Bible Study

by Anthony Baker | October 8, 2015 · 5:00 am

Shortage of Common Sense

The following (edited) devotional was originally written in 2013 and re-released just yesterday on ProverbialThought.com. Amazing how little things have changed.

Common Sense

Some things make perfect sense. Some things are so sensible that everyone agrees, hence the term “common sense.” However, there are some things that people find hard to understand, even though anyone with common sense would think it makes perfect sense.

The following proverb should be a no-brainer.

“When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” – Proverbs 16:7

Pleasing Ways

Are you familiar with the Ten Commandments? Not the movie with Charleton Heston; I’m talking about the actual Ten Commandments found in the Bible.

If you haven’t read them in a while, why don’t we refresh ourselves with a few of them?

Don’t steal
Don’t murder
Don’t commit adultery
Don’t lie about your neighbor
Honor your father and mother
Don’t sit around desiring what’s not yours

If you want to live in such a way (ethically speaking) that will please the Lord, the above list is a good place to start, wouldn’t you think? What is more pleasing than not stealing, not murdering, not lying, not envying, etc.?

Peaceful Enemies

Believe it or not, doing what pleases the Lord (like not committing murder, not stealing from your employer, or not sleeping with your boss’s wife) is actually a good way to get ahead in the world. Common sense, wouldn’t you think?

I have worked with many atheists and agnostics, some of which hated what I believed, but none of them ever fired me for being a bad employee. Most gave high recommendations to my next employer. In one sense they were my “enemies,” but all in all they were peaceful. Why? Because my ways pleased the Lord.

Nonsense

What I found totally nonsensical, however, was a story relating to the Ten Commandments being posted in a public school. I can’t remember where this took place, exactly, but I do remember the reason the lawyers gave for removing the list from view…

“If the Ten Commandments are allowed to remain, then children will be tempted to do what they say.”

So, what were they saying, that if the Ten Commandments were left up someone might actually be tempted not to steal, not to lie, etc.?

Here’s a question… Which is more pleasing, a) NOT committing murder, or b) gunning down students and teachers?

I guess there’s a shortage of common sense these days.

2 Comments

Filed under America, Bible Study, blogging, current events, wisdom

Tagged as biblical wisdom, Oregon, proverbs, Ten Commandments

by Anthony Baker | July 22, 2015 · 1:06 pm

De Nyew Testament

Once again I am composing a post upon my old iPhone (would someone set up a GoFundAnthony account and buy me an iPhone 6?).

I’m sitting in a school bus, under a bridge, all alone, after dropping off a bunch of kids on a summer field trip. They are riding the Riverboat while I sit here waiting. But, it’s a great opportunity to read and study.

Anyway…

One of the treasures I picked up the last time I was in Charleston was a new Bible. But this Bible is a little different – no, it’s a LOT different – from others I have: it’s in a different language! And I am reading it!

De Nyew Testament is a translation of the New Testament into the Gullah language. No, it’s not a paraphrase or a for-fun parody of the KJV; it’s a literal translation of the NT into a genuine language. Gullah (also known as Geechee or Sea Island Creole) is a language “traditionally spoken along the coastal area of South Carolina and Georgia.”

According to the preface, it took more than 25 years for folks from Wycliffe Bible Translators and the American Bible Society to pull this translation together. And let me tell you something: it’s worth getting.

If you are a fluent reader of English, then you can read Gullah. It will take some practice, but you’ll get used to it and start to pick up on its rhythm.

So, here I was under a bridge, in a school bus, next to the riverfront, reading a little from the Gullah version of the NT, when tears filled my eyes. And because of that, I wanted to write this post so I could share with you the particular verse of Scripture that got me. Read it through a few times, then let me know if it blessed you the way it blessed me 🙂

“Look yah! We oughta study pon how de Fada da bless we wid e lob! E da lob we sommuch dat e call we e own chullun, an we e chullun fa true. People ob de wol ain been know who God da, an cause ob dat, dey ain know we.” 1 John 3:1 (Gullah)

“Look yah!” We ought to be studyin’ about how the Father has done blessed us with His love! Glory be to God!

8 Comments

Filed under Bible Study, blogging, book review, God, translations, Uncategorized, worship

Tagged as Bible, blogging, Charleston, God, Gullah, iPhone

by Anthony Baker | July 7, 2015 · 12:38 am

Visiting Charleston, S.C. (Part 2)

The Plan

Even though it was already planned that we would visit our daughter in Charleston, as soon as I heard the tragic news of the shooting, I knew I needed to visit (Mother) Emanuel A.M.E. Church. The original plan was to go with friends on a cheap vacation to the beach, stroll through the downtown market, and visit family, but on June 17 the agenda changed.

In a text to Roy Cavender, a friend who was already planning to go with us on vacation, I said, “My plan while in Charleston is to visit Emanuel AME Church and pray. You down with that?”

His reply was short and simple: “You know it!!!”

So that is what we did.

The Memorials

It wasn’t that difficult to know when we had arrived at Emanuel A.M.E., for the flowers and memorials of all kinds were neatly stacked against the sturdy black iron fence separating the front of the church building from the sidewalk.

But it was more than just the flowers and trinkets that caused me to pause; it was the trees and the fire hydrant, all of them covered completely with condolences, names, and Scripture references written with colored Sharpie pens.

It took me a while to find a small, clear place on one of the trees, but when I did, I had to reach as high as I could without a stool. With a red Sharpie I simply wrote: John 17.

You see, unlike in the days after other tragedies, the people of Charleston, along with so many around the country, came together in a way that put evil to shame. This was especially evident by the support shown by the other churches all over the city. It was evident in the way people talked, put together fund raisers, and even in the way they welcomed the prayers from a total stranger.

The Prayer

Now, let me say up front that I did not originally pose for the accompanying photo of me praying. Let me explain what happened.

Like I said, I determined early on that I wanted to go pray on location at Emanuel A.M.E. What I did not go seeking, however, was a photo opportunity. However, it was only after I was given permission to kneel and pray on the front steps that a couple of ladies (members, I suppose), decided to take my picture – with several cameras.

As soon as I finished praying – praying that the name of Jesus Christ would be proclaimed through the deaths of His saints and the love of those who forgave – I started to stand. As I turned to me right, there was this lady with a camera phone saying, “Oh, I’m sorry…could you keep praying? I was trying to take a picture.” Once again I knelt down and prayed aloud.

As soon as I finished praying a second time, there was another woman with another cell phone: “I’m so sorry, sir, but could you pray some more? Please?” What was I supposed to do? So, of course I knelt once more and prayed…aloud…for real.

Believe it or not, just as soon as I said “amen” and started to stand, there the woman was again! This time, however, she had a 35mm camera in hand! I said, “OK, look, if I’m going to keep doing this, at least take MY phone and take a picture; I’d like a keepsake.”

“Of course!” she said. “This is something you should want to remember!”

The Big Picture

For many years to come people will be asking the same question: “Why?” Why did God allow a murderous young man full of hate to snuff out the lives of nine people during a Bible study? We may never know all the answers, for God’s ways are higher than our ways. However, a quick study of a small word in the New Testament could lend some understanding.

You see, the word translated “witnesses” in Acts 1:8 is the Greek word μάρτυς (pronounced mä’r-tüs). It is also the word from which we get the English word “martyr.”

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

When we look at what has happened since June 17, I cannot help but believe the deaths of those precious nine people were not in vain. Their “witnesses” in death, along with the “love that passeth all understanding” shown by their families, have been nothing less than a fulfillment of Jesus’ words as recorded in Acts 1:8!

What the Devil meant for harm, God has changed to good! Those who died in that church may have never had much of an impact outside of Charleston, but the ripple effects of their deaths have been felt to “the uttermost part of the earth!”

Folks, as evil becomes more and more prevalent in this world, the love of Jesus can bring healing to our cities, unity to the Body of Christ, and dumbfound the world. May the families of Emanuel A.M.E. be a testimony to that fact. Keep them in your prayers.

Truth from the Zoo

Conies

This morning I drove a school bus full of children from a summer camp to the Chattanooga zoo. While I was waiting on them, I took my Bible and a notebook inside where I could sit in the shade and study for my Sunday morning sermon…but first I had to take a look at a few of the animals (they’re so cuuuute!)

So, I went into a building that housed desert animals from around the world, and that’s where I saw a cute little fang-toothed critter straight out of the book of Proverbs – the coney.

“There be four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] exceeding wise: … The conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;” – Proverbs 30:24, 26

The conies are second in the list “four (little) things” that are exceedingly wise. But what is a coney? Is it a hot dog found on Long Island, New York? Possibly, but only if a legless wiener is capable of wisdom. These conies in this proverb seem to have a defense against being eaten with mustard – they hide in the rocks.

Taken in a dark room with my iPhone 4S, so not the best photo – but no credit needed 🙂

The animal described here is the hyrax, or rock badger (no relation to the kind that can chew off your arm). Found in Africa and the Middle East, these cute little critters, weighing an average of 8 lbs., are scavengers which live in groups of 8 to 10 and find refuge in the cracks and crevices of rocky terrain. Though scientists say the hyrax is a close relative to the elephant (it even has tiny little tusks – how cute!), this furry little animal is practically defenseless…at least on its own.

Their Defense System

Even though hyraxes are small, weak, and incapable of fighting off a predator, they are not on the endangered species list. Why is that? The answer lies in where they make their homes – in the rocks – and how they look out for each other (notice in the picture: one is awake while the other sleeps).

Being small and rather slow, the hyraxes in Africa are preyed upon by other animals such as wild dogs, leopards, and Egyptian cobras. However, it seems that the conies in Israel, like the ones of which the Bible spoke, have learned how to use the rocks to their advantage, along with a “system of sentries.”

“In Israel, the rock hyrax is reportedly rarely preyed upon by terrestrial predators, as their system of sentries and their reliable refuges provide considerable protection. Hyrax remains are almost absent from the droppings of wolves in the Judean Desert.” (Wickipedia)

Is it any wonder why God’s Word describes the conies (hyraxes) “exceeding wise?” Knowing the danger posed by wolves and the like, the defenseless animals band together, watch over each other, and run to the rocks any time there is a threat.

Our Defense

One would have to be blind to miss the parallels here. Why do so many fools fall victim to the ravenous wolves of the world?

Their bones are found scattered across the sands of time because they ventured out alone, without the watchful eyes of others, and without the defense available in the true Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ.

“OH! Rock of Ages, hide thou me!”

4 Comments

Filed under Bible Study, Christian Unity, wisdom

Tagged as Animals, Chattanooga Zoo, Christian, Church, Coney, faith, Hyrax, Jesus

by Anthony Baker | May 11, 2015 · 8:58 am

The Hard Way

The following comes from a post I wrote for ProverbialThought.com. Even though I wrote this a couple of years ago, nothing has changed; I still see people making poor choices, making things harder than they need to be, and it breaks my heart. Oh, if only we would follow the path of Wisdom!

Proverbs 13:15

“Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.” KJV

“A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person is headed for destruction.” NLT

A Hard Life

Every now and then you may encounter people with a look that older than than their age. You may meet a man who is only in his thirties, but looks like he over sixty. A young woman may cross your path that is wrinkled, bent over, and haggard, only to find out that she is 28 years way too old.

What makes people look like they are much older than their chronological age? Hard lives. Lifestyles bent on destruction.

To be fair, there are others that you may see who have been through a lot of pain and suffering due to circumstances beyond their control. These, too, may look older than they actually are. Life has been hard on them. But for many, what they have endured has been the result of a transgressor’s path, and that’s a hard road.

Good Sense

A person that exhibits good sense (“understanding”) is typically a person who takes better care of himself. Good sense says, “Hey, maybe staying up late every night partying until the sun comes up is a bad idea.” Good sense says, “You know, taking that drug might be harmful, not to mention addictive.”

Someone with understanding and good sense is also somebody others respect and trust. For example, this type of man or woman is the one who gets the job or promotion. He or she is the one who gets awards and bonuses. They are also the ones who have lower life insurance premiums and rarely have to pay large down payments to purchase anything on credit.

However, the transgressor is the one who nobody really trusts closing the store at night. He’s the one who always calls in sick on Monday morning. Life insurance companies consider him a “high risk” and deny him coverage. And when it comes to buying a house or new car, all he can do is rent.

Advice for the Road

Let me give you some advice. If you are planning on traveling down the “hard road” of life, plan on things never going your way. But don’t think you can blame all of your woes on those with more than you, because they have “understanding;” they can see through your schemes.

Don’t blame the government. Don’t blame the church people. Don’t blame your boss (if you can keep one). Don’t blame anyone for the path that you have chosen.

Also, if you are planning to live a life that transgresses God’s word (His law), don’t blame Him when things don’t go the way you plan. He warned you.

So, when you find yourself living in a run-down motel, remember, Wisdom has been crying out, “You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding” (Proverbs 8:5 NLT).

When you won’t listen to Wisdom, your way will be hard.

2 Comments

Filed under Bible Study, General Observations, Life Lessons, wisdom

Tagged as Careers, financial planning, life, life insurance, motels, wisdom

by Anthony Baker | March 24, 2015 · 2:00 pm

The Eye Doctor

Gadget Inspector

Several years ago, I went to a new eye doctor at a place called Southeast Eye Specialists. The waiting and office areas were aesthetically impressive, and the exam rooms were full of shiny gadgets, some of which I had never seen before. Therefore, I was so excited to be left alone in an exam room while I waited for the doctor to see me…alone…with all those shiny things!

With no one around to monitor me, I did what any child in an adult male body would do…I started playing with the equipment. But while flipping levers and turning dials, a deep, philosophical thought crossed my mind (which would imply that I was not thinking when I was playing with things I couldn’t afford to break):

“With all the different prescriptions for glasses, and all the different lenses one could look through, how could anyone say for sure that what we see when we look at things is exactly the way it really is? Just look at all of those dials!”

It’s All Relative?

Some would say my thought, or ones like it, is the reason for believing that everything is “relative.” People say, “There’s no such thing as right and wrong,” or, “Perception is reality.” They argue that what we think we see may not be what is actually there.

But I would argue the following: What is actually there is there, whether we see it for what it is, or not.

Just like the chart on the wall with the jumbled letters that start large, then get smaller as they go down, we can call a particular letter an “e,” an “a,” or a “c,” but it is still an “e” if on the chart it IS an “e.”

The only way we can know for sure if we are seeing things correctly is to go to a Doctor of Optometry and let him evaluate our sight.

He is qualified to turn the knobs and do the tests.
He knows what letters are really on the wall.
He knows the truth.

Only a fool would go into optometrist’s exam room and argue with him over the “rightness” or “wrongness” of his letter chart!

Reality, Despite Perception

I wonder if God was thinking about people who argue over the eye chart when He wrote the following verse:

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. – Acts 28:27 NIV

All of us are born with faulty eyes, which, indeed, makes it difficult to determine right from wrong, but God knows exactly what is on the wall. His Word is the corrective lens through which we can better see what is really real.

Without corrected vision, perception is not reality; it’s a lie.

Shunning Green Pastures

Study Where You Can

Last night I was sitting in the rotunda of our county courthouse. No, I was not in trouble – this time. I was just there waiting on my daughter as she was practicing with a group of other kids for upcoming mock trial competition. (If you don’t know what that is, it’s a bunch of high school students from different schools who compete against each other in “mock” trials in court).

Anyway, because her practices usually take at least a couple of hours, I always take something to study. I mean, if I’m going to have to be there, I might as well make use of my time, right? So, this time I took with me my Bible and volume one of a series of commentaries on the book of John by the late Dr. James Montgomery Boice. You see, I’m am beginning a sermon series through the book of John this next Sunday.

So, outside in the rotunda, where I actually found a leather chair in a relatively quite spot, I read the following passage from Dr. Boice’s book. Here’s a little teaser for ya’ – I had to stand up after reading it and raise my hands, with tears in my eyes, and say aloud, “Hallelujah!”

Did you know that a sheep will not eat or drink when it is lying down? Most people have never heard this. But it is a fact, and it gives special meaning to the phrase, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” If a sheep is lying down, even in the greenest of pastures and even with the most tender morsel of grass within an inch of its nose, the sheep will not eat the grass. Instead, if it is hungry, it will scramble to its feet, bend over, and then eat the morsel that was much easier to reach before. Thus, when the psalm tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, makes us to lie down in green pastures, it means that he is able to satisfiy us so completely that we cannot possibly yearn for anything more. – James Montgomery Boice. The Gospel of John, Volume 1: The Coming of the Light, p.41.

What did you think about that?

Greener Pastures?

So, what got me so excited there in the rotunda of the county courthouse? Reading a truth that had never crossed my mind before: Jesus wants to make me not even care about green pastures!

That’s right! When Jesus satisfies our souls, nothing else can compare, not even the best offers of the world; more prestigious position; the more attractive temptation; etc.

When we are totally satisfied with Jesus, He can lead us to the greenest pastures and have us so fulfilled in Him that we can lay down and never take a bite! For that matter, when our souls are completely nourished with Him, the desire to seek greener pastures doesn’t even cross our minds; it’s not even appealing!

Oh, hallelujah, my friends! Satisfy your hunger with the Bread of Life; quench your deepest thirst with the Water of Life. Find your satisfaction in the abundant life of Christ and greener pastures won’t even be appetizing.

With Jesus satisfies your soul, you can be content in whatever field you’re led.

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Filed under Bible Study, God, worship

Tagged as Bible Mock Trial, Book of John, James Montgomery Boice, Praise

by Anthony Baker | January 31, 2015 · 1:07 pm

A Thought for Men of God

Iron sharpens iron; rust against rust just crumbles.

As men of God we are to encourage each other, to hold each other accountable, but beware of your condition…and the condition of your peers. The only thing a neglected spiritual life can do is make a mess.

An Honest Salesman?

The following are some thoughts of mine originally posted at my other blog, Proverbial Thought.

The Proverb

“The thoughts of the righteous [are] right: [but] the counsels of the wicked [are] deceit.” – Proverbs 12:5 KJV

It is not often that I choose to quote another author, but I found the following words instructive.

“The plans of the righteous are right.” His designs are well-intentioned and morally sound because the mind of the righteous man is disciplined by wisdom. On the other hand, “the counsels of the wicked are deceit.” Their warped minds invent crooked methods for reaching their goals. To them the end always justifies the means.”*

The Ends

Do you ever stop to think about the “ends?” In other words, do you ever stop to think about the results of your actions, or your thoughts? Do you plan ahead? Do you think about consequences?

The “thoughts of the righteous are right” because the righteous have right hearts. And because of their righteous thoughts, the means to an end matter just as much as the result. They want to do what is right, because it is right.

On the other hand, the wicked think only of self-gratifying goals. As the above quote says, “To them the end always justifies the means.” Because of an unwise, wicked heart, what is right does not matter, only the desired result.

The Means

#8 in the nation! Booyah!

I have known many salesmen over the years. As a matter of fact, I was a pretty successful one, too. And if there was anything that characterized the typical salesman, it was the desire to make a sale, to “close the deal,” even if his “counsel” was a little deceitful.

The problem with many salespeople is that they will tell you whatever you want to hear, even things you don’t, in order to sell a product or service. What the customer needs or can afford is rarely a consideration when sales bonuses and large paychecks are at stake. As long as a dollar can be made, it is thought “the end justifies the means.”

So how do you know when you have met a “righteous” salesman? When he won’t sell you something, even when you think you want it. Happily, I can say I’ve walked away from sales, even when the rent was due; taking advantage of customers was wrong. Even though I might have needed the money, the end did not justify the means.

A Prayer

Dear Lord, give us a righteous heart that thinks right things. Keep us from wicked and deceitful thoughts. Give us a heart for others over the needs of self. Reprove us, Jesus, when we are tempted to deceive, for what waits in the end is anything but gain.

*James E. Smith, The Wisdom Literature and Psalms, Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co., 1996), Pr 12:2–7.

3 Comments

Filed under Bible Study, blogging, wisdom

Tagged as bible study, Careers, Ministry, money, Prospecting, proverbs, Sales

by Anthony Baker | January 17, 2015 · 11:44 pm

Saturday Night Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Thank you so much for your mercy and grace! Thank you for loving me, despite everything about me that I’d despise, if I were you. But I’m not You, and I’m glad.

Lord, I’ve been reading and studying Your Word, and I believe I know what it is you’d have me to say to us tomorrow. But even though I think I know, only You know for sure what we need. Please use me as Your mouthpiece to say what’s on Your heart.

I know I’m human. I confess that there will come a point tomorrow when I’ll want to insert my own two cents. If I do, please make sure Your image is on the coins; my currency is worthless.

Lord, don’t let me waste any one’s time in the morning, please. Preach through me in spite of myself. We want to hear You, not me. These are good people who could be going other places, doing other things, or resting in; don’t let me be the reason for them wishing they were some place else.

I want to feel Your presence. I want to be bold, fearless. I need your Spirit to strengthen me, to give my words authority, to break the bread and multiply it, meeting needs I could never supply. Fill me. Possess me. Empower me. Erase me; let them see Jesus.

I’m a sinner, Lord. I’m ashamed of my shortcomings. You deserve more than I’ve given; I’ve held back my all. Help me not to love my self so much, oh God. Help me to love you, to thirst for you, to be enraptured by YOU! If my love for You is lacking, so will be my preaching. Forgive me of my adulterous heart that is prone to wander from Your embrace. I’m ashamed! But You forgive! I’m unworthy!!

Oh that your pulpit will be a lighthouse! May the Light be bright! Guide our folks away from what endangers them! Only You know what they are facing next week.

A lion is seeking whom he may devour, Lord. I hate that scoundrel! He will have his crowd doing their best to hurt, hinder, distract, and all that stuff. Mess him up, Lord! Screw up whatever plans he may have for tomorrow! Keep the fights from getting started. Protect our folk on the road. Protect hearts and minds from temptations that could rob their joy. Despite the devil’s best efforts, help the ones who want to come to church get here, joy and all intact, ready to worship You!

Lord, I’m going to go to bed, now. May I dream holy dreams, encouraging dreams, dreams that remind me of Your power and majesty. May I wake up already pumped, full of expectation, ready to raise my Sword for battle.

Thank You again, Lord, for this opportunity. I don’t know why You chose me, but I want to make You proud. If I don’t get a single response from a single pew, when the time comes for me to step down, may I hear your Spirit whisper “well done.” Be glorified, Father, in spite of me. And when it’s all said and done, because of You, may the congregation honestly say, “I’m glad we came unto the house of the Lord!”

In Jesus’ name, Amen.