Category Archives: Christian Unity

by | July 18, 2015 · 1:26 am

#Noogastrong

#Strong

It is becoming commonplace to insert the name of a city between a hashtag and “strong,” thereby symbolizing a community’s solidarity following tragedy. There was #Bostonstrong, #Charlestonstrong, and now there’s another one – #Noogastrong (and #ChattanoogaStrong).

It’s becoming all to common, isn’t it? And for me, it’s WAY beyond “close to home”; it IS home! Chattanooga, nearly eight hours away from Charleston, SC, the place I just visited. Chattanooga, the place where I came home to after praying on the steps of Emanuel A.M.E. Church. The world is just too small these days.

But Chattanooga, my city, is not just another hashtag in a list of tragedies. Chattanooga is a strong community with a strong sense of pride. And even though our town is full of nominal, backslidden Christians who can barely tell the difference between theology and skiology, Chattanooga is still a place with strong faith in its veins.

Community

photo (1)Today I got an email from our Mayor’s office. We can pretend that makes me special. It was an invitation to an “interfaith” prayer vigil at Olivet Baptist Church on MLK Boulevard.

(Here is a link to a news story about the prayer vigil.)

At first I felt a little apprehensive, for I am not one who subscribes to the ecumenical belief that all faiths are equally valid and true; I believe Jesus Christ is the only way to God. However, as a Chattanoogan, I felt the need to come together with others, despite our differences, to encourage not only peace, but the realization that good can come from evil, love can conquer hate, and that Jesus is the Way.

Gov. Bill Haslam (TN) was only one of several distinguished speakers at tonight’s meeting (our congressman and both senators were there, too). But it was Governor Haslam who made the case for a community prayer service, even if we considered this city a “Babylon.” He spoke of the captivity of Israel and the command by God to build houses and plant gardens, and “seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace”(Jeremiah 29:7).

Uncomfort Zone

One of the most amazing things to see tonight, however, was the number of Muslims who came to the service – a predominately Christian service, in a Baptist church, on what was supposed to have been a day of Muslim religious celebration. They came to show their solidarity with their fellow Chattanoogans. As a matter of fact, the Imam that spoke nearly broke into tears as he condemned the actions of the Muslim shooter.

But what was truly incredible was what happened toward the end of the Imam’s speech. He asked that all those Muslims present who agreed with him, who condemned the actions of July 17, who wanted peace, to stand in unified allegiance, not as Muslims, but as Chattanoogans! They did! At least a hundred or more! All I could think at that moment was, “Man, that guy just became a target.” OH! If only more Muslims would do this publicly!

One man that stood up was an older man who was sitting next to me on my right. I stood up, took his hand to shake it, then embraced him. As we embraced I said, “Thank you!” He said, with tears in his eyes, “No, thank you! I served in the Army, too.” Later he told me that his heart was so heavy, and that he loved Chattanooga so much, that even after he moved to Florida, he kept his Chattanooga license plate – and comes back each year to renew it!

Later, when the meeting was over, I seriously stepped out of my comfort zone – seriously. I walked up to four guys who looked as stereotypically Muslim as could be, reached out my hand, and said, “Thank you for coming.” Of course, in conversation I told them who I was, so…it’s all in God’s hands. My uncomfortable zones are never outside God’s zone.

“Witnesses of Me”

It is easy to believe that everything is out of control, that God and Elvis have left the building. I mean, the more #strongs we see, the more likely we are to conclude that the Enemy is winning, correct? Well, don’t get too discouraged! Remember, the battle isn’t even a contest; it’s fixed – God wins!

Just look at all that has happened. Seriously! Here we have a radical, hate-filled Muslim “extremist” thinking he’s going to bring honor and glory to his cause by killing unarmed Marines, policemen, and everyone else. Sure, his name and cause gets mentioned, but what else happens?

The name of Jesus Christ is broadcast day and night! On radio and television! Around the world! This happened in Charleston, too! What the Enemy meant for harm, God has used to proclaim the forgiving, restoring, gracious love of Risen Saviour! For crying out loud, folks! There were over a hundred Muslims who sat through a Christian prayer service tonight! People were praying – in the name of Jesus! Even politicians!!

Never forget the full ramifications of Acts 1:8 and what it means to be a “witness.” Sometimes our Father calls us to be witnesses of His Son by becoming martyrs (the word translated “witness” [μάρτυς] is the word from which we get “martyr”).

We Need Him

A lot of people came to the prayer vigil that were not followers of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, both Jews and Muslims had words to say, along with “Christians” of every creed and color. Nevertheless, the name of Jesus Christ was proclaimed within those walls and to people watching around the world.

And even though it could be rightly argued that many in attendance worshiped a false god, there was something very positive and encouraging permeating the prayer vigil my little girl and I attended: it was humility. You see, whatever else you want to say, Chattanooga was humble enough to admit that there is a Higher Power to Whom we must go for help in times of need – not Washington or our local mayor – we need God!

I firmly believe Chattanooga is the best mid-size city in America. But it was like what our former Governor, and former presidential candidate, Senator Lamar Alexander said in his final words about the whole “Chattanooga Strong” thing: he prayed, “God, make Chattanooga strong.”

With God’s help, Chattanooga will heal. And as we are blessed with healing, we will be a blessing to the world.

Please continue to pray for Chattanooga, my hometown.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1

A powerful prayer was offered by a comrade in arms.

A powerful prayer was offered by a comrade in arms.

National News Media were everywhere.

National News Media were everywhere.

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by | July 16, 2015 · 1:32 pm

Chattanooga Shooting (My Town)

I would appreciate it if you would think of my city when you pray. Intercede, if you would, for our city’s leadership and citizens. The main thing we need at this point is calm. 4 Marines and 1 Chattanooga police officer were shot.

All we know at this point is that the news is unpredictable – it changes moment from moment. From what I have heard, a shooter attacked a local Navy recruiting center close to Chattanooga State Community College, and then went to the river park, where, it seems, he was killed.

From what we have heard, this is no longer an active situation.

What a violent, godless world we live in. But the things that make a difference are people caring for each other and knowing the love of God is stronger than the hate of the world.

The police officer that was shot is reported to be in stable condition.

I am sure more information will become available in the coming hours, especially on the national news media. I just wanted my readers to hear from a resident in real time.

Let’s just hope this wasn’t a cell, and the shooter who is dead was the only one.

Just pray for Chattanooga, today. Let’s have the same kind of character as Charleston has shown.

It’s a small world, isn’t it?

UPDATE: This wasn’t a simple act of hate to which love is the answer, is it? This was a genuine internationally-influenced terror attack in my home town! How do I respond? How will the nation respond now that the ISIS threat of hitting soft police and military targets in America has begun? 

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by | July 7, 2015 · 12:38 am

Visiting Charleston, S.C. (Part 2)

The Plan

photo 1 (3)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

photo 2 (3)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.

photo 1 (4)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!”

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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. 

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by | June 23, 2015 · 4:01 pm

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.

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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!”

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by | May 5, 2015 · 9:14 am

Riots from a Biblical Perspective

Just this morning I read a tweet from the ACLU that declared “Black Spring has begun.” At a time when racial tensions are high, why foment them even more? Why encourage it?

Most of the reporting going on these days has nothing to do with journalism; it’s more about stirring up a story for ratings. A combination of manufactured stories, lawless “thugs” looking for any opportunity destroy, and a news media constantly driven to push “breaking news” have contributed to an overall spirit of bitterness and hate.

On the urging of certain race baiters and hate merchants who blasphemously wear the title of “Reverend,” youth have been running the streets, misinformed, angry, and burning down their own neighborhoods. And they think this is supposed to help?

Romans 12 and 13 have a lot to say to what has been going on in Baltimore and all the other cities where riots have been going on. Romans 13:10 is especially noteworthy…

“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.”

Think about that verse. Meditate on it. Love doesn’t steal from its neighbor. Love doesn’t burn its neighbor’s store down. Love does not drag his neighbor out into the street and beat him to death. Love does not pour lighter fluid on his neighbor and try to light him on fire. Love does not smash his neighbor’s cars. Love does not threaten and curse his neighbor’s race. Love does not destroy his neighbor’s hometown.

“No justice, no peace!” has been the rallying cry of so many. But what is justice? Is is not the fulfilling of the law? How, then, can hate-filled destruction aimed at innocents neighbors bring justice? “Love” is the fulfilling of the law.

Racism may always be with us to some degree, but those who must continually stir it up and continue it will one day stand before a Holy God and give an account.

What would Jesus do? What should Christians do? One thing is for certain, had the truly innocent Jesus been falsely accused and crucified today, and if Al Sharpton was in charge, then Jerusalem would be burned to to the ground quicker than a match could light. Sounds wrong, doesn’t it? Because it is.

 

Sunday evening I decided to record a sermon which expounded on Romans chapter 13. In the light of what is going on in my country, as I read God’s Word and compared it to what is going on in our nation, I became more and more indignant. No one was in the sanctuary when I spoke, so no one was there to hear what I said. But I did record it, and I am not ashamed to share it with the world.

This country needs to hear about things from God’s perspective.

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Click on the Picture

 

 

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by | December 30, 2014 · 5:48 pm

The Brief Departure of a Friend

A pic of Ty and his oldest daughter (from her Facebook page)

A pic of Ty and his oldest daughter (from her Facebook page)

Today I received the sad news that a brother in Christ, Ty Sweeney, went home. He was only 38 and died of complications resulting from a heart attack. And, like with the loss of others I’ve known, news of his death was an oxygen-sucking blow to my gut.

I didn’t know Ty as well as some other friends of mine in Hopkinsville, KY. I saw him at church (it was a big church) and played music with him a few times. Once he even loaned me his cedar-topped guitar – that was a GREAT guitar. But what I did know about Ty was that he was a great musician, songwriter, and that he loved the Lord and his family.

I lost my dad when I was only 24. For a moment I felt like my whole life would come crashing down around me. However, with the grace of God and the peace that came with the assurance I would see him again, the loss was tempered with the knowledge that our separation was only temporary. My prayer is that his wife (Sarah) and two daughters (Conley and Claudia) will find comfort in the same Hope.

For the saints of God, death is only a brief departure; sweet reunions are still to come.

Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Click HERE to listen to Ty Sweeney’s music.

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by | December 2, 2014 · 7:00 am

Serving Up Thanksgiving, Family-of-Faith Style

A Combined Service

Anthony Import 11 30 14 194Last week we welcomed the congregation of Tiftonia Church of God to our Riverside Baptist. It was the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving, the night many churches set aside a time for a community fellowship.

Being that it was a Tuesday night, there wasn’t a big crowd. However, enough showed up from both of our churches to, well, “have church.” And that we did.

Brother Michael Fugatt, the new pastor of Tiftonia Church of God, brought a great message from Psalm 100, blessing us all. And, for the record, he didn’t speak in tongues (just in case some of my Baptist brethren were wondering).

All in all, we had a wonderful, intimate time of godly fellowship. At the end of the sermon, Bro. Fugatt requested that all of us gather around the altar, hold hands, and pray. But when Pastor Fugatt prayed, he prayed that God would bless and encourage us (the Baptist church!!) and cause us to grow in number! It was truly a Kingdom prayer from a fellow believer and brother in Christ.

The Challenges

Now the sad part is that so many would have never allowed another denomination to worship with them. That’s very sad.

For the record, I am a Baptist, and for that I make no apology. But just because I am Baptist, that does not mean I may only worship with other Baptists. No, Baptists aren’t the only ones going to heaven, I can assure you; only those who have been born into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Many of my fellow Baptists would never come together in worship, even once a year, with those in the Church of God denomination because of our different takes on several ecclesiastical issues and certain doctrines, especially those regarding the gifts of the Spirit. However, as it is with Baptists, not every Church of God congregation is exactly like the next, nor is their pastor. It really pays to be more gracious than writing off every congregation just because of the name above the door.

Believe it or not, there is room withing the family of God to disagree on the interpretation of certain passages in First Corinthians. There is room withing the family of God to disagree on how to handle church finances, ordain and hire ministers, etc. There’s room for differences, just as long as what it takes to make us “family” is agreed upon.

The Family Table

On Thanksgiving most of you probably sat at a big table, surrounded by family, and had a meal. Some of you, if not most of you, sat across from other family units, like brothers and sisters-in-law, or a crazy aunt and uncle. Maybe you shared a meal with some cousins you see only once a year – for good reason. But here’s the thing: you did it because they were family.

My wife and I lead a family unit, and our unit does things a little differently than the rest. So, when we come together with other family units for Thanksgiving or Christmas, we rarely discuss the different ways we run our households; we just enjoy the fellowship and the food. Why can’t we do that more often as Christians?

Many in the world make excuses for their atheism by pointing at Christians and their denominations. They say things like, “See, your beliefs can’t be true; you can’t even agree!” What community services provide is the chance to show that real Christians, true believers in Christ, can have their different ways of doing things when at home, but still come together for a family reunion, a meal around a common table of faith.

Of course, there are times when fellowship with other churches must be avoided; heresy cannot be tolerated. But the fact is that there are more times than not when genuine believers should come together once in a while to break bread, if for no other reason than to show the world that we are children of the same Father, co-heirs with Jesus our brother, regardless how we run our individual homes.

Now, will someone pass the manna?

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by | November 8, 2014 · 10:55 am

Tennessee Taliban?

Yesterday, on Facebook, I read a post comparing conservatives in Tennessee to the Taliban. Yes, the Taliban.

Was it meant in jest? Was it simply sarcasm? Was it some form of sophisticated humor far above my intellectual capabilities? In any case, I did not find it humorous, but offensive. Let me quote to you what the author wrote, but just in case I’m missing something, I won’t name names – since the Taliban might get offended, and you know how that could go.

“Family Values is the Sharia Law of East Tennessee… [Rich and White] are the only two qualities required to hold office here in the Taliban region of East Tennessee.”

church ladyIt’s easy to come down hard on unloving, graceless, legalistic Christians (or at least those who claim to be) when they try to push their beliefs. I mean, if all you ever experience is the literal version of Dana Carvey‘s SNL character Church Lady, then that kind of self-righteous, churchy, hate mongering is easy to condemn.

But in reality, the ones my friend (yes, it’s a friend) were comparing to the Taliban are those who strongly believe abortion is wrong, that wine sales should be confined to the liquor store, and that one shouldn’t have to check his religion at the door when either voting or running for office. The Tennessee “church ladies” were even likened to Taliban because of their supposed hypocritical support for a less-than-godly candidate. But is the Taliban characterization fair? I don’t think so.

With the exception of the insane radical who has no clue what it means to follow Christ (yet claims to be a Christian), even the most conservative of conservatives, even the most severely Independent Fundamental Bapticostalite-type is nothing, NOTHING like the Taliban!

Give me a break!

For example, let’s compare reactions. Last week a Baptist church in my town was savagely vandalized. What did we do? We prayed that justice would be done, that the vandal would be caught, AND that our community could find a way to show him the love of Christ. What would the Taliban have done in the same situation? Well, as a clue, just last week a missionary friend informed us of a couple in his town that was burned alive after being accused of burning some pages from the Koran. The 26 year-old couple, parents of 4, were repeatedly thrown onto a fire as they pleaded their innocence. But hey, those Christians were taught a lesson, weren’t they?

Had the Christians in Lookout Valley, Tennessee, been the Taliban, we would have united after our morning prayers, then killed the teenager who destroyed the church. After that, like so often is the case with Muslim mobs, we would have looted, raped, and crucified anyone who looked like an atheist or liberal, then burned our own businesses – just to make a point.

But we didn’t, did we?

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The Tennessee Taliban (illustrated by: A. Baker)

And what about that election? What about those dreadfully religious, abortion-regulating votes?

  • You mean those votes cast in a fair election after which no one was shot, beheaded, or blown up by a car bomb?
  • You mean the election to which women were allowed to drive themselves?
  • You mean that election we actually HAD?!

I guess the Tennessee Taliban never got the memo from headquarters. You know, the one that says, “Tyranny good…democracy bad.”

So, what’s my point? It does not further the quest for Christian unity and understanding when we intentionally use blatantly derogatory labels to demonize those with whom we disagree, especially when we agree on far more things than we don’t.

If my interpretation of the reason for using the “Taliban” term was flawed, then I sincerely apologize. I understand, as pointed out by my wife and children, I can blow things way out of context. But, if I was, as I suspect, lumped in with those who kill those with whom they find the least bit of variance, I’m hurt.

Labeling those who were only doing their civic duty, and had they lost would have only complained and whined, as the “Taliban” was an unfortunate use of words. But unlike the Taliban, we will forgive.

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by | September 5, 2014 · 10:52 am

A Call to “Thwarting the Enemy” Prayer

Attention fellow pastors and believers in Christ:

I am calling on my fellow believers, especially pastors, to do something different this Wednesday night, September 10th. I am asking that we all gather together for a time of dedicated, humble, sincere, and concentrated prayer in advance of any attack by the enemy.

Thwarting PrayerIn the days following 9/11, people around the country were crowded into churches, on their knees, calling out to God. It was the right and proper thing to do, for sure. But now the enemy is at the gate; the judgement of God is about to fall. We know that somewhere there are plans in the works to bring us harm, to destroy us, the very least being the structures in which we meet. Should we not be on our knees now?

In 2 Chronicles 20:2 messengers came unto King Jehoshaphat and said, “There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria…” Faced with this news, the news of certain destruction, he called for fasting and prayer.

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” – 2 Chronicles 20:12

I am asking that churches around the nation will come together in humble, contrite, and desperate prayer – BEFORE the enemy crashes the gate!

Some of you may be asking, “Pastor Baker, what if God has already determined to send judgment and all that is being planned is part of His wrath against us?” To that I would submit to you the words of a king from one of the most ungodly places on record, ancient Nineveh. Hearing of the impending destruction being sent by God, he ordered the inhabitants to not eat or drink, to cover themselves with sackcloth and ashes, turn from evil and violence, and cry out to God (Jonah 3:7-8). Then he said…

“Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?” – Jonah 3:9

Let us pray for God to thwart the evil plans of the enemy that could already be in the works for this Thursday, September 11th, even if they were originally meant for our chastisement. Like Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel, our hope is not in Washington, the military, or the police. I only hope is in God.

Pray that He confuse the forces of evil and give wisdom to the humble who seek His help.

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by | September 3, 2014 · 10:30 am

Los Tres Guitarists

I just happened to look back over draft posts that had never been published. There I found this post, unfinished, and I don’t know why. Maybe it was simply the fact that a long weekend and an early Monday didn’t go well together.

Anyway…

On a January Sunday in 2013 I went to Hopkinsville, KY. There I offered the opening prayer at a benefit concert for the family of little boy that died. He was only 10.

The man in the middle is Mike Braswell. He was the little boy’s grandfather. The little boy’s name was Anthony.

While I was there, Roy Cavender (on the right), Mike, and I had our picture made. All three of us used to play in the same band. I played bass, Mike played acoustic, while Roy (a DJ and guitar instructor) played lead guitar.

I’d tell you that we all played in a Southern Gospel band, but you wouldn’t believe me. And I wouldn’t blame you, either – just look at us! Between the three of us, we’ve traveled many a blue and rocky country road.

But God is good. That’s why I prayed.

 

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The picture was taken inside the old Princess Theater, hence the grainy quality from my iPhone.

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