Category Archives: Countries

by | February 20, 2014 · 12:45 pm

Thursday Thoughts (Proverbial Speaking)

Proverbial Thought

In February of 2012 the Lord put on my heart the idea of a blog/devotional called Proverbial Thought. Then, with the help of several others, I launched that blog on April 1st, 2012. Today, nearly 700 days and 350,000 words later, we are done.

A total of eight other writers contributed to Proverbial Thought over the last two years. Some contributed more than others, but all were greatly appreciated.

The three generations of Welfords in England  – David, Nick (David’s son), and Ken (David’s father) – made C. S. Lewis and C. H. Spurgeon proud. Daniel M. Klem, residing in Arizona, put in his fair share while attending college and seminary. Grady Davidson, a Presbyterian pastor in Chattanooga, “lent” his deep thinking to several posts. Chris Jordan, a Four Square pastor in Canada, already a prolific writer, had a great Spirit. Jason Sneed, a music minister in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, shared his fine-tuned perspective. And last, but not least, my own daughter, Katie Marie Baker, contributed our most youthful (and certainly our most female) wisdom.

The Next Steps

proverbial thought pictureAs was always the plan, two things are going to happen next. First, even though none of us will be regularly contributing to Proverbial Thought, starting in April the old posts will be re-posted each day on a regular schedule. Now, there will be some new stuff every now and then, because a few proverbs (verses) were missed. And, if any of the contributors feel the desire, they are always welcome to come along and add some additional thoughts, later. Nevertheless, starting in April, there will be re-runs.

Secondly, I will be attempting to edit this voluminous work in order to submit it to a publisher. For all I know, no one will want to turn Proverbial Thought into a published commentary, one unlike any other on the shelves. If that is the case, we may have to self-publish. Either way, my desire is to have the contributions to Proverbial Thought turned into a printed work that will honor God, even when the internet is down.

Prayers Needed

Pray for me, please! Pray that I will recognize the right window or door God may open. Pray that Proverbial Thought will continue to minister to people around the world, whether digitally or in print. And lastly, pray that God will continue to bless those who graciously accepted the invitation to help me with this awesome project.

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” – 1 Corinthians 1:23-25 KJV

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by | August 16, 2013 · 7:44 pm

Help Nigeria!

I have never been considered an activist, but I may become one.

In recent months I have become more aware of the dire predicament of Nigerian Christians. They have called on my country, America, for help, but our government has practically done nothing.

Now, crossing a line that used to mean something, Boko Haram (the Muslim terrorist group in control of most of northern Nigeria) has threatened the United States, France, and others. They want to become the al-Qaeda of the region and branch out internationally. What is our government going to do, stand by and let them grow in strength as they blatantly slaughter Christians and Muslims alike?

Boko Haram means “Western education is sinful.” Therefore, true to their name, this group has burned hundreds of churches and schools, killing children as indiscriminately as men and women. Southern Nigerian Christians have taken about all they can stand. Their ability to openly worship has been severely hampered by threats of murder. Many in the south are not even going to church any more out of fear. In many cases, pastors are leaving their families at home while they risk their lives to sit in empty churches on Sunday.

I am asking for not only my country, the United States, to do something, but for the whole Western world to hear the cry of Nigeria.

Please, make calls, send letters, do something! Don’t allow our brothers and sisters to suffer in silence.

Nigeriamap_332_1I don’t know how to go about doing it, but I am considering putting together a charity, a fund, or something to raise funds for the hurting church in Nigeria. If nothing else, I wish it was possible to take team of Christians representing the Body of Christ, much like what Paul did in the New Testament, and minister to those who are under persecution. I would love, as a Caucasian American pastor, to put my arms around the neck of my Nigerian brothers and let them know they are not alone, that their cries have been heard.

Galatians 6:10 – As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Hebrews 6:10 – For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Acts 11:29-30 – Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Please read the following articles and pray for God to show you what you can do.

America’s ‘stunning betrayal’ 

Nigerian terrorists target the U.S.

“The Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) has issued a “final call” to the Federal Government to neutralize the violence against Christians” – (from the Nigerian Website)

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by | July 4, 2013 · 2:18 pm

God SAVE America!

Happy 4th of July!

flagIt has been 237 years since the colonies declared their independence. It was not an easy decision to make, however, and many of the signers paid a heavy price. But John Adams, in a letter to Abigail Adams, said he was “well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it [would] cost us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States.”

So, happy birthday, America! Your birth was a hard and costly one, but well worth the pain.

God Bless America?

Now, each year about this time we sing of our love for America. Irving Berlin wrote a song with a title that is repeated every time one of our presidents closes a speech: God Bless America!

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Last night, however, in a sermon to my congregation, I said,

“Maybe we should stop asking God to bless America. Maybe we should, on the other hand, be saying, begging, ‘God spare America…God have mercy on America!’ We have already been blessed by God more than any nation deserves, yet what are we doing with those blessings? Where is our thanks to the God who blesses? We are rapidly going down as a nation, so before God completely abandons this nation to the trash heap of fallen empires, we had better be praying God REVIVE America…God SAVE America!…God have MERCY on America!”

Franklin’s Suggestion

Benjamin_Franklin_by_Jean-Baptiste_GreuzeIn 1787, not long after the war with England, representatives sent by the people met in Philadelphia to hammer out what was to be the Constitution of the United States of America. Tensions were high, arguing was accomplishing nothing, and the whole Continental Congress was in danger of falling apart. That was when the great Benjamin Franklin offered the following words…

In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection.” Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments be Human Wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of the City be requested to officiate in that service. – Source

We are “groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us.”

We are “divided.”

We are “confounded.”

We are becoming a “reproach and a bye word to future ages.”

And what is worse, mankind is leaving the forming of new governments to “chance, war, and conquest.”

We should be “imploring the assistance of Heaven” before Heaven becomes deaf to our prayers.

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by | June 22, 2013 · 8:38 pm

Global Influence of “Playing” On the Computer

Thanks to Rob Stroud’s post on Mere Inkling, I had an idea…

They say,

  • “I don’t know why you do that blogging stuff. It seems like such a waste of time.”
  • “Don’t you have anything better to do than play on your computer?”
  • “Don’t call that ministry; knocking on doors is the way to get out the word.”
  • “Nonsense! I haven’t got any use for computers. They should just take ’em all out and burn ’em.”
  • “Why do you spend so much time on that silly blog? Who reads it, anyway?”

I say,

  • At the time of this writing, The Recovering Legalist has nearly 900 subscribers. That’s more regular attendees than 90% of churches have total members. Numbers aren’t everything, but every number represents a soul.
  • If the computer was created for anything, reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ should be the ultimate goal.
  • Real people in real need sit in front of computer screens, so every time a person reads my blog it’s like I was invited into his or her home.
  • This blog has been up and going for over three years. But since February of 2012, not even a year and a half, The Recovering Legalist has been read in at least 135 countries. Some of those countries would never let a Christian missionary cross their borders.
World influence map

Global influence of The Recovering Legalist

“And [Jesus] said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15 KJV

 Christian bloggers are media missionaries. That is why I spend so much time “playing on the computer.”

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by | May 31, 2013 · 8:17 pm

Unpopular Me

I Have Followers

I don’t know where all my new followers are coming from, but it does amaze me. Is there some point in a blogger’s life where things just start to take off on their own? Seriously, it wasn’t long ago that I was trying to reach the 100-follower mark. Now I am getting several followers every day!

The amount of followers amazes me, but so does the type of people who are following. For example, it doesn’t shock me to see fellow believers subscribe to my blog, but what is the deal with all the Muslim, pagan, and atheist followers? Andrew Marburger must has a man-crush on me (ha!), but what about everyone else? What have I done to cause them to click here?

Seriously, I would love to hear from you. Why did you subscribe? Was it just to get me to visit your website, or are you legitimately interested in what this crazy Baptist preacher has to say? Was it Mr. Monkey that brought you here? I really want to know.

But I Will Follow

Regardless, I would like to make one thing absolutely clear – I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and for that I make no apology. I hope everything I write ultimately reflects that fact.

Many times people in the public eye are hesitant to take a stand or draw a line in the sand for fear of public opinion. And, if the truth be known, thanks to my critics, sometimes I have cowered. But this should not be. I should always speak with love and respect to all who may disagree with me, but I should never shy away from biblical truths, even if they are currently politically incorrect.

crossSo, I am glad to have a few followers, and I would love to have more, but I would gladly see them all go away before I deny my Lord and Savior. Jesus said (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23) that anyone who would be his servant must “take up his cross” and follow.

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though no one join me, still I will follow;
Though no one join me, still I will follow;
Though no one join me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Sadhu Sundar Singh – Indian Christian missionary

Crosses are not fun, or popular … neither are the ones who carry them.

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by | April 8, 2013 · 11:39 pm

Yom Hashoah

Holocaust Memorial Day

To my shame, I forgot what yesterday and today were. Wrapped up in my own little world, I forgot the significance of April 7-8, and for that I am sorry. Just because I am not Jewish is not an excuse.

Yom Hashoah is the day in which the people of Israel and Jews around the world remember the millions who died during the Holocaust.

Below is a video I watched on a website called UnitedwithIsrael.org. Here is a description of the video from the website…

At 10am the following morning, sirens are heard throughout Israel for two minutes. Israelis every where stop what they are doing and stand up out of respect. It does not matter if one is driving ones car, taking a train or bus, walking to the grocery store, working, studying, sleeping, etc. Every one drops what they are doing in order to commemorate the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust within Israel and show their respect to the Holocaust victims and survivors.

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” – Genesis 12:1-3 KJV

Shalom Israel

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by | February 13, 2013 · 11:00 am

Gun Control Legalism

Gun Control

It has been in the news a lot, recently. It is the idea that all guns (handguns, rifles, assault rifles, shotguns, plastic toys, etc.) are bad, bad, bad. Some western countries have all but eliminated them from public possession, while others are arguing over what laws to enact next.

The Lexington Minute Man

The Lexington Minute Man

Personally, coming from a man who lives in the southern United States and would have fought for the Confederacy if alive in the 19th century, I believe “gun control” is being able to hit one’s target. The last thing I will vote for is the removal of weapons from the common citizen. In my opinion, the 2nd Amendment was written by men whose belief was that an armed citizenry was one of the best defenses against tyranny.

Where I grew up, back in the day, the only people that ever got shot were idiots who forgot to check their weapons before crossing a barbed wire fence. Sure, there was the occasional feud, but S.W.A.T. and the F.B.I. were never needed. There were NO home invasions, NO car-jackings, and NO armed robberies in my community, either. Why? Everyone was armed – and everyone knew it.

No one in my community ever locked their doors. There was no real need. Even criminals had enough sense to know that they’d need some serious firepower or the element of surprise to avoid getting killed. For crying out loud, my dad used to drive around with a loaded 12 gauge shotgun on a rack in the window of his Ford truck, while under the seat was a loaded .357 magnum. Rarely was a policeman seen, but none were needed, for the most part.

Gun Laws

Now, out of the brains of postmodern liberals, comes the idea that taking all the guns away from law-abiding people will make us safer. They think that a law will affect the actions of bad guys. Sadly, the only ones that will be safer are the criminals.

Why do I link gun control laws to legalism? It is because gun control laws are put in place by people who forget crime is a heart issue, not a weapon issue. They think that another law will make everything better because, of course, everyone obeys the law.

Some people say, “Give me a list of do’s and don’t’s and everything will be OK.” They are more than willing to give up their freedom for a perception of safety. But what they don’t want to understand is that a sinner will still sin, and a murderer will still murder, regardless of the law or the weapon in hand. And when it comes to weapons, the dark-hearted won’t be deterred by a law they don’t choose to obey. The law keepers are too easy of a target.

My suggestion: Let the self-governing citizens with the law written on their hearts keep their weapons.  The law-breakers who respect no law will be forced to consider the consequences of their actions.

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by | September 9, 2012 · 12:30 am

Republic of Moldova

New, but Old

Back in 1991 I spent about a month in Romania. It was during this time that civil unrest broke out in the little country of Moldova. To say the least, it was a little unnerving to be only 90 miles away from Russian Spetsnaz “peace keepers.”

It was in 1991 that tiny Moldova finally gained its independence from the Soviet Union. But Moldova has been traded back and forth for thousands of years between different tribes and nations. At one point Moldova was actually part of early Romania, but it was also controlled at different times by the Romans, the Huns, the Bulgarians, and the Mongols.

Opposite of Luxembourg

If you remember last week’s country, Luxembourg, you will remember that she is one of the most wealthy countries in the world (per capita). Well, if Luxembourg is top on the money list, Moldova is right at the bottom.

According to the European Parliament (via Wikipedia), Moldova is the poorest country in all of Europe in terms of GDP. And despite their economy growing in the last few years, the per capita GDP is only $2022.! To put that in perspective, the United States’ per capita GDP is $48,400, while Luxembourg’s $115,000! 20% of the population lives at or below the absolute poverty line of $2.15 a day.

Religious

According to one of the only sources I am using today, most of the people in Moldova are Christian (93.3%). The only problem with that number is that most are either Russian or Romanian Eastern Orthodox. It is said that the church is so affected by culture and national interests that professing atheists (0.4%) participate in religious activities simply because it’s the thing to do.

My concern is that there may be the ability to know the truth of Christ within the churches of Moldova, but do they? Is Christianity mostly a cultural institution, or do they really know Jesus?

It is not my intention to belittle the Orthodox Church in Moldova. But it makes me wonder: a country that forces all religious groups to register with the state doesn’t help me to believe that 93% of its citizens are filled with the Spirit.

Grace Awaits

Many times religious people find their hope of salvation in the keeping of tradition, the confessional, or prayers to saints in a candle-lit room. What they don’t understand is that Grace is calling out to them. Jesus wants to set them free from legalism and a cold, unevangelical faith.

I don’t know how many visits I have had to this blog by people in Moldova, but it can’t be more than a few. Yet, there has been at least one, so just pray that this site might spark a revival in such a poor and thirsty land.

And while you are praying, pray for the economic situation in Moldova.

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by | September 2, 2012 · 12:32 am

Luxembourg

The Top 10

Before we take a look at this week’s country, I want to do a shout-out to the top ten visitors to this blog. In other words, the following are the countries from which this blog has received the most registered views (aside from the United States) since February of this year (2012).

  1. United Kingdom
  2. Canada
  3. Sweden
  4. Philippines
  5. Australia
  6. Germany
  7. Ireland
  8. New Zealand
  9. India
  10. Brazil.

Thanks to all of you from these countries who have taken the time to visit The Recovering Legalist. I just wish I could visit every one of your countries to thank you in person.

Luxembourg

There are a lot of poor countries in the world. Many countries have a population that makes an average of just a few dollars a day. But not Luxembourg. According to those who know these things, Luxembourg is the second-richest country in the world (per capita), yet one of the smallest. The average income in Luxembourg is around $80,000. Wow.

This little country has been around for a long time, even since the Roman days. It is full of history and beauty. It is also a very modern and cultured country.

Luxembourg and Religion

When it comes to the religious atmosphere of Luxembourg, let me just quote a couple of paragraphs from Wikipedia…if you don’t mind…

Luxembourg is a secular state, but the state recognises certain religions as officially mandated religions. This gives the state a hand in religious administration and appointment of clergy, in exchange for which the state pays certain running costs and wages. Currently, religions covered by such arrangements are Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Greek Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Russian Orthodoxy,Lutheranism, Mennonitism and Islam.[94]

Since 1980 it has been illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices.[95] An estimation by the CIA Factbook for the year 2000 is that 87% of Luxembourgers are Catholics, including the royal family, the remaining 13% being made up of Muslims, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and those of other or no religion.[96]

According to a 2005 Eurobarometer poll,[97] 44% of Luxembourg citizens responded that “they believe there is a God“, whereas 28% answered that “they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force” and 22% that “they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force”.

So, in other words, the government runs the churches. Personally, I don’t think that is a good idea. The idea that the state could have a hand in who leads a congregation in exchange for pay is a little (no, a lot) disturbing. I can imagine a thousand ways that could go wrong.

But the upside to it all is the statistic that says, essentially, 72% of those in Luxembourg believe there is something more to life than stark secularism. Either they believe that there is a God, or they believe that there is “something” out there. That’s good. At least there’s hope.

Pray

Pray for the people and churches of Luxembourg. I would guess they have all of the earthly things they need, but pray that they remember the words written to the church at Laodicea. Rich countries, like my country, tend to produce churches that think they have everything, but are lacking in what money cannot buy.

Because thou sayest, “I am rich, and increased with goods,” and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. – Revelation 3:17-18

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by | August 26, 2012 · 12:30 am

Slovenia

Narnia?

If you have ever read The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, then you should be able to imagine what a real Narnia would look like. In the fictional Narnia there were beaches, green countrysides, forests, and mountains. Essentially, there was just about every kind of natural beauty in one place, and from Cair Paravel one could see almost everything.

Well, I have never been to Slovenia, but from the pictures I have seen, and from all that I have recently read, this little European country could be the nearest to a real Narnia anyone could ever find. Just go to Slovenia’s official tourism website and look at all the pictures! They are absolutely beautiful!

And if you remember descriptions of Narnia, tell me, doesn’t this description of Slovenia sound almost like the imaginary paradise?

Slovenia is the only country in Europe that combines the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Pannonian Plain and the Karst. The changing landscape is constantly surprising, time and again. You can have one eye on the sea, then look in the other direction and be surrounded by high mountains. Heading up into the forests, you can see the green plains below you. From upland meadows your view stretches into river gorges. This proximity of opposites and contrasts is a hallmark of the country. – from http://www.Slovenia.info

Real World

But no matter how beautiful Slovenia is, she is still a nation of people that live in the real world. Hidden amid all the beautiful scenery is a people that have been through many years of turmoil and governmental changes. As a matter of fact, it was only in 1991 that Slovenia officially gained its independence from the former Yugoslavia. Up until then it had always been under the control of somebody else.

However, according to the U.S. Department of State website, the Republic of Slovenia is now a “vibrant democracy” with democratic roots that go back over 1,000 years. Believe it or not, it is said that the way “Slovene farmers contractually consented to be governed by the Duke [of Carinthia] influenced Thomas Jefferson’s drafting of the Declaration of Independence.”

Unlike many small countries, Slovenia is not exactly poor. They are doing well with their economy and have good trading relations with the rest of the world.

Real Need

But Slovenia does have one need, if nothing else. Slovenia needs to hear about the freeing grace of Jesus Christ. The International Mission Board reported recently that in the capital city of Ljubljana (pop. 300,000) there is only one Baptist church. Most other churches are either Catholic or Orthodox, but there doesn’t exist much evidence of personal faith.

I have had a few hits on my blog from Slovenia, but I would love to see more. But even more than visits to my blogs, my prayer is that more people in Slovenia would echo the words of John 12:21, “Sir, we would see Jesus.”

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