If all you can do is all you can do, then do all you can do to do all you can do.
But if you’re not doing all you can do to do all you can do, then how much do you really want what it is you do the thing you do for?
It’s not all about do, do, do; it’s about “whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the LORD, and not unto men” (Col. 3:23).
Now, go do the thing that you do!
Time for a random picture taken by my daughter, Katie. 🙂 Enjoy!
Yesterday, I published a post suggesting “6 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor When He’s Preaching.” The very first way, as I humorously suggested, was to give the pastor some “feedback.”
Feedback. Don’t just sit there like a knot on a log when your pastor is preaching; give him some feedback! Say, “Amen!” Wave your hand. Throw a hymnal at the pulpit. DO SOMETHING! How is he supposed to know he’s getting through to you if you just sit there silently with a blank look on your face? At least nod your head in agreement once in a while.
Believe it or not, all I could think about the rest of the day, and this morning, was that word: feedback. It really bothered me, so I couldn’t help but do a little research.
Since this was a safe enough subject (not theology), I went to Wikipedia and, to my amazement, discovered that the word “feedback” has far more to do with economics and electronics than positive or negative reinforcement.
Feedback was not even the original spelling of the word. According to the brains at Wikipedia:
The verb phrase “to feed back”, in the sense of returning to an earlier position in a mechanical process, was in use in the US by the 1860s, and in 1909, Nobel laureate Karl Ferdinand Braun used the term “feed-back” as a noun to refer to (undesired) coupling between components of an electronic circuit.
It was not until much later did the terms positive or negative feedback enter into the context of social sciences.
But as I pondered the word feedback, especially in the context of ministry, the ideas of “circularity of action,” “looping,” and “the output of one affecting the input of another” took on a whole new meaning.
Ministry is never supposed to be a one-way street of communication and teaching. Those who teach and preach must, at some level, at some time, receive something back, whether positive or negative, in order to justify what they do. For example, what good is it to say a teacher is a good teacher, even called by God, if never once a student or disciple shows evidence of being taught? Positive feedback could be something like good grades, a successful career, or even a budding new teacher or preacher ready to reach the next generation.
To put it another way, those of us in ministry “feed” the sheep; “circularity of action” is when the sheep feed the shepherd. In other words, feedback is the congregation taking what has been poured into them and returning it, in some form or another, to the pastor, encouraging him, confirming his calling, thereby sustaining the loop.
In the big picture of things, our ultimate source of encouragement and strength, the power behind our spiritual output, is the Holy Spirit. He is our Comforter, our Counselor, and our Friend. When we do what we’re called to do, when we obey Christ, the Spirit of God will confirm our work in some way.
But in the context of people – and that’s all preachers and pastors and ministers of all kinds are, just people – we are ALL sheep in His flock. Feeding back is nothing more than us sharing with each other some of the blessings and benefits of the green pasture where the Great Shepherd has led us.
![Ezekiel 3415 [widescreen]](https://therecoveringlegalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ezekiel-3415-widescreen.png?w=500&h=281)
What are your thoughts? How can feedback affect the minister, both positively and negatively?
I know this is dangerous, but I just want to ask the question that so many others are asking:
Why?
Last Friday more Christians were killed by Muslims (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb {AQIM}), this time in Burkina Faso. The following was given as the reason:
“In a new message from the heroic champions of Islam, with their blood and their bodies, to the slaves of the cross, the occupiers of our homes, the looters of our wealth, and who would undermine our security, launched a group of knights, Al Murabitoon, on a commando raid in Hotel Splendid…. [This is] a reminder to the worshipers of the cross of their crimes against our people in Central Africa and Mali and other Muslim countries and revenge for our Prophet.”
Seriously?
Missionaries Amy and Michael Rittering
American missionary, 45-year-old Michael Riddering, ran an orphanage, helped women in crisis, and even helped dig graves during the Ebola crisis! What did he loot? What did he occupy? How did he undermine your security? How many of your children did he kill?
Canadians Yves Carrier, Gladys Chamberland, and their two children, Charles-Élie, 19, and Maude, 37, along with two of their friends, Suzanne Bernier and Louis Chabot, were volunteering as short-term missionaries…helping the poor and the orphans! What wealth did they loot? What did they occupy? How did they undermine your security? How many of your children did they kill?
Slaves of the cross? At least you go that part correct. But do you know why? Because of love! The cross of Christ compelled them to LOVE!
You terrorists think nothing of taking innocent life. In your twisted thinking you justify killing helpless women and children as you dare call yourselves “knights”? What kind of cowardly soldier of the crescent are you? You think it’s brave to shoot a crying child with an AK-47? The brave ones are the ones who go unarmed into your countries, risking their lives, all to help alleviate the suffering your oppressive and sadistic beliefs bring about.
Dear Muslim, why can’t you see that this path of bloodshed, of beheadings, of stabbings, of raping in the streets, of sex slavery, of beatings, of destroying ancient artifacts, of killing those who only want to bring peace is the WRONG path?
Why?
The greatest Christians are those who willingly lay down their lives so that others might be saved; the greatest Muslims (from what we see) are those who willingly lay down their lives so that others may die. Can you see the stark difference?
You follow Islam and the Prophet with such legalistic fervor. You keep all the laws with such religiosity, yet never truly know if you are accepted by Allah. You do all these things in order to earn his praise and the respect of others. But what is it really getting you? Love? Grace? Forgiveness for your sins? Peace? No, only bloodshed.
We follow Jesus Christ because it was He who laid down HIS life – not to take the lives of others, but to set them free from the law of sin and death! He died on the cross, in our place, in order to satisfy the righteous judgment of God! When we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! All we have to do is accept the Gift of God’s mercy and be forgiven! We voluntarily submit our lives to the One who gave His so that we might live forever!! And we don’t have to blow ourselves to pieces, either!
Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Galatians 3:13 – “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:”
Titus 2:14 – “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
There is a better way, dear Muslim! Why can’t you see it? Or, rather, why can’t you see Him? Why?
Filed under Countries, current events, Faith, Life/Death, ministry, Struggles and Trials
I’d love see you at church this Sunday.
It would make me happy to see you there.
It doesn’t matter what you wear,
Or if you’re late. I don’t care!
I’d just love to see you in church this Sunday.
Of course, you know, we’re not all perfect.
For crying out loud, it’s not a secret!
We’re all messed up, and I admit it,
So would you just come to church this Sunday?
You can sit with me or sit alone.
You can read your Bible on your phone.
We all just want you to feel at home.
Just know you are welcome with us this Sunday.
by: Anthony C. Baker
It feels like the year is already flying by and not enough has been accomplished. Too much needs to be done, and I need to be focused. This is no time to be spinning my wheels and going nowhere.
Therefore, in this post I am going to share with you something very intimate. The following is a list of my personal ministry objectives…personal goals for which I feel I’m called to strive. I would appreciate your prayers for my family and me as I remind myself of what’s important – and what’s at stake.
I’ve gotten distracted, unfortunately. Now’s the time to refocus.
I. To bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ in all that I do (Psa. 19:14) and go through (1 Pet. 1:7).
II. To “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:13) and “to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
III. To be known as a humble and consistent husband and father whose household serves the Lord (Josh. 24:15; 1 Cor. 15:58); a forgiven sinner who understands grace (1 Tim. 1:15); and a fearless soldier of the Cross (Mark 8:34) who never compromises the truth (1 Tim. 4:16).
IV. To affect future generations yet to come as children are grounded, parents are strengthened, singles are emboldened, and the aged get a second wind (Josh. 4:21-24; Pro. 22:6).
V. To promote the preaching and teaching of the Gospel in every part of the world (Acts 1:8) through discipleship and missions.
Do you have any objectives? What are they?
Scriptures Referenced:
Filed under Christian Living, Future, ministry, Preaching
If you don’t know who Kenneth Copeland and Jessie Duplantis are, then I’m glad. Maybe it should stay that way. But if you keep reading, and if you watch the attached video, then your innocence will be destroyed.
I don’t talk much about men like Kenneth Copeland and Jessie Duplantis. One reason is that I don’t want to waste my time. Another reason is that I try to avoid offending some of my readers who I know listen to and watch these guys.
But today is going to be different; I may have to offend.
I am going to be very honest with you, if you don’t mind. And what I am about to say will not be couched in any sarcasm or humor. The fact is that I can’t stand Kenneth Copeland. I think he is a crook, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, demonically inspired, and nothing remotely close to a genuine man of God. His teachings are destructive, unbiblical, heretical, and more than likely leading people to hell (and, yes, I believe there’s a hell).
What got me wanting to write something about how I feel was a video that recently hit the news. If you haven’t already seen it, just watch it below.
I don’t doubt that there are people and ministries that legitimately need private aircraft, and I’m not one of them. However, these guys are full of mud.
I love how they say they are in the “soul-saving business,” yet think of a passenger airliner as a long tube full of demons that could possibly hinder the anointing.
Gag. Me. With. A. Spoon!
Hey, if you’re dying to give your money away to ministries that have nothing to do with your local church, why not give to missionaries? You could always donate to the SBC International Mission Board. Or, I could recommend some individual local and overseas ministries desperately in need of funds. Seriously.
Whatever you do, don’t trust these guys or send them your money. Don’t watch them on TV or buy their books. Should you give to them you will be contributing to the furtherance of damnable heresy and blasphemy.
If you need a pastor, find one that has given his life to reach the people on the plane. Find one that can pray anywhere. Find one that preaches the soul-saving, life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ, not the prosperity-promising, money-grabbing false doctrines of the jet-setting “anointed.”
That’s all I’m going to say about these charlatans at this time. Should there be any interest, there are plenty of sources detailing the heretical teachings of Copeland, Duplantis, Hinn, and the like. Just Google them.
I’m just amazed people still take them seriously.
Filed under cults, General Observations, ministry
Hey everybody!
Listen, I was doing some reading and came across a blog I think more people should read. It’s called Fallen Pastor (Finding Restoration In a Broken World).
Maybe you’ve known a pastor or minister who has fallen, who has walked away from ministry, because of some moral failure. Sadly, there are more than people think. Maybe it happened to you. Fallen Pastor has something for everyone in any ministerial position.
For that matter, Fallen Pastor has some strong advice for everyone.
Seriously, I was scrolling through the list of posts on Fallen Pastor and was shocked that there were not more “likes.” As a matter of fact, Fallen Pastor has been around for several years, and yet there are barely 100 subscribers! That is sad!
Ray Carroll, the blog’s author, was a pastor who “fell from grace” because of an affair. But instead of walking away from God, as many do in these situations, Mr. Carroll has taken the opportunity to help and challenge others.
Consider this sampling of posts from Fallen Pastor:
So, my friends, go check out Fallen Pastor; there’s a lot of good stuff posted there.
Consider subscribing, too. We need to encourage our pastors, even those who have made mistakes.
Like many pastors, whether they’d admit it or not, I’m still in my little study/office with an open Bible, a note pad, some colored pencils, coffee that’s no longer hot, and a deep, yearning desire to hear from God.
It’s after midnight, and while many folk are already in bed, still partying, or watching another increasingly perverted installment of Saturday Night Live, I’m wiping away tears as I beg for the souls of lost young men and women, boys and girls, and adults who think there’s nothing left to hear that will change their minds about Jesus.
I know that I’m only human, but the task before me is inhuman; it is more than I can accomplish in my own strength with my own words. But I must try. I must depend on God’s endless grace and mercy. He called me, but He will empower me, speak through me, for I am but a vessel.
Nevertheless, I struggle, for the words I choose to say must adhere to a universal Truth, the gospel that transcends cultures and circumstance. It can’t – it MUST NOT! – be a message relevant only to those here in America, but a message of Truth that could fit right in to whatever culture in which it’s shared. Otherwise, instead of a universal Gospel, all I have is my opinion on an Americanized gospel which will be irelevant to some who may attend and hear nothing more than me pontificate.
The eleven o’clock hour at church, for many, is just another box on a list that must be checked off in order to earn a few religious brownie points. Rarely does one come, so it seems, expecting an encounter with the Living, Holy, Creator God. If I stand and preach in my own strength, with my own words, there’s no reason for any expectation.
But if I’m broken, humble, obedient, and yielding, not to mention passionate for the heart of my Saviour, and faithfully expound the Word of God, the universally applicable gospel of Jesus Christ, the Hope that is the same no matter where in the world a person is from, will be preached and, should the Spirit move, lives will be changed. That is my prayer.
There’s never enough study and preparation time, so for many like me, the dark and quiet loneliness of Sunday morning is the time to wrap things up, settle my heart with God, and pray, if nothing else, that I’m not a hindrance to the glorious work set before me.
Dear Father, may we experience an encounter with you. Where we will gather, please be in our midst. May we as Saul, as Ananias, as little Samuel, hear You call our names. May we also, with obedient and submissive hearts, say, “Here I am, Lord…what would you have me to do?”
May it happen around the world!
Filed under Countries, Culture Wars, God, ministry, Prayer, Theology, Witnessing, World View
I am beginning to hear it more frequently, especially now that I am no longer pastor of Riverside. Family members, old friends, former acquaintances, including a person or two I never cared to see again, come up to me and ask, “Hey, you still preaching?”
I heard people ask my father the same question.
Maybe it’s the thing to do. Maybe it is customary to ask a person if they are still doing what they were doing the last time you saw them. It makes sense. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked other people stuff like:
I just don’t get why people ask if I am still preaching. It’s like they think I’ll change my mind, or something.
In reality, it’s not that unreasonable to ask someone who once accepted the call to ministry if he is still preaching. I mean, it has been over 30 years since I made my calling public, but I’ve known more than one who walked away the first year.
If more people knew the statistics, few would would ever enter the ministry. Stop and think about it, would you enter a career with the highest rate of heart attacks? Consider these facts…
Yet, I’m still preaching! It may sound strange, but I can’t help it! And the older I get, the more committed I am to finishing the work to which I’ve been called – to finish well.
“But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!” – Jeremiah 20:9 NLT
“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” – 1 Corinthians 9:16 KJV
Today is my dad’s birthday (November 4th). I miss him very much.
Not long ago I went to his grave and placed my Bible on his tombstone. There, glistening in the sun, were the gilded words “Rev. Anthony C. Baker.” His legacy is still bearing fruit.
Now, in memory of a father who never stopped preaching, whether an actual pastor, or not, I want to be “standing in the gap” till God calls me home. I miss my dad, but if I could say anything to my him right now, it would be this:
Happy birthday, Dad. I’m still at it. I’m not giving up. You’d be proud.
Filed under Faith, ministry, Preaching, Struggles and Trials
Here’s an Amazon.com link if you want one 😉
There is an app on my iPhone4s that I use to record all my sermons, including the 15-minute ones I record and then email to the radio station. However, if my phone is not charged, I have no way of recording, because the digital microphone (Blue Mikey) plugs into the port where the charger goes (I’m ready for an upgrade, though).
So, while I am waiting a few more minutes for my iPhone to charge so I can record a sermon for radio (I nearly let it die because I left it at church last night), I am going to give you all a little update.
Here’s the thing: I’m OK!
Am I having to deal with some serious issues, the details of which I can’t make public? Yes. Am I in need of a serious all-inclusive vacation? Absolutely (I’ll take donations)! Did my last post give some the impression that I am a pitiful mess, moping about the house, driving aimlessly down the road, incessantly dobbing my watery eyes with tissues from a pink, doily-covered box? Evidently!
In case you were wondering, the reason I wrote “My Confession” was because I was just trying to be honest about life. There ARE days when the burdens we must bear and the walk we must walk are impossible to endure without the strength available to us through Jesus Christ.
Even though I may shed a tear, that just means I’m still human and have a heart; I’m not an animal or a machine. But once my tears are dried, once I’ve used my pass into town to blow off some steam, I am going to be right back on the front lines, giving the enemy heaven.
I will fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life, holding true to the profession I have made (1 Tim. 6:12). I will put on the whole armor of God and stand in the face of every onslaught from the evil one (Eph. 6:13), not giving an inch of ground. I am a warrior in the Army of the Living God, so I will endure this present hardness and eschew the petty things of this life; that I “may please Him who hath chosen me to be a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:3-4).
My phone is charged, so a charging I will go.
(UPDATE: If you are curious and would like to hear how the sermon I just recorded turned out, then I’d be happy to email you a copy 🙂 )
Filed under Christian Living, Life Lessons, ministry, Preaching
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