The Recovering Legalist

by Anthony Baker | August 2, 2016 · 7:00 am

Going to Africa!

Thanks!

zimbabwe map I give praise to the Lord for all of your prayers and financial support! As of last week all the needed funds for my mission trip to Zimbabwe had come in. What a blessing! What an answer to prayer!

Yes, I needed between $2,500-$2,700 in a relatively short amount of time – right during the time when I my income was greatly reduced – and you folks stepped up to the bat and hit a home run!

I can’t wait to send out “thank you” notes to all that I can.

Stress

Now, I have to admit that all is not fun and games, however. Even though I have received all the need funds to make the trip, I am still having to pinch pennies as I purchase the necessary items to take with me – and the luggage in which to carry it.

It has been a long time since I’ve flown, and back then things weren’t so strict. Also, back then I didn’t worry about taking all the stuff I’m having to take this time. Even more stressful has been the challenge of determining what size of suitcase and carry-on to buy. Believe it or not, I had to borrow a measuring tape from a store clerk so that I could make sure what I bought was under 62 inches, and still I was so confused I didn’t even get anything.

Buying luggage is worse than shoe shopping!

And there’s more… It’s less than a week from my departure and I’ve still got to find enough clothes, change the starter on my daughter’s car, paint, clean house (and garage), try to get registered for my next round of seminary (pursuing an M.Div.), prepare for Sunday’s sermons, do some visiting, drive a bus for a field trip, schedule guest posts on this blog, and do a LOT of praying!

It’ll Be OK

You know, the Lord has brought me thus far, why should I worry? I could really use a few more dollars to finish up getting a few supplies, but God will provide. I don’t yet understand all the luggage stuff, but I’ll get it sooner or later. Somehow I’ll get a good portion of my to-do list done before I leave – I hope.

I believe God has something great in store for me. I don’t know what it is, but it will be what’s needed and what’s best. My prayer is that it will include a safe trip to Zimbabwe and back to the States, back home. I also pray it will include personal revival, along with stories of many in Chinhoyi coming to Christ.

But whatever happens, God is in control, and it’ll be OK. Just keep praying for me, would you? And prayers for my family would be appreciated, too!

Thanks!

11 Comments

Filed under ministry, places, Thanksgiving

Tagged as giving, Missions, prayer, Stress, travel, zimbabwe

by Anthony Baker | July 31, 2016 · 11:35 pm

“Please Lord, Help Me Get One More”

A Facebook Find

I am writing this at 10:40 pm, Sunday evening. I was just in the process of shutting everything down when I decided to take a glance on Facebook – usually a big mistake when time is an issue.

Sometimes, after a stressful day, I will sit down at the computer and just scroll for a little while. Yeah, it can be a waste of time, most certainly, but isn’t it better than watching TV? I mean, should I see something interesting I can at least leave a comment, right?

Even more than a comment, I like finding stuff I can share, either on Facebook, Twitter, or this blog. I especially love finding out about upcoming events or important stories that can benefit others.

The following is one of those finds.

Hacksaw Ridge

While scrolling through the posts on Facebook I came across the official trailer for a movie which I am absolutely going to go see. The movie is supposed to be the true story of Desmond Doss, a local hero around these parts. Doss was a conscientious objector during WWII, but he became famous for actually going into combat to save lives.

By way of a little spoiler, just in case you’ve never heard of him, Desmond Doss won the Congressional Medal of Honor for single-handedly saving the lives of 75 injured soldiers, all while being fired upon by the enemy….and each one he personally lowered 200 ft. by rope off a bluff!

The name of the movie is Hacksaw Ridge. Here is the official trailer.

Just One More?

So, why sit down and write a blog post about a movie I’ve yet to see? Simple. Because of what I have seen.

Do you remember the heartbreaking scene at the end of the movie Schindler’s List? Remember when Schindler broke down and wept when he realized the gold in the simple lapel pin he was wearing could have saved at least one more Jew from being killed? Oh, that is a difficult bit of film to watch, but very worth it. Each time I see it I’m convicted.

In the upcoming film adaption of Desmond Doss’ story, we hear him pray, “Please Lord, just one more.” When you witness what he went through to keep going back, time after time, each time under fire, every time putting his own life at risk, will you be as convicted as me?

You see, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? And what does it profit a man to have his life saved, but then die and go to hell without ever hearing about the saving hope of Jesus Christ? If there are men out there who would put their lives on the line to save men and women from sure death, where are those crying out for the eternal souls of men?

Heaven will have its share of rewards, but how many will actually receive the equivalent of the Medal of Honor? How many of us will be commended by our Commander for braving enemy fire, scaling the jagged cliffs, and going back again and again for “just one more?” Isn’t that our mission?

Convicting, isn’t it?

5 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Faith, ministry, Movie review

Tagged as Desmond Doss, Gospel, Medal of Honor, Movies, WW2

by Anthony Baker | July 29, 2016 · 8:07 am

Four Observations On Isaiah 46:3-4

Sermons

In preparation for preaching in Africa, I’ve been going through some older outlines of sermons trying to stir up some thoughts. In the process I came across this one.

Here are just four simple point based on the following passage in Isaiah. I don’t usually preach from the New Living Translation, but for today that’s the translation I’ve decided to use.

Read the text, then take the points to heart.

Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight. Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.

“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime–until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” – Isaiah 46:1-4 NLT

1. If God is a burden to you, you’ve got the wrong god!

2. False gods sap our strength; the True God sustains us.

3. The True God doesn’t need saving.

4. You’re never too old to be a child of God.

Have a blessed day!

7 Comments

Filed under God, Preaching

Tagged as Christianity, God, Isaiah, preaching, sermons

by Anthony Baker | July 28, 2016 · 9:20 pm

Happy 16th Birthday, Haley!

Sweet Sixteen

Today (July 28th) my youngest daughter, Haley, turns sixteen. I am so happy for her, but it does make me feel old.

Haley has always been the serious one, the only baby in the family who would look at the photographer trying to make her laugh and say with an expression, “Are you serious?” No joke, if you were to look back at all of our girls’ baby pictures, Haley is the only one who very rarely smiled. Thankfully, she got the smile to working.

But Haley is not longer a baby – she’s sixteen. That’s 16. That’s driver’s license age. That’s the same age as Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles (although I have no idea how old Molly was when it was filmed). Am I ready for my serious little baby girl to ride around with a 20-something in his daddy’s Rolls Royce?

Uhmm… No. I’m not.

The Birth Announcement

Do you want to know how I first heard about Haley? Sure you do, or you’d quit reading.

Sixteen years ago I was working in Hopkinsville, Kentucky at Fuqua-Hinton Funeral Home, while my wife and other two daughters were still in Chattanooga. My wife had been trying to find a way to tell me she was expecting, but could never track me down. Finally, I was stopped by an older, Lurch-like funeral home worker as I was coming out of my office.

“Anthony, I need to tell you something… You need to sit down.”

“What’s going on?” I asked with a little curiosity.

Looking down at me with little expression and with a matter-of-fact tone he said, “You’re wife called. She’s pregnant. You’re going to have a baby.”

Yeah, that’s how I found out.

The Wildcat

July 4th at the park.

In case you didn’t get it, Haley was born in Kentucky, so that makes her a Wildcat. Now, she is not a big Kentucky Wildcat fan, or anything, but the name fits, that’s for sure.

Haley is anything but placid. Haley is as matter-of-fact as the funeral home where I worked, always serious, even when she’s having fun. But Haley is no one to be trifled with; she’s a gun-loving, knife-wielding, fish-catching, John Deere-riding kind of girl with an a hankering for action.

Haley loves to dress up with an elegance that rivals Grace Kelly, but give her half-a-chance and she’ll get down and dirty picking weeds out of mulch and hauling rock with a wheelbarrow. As a matter of fact, she’s a little entrepreneur: she’s started her own little business called “Hard-Work’n Southern Girl.”

Doing the hard work, like her grandpa and great-granddaddy before her.

Boldness

But if there is anything about Haley that makes me most proud is her boldness; Haley is fearless when it comes to approaching people. This trait can be especially useful when trying to sell a box full of my books to total strangers. Haley has no problem walking up to someone and offering them a flyer, asking them to buy a book, or walking up to a total stranger in need of help and offering hers.

Haley helping after storm When a storm comes through our community and blows down trees that block the road, Haley is the first to look for ways to help a neighbor…even when the neighbor looks a little scary and has a chainsaw (my wife took the picture – she stayed in the car while Haley got out and helped).

But it’s when she is bold about her faith in Jesus…when she walks up to a stranger and invites him to church… when she’s waiting in line somewhere and finds a reason to offer them one of my business cards and says, “You should come hear my dad preach”… when she wants to help out in the projects where the children of drug dealers need Bibles…

When she’s taken life’s tragedies and her own brokenness as an opportunity to make things right for others who’ve also been wounded and hurt…

When she reaches out to the unloved, the unlovely, the friendless, and the forgotten…because that’s what Jesus would do…

THAT is what makes me the proudest dad in the world.

Volleyball Banquet, November 2015

Happy birthday, Haley! I love you!!

Celebrating the b-day at Summit @ Bryan College. We brought roses 🙂 Katie, is on the right. Can you pick out Sean McDowell in the upper left corner?

6 Comments

Filed under Parenting, Relationships and Family

Tagged as Birthday, children, daughters, faith, Family, fathers

by Anthony Baker | July 27, 2016 · 10:36 am

I Am a Soldier. This Is My Creed.

Soldier’s Creed

Hearing a soldier in the United States Military recite his particular “Solder’s Creed,” whether it be with the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard, is something quite stirring.

Probably inspired by the military creeds of this world, an unknown author penned the following for soldiers in God’s Army, the Church: those bought with the blood of Christ, wearing the whole armor of God, and marching onward toward victory with the Sword of the Spirit in their hands.

The sooner we come to the realization that we are most certainly engaged in a spiritual war, the better. May we all be willing to stand unashamed…”and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

The Christian Soldier’s Creed

I am a soldier in the Army of my God.

The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer.

The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this Army, and I am enlisted for eternity.

I will either retire at the Rapture, or die in this Army; but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out.

I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable.

If my God needs me, I am there.

If He needs me in the Sunday school to teach the children, work with the youth, help adults, or just sit and learn, I’ll be there.

He can use me because I am there!

I am a soldier.

I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up.

I am a soldier.

No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me.

I am a soldier.

I am not a wimp.

I am in place saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His kingdom!

No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts.

I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to.

I am committed.

I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.

I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.

I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead.

I will win.

My God has, and will continue, to supply all my needs.

I am more than a conqueror.

I will always triumph.

I can do all things through Christ.

Devils cannot defeat me.

People cannot disillusion me.

Weather cannot weary me.

Sickness cannot stop me.

Battles cannot beat me.

Money cannot buy me.

Governments cannot silence me, and hell cannot handle me.

I am a soldier.

Even death cannot destroy me, for when my Commander calls me from this battlefield He will promote me to Captain and then allow me to rule with Him.

I am a soldier in the Army and I’m marching, claiming victory.

I will not give up.

I will not turn around.

I am a solder marching, heaven bound.

(Author Unknown)

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. – 2 Timothy 2:3

6 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Church, Culture Wars, Struggles and Trials

Tagged as Body of Christ, Christianity, Church, Creeds, Spiritual Warfare

by Anthony Baker | July 25, 2016 · 7:24 pm

Another Day In Court

“I See the Offender”

The offender stands within my sight,

Bound with the chains of judicial might.

I cannot reach him – I wouldn’t try,

But it’s crossed my mind – I wouldn’t lie.

Forgive me.

My little girl so young and sweet!

How can I stay here in my seat?

The rule of law will be my guide;

Within Thy Fortress I will hide.

Hold me.

Vengeance is not mine, I know;

It’s in Your hand where this will go.

But somehow wrongs will be made right,

If not now, then in Your sight.

Avenge me!

by: Anthony Baker

8 Comments

Filed under abuse, poetry

Tagged as abuse, court, Judicial system, Rape, sexual predator, trials

by Anthony Baker | July 25, 2016 · 6:25 am

Anthony’s Appetite #9 (from 2012)

The following post was written following my daughter Haley’s 12th birthday, and that was 4 years ago. This Friday she will be turning the big 16 while at Summit in Dayton, TN.

However, the main reason I am reposting this “Anthony’s Appetite” is because I’ve not written one in several years. I wanted you to know what one looked like, because you can bet your Twinkie I’m going to have something to write about when I get back from Zambia and Zimbabwe 🙂

Store vs. Home

There are some things that are better bought from a store than made at home. I know saying that will make some people angry, but it’s true. I can think of a few things right off the bat…

Captain Crunch Cereal – I especially like Crunch Berries.
Peanut Butter – sure, you can make it at home, but it gets nasty after a while.
Crackers – has anyone ever made a cracker better than a Nabisco Saltine?
Nilla Wafers – another winner from Nabisco. Put peanut butter on these and it’s the closest thing to manna from heaven.
Instant Coffee – have you ever tried to freeze-dry your own?

Birthday Cake

Last week we celebrated the twelfth birthday of our little Kung Fu queen, Haley. For her party she wanted a cake to coincide with her selected “Ip Man” theme (Ip Man was famous for introducing Wing Chun to the world). We had her picture made on rice paper for decoration, but the best part was the icing.

Icing

When it comes to cake icing, my wife makes the best in the world. And so do I – ’cause I used her recipe. She baked the cake for the party, but I mixed the icing.

Included in the recipe is butter, shortening, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and flavoring. This time the flavoring consisted of a mixture of almond and vanilla extract.

Because the cake was fairly large, I had to make a large bowl of icing, part of which needed to be colored pink.

Home Made vs. Canned

You can buy decent cake icing from a store, but it doesn’t even come close to the flavor and quality of what can be made at home. My wife’s cream cheese icing is smoother, creamier, tastier, and moist-ier. As a matter of fact, her icing can even make a bad cake taste better, saving the baker from embarrassment.

If you’d like the recipe, just email me. I’d love to hear from you. Then, come back here to let everyone know how good it actually is.

2 Comments

Filed under Food, Relationships and Family

Tagged as Cooking, Icing (food), Ip Man, Nabisco, Nilla, Peanut butter, Wing Chun

by Anthony Baker | July 23, 2016 · 7:29 pm

If You Think It’s Hot Here…

“There’s a Hotter Place”

If you think that it is hot here,

Then you might be surprised to know

There’s another place that’s far, far hotter,

A place where you never want to go.

Here the summer has certainly parched us.

Here the crops are all failing fast.

But there’s another place where it’s much, much hotter,

And the heat wave lasts and lasts.

Here you can find you a bucket

With ice and cold water or beer.

But there’s a place where it’s so much hotter,

People beg for the drop of a tear.

Oh, you think it’s so terribly hot here,

You avoid it be staying inside.

But there’s a place where there’s no hiding from it:

The Hell of the lost who have died.

by: Anthony C. Baker

1 Comment

Filed under Faith, Future, poetry

Tagged as heat wave, hell, Poetry, summer

by Anthony Baker | July 21, 2016 · 7:00 am

Funny Observations

Author Unknown

I know this may sound a little crazy, but I can’t remember if I wrote the following “funnies,” or if I borrowed them from somewhere. I may have written them, but I can’t tell.

I found the following statements in my sermon note/outline basket, the place where I “file” my notes and outlines, when I was looking for some sermons to take with me to Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, if I copied these from somewhere I don’t know who to credit. So, I’ll just confess that even if the words are mine, the author is technically unknown.

Isn’t It Funny?

Funny how we set our clocks to arise at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. to be at the job by 7:30, yet when Sunday comes we can’t get to church at 11 a.m. to praise the One who gave us the jobs!

Funny how we call God our Father and Jesus our brother, but find it hard to introduce them to our family.

Funny how small our sins are, but how big their sins are.

Funny how we demand JUSTICE! for others, but expect mercy for ourselves.

Funny how much difficulty some have learning the gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is to understand and explain the latest gossip about someone else.

Funny how we can’t think of anything to say when we pray, but don’t have any difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how we are so quick to take directions from a total stranger when we are lost, but are hesitant to take God’s direction for our lives.

Funny how people want God to answer their prayers, but refuse to listen to His counsel.

Funny how we sing about Heaven, but live only for today.

Funny how people think they’re going to Heaven but don’t believe there’s a Hell.

Funny how it is okay to blame God for evil and suffering in the world, but it is not necessary to thank Him for what is good and pleasant.

Funny how when something goes wrong we cry, “Lord, why me?” but when something goes wrong we think, “Hey, it must be me!”

Oh wait. . . maybe all this isn’t so “funny” after all.