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 | July 6, 2015 · 2:49 pm

Visiting Charleston, S.C. (Part 1)

Vacation (or Holiday, for you Brits)

Last week my family went on vacation. With the exception of Katie, the daughter who stayed home and watched the house and dogs (and used too much laundry soap), we all loaded up and drove to Charleston, South Carolina, to stay with our oldest daughter, Alicia, and her husband, Josh.

But it wasn’t just family. Roy and Esther Cavender (close friends from Hopkinsville, KY) also endured the long, 8-hour drive in our mini-van to Charleston. In case you’re counting, that’s four adults and one teenager in a single vehicle for the equivalent of a regular work day.

Have you ever gone on vacation with another family to another family’s house in a distant location? Let me clue you in to a fact of life – you’d better be REALLLLLY good friends.

Happily Married

One thing about going on vacation with people that are not in your immediate family is that you come to appreciate why you are married to whom. In other words, we all have differences which we can appreciate (Isn’t that “reyeght” Roy & Esther and Alicia & Josh?).

For example, my wife and I know how to get along (most of the time). We know what the other one likes and dislikes (most of the time); we know how certain situations make us feel (OK, I’m stretching it); and we know what is most likely to tick the other one off (Sure do!). That’s not the case with friends and family that don’t live under the same roof all the time. Vacationing can be a learning curve…with disputing GPS’s.

Staying in someone’s house, as opposed to a hotel, can save money and offer more time to spend together, but it sure has the potential for stress. Don’t get me wrong – we’d do it again! It’s just now that it’s all over, I like the way my wife and I do things. I’m pretty sure everyone else feels the same way.

We Had a Good Time

But even though there were some awkward and tense moments in and on the way to Charleston, we did have a fun and enriching time. We got to spend quality time with friends and family, meet new people, eat new foods, see new places, and experience the time away we so desperately needed. I even made a fish fly.

So, in the next few posts I will share my thoughts on some things I saw and did while in Charleston, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • photo 1 (6)The Confederate Museum
  • Shooting machine guns with my son-in-law
  • Going to the beach
  • Alligators in the back yard
  • Shopping
  • Visiting the Emanuel A.M.E. Church

Have I piqued your curiosity? Let me know if there’s something specific about which you’d like to hear.

I’ve got a lot of stories, it’s just a matter of narrowing them down to the magic 500 words or less, you know.

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by | June 26, 2015 · 1:57 pm

The Supreme Court Decided, Now So Must We

Folks, let’s be honest and get right to the point: all Hell is about to break loose upon the Christian church, its leadership, and anyone who dares hold on to the biblical definition of marriage. Make no mistake, demonic forces are gleefully frothing at the mouth, along with those they are influencing, at the buffet of litigious opportunity that has now been afforded them.

At this point you’ve no doubt hear the news: the Supreme Court has redefined marriage to be whatever makes a person happy, therefore making it a constitutionally protected right.

Because of today’s ruling, we will be seeing attacks on the Church and Christians from every conceivable angle. They will use today’s decision as the basis for ending tax-exemption, closing churches, and imprisoning ministers. The rainbowed sky is the limit.

Supporters of the new law will threaten and intimidate Christians in the workplace; deny benefits and contracts; force Christian colleges to close; refuse degrees from Christian universities; encourage investigations by DHS and Child Protective Services; silence free speech; and a long list of other things. Without doubt, the LGBTQ agenda is the tool of the new cultural cleansing that the enemies of American conservatism and freedom have long dreamed of.

But what now? What must we do? Well, I was sent the following link to an article by Jay Richards. I would encourage all of you to read it.

The Supreme Court Redefines Marriage: What We Must Do | The Stream.

Also, I want to forward a link to an article in the Baptist Press which includes statements from Southern Baptist leaders. I stand in agreement with them.

http://www.bpnews.net/45036/54-marriage-decision-christians-will-stand-fast

But as easy as it would be to throw up one’s hands and quit, now is not the time. Frankly, now is the time for the wheat to be separated from the tares. Now is the time for those who have long said there is a line they will not cross to not cross that line.

I have made my decision: I will not cross that line.

 

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by | June 25, 2015 · 12:08 am

My Two Cents On the Southern Thing

There is much I’d like to say with respect to this whole Confederate battle flag controversy. Unfortunately, much of what I would like to say might come across as offensive; no matter what I say, somebody will be offended.

Therefore, I won’t write much, only enough to say I’ve added my two cents into the raging fountain. Who knows, maybe I might even get a wish granted.

First, I am a Southerner. If you are not from the South, then you probably have no idea what it’s like to live in a country you love and would give your life for, while at the same time feel sorta like you’re living in occupied territory. Being a Southern-bred, red-blooded American is sort of like having a split personality. And I’m proud of my personality.

Second, General Robert E. Lee is one of my heroes, and I will not apologize for that fact, despite the fact that our Confederate heritage is under attack from almost every direction. As a matter of fact, precisely because it seems everything Southern is being scrutinized by those jumping on the politically-correct bandwagon, I am more so on the defensive. I have a portrait of General Lee in my study, and that’s where it will stay.

Third, it disgusts me to see so many people not care about something one day, but then when it seems like not caring will cost political points or make one appear uncaring, they all of a sudden care to the extreme. If it wasn’t such a big deal last week, then it’s just pandering this week.

Fourth, I see all these politicians going to black (African-American) churches to decry racial discrimination, but fail to hear them recognize the irony of giving those speeches in racially segregated congregations! Am I the only one seeing this?!

Fifth, I hope the world can recognize the difference in the way a Southern, Christian community can respond to tragedy without burning itself down in the process. Love, and coming together to forgive the unlovable, is not the way of the Al Sharptons and the Jessie Jacksons, which proves they have no desire to emulate the crucified Christ who said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” They care nothing of the commandment to “love your enemies.”

Sixth, I’d bet my next paycheck a rainbow flag actually offends me more than a Confederate battle flag offends Hillary Clinton.

Lastly, this flag flap controversy, if nothing else, should prove to the true believer in Jesus Christ that we are all strangers and pilgrims in this world. The words of a children’s song I used to sing in Sunday School should pretty much sum it up: “Jesus is the Rock of my salvation; His banner over me is Love.”

Fly whatever flag you want, but the ensign over my heart is Jesus: may HE be high and lifted up (John 12:32).

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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 | June 21, 2015 · 8:00 am

I’m Still At It, Dad

“You Still Preaching?”

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:

  • “Are you still unemployed?”
  • “You still sick with that sickness thing?”
  • “You still married?”
  • “You still running off at the mouth about things you know nothing about?”
  • “You still planning to party with Hitler for eternity?”

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.

Some Statistics

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…

  • 70% felt God called them to pastoral ministry before their ministry began, but after three years of ministry, only fifty percent still felt called.
  • 80% of pastors’ spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
  • 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
  • 80% of adult children of pastors surveyed have had to seek professional help for depression.
  • 70% of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor.
  • 80% of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.

Still Preaching

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

photo (16)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.

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by | June 21, 2015 · 7:56 am

Father’s Day

I had another post prepared for today, but I pulled it; it made me look too good. 

I miss my dad, terribly so. He was everything I am not: consistent, strong, a good husband, good father, brave, and a harmonica player. He never lost his temper (that I saw), never cursed, and never let me know it if he ever worried. I was never ashamed of him, but was always proud to be his son. 

It’s been 24 years since he died, and I’ve gone many an aniversary never even thinking about it. But this year is different; I wish he was here. 

I don’t deserve any praise or gifts. I don’t even want any well-wishes. All I want is for this day to be over. I’m not worth celebrating. 

Dad, I know you can’t hear me or read this, but I wish you were here. I need to talk, to hear some advice, to just go do something together. On the other hand, I’m glad you don’t have to see me like this; you’d probably wonder where you went wrong. Knowing you, you’d be proud of me for the things I’ve accomplished, but in your heart you’d be worried, and I’d be silently ashamed. Like I said, Daddy, I know you can’t read this, but thankfully, the next time we will meet I will have been transformed into the likeness of our Saviour, clothed in righteousness, and without fault. There will be no shame or regret, and then we can both give honor, together, to the only Father who is truly deserving of praise. 

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by | June 19, 2015 · 9:43 pm

Charleston On My Mind

As I sit down to write this, I don’t really know what I am going to say, other than what is on my heart. If I can get it out into words that make sense and don’t confuse anyone, that’s all I can hope for.

First of all, one of my daughters and her husband live in Charleston, South Carolina. As a matter of fact, I was just there last week and plan to return not too long from now. It is a beautiful, historic city. It is certainly worth a long visit.

Secondly, I want to visit Emanuel AME Church when I return to Charleston in a week or so. I want to go to the place where so much attention is being directed and pray for peace.

What is truly disheartening is all the hate I continue to read on Facebook. The hate is coming from from all directions, but much is being aimed at white people, like Dylann Roof is supposed to be the spokesman (and gunman) for Caucasians everywhere. Where do people get all this nonsense? One common suggestion from angry blacks is that they should arm themselves and rise up against white America. Like THAT is the answer! It’s a wrong answer to a false perception that is perpetuated in the minds of those who are as racist as the killer being condemned!

The fact is that what Dylann Roof did was horrible, but it wasn’t the first time people were killed in a church – and it won’t be the last. It wasn’t the first time a white man killed black people – and it won’t be the last. It wasn’t the first time a deranged and evil-filled tool of Satan murdered innocent people – and it won’t be the last. But to suggest that an entire race hates another and that the evidence is the actions of one man? Well, that is nothing more than an excuse for perpetuating existing hatred and racism from a different direction.

The best and most disarming response I have heard, so far, came from Anthony Thompson, the son of slain Myra Thompson (59), as he spoke to the killer himself…

“I forgive you. But we would like you to take this opportunity to repent. Repent, confess, give your life to the one who matters most: Christ. So that he can change it, can change your ways no matter what happened to you and you’ll be OK. Do that and you’ll be better off than what you are right now.”

Some have jumped into the fray and asked, “Where was God in all this?” Those who ask that question evidently know little about the God Anthony Thompson worships. They know little about eternal things, and ways higher than their own. They assume that if God was real He must stop all acts of violence; all crimes; any and all sin. They forget that it is by God’s grace they live and breathe, even when they commit murder in their own hearts when they hate. They ignore the fact that love is never more on display than when back-dropped by hatred.

What we saw in Charleston was the result of hatred and ignorance, of evil, blinding the heart and mind of one who was deceived and used by the Enemy of righteousness, and he acted of his own free will. But what we are also seeing are those whose faith is more than words; those whose love is more than a feeling; and evidence of lives truly changed by a God who was there all the time, able to take what was meant for evil and turn it into good.

Now, while I am still putting my thoughts out here for the world to see, let me say something else. Had someone else in that church been armed, Dylann Roof may not have had the opportunity to do as much damage, at least not reload multiple times. I am all for having individuals in my church who are armed and ready for any such threat. We have to be, for things like this have happened before – in white churches, too – and they will continue to happen as long as men hate righteousness.

You may be asking, “But Pastor, how could you endorse carrying a weapon and possibly killing someone?” The answer is really very simple, I think. You see, I am a shepherd of sheep, and a shepherd is charged with the sheep’s protection. If a wolf were to walk into the fold and try to harm my sheep, I would dispatch it. Should a man walk into my church and try to kill my people, my flock, then that man forfeits his status as a human and becomes an animal – I will dispatch him as I would the wolf. Forgiveness comes after the fight.

So, those are my thoughts for the moment. May God’s grace be with those affected by this tragedy in Charleston.

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by | June 17, 2015 · 12:53 am

Things I Stand “For”

Judgmental Piranhas

There is an unending current full of piranha-like detractors, each taking a bite out of the weary and flailing defenders of normality left floating in the sea of change. After the sinking of the USS Common Sense, many are floating aimlessly, constantly being bitten by those who preach the disemboweling and gutless philosophy of never standing in opposition to anything.

Those who bite into the abandoned ask, “Why do you have to be against everything? Is that all you want to be known for? Being against stuff?” Schools of cultural relativists nibble away the backbone as Laodicean leaches suck away the strength of drowning Watchmen. With judgmental tones and a self-righteous sense of moral superiority they demand, “Quit standing against everything; stand for something!”

How are the above attacks judgmental in nature? They declare any attempts to defend righteousness as unrighteous, even un-Christlike. How are they harmful? Bit by bit, bite by bite they gnaw away at one’s resolve, one’s courage, and one’s determination to stand in opposition to the destructive flotsam beating against the foundations of society.

With the Flow

So, I have decided that it might be in everyone’s best interest to go with the flow and quit standing in public opposition to destructive ideologies and cultural perversions. Instead of standing against things, I will stand for things. The latter, of course, will appear less bigoted and more conducive to this culture of affirmation.

Theoretically, as I float along in the cultural current, instead of getting beat up by the wreckage of broken lives, I can point out the positives (cue the happy music), holding up anything worth saving above the waves.

The following, therefore, are what I would call the “pitch-covered baskets” (think baby Moses) worth saving from the crocodiles. In other words, instead of a “judgmental” and “negative” standing AGAINST, these are some things I am going to be standing FOR:

  • The rights of the unborn (I positively support pro-life initiatives).
  • Strengthening the traditional, nuclear family and heterosexual marriage.
  • Religious freedom and protection from government coercion.
  • Freedom of speech.

In addition, I will stand for…

  • Term limits and reduced salaries for Congress.
  • Major reductions in the size of our government.
  • The immediate revocation of citizenship and subsequent deportation of any American who wants to replace the U. S. Constitution with Sharia Law and/or makes threats against the people of the United States.

And I’m FOR a couple of other things, like…

  • Mandatory psychiatric evaluations for most Hollywood celebrities, especially former child stars who swing naked on demolition equipment, perform mournful songs about dead pet blowfish, and dress like stuffed animals.
  • Spray tan for everyone! Call it the “Dolezal Amendment.” One race and benefits for all!

Who Will?

Unfortunately, it really doesn’t matter whether we stand FOR or AGAINST something, too few are willing to make ANY kind of stand at all.

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.“ – Ezekiel 22:30

Those who DO decide to stand will need a “shark suit” from heaven (Ephesians 6:13).

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by | June 12, 2015 · 9:12 am

A Fool and His “Switch”

If we had more parents and grandparents acting like parents and grandparents, much of the stuff we see going on today would never happen. If only people would apply the Wisdom of Proverbs to their lives…what a better world it would be.

Anthony Baker's avatarProverbial Thought

Proverbs 14:3

“In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.”
“A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.” – NIV

Pick Your Own

If the typical Child Protective Services agent of today had been around when I was a wee heathen, my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents would have been hauled off to jail. My parents, especially my paternal grandmother, would have wound up on the front page of the newspaper. They would have made the evening news on television. The story would have read something like this…

APNews. Mary Baker, the half-Cherokee grandmother of sweet little Anthony Baker, was arrested for gross child abuse, today. Mrs. Baker, widow of the late William Baker (saw mill owner; moonshine runner), was found to have left marks on cute little Anthony’s backside…

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