The Recovering Legalist

by Anthony Baker | October 17, 2014 · 1:04 pm

Overtaken vs. Granted

Scary Things

There aren’t many of things that scare me now that I am an adult. However, as a child I lived in dread of a lot of things. I was afraid of vampires, clowns, Russians, and girls with cooties. Now I know that vampires can be killed with a good flashlight (the handle part, that is) and Russia is less of a threat than China, I think. However, clowns and girls are still a problem.

On the other hand, I used to love to fly in airplanes, drink from unwashed soda cans and public water fountains, and drive sports cars at ungodly rates of speed down curvy mountain roads. Now, as an adult, I know that it takes a long time to fall from 30,000 feet, germs are everywhere, and deer have a habit of walking in front of good drivers.

But the biggest thing is that most of the scary things in life are either in my mind, or avoidable. I have no fear of them eventually catching up with me. If killer bees get too close, I’ll just move. The wicked, however, have no such hope.

Gonna Getcha

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted. – Proverbs 10:24

I like the way the NIV translates the first part of this verse, “What the wicked dreads will overtake him…” This proverb is telling us that the wicked are running from something, while the righteous are running to something. And more than that, whatever the wicked are fleeing from will eventually catch up.

What do the wicked fear? What will eventually overtake them? A few things come to mind: being alone, pain, loss, falling, and death. Huh…coincidentally, all of those will be present in hell. Go figure.

Gonna Grant It

But for the righteous…the ones who know every good gift is from God, the ones who know grace can’t be earned…their desires will be granted.

Amazing, isn’t it? What does the righteous desire? To be loved. To be healed. To have treasure that won’t decay. To be caught up. To have eternal life. Wow! Everything that heaven will bring!

But there’s one more thing: the righteous will welcomed into the presence of their greatest Desire – Jesus.

Don’t run from Jesus. Run to Him. Make Jesus your desire.

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Filed under Christian Living, Faith, Life Lessons, Theology

Tagged as devotional, faith, Fear, Lifestyle Choices, proverbs

by Anthony Baker | October 15, 2014 · 12:59 pm

Feedback Needed! Don’t Be a Snotty Susie!

The following is an excerpt from a new book I am trying to complete within the next few days. It will be called Life Lessons from the School Bus. Let me know what you think. Marketable? Funny? Gets the point across?

“Losing Marbles”

Once there was a little girl on my bus who cried over everything, especially when she didn’t get her way. She ended up losing her marbles.

Snotty Susie

One morning this little girl – let’s just call her “Snotty Susie” – was crying about how everybody hated her. Seriously, not two minutes after getting on the bus she started in with her caterwauling (the howling or wailing noise a cat makes). For the next 15 minutes the rest of the kids tried to console her, but all she kept saying through the sniffing, slobbering and crying was “Nobody wants to be my friend! Everybody hates me! WAAAAAH!”

Fortunately, we reached the elementary school before everyone went deaf from the crying. Then, just as “Snotty Susie” was stepping off the bus, a little boy who had gotten off in front of her looked back and said, “Nobody hates you, Susie; we just don’t like you.”

At least the little guy was being honest.

The Great Giveaway

Well, that afternoon, when the elementary kids were getting on the bus to go home, “Susie” got on first and sat on the front row. “Would you like a marble, Mr. Baker?” she asked. “No,” I said, “I have plenty.”

“What kind do you have?” she asked. “The round kind,” I replied.

Then, as the other children entered the bus, just as soon as they walked past her, she would ask, “Would you like a marble? You can have it for keeps. EVERYONE! Get your FREE marble, if you WANT one!”

I asked, “What are you doing? Why are you giving away your marbles?” She said, “Because I am going to MAKE them like me.”

Honestly, I felt sorry for the poor little girl. No one had ever taught her how to make friends.

Life Lesson

When we treat people poorly, and then try to buy their friendship with shiny trinkets, we end up losing our marbles.

“Snotty Susie” usually had a bad attitude about everything. She regularly talked mean to other kids, made fun of them, and then cried out in emotional pain when someone wasn’t nice to her. No one wanted to be her friend because she was NOT friendly! She couldn’t even buy friends for a day.

The saddest part was that I picked up a handful of marbles after all the children got off.

Route Suggestions

King Solomon said, “A man that has friends must show himself friendly” (Proverbs 18:24). How can you be nice to someone today?
Don’t try to buy your friends. If you do, you’ll just go broke (marble deficient) trying to keep them.
Don’t let anyone buy YOUR friendship. Be a real friend to somebody who’s a marble short.

[UPDATED IN AN ATTEMPT TO BE LESS SOPHOMORIC. I HOPE IT WORKED.]

10 Comments

Filed under book review, Humor, Life Lessons

Tagged as children, devotional, Humor, Public Transport, School, transportation, writing

by Anthony Baker | October 14, 2014 · 11:31 am

A Prayer For My Daughter At College

The Text

Yesterday I got a text from my daughter who attends Bryan College in Dayton, TN. She spoke of how stressed she was, of how little sleep she was getting, and how she misses the simpler life at home.

She sent a picture to me. It was a picture of the back of her left hand. On it was a reminder written with a Sharpie. She said:

“I’m killing myself trying to remember everything. I went to bed with this on my hand. Then I got it on my blue sheets and my face. But at least I made it to class this week.“

Later she wrote:

“My emotions are going haywire…because I am so stressed. Yet, at the same time I don’t feel stresses in some areas…And those are the areas I leave out…”

I responded with:

“I haven’t been praying for you like I should. I’m sorry. But I will.”

The Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the mercies you have shown to my family and me. Thank you for my family, including the opportunities you have given us. In this case, thank you for providing the place and the means for Katie to go to school. Thank you for the opportunity she has at Bryan College.

Now Lord, I have been to school and have gotten my degrees, but I have never walked in my daughter’s shoes (they’d hurt). Her emotions are different. Her dreams are different. Her likes and dislikes are different. But one thing I do know is that she loves you with all her heart and wants to honor you with her success. Please help her to do that.

Lord, I am her earthly father, but you are her “Daddy God,” her “Abba.” You opened the door for her to go to Bryan. You provided the scholarships to pay for the tuition we could not afford. You gave her the gifts to sing and play music. All I did was watch over her and instruct her in Your ways while she was under my roof. Now she is completely in Your hands. Watch over her and grow her into the godly, intelligent woman you want her to be – for Your name’s sake.

Katie is stressed out, but doing her best. She wants to be the model of integrity and honor, but some other students are making it difficult. Give her the strength to stand strong on her principles and counsel her with your Spirit when she’s confused or questioning what to do.

Father, you are the One who gives peace. Your Son is the Prince of Peace. As Katie has willfully taken your yoke upon her, make her burdens light as You pull along side her. Give rest for her soul and mind. Reassure her with the peace that all things work together for the good, to them that love you and are called according to Your purpose.

And dear Lord, help her to keep things straight in her head, or in a datebook, or on her phone, or whatever. Waking up with permanent marker on her face before class can’t be helping with the stress level.

In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

6 Comments

Filed under Faith, Life Lessons, Parenting, Relationships and Family, Struggles and Trials

Tagged as Bryan College, children, college, Family, Parenting, prayer, University

by Anthony Baker | October 13, 2014 · 7:00 am

Richly Blessed

Getting Rich

You can turn on the television any time of the day or night and hear things like…

“Call right now and I will send you a free brochure detailing how you can learn to give me money to learn how to become wealthy like me!”
“For a limited time only, you can receive my secret for success for only $199.95!”
“Sow a $1000 seed of faith into this ministry, and God promises to bless you ten-fold, show you favor, and magically replace the tires on your Buick.”

Then there are other commercials on television, along with ads of all kinds, that promote the “fun” of gambling…

“Somebody’s gonna win – it might as well be you!”
“If you love excitement and fun and joy and all that stuff, nothing beats the fun of thinking you may become a millionaire as soon as you scratch the silver stuff off a paper card!”

Everybody wants to “get rich quick.” Nobody wants to have to work for it. Everybody wants to get lucky in Vegas.

Going Broke

The sad truth is that so many people who become wealthy over night turn right around and lose it all. Many who become millionaires in an instant go bankrupt almost as fast. The result is depression, loss, rejection, desperation, and even suicide.

Jesus posed a question in Mark 8:36. He asked, “What good is it to gain the whole world and still lose your own soul?” Even when you have it all, you can still be completely broke, even destitute.

Richly Blessed

Some of the happiest people in the world are the poorest. I have seen people in the poorest parts of eastern Europe who had more joy and peace than the richest millionaires in Hollywood or New York. The reason is that many of the poor were believers in Christ, and in Him they were blessed. They were rich in mercy and love. They had all they needed, and they were content with what God gave them.

On the other hand, I have known the rich who always wanted more and were never happy. Their wealth added sorrow upon sorrow. They knew nothing of the “blessing of the LORD.”

It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. – Proverbs 10:22 NASB

Being richly blessed by God doesn’t always involve being wealthy, but it does include what money can’t buy – the ability to enjoy what one has without regret, or sorrow.

A Prayer

Jesus, thank your for your blessings. Help us to focus not on the passing wealth of this world, but the treasures laid up above. You know what is best for us, so help us to trust you. Remind us that seeking anything outside your plan will only result in added sorrow.

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Filed under wisdom

Tagged as Blessings, commercials, faith, lottery, money, proverbs, wealth, Work

by Anthony Baker | October 11, 2014 · 12:04 pm

6 Ways You May be Raising Your Kids With an Oversimplified Faith (Re-blogged)

Important!

Every once in a while I lay aside my own thoughts and substitute them with the thoughts of those more brillianter than me, such as Natasha Crain at ChristianMomThoughts.com.

This morning I had planned to write about the new atheist churches (Sunday gatherings) popping up around the country. I was going to share some observations meant to encourage you to go to a real church, especially if you are a believer (if atheists believe gathering together in “community” is important to combat the effects of loneliness, why do Christians think they can “forsake the assembling” of themselves?).

But instead of writing a post about what was on my mind, I am going to share a post that – well, the idea has been on my mind for a while, but this beautifully sums it up. This is a VERY IMPORTANT post!

Please, especially if you are a parent, pastor, or youth leader, READ THIS! (click on the picture)

Now, after reading what Natasha Crain wrote, what are we going to do about it?

Pricey Tongue, Worthless Heart

The following is derived from a post I wrote for my other blog, Proverbial Thought. It can also be found in Proverbial Thought: Your Daily Word of Wisdom from Proverbs (Parson’s Porch, 2014).

A Proverbial Thought

Let’s take a look at the following verse from the tenth chapter of Proverbs.

The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth. – Proverbs 10:20

Contrast

When we look at this verse, it is important for us to remember that there is a comparison/contrast being made. An “opposite parallelism” is being used to make a point that one thing is valuable, while another is worthless.

In this case, it is easy to notice that Solomon is contrasting “the tongue of the just” with “the heart of the wicked.” The tongue of the just person (the words that he speaks) is something beautiful and of great value, while the wicked man’s heart is just the opposite. But if we were to look a little deeper, there is more than meets the eye, or first impressions.

The Heart

What is really being contrasted are the hearts of both the wicked and the just. You see, what comes out of a person’s mouth is directly related to what’s in his heart. Proverbs 16:23 says, “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.” In the book of James (3:11) we read, “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”

Essentially, you can tell what is in a person’s heart by what comes out of his mouth. Jesus said, “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” – Matthew 15:11 (NLT)

Do you like to tell dirty jokes? Then there must be lust in your heart. Do you always talk hateful? Then there is hatred (and maybe murder – see Matthew 5:21-22) in your heart. Do you ever talk about God? About Jesus? About your love for Him? If not, maybe He’s not in there.

On Display

Do you realize that your heart is on display? No, I don’t mean that your chest cavity is transparent, nor do I mean that everyone can see your bloody, beating heart muscle. That’s sick!

What I do mean to say is that there is no hiding what is in your heart; because your words, the words from your mouth, tell the whole story.

Maybe we should listen to ourselves. Maybe we should ask others to tell us what they hear. Maybe we should be like King David and pray this prayer…

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”– Psalm 19:14

Saying “Bye-Bye” to “The Ride”

The Ride

Several years ago I had the opportunity to regain my masculinity. No, I did not undergo an operation or get an injection of any kind. No, I didn’t go out into the woods and kill Bambi just to prove I knew how to fire a rifle or shoot an arrow. I regained my manhood by getting something else to drive besides a minivan…

I got a black Cadillac.

“The Ride”

I was so proud of The Ride, as I so fondly named it. It was an old ’92 Sedan DeVille that had been sitting for a year or two and needed some work. All the owner wanted for it was $1,000, so I bought it. With a little cleaning, a little buffing, and a few new parts, I was getting looks from the bruthas and burning a little front-wheel-drive rubber.

Oh, it was the perfect “preacher car.”

Riding Into the Sunset

Unfortunately, old Cadillacs aren’t the most reliable forms of transportation. After a while, things start breaking down faster than one can fix them – and NOTHING is an inexpensive fix.

On top of the fixes that cost so much, The Ride only got around 12 mpg. That would have been bad enough, but the gas-guzzling V-8 also required premium gasoline. It was just too expensive and unreliable to be a daily driver.

So, today was the day I had to say “goodbye.” Believe me, it was difficult to see the old piece of junk go. It was MY car, not my wife’s. It was a car with an American V-8, not a hyper Japanese four-banger. It was big, unsafe, and FUN!

Getting pulled by a winch onto a truck.

Loaded and ready to leave.

Saying “goodbye” is hard to do.

Back to a shared minivan. Oh well.

Note: If any of you have a car that a preacher can drive without looking like a wimp, while at the same time not having to take a loan out to drive across town, let me know.

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Filed under current events, General Observations, self-worth

Tagged as Automobile, Cadillac, Cars

by Anthony Baker | September 30, 2014 · 1:22 pm

4 Rules for the Race of Life

IRONMAN

Have you ever heard of the Ironman triathlon? This past weekend my town hosted the 11th U.S. Ironman race of the year. The following, from the official Ironman website, is a description of what the competitors would encounter…

“IRONMAN Chattanooga will begin with a point to point, 2.4-mile swim in the Tennessee River with ample spectator vantage points alongside the city’s famous Riverwalk. Athletes can look forward to a fast, down-current swim. The bike will be two loops of a 56-mile course (112 miles) with scenic farmland and mountain views. The two-and-a-half loop, 26.2-mile run course will showcase beautiful downtown Chattanooga, the South Side, Riverview and the North Shore. Overall, expect a fast, rolling course.”

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/chattanooga.aspx#ixzz3EojqNC6x

The race was a wonderful opportunity for Chattanooga to welcome athletes from all over and to spotlight our city’s beauty and hospitality.

But even more, this Ironman race was a great source of illustrations for the message I preached Sunday morning! Ha!

4 Rules of Training

In a piece by Roman Mica (for Active.com), I found the “4 Rules of Ironman Training.” They were so simple and enlightening that I determined to use them in my next Sunday sermon dealing with the different races of life.

See if you don’t see a strong correlation between training for a grueling triathlon and the life of a Christian.

Rule 1 – Train Every Day

According to the author, it takes a minimum of 13 hours a week of training to compete in an Ironman. Most of the competitors, already seasoned athletes, will train every day of the week for at least 6 months, if not a year, for just this one race!

How much training do we do for the race of life? How much time do we take to prepare for the up-hill climbs, the varying terrain, and the lonely stretches when few are there to urge us on to victory? Every day we should be working out the truths of God’s Word; swimming in the pool of God’s grace; and strengthening our endurance with the breath of God’s Spirit.

Rule 2 – Don’t Fake It

“There are few things more miserable in life than spending 17 hours on an Ironman course hating every painful swim stroke, bike pedal and running step. Sure, there are amateur athletes who’ve finished without putting in the hard work, but they just spent over $500 on the entry for a day of self-inflicted pain.” – Roman Mica

There are few things more miserable than a Christian trying to be a Christian in his own strength. Don’t fake it! Be real! Let God work through you, give you the grace and strength you need, and help you to enjoy the life you’ve been given.

Rule 3 – Be Disciplined with Nutrition

Roman Mica made it clear that the human body not only needs the proper nutrition to compete at such a high level of performance, but the also the right amounts to be able to withstand prolonged stress.

Sometimes in the Christian walk/run/race of life, there are times when we are forced to run without stopping for a break. It is only through regular, disciplined intake before a trial that we will have the internal resources from which to draw strength. In other words, there will be long stretches when Bible study and prayer will be hard to come by. Store up the nutrition while you can.

Rule 4 – Avoid Injury

One of the sad realities of training for a big race like the Ironman is that injuries do occur. Yes, even before the trials of the river, the bike ride, and the run, athletes get hurt trying to prepare for the competition.

Sadly, while training in what would be considered a safe atmosphere, church people get hurt and wounded all the time. We do it to ourselves and to each other. My advice is to love, live a life of forgiveness and grace, and keep training – the prize it worth it.

Revival? What Is It?

Sore Throat

This morning my throat is on fire. Well, it may not be that bad, but it feels rather raw and painful. The reason for the pain is what I did yesterday – preach.

I don’t normally get behind the pulpit and become another Billy Sunday; I’m not that athletic. However, I do believe it’s a shame for a preacher to deliver the good news of God’s love and mercy, the message of the life-changing Gospel, in a dull, mono-tone voice. When one is truly excited about sharing something important, his mannerisms should reflect it. So, I do get excited when I preach, but not quite to the extent of what Abraham Lincoln preferred: a preacher who looked like he was swatting at a swarm of bees! I’m calmer than that, but I do flap around a little.

Anyway, I have had a cold for the last few days. The preaching I did yesterday has left my throat in need of recovery. But it was worth it.

The Message

Yesterday I preached a sermon dealing with what is needed before we have revival. But here is my question to you, dear reader: what is “revival”?

If you would like to take the time, there are various sources from which you can learn of the great revivals of the past. Some were call “awakenings.” But one of the general themes of revival is that the people of God, the Church, becomes revived, awakened, having their intimacy with and their vision of God renewed. This is what I want for myself, my congregation, my town, state, and country.

So, what is revival, and what do you think is necessary for it to take place? I am interested in your thoughts. Let’s discuss it.

If you’d like to listen to the actual service I preached, click on the link below.

“What We Need Before Revival”

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Filed under ministry, Preaching

Tagged as Ministry, preaching, Revival

by Anthony Baker | September 16, 2014 · 1:30 pm

A Witness to War and Grace

Meeting a Vet

There are not many men left who actually saw combat in WWII, especially those who participated in some of the more well-known battles. Many were transported to the beaches by an LST, much like the one which is visiting for a few days in Chattanooga (it leaves 9/18).

When I went down to the river to take a picture of LST 325, the last of its kind, it wasn’t hard to spot the older veterans. If they weren’t walking slowly, supported by a walking stick, they were riding in wheelchairs, or holding on to a younger loved one’s arm. Each of them, no matter what age, exhibited a nostalgic look, one that hinted at a smile, yet betrayed a sense of loss and pain.

One elementary teacher I talked to said after touring the ship, “You know, after going through that thing, I don’t know how any of them survived to make it back.”

Well, yesterday, after attending an executive board meeting with our local Baptist association, I got to meet an extraordinary veteran who actually rode one of those LST’s to the beaches of Iwo Jima to fight the Japanese, Mr. Paul George.

Mr. George, like so many others, risked his life not only to preserve our freedoms, but to liberate others. Fortunately, he survived; many others did not. To all of them we owe an incalculable debt.

Waiting for His Time

But here’s the thing: odds are none of us are going to make it out of this life alive. And as a matter of fact, some of our loved ones have already gone on home and are now waiting for our tour of duty to end. I believe that’s what Mr. George was sorta getting at when he wrote the following note to be sent to his friends and loved ones, those who were concerned about him after his wife’s departure.

“Just a note to let you know that I am doing quite well even though Martha left me June 17, 2013 (eight days short of our 70th anniversary) to be with Jesus. I do miss her but I know she is much better off and is waiting for me.

My life now is like it was when I was in the Pacific during WWII. Her picture is ever before me and now I wait for life to be over as I was waiting for the war to be over and we would be together again. The difference is that I am not in a hurry for our reunion as I was before, I want The Lord to use me as a witness of His Grace. The Lord’s timing is Right and I will wait.” – Paul George

They call men like Mr. George “the greatest generation.” This is just one more reason why.

God bless you, dear brother, for your desire has been granted: you certainly are a witness of God’s grace.