The Recovering Legalist

by Anthony Baker | November 10, 2010 · 2:56 pm

Smoking…The Legalists are Alive and Well

DISCLAIMER…DON’T THINK I AM TRYING TO PROMOTE SMOKING. I AM JUST TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE A POINT.

Sherlock Holmes contemplating the evidence.

If I were to say that I want a new pipe for Christmas, would you think less of me? Would you think of me as less spiritual or godly? Would you be disappointed in me for some reason? Why? Some of you would go so far as to suggest that I resign from ministry. If that is you, there is a really good word that describes you…

…LEGALIST

Yesterday, a middle school boy asked me, “What is a legalist?” Do you know the answer? Simply put, a legalist is a person who judges another’s spirituality or relationship with God based on a perceived list of acceptable/unacceptable actions. To give an example, a legalist could place a hero on a pedestal, only to jerk the hero down to earth later when he does something tradition labels as “wrong.” Smoking is a good example. Never mind that everything else the hero did was perfect in the legalist’s eyes, the one act of condoning and participating in a supposed “vice” would demand the following judgment….the spiritual hero is no longer right with God.

Legalism was rampant in Jesus’ day. The Gospels are full of examples showing how the Pharisees were more concerned with the letter of the law, than the spirit of the law. The Pharisees (legalists) even accused Jesus’ disciples of being ungodly all because they did not wash their hands before eating (Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23). Regulations established by men in order to set boundaries which determine holiness were unacceptable to Jesus. They should be unacceptable today.

Does NOT smoking make one spiritual? How many heathen never touch tobacco? Are they right with God? What about the person that loves the Lord with all his heart, seeks to bring glory to the Father, hides the Word in his heart; yet, he puffs on a pinch of cherry Cavendish in a pipe every now and then? Is he less spiritual by fault of his consumption of burning leaves (the legal kind)?

You see, there are some things which we are told by the Bible not to do. Smoking is not one of them. Tobacco is amoral. In other words, there is nothing moral, or immoral about it…it just is. The point that something amoral becomes immoral is in the way it is used. Similarly, some of the things the legalist would accept as moral, but which are actually amoral, would be very sinful if done out of order or to excess, such as sex or eating food. Adultery and fornication are definitely sins mentioned in the Bible, but without sex the human race would cease to exist. Food is neccessary to live, but eating too much is called gluttony and bad stewardship.

The key is wisdom and maturity, which leads to moderation, and the proper use of God’s creation within the framework of spiritual freedom and grace.

Thank you for reading this far, for now I want to say something else. Cigarettes are nasty, stinky, trashy, chemical-laden cancer sticks. The person that usually smokes them finds themselves hooked and dependent upon them, all the while having their body ravaged and aged before its time. I hate cigarettes. But even though I hate cigarettes, that does not give me the right to question a person’s relationship with the Savior, even though I may question their judgment. Pipes and cigars are different, even though they, too, can be used to excess. I don’t advise either, necessarily, but I REALLY don’t advise cigarettes. The moral line is much easier to distinquish when the use of a product is so capable of bringing one under bondage.

The use of the amoral (that which is neither moral, nor immoral), if used to satisfy an addiction, could thereby be considered a sin.

Lastly, even though I know I have not covered this issue as well as needed, I want to include a post from the blog of Steve Brown. Dr. Brown is a seminary professor, Bible teacher, author, and well-respected Christian radio broadcaster. You may have heard him on Moody Radio in the past. Just read what he had to say on this issue.

Smoking

Steve BrownAugust 1st, 2007

I know, I know.

I probably shouldn’t have permitted the picture of me smoking my pipe in the last Key Life magazine or, for that matter, on this website.

Look. It’s the only sin I have left and, if I didn’t have that one, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Everybody knows that perfect Christians don’t associate with imperfect Christians…me being the perfect one (sans pipe) and you being the imperfect one.

So my pipe, you could say, is my effort at true “koinonia.”

What about my health?

Good point that, to wit, when it’s my time to die, I don’t want to be like a sinking ship with nothing to throw overboard.

A friend of mine, Jim Lee, wrote to me after seeing the picture…

You have entered into the ranks of Luther on this one, Steve! Reminds me of when I smoked a cigar in front of one preacher, saying I was “killing the Pharisee within,” but that was nothing! Your picture could very well end up gracing the bulletin boards of Moody, Dallas, Bob Jones, and others. Before all of the calls start coming in to say you aren’t saved, “please cancel my subscription,” etc., I want you to know you blow me away with this and I appreciate your making the point in this way.

Frankly, I never thought I would see the day!

If things get really bad and you need a backup plan, I may be able to help. Here are some possible suggestions :

(1) You could say “It wasn’t me! Somebody at the printers is out to get me, and they morphed my picture onto that pipe! It’s easy to do with ‘photoshop’! The devil is trying to ruin my testimony!”

Or (2) “I was at the park and had a root beer lollipop. If you look closely you can see that it’s just a cloud behind my head!”

Or (3) “I was teaching in seminary and was attempting to illustrate a point about Jesus coming in the clouds.”

Jim’s words made me laugh (as he often does); but, frankly, I can’t deal with the guilt.

No, not the guilt of smoking.

The guilt of quitting and then sneaking around.

I once announced to a church congregation where I was the pastor that I had stopped smoking. There was applause. Not only that. I started getting piles of candy and chewing gum from my concerned parishioners who wanted to help me in every way they could.

It lasted about two weeks before I started sneaking smokes. I could have lived with that.

It was the preaching and teaching about honesty and authenticity that got me.

So I announced my fall from grace from the pulpit. I said, “Just so you know, I’ve started smoking again. Let us pray…”

I didn’t say it, but could have said, “And after this service, I’m going to get out my fine briar pipe and my aromatic, freshly mixed tobacco and have a smoke.”

After a dull sermon, a boring faculty meeting, a hard day, etc., etc., one needs something to look forward to. In that way, smoking is like heaven. It, of course, isn’t heaven, but it will do until then.

5 Comments

Filed under Christian Living, General Observations, legalism

Tagged as Pharisee

by Anthony Baker | November 8, 2010 · 7:29 pm

Bring On the Space Aliens…We Could Use Them

I was driving my school bus today….

….and then I began to think of all the different kinds of children that must be transported. I have had to chaufer quite a few children over the last 9 years (I first started driving in 2001), some in Kentucky, the rest in Tennessee. Most have been good kids, while others have not. Some have made me question a lot of long-held beliefs, like every child is precious……are they? Well, of course they are! All children are gifts from God above. Psalms 127:3, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” But, please forgive me, I’m beginning to believe that some of the “fruit” spoils easier and quicker than others.

Typical little angel, just like my middle and high school kids

I never wanted to work in a daycare. I hate daycares – not the people that work there, mind you; just the screaming and crying children (I have bad memories of abandonment). So, why do I drive a school bus? For the most part, I love children, especially if I don’t have to feed them, take them to the bathroom, change their diapers, wipe their noses, suction their noses, or pay their way through college. Little kids can be sweet and innocent. Little boys, for example, ask great questions like, “Why do you drive a bus?” or, “Is a bus hard to drive?” Little girls ask questions like, “Mr. Baker, are you going to have a baby?” or, “Are you really old, or do you just shave your head so we don’t see your gray hair?” Oh, they’re loads of laughs. But on the other hand, they do keep nerve pill manufacturers in business.

Typical elementary child on a school bus...at least that's the way they seem

Have you ever had the desire to be attacked by an alien spacecraft?

I have. There are some children on my bus that have caused me to suffer from daydreams that may cause me psychological harm. Today, I actually grinned as I contemplated an alien space craft hovering over my bus. From this technologically advanced craft I could almost imagine a mechanism lowering down, ripping open the top of my bus like a sardine can (or spam, actually…I hate sardines). Then, I could envision a long, green arm with long, pointed fingers and sharp claws reaching into the bus and snatching out one or two of the “darlings” like dill pickles out of a jar. Now, before you get too upset with me, I said to myself, “Oh, that would really be horrible!” But then, in a moment of pity, I said to myself , “Their parents have probably had the same dream, poor folks.“

God gave me the privilege of bringing up three beautiful girls. I love kids, really I do; but there are some kids on this earth that can make even the most loving parent question whether or not the human race is worth continuing. Now, I won’t go so far as to say that, though. However, even though most of the kids on my bus are angels, if you do see a low-flying UFO…..well, do you know my route number? Just kidding….REALLY.

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by Anthony Baker | November 3, 2010 · 1:46 pm

An Army of One…God, that is.

Back to the basics…or at least one of the reasons for this blog.

My formative years were full of instruction in the ways of legalism an legalistic thought. Because of this, my view of the Body of Christ was limited. To me, if you weren’t Baptist (Independent, that is) you were probably not going to heaven. At the least, and I do mean very least, if you were not Independent Baptist, or if you used any translation of Scripture other than the King James Version, you were a liberal awaiting the chastising hand of God. I did not work well with other denominations.

Since that time, I have learned that the Christian church is not limited to Independent Baptists,

…but is comprised of many other denominations, also. Some of these denominations I have yet to even learn of, for there are so many smaller ones in other places of the country and the world. It is true that denominationalism (the tendency to seperate into various factions) has hurt the Church. The unbelieving world has used our schisms as evidence that the True Faith is not even real. Some even say that the many different, competing, and even warring denominations are proof that Christianity is nothing more than man-made. That being said, however, just because people within the Body of Christ choose to operate differently in their own context, one should not automatically assume that Christian group “A” is that much different than group “B,” at least not until the particular core elements of the faith are examined. For that matter, just because a congregation claims to be Baptist, does not mean that they hold an orthodox view of Christianity…just look at that group from out west that protests funerals (I will NOT associate with them!).

Well, in an effort to battle against the legalism and denominationalism of my past, I continue to reach across the divides to other brothers and sisters in Christ with an offer of fellowship and understanding. Does this mean that I have become Ecumenical? No, it does not. What it does mean is that I want to reunite family. I want to consolidate forces. I want to bring healing and strength back to the Army of God which needs to unite in spiritual battle (and I did say, “spiritual”). This applies even to churches within the same denomination who may fear competition (competition is not a good thing in this case).

In our community of Lookout Valley, there are several churches of various denominations. Most are very supportive of each other, but a few still maintain strict adherence to the Doctrine of Separation (see my post on this doctrine). The ones that feel freedom in Christ to participate have come together each year to hold a community Thanksgiving service. Today I met with a small room full of other pastors in order to plan for this service. Present were Baptists, Church of God, Assembly of God, United Methodist, and Presbyterian. Not an unkind word was spoken. Each shared in prayer for our community and for each other. Coffee was even provided by Troy Walliser, the pastor of Lookout Valley Baptist, who has a taste for the “foo-foo” stuff (I just had to get that in). We had a good time and look forward to worshipping together on the 23rd of this month, along with our congregations.

Why do I bring this up? I say all of this because Christians have a common Enemy. That enemy, Satan, is always in the process of uniting his forces in league against God’s church. The battle lines are drawn on many different fronts and his forces are continually amassed and reinforced, waiting for orders. The school prayer thing is just another example of a unified front. It is at this time when the true believers in Christ Jesus, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, put on the whole armor of God and come together to make a stand. The example of Nehemiah 4 is alway relevant. Our forces will never be more than Satan’s. We will always have to come to the aid of our fellow soldiers in their time of need. But just as that is true, so is it also true that where we gather to stand against an enemy attack, “the Lord our God will fight for us.”

I thank God for the pastors of Lookout Valley who know that though we may have our differences, we are still on the same side.

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Filed under Christian Living, Christian Unity, General Observations, Independent Baptist, legalism, Relationships and Family

Tagged as Baptist, Body of Christ, Christian, Christian Church, Independent Baptist

by Anthony Baker | November 1, 2010 · 10:44 pm

Don’t Give Up On Her Yet

Some people want to say that America has seen her best days. Some want to say that God is done with America. Some want to give up hope that this nation can ever see a revival of morality and a return to its founding principles. Some Christians say that we should just abandon ship and only focus on the Ship of Zion. Well, if America is “going to h*** in a hand-basket,” then we need to do what only a people with a will can do…get out of the basket!

To be able to elect who we want to lead our country is an unbelievable privilege. Just stop and think about it. How many countries have come and gone which had a form of government which was set up to be “of the people, by the people, and for the people?” How many billions live in subjection this very moment to a dictator or tyrant, or even a king? We have been given a sacred treasure in our Constitution, one which was purchased with the lives, fortunes, and sacred honor of our founding forefathers. Are we to treat such a priceless gift with flippancy and disrespect? I hope not, but so many do.

Don’t give up on America, guys. The journey is not over. This nation is not like all of the ones which have come and gone. We are unique in our founding, our foundations, and our Founders. The United States is not like any nation before it, and there is none like it today. We have the rarest of abilities in that WE can decide who will lead us. WE can decide what laws we will accept. WE can decide the moral direction of this nation, for WE are the power and the authority to whom our leaders are accountable. God, through His providence, allowed our founding fathers to create a Constitution which spells out the divinely given rights of the people, not of kings. WE ratified our Constitution and Bill of Rights. WE elect those to whom WE give the authority to govern. WE can decide when enough is ENOUGH.

God-fearing men and women forged an uncharted, untravelled path when they chose to wade through the pain and suffering of building America. They fought for freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The took what was NOT and brought it into BEING. What is NOT right now, can BE AGAIN. All it will take is the same level of sacrifice that our forefathers were willing to give. The United States, “one nation under God,” does not have to cease to exist, or continue to decline….WE can decide right now that WE will begin again as WE did before, so help us God.

What is the answer? Revival.

The reason we need revival can be found in Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Are the righteous in authority? They could be. They should be. Otherwise the people will mourn.

Who are the ones in authority? Well, in one sense, it is people like our President, or our congressmen, senators, or judges. The context of this verse of Scripture would definitely imply that. But, again, America is different. We the people have no king or dictator. No princes rule over us. We are ruled by Law. We are self-governed. WE are in authority. So the question then is this: Are the people of the United States righteous? The answer to that has to be an unquestionable “no.” If the government, then, is of the people, and if the people are wicked, the nation will mourn, not rejoice.

Turn, therefore, oh citizens of this great land. Turn back to the paths from which you have strayed; to the paths hewn from the wilderness by honorable, moral, God-fearing men and women. Walk in those paths and follow in the footsteps of those like Washington and Lincoln. We don’t need to see every man and woman in the country turn to Christ as their Savior. Not every founding father was aborn-again Christian. However, the overwhelming majority were men and women who knew that this great nation did not come about by chance, nor simply by the strength of men, but by the Providence of a guiding Hand. Turn, therefore, back to the God that brought this nation into being, and can just as easily revive it from the dust heap of irrelevance. “WE THE PEOPLE” are in authority, so WE need to get our act together and elect men and women who will do what a righteous people demand. It can start with just a few. It can start with YOU.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov’d homes and the war’s desolation;
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

(4th verse, National Anthem)

P.S. For all of you who doubt that the founding of this nation was based on the faith of Christianity, please refer to the above verse, and the comments from the Supreme Court in The Church of the Holy Trinity vs. The United States, 1892. Oh, how far we have come.

Do Your Duty…Vote…or NOT!

This Tuesday will be the day we go to the polls to vote. Unless you were one who voted early, Tuesday will be the day you should do your public duty as a citizen of the United States. VOTE!

But WAIT!!! Do you know what you are doing?

Do you know who you are going to vote for? If not, why? If you go to the polls November 2nd just so you can push a few buttons, or check off a few marks, what good did you do? If you only go to fulfill a responsibility, without knowing any details, what kind of steward of this blood-bought gift are you? If you don’t know the difference between liberty and liberalism, democracy and democrats, or socialism and social networking – DON’T VOTE! Just stay home and watch Oprah or Dr. Phil. When others are heading to the polls that evening, just veg out while you enjoy another episode of some cake-baking, tatoo-designing, dance-off competition.

For over 200 years men and women have been shedding their blood for the freedom we enjoy.

More will die to preserve it in the future, that is, if we still have freedom to defend. In the last two years, and a little before, our freedoms have been as expendable as toilet paper. The future of our nation is looking grim. The rights afforded in the Constitution, especially those in the First Amendment, are being destroyed for the sake of power and control, while the ignorant are enjoying the cheap door prizes. If the uneducated, illiterate, uninformed and apathetic continue to vote for more government, all so that they can receive more “freebies” and food stamps, not to mention tax-payer funded health care, then blood was shed in vain.

Stay at home, ye who do not know what is going on. Stay at home, all ye who voted just because we need “change” in the White House. Stay at home all ye who said “anything is better than what we had.” Please, for the love of God and country, STAY HOME! Let the people who have strong ideals go vote. Let the mature, the concerned, the alert, the forward-looking, the reader, the listener, the active citizen (as opposed to the apathetic moocher) go vote. We know the importance of what we are doing and take it seriously. We can handle the responsibility…Yes, we can!

People all over the world would, have, and will die for the opportunity to have what we have.

Take it seriously. Make yourself a student, at least a “C” student, of what and Who made this country a “shining city on a hill.” Read the Constitution. Read the Bible. Take responsibility for your own actions. Know what the candidates truly stand for, then make a decision. But if you’re wondering if it’s worth taking the time to drive to the poll…if you have to watch CNN right before you walk out the door to help you decide who to vote for…please, we’ll send you a “I Voted” sticker, just stay home. It’s your patriotic duty.

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Filed under Christian Living, General Observations, Uncategorized, World View

by Anthony Baker | October 29, 2010 · 10:32 pm

Old Navy Smiles

It’s always great to meet nice people. This lady and I really hit it off this evening. We got along so well, and funny thing, my wife didn’t even mind that I was talking to her. Amazing!

You see, this just goes to show that you CAN go out in public and talk about the Lord without making people angry. This lady (I never got her name) was so gracious and kind. She let me talk and never tried to interrupt. All the while, she had such a pleasant spirit about her. I would bet she is a Christian.

By the way, as Annie would say, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” So, I will walk out of Old Navy wearing a smile, while at the same time happy I met a new friend and have a couple of new shirts. That means I nearly have a new wardrobe.

Dinosaur Bones Found on Moon!

What would be the impact on our philosophical, religious, and even evolutionary theories if bones from large reptiles were found on the moon?

Who would be most shaken up? Would you lose your faith in God? Would you have to rethink your science? What would it do to you? The fact is that if it would change your core beliefs, then maybe you should re-examine them right now. You don’t know what may happen just around the corner that could turn your world upside down.

Well, to be honest, this was originally just a test to see what kind of headline really catches people’s attention. Did it yours? If so, then why?

Even if dinosaur bones were found on the moon, or even if alien people landed on the White House lawn (really, could they even do that without getting pegged by surface-to-air missiles?), Christianity could stand the test. As a friend of mine, Steve Castlen, put it:

No it wouldnt shake my faith because:
1. The creation itself still needs a “Creator”.
2. The fine-tuning of the physical laws still needs a “Tuner”.
3. Moral laws still need a “Law Giver”.
4. The historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection still stands.
5. And all life, even alien life cant come from non-life.

So, what do you think? There is coming a day when the Bible predicts that the lies from the Enemy would be so strong that “even the elect” would have a hard time not believing them:

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. – Matthew 24:24

Give it some thought.

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Filed under Apologetics, World View

by Anthony Baker | October 28, 2010 · 11:22 am

When you hear the sound of the trumpet…

Last night I had the honor to participate in an event of community prayer. I was invited to speak by Shelton Brown, a student at Soddy Daisy High School. If you don’t know what happened, a whole bunch of people gathered together in the park to celebrate our right and freedom to pray, even though it was recently mandated that prayer be stopped before football games. This meeting was organized by students who decided enough was enough.

In my closing remarks (I spoke for 7 1/2 minutes) I brought up the story of Nehemiah, specifically a part in chapter 4, verse 20. Nehemiah, in response to threats from enemies intent on stopping them from rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, set people on the wall as lookouts. Being that the wall was big and spread out, and being that there were few people, Nehemiah came up with a plan. He said :

The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

To me, and I am just little ol’ me, there should have been a lot more people present last night. Why? A trumpet was sounded for the body of Christ to come to the aid of not only Soddy Daisy, but for all of Hamilton County. An attack on our freedoms, as both Christians and Americans, has come to our soil. Why is it that our schedules and programs and our own sections of the wall are more important than stopping the enemy somewhere else?

Last night was your typical “Wednesday night prayer meeting” night. Besides the fact that prayer is rarely the object of attention at most of these meetings, what would have been wrong with jumping in the church bus and heading to where the trumpet was sounding? Where there may have been 500+ at this event last night, there should have been 1-2000. Why were they not there? Because it was more important for local congregations to remain safe and snug in their own little sections of “the wall.” Here was a prime example of LEGALISM in action, for many did not want to participate in an event that featured speakers that weren’t of a particular denomination. Here was a prime example of LAZINESS, for it may have been difficult to get people together to go somewhere on a weeknight, especially if it wasn’t to Ryan’s or the bowling alley. Here was a prime example of DENIAL, PRIDE, and APATHY, for there were others that did not attend because they either didn’t think there’s a problem; it wasn’t their idea; or they just really didn’t care. Folks, what has been “typical” needs to be trashed.

This past Sunday I told my congregation that I would be in Soddy Daisy on Wednesday night because a trumpet had been sounded. I went to stand in the gap with my brothers and sisters that cared enough to make a public stand against the tyranny of a few over the wishes of the people. In the future, when other trumpets are sounded, I pray that the churches of our county and our country will rally together in defence of the few walls we have left in this nation that, for now, claims to be “under God.”

May our God truly fight for us, for we don’t seem to want to fight for oursleves.

…Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. – Nehemiah 4:14

Anthony’s Appetite #3 (The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe)

I love BBQ. As a matter of fact, I think that when God told the Apostle Peter to eat the stuff that was on the sheet that was lowered down, BBQ sauce must have been included. It had to come from God as a thing ordained from Heaven. Consider the following words from Acts 10:11-13

He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat!”

At first Peter was not about to do this thing, for on that sheet (I think it was the first picnic sheet) were things formerly unclean, presumably including pork. God then says to Peter, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” Folks, let it be said,

“If to God you want to be true, eat everything with Barbeque.”

Alright, so I won’t get an “A” in biblical hermeneutics, but hopefully you get the point. BBQ must be ordained by God, so we must try to eat it everywhere we can to find the best to recommend. With that, here’s a suggestion.

The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe

If you are ever at the foot of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN (right next to the Incline Railway), stop by The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe (thepurpledaisy.com). My wife and kids and I went there last week and left pretty happy. Let me tell you about some stuff we ate.

Q-Dog

Have you ever heard of a Q-Dog? Well, it was pretty dang good. It consisted of an all-beef, grilled hot-dog, covered with barbecued pork and slaw, with a pickle on the side. I loved it. The slaw was good, too (if you like coleslaw on a BBQ sandwich, you’d like it on the dog). The cost ($4.50) was a little more than a regular hot-dog, but i’twere the toppings that made the difference. You could eat it with a fork, but I preferred to man-handle it.

Now, speaking of just good-ol’ barbeque (I think it looks better spelled with a “q”), the sandwich was a lot better than the one I had not too long ago at Bones’ in East Brainerd (no offence, Bones’). The meat was tender and moist, with a good smoky flavor. My wife ordered a regular size one, and I got the last bite (for the blog’s sake).

For dessert, Valerie and I shared a banana pudding. Again, it was not like my granny in Alabama used to make, nor like the big-armed grannies at a few homecomings, but it was good. What made it a little different was that it seemed to be freshly prepared for the customer at the time of order. The reason I say this is because of how the actual pudding was at the bottom, but the vanilla wafers and whipped cream were on top. The whole thing couldn’t have been made too much earlier, because the wafers were even still crunchy. It was served cool, not warm. I prefer warm, but oh well.

Now just a couple of other things to mention. First, let me tell you about the baked beans. They were a dish to themselves – really.

Baked Beans with "Stuff"

As you can see from the picture, these weren’t your ordinary baked beans. They had “stuff” in them. A bowl of them thar’ beans and some cornbread and you’d be set, I’m tell’n ya’. How’s that for colloquial?

The atmosphere of The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe was fun and unique, too. Just take a look at the table and chairs in the corner. There is seating inside and outside. They serve Coke (hallelujah!). But getting in and out of their parking can be a little tricky, depending on which way you exit the lot (FYI).

Well, that’s about it for this addition of Anthony’s Appetite. Who know’s where I’ll end up next. Until then, give this little locally-owned cafe a try. The even have a neat website if you want to plan your culinary adventure beforehand.

God Bless BBQ!

P.S. My only complaint was that there was no Brunswick stew. But you know, nothing wrong with doing only what you do best.

1 Comment

Filed under Christian Living, Food, General Observations

Tagged as Barbecue, BBQ, Cooking, Food, Lookout Mountain

by Anthony Baker | October 11, 2010 · 1:29 pm

Atheists on Christianity

You know, I was just watching some videos of atheists firing all their best shots at Christians and the belief that there is a God. One such video that you could watch on YouTube is of a debate put on by ABC. The Christians were Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, but I can’t (or don’t care to) remember the names of the others. If there was anything more evident than anything else, it was the snarky, condescending, teenager-ish, even (may I dare say) “b***hy” attitudes of the atheists. Typical of people that hate being told what to do (just like juveniles that argues about everything, even when they know they’re wrong). It really just made me sad.

Then I looked down at my shirt…

At this moment I am wearing a T-shirt that shows all of the more common, recognizable religious symbols of the world. In the middle is a cross, the symbol of Christianity. What a stark contrast to all the others is the cross. A symbol of death for crimes not committed. A symbol that used to stand for shame, but now for the One who bore our shame. He didn’t have to, you know. What other symbol represents that? What other symbol offers forgiveness from the very One that suffered unjustly? What other symbol cries out, “Agape!“

Atheism and all of its relatives are on the march, emboldened and encouraged by a world that wants to have it their own way. They are vicious and brash. They have a chip on their shoulder because of all that “sinner” stuff, you see. “Even if there is a God, who are you Christians to say you have the only way,” they ask. But you know what, this isn’t Burger King, “this is my Father’s world.” His rules apply. He will have the final say. And, just like my shirt says, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.”

Just say’n. What say ye?