Tag Archives: Bible

by Anthony Baker | January 20, 2015 · 1:52 pm

The Sunday Sermon

The Prayer

The last post I published was a literal prayer that I was praying as I wrote it. As a matter of fact, I wrote it on my iPhone as I was on my knees beside my bed.

The reason I did it? I don’t know. Maybe I just wanted you guys to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes, when no one else is around. I guess I wanted you to get a sense of the humanity in ministry; I’m only human.

Now, thanks to the same iPhone and a little editing with Audacity (free software I would recommend), linked below is the sermon I preached Sunday morning. Incidentally, some of what I preach in this sermon reflects back to a previous post having to do with the “prayer of salvation.”

The Sermon

Since the second Sunday this month I have been preaching through the book of James in the morning services, one chapter a week. The focus has not been on doing a thorough exposition of each chapter, but to seek what it is God would have our congregation hear from Him for such a time as this. Therefore, don’t expect a glittering example of homiletical prowess; I didn’t even go to the pulpit with an outline, only a few notes. All I did was ask God to show me what we at Riverside needed hear.

If you haven’t read it yet, go back and read the prayer I prayed on Saturday night, then listen to the sermon. Then, from a purely academic perspective, try to answer the following questions: Did the message stay true to the text? Was the message clear and distinct? How might you approach the topic differently?

From a spiritual perspective, could you sense the Spirit moving through what was said? Was the prayer answered? Of course, it’s impossible to know what was going on the hearts of those present when this was preached, but what about your heart? Did God speak to you?

“The will of the Lord concerning pastors is made known through the prayerful judgment of his church. It is needful as a proof of your vocation that your preaching should be acceptable to the people of God.” – Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to my Students, Vol. 1

Your thoughts would be appreciated. 🙂

Click HERE to listen to the sermon, “James 2”

NOTE: This post is not intended to stir up arguments, heated debates, etc. I will not allow comments which are antagonistic, hateful, or anything the like. This will not be allowed to turn into a battleground for trolls with no respect for faith. Comments will be carefully monitored.

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Filed under Faith, Preaching, salvation, Theology, worship

Tagged as Bible, Book of James, Church, faith, God, prayer of salvation, preaching, Religion, salvation

by Anthony Baker | January 8, 2015 · 1:54 pm

Donkey Tells: A Review

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone! Yes, I know it is January 8, but I haven’t been able to write anything substantial until now. This, with the exception of a re-blog of something my daughter did, is the first post of 2015 – I’m so excited!

In December I wrote a couple of posts having to do with resolutions. One of the things I decided to do this year is read more – a lot more. As a matter of fact, I am going to attempt to read a book every couple weeks. Will I make it? At least I am going to try. What I will promise – and will achieve – is that I will be reading much more than that past, and that’s an improvement.

“What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear to this day, is want of reading. … And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it. Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. … You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian.” – John Wesley to John Premboth on August 17, 1760*

The First Book!

Believe it or not, I am just now into the second week of the year and have already finished my first book: Donkey Tells a Promise Kept.

Shortly before Christmas, the author of Donkey Tells (J. Thomas – aka, James Neff) paid me a welcome visit. When he came, he brought an autographed copy of his book in exchange for one of mine – a fair trade, indeed. So, after a home-cooked Southern meal which included fried okra, banana pudding, and coffee, I agreed to read Donkey Tells and write a review.

The Review

Click on this picture to order

This is a unique little book, for sure. Even though it is meant to be read by younger children, the message is profound enough for the adult. I would, however, recommend buying this book to read to little kids. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of illustrations, so it might be more effective if read aloud as a nightly devotion for your elementary-aged child.

Donkey Tells a Promise Kept is a sweet story of a mother donkey (Sydney) explaining to her colt (Micah) the reason behind why the little colt would be carrying Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem (see Matt. 21:1-7). It also tells of what happens after all the “hallelujah’s” and “hosanna’s” fade away.

Now, don’t get your panties in a wad if you are the type who wants everything you read to be absolutely biblical; J. Thomas’ re-telling of certain well-known Bible stories, told through the recollection of a donkey, are not meant to be completely historical. However, Jesus may have talked to animals. Who knows? And, for that matter, animals may actually go to heaven, right?

Essentially, this is a sweet little book that can help communicate the gospel story to a child through an imaginative tale of talking donkeys with a little more spiritual insight than many adults.

The ending of the book leaves an opening for additional stories, to which I look forward. However, I’d suggest firing the former illustrator and hiring me; just pay me in coffee, fried okra, pinto beans, and cornbread.

Donkey Tells is 132 pages long, but the print is larger, thereby making it a quick and fun read.

Buy the book or download it. You’ll enjoy it – and that’s a promise!

*Quoted in Ben Witherington’s Is There a Doctor in the House?: An Insider’s Story and Advice on Becoming a Bible Scholar, pg. 71.

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Tagged as Bible, Children's books, Democrats, Donkey Tells, J. Thomas, James Neff, Jesus, John Wesley, salvation

by Anthony Baker | December 26, 2014 · 5:38 pm

Getting Ready for Resolutions

Resolutions

We have all made them; we’ve all broken them. However, making a resolution is not a bad thing.

I will be sharing some thoughts about making resolutions in an upcoming post, but for now I want to briefly address one resolution I will not make a priority – having a large crowd at church.

Numbers

Numbers are not a bad thing, either – at least not always. But when it comes to growing a church for numbers’ sake, then numbers are a very bad thing.

I pastor a small church which could benefit from a few more in attendance (there’s nothing wrong with wanting to see a church congregation grow). But on the other hand, numbers don’t paint the whole picture (or is that painting by numbers doesn’t give you the best picture?). Actually, many times small numbers may reflect better than thousands on the roll. How is that possible?

In a commentary on Ezekiel 2:5 I found the following:

“Preachers ought not to look to, to reckon upon hearers, but to listen to the Lord alone.—To preach God’s word compensates even in the case of empty churches.—A full church, therefore, is not always a testimony for the preacher, 2 Tim. 4:3.”*

*John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Ezekiel (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 65.

2 Timothy 4:3 says: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”

So, a large church could be the result of listener-approved sensationalism and flimsy doctrine. Ever been to one of those, or watched one on television?

Resolution #1

My number one ministerial resolution (aside from those having to do with my personal walk with Christ and roles as husband and father) will be to “Preach the Word.”

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. – 2 Timothy 4:2

The last thing I will resolve to do is grow an Oprah-sanctioned, ear-scratching, one-size-fits-all book club. I will preach from the Book, full church or not. That will be my “testimony.” That will be my resolution. Therefore I have “set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed (Isaiah 50:7).”

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Tagged as Bible, Christianity, Ministry, New Year, Oprah, resolutions

by Anthony Baker | December 9, 2014 · 9:05 am

Trust the Lord, Not the Liar

Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. – Psalm 40:4

Homework Helper

Just a couple of weeks ago I was helping my youngest daughter with her history homework. For one particular assignment she was required to read some stories from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, specifically those having to do with the Inquisition. Because of her dyslexia, my reading the stories aloud to her made things go a lot quicker.

As I read aloud the injustices and tortures inflicted upon those who had (or were even accused of having) any disagreements with the Catholic church, one thing became glaringly obvious: the people needed to read the Bible for themselves.

Haley and I took the time to discuss the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, how corrupt church leaders could even coerce kings and queens to obey them, even to the point of watching innocent teenage girls being burned alive. It was amazing the amount of fear the world experienced, all because it thought the ability to read and understand God’s Word rested in the hands of a few.

How different things would have been had the people been able to read the Bible for themselves.

Who Do You Trust?

In this verse David speaks of how the man who makes the Lord his trust is “blessed,” or genuinely happy, as opposed to the one who puts his trust in proud and deceived men. Yet, millions of people today put turn on their televisions, sit in pews, or pop in the teaching DVD’s of masterful manipulators who claim to have a special revelation from God. Where have all the Bereans gone?

Blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Lord, not priests, politicians, potentates, power players, or prognosticators.

Blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Word of the Lord, not the self-help books of Oprah and the myriad of television evangelists.

Blessed is the man who places his trust, his faith, and his hope in the Lord, not those who claim to have special knowledge, special revelation, or a new gospel.

Blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Lord and holds ever other beings feet, whether human or angelic, to the fiery, unchanging, life-changing Truth of the inspired Word of God.

Those who place their trust in men are subject to fall for the same old lies and manipulations of the greedy, selfish, egotistical, power-hungry rulers of the past – and there’s nothing “blessed” about that.

“…let God be true, and every man a liar…” – Romans 3:4

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Tagged as Bible, devotional, faith, Inquisition, Martyrdom, Psalms, trust

by Anthony Baker | October 28, 2014 · 10:01 pm

Blogging Withdrawal and Psalm 40

I have so much to do, but here I am, late at night, writing something on this blog – just to be doing it.

Have you ever had this feeling? Those of you who are fellow bloggers, have you ever just been so busy…so overwhelmed…so caught up with things that are more important…that you look at the tab on your computer that links you to WordPress with a sense of longing?

Pitiful, isn’t it?

Frankly, there are so many things I’d like to write about, but I’m too stinking tired to formulate my thoughts. I’d love to share what I think about politics, the Mayor in Houston, and Ebola, but there’s just too much – and my opinion wouldn’t make that much of a difference.

But I did have an idea. Today I was reading from Psalm 40, a passage of Scripture I read to my congregation last Sunday morning. Remember how some others and myself went through the book of Proverbs one proverb at a time? I thought that it might be beneficial and interesting, at least to some, if I were to break down that chapter a verse or two at a time.

What if I pushed aside all the other distractions of this election cycle and spent some time expounding on Psalm 40? In my opinion, it’s a revival-focused psalm that we all could benefit from applying.

What do you think?

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Tagged as Bible, blogging, faith, Psalms, Scripture, Theology

by Anthony Baker | October 9, 2014 · 10:35 am

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

“But Some Doubted”

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. – Matthew 28:16-17

Have you ever doubted? Sometimes it’s the wise thing to do.

Many people have placed faith in Jesus only to lose that faith later, like when they find out the Jesus they thought they knew was not who he claimed to be. Are you one of those?

Believe it or not, even some of the disciples of the real Jesus found themselves doubting when they saw Him face to face after His resurrection. In the book of Matthew we read that on one particular occasion, after meeting up with the disciples at a pre-determined location, most worshiped, but “some doubted.”

Wait! How is this possible?! Weren’t these the same guys who saw Jesus appear to them when they were hiding, afraid for their lives (Luke 24:36; John 20:19)? Even doubting Thomas finally believed (John 20:28), so who were the the ones doubting in Matthew 28? Could it have been one of them? Possibly, or maybe even one of those who may have tagged along.

Here’s what I think happened. The disciples were gathered together, Jesus miraculously appeared, and before He could speak the crowd began to worship Him. Some, however, were a little skeptical; they had seen things before, including fakes, charlatans, and impostors. Who was to say what they saw was really Jesus Himself?

What convinced the doubters, then? I believe it was when Jesus spoke.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. – Matthew 28:18-20

It’s not like this was the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples, causing not only doubt, but also stark terror. Remember when He walked on the water?

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. – Matthew 14:26

It took Jesus speaking to calm down the frightened boatmen…

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. – Matthew 14:27

Is it possible that some of the disciples present when Jesus met up with them on that mountain had a right to be skeptical? I mean, hey, wasn’t Jesus himself who earlier warned the disciples that “false Christs” and “false prophets” would arise, deceivers so convincing that, “if it were possible, they [would] deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22)?

Matthew doesn’t exactly say what happened to those who doubted, but I have my suspicions. I believe it was when Jesus spoke that their doubts disappeared. On the other hand, if they still doubted, maybe they were only there for the bagels and mountain air.

Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. – John 10:25-28

It was never Jesus’ plan to convince to the world of who He is by physically appearing to everyone. As a matter of fact, Jesus told Thomas, “because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

The Word made flesh (John 1:1) gave us His Word (the Bible). When in doubt, read and listen to His voice.

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Filed under Apologetics, Christian Maturity, cults, Faith, God, worship

Tagged as Bible, doubt, faith, faith in Jesus, Jesus, the real Jesus

by Anthony Baker | June 5, 2014 · 6:00 am

Train’em!

Favorite Photo

Just the other day Andy Britt graciously spent an entire day taking photos of my family. Should you need a good photographer, look him up.

But anyway, this picture has to be one of, if not my MOSTEST favorite! It captures the essence of everything I want to be as a parent. If ever my girls happen to glance over my shoulder to see what I’m reading, I hope they find me in God’s Word.

By the way, the Bible in the photograph is mine. My finger is placed on Proverbs 1:7, which reads: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Other Verses

Maybe I posted this just to show off my favorite photograph…who can blame me? But on the other hand, can I share with you some other passages of Scripture?

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: – Psalms 78:4-6

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. – Ephesians 6:4

Gentlemen, don’t waste an opportunity. Train’em now!

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Filed under Christian Living, Christian Maturity, Homeschool, Life Lessons, Parenting, Relationships and Family

Tagged as Bible, Children Youth and Family, faith, Family, Family Photo, homeschool, photos, Teach

by Anthony Baker | May 6, 2014 · 1:26 pm

The Perception Deception

The Way We See It

If I have heard it said once, I have heard it said a thousand times, “perception is reality.” And if I have puked once…well, you know the rest.

What is it with man’s twisted view of reality and truth? Where do we get the idea that reality is what we perceive it to be? Is truth really relative to our own perception of the way things are? Just because a person believes something to be true doesn’t make it true, only believed.

Have you ever argued with someone who is color-blind over the color of a tie? Have you ever tried to convince someone dying of thirst that it’s not really water, but a mirage? Have you ever tried to convince a 3-year-old that germs are real and that hands need to be washed before eating? Some people think they know what they see, but they don’t.

Clean Drunks

Several years ago I was unfortunate enough to transport a bunch of college kids to a party. It was unfortunate because long before some of them ever got on the school bus they had already been drinking.

The place they were going to was up a mountain. About 5 minutes into the trip, about the third or fourth curve, one girl decided to vomit on the window, down the inside wall, and between the seats. It was all liquid, all alcohol, and all nasty. A few minutes later she felt she was ready to go party some more, for, in her eyes, she was perfectly clean. The only problem was that we (everyone on the bus) could tell she was soaked…in other words, we weighed the “spirits.”

God Sees Everything

When it comes to self-perception, reality is what God sees. He not only sees the outside, but the heart is bare before Him.

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. – Proverbs 16:2

As the proverb says, a man may consider himself clean and his motives pure, which is his own perception of reality, but the Lord knows what’s really going on.

It is foolish for men to try to justify their sinful, dirty actions before a holy God. It is foolish to depend on our own perception of what is right and wrong. Our eyes only want to see what makes us look good, not evil.

That is why we need God’s wisdom.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12

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Tagged as Bible, faith, Motivation, perception, philosophy, politics, reality, Religion, voting

by Anthony Baker | April 9, 2014 · 1:28 pm

Book Release!

Proverbial Thought

OK, when I say “my” book, it was my idea, but I’m just the editor and co-writer; I didn’t do all the work by myself. As a matter of fact, I had help from around the world. The full title of this voluminous work is Proverbial Thought: Your Daily Word of Wisdom from Proverbs. We couldn’t put everything into one book, or it would be entirely too large – and expensive. That’s why this book is the first of several volumes. At 318 pages, Volume One contains thoughts on chapters 1-10 of Proverbs. There’s 21 more chapters and a lot more detail to go!

Click Here to Purchase 🙂

I am very proud of what we have accomplished. Below is the preface that explains how all this came about.

Preface

What you are about to read is a work that came together over a period of two years. It first started out with an idea placed on my heart, I believe, by the Holy Spirit. Then it proceeded to be something that I tossed around to others, asking for advice, picking their brains. Finally, what it ended up being was a collection of personal commentary on one of the most famous collections of wisdom known to man – the book of Proverbs.

When the Lord impressed me to start a blog called Proverbial Thought, it wasn’t because I had a lot of time on my hands. As a matter of fact, in February of 2012, besides being a husband and a dad with two daughters still at home and being homeschooled, I was a pastor who had decide to finish a long-pursued seminary degree. In other words, I had plenty to do. However, I kept feeling led to start a daily devotional/commentary.

Since 2009, I had been publishing a blog called The Recovering Legalist.com, which introduced me to other bloggers, such as David Welford in Herefordshire, UK. After some prayer, I contacted David and asked him what he thought of co-contributing to another blog dealing with Proverbs. His immediate response was positive, even suggesting others who might want to get involved, such as his son, Nick. Ultimately, I approached over twenty individuals around the world and in my own community; eight came on board.

By the way, it was very important, I believe, to gather contributors from around the world and from different walks of life. By doing so, instead of relying on the limited life experiences and from one culture, the wisdom of Proverbs could be approached from various perspectives, lending insight that might not be available to another. For example, in one post a writer from England describes the wisdom from a proverb in light of the Iron-age fortress in his back yard. Seriously!? How many people can address a subject from that perspective? Not me!

So, in March of 2012, I put together a Google document that contained a list of dates with a corresponding proverb. Those who agreed to contribute to Proverbial Thought were asked to periodically go to that online community list and write in their names beside the verses on which they wanted to comment. Sometimes the selection was purposeful based on our knowledge of a particular Bible verse. But for the most part, each one of us went to that master list and wrote in our names, never knowing what the subject matter was going to be about. That led to a lot of “God moments.”

Eventually, nearly two years and almost 700 entries later, the project that enlisted writers from the United States, Canada, and England was complete. However, along the way a lot of “life” happened. Some of that “life” can be read in the following daily entries; more than a few words are dotted with tears. God knew what He was doing when He led us to “arbitrarily” choose which proverbs we would write about. He knew what we would be going through at the time we sat down to a computer to write. So, in one sense, what you are about to read is spiritual journey, almost a diary, of what God wanted these contributors to learn, and to share, about true Wisdom. -Anthony C. Baker

Special Thanks!

I just want to thank David Welford, Daniel Klem, Jason Sneed, Chris Jordan, Rev. Ken Welford, Nick Welford, and Katie Marie for lending their “thoughts” over the last couple of years. Without their help this would not have been possible.

I would also like to thank Dr. David Myers for referring David Tullock at Parson’s Porch Books (a publisher who’s profits go to take care of the needy).

It is also necessary that I thank my wife and daughters. They are the ones who put up with me as I sat for many hours in front of a computer screen. Maybe all this was worth it.

Last, but not least, I must thank my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the Wisdom that confounds the foolishness of men, and on Whom I totally rely (1 Cor. 1:23-25).