Tag Archives: Encouragement

by Anthony Baker | June 19, 2017 · 10:06 am

The Day After Father’s Day

Please forgive me if there are any grammatical or spelling errors in this post, but I am talking into my iPhone as I’m walking around in the rain (The seven can handle that kind of stuff, thankfully), waiting while a bus driver trainee is taking his test at the DMV. I had to bring a school bus down for him to test own, so I’m on the clock and writing a post at the same time. What do you think about that?

Anyway, today is the day after Father’s Day, and I wanted to share with you a thought or two that I had as I was standing in the rain.

Yesterday was a wonderful day, and I enjoyed preaching a great message that was very convicting for all men present, including myself. And I also enjoyed spending time with my daughters who I love very much.

One of our daughters lives in Charleston South Carolina, so she’s not able to be here. But the other two were in church with me yesterday, and then later for a lunch which a church member graciously provided the money for.

Last night we ate dinner at home, late, and that is when my two younger girls gave me the presents that they purchased (with their own money!). I have included a picture below.

My youngest daughter, Haley, procured for me the complete box sets of the first two seasons of the television program called “The Unit.” And by the way, that was a fantastic series of which I think they should have never canceled.

The other daughter, Katie, brought back something very unique from Norway. She found a wallet made from the skin of the Nordic moose! I don’t know how much she paid for it, but I know it had to cost more than something I would’ve gotten at Walmart.

After both presents had been opened, Haley asked a question which was very difficult, if not impossible to answer. She asked, “Which one is your favorite?” Now, I don’t know if she was being facetious, or if she was being serious, but my wife quickly answered for me: “That’s like asking which one of you he loves the most; he loves you the same, just differently.”

This morning as I was thinking about the gifts my daughters got me, and the question Haley asked, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Cain and Abel. I couldn’t help but think of Sunday morning and our worship. I couldn’t help but think of how so often we wonder if God loves us more or less than someone else, simply because of what we have to offer. I thought about what it must be like to be God the Father – our Abba – after a Sunday has passed.

One of those gifts cost a lot of money (relatively speaking), while the others probably cost a lot less. However, based on the means of each daughter, both were a sacrifice. In the same way, when we go to church to worship God, the gifts and offerings we bring may cost one person a lot more than it cost another. But who are we to judge whether or not those gifts that were given were sacrificial? We don’t know the heart of the child, nor do we know the heart of the Father. All we can surely know is that if the gifts were given out of love, then they are of equal value. More so, if the Father truly loves his children, which He does, there’s nothing that can compare to those gifts given by the children who love Him.

So, in conclusion, this is not only the day after Father’s Day, this is the day after Sunday. What gifts of love did you give your Father in heaven yesterday? I have no doubt they are giving him a smile today.

Happy day after Father’s Day!

Flawed and Loved

Here’s another insightful guest post. I’m so glad God loves me, flaws and all!

Guest Post by: Dorissa Vanover

“Duh!” “How Stupid!” “Dummy!” These words are the words that fly through my head when I’ve made a silly mistake.

I would never, ever talk to anyone else that way, but, for whatever reason, I feel quite free to berate myself soundly at any time or at any place. I simply cannot cut myself any slack – especially when I goof.

I would really like to blame my upbringing. Maybe my parents are the ones who turned this horrible voice on inside my head. No, it wasn’t them. They tried their very best to make me feel good about myself. This voice is one I developed all by myself!

“She’s just being kind.” These are the words in my head when someone pays me a compliment. If someone says my hair looks nice, I run to the bathroom mirror to try to figure out what my hair has done with itself since I sprayed it this morning – didn’t look so hot to me then. I love compliments, don’t get me wrong―it’s just that even if I was tempted to believe them, I probably couldn’t see what was worth complimenting. I mean really, my hair looks nice – um – must be something wrong with her eyesight!

We’ve all probably heard that it takes 10 positives to outweigh one negative. I believe it. If ten people complimented me on my appearance and one person looked straight into my eyes and said, “You look tired. Are you feeling okay?”, I would run to the mirror to check out the tired eyes.

I don’t think I’m the only person in the world who looks for the flaws instead of the attributes when I’m evaluating myself. I’m trying to figure out how to stop it before it gets way too far out of hand.

The first step for me is to remember, “God didn’t make any junk.” I’ve always known that’s true, especially when I look at my husband or my sons and their families. They are absolutely wonderful people and I’m so very proud of them. I need to remind myself that God created me, too. He loves me, even though I’m flawed.

The next step for me is to be as kind and gentle with my words to myself as I am to others. Have you ever tried to list five good qualities about yourself? I could list many more than that for the other people in my life, but to find five really good qualities about myself is a bit of a stretch. I’ll need to work on that.

The best step I can take is to trust that God has a plan for my life. He put me here for a reason or reasons that I may, or may not, get to know. If I stay focused on Him and His goodness, I won’t have too much time to worry about myself and my flaws.

The final step is to realize that the Bible is very plain about loving others as we love ourselves. Well, guess what? If I don’t have a healthy self-esteem, if I don’t value myself, how will I be able to value others? If I’m always looking inward at myself, how will I be able to hold my head high, look into the faces of the people God sends my way, and share with them all the love God has shared with me?

So, for today, my plan is to prayerfully focus on God and His mercy, treating each of His children, even myself, with the love He expects us to show.

7 Comments

Filed under abuse, Depression, Guest Posts, Love of God, self-worth

Tagged as blogging, depression, Encouragement, life, self-worth, Value

by Anthony Baker | April 11, 2017 · 6:30 am

Made Perfect in Weakness

A Note

A few years ago (2013) I received a note in the mail from one of my congregation. It was such an encouragement that I wanted to share it with all of you.

Dear Anthony,

You and our family are such a blessing to me.

Wednesday p.m. service was a comfort to me and I know from what three other people shared it was a comforting message they needed to hear, too.

I seems when you are most broken, weary, discouraged, Jesus and the Word pour through you in a powerful way, and we are touched.

Your prayer was like a shepherd interceding for his sheep.

Thank you for always being so sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

I am blessed to sit under a man of God who teaches and preaches the true Word of God.

You are continually in my prayers…

You see, there are times when we find ourselves wondering if we are even making a difference. But even though we may feel like we are useless at times, the truth of Scripture rings true…

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Send your pastor a note of encouragement. I know he will appreciate it.

1 Comment

Filed under Christian Maturity, Christian Unity, General Observations, Life Lessons, ministry, Preaching, self-worth, Struggles and Trials

Tagged as Christianity, Encouragement, Religion and Spirituality

by Anthony Baker | March 1, 2017 · 2:51 pm

You Can Do What Through Christ?

Warming Up & Weather

It is a wonderfully blustery Wednesday afternoon as I write this on my own computer. However, because I do not have Wi-Fi or a wireless card on this computer, and the nearest place to plug in is too far away for the Ethernet cable to reach, I’m sitting here enjoying my own keyboard and creating a Word document to save on a flash drive, and then take to my wife’s computer which is connected to the world.

I know you didn’t need to know all of that, but I needed to warm up my fingers – I’ve been too long at the iPhone and iPad.

Storms are about to sweep through our area again, much worse than the lightening that came through yesterday. As of the moment of this writing, we are under a tornado watch and expecting straight-line winds of up to 60 mph, along with hail. That’s not good, but I guess it could be worse – Hillary Clinton could be coming to dinner.

So, before the power ends up going out, or at least before I end up having to shut everything down again, I am now going to share with you some thoughts I had yesterday, before my flash of brilliance (that’s call humor)was interrupted by a flash of lightening.

“I can do it!”

tim-tebow-si-cover How often have you heard it proclaimed, especially by athletes and motivational speakers, “I can do all things through Christ”? I’m sure you’ve probably seen Philippians 4:13 written on the sleeves and foreheads of runners; tacked on the end of messages to struggling college students; or heard from friends before you accepted that challenging new position. For the most part, Philippians 4:13 has been used as a tool to soothe our fears of failure and encourage us to greatness, because, after all, “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”

The only problem with using Philippians 4:13 is that the context has nothing to do with what most people want to accomplish. It has nothing to do with running races, lifting weights, saving relationships, getting promotions, or making money; it does, however, have everything to do with enduring hardship, pain, and unfair loss with growing faith.

In verses 11 and 12 the Apostle Paul stated that he had learned how to be content in all circumstances, whether poor or rich, hungry or well-fed, comfortable or uncomfortable. The “things” to which he was referring in verse 13 are anything but contests, races, jobs, relationships, etc.

So often we forget the struggles and trials our forefathers in the faith have endured. In chapter 4 in his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul was attempting to encourage a poor congregation, not a rich one. He was thanking God for their renewed financial support (v.10), while at the same time encouraging them not to feel guilty for their previous lack of support, because they had “lacked opportunity.” He was saying to them, “Hey, it’s OK! Really! God has taken care of me and met my needs. And even when I was in need, or pain, or suffering, the miraculous power of Jesus Christ has proved real in giving me the ability to be content, whatever the situation.”

But I need Jesus

I don’t know where you are in life, but I am trying to learn, as Paul did (v.11), how to be content, even when I don’t know where I’m going to be living in a month, how I’m going to see the little church I now pastor survive and grow, or whether or not we will be able to pay our basic bills, much less keep the cell phones going. The temptation is to fall prey to fear and doubt, to envy and lust, and to struggle against the current of His will, like a butterfly against a hurricane.

However, if I could just rest in Jesus, admit my frailties, and lean on Him, His grace is sufficient for me, and His strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). It shouldn’t matter to my faith if the money isn’t there like it used to be, for “according to His riches” (Eph. 3:16) I will be “strengthened…unto all patience and longsuffering” (Col. 1:11).

Just remember, context…context…context!! Don’t use Scripture where it was never meant to apply. However, no matter what you do, remember the words of Jesus in John 15:5: “…for without me you can do nothing.”

Christ will strengthen the believer that puts his/her trust in Him, but only for the things He has called you to accomplish for His glory. If winning a gold medal, making your first million, or getting that promotion is part of the plan, then so be it; but don’t count on it.

14 Comments

Filed under Bible Study, Christian Living, Christian Maturity, Life Lessons, Struggles and Trials, Theology

Tagged as contentment, Encouragement, faith, Motivation, Philippians, sports

by Anthony Baker | March 23, 2016 · 10:21 am

A Helpful Heave for Hump Day

Hump hill

It is Hump Day, i.e. Wednesday.

So, besides using the Paint program on my computer to draw an amateurish illustrative, I have creatively compiled a collection of encouraging encouragers which may help heave your heavy heart over Hump Hill.

10 Reasons to be Glad It’s Wednesday

At least it’s not Tuesday.
Going uphill works muscles you use all the time; going downhill works the other ones.
Oh, Monday is now two days in the past!
Wednesday night is prayer night at many churches. That means tonight you can finally vent and feel spiritual at the same time.
If you’re reading this that means your power hasn’t been shut off. Yay for you!
People don’t like you? That’s OK! The people still liked Jesus on Wednesday, and look what happened to Him by the time Friday rolled around. It’s Wednesday, but it could be worse.
If you like Wednesdays, it’s only 7 days (or 6, depending on your time zone) till the next one! Yippee!
Unless you’re using it as a metaphor for impending doom, or unless you’re brakes have failed, you just fixed your hair, or there’s a swarm of bees ahead, going down hill can be fun!
It’s easier to coast on a bicycle and yell “Look Ma! No hands!” when you’re going down a hill, as opposed to peddling up it. Take advantage of the week winding down to lift your hands in praise!
Sunday is that much closer! Hallelujah! Easter is almost here!

1 Comment

Filed under current events, Easter, General Observations, Humor

Tagged as Easter, Encouragement, Help, Hump Day, lists

by Anthony Baker | February 24, 2016 · 10:47 am

In Every Thing…

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Give Thanks

With regards to thanks, you have to give it for it to exist; being thankful is not the same thing as giving thanks. You can be thankful in your heart all day long, but you can easily offend someone by not saying “Thank you” at the appropriate time.

Thanks can be given in many different ways, but the fact is that it must be expressed in some way, not just felt. Say it with words, express it with a card, show it with a gift, or something. The whole concept of “giving” means it leaves you and goes somewhere else.

Every Thing

Note that it’s “every thing,” not everything. It may seem like an insignificant point, but it’s every little thing in particular – every situation, every circumstance, every joy, every pain – not an all-encompassing kind of thing we’re talking about.

You see, it’s easy for us to express a generic “Thank you, Lord, for everything,” but it’s much harder to be specific, especially when things are not going so great. Getting specific with our giving of thanks takes time, points out where we are not so grateful, and forces us to take stock of what we really have.

“In”

We can focus on being thankful FOR every thing another time, but for now pay attention to that one little word “in.” It’s a simple preposition, nothing more. All it does is point out where you are. And it is “in” every thing that we are told to give thanks.

Are you going through a time of confusion? Give thanks to God for the wisdom and guidance He promises to those who ask!

Are you in pain? No, you don’t have to be thankful for the pain, per se, but certainly give thanks while you are IN pain. Thank God for His mercy and grace. Praise the Lord for His promise to never leave you or forsake you. Thank God for Jesus coming to this earth to suffer so that you could have a High Priest who knows how you feel. Thank Him for the reminder that one day there will be no more pain!

Are in a scary situation? Praise God and thank Jesus for being in your boat! Just think, you could be out on life’s troubled sea all alone, tossed by the waves, but you’re not! If the Master of the wind is the Captain of your vessel, you may get battered by the tempest, but you’ll never sink! Give thanks for being able to witness the Voice of God speak peace IN your storm.

Remember, giving thanks IN every thing is the will of God IN Christ concerning YOU! Be obedient; give some thanks.

7 Comments

Filed under Faith, Thanksgiving, worship

Tagged as Christianity, Encouragement, Pain, suffering, thankfulness, Worship

by Anthony Baker | January 26, 2016 · 12:36 pm

Did I Say “Feedback”?

To Refresh

Yesterday, I published a post suggesting “6 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor When He’s Preaching.” The very first way, as I humorously suggested, was to give the pastor some “feedback.”

Feedback. Don’t just sit there like a knot on a log when your pastor is preaching; give him some feedback! Say, “Amen!” Wave your hand. Throw a hymnal at the pulpit. DO SOMETHING! How is he supposed to know he’s getting through to you if you just sit there silently with a blank look on your face? At least nod your head in agreement once in a while.

Believe it or not, all I could think about the rest of the day, and this morning, was that word: feedback. It really bothered me, so I couldn’t help but do a little research.

Word History

Since this was a safe enough subject (not theology), I went to Wikipedia and, to my amazement, discovered that the word “feedback” has far more to do with economics and electronics than positive or negative reinforcement.

Feedback was not even the original spelling of the word. According to the brains at Wikipedia:

The verb phrase “to feed back”, in the sense of returning to an earlier position in a mechanical process, was in use in the US by the 1860s, and in 1909, Nobel laureate Karl Ferdinand Braun used the term “feed-back” as a noun to refer to (undesired) coupling between components of an electronic circuit.

It was not until much later did the terms positive or negative feedback enter into the context of social sciences.

The “Ministry” Context

But as I pondered the word feedback, especially in the context of ministry, the ideas of “circularity of action,” “looping,” and “the output of one affecting the input of another” took on a whole new meaning.

Ministry is never supposed to be a one-way street of communication and teaching. Those who teach and preach must, at some level, at some time, receive something back, whether positive or negative, in order to justify what they do. For example, what good is it to say a teacher is a good teacher, even called by God, if never once a student or disciple shows evidence of being taught? Positive feedback could be something like good grades, a successful career, or even a budding new teacher or preacher ready to reach the next generation.

To put it another way, those of us in ministry “feed” the sheep; “circularity of action” is when the sheep feed the shepherd. In other words, feedback is the congregation taking what has been poured into them and returning it, in some form or another, to the pastor, encouraging him, confirming his calling, thereby sustaining the loop.

The Big Picture

In the big picture of things, our ultimate source of encouragement and strength, the power behind our spiritual output, is the Holy Spirit. He is our Comforter, our Counselor, and our Friend. When we do what we’re called to do, when we obey Christ, the Spirit of God will confirm our work in some way.

But in the context of people – and that’s all preachers and pastors and ministers of all kinds are, just people – we are ALL sheep in His flock. Feeding back is nothing more than us sharing with each other some of the blessings and benefits of the green pasture where the Great Shepherd has led us.

What are your thoughts? How can feedback affect the minister, both positively and negatively?

1 Comment

Filed under ministry, Preaching

Tagged as Encouragement, feedback, Ministry, Shepherd, social science

by Anthony Baker | January 25, 2016 · 1:28 pm

6 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor When He’s Preaching

Other Guys

I know I’m not the only blogger in the world. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of great blogs out there, some of which I read on a regular basis – and others I avoid.

Two very popular blogs in Christian circles are those of Thom S. Rainer and Chuck Lawless. Both are famous for lists like “Eight Characteristics of the New Bivocational Pastor” and “Things I’ve Learned about Corporate Worship.”

This Guy

Well, I’m not the “other guys.” My blog is not as professional; I’m not a seminary professor or a contributor to denominational publications; and I don’t do enough research to come up with new lists every day.

However, this guy is in “list” mode, today! Fresh from a weekend of preaching, this pastor/preacher/blogger is going to hit you with a list from which ALL of us can benefit. Are you ready?

6 Ways You Can Encourage Your Pastor When He’s Preaching

Feedback. Don’t just sit there like a knot on a log when your pastor is preaching; give him some feedback! Say, “Amen!” Wave your hand. Throw a hymnal at the pulpit. DO SOMETHING! How is he supposed to know he’s getting through to you if you just sit there silently with a blank look on your face? At least nod your head in agreement once in a while.
Sit closer to the front. Look, if you were going to a concert where someone was singing that you wanted to hear, where would you sit – if you could afford it? The front row! What does it convey to the minister when you sit all the way in the back? Especially when you’ve already admitted you’re hard of hearing?
Actually show up to church! Let me tell you, it really does encourage a pastor to have his congregation actually show up on Sunday morning. Sunday evening is even better!
Get Your Sleep – At Home. Please, make sure that you go to bed on Saturday night at least by midnight. When a pastor sees you nodding off all he can think is, “I’m boring the snot out of that person,” and that is NOT encouraging.
Pray. Try not to do it with your eyes closed (see the previous point), but pray for your pastor when he’s preaching. Let him know beforehand and afterward that you lift him up before God while he’s slugging away from the pulpit. Courage builds when one knows someone’s got his back.
Put a $100 bill in his hand when you shake it. OK, that’s a stretch, I know. But hey, I won’t stop you if you feel the urge 😉

OH! Do you know what would REALLY be encouraging? Leave a comment below! What would you add to this list?

24 Comments

Filed under blogging, Preaching

Tagged as blogging, Encouragement, Ministry, preaching

by Anthony Baker | January 31, 2015 · 1:07 pm

A Thought for Men of God

Iron sharpens iron; rust against rust just crumbles.

As men of God we are to encourage each other, to hold each other accountable, but beware of your condition…and the condition of your peers. The only thing a neglected spiritual life can do is make a mess.

God is Good. Really. (My 600th Post!)

It is a simple song, but the words are hard for many to believe. As a matter of fact, many Christians find themselves doubting the truth of this little song, especially when things aren’t going their way. Are you one of them?

I was.

But God IS good! Despite problems, pain, suffering, disappointments, discouragements, hurt feelings, broken dreams, etc., He is good!

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. – Psalms 106:1

I could have everything this world offers, but it can’t forgive my sin or give me eternal life. Yet God, because of His great mercy and grace, chooses to not only forgive me of all my sin, redeem me, and give me eternal life, but He is willing to call me His child! He doesn’t have to do this, but He wants to!

If that wasn’t enough, I was blessed to wake up this morning and see a sunrise with my own eyes. I was undeservedly blessed to wake up next to my loving wife, get up out of bed with the full use of all my faculties, and go to work (which is a blessing in and of itself). Even more, I was extravagantly blessed to have a biscuit and coffee for breakfast – the first of three meals in one day!

I don’t deserve any of the blessings I have been given. What I have been given does not mean that I am any more loved or favored than those who have little or nothing. All I know is that I should be thankful for what I have, even what I don’t have. And, no matter what we have or don’t have…because this life is not all that there is…because God gives us hope in His Son, Jesus…

God is GOOD! Really!

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Tagged as Christianity, Encouragement, faith, God, God is good, Legalism