Tag Archives: faith

by | July 31, 2013 · 11:27 am

Thoughts from the Beach (Part 1)

Vacation

Last week my wife and kids and I went to visit our daughter, Alicia, and her husband, Josh, in Charleston, South Carolina. Josh is in the Air Force and stationed in Charleston, so we stayed with them in their new house instead of a hotel.

market shoppingWe didn’t have a lot of money to spend, so we went sight-seeing in the historic district along the harbor, admiring all the old houses, sail boats, and numerous items for sail in the old market that stretched for blocks. If we had been wealthy, there were plenty of things we could have bought, especially the hand-made grass baskets that were sold all over the place.

Isle of Palms was only about a 45 minute drive from where we were staying, so another thing we did that was inexpensive was go to the beach. Playing in the sand, walking along the shore, and even splashing in the water (if one dares) is free.

Thinking

One day while visiting the beach I walked out into the water and just stood there…thinking…imagining. What I should have been doing was getting some sun on my pale, suburban skin, but this day thinking was enough. What I thought about is what I want to share with you today and tomorrow.

Sinking

Standing in the oceanNotice in the picture how that my lily-white legs are in the water, not on top. My feet are even sinking into the sand as the waves churn the current around me. What I am not doing is walking on the water.

One of the things I thought about while standing there was how cool it would have been to be like Jesus and Peter and walk on the water. It would have been so fun to just run out onto the swelling waves and ride them up and down instead of falling into them and fighting to survive. It would have been cool to stand on top of the water and not worry about what was underneath wanting to eat my toes. Yet, I was sinking, not walking.

Riding Waves

Looking at the waves got me to thinking about the story of Jesus and Peter in the book of Matthew…

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here! ” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” – Matthew 14:24-31 NLT

Have you ever seen paintings depicting this event? I don’t think any that I have seen portrayed a true representation of what went on. Most show Jesus walking on water with no more than a few ripples on the surface. The Bible says the disciples were “terrified” because of the wind and waves (not to mention a man walking on them). What kind of seasoned fishermen would have been terrified of rippled water?

As I stood looking out at the waves I could imagine that the water the disciples were being tossed around in was heaving the boat up and down like a roller coaster. And when they saw Jesus walking toward them, where would He have been but on top of the waves? There would have been no flat, level, walking-water anywhere in sight!

Fun with Jesus

When Peter realized that Jesus was the one out their riding the waves instead of fearing them, I can’t help but think that Peter must have thought, “Dadgum! That looks like fun!” Sure walking on water when it is calm would have been cool, but calm water doesn’t possess strong winds and dangerous waves. Peter must have seen Jesus looking like a surfer in a robe without a surfboard and wanted to share in the experience. I mean, if you’ve got to go through a storm, why not ride the waves?

Do you understand the implications of what I am saying? We all face crushing storms with high winds and killer waves, but having faith in Jesus can change one’s whole perspective.

Instead of letting the fear of sinking take your breath away, step out in faith and ride the swells!

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by | May 31, 2013 · 8:17 pm

Unpopular Me

I Have Followers

I don’t know where all my new followers are coming from, but it does amaze me. Is there some point in a blogger’s life where things just start to take off on their own? Seriously, it wasn’t long ago that I was trying to reach the 100-follower mark. Now I am getting several followers every day!

The amount of followers amazes me, but so does the type of people who are following. For example, it doesn’t shock me to see fellow believers subscribe to my blog, but what is the deal with all the Muslim, pagan, and atheist followers? Andrew Marburger must has a man-crush on me (ha!), but what about everyone else? What have I done to cause them to click here?

Seriously, I would love to hear from you. Why did you subscribe? Was it just to get me to visit your website, or are you legitimately interested in what this crazy Baptist preacher has to say? Was it Mr. Monkey that brought you here? I really want to know.

But I Will Follow

Regardless, I would like to make one thing absolutely clear – I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and for that I make no apology. I hope everything I write ultimately reflects that fact.

Many times people in the public eye are hesitant to take a stand or draw a line in the sand for fear of public opinion. And, if the truth be known, thanks to my critics, sometimes I have cowered. But this should not be. I should always speak with love and respect to all who may disagree with me, but I should never shy away from biblical truths, even if they are currently politically incorrect.

crossSo, I am glad to have a few followers, and I would love to have more, but I would gladly see them all go away before I deny my Lord and Savior. Jesus said (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23) that anyone who would be his servant must “take up his cross” and follow.

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though no one join me, still I will follow;
Though no one join me, still I will follow;
Though no one join me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Sadhu Sundar Singh – Indian Christian missionary

Crosses are not fun, or popular … neither are the ones who carry them.

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by | April 21, 2013 · 8:53 pm

Yokey Dokey

(Guest post by Nick Welford)

What do you think of most during a day? What thoughts capture your mind when you are otherwise unoccupied? Whatever it is there’s a good chance that is what you are yoked to, but we are getting ahead of ourselves.

Matthew 11: 28-30 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

I love the imagery that Jesus conjures here. A yoke (as pictured) is a device that holds two or more oxen together while they pull their plough. The interesting thing is that an older more experienced Ox would be yoked to a young rookie. When the youngest got a bit carried away and tried to speed off and finish the job more quickly, the older Ox would pull him back in line, keeping the plough straight. When the young Ox got tired, the strength and experience of the old Ox would keep him on track. Why was this so important? Because one day the young Ox would become an old Ox himself, and on that day, when he’d learned all there was to know about ploughing a field, he would be yoked to a young rookie Ox.

In Jesus day a yoke was also another name of an interpretation of the scriptures. One Rabbi might read the Old Testament and conclude that sacrifice was the most important thing, his yoke would be sacrifice, another Rabbi might conclude love was the main message, and his yoke would be love. What is interesting is that Jesus claims His yoke is easy, but isn’t this the same Jesus that bids daily take up our crosses? That tells us to gain life we must lose ours? Hardly seems like the easiest of yokes does it? How can Jesus justify calling His yoke easy?

The key, I think, comes when we compare Jesus yoke to all the other yokes around Him. All the other yokes will let you down, none of the other yokes can cope with you! If you yoke yourself to a teaching or a theory what happens when you get headstrong? When you make a mistake? An ideal cannot forgive you, it cannot pick you up, dust you off and walk the road with you. In short words cannot teach you to plough. Yoke yourself to Jesus though, and he will teach you how to live.

In our day and age we may not yoke ourselves to Rabbi’s teachings, but the world provides plenty of other ideals to attract our devotion. Consumerism, individualism, money, sex, power. All of these and more bid for our loyalty, and yoke ourselves we do. But when we stumble and fall these things have no compassion, no pity. They cannot love us, or provide for us. All they can do is spit in our faces and laugh at us, and we take it all, thinking that is all there is to life. Yoke ourselves to Jesus though, and He will pick us up every time we fall, He will give us rest from the constant demands of the things we use to yoke ourselves to. Yoke ourselves to Jesus and He will teach us to be more like Him, so we can show others too.

 

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by | March 6, 2013 · 2:29 am

I’ve Been Sick

It may be news to you, but I have been a little under the weather. To put it another way, I have been sick. But who hasn’t, right?

It can get depressing.

However, I have also been experiencing some unexplained pain in my chest. After a couple of trips to the E.R. and a few visits to doctors, I am still no closer to a diagnosis. All I know is that nothing shows up as a heart attack.

I didn’t want to tell many people, though. The last thing I wanted was worried people calling me all day and night asking how I felt. I feel OK, other than that nagging little pain.

Don’t Pray?

It was only a couple of years ago that I had a cancer scare. I was told that a mass in my chest might be a tumor. When people began finding out about the potential diagnosis, I had to say something. I said, “Don’t you dare pray that I be healed! If you pray anything, pray that God gets the glory through whatever He is leading me through.”The same message holds true this time.

Now, if you are an atheist like Andrew Marburger (my most prolific antagonist), then withholding your prayers for my healing shouldn’t be a problem. But if you are a Christ-follower, then you may be tempted to pray that God heal me and take away my pain. I wouldn’t blame you, for I believe that God is fully capable of doing just that. However, what I desire most is to be full of the Holy Spirit and yielded to the will of my Savior.

Just think, it might be His will for me to take the love of Christ to a nurse who is searching for hope. Maybe God wants me to look into the eyes of a surgeon and say, “I know in Whom I have believed?” You see, sometimes, when those in the hospital won’t go to church, the Lord puts the Church in the hospital.

It Is Well

140 years ago, in 1873, Horatio G. Spafford lost his four daughters to the icy Atlantic when a ship they and his wife were on sank in only 12 minutes. Only a short time before he had lost his only son, a 4-year old, to illness. Then he lost most all his wealth to the Chicago fire. It is hard to imagine the grief he must have been going through.

But it was during his mourning, while sailing to meet his grieving wife who survived the sinking, that Spafford looked over the rails into the waves where his daughters had drowned and wrote the following words…

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

If you want to pray for me, then by all means, pray! Just let it be, “SOLI DEO GLORIA!” (To God alone be the glory!).

It is well with my soul.

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by | January 23, 2013 · 12:10 am

Just the Sound of BB’s

I thought I had said enough about the horrors of abortion in yesterday’s post, but then I found this on Facebook (thanks to Joel Garner).

The attached video is not graphic, but should be terribly disturbing. It is not gross and disgusting, only sobering.

Please listen to the sound of BB’s in a tin can.

I agree with the author of this video – God help us!

Here is another video you should watch. It is of an abortion survivor. Very powerful.

But you know what, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that there is hope for those who have had abortions. Watch and listen to my friends (who I used to play bass guitar with), Adam and Kathy Glover. This was from a few years ago. We were at their home when this aired, and you should have seen the emails that flooded Kathy’s computer.

Kathy had abortions, but God has brought healing. Now they devote most of their time reaching out to those who struggle with the guilt of past and hidden sin.

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by | December 15, 2012 · 3:39 pm

Leaving? Where Will You Go?

Jesus asked Peter, “Are you going to leave, also?”  Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” – John 6:67-68

In times of great trial many of us are tempted to walk away from our faith, but Peter realized that there was nowhere to go, at least nowhere that offered the “words of eternal life.”

Today is no exception. With so much going on in the news, many who once claimed to follow Christ are turning their backs on Him. But where will they go? To nothing? To self? To mankind that is becoming less trustworthy every day? To other gods?

Back in the early days of Israel, many were tempted to follow after other gods, even after all that had taken place since crossing the Jordan. In response to those were thinking about leaving, Joshua said the following…

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15 ESV

And that is where I stand. Even when tragedy strikes…even when my dreams are destroyed…even when it seems like God is nowhere to be found…”as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” His thoughts are higher than my thoughts, and His ways beyond my knowing. Therefore, I will say as Job of old said, “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).

Come On Let’s Go!

Check out the stories of people who are saying, “Come on let’s go!” Maybe you can relate to Bernie, the Sony Records executive, or Jose, the cocaine dealer.

comeonletsgo

The God I serve is a good God, and He can change lives. He can make a difference in your life, just like those above. When He does, you will understand what Peter meant when he said, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.”

Already gone? Why not come home?

Leaving? Don’t!

 

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by | December 12, 2012 · 1:21 pm

100-Year Event Witnessed

Where Were You?

Where were you when Elvis died? Were you even born? I was sitting in front of a 13-channel Magnavox television at my baby-sitters century-old, north Chattanooga house.

Where were you when man landed on the moon? I was probably wetting my washable, cloth diapers.

Where were you 100 years ago? Well, I wasn’t around then, but 100 years from now, if I live to be 145, I will remember today.

Interrupted

Taken on my daughter's iPhone.

Taken on my daughter’s iPhone.

I was in the process of taking my mind off of the true stresses and cares of this world, like finances, cell phones that don’t work the way you think they should after the money you spend on them, and sick wives (well, the one I have, at least), when all of a sudden my daughter screams, “You’re missing it!”

At one moment I was in the process of putting together a memorable blog piece about marbles and possibly some puke, then the next I was reminded that it was 12:12 on 12/12/12.

My daughter took a picture on her phone to archive the moment. Cool, huh? But not as cool as a post about marbles and puke, I bet.

Made Me Think

So, I began to think as I was typing this post as a substitute for the post I was in the process of composing, “what could be the point?” In other words, my daughter just memorialized a once-in-a-life-time event, but so what? It that it? Time was here, now it’s gone. What now? Has anything changed?

That’s when I thought of another date: 9/26/73. That was the day that a little boy named Anthony realized he was a sinner and needed Jesus to forgive him. That was the day he knelt beside a little Sunday School room table, and with the help of his dad, prayed to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Everything changed that day.

It was a once-in-an-eternity event.

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by | December 2, 2012 · 4:58 pm

Christmas Is the Gospel

The first Sunday of December brought with it many sermons about Christmas, I am sure. Riverside Baptist Church was no exception. The message this morning had to do with Christmas, but especially the “good news” of Christmas…the Gospel.

You may never have the opportunity to visit our little church in Chattanooga, but today I am going to give you an opportunity to hear what I preached. The recording isn’t fancy, but it is understandable. I recorded it on my iPhone…the same one I used to record Mr. Monkey acting like a fool (or is that me?).

Pick up a Bible and turn to the book of Luke, chapter two, and follow along.

Listen: Christmas is the Gospel

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by | November 28, 2012 · 8:42 am

Women and Rubies (by Katie Baker)

Gettin’ out the word.

It would bless my heart if you would read my daughter’s latest post, “Women and Rubies.”

Women and Rubies.

Katie and Jeff Frankenstein (keyboardist, Newsboys)

Katie blogs at Shutter Elf. She takes wonderful pictures, but leaves great commentary. And to beat all, she is only 16!

Since Katie is relatively an unknown, a whole lot of people are missing out. Could you help me get out the word? If you like what she is doing at Shutter Elf, would you let her know, and then tell someone else?

Thanks, a lot!

Anthony (The Recovering Legalist)

 

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by | November 17, 2012 · 11:56 am

I Live With Animals

 

Today I am up a little later than usual, because it is Saturday. It is nearly 10 a.m. at the time of this writing and I am just now finishing an egg, cheese grits, and my first cup of black coffee (in my TTU mug).

I sat down at the computer for a few moments in order to study for tomorrow’s Proverbial Thought post on Proverbs 14:3. Then, as I read the next proverb, 14:4, an additional thought came to mind…

I live with animals, and I’m glad.

Furry and Furless

Animals. Now, when I say, “I live with animals,” don’t get the impression that I live in a barn, although barns are pretty nice if you remodel them. The animals I am referring to are not only the the four-legged, flea-bearing, shoe-chewing canine types, but the 2-legged, child-bearing, shoe-buying female types.

Barns. Sometimes I really do think I am living in a madhouse. Other times I feel like I am living in a barn of the un-remodeled style. But most of the time I am cognizant (I went to college) of the fact that animals of all kinds make messes. Whether they be furry or furless, you can tell where animals live.

Qualifying “Messes”

Before I get into trouble, let me qualify what I meant by “messes.” My children, my wife, and I do not leave the same kind of messes lying around the house that our four-legged barn-guests are capable of. We know how to use our indoor plumbing.

The kind of mess I am talking about is just the stuff that comes as a result of living a hectic life. For example, clothes aren’t always put away; dishes get piled up; the kitchen table is a community desk; and a remote-controlled helicopter is in the china cabinet (that’s my fault…along with the clothes, dishes, and table).

But what if these messes weren’t there? What if everything in the house looked like a picture from Martha Stewart’s fake family album? Without at least some of the mess, home would be nothing more than a sanitary stable or a clean crib – and that could be bad.

Too Clean

Proverbs 14:4 says, “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.” The New Living Translation puts it this way: “Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.” In other words, a clean stable might be nice, but that’s not always a good thing.

This proverb is trying to tell us that in order to have the grain to make a mess, you need the messer-uppers to harvest the grain. Without the messer-uppers in the stable there will be no harvest – so quit complaining.

A strong family is a family that lives like a family, not like legalistic representation of perfection. It’s nice to have a clean house, for sure. Yet, I would rather live with a bunch of animals (myself included) in a happy barn, than like a white mouse in a sanitary laboratory.

As soon as my wife and daughters read this, my funeral will be a simple affair.

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