Posts by Andy Baker (Page 6)

The holidays are almost over. Everyone will soon be settling back into a rhythm that will take most people through the remainder of the winter and through the first part of spring. However, every day I check my “junk email” account, I see hundreds of email subject lines from hundreds of different companies such as this: “Christmas sale! You don’t want to miss this event.” “Treat yourself NOW!” “Don’t miss an EXTRA 40% off year end.” After months of Christmas…

It was a plethora! In fact, the two lead craftsmen of the tabernacle said that they had, “more than enough for doing the work of the Lord” (Ex.36:5). What a statement to be made about God’s people. There was work to be done, there was a godly plan to be executed, and the people were right there with what was, “sufficient to do all the work, and more” (Ex. 36:5). How does that happen? The Lord committed a charge. Through…

“You have no desire to help anyone as a preacher. You just want to get rich off of us!” As a preacher, the apostle Paul had to defend himself against those who accused him with words like the above statement. As a preacher, it hurts when accusations are made like that. In fact, he had to confirm his work and apostleship again to some of the very people he had helped and converted (2 Corinthians 2:14 -3:3)! Notice some things…

It’s not just the doctrine, it’s the examples! While in the midst of the study of Daniel, we have been deep into the prophecies of chapters 7-12 for the last several weeks. The whole book reminds us of the chief doctrine, “God rules in the kingdoms of men” (4:17), but Daniel’s life (and the lives of his friends) are examples of what a steadfast confidence of that fundamental truth looks like. Said another way, Daniel is exhibit A for this:…

One of the first things I do every week when I come in the office is to write on a 3×5 notecard of all the things I need to get accomplished for that week. Some weeks, it goes great. Some weeks, I find I’m adding things as fast as (or faster than) I am crossing them off. There are some days and weeks that are busier than others, but still things need to be done. Looking at my “to-do” list,…

Mosie Lister, though not a member of the Lord’s church, used his talents and abilities to write many well-loved songs and hymns. What he is most known for is writing lyrics and music that are relatively well-suited to sing and fit well into quartet or solo style. In 1960, Elvis Presley, the king of Rock and Roll, when he had a brief stint into so-called “gospel music,” recorded two of Mosie Lister’s songs– “Till the Storm Passes Over” and “His…

Sitting on the shelf in my office is a beautiful hand-made mantle clock that sat on the mantle of my grandparents’ house for many years. Every time it chimes, it takes me back to the old house in Chandler, Texas. I love this clock (including the accuracy of time, the steady ticking, the hypnotic swings of the pendulum, and the hourly chimes), yet I come in on Monday morning and see a clock that is about “wound down.” So, the…

Sometimes, we can be so afraid that we might say something incorrect about the topic of the Holy Spirit that we might not say anything at all! As some disciples said, “we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:2). I’ve heard well-intentioned men pray, “Thank you God for what You and Jesus planned for us…” Or we might hear people saying, “I want to do what pleases God and Jesus.” I am tempted to ask,…

Despite the funny looks I got from some of you (read: a lot of you) for wearing the Army green shirt and camouflage pants most Wednesday nights this summer, let me say this: I had a blast teaching Bible Boot Camp! Here are a few great lessons I appreciated being a drill sergeant in boot camp this summer:  We are blessed with really great kids here. Every one of them improved over the course of the summer in learning about…

Which of these best describe my life? An honest evaluation is hard to do. I’m sure we all want to be described as someone who lives with “faith over fear,” yet how can I know when fear is trumping my faith or when faith begins to be overshadowed by my fear? Consider these questions:  Do I often think about the physical ramifications of my decisions more than the spiritual ramifications of my decisions? Jesus cautioned that we “do not fear…

Freedom of speech as Americans means simply that we have the ability to express opinions, criticisms, and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship or legal sanction. It’s built into our governmental charter. Yet, notice that there are still limits to the things we may say as Americans. We cannot threaten to do harm to governmental leaders without repercussions. We cannot slander a person with no consequences. Nor can we expect that we have our freedom of speech in another country…

I recently came across an interesting Zulu word that (as I understand) has no English equivalent. The word is “sawubona” (sah-wu-BOHN-ah). It simply means, “I see you.” Of course, it does not mean on the surface only what we see. It has to do with the value of a person and how much they are worth in the eyes of the speaker. It is, as one man said, a statement of seeing “your hopes, your dreams, where you came from,…