Sunday's Coming

It is that time again.

I told LaVon before this month started that it would fly by and it has. We have a week left here then we are off, making our way back to Arizona with a stop in Round Rock, Texas for a visit with our daughter and family.

We want to thank all of you for your prayers, emails, phone calls and financial support; without any of these we could not continue.

Since my blog is about trials(Count It All Joy), I wanted to share with you a devotional by David Jeremiah this morning. May it touch your life as it did mine. May God bless you today!

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

The Oak and the Reeds
It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.
Psalm 119:71
Recommended Reading: Job 1


A very large oak tree was uprooted by the wind and thrown across a stream.
It fell among some reeds, which it thus addressed: "I wonder how you, who are so light and weak, are not entirely crushed by these strong winds." They replied, "You fight and contend with the wind, and consequently you are destroyed; while we on the contrary bend before the least breath of air, and therefore remain unbroken, and escape."

An unbearable storm arose in Job's life and his response was "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and… not accept adversity?" His wife told him to curse God and die (Job 2:9-10). She believed nothing good could come from their trials, but Job chose to believe that the goodness of God was greater than the intensity of the storm. And it was.

When we experience storms, we can either respond as the oak tree, fighting and contending and begging God to remove it from our life, or we can bend and sway as the reeds, allowing God to carry us through the wind, unbroken and ultimately stronger in the end.

When you face the perils of weariness, carelessness, and confusion, don't ask for an easier life. Pray instead to be a stronger man or woman of God.
Luis Palau


Permanent address:
Chaplain Don & LaVon Baker
3334 W. Main St., PMB 300
Norman, OK 73072
http://bakersblessings.blogspot.com/

Good morning,

Once again, we were awakened to high winds, hail and rain. We thank the LORD for safety through the storms. These storms keep LaVon awake but for some reason I am able to just go back to sleep.

Our dear friends, Rick and Wendy, are back in Ohio going through a different type of storm... his father is dying. Thank you for joining together with us in prayer for them. James 4:8 in the Bible says "draw nigh to me and I will draw nigh to you." We must trust the Lord in all of our trials, as well as the blessings.

Thanks again to those of you who support our ministry financially; without you we could not continue. We have a need as we travel back to Arizona, but we trust the Lord will provide for us through those who are obedient to His Voice. He always does and we are always humbly grateful.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

Wanted!
This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” —Luke 9:23-26

MEN WANTED: FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY.
SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS.

What do you think? Would you sign up for this? Sir Ernest Shackleton, an Irish-born explorer, reportedly ran this advertisement to recruit men for an expedition across the Antarctic Continent in 1914. With no promise of success, twenty-seven signed up to join Shackleton on this journey.

Reread Luke 9:23-26. Jesus has asked us follow Him on a journey we call the Christian life. What does it mean to pick up your cross? Are you ready to be persecuted, mocked, ridiculed, spit upon? Christians are not promised great rewards on earth…but crowns in heaven. Like Shackleton’s journey, the Christian life doesn’t pay well, nor does it promise safety. You’ll experience darkness and danger. However, in the end, if you are willing to pick up your cross and persevere throughout the journey, there is eternal glory.

Sunday Is Coming

Good morning,

We had a great week and I truly believe the Lord used us. I met with three pastor and church leaders and told them about CRM and how God is using us to proclaim His word. I encouraged them to look at starting free medical clinics. One of these Godly men let me preach to his congregation Sunday evening. What a blessing!

I just cant say it enough: Thanks for your prayers, emails, phone calls and for those of you who have listened to the Lord and send financial help. We could not continue without any of these. The next month is going to be our hardest this summer. We will be traveling to Texas then on to Arizona. I urge you to keep us in your prayers and, if God instructs you, may you give to our ministry.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don


Where Are You?

By Mike DeVries

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

One day, I was watching the news on television. I saw a report about refugees. The images I saw were disturbing—millions of face, thousands dying daily from malnutrition and lack of basic medical care. A question ran through my mind: “God, if you’re a God of love, then where are You in all this? Have You forgotten your children?”

While watching the report, I wondered why situations like this happen if God is truly sovereign and in control. Either God is not completely in control, or He has somehow chosen to allow the atrocities that we see in this world to exist. Either way, it’s hard to understand.

As I wrestled with this, it occurred to me that the story of the Scriptures is about a God who is present and active in human history. God is not essentially somewhere else, but is active and present in this world. We see this in Jesus, do we not? The incarnation of God in Jesus sent a clear message, “I care. I have heard your cry, and I’m here to do something about it.”

As I was sitting on my couch watching those images and asking those questions, another thought came. Perhaps I was asking the wrong question. Rather than asking, “Where is God?”, the better question may be posed by God, “My people, where are you in the midst of all this?”

Paul taught this concept in 2 Corinthians 5:20. Take another look at today’s verse. We, the Church, are to be the physical representatives of God on earth. If the world wants to know what God is like, the first place it should look is the Church. We are to embody the message and spirit of Jesus. As His representatives, God is making His dream for this world through us, not apart from us. I guess you could say that the Church is not only supposed to proclaim the message, we are to live the message.

Perhaps the next time we approach a situation in life and ask, “God, where are You in all this?”, if we are quiet enough to hear the voice of God, His reply might be, “I’m right here in the middle of it. Where are you?”

May we be the kind of people who embody the message of God for the world, and who run to be God’s hands and feet, reaching out to others in His name.

Sunday's Coming

It's that time of the week, time sure is going by fast. We will be leaving here in a few weeks going to Texas for a couple of weeks then off to Arizona.

We have had a great summer and God has not only blessed us but has used us. I was privileged to preach in several churches and to share our ministry in several others.

I have a few meetings this week with pastors of some local churches to share what God is doing in our lives and hopefully plant the concept of free medical clinics.

As always I urge you to continue praying for us. Since my return from the Iowa trip I have been down, physically. The last few days, I am back on my feet so thanks again for your prayers.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:9-14

Ashley Smith had a very unusual day on March 12, 2005. She was returning from a convenience store in the middle of the night, when accused rapist and murderer Brian Nichols took her hostage. What happened in the next few hours was simply a “God-thing.”

As the night wore on, Smith remained calm and took the opportunity to get to know her captor by making conversation. At one point, she asked him if she could read aloud a book she had sitting out. The book was Rick Warren’s "The Purpose Driven Life."

In the midst of an unimaginable situation, Ashley Smith practiced what she preached. Perhaps she didn’t know it came from the book of Romans, but she showed Nichols a sincere, brotherly love as she talked with him about his family and his life. At the same time, she also was straightforward with him, suggesting he turn himself in and stop hurting people. She saw through his hardened eyes and saw a man who needed hope. Through her sincere kindness, love and peace, she was an example of Christ. Somewhere in the night Nichols looked at Smith and told her that she must be an angel and, according to People magazine (March 28, 2005), “that he was lost, and God led him right to [Smith] to tell him that he had hurt a lot of people.”

It is so much easier to show kindness and love to those who return our kindness and love. It is easy to go through the motions of etiquette and, speak kindly to someone or pretend to have compassion, when in reality our minds are elsewhere. God calls us to a higher standard. He calls us to genuinely love others around us. This kind of love requires deliberate action and personal involvement. It is this kind of love that brings people to their knees. It is this kind of love that helps people see Jesus in Christians. I believe it is this kind of love that helped save Ashley Smith’s life.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Think about a person in your life who is hard to love. How can you spend time this week praying for him or her?
2. Why is it so important to be an example of Christ’s love to others?
(Jim Burns)

Sunday's Coming

Good morning, and it truly is.

We had a big storm come through last night, high winds, heavy rain and hail. We came through much better than many. We have a hole in one vent and had water blowing in one window, but throughout the park trees and limbs are down and several awnings are history. Praise the Lord, no one was hurt.

My trip to Iowa was a success. After all the meetings, we have at least one area working to open a clinic and have a few other places talking about it as well. So, to me it was a great week. Dennis Maloney and Bill Sisson are still trying to help put all the pieces together. I came home excited and very tired. It has taken all week for me to gain some sort of energy back.

We also met a young pastor working as a new church plant and his congregation are all people who are down and out. My heart aches for him and his ministry. He needs help in many ways from mission groups to help build and to do ministry, to people to come along side and pray with him and give financially. If you want details and phone numbers call or email me.

Thanks again for your prayers, emails and financial support, you can see by this posting it is bearing fruit. I read the following today and it encouraged me so I hope it does you as well.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

Loving Servant
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:39
Recommended Reading
John 13:12-17


Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of The Learning Channel's 18 Kids and Counting believe that teaching their 18 children to have a servant's heart is one of the most important goals of parenting. They want their children to become a representation of Christ to each other and everyone they meet, and they accomplish this by teaching the children to look for opportunities to serve others.
In the same way, the church should desire to show Christ's love by having a heart for others and being made up of servant-hearted people. So often though, churches begin to exist for themselves; and they lose sight of the very core of who Christ is… a loving servant.
During Christ's earthly ministry, He spent the majority of His time loving and serving brokenhearted, downtrodden, sick, and sinful people. He was setting an example for the churches that would be established after He returned to Heaven. He wanted to ensure that His followers would not merely strive to live holy lives separate from a world in need, but that they would accurately represent Him and His unconditional love by taking every opportunity to reach out and serve others as He did.
The church is a servant community in which those who hunger are to be filled; the ignorant are to be taught; the homeless to receive shelter; the sick cared for; the oppressed set free.
Anonymous

Sunday Is Coming

Good morning,

It's another beautiful week. I pray all is well with you but, if not, share with us so we can pray with you.

I am in Wayland, Iowa this week working with the director of CRM. He is leading churches in the area to start a free medical clinic. Keep us and this project in your prayers.

We are also meeting with people on the Mississippi river about starting a clinic and a preaching point for those who work on the river. God is at work please; pray for the churches that are willing to get envolved.

As always, thanks to each of you who support our ministry by prayer, your emails, phone calls and to that special part of you who support our ministry financially; without you, we could not continue this work.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don


The Lord Can Heal You

"To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners." - Isaiah 61:1

According to Isaiah 61:1, Jesus has His heart set on helping three different groups of people. See them there? The afflicted, the broken-hearted, the prisoners. Who are these people? They're us! If you haven't figured out that you're that person yet, then you're not ready to get what it is He has to offer. But if in your heart you're saying, "You're right - I see myself there," then hang on. Christ has something phenomenal to offer you.

He offers good things to humble people.

The first specific people in this passage that need help are the afflicted. Some translations say poor. A good translation from the original Hebrew would be humble. This humility thing isn't a surprise. In Matthew 5:3 Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," that is, people who aren't always 100% out for themselves. Are you the kind of person who lives your life for others and don't always think about what's best for you? You say, "Well I'd like to be, but then who is going to take care of me?" God is! This verse tells us that God takes care of the humble who will let Him meet their needs. Christ brings the good news - but you must be humble to hear it.

He offers healing to the brokenhearted.

Is your heart broken? This word describes people who have been hammered by some devastating blow. This difficult circumstance may have scarred you emotionally. There might be a profound sadness to your life because of something terrible that happened in your past. Isaiah 61:1 says that Christ came into this world to bind up the brokenhearted. Like a doctor attending a broken limb. Like someone ministering salve over an open sore to bring soothing and comfort to some emotional pain that's part of your life. Even here Jesus is "the great Physician." Now how great is that?

He offers to set the captives free.

If you've had a week of failure and feel trapped in a cycle of sin/confess and sin/confess and sin/confess then you know what it's like to be held captive. You are so tired of that same old sin. "When will that ever be gone from my life?" What you desperately need is some freedom. If you are chained to some sin, Christ wants to break that cycle in your life and bring release from that bondage and give you freedom. I tell you in Jesus' name that is what He came into this world to do - to bring freedom to those held captive to sin.

Sunday's Coming

Good morning,

Each day, as I start my day, I ask God where He is going and may I go along. The journey has been quite rewarding. We have met some of the greatest people. Two of those couples we spent the weekend with and just had the best of times. Another of those couples joined us on Saturday. Thanks to these precious people for a relaxing weekend; one that I needed and will remember the rest of my life.

I read this story long ago but wanted to share with you. Seems to sum up my walk with God, or should I say my ride with Him.

Thanks to all of you who support our ministry, you know who you are and without you we couldn't make this ride. We just can't adequately express what you mean to us.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don


Bike Ride With God

When I first met Christ
It seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride,
But it was a tandem bike,
And I noticed that Christ
Was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that
He suggested we change places,
But life has not been the same since.

When I had control, I knew the way,
It was rather boring, but predictable...
It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead,
He knew delightful long cuts,
Up mountains, and through rocky places,
At breakneck speeds,
It was all I could do to hang on!
Even though it looked like madness,
He said, "Pedal"

I worried and was anxious and asked,
"Where are you taking me?"
He laughed and didn't answer,
And I started to learn to trust.

I forgot my boring life
And entered into the adventure.
And when I'd say, "I'm scared,"
He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed.
Gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy.
He said, "Give the gifts away;
They're extra baggage, too much weight."

So I did, I gave them to the people we met,
And I found that in giving I received,
And still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, In control of my life.
I thought He'd wreck it;
But He knows bike secrets,
Knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners,
Knows how to jump to clear high rocks,
Knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up
and pedal in the strangest places,
And I'm beginning to enjoy the view
And the cool breeze on my face
With my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore,
He just smiles and says... "Pedal."