It was reported in the news today (September 11, 2024) that my ministry friend, Pastor David Baker, in Columbia, Tennessee, killed himself. This is so tragic. Brother Baker walked into a local hospital, went into the men's restroom, and then shot himself twice in the chest with a handgun. A hospital trauma team tried to save his life, but they couldn't. I was shocked when a friend sent me an email to let me know about this tragedy. If there was one man on the planet that I never thought would do something like this, it was Brother Baker. This is a good man! For 28 years Pastor Baker ministered as chaplain to inmates at the local jail. Pastor Baker is survived by his beloved wife and 10 adult children, who are all faithfully serving God in the ministry today. I love Pastor Baker and am absolutely heartbroken!
Pastor Baker has been accused of a horrible crime, charged by the local court one day before he took his own life. We must remember that allegations are not proof of guilt. And just because he took his life is not an admission of guilt. We don't know all the details, or why he took his own life, and quite frankly I don't want to know. The wicked haters and ungodly critiques of God's children are already having a heyday, salivating over the negative news, sharpening their sharp bear claws to devour Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches.
Dear reader, don't jump on the bandwagon of unjust fools who ass-u-me that everything they read is 100% true. Pastor Baker died an INNOCENT MAN. Until an individual is found guilty in a proper court of law, he is still legally deemed INNOCENT. To assume and assign guilt to someone who has merely been accused of wrongdoing is beyond evil. We can only speculate as to why he took his own life. He likely was overwhelmed with life's burdens, and had endured enough of this horrible world (1st John 5:19). I know that I would love to go home to be with Jesus, my God and Savior. The Apostle Paul felt the same way, who exclaimed in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” 2nd Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” A disgruntled unbeliever once pointed a gun at Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980) and threatened to pull the trigger. Brother Rice kindly said to the man: “Fella, you can't scare me with Heaven!” It takes genuine faith in God to have that kind of resilience in the face of imminent danger. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.
Yes, The Sin Of Suicide Can Be Forgiven
The Roman Catholic church has a heretical teaching of venial versus mortal sins. Venial sins can be forgiven without confession, but serious sins like adultery and murder require confession to a Catholic priest who can absolve your sins. This is what Catholics teach and it is totally contrary to inspired Scripture. The inspired Word of God doesn't make any distinction between different types of sins. James 2:10 says that committing even ONE SIN is enough to send us to Hell forever, making us guilty of breaking ALL of God's Commandments.
Only God can forgive sin. The Bible is very clear in 1st Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” The Catholic priest or Lutheran minister CANNOT forgive your sins. The Pope is the Vicar of Hell on earth, not of Heaven on earth. Catholics are foolishly taught that when the Pope speaks, he speaks "Ex Cathedra" (the voice of God). In truth, when the Pope speaks, he is just a sinful man full of hot air! Only the nail-scared Lamb of God can forgive your sins (John 1:29).
Dear friend, the moment you were saved (i.e., born again into God's family), ALL of your sins (past, present and future) were washed away forever. Your POSITION in Christ was permanently settled. This is why we love to sing the popular church hymn, “The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago”...
There was a time, I know,I love that song! When Pastor Baker was saved decades ago, all of his sins were forever washed away, included taking his own life, so that he had eternal life from the moment he trusted Jesus. Eternal life and eternal security are NOT separate doctrines, they are one and the SAME teaching in the inspired Holy Bible.
When in the book of Heaven,
An old account was standing
For sins yet unforgiven;
My name was at the top
And many things below,
I went unto the Keeper,
And settled long ago.
Refrain:
Long ago, long ago,
Yes, the old account was settled long ago;
And the record’s clear today,
For He washed my sins away,
When the old account was settled long ago.
Everything's Alright In My Father's House
Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) used to often sing this comforting song at Hyles-Anderson College and First Baptist Church of Hammond. Brother Hyles knew that people worry by nature. He understood that we all carry burdens, some very heavy burdens. I've had my share of difficult burdens to bear. There have been dark times in my life when I despaired even of life like the Apostle Paul did in Asia. People want to be loved. As a pastor for over 55 years, to over one hundred thousand people, Dr. Hyles understood human nature well. He was amazing with people.
Read what type of pressures Paul and his friends suffered on the mission field...
2nd Corinthians 1:8-11, “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.”
There is theological debate over what Paul meant in these verses. Did they contemplate suicide? Did they suffer so much that they just wanted to die? Were they facing execution or deathly circumstances? We simply don't know. I humbly think they didn't want to live anymore, because all quality of life was gone. I don't think they contemplated suicide, but we don't know.
I humbly think Brother Baker despaired even of life, and he made a choice. The man was tired, living with a broken heart. I hear Christians all the time, who contact my ministry and tell me how tired they are, and that they feel like quitting church altogether. They are tired of the heresies being preached in pulpits everywhere today. Like the Devil's lie that you cannot go to Heaven unless you forsake your sinful bad habits. And the Devil's lie that you must make Jesus the “Lord” of your life to be saved, which is nowhere taught in the inspired Holy Bible.
To complicate matters, most pastors today (especially Baptist clergy) are cold-hearted, indifferent, and don't genuinely care about individual people. They just want a paycheck and an easy life. They won't contend for the faith (Jude 1:3). They mistreat some people. Dr. Jack Hyles was absolutely right, who said:
“You can't love anybody, until you love everybody!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, a precious quote from the MP3 sermon titled, “The Test Of Spiritual Maturity”
The Devil's fraud of Lordship Salvation has crept into most Baptist churches today. Lordship Salvation is an enemy of soulwinning, because if prevents lost sinners from understanding the Gospel to be saved. As long as you errantly think you must start or stop doing something to get to Heaven, you cannot be saved. Jesus has already done it all for you friend, through His body and blood sacrifice on Calvary's cross (1st Peter 1:18-19).
I am so sad this evening to have learned just a couple hours ago that my dear ministry friend, Pastor David Baker, has died by shooting himself. Brother Baker went into a local hospital in Columbia, Tennessee where he lives and works, into the men's restroom and shot himself. I humbly think he ethically chose that location to spare his own family from finding his lifeless mutilated body. Hospitals deal with shootings, car accidents and serious trauma on a daily basis, so it wouldn't have traumatized them as it would have his wife. I respect him for being considerate. Brad Delp of the rock band, Boston, did the same thing in March of 2007, when he also took his own life under very similar circumstances. Brad wrote notes to warn anybody entering into his home to be careful about carbon monoxide poisoning in the air. Brad used two barbeques to asphyxiate himself to death in his bathroom. Brad was only age 55.
You couldn't have found a better man than David Baker. He spent his life selflessly living to HELP OTHERS. Pastor Baker faithfully pastored churches for many decades, preaching the inspired Word of God to several thousand of people. By God's grace, he had the privilege of leading several hundred souls to Jesus Christ. I love this dear saint of God and I will miss him. We just messaged each other a couple weeks ago on facebook. He posted some edifying comments this past week on my Facebook page, about where Jesus went after He died.
Something that really bothers me is that Pastor Baker's so-called "friends" instantly abandoned him when he was charged with a crime. Read what News Channel 5 said:
"Baker served as the pastor for Family Baptist Church and served at Independent Baptist College Online. Website links have been severed to his connection to both organizations." SOURCEWhatever happened to a man being INNOCENT until PROVEN GUILTY? For merely being accused, his fair-weather friends have abandoned him on a whim. Not me Buddy, I'm letting the world know that Pastor David Baker was my dear ministry friend, and I love him and defend his good name. Since he is gone, we'll never know how the court case would have gone. But I will NOT judge a man based on mere accusations. Anybody can say anything about anyone, but that doesn't make it true. Only a very wicked person would condemn someone based on allegations without a court trial. David Baker died with his good name!!!
I thank God for the precious life and ministry of Pastor David Baker, he helped so many hurting people, as a true friend does. Please be in prayer for Brother Baker's wife, ten children and dozens of grandchildren. Pastor Baker has simply gone home to be with Jesus a little early, we're all just a few years behind him. I am 57 years old now. I might have 20 years remaining on earth, but you never know (Proverbs 27:1). Hollywood actor, Tom Sizemore, dropped dead at age 61 of a brain aneurism. In 2019, in Indiana a precious 11-year-old Girl Scout was suddenly killed when a tree toppled over from recent heavy rain. Death often comes without notice. Dear reader, the $64,000 question is: Have you been born again?
My Friend, Pastor David Baker
Psalms 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
No comments:
Post a Comment