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To God Be the Glory!
The purpose of this web site
www.baxterministry.com
is to glorify God
on the worldwide net.
This is the personal web site
of Robert E. Baxter ("Pastor Bob"),
First Presbyterian Church, Dothan, Alabama,
Associate Pastor.
On the various pages of this site
I have provided articles to help
in your study of the Bible and
living of the Christian life.
This is an expansion of my ministry.
Thank you for visiting this site.
I am Robert E. Baxter,
known in the Churches I have served
as "Pastor Bob."
Seeing my picture, you may appreciate this true story. My youngest granddaughter was at a ballgame with our family and was sitting in the bleachers behind me. She looked down at the top of my head and asked, "Grandpa, when it rains, do the rain drops hurt your head?" Grandma thought that was funny! So did I! I replied, "No, the rain drops don't hurt, but when it rains, I am the first to know it!" You can see why!
I do not pretend to be anything more than a sinner saved by grace. I cannot measure up to God's demands for perfect righteousness. I have no hope of pleasing God by any holiness of my own, but my only hope is in the mercy of God through the perfect work and life of my Savior Jesus Christ. You will see this explained if you read my testimony in rap form in a sample sermon on the page called "MY BIOGRAPHY." I delivered that sermon, entitled, "MY TESTIMONY" on April 29, 2001. I am guilty of all of the seven classic sins that afflict all people: Sloth, Lust, Anger, Pride, Envy, Gluttony, and Greed. That's not all. The breaking of any of God's commandments constitutes sin in my life. Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, I have no hope whatsoever.
This web site is to rejoice in the Savior. It is not to promote myself. I cannot help you; I cannot help myself. But the Savior can!
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I have been interim preacher twice in this Church in Dothan since the beginning of 2001, and now we have a new Senior Pastor, Robert C. Oates. We all love him and his wife Rosie, the great-granddaughter of the world-famous evangelist, preacher, and author, R. A. Torrey.
Read more about my beloved colleague, Pastor Rob, on the pages of my website that tell about this Church in Dothan. You can also visit the Church's website at www.FirstPresDothan.com
I am also responsible for hospital visitation and other pastoral services. I am delighted to be serving the Lord in such a loving and joyful congregation where the emphasis is on God's grace. You can see pictures of our campus on the Dothan page of this website.
Including this HOME PAGE,
there are now 27 pages on this site.
Come back and read more when you have time.
You can read about the Church and the City
and see pictures on the pages called
"DOTHAN" and "MORE DOTHAN PICTURES."
Here are some additional views of First Presbyterian Church.
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First Presbyterian Church
Dothan, Alabama
Come, worship with us
when you are in the area.
The Church is located on
Main Street (Highway 84) at
3012 W. Main Street
Dothan, Alabama 36305
Our telephone number is 334-794-3128.
WORSHIP is at
10:15 AM
Wednesday Chapel Services are at 6:30 PM
Sunday School classes for all ages are held at 9:00 AM
with eight different classes available for adults
This site was updated on
December 17, 2009
On this date I added the excellent article and pictures concerning
the Washington Monument and its testimony to the Lord
so high and so historic that the liberals have not been able to erase it!
You can read about it and see the magnificent pictures of it below on this page.
To see and read my book, AIM HIGH, on the internet, go to this address: http://www.gracegems.org/book4/Baxter.htm
or just click on this link:
AIM HIGH by Robert E. Baxter
Many copies of the book are available in our Church Bookstore
and at www.Amazon.com used and new,
but beware of some excessively high prices online.
To save the mailing charges, if you live around Dothan, Alabama,
just come in for a big discount.
For five years I preached annually at First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, Tennessee where Dr. Michael Anthony Milton was the Senior Pastor. The picture shows me preaching there at his Installation Service with the former pastor, the famous Ben Haden, listening (lower right side of the picture).
Dr. Michael Anthony Milton is now President of Reformed Theological Seminary,
Charlotte, NC.
For information about my son, the Rev. James A. Baxter,
Pastor of New Hope Presbyterian Church in America,
visit the page I have included in this site under his name.
It shows pictures of the Church he is now serving in Olathe, Kansas.
See the page about my father, E. W. Baxter,
where you can see a picture of his large oil painting of a ship at sea.
I started this website when I retired in 2000.
When I was re-fired, I moved to First Presbyterian Church, Dothan,
after their four pastors had left, and for 17 weeks I was their Interim Pastor.
After that I became Associate Pastor and have continued nearly nine years,
convinced that it is better to be a "coach pastor" than a "couch potato"!
Eight books I recommend to thoughtful readers
- THE REASON FOR GOD by Timothy Keller, 2008, Dutton.
- THE LEGACY OF SOVEREIGN JOY by John Piper, 2000, Crossway Books
- A SCANDALOUS FREEDO0M by Steve Brown, 2004, Howard Publishing
- PAIN: THE GIFT NOBODY WANTS by Paul Brand, 1993, Zondervan
- THE GRACE AWAKENING by Charles Swindoll, 1996, Word
- WHAT GOD STARTS, GOD COMPLETES by Michael A Milton, 2007, Focus
- THE COMING REVOLUTION by R. Mark Baxter, 2007, Tate Publishing
- HEAVEN by Randy Alcorn, 2008, Tyndale House Publishers
I recommend listening to the Audio Bible by Max McLean.
Check out this website www.listenersbible.com
See the CARTOON page for a cartoon updated once a week.
Here is interesting information about our nation's Christian heritage.
I have spoken about this in some sermons before,
and now I want you to have access to it from my website here.
In Washington, D.C., there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument.
On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words:
Laus Deo.
No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are there.
These words have been there for many years;
they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high,
perched atop the monument, facing skyward
to the Father of our nation,
overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise
the District of Columbia,
capital of the United States of America
Laus Deo! Two words very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.
So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, mean?
Very simply, they say, "Praise be to God!"
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation,
Laus Deo - "Praise be to God!"
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant...a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.  A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not and is not in the Constitution. So, read on.
Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings, the memorial stones share a message.
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When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848, deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy "One Nation, Under God."
I am awed by Washington's prayer for America. Have you ever read it?
Now is your opportunity, so read on!
"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
Laus Deo! 
When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of 'Laus Deo', its location, or the architects; but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words:
"Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain."
(Psalm 127:1)
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