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Posts Tagged with Bible

Psalm Singing

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And they will sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.

Psalm 138:5 (NASB)

For several years Eastside Baptist in Twin Falls, ID has included Psalm Singing in our mid-week prayer gathering and in recent years we now begin our Lord’s Day corporate worship service with a Psalm. There is really a recovery or revival of Psalm singing in the modern Baptist church.

Beginning on May 5, 2024, we will devote the first Sunday evening of each month to Psalm singing. I hope you will consider joining us for this gathering. Psalm singing can be complicated and simple. Complicated for the generations who have not been trained in Psalm singing and simple because many times the Psalms can be sung to familiar tunes.

Why sing the Psalms?

First, it is Biblical. Think of it. It’s a book in the bible with a collection of songs. They were collected through the years of God’s people and considered a sacred collection of words inspired by the Lord God Almighty, Himself. We are even commanded by God to sing the Psalms; both Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 instruct the church to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs…

When the church sings the Psalms she is singing what the historic church has been singing and has been singing throughout the world. Christians is other epics of time and who speak other languages and of all ages are tied together with similar songs.

These Psalms are Biblical, common property of the church, and of all songs sung in churches, these songs are always theologically accurate. This is among the most comforting reasons to sing the Psalms. They stir the body, mind, and soul while glorifying God.

If you are in the Magic Valley on the first Sunday night of the month and your church is not meeting, join us at 5:30 p.m. to sing the Psalms at our monthly Psalm Sing. May the church rejoice!

Eastside Baptist Church
204 Eastland Drive North
Twin Falls, ID 83301

Your Local Drug Store

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Walgreens and CVS are the new Planned Parenthood. Even if your state has strict protections for the preborn, these two pharmaceutical giants are willing to join their names to those who have no fear of God and no respect for their neighbor. They cannot be trusted with your health.

If they are willing to supply the nation with drugs that murder babies in the womb, what else are they willing to inject into the human body?

In Twin Falls, Planned Parenthood is no longer providing induced abortions. This is a blessing from God, but it will not be long before there will be many more locations and more acceptable locations for babies to be murdered. The murder mill industry has pivoted from the clinic to the pharmacy to the living room.

Here are some phone numbers for local Walgreens and CVS drug stores. They need to hear from us. They need to know that this is not acceptable.

Twin Falls:

Burley:

Walgreens and CVS announced last week that they will begin providing mifepristone (abortion pills). You will be told that the pill is not available in Idaho because of the strict abortion laws. This is true (for now) but these stores are part of a national attack on the most innocent neighbors we have. These local pharmacists need to hear from us now.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/01/health/cvs-walgreens-to-dispense-abortion-pill-mifepristone/index.html

Who Wrote the Bible? (fwp-003)

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In this podcast I encourage parents to train their children to think highly about the Bible. This collection of ancient books contains all we need to know about life and holiness. Listen in and teach this question/answer to your children.

Q: Who wrote the Bible?
A: God used holy men who were taught by the Holy Spirit to write the Bible.

I Am He

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I’ve been preaching through the book of Isaiah for over a year and a half now. I have come to the forty-third chapter and the great news of the unchangeable Gospel is as strong as one can find anywhere in the sacred text of the Holy Bible, the only authoritative word to know God.

In the middle verses of this chapter Isaiah paints a word picture of all the nations gathered together and all peoples are given the opportunity to state their case on who their god is. He instructs those who have given themselves to false or strange gods to declare what their gods have done. He instructs those who are His people to declare what their God has done. He welcomes all to present their case so they might be justified and that their god gets to be fairly presented.

This is not something that the Almighty God is required to do, it is more that those who are blind or deaf to truth can see that their false gods are just that, impostures. It is a kindness from God to extend His mercy to those who have given themselves to the counterfeit.

This fabricated, propped up god, comes in many forms. Perhaps you have given yourself to one of the many pretend gods?

God has been kind to give a witness of Truth. He has given the nations a people who bear His name to advance His glory to all, the church. And of course He has given His only begotten son, Jesus the Christ, as described by the Bible, to stand as a witness of His glory to all nations. In Isaiah forty-three He also even shows his triune nature by revealing to the reader that there is one, and only one, God. He is identified by God as “My Servant” and He declares that “Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me.” (Isaiah 43:10-11)

That one phrase, “I am He”, is not to be missed or passed by so quickly.

In the New Testament when Jesus asked the Roman officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees who they were looking for, they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answers “I am He.” This alone is not that unusual, unless the reader keeps reading. The New Testament book of John records that Jesus said, “I am He” the Roman offers “drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:5-6).” This is a witness to the nations that this Jesus is unlike all others.

Whatever fake god you have been bowing down to has been exposed for the sham that it is. Only God can have this kind of impact on a people when He bears witness of deity. His eternal deity. Not a man who became God or earned the right to become a god. Not a god who was once a man. No, this eternal deity “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, by emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

This coming Lord’s Day I hope you will find yourself willing to examine truth without the fear of what men might say about you. The Magic Valley is blessed with many Bible believing, God fearing churches who will open their Bibles and preach this truth this weekend. Gather in one of those churches and be set free from the bondage of your sin. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as described by the Bible, and be saved from the idolatry of following a spoof. If you don’t have a church to gather in this weekend then consider gathering with Eastside Baptist Church, 204 Eastland Drive North, Twin Falls, Idaho.

On Monday, September 9, 2019 there is an opportunity to hear what several religions think about the person and nature of God. At 6:30 p.m in the Shields building room 118 on the campus of the College of Southern Idaho there will be an open forum discussion among many different religions about God. Come hear the difference. Learn that the god of Mohamad, the god of Joseph Smith, the god of Humanism, and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are entirely different.

Come hear and see.

Special Guests at Eastside Baptist Church

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This coming Lord’s day at Eastside Baptist Church we will have two special guest speakers.

July 14, at 10:30 a.m. Scott Brown, pastor of Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC and president of the National Center for Family Integrated Churches will be preaching. Scott and Deborah Brown are the parents of 4 children and have 17 grandchildren.

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July 14, at 6:30 p.m. one of our missionaries to Senegal, West Africa will update us of the ongoing gospel work. Matt is a former pastor of NorthRidge Fellowship in Jerome, ID. Matt and Gayle have 3 children.

Both opportunities will be of a blessing to you and your family.

Death is Swallowed Up

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My column from yesterday in the Twin Falls, Times News:

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The life of Jesus, the Christ, as described in the Holy Bible alone, has been historically documented with multiple eyewitnesses of His resurrection, bearing evidence of this real person. On this historic weekend, remembered since the first generation of Christians as the Lord’s Day, this same Jesus would put death forever under His foot.

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory” (Hosea 13:14)

If you have not already made plans to gather with a New Testament church, ordered by the Bible, you should consider this today. Be sure it is a church that is submitted to the Lordship of Jesus and is governed by the authority of the Word of God.

Here is how the apostle Paul spoke of this great victory to the church in Corinth.

“But the glorious fact is that Christ did rise from the dead: he has become the very first to rise of all who sleep the sleep of death. As death entered the world through a man, so has rising from the dead come to us through a man! As members of a sinful race all men die; as members of the Christ of God all men shall be raised to life, each in his proper order, with Christ the very first and after him all who belong to him when he comes.

Then, and not till then, authority and power, hands over the kingdom to God the Father. Christ’s reign will and must continue until every enemy has been conquered. The last enemy of all to be destroyed is death itself. The scripture says: “He has put all things under his feet.” But in the term “all things” it is quite obvious that God, who brings them all under subjection to Christ, is himself excepted.

Nevertheless, when everything created has been made obedient to God, then shall the Son acknowledge himself subject to God the Father, who gave the Son power over all things. Thus, in the end, shall God be wholly and absolutely God.

To refuse to believe in the resurrection is both foolish and wicked.

Further, you should consider this, that if there is to be no resurrection what is the point of some of you being baptized for the dead by proxy? Why should you be baptized for dead bodies? And why should I live a life of such hourly danger? I assure you, by the certainty of Jesus Christ that we possess, that I face death every day of my life! And if to use the popular expression, I have “fought with wild beasts” here in Ephesus, what is the good of an ordeal like that if there is no life after this one? “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Don’t let yourselves be deceived. Talking about things that are not true is bound to be reflected in practical conduct. Come back to your senses, and don’t dabble in sinful doubts. Remember that there are men who have plenty to say but have no knowledge of God. You should be ashamed that I have to write like this at all!” (1 Corinthians 15:20-34 Phillips Translation)

Have a blessed Resurrection Day!

Created in the Image of God

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Following is my “Pastor’s Corner” column scheduled to appear in the Twin Falls Times News on Saturday, April 6, 2019. If they agree to print it, it will be printed the day before a special feature on transgender citizens in the Magic Valley. To my neighbors who identify as a transgender person, you will find the church of the Lord Jesus Christ loves you enough to speak the truth on these matters. All of humanity should live with peace that God speaks into all passions with truth so we might live in greatest joy by glorifying God in obeying Him.

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Created in the Image of God
-by Paul Thompson-

As a Bible believing preacher of a local church, I hold to truth held by the authority of the Holy Bible. Meaning everything is up against this plumb-line. The growing confusion in our culture will continue to unravel the fabric of a pleasant and happy society that governs how we live our lives and how society exists when that same society wants to invite ideas foreign to the laws of nature.

When one considers the most basic starting place for a secure and happy estate, the Bible shows that God’s creation is in happy existence when it obeys God. If one chooses to disobey God, then it would be right to conclude that disobedience of God’s created order would invite unhappiness.

The Bible is clear, God created male and female. In humanity, that is all he created.

Think about God’s creation. He created all things and established them.  Day and Night are established. Fish and birds are established. Cattle and insects are established. Humanity is altogether established. The sun is never the moon. Water is never air. Male is never female.

In creation of mankind, the bible clearly describes humanity as male and female. The Bible does not offer another philosophy or path. It is clear that man will want to pervert this truth, but this perversion can not be argued as a biblical truth.

To say that gender no longer matters is to speak against the spoken order of humanity created by God in His image. To speak against the order of God is to say gender no longer matters, the distinctives of male and female are merely socially influenced rather than Holy and unchangeable.

If the sexes were interchangeable or not fixed, this would  place the perception of sinful humanity as superior to Holy Almighty God. This attitude places man as the supreme and not God, who is altogether different.

To suggest that there is a fluid transition of the sexes, depending upon how one feels, is unscientific. One would have to reject the scientific clarity of male and female. If one is a male, he will not need to have hormone therapy to manipulate his scientific DNA. If one is female, she does not need to have her anatomy surgically adjusted to match the female gender.

1 Cor. 6 lablels men behaving/dressing feminine as an abomination. With this conclusion regarding men behaving effeminate, it is accurate to conclude that it is also an abomination for a woman to behave/dress masculine. This encompasses the expression of gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, makeup, mannerisms, or even surgery.

To undergoing “sex reassignment surgery” is actually a statement of rejecting the identity of the birth gender. It is a logical flaw to suggest that the gender one was born with is not the correct gender. To undergo reassignment is to acknowledge the current, reject it, and then assign an altogether different gender.

If a  blind DNA test were done for Bruce Jenner, the science will tell you he is a male; in spite of his claim, dress, mannerisms, and choice of public restroom. He is a man and cannot be anything but a man, ever. To claim otherwise is an abomination against the image of God.

The duty of the believer in the bible is to exegete the text. In other words, the authority of the text governs the conversation. If the bible says that God created humanity male and female we must let the creator instruct the reader. The reader doesn’t have permission to impose his or her feelings above the authority of the text.

The church that claims the bible to be the “word of God” has no other choice but to accept what God has revealed. To reject this authority or equate other books equal to it is to not be Christian.

As it was from the beginning, so it is to this very day.

(For further reference see Genesis 1:28-29; Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19: 3-6; Mark 10: 6-9; Ephesians 5:28-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Pastor Paul Thompson is the preaching pastor at Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. Eastside Baptist Church gathers on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. www.esbcTwinFalls.com You can email Paul at paul@esbcTwinFalls.com

And Read it…

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“Seek from the book of the LORD, and read…”

Isaiah 34:16

It’s not enough to have a Bible, it’s not enough to know where your Bible is, it’s not enough to have a Bible app on your mobile phone, it’s not enough…

Seek from the book of the LORD, and read it…

What Is A Sabbatical?

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I’m just wrapping up a month long sabbatical. Here is my bullet point evaluation/summarization of the past 30 days. (We begin the journey home on Friday afternoon). For a daily journal documented by Renee and me, visit this page: 2018 Sabbatical

For someone who’s never been on a sabbatical It’s hard to describe what a sabbatical is. I have heard of pastors taking sabbatical leave but I don’t actually know many who ever have. Several years ago Eastside Baptist approved a leave policy for pastors to take a sabbatical leave ever 5 years (I’ve been pastor of Eastside Baptist for just over 17 years). Last December (2017) I asked permission to take the month of September (2018) and do just that. I’m now asking myself, “why haven’t you done this before now?”

It felt odd at first explaining to others what I would be doing in September, probably because I didn’t know what it was either, but mostly because I felt like I was somehow explaining something that sounded like a “glorified” vacation (I don’t even take all of my allowed vacation days most years.) I just have to overcome this feeling that some people must think pastors don’t work hard. However, my church is very kind to me. I think they understand the work load and duty of a pastor better than most churches. Then, I just simply don’t like being away from home very often.

Now that I’ve been away, with a game plan, I know better what to do to prepare for the next time and help my preacher friends know how to prepare for a sabbatical leave.

How and why did you decide to go to Wyoming? I first heard of a place called the Machaseh Children’s Ranch several years about when my parents were living in Riverton, WY. The children’s ranch was a foster home ministry of John and Debbie Scudder, former pastor of Warm Valley Baptist Church in Pavillion, Wyoming. In late 2017 they decided to transition the ministry from a foster home to a home to minister to churches and pastors in need of a retreat location. I contacted John about the possibility of coming for the entire month of September 2018. They were kind to allow me and Renee to come and stay in this home, free of charge. A young seminary student, Brad, is on staff at United Baptist Church in Riverton, WY lives at the home too. This has been a blessed provision, a rich provision that I could not afford to have paid for. There are many kind and generous people who have made this home available to pastors and churches to use. We bless the Lord for this kind provision every day. Every friend of mine in the ministry that needs a place like this for a sabbatical season, please contact me.

What did you do? There were things that I did here that I can’t do at home, like roam among the antelope who show up every morning and evening, watch the neighboring farmer harvest his alfalfa, feed corn, and wish he would stop and ask if I wanted to drive any of the farm equipment. Apart from the normal routine of life, like eating, sleeping, brushing teeth… etc. I think I would answer that with three main answers.

  1. I spent many hours working on a book idea I’ve wanted to do for several years. I actually came here with two books to write but only worked on one. And still have a lot of work to do on that one. I’ve never devoted myself to the discipline of writing a book so I have much to learn and discover as I go home to continue working on it. I am the “curator” of my dad’s sermon collection. He pastored in three churches in Colorado; New Castle, Rifle, and Trinidad from 1971-1990. I estimate that he must have preached nearly 2,000 sermons during that time, I have about 1,200 hand written sermon notes that he carried into the pulpits of those faithful churches. When he passed away I gathered up all of those sermons from his study and have stored them in a large tote. I spent the first few days sorting them out chronologically. The earliest sermon notes were from his seminary days in 1967. Nearly every sermon he preached was from hand written notes that were mostly comprised of simple outline formats. I then spent several days reading these sermons. Sometimes I would laugh out loud, other times I would weep, I read a few of them to Renee. Then I began to enter them into an electronic format for archiving and publication potential. This took much longer than expected. I’m a slow typer, for one, then the sheer volume showed it a much more aggressive goal than I could accomplish. I have made a dent in this, but I have a mountain of work to do before I can even begin to figure out how to begin the publication side of the task.
  2. The second main task was that I wanted to read and listen. I wanted to read several books, listen to several sermons, spend several hours alone in wilderness type settings to read Scripture, meditate upon Scripture, and pray. I want to walk close to my God. I don’t want to just know about Him, or how others know Him. I want to abide with Christ as one whom God would be pleased to find usable for whatever He wants to do in me. I brought several books with me, I brought blank paper to write thoughts on. I read most of what I brought to read, but one book I did not come prepared to read has left a profound impact upon me. The book is from an early American pastor from the Northeast, Albert Barnes, 1798- 1870. The book is not in print anymore, but fortunately I could download it. The Theory and Desirableness of Revivals, has left a mark on my heart, soul, and mind. I will be rereading it soon.
    • I spent a day on the Wyoming Heritage Trail. This is a 22 mile stretch of abandoned railroad path from Riverton to Shoshoni. I had Renee drop me off in Riverton and gave her instructions of when to get me in Shoshoni. This was much more difficult than I had anticipated. But I spent the day praying for my church family. I prayed for every person individually, every family unit, and church body as a whole.
    • I spent an entire day in the Popo Agie Wilderness area. This 9 mile hike was a time to meditate on Scripture, enjoy uninterupted fellowship with Christ, my savior. I sang along the way, meditated on Psalm 25: 4-7, and spent time just listening to the sounds of creation. I should do this again soon.
    • I listened to several sermons. The one that was most encouraging to me was a sermon preached by W.A. Chriswell. In 1985, I had just graduated from high school when this sermon was preached. As an 18 year old, I knew nothing of what was going on in the denomination of my youth. Southern Baptists were in a fight for survival and this sermon was a pivotal sermon for the convention as a whole. The ongoing movement away from the inerrancy of Scripture has largely happened to many denominations and many individual churches. Renee and I both listened to this sermon and I highly recommend it. Here is a list of the sermons I listened to. Most of them are archived on YouTube.
      • The Battle for the Mind – Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
      • Satan’s Strategy for Stealing the Church – John MacArthur
      • 1985 Southern Baptist Convention Message – W.A. Chriswell 
      • The Kind of Preacher We Need – Vance Havner
      • Why We Believe While Others Reject – John MacArthur
      • Prayer – Ron Dunn
      • Pray and Be Alone with God – Paul Washer
      • Do Yo See God Working in Your Life – Paul Washer
      • The Lord Comes As A Thief – Paul Washer
      • Prayer – Richard Owen Roberts
      • Humility – Richard Owen Roberts
  3. On the weekends, Renee and I would attend church at local Southern Baptist Churches; United Baptist, Riverton, WY, Warm Valley Baptist, Pavillion, WY, Hillcrest Baptist, Riverton, WY, and Set Free Church, Riverton, WY. We are thankful for the unique settings of each of these churches and were blessed to hear the preached word together. It is as expected, as a pastor, I rarely get to sit with my wife under the preaching of the word. To some respect Renee is like a woman who attends church without her husband. Not because I avoid her, but because I’m not next to her. This was good to do for several weeks in a row.
    We also took advantage of nearby sights and locations nearby to participate in some rest and relaxation together.

    • We enjoy geocaching and there are plenty of these in the area.
    • We enjoyed several of the local eateries in Riverton, Dubois, and Lander.
    • We spent a day hiking to Popo Agie Falls, horse back riding along the Tetons, sight seeing around Dubois.
    • All time together was refreshing, blessed, and rewarding. I should do this more often at home.

What would you do different? I would plan for more of the “wilderness” times. After reading, meditating, praying and listening I need to give myself to more wilderness type living. Not for the joy of backpacking, (however, I should spend more time backpacking with my family) by “wilderness time”, I mean more time meditating, praying and listening to God. By “more” I mean I would have scheduled this more in advance and purposed more intentional time. I realize that I am a public figure, but I can’t expect to be effective for my pastoral duty if I am not given to a hunger of concentrated, consecrated time with God. This was a sweet reward and one that I would plan for more of next time.

Do you recommend others to go on a sabbatical leave? Absolutely! Start talking to your beloved church now. Plan to stay where you are for a very long time. Let your church bless you with a sabbatical leave for your benefit and theirs. Don’t delay this kindness. (Contact me for information on the Machaseh House.)

To my beloved church, I am looking forward to gathering with you this coming Lord’s Day to worship our God together. Lord willing, I am looking forward to sitting under the faithful preaching of our beloved brother, Mark King, with you. We have missed you and have been pleased to pray for you. May the Lord bless you, may the Lord bless your households, and above all may the Lord be pleased to find us a fit and ready people to move the gospel forward in our day, if He chooses, for His glory.

 

 

 

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