Men, do you have an “exit plan”? Rick Stoltenburg will join us on Saturday, November 16, at 10AM in the Thanksgiving Room at Eastside Baptist Church to navigate a discussion on funeral planning. Don’t leave this up to anyone else. Invite someone to come with you.
First things first. Is it possible for someone living in a sinful lifestyle in conflict with the devine will of God to be a top level athlete? Sure. Why not?
Now the real issue. As the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders, Queers, + and all advocates of sinful hostility toward God further alienates the nation from providential and common grace of the Almighty Creator, it becomes clearer every day that we now live in a day where evil is called good.
Church, the players are on the filed, and if you don’t have your gospel shoes laced up now you are completely unprepared to be on the field when the whistle blows. And I’m not talking about your ability to play at the level of a world class athlete. I’m talking about being fit and ready to give an answer for the hope you have in Christ.
This is not about the NFL.
This is about a ready and prepared church.
This present evil age we live in is not satisfied to have you at the table anymore. It is clear, you need to pack your bags and move along out of the way. You are no longer looked to with hopes of holding back the advancement of wicked and evil. Our work has always been a gospel work requiring gospel gear.
Eastside gave up on the false hope of Super Bowl parties to win the lost years ago. Does your church still even host major sporting event watch parties? The advertisement base has demanded this advancement as much as anyone. This is not really a post to make argument for or against such events, I really want to see that no one should be surprised that the NFL just released this advocacy video of sexual perversions.
How much influence does the NFL have? I don’t really know because I gave up interest in its cultural place in my personal life several years ago. Today they show again their values have moved, again.
God doesn’t need the NFL. God Commissioned his church to advance the greatest news of all to the nations.
To use the illustration of game day… It appears the NFL showed up ready to play ball. Church? Where are you today? Planning your next chili bowl cook off only to sit down in front of the propaganda machine of the NFL to indoctrinate the sons and daughters of Adam to hate God with more boldness than before?
It’s “game day” we need you to show up with your gospel shoes on ready to enter the field!
This past week was the annual National Day of Prayer. The first Thursday of the month of May is as much a holiday as Thanksgiving. The only difference is that no school was shut down, no bank was closed and the commercial world has not found a way to capitalize on the day. Which really make this more of a holy day, unlike all others.
It was good to gather at the center of the city with many in our community to pray, seek the favor of God for the family, the church, the workplace, education, military, government, and the media. My assignment was to pray for the church.
To pray for the church implies that the church needs prayer – and it does.
When does a church need prayer? According to the bible, she always needs prayer, non-stop.
Where does a church need prayer? Again, according to the bible, the church in all places, everywhere needs prayer.
Which churches need prayer? As before, according to the bible, all churches need prayer, including the church I pastor.
Why do churches need prayer? Now it gets personal. Here is where I want to focus my column this week.
When the church is in the midst of persecution we should pray that the church would remain faithful. When there is a shortage of truth in the public discourse of life the church needs prayer that she would rise up as a pillar and buttress of truth. When the church has been found apostate we should pray for reformation. When the church sees one of her duties is to entertain than point to the holiness of God then the church needs prayer. It appears that these are some of the reasons we should be praying for the church in our communities.
There has largely been a collective silence from the church for the past forty-eight years concerning abortion, the murdering of babies in the womb. Even this year in the Idaho legislature, a “pro-life” bill was passed and signed by the governor to continue regulating abortion rather that abolish the hellish act against God’s creation. What has been the reaction? Most of our politicians are celebrating a bill that will not go into effect until either another state wins a “heartbeat” bill case in a higher court or the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade. Where this is a high hope, it is more likely a flawed hope.
For over a decade now our federal and state governments have reeducated the population on the definition of marriage. Another attack against God’s ordered world according to the authoritative Word of God that marriage is an institution between one man and one woman. Like abortion, the church has been silent for the most part.
Now, we are no longer on a slippery slope of moral decay and more on a freefall concerning the attempt by the secularist to redefine sexuality and gender. Where is the church on these matters? What will the church do?
Here is why the church is in need of prayer. So, the church should rise up in this day as the voice of objective truth that will honor God and bless the community. The church must not forget that liberty is inseparable from God. There will never be true liberty so long as the church remains silent. For “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. All of human flourishing is needing the church to do her duty. Rise up and demand your pastor preach the word of God and get fully behind the uncompromising pulpit of truth.
*this will be published in the Twin Falls Times News on May 8, 2021
Who would have thought that a claim of a global pandemic would help wake up the sleepy western church?
Today, the local church has to at least ask questions about who they believe the head of the church is. Fundamentally; is the state the head of the church, is the pastor the head of the church, or is Christ the head of the church?
One will treat the church depending on how they answer this question.
If the pastor is the head of the church, that church will soon collapse. Personalities come and go. Trends eventually need to be adjusted to stay in front of the secular trends.
If the state is the head of the church, that church will capitulate to another God ordained institution that does not have the jurisdiction to be the head of the Lord’s bride, the church. That local church would eventually look to the state for permission to speak, meet, act, read, sing, evangelize, etc… The state is responsible to protect the church from infringement from any other, including the state.
If Christ is the head of the church, and He is, then no other institution under heaven has the authority to instruct the church on when, what can be said, what to wear, or what percentage of its seating capacity can attend.
Most are watching what will come of the recent arrest and imprisonment of a pastor in Canada. James Coates, pastor at Grace Life Church in Edmonton, Canada was arrested this past week for preaching to a gathered people of more than what the government permitted them to have. When told he could go home if he promised to not preach to more people than permitted he informed the authorities that he would not and could not make such a promise. The result, he will remain in jail until his trial date of March 31.
What now?
First, do you see how important it is to how you answer the above question? Who you say is the head of the church is how you will act toward the church.
Then, you should not willingly abandon the church house this coming Lord’s Day. Heads of homes, gather your family together before Sunday morning and instruct them that we are no longing treating the bride of Christ with such careless attention.
I encourage you to gather your family together and listen to the sermon James Coates preached the day before he was arrested and imprisoned (see link below). Put Christ in front of yourself and your family and be resolved to not let any temporary discomfort keep you from gathering with the local followers of Christ ever again.
It might be good to think about this God given blessing like our ancestors did. Those who pledged their own lives, their own fortunes, and sacred honor didn’t do that so we would lay it all down on the dusty floor of pagan worship of government.
I agree with my Baptist ancestors here on this matter. They were serious about how to practice their faith with the lamp of Scripture on. These words were penned by my kinsmen of the faith when it costs them something to stand up on their feet like men of God.
Baptist Faith and Message: Article XVII – Religious Liberty
“God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.”
Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.
June 5, 1976, everyone down stream from the Teton Dam would soon learn of the catastrophic failure of the a dam constructed with a flawed engineering design and poor earthen dam material and the consequential unexpected pressure points.
The result of the design was disaster.
The United States has survived many things from bad policy, national sins, civil war, bad presidents, drought, national disasters, and career politicians.
But be sure of this, there is no way to stop a breaching dam.
So long as this nation of independent states continues to elect representatives and senators on the current standards of social justice, Critical Race Theory, and general lack of the fear of God we will one day be reading about our land like the residents downstream of the Teton Dam do.
Every election is consequential. Every vote puts pressure on the Constitution. Every sin angers God. Every Representative/Senator reflects the state of the Union.
What should we be looking for? Even though I’ve made mention of the institution of the Government, we really should be looking at (or listening to) the pulpit. What you are seeing and hearing from the pulpit will indicate the health or ill-health of the nation. What you see and hear at the house of prayer will tell you how serious the day is.
(What’s that? Your church doesn’t pray? There could be one of the most serious issues in this nation.)
The most patriotic thing the follower of Christ can do today is look closely at his/her faith and the practice of his/her faith. The Christian should head the council the prophet Jeremiah gave to the exiled house of God and live godly lives in the land of the enemy of God. (see Jeremiah 29:4-9)
Some of us need to enter the battle on the floors of local governments, state and national legislatures, school boards and library boards. Some need to activate citizens. Some need to invest financially in the cause. But all of us need to; Build Homes, live there, plant gardens, eat from your gardens, get married, raise your sons and daughters to become men and women, have babies; have as many babies as God will give you, seek the welfare of those you live among, defend the orphan and the widow, call upon God, and pursue God.
What happened at the nation’s Capitol bldg. on Wednesday will be thought about for days, weeks, months, and likely years. The slippery slope our nation is on is nearing the precipice of a freefall. But let’s investigate what’s really going on here.
This is a spiritual issue. It is not an issue of “warming a pew” as they say. It is an issue of neglect of the holy and righteous things of God that come from the house of God who fear him and worship him is Spirit and Truth, from the house of God who cries out to God in humility and for mercy. Stop merely warming a seat at the church house and gather with joy in the Lord.
Many want to go right past the church house and go to the statehouse to fix the issues. It is time to fill the church house up again with people who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
do not neglect the gatherings with the saints
as you see the day drawing near.
March 19, 2020
At this time all regular meetings are still happening with adjustments in how we interact at this time. This is intended to assist the church family to know what to expect and what changes are in place. Let me start with what we are doing. We are monitoring the situation daily with the desire to exercise community respect to a fast and largely unknown virus pandemic.
At the church house, we are currently refreshing the air 24/7, wiping down all surfaces, supplying hand sanitizer, soap and respect for each other.
We have suspended any activity that requires anyone to handle anything previously handled by another (ie: no Lord’s Table observation at this time, offerings will be collected in plates in the front and rear of the room, shared meals are suspended at this time, and no coffee or snacks.)
Otherwise, we are still gathering. Carefully. It is a reasonable thing for anyone in vulnerable categories (have been recently sick, someone sick in your home, been exposed to someone known to have COVID-19, elderly, traveled to an outbreak region, etc.) to limit or suspend attending meetings. A decision to not attend should not be considered as being negligent of gathering with the saints. Everyone fully understands the reason if you choose to not attend in this current day.
The following is with serious respect that other local fellowships have made decisions different than ours. Each individual should, as always, exercise personal responsibility.
Sunday:
Wednesday:
For anyone choosing to not gather, remember our live stream feed link is: https://www.sermonaudio.com/solo/thebridge/webcast/ It will begin at approx. 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m on Sundays.
If you do not have a computer, if your data plan is limited, or you are experiencing difficulty watching or listening online consider a connection via phone line. Consider putting your phone on “speaker” mode so you don’t have to hold the phone to your ear the entire time. It may also be wise to plug your mobile phone in while listening so you don’t use up your battery.
On Sunday at 10:30 a.m and 5:30 p.m. (mountain time)
If you call before we are streaming you can either wait on the line or try to call again within a few moments.
There is a high likelihood that the demand on the internet will be significant and may cause delays or inability to stream. If this happens remember we will have the archived sermon available soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If all else fails, open your Bible, read Isaiah 53:1-3, think about those words of God, talk about them with your family, pray, sing, and rejoice.
Dear Beloved Eastside,
At this time, Eastside Baptist Church will continue all weekly gatherings.
Lord’s Day (Sunday)
Mid-week Prayer (Wednesday)
It is a reasonable thing for anyone in vulnerable categories (have been recently sick, someone sick in your home, been exposed to someone known to have COVID-19, elderly, traveled to an outbreak region, etc.) to limit or suspend attending meetings. A decision to not attend should not be considered being negligent of gathering with the saints. Everyone fully understands the reason for your not assembling in this current day and we respect personal responsibility.
We will continue to review developments daily, hourly, and are prepared to adjust as needed.
In the meantime, please take the following precautions during all gatherings:
It is not our intention to be disrespectful or dismissive of anyone advising to not meet at this time. It is with respect and charity to our neighbors that we gather as well informed and responsible people who are aware and practice careful attention to this present concern. We are not opposed to suspending our gatherings but hold what we do as providing essential gatherings – with respect that we must make adjustments when needed. We are prepared and willing to do so.
If you are uncomfortable gathering at this time we receive your decision with respect. If at all possible please stay connected via all platforms available with live streaming of Eastside Baptist Church.
For the glory of God, alone!
Paul Thompson
The kind of thing that makes for a fictitious epic novel with a conclusion of one lone survivor has become the headline.
Every winter around here we realize that any given day could be inconvenienced with a series of snowstorms followed with days of wind and frigid cold. The school children hope for the cancelation of school. Where the hope of an extended spring break may exist, the fear around this day deserves a conversation about a few things.
When is the last time anyone living in this land of comfort was faced with this kind of talk?
So here we are. Real? Fake? Who to trust? What to do? The media has a reputation of being an advancer of hype or a narrative of its own story. The government and her agencies have not given the citizenry much to trust. When is the last time the NBA was looked to as a voice of reason and ethics? Does a government have a right to instruct the population to not assemble, for any reason at all?
Let’s start with what we know.
Viruses exist. Any person with an active virus puts others at risk of transmitting the virus to others. Taking care of washing hands, how we cough, what direction we sneeze, etc… are important things for courteous neighbors to do toward others. Some people are more vulnerable than others to get a virus because of compromised immune systems.
What we don’t know. Is the hype real? Is the concern made up? Was this virus intentionally released? Is the economy related to pandemic fear? Some of what we don’t know might be what we will soon know.
The question I want to think through though is, what should we do? By we, I mean Eastside Baptist Church. A church is an assembly of people. A gathering of people who have interacted with many others.
What then should be done?
The first thing I want to do is ask the serious question about what a church should do regarding her gatherings when there is a potential (real or fake) risk of public endangerment. While answering this question consideration of what is behind this kind of outbreak will be complex.
The Bill of Rights guarantees the right “of the people to peaceably assemble.” Is this the time to exercise that right if it is in conflict with the opinions of the government and/or her agencies? Is it irresponsible of churches to gather and assemble knowing that it potentially might put the assembly at risk of a health crisis?
These are fair and good questions to ask. They have been discussed with the other elders of Eastside Baptist.
Here is what we concluded last night as we were gathering for prayer.
Lord willing, I’ll gather with my beloved church family on the coming Lord’s Day.
Remember: for anyone unable to gather with us in person, you can find us online at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Time. HERE
Edited for grammar…
