Eastside Baptist Chruch – PaulThompsonBlog

Psalm Singing

Posted on April 29, 2024Leave a comment

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

For Now We Really Live

Posted on August 16, 2021Leave a comment

I’m currently preaching through First Thessalonians on Sunday evenings. It is no surprise that the intentional examination of Scripture reaps joy in one’s soul. This is indeed happening.

In chapter 3, the Apostle Paul discloses his longing to be present with the believers in the church. He had already shown that he had been hindered from traveling to the city so he sent Timothy, his missionary partner, with hope to hear reports of how the church was doing in the midst of the current afflictions they were enduring.

The report from Timothy was encouraging. The church was faithful and not willing to give in to the pressure from the tempter to abandon their faith. Because of this good news from the footman, Timothy, the apostle reports “for now we really live.”

Similar to what Jesus said that he did not come that one might simply have life but that they might have life “more abundantly.”

Sometimes when I walk into my church office I notice there is a voice mail. Today, I can guess that nearly 80% of phone calls to our church office are for an extended warranty for a car, student loan something, or the IRS is looking for me because of “suspicious” activity usage of my Social Security number. It’s always exciting to hear an actual voice of a real person.

Today, there were two real live persons who left a voice mail.

The first one was from a person looking for information about what we did when our city library promoted lifestyles contrary to the glory of God. They are working on something in their city and heard that we had appealed to our city library to relocate a promotion in the children’s area of our library.

The other one was this. “There is nothing good about what you do or who you are. You are an absolute disgrace to our country.” And if that was not enough, the caller wanted to be sure I heard him clearly before he hung up without a return phone number or the courage to leave his name, “Again, there is NOTHING good about what you do or who you are.”

Not even a “have a good day.” How rude.

The letter from Paul was to encourage the church in her affliction to stand tall and faithful. I’m currently being canceled in various ways and places in my community from this increasing marshmallowy society but, by the grace of God, I have a church that has a secured preaching post of truth.

Rejoice, church, for now, we really live…

“Now we really live…”
1 Thessalonians 3:8

The Bible

Posted on December 20, 2017Leave a comment

(a personal note to the LORD’s people who gather at 204 Eastland Drive North in Twin Falls, Idaho)

Dear Beloved of God,

It’s like this every December isn’t it? Right after this blessed season of Christmas, the birth of a new year is upon us, Lord willing. We’ll say things like, “Can you believe the new year is upon us?”, “What happened to last year?”.

As the years click by on me I grow with an increased desire to see the redeemed of God grow in grace and for the many children God has blessed your homes with these past years that all would taste this great salvation of Christ. Like the apostle Paul, “With God as my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” This increases on me every year.

I don’t know what the year 2018 holds for us. It is likely, as we do every year, we will experience many things of this temporal world; birth, death, sorrow, joy, sickness, health, pain, and comfort. We will be allowed many times to display who our Lord is in how we respond to good and difficult times. We will likely fail because of lack of discipline and we will yet again bless the Lord for his mercy and grace as we grow and overcome simple sins that once owned us as a slave master.

May we learn sooner that we stand strongest in Christ when we depend upon Him and not upon ourselves or others. To do so, we must be driven more to our Bibles. If we are to stand at all in the many things that are before us, if the Lord delays His coming, we will best face them with an illuminated path with the lamp of Scripture on.

There are many Bible reading plans to help us persist in this beneficial task. It is my desire that you receive my invitation to read the Bible with me in 2018 with an understanding of the benefit it will be to our souls together. It will bless the aged and it will help our children.

I have selected the reading plan originally developed by Robert Murray M’Cheyne in 1842 for his congregation in Scotland. As you consider this, know that this must not be viewed as a work of Salvation. You are not selected for God’s grace of salvation to rest upon you because of your keeping this reading schedule. You do not lose favor of His mercy throughout the year if you fail and stumble your way through the reading plan.

I am working on making a few adjustments to His original plan and I’ve adapted and reworded his cautions and advantages. I’ll post them soon along with the adapted reading plan for 2018.

Disaster Relief

Posted on May 21, 2013Leave a comment

It really doesn’t matter how often a natural disaster happens, it seems to always capture ones attention and brings a lot of things into perspective. I’m thankful to the Lord for the way American’s respond to disasters, but I’m humbled as I learn of the vast army of Disaster Relief volunteers for the Red Cross are Southern Baptists.

This coming Sunday, May 26, Eastside Baptist Church will provide a love offering to the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief ministry. All money given to this love offering will go directly to the SBC Disaster Relief Ministry of the North American Mission Board. Make checks out to Eastside Baptist Church and put SBC Disaster Relief in the memo.

Posts Tagged with Eastside Baptist Chruch

Psalm Singing

For Now We Really Live

The Bible

Disaster Relief

Follow PaulThompsonBlog