Last night (January 19, 2020) at Eastside Baptist Church, I gave anyone wanting to practice a three minute speech aimed to appeal to the conscience of elected citizens who represent us in various levels of government. The time to prepare for action is before the action is requested or required.
The following video is my introduction of recommendations. Please note, these are recommendations only, not law, not required. These are recommendations from years of observation and experience.
“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.” Luke 12:35
The reason for a fire drill is to prepare for the real day. No one wants a fire, but everyone who has been through the horror would be better equipped for that day if fire drills were normal and treated like the real deal.
I recently was at the Idaho State House to visit with someone about abolishing abortion. Just as the meeting began, a warning to exit the building was issued. It was later declared either a drill or a false alarm. But either case it should be treated as the real event for evacuation.
Now that the 2020 legislative session is in full swing and the Abortion Human Rights Act has been submitted and waiting for a bill number it is also time for the faithful to prepare for the day.
It is not guaranteed that the Abortion Human Rights Act will see the light of day. It is a great hope that it will. In the event that it does, it is time for the saints of God to be found ready.
Ready for what?
Ready to interact with the elected representation and express expectations. I want to encourage followers of Christ around the state of Idaho to prepare with your figurative “lamp lit”.
When the moment comes that the Abortion Human Rights Act is given a bill number and a date is set for public hearing on the matter it will be important that the Christian make ready a short – laser like – speech to express appeal to the legislative committee to make way for the whole house vote to abolish abortion – then stay fit for the same to happen in the senate.
What you can do now:
To prepare for this – Eastside Baptist is hosting a practice speech night on
Sunday night, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. to prepare and practice in the event we receive word that a hearing is scheduled either at the Twin Falls City Council or the House State Affairs Committee in Boise.
We will practice a three minute limit drill. Come prepared to practice for game day.
See you at practice.
I value living in the city of Twin Falls. It is a most valued existence to live as we do – at peace with people we both agree and disagree with.
The public discussion currently happening in our city is charged with compassionate emotions. The difficulty that is upon us right now is how do we express ourselves without offending or being offended.
When children are involved it naturally charges our emotions on all cylinders. A matter like this shows us that we are an emotional people, all of us are. This kind of matter causes me to consider the emotionally charged issues our nation’s founders experienced. Their emotionally charged ideas were birthed with laws to govern our otherwise unruly emotions.
The separation of children from parents should never be taken lightly. It shouldn’t be spoken of lightly and it shouldn’t be set aside lightly. In any community, local or national, when a parent commits a crime, children are at risk of being separated from their parents. Reasonable and compassionate people understand this risk.
Thinking out loud is risky too, isn’t it? When we speak from emotionally charged ideals we run the risk of not listening to each other. My observation last night was that all spoke from conviction, most spoke with respect. We, citizens, must become more disciplined and respectful speakers and listeners.
I’ve thought through this matter many times and have recorded my thoughts in past posts. Mostly to address the proclaiming Christian. Obviously the responsibility as citizens is an equally shared one regardless of beliefs. This is part of what makes this such a great nation. My observation last night at the Twin Falls City Council meeting is that I live among a people who are in agreement that children are the ones in the greatest risk. Who will care for these children? The blessed thing is that there are citizens already in place in this country suited and ready to care for these children.
As for the city council meeting on Monday night in Twin Falls: I was thankful to be there. I do think the city council made a reasonable decision to not pass a resolution. (Yet.)
An open letter to the city council of Twin Falls, Idaho. (July 24, 2018) I sent a similar letter to them early this morning. (It had a few incomplete sentence structural problems and a few spelling glitches. That’s par for the course for me and an embarrassment to my English teachers who attempted to teach me better. But it was similar to this in sentiment.)
Dear Twin Falls City Council,
The doing of your job makes the city of Twin Falls among the kind of places the world wants to live in. Your duty to assure we have a voice on any matter is of the blessed kind. Your duty to the constitution is of the brave kind of duties.
You already understand that to speak as a city into any matter should only be done with reason and caution. Your desire to be compassionate is not superior to the reasonable due process. To live in an orderly land requires us to submit to law that we hope you will uphold. When a law needs to be changed, let’s work through the process. We already have a process to speak into this matter. You have been generous to listen to us and give us a place to speak. The structure of our city council is not to behave as an activist for the whole of our city. We are a city of citizen who don’t agree on everything and the resolution that has been set before you is not the right voice for the city. Is there another way to speak into or about this matter? I think there is.
Don’t be fooled by public attendance – great or small – as the gauge of what is most important. Be principled statesmen and stateswomen who pass on a highly efficient, smooth functioning city to another generation. This is an important matter, it is a kindness to all people.
Twin Falls City Council, if our fair city is ever faced with this kind of severe issue, where large numbers of adult lawbreakers have children with them, please keep the local church in mind as a safe place to protect the children. The church I pastor, Eastside Baptist Church, stands ready to serve this city in this way if ever needed. Just like you, my church has a duty. We have to be disciplined to not pick up things that are not our duties because they will distract us from our duties. However, this matter is among our duties we stand ready to fulfill if ever called upon to do.
You did your duty, all of you, wonderfully last night. This citizen is thankful to Almighty God. I hope even the citizens who spoke so sharply at you are thankful for your labor that makes Twin Falls, such a great city. Thank you.
Psalm 141:3-4
3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness
With men who do iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
Christian, never forget that we are called to live a disciplined life.
As often as possible, I attend the weekly city council meeting of the City of Twin Falls. I consider the experience as both part of my duty as a citizen and a pastor in the city. Every week the agenda provides for a time for members of the community to speak to the city council about whatever is on their mind. As a citizen of the United States, among all the nations of the world, this kindness from God is not missed on me.
Privilege is no permission to remove the guard and behave undisciplined.
The Psalmist (above) asks God to set a guard over his mouth and keep watch over the door of his lips. Then, because he is disciplined and knows his propensities asks God to not give him over to the inclination of his heart to do any evil thing or to practice the deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity and there eat of the same food (do the same) as those who oppose God.
There is no secret that the city of Twin Falls has become a topic in local and national, traditional and non-traditional news outlets in the past few years. My thoughts today are not about matters related to religious differences between Christianity and Islam, the differences are clear and distinct. My thoughts are not about the cultural dangers of a philosophical conflict Islam presents with the constitution of the United States, there is substantial evidence that points to the fact that the religion of Islam poses serious threat and I have spoken of this.
My thoughts are about how people, professing Christians particularly, speak in the public square when there is conflict. For me, Scripture has to be the rule that governs my thoughts as well as my words. Following are some thoughts for consideration based on years of listening and observing how people speak in the public and speak about and to people of authority.
Give respect. Show respect. You are an ambassador of Christ’s reconciliation. If you want Christ to be known then put yourself aside and put Him upon display in how and what you say. Your patriotic spirit is best seen as you salute the flag at the start of the meeting.
At the end of the day say what is helpful, give serious voice to the conversation. After speaking, sit down with your head up because you represented the Kingdom of Heaven with integrity. To do so is no guarantee that you will be spoken highly of or respected but they’ll have to make up things about you to speak ill of you. Don’t give them a reason to discount you, make them make stuff up about you if they want to speak ill of you.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ps 141:3–4). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
Keep your behavior excellent among the gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:11-17)
I’ve been attending Twin Falls City Council meetings over the past 15 years as matters arise that I believe I want to understand better of what is going on or to speak for or against proposed ordinances.
Recently, over the past month, I’ve been attending weekly to see if what is being reported in traditional media and social media is accurate.
If all one was doing was responding accordingly to all media (traditional or social) reports, one would think Evil Kinevel was in town to jump the Snake River.
At every city council meeting the public is given an opportunity to speak about any matter of interest to the city council. Wow, this is an amazing country we live in. Every citizen has an opportunity to address any issue of interest on a weekly basis. WOW.
I’ve been attending Twin Falls City Council meetings the past several weeks primarily to listen. Over the years I have spoken out, for and against, on matters that I think I must speak toward. I’ve learned that I must exercise discipline in the liberty to do so and resist the tendency to abuse my liberty.
I have a personal code of conduct for how I engage in the public square. Here are some suggestions I have and lessons I’ve learned.
Five things are sure:
In conclusion; to the Gospel plow, sometimes that plowing work takes us through public forum meetings like city council, state legislation, national hearings. When that happens, we must be the same principled, disciplined, duty obeying followers of Christ. When the fever pitch of emotion begins to boil take a deep breath, bless the Lord for His grace, speak boldly, be respectful, honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the [government] but don’t put down your gospel plow, don’t waste the day, don’t waste words spoken with unvetted, undisciplined, dishonorable emotions.
