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Posts Tagged with Times News

Why I Rarely Wear A Mask

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I think it might be helpful to post an explanation here why I rarely wear a mask. I say rarely because there are times, places, and reasons for when I do, but I do mean rarely.

I’m not really interested in a debate between this media source and that media source; the truth is sometimes in the media. I’m more interested in true truth than media truth.

It has clearly become an issue with great confusion. I respect that one may believe a mask works. My saying or believing a mask does not work should not be interpreted as me saying I’m better than others (or dumber than some) and it should not be seen as uncaring.

To me, truth matters. All truth matters. It’s not that I have personally conducted tests to determine the value of a mask. It’s that I have intended to read and understand with great clarity the results of those who do the science and read their conclusions. It’s possible they could be wrong, so I must read more than just one or two science journal results to have a fair and responsible conclusion.

So the primary reason why I rarely wear a mask is because I care about truth. I will work up a post someday to reference the sources and documents I’ve read. Until then, I think you would find helpful information on masks if you read the more weedy journals that the CDC references (even there will be sufficient evidence to see why I find it hard to believe that even an n-95 mask will stop a virus particle).

As for the times when I will wear a mask… If you ever see me wearing one, you’ll know that must be one of the rare times I do, unless I’m mowing my yard, tilling my garden, or raking leaves from my sycamore tree (of which I am severely allergic).

Otherwise, if you see me somewhere and you feel uncomfortable around me without a mask I will gladly keep my distance, step aside, or find a mask (preferably not the one on the ground) and be pleased to talk.

Here is a recent letter to the editor someone wrote. I usually start my personal conversations with the person I have an issue with. (To be as clear as possible, I have never threatened nor would I ever be willing to kill a pregnant mother with COVID-19.)

I believe Pastor Thompson’s request is hypocritical. How can you request a “sanctuary city” for the unborn when you are willing to kill the mother from COVID-19 because you refuse to wear a mask to protect others. I am not a fan of abortion, but I think more should be done to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Pastor Thompson needs to wear a mask, (I noticed he was not wearing one at the Council meeting), social distance and help Planned Parenthood prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Sherry Hoem
Buhl, ID

https://magicvalley.com/opinion/letters/letter-pastors-request-is-hypocritical/article_1adc9923-eb8d-5a02-bb3b-7d9d2c609833.html

I don’t know Ms. Hoem and to my knowledge have never met her. I have no reason to believe she is anything but caring and a kind neighbor.


Ms. Hoem, are you saying that if I wore a mask you would join our efforts to interpose for the pre-born in our valley?

Letter to the editor: Pastor Thompson needs to wear a mask, (I noticed he was not wearing one at the Council meeting), social distance and help Planned Parenthood prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Posted by Times-News on Friday, January 29, 2021

Post Script: For the record, what goes on at Planned Parenthood in Twin Falls is the premeditated and cold-blooded murder of voiceless children in the womb.

Death is Swallowed Up

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

_______________________________

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!

The Wells Are Plugged Up

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This was my Twin Falls, Times News column from this past weekend published in the Saturday edition.

Pastor’s Corner – March 9, 2019
by Paul Thompson

The Wells Are Plugged Up

No one living in southern Idaho can underestimate the value of water.

I collect rain water off  half my garage to water my garden. This is effective as long as the clouds rain rain. What happens when the clouds rain no rain?

Anyone who lives in a desert region knows that at some point the rain will likely stop. When this happens, usually around July, the thriving community will need a good source of water. If no consideration has been made in the cool days of rain, no life will survive the blistering heat of the scorching sun when there is no rain.

A student of history knows that there have been many historic battles fought over water rights. We even see this in that ancient holy book, the Bible.

In Genesis 26, the reader learns that after Abraham died, the Philistines came along and plugged up all of Abraham’s wells. The Philistines filled the wells to pollute, clog, and render them useless for the descendants of Abraham. Their hatred for God and His people was so high that they were willing to murder them by shutting off the water, that supply all of society needs to thrive. Without it, the people can’t live. That was their aim, ending the life of Abraham’s family. They obviously didn’t want the water, they wanted the people to suffer and ultimately die.

Today, we tell ourselves we live in a much more “civilized”, “enlightened” day. We don’t intentionally contaminate other people’s water. No one is going to shut the water supply off because of one’s religion,  no one is going to clog up the well of the farmer just because he’s a God fearer.

However, there are God fearing people in the land and there is a growing hatred of them. If one looks at the issue of life, it is evident that hatred of image-of-God-bearing babies in the womb is growing. This continues to dominate attention in our day.

Forget about what New York State has done, never mind the cruelty of Virginia, don’t focus solely on  what the governor of New Mexico has vowed to do. Look right here. Look in the county and city of Twin Falls. Open your eyes to what victory the war campaign of death has made in our own land of Idaho.

There is a bill sitting on the desk of Rep. Steven Harris, the chairman of the State Affairs Committee, that would make abortion (murder of babies in the womb) illegal in Idaho. I sat in his office this week to appeal to his conscience to open the gate to let this bill in for committee work. When I asked him if he would print the bill, he said “no, I will not”. If you remember your School House Rock, you’ll remember this is where a bill gets worked on, fine tuned, and adjusted; or the bill dies in that committee altogether. The “Idaho Abortion Human Rights Act” remains on the desk of the committee chairman because he apparently fears it will pass the house and the senate and would soon be ready for the governor’s signature..The  enemy of God has a hatred of image-bearing-lives and he has convinced a chairman to sit on the bill that would otherwise let the babies live.

One thing the reader discovers as they read through  Genesis 26 is that Isaac would eventually come along and dig out the wells. He would remove everything the Philistines had polluted the wells with, he would remove all the junk, all the dirt, all the garbage. While doing so, he would once again reclaim the splendor of the desert with life.

To the faithful, God fearing followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, as described by the Bible: Rise up today with your gospel shovel and let’s dig out the “wells” the Philistines have plugged up. Strap on your Gospel shoes and let’s get to work.

There is one organization, lead by an evil, God-hating agenda to plug up life in our city, county, state, and nation. May God mobilize His people- His church, and find them actively purifying  the decades old plugged up wells.

Gather this Lord’s day with a people longing to hear a report about God from a living pulpit lit by the Word of God. Gather there and pray, gather there and prepare, gather there with your “Gospel shovels”, it’s work day at the church house.

consider visiting the Times News page: The Wells Are Plugged Up

An Open Appeal to Every Biblical Pastor in the Magic Valley

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This is my submitted column for the Twin Falls, Times News this week. Look for it at www.magicvalley.com under “Pastors Corner”, due for publication on Saturday, January 26, 2018.

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I turn my attention this week to my fellow pastors in the Magic Valley. I know that not everyone of them read this weekly column so I’m depending on readers to pass this on to your pastors, or to a pastor you know.

If we are not careful, the modern pastor of the modern church will be lulled to sleep with dreams of being hoisted up on the shoulders of our communities as the greatest blessing to ever be in our beloved cities. It is a tragedy if we think we are relative because we give people only what they want, a little “chicken soup” for their soul. What  is needed most today is an honest people to deliver an honest message from the only reliable way to know God, the Bible. Not so we can boast about how loved we are by our community, but because we know we have just given what is needed most, the Truth that sets men free.

There are sins in all our churches that can only be removed by a blessed work of the grace of God. Our churches and communities are filled with thousands of people of both sexes to whom we have no voice; and they will never be authentically reached but by an movement of the Spirit of God raining down upon our homes, churches, and cities.

This kind of pouring out comes as a result of honest, humble, and compassionate men of God who will stand in their pulpits on the coming Lord’s day and preach once again “thus saith the Lord”. Then, when the man of God is faithful to his duty and the congregation of God is convicted of and repent of their sins by the work of the Holy Spirit, might the power of God rain righteousness upon the region.

Unless and until the Holy Spirit does this, we will soon lose any listening ear and/or any platform to address the growing population.

In 1838, American theologian Albert Barnes observed that “one form of sin is interwoven with another; one leads on another; and all (sins) stand opposed with a solid front to the Gospel of Christ.” In other words, the world will only increase in an emboldened hostility against God. Unless the church awakens from her slumber soon, this current generation of professing Christians will render herself irrelevant. Not because she refuses to try out new things but because she ceases to be a holy people.

You see, fellow pastor, our strategy of becoming like the world is a flawed strategy. Our hope to make ungodly people comfortable with a holy God without the work of the Holy Spirit is hoping God will not be true to Himself. Who in our churches will live holy lives when their shepherds lead them to be like the world?

There is a united front of sin in this world, how do we expect to stand against it while at the same time the professing church remains largely divided against the holy God and His congregation.

In the meantime, all things move along with a hope for status quo, the church cannot hope that God is pleased to continue being presented to the watching world with an unholy apathetic representation. But then again, it is a flawed hope that we think this kind of change or desire for holy living can be accomplished simply by emotional enthusiasm that has to be re-energized within a few days.

As Albert Barnes noted in his day; if this status of the church continues on as is, unchanged, unalarmed by the unconverted masses and the growing love for self and sin, we have no reason to be surprised that sin will continue to triumph, and “that the world moves on undisturbed to death.”

Hey, help me out and pass this column on to your pastor. Encourage him to remain steadfast and immovable on the blessed hope we have in Jesus, the Christ, as described by the Bible alone. Pastor, contact me and let’s pray together that the “Heavens will rain down righteousness and that salvation will bear much fruit in our day.” (Isaiah 45:8)

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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

God Only Gives What is Good

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“I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
But let them not turn back to folly.
Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
Lovingkindness and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.” (Psalm 85:8-11)

To a child, it is surprising how slow Christmas comes and then how fast it is forgotten. By now most of the new toys are either broken or the batteries are dead. To the adults, it is surprising how much money is spent and how the plans for a new year diet is underway (soon).

The great tragedy of Christmas is, that as special as the season is, it is too quickly forgotten.

Culturally, Christmas is a most unique season. Even though there are many changes taking place such as the removal of nativity scenes on government property, Christmas concerts being replaced with winter concerts, and household debt continues to escalate, there is still a special feeling in the air. Most merchants still play Christmas carols, many still wish each other “Merry Christmas”, and most, at least, notice something about the birth of a Child in the little town of Bethlehem.

But what noticeably is lost in the busyness of this most wonderful time of the year is how quickly the church behaves more secular every year and how soon those who attended a Christmas Eve service give little interest to gathering the following Lord’s Day.

Throughout the entirety of the Bible there is either an announcement of a Messiah coming, a Messiah is here, or a Messiah is coming again.

The announcement of the most spectacular gift ever given by an eternal God and received by temporal man is like that of what the Psalmist described of when “lovingkindness and truth” or “righteousness and peace” meet together and form a refuge from the storm of sin. The promise of this Savior is only received with anticipation by those whom the Lord God Almighty has given eyes to see and ears to hear of their condition in which they clearly need to be saved from. This news is the greatest news the ears of temporal men could ever hear.

Unlike the quickness of the season changing and most forgetting of the news of a supernatural visitation from God, there is reason for you to stop and ponder again over that glorious day when God put on the clothing of men to save him from his sin. The Bible describes the multitude of angelic hosts having a great expectation for the salvation of men, yet most men will do little more than a head nod of recognition of this time splitting event.

My plea to you today is to look again to that glorious visitation of the Most High. O for a year of Christmas sermons of the incarnation of Almighty God. Your mind is quick to look forward to a new year and quickly begin looking away from the hope of Christ. We are prone to focus on the temporal day of goal setting, weight loss, better health, living debt free; all of which are worth setting a plan to do, but nothing is more demanding of your attention than the hope we have in Christ.

God only gives what is good. Why are you so easily distracted? Why chase after anything less?

You Attract More Flies With Honey

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Have you ever heard someone use this phrase before? “You attract more flies with honey rather than with vinegar.”

I’ve never actually “field tested” this, but I think the point is that if you want to attract people you will be more successful with something sweet rather than with something bitter. Who doesn’t like a kind word over a rude word? Truthful words are always helpful,  but when are harsh, cruel, spiteful tones in a conversation ever helpful. I think this is likely the origin of a phrase like this. (I want to first of all say, “why do you want to waste your honey on flies?”)

But what happens when one applies a phrase that means one thing in a particular situation to an altogether different situation?

For example: Today, while I was watering my garden I noticed both flies and bees and it caused me to remember being told one time early in ministry days that if we want to attract people to our churches we have better success when we use honey rather than vinegar.

This may be true in how we speak to people, all people. Be kind, sweet, gentle, friendly, etc… If you want to turn people away then just be rude, crude, harsh, brutal, etc. But when we, the church, apply this to methodologies I think we can run into a risky, unintended conclusion.

Here’s what I mean…

We may likely be able to attract a bigger crowd with flashy activity. It’s a proven fact that churches across the land are doing a lot of things and it appears to be attracting more people. There runs a problem with employing this kind of thinking to church growth. However, when we begin thinking that the current gathering crowd is here because we’ve done something “sweet” for them that they really like we’ve pulled a “bait and switch” on then. It may well be what they want (and we gave it to them) but is what we’re giving them that which is the sweetest?

Now, I don’t know of any church that would dare say that the word of God is like vinegar. But I know many churches that treat the word of God like vinegar. This is the unintended conclusion that is implied when we use this American proverb to the church.

But what if there was something sweeter than honey?

Wouldn’t it make sense then, that churches would use what is sweeter than honey and begin treating what we call “honey” like vinegar?

Reader, if you’re employing worldly philosophy that treats God as anything but the highest pleasure imaginable then you are nursing on vinegar.

Churches of the Magic Valley, if you are employing trickery to gather a people because you don’t think the word of God is the most helpful thing for people then you are keeping people from the most helpful, valuable, pleasurable thing God has ever given us.

This is how God puts it…

Psalm 19:7-14 

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

 

A Call to Anguish

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Every other week I publish a column in the Twin Falls, Times News in the religion section. I was asked to participate in this about eight years ago with several others in the city. Today, it is myself and pastor Bear Morton from the Magic Valley Bible Church who split the pastors’ corner column. The way print media (and internet media) works is all based on readership. Today, it is easier to tract actual readership via internet activity.

(If you are ever inclined to do so, reading the Saturday religion section of the Times News and interacting with and sharing the Pastors’ Corner column helps the publishers know people are reading it.)

And, weekly on Thursday’s at 9:00 a.m. I’m on the local secular radio station with an hour segment called ‘Pastors’ Round Table’. The host, Bill Colley, has been kind in inviting me to this one hour weekly time with other pastors in the valley. Of course, I’m pleased to have Bear Morton with me on the air too. Invite someone to listen with you this Thursday at 9:00 a.m. on 1310 AM KLIX.

This is the column I submitted last week to the Times News.

___________________

A Call To Anguish

The Old Testament evangelist, Isaiah, calls for the people of God to anguish or to weeping bitterly (Isaiah 21 – 22).

Most preaching heard in our day is more about personal goal setting, living for the moment, and enjoyment of temporal days. Where it’s true God’s people ought seek to be the most pleasant of people and filled with joy, it is not of a temporal kind of pleasure seeking.

When he was at a place to look at the city of Jerusalem, like Jesus when He wept over the city, Isaiah noticed that the people were not living  with a real understanding of the coming wrath of God because of their long-standing disobedience. The city of Jerusalem took much pride in that the temple of the Almighty God was in their city and yet did not live as though He was God at all.

It is the kindness of God that He would give faithful watchmen to warn of the coming of righteousness to judge all unrighteousness.

Christian, what do you see when you look at the normal activity of your city?

When you see the infatuation with sin of many in our day who make confession of being a follower of Christ, does it bother you at all?

When the shows at the local theater are mocking God and promoting debauchery, does it cause you to weep that many claiming Christ today are as active in the sinful activity as the unconverted?

When you see the children of many churches at our church camps, on our mission trips, or attending Vacation Bible Schools this summer; will you notice any difference in them at all from unchurched children? They’re talking about the same movies, they’re singing the same songs, they’re reading the same books, they’re using the same curse words, they’re disobeying their parents just like unbelievers, or they’re wearing the same seductive, self absorbed, eye catching clothing promoted by the latest fashion seen on people who openly hate God.

If you’ll look honestly into our day, you’ll see this is really how it is.

Our day is very similar to Isaiah’s. Everywhere he looked, he saw hardly anyone walking after God.

Who’s going to pray for anyone today when hardly anyone notices there is a coming judgment of God upon the church of God. My appeal to the reader today is not to the unbelieving in the valley, it’s an appeal the house of God, to pray.

Not to pray with platitudes, self absorption, and empty concern.

No, I’m talking about praying in anguish, deep weeping, bitter tears over the lost condition of the house of God. It there will be any hope for an awakening and a real movement of the Holy Spirit in our day, it will come from a house of God who sees as God sees and lives with compassion for the lost in the valley. This will not happen when they see that those claiming to be Christians are really no different than the unbeliever.

The only real difference is that the unbeliever in pursuit of sin is at least honest in who they are.

O, dear followers of Christ, we are in a day where there are few praying in anguish over the sins of our families, neighbors, government, or churches. Let us rise to our duty once again as watchmen on the wall who are honest about what we see, then let’s be faithful to give a clear warning of what is seen and proclaim to all that there is hope in Jesus the Christ, as described by the Bible alone.

The Heart of an Evangelist

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My Heart Cries Out

Puritan commentary writer, Matthew Henry, called Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, the evangelist.

In the middle of delivering oracles against enemies of Israel, Isaiah makes a telling announcement about the small nation of Moab. Isaiah says; “My heart cries out for you” (Isaiah 15:5). This shows that Isaiah, the evangelist, has a compassion for those who are stated enemies of God.

The word from the evangelist is the same word and compassion of God.

The bible makes claim that all of humanity are sinners. To be a sinner is to be an enemy of God. To be an enemy of God is to be living in pride and the Bible says clearly that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

This is why Isaiah’s heart cried out for the nation of Moab. Moab was a proud nation and was known for her pagan idolatry and rejection of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moab was a nation that was always at war with Israel and Israel’s God.

It is like an evangelist to behave like His God. Isaiah had compassion for a nation that was a stated enemy of his homeland. God is like this toward sinners, He has compassion for those who are born stated enemies of His and his Kingdom. God was moved to such compassion that He did everything needed for His enemy to be declared not only righteous, but also innocent of actions against His name and kingdom.

The professing follower of Christ must be extremely careful about how he/she lives their lives.

One can’t be seen as a follower of Christ just because they say they are.

No, professor of Christ, exercise the greatest caution here lest you otherwise be known as an enemy of God while thinking you are a believer.

The Moabites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. This may seem confusing at first glance, but I’m sure the Moabites thought they were righteous people because their ancestor line was from Lot. But what is most clear at this point is that neither Lot nor the Moabite nation are ever recorded as repenting of their sin.

Where sin abounds, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20)

This is how this heart of mercy works in God. He gives his grace to a people who were formerly His enemies. It is clearest here in that there is no reason for God to give grace to a righteous people. If it were possible to be a righteous person apart from Christ then there would be no reason to give grace.

It is consistent with man’s need and with God’s nature for the heart of God to cry out for His enemy. Like the evangelist, Isaiah, the church today must be a people who behave like their Savior. May our hearts cry out for the unconverted, enemies of God. When we act in compassion toward them with the truth of God and preach of His grace, may all who hear believe and repent.

News Feed Algorithms

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I’m no mathematician.

The smart thinking of Tim Challies explains the matter of social media algorithms.

Every time I learn how to get a blog post to get more traffic I learn that new algorithms are being unleashed and everything I thought I knew is now outdated. That’s the way a user of a product works and the smart guys producing the products are more than just a step or two ahead of me.

Challies, who writes with a much wider scope than I do, makes a strong argument about the old fashioned way we used to get things off of the internet from the guys and sites we want and not what the algorithm building guys want their customers to see.

As one who produces content to read (I’ve been blogging for nearly 15 years, that’s ancient in internet years) and one who archives sermons to listen to (over 370, and counting) and occasional podcasting series, it is valuable to learn as much as one can about how to share what I’m producing to as many people as possible in how to get content dispersed.

I don’t have any aspirations to cash in on any content I produce related to my ministry of the word and so I also realize I have to rely on word of mouth and people who intentionally come looking for things I post here and on Sermon Audio (and YouTube).

I don’t fault anyone producing platforms that many people use such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. They do what they do for the reasons they do it. I try to take advantage of all platforms to disperse content and I understand that’s the way it is.

Tim Challies, in his post this morning, makes a strong case for the consumer of information to stay in control of the content we read by actually subscribing to those sources we want to read. If you use social media to be the primary source of your news you should expect them to give you what they want you to read. If you want to decide what you read, then you need to act the part of curator, as Challies puts it.

So, today, I’m inviting you to consider a few things to help me.

  • Subscribe to this news feed to get a new email when I produce a new post (click on that “Follow” button on the lower right of the screen.)
  • Subscribe to SermonAudio feed https://www.sermonaudio.com/thebridge
  • Follow my Public Figure Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PastorPaulThompson/
  • Follow my Twitter Feed: https://twitter.com/TwinFallsPaul
  • Follow my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAhExzbgiDz3A99ci0S6WyA?view_as=subscriber
  • Share any posts or sermons on your social media outlets.
  • I write a regular column in the Twin Falls Times News (magicvalley.com). My ability to continue is largely on feedback the Times News gets on the column I write. The best way to communicate this to them is to share links directly to the Times News. Sharing and liking those columns goes a long way in telling them that people read them. (I don’t write for pay for the Times News, it is at their request and I’ve been pleased to do so for the past 7 years.)

Thank you for reading and helping spread the “news”.

 

Sufficiency of Scripture

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Today, a video project I’m involved with on repentance was released today entitled “The Winds of Philosophy and Methodology”. Visit this link daily for reflections on repentance.

The Winds of Philosophy and Methodology from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Tomorrow, July 8, 2017 the Times News will publish my column on the Sufficiency of Scripture in print and online. Look for it in the Religion section of the Twin Falls Times News.
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What You Believe about the Bible Will Determine What You Know about the God of the Bible

The 500 year anniversary of the great protestant reformation is around the corner. The Reformation really isn’t about one event on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther posted his infamous 95 Theses on the doors of the Wittenberg Chapel doors.

Really it is much bigger than this.

I will devote my next five columns to exploring five convictions of many Christians that emerged during those significant days in church history that are still important today. They are commonly known as the five solas.

First, is Sola Scripture (Latin for Scripture alone).

For clarity, it is critical that you understand when the reformers were speaking about Scripture they were talking about the 66 books that make up the Holy Bible. They did not, nor do I, include the Koran or any other books as Scripture. Today the reformers not , nor do I, include the Book of Mormon or the Pearl of Great price as Scripture either.

The position was that Scripture is the only trustworthy source for Christians to know their God, define their faith, and govern their churches. This doesn’t mean that others can’t speak truth but rather that everything else we learn about God should be interpreted with the lamp of Scripture.

The argument is still valid. We believe that these 66 books of the Holy Bible came from God and the Bible’s authority is from God alone. Every original word of the 66 books of the Bible is solely inspired by God’s Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit also helps us to understand the Bible and obey God. Here we learn of the Holiness of God and the depravity of man and our great need for salvation. The kindness of God is that he not only shows us these truths, He also calls us unto repentance of our sins and turn to Him.

Many will want to make the invalid argument that we can’t trust that the Holy Bible is a trustworthy account of God. But one would have to discount the mountain of historic evidence that supports that what we have today known as the bible has been sufficiently preserved. We have ancient texts from various places and eras of time that confirm this reliability.

This can be a topic for another day, but for now, give yourself to study this Bible to know God. Commit yourself to the hearing of biblical preaching and teaching and the public reading of Scripture.

Think like the early reformers when they said; “No authority, whether of antiquity, or custom, or numbers, or human wisdom, or judgments, or proclamations, or edicts, or decrees, or councils, or visions, or miracles, should be opposed to these Holy Scriptures, but on the contrary, all things should be examined, regulated and reformed according to them.” (1559 French Confession)

To say Scripture is sufficient is both helpful and risky.

To say, “the Bible does not simply contain the words of God, it is the word of God,” helps the searcher of truth to know he is reading a reliable source of who God is and what He demands from men.

Further, the Bible is not a primary source of who God is it is the only reliable source anyone can trust. It is to say, “put all other books aside and read the bible to know God.”

You see the risk here, not everyone likes this. Many people are offended when someone makes claims like this about the bible. What does this say about other “holy books”?

It is a blessing from God that there are faithful pastors and churches in the region who believe this about the Bible.

This Lord’s Day find one of these churches in the Magic Valley and gather with them.

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