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Open Letter to Twin Falls County

I spent the day preparing and hand delivering a letter to the Twin Falls County Courthouse to express my hope that this county will stay with the strong historic language of “Husband” and “Wife” on the license application. (Here are my thoughts on this matter earlier today.)

The kind and helpful ladies in the county clerks office endured my questions and received my letter with grace and appreciation. I decided there were a few things I could do with the extended time of grace from God on this matter and decided I must speak kindly on this important topic to God.

SBC LIFE

Today the Baptist Press article that ran at Baptist Press last month was in print at SBCLIFE, a journal of the Southern Baptist Convention on page 16.

Here is a link to the SBCLIFE article. With some additional information from the Southern Baptist Executive Committee.

The part of greatest joy for me in this is that for the past 12 months God has been using Eastside Baptist Church to be involved in something bigger than we could imagine. New Horizon Home, a ministry of Eastside Baptist Church, is moving our 20 girls into a new home this weekend and preparing to receive 10 more girls in need of a home.

Where it is a pleasure to look back and see the kind hand of God  in a difficult season of life, I can’t stop blessing the Lord for His ongoing kindness to use this church in Idaho to provide food, housing, care, spiritual teaching and education to our daughters in Haiti.

GE

Now Unto Him Who is Able

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB)

Dear Alex my dearly beloved brother in Christ,

We (Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho) greet you this evening in the powerful name of Jesus the Christ! Please greet your wife and children, please give my love to your father and mother. I want for you to speak to the sisters who faithfully tend to the work of the Lord at New Horizon Home. Please, make sure they know that Renee and I love them. Please inform them that Eastside Baptist Church is pleased with their labor as though they are caring for our own daughters.

It is with joy in the Lord, that I inform you that God has answered our need and has made the way for you to begin moving the girls, the beautiful girls, to their new house.

As you know, we are only able to do what God provides. His word declares He is able. It declares that not only is He able, but He is able to do. It declares that not only is He able to do, but that He is able to do far more. It not only declares that He is able to do far more, but it declares that He is able to do far more abundantly. It not only declares that He is able to do far more abundantly, but He is able to do fare more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, and that, according to the power that works within us. Yes! to Him only be the glory in the church today and in Christ Jesus to all generations and nations of the world. May we declare His mighty name.

Tonight (May 2, 2014) a people belonging to God, who associate themselves together for the glory of the Lord and the advancement of His gospel, known as Southern Baptist; churches of the Magic Valley Baptist Association have generously obeyed their Lord, Jesus the Christ, and have given $5,000.00 US dollars for the first year lease for the new home for our girls.

Please tell the girls of the mighty hand of God. Please tell them of His provision for them for His glory. May the favor of the Lord rest upon their souls. May we all delight in God.

Be sure when you pay for the first year lease that you inform the owner of the Lord’s kindness today. Make sure that all praise is given to our Lord! Jesus the Christ, the son of the Living God!

I greet you in the name of the Lord, Jesus the Christ! The name of the Lord is a strong tower and those who run to Him will be saved. Run! run to the Lord. Amen!

Paul Thompson
Eastside Baptist Church, Twin Falls, Idaho

Therefore, Hear

I hope you are able to join me at the Southern Idaho Bible Lecture Series at the College of Southern Idaho on March 30 at 5PM. This gathering of churches is designed to provide fellowship and encouragement from Scripture as we look unto the Lord.

I’ve invited two men to help me examine Jeremiah 6:16-17.

“Bear” Morton will examine Jeremiah 6:16. Join me as he “stands by the ways” and speaks of the good way and calls us to walk in this good path. This path leads to rest for the weary souls in our day. There is hope in the Lord, walk in His way with me.

Jeff Norton, a watchman on the wall, will sound the “trumpet”. This clarion sound is a trustworthy call to walk the Lord’s path.

I’ll examine the response of the people. Surprisingly, many will not listen and most won’t walk the path. But our duty remains as strong as ever… stand by the way and herald the gospel to all, pointing the way to the better rest.

Join us Sunday evening, March 30, 2014 at 5PM.

Thus says the LORD,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.
“And I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ Jeremiah 6:16-17 (NASB)

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SermonAudio Report

ad_sermonaudio8The February report is in from Sermon Audio on the global activity for Eastside’s online sermons. 

Sermons were downloaded in February from the following locations in the United States

IDAHO………………………………………….. Total Downloads: 28
MINNESOTA…………………………………. Total Downloads: 26
OHIO…………………………………………….. Total Downloads: 9
ALABAMA……………………………………… Total Downloads: 7
CALIFORNIA…………………………………. Total Downloads: 7
TEXAS ………………………………………….  Total Downloads: 7
SOUTH DAKOTA……………………………. Total Downloads: 5
NORTH CAROLINA………………………… Total Downloads: 4
MISSISSIPPI…………………………………. Total Downloads: 4
NEVADA……………………………………….. Total Downloads: 3
FLORIDA ………………………………………. Total Downloads: 2
TENNESSEE………………………………….. Total Downloads: 2
OKLAHOMA ………………………………….. Total Downloads: 1
PENNSYLVANIA …………………………… Total Downloads: 1
MONTANA……………………………………. Total Downloads: 1
NEBRASKA……………………………………. Total Downloads: 1
KANSAS ……………………………………….. Total Downloads: 1
KENTUCKY…………………………………… Total Downloads: 1
LOUISIANA ………………………………….. Total Downloads: 1
USA GENERAL………………………………. Total Downloads: 1
VIRGINIA…………………………………….. Total Downloads: 1
WEST VIRGINIA…………………………… Total Downloads: 1

From around the world:

UNITED KINGDOM ……………………….. Total Downloads: 7
CANADA……………………………………….. Total Downloads: 3
MALAYSIA……………………………………. Total Downloads: 2
SINGAPORE………………………………….. Total Downloads: 2
GERMANY ……………………………………. Total Downloads: 1

Total download counts from all locations since 2010:

Grand Total MP3 Sermons Downloaded To Date: 5,538
Grand Total Downloaded via Mobile To Date: 1,160

We are currently broadcasting a total of 191 sermons for your church 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. May the Lord bless the preaching of his word.

Visit our SermonAudio site and share with others.

Last Night on KMVT

Even though the segment did not report every thing I said, I felt it represented my sentiment fairly. KMVT

a few observations for clarification:

  • My agreement with the court right now is in the ‘staying’ of the earlier decision to allow. The debate in Utah will resume in April, 2014.
  • definition of ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ means male and female.

things I said that was not reported that I wish would have been reported:

  • Everyone has emotions on the matter, we don’t have the luxury to determine right and wrong based on emotion.
  • All sinners (including me) are guilty before the Lord as ignoring truth and doing what we feel is right in our own eyes.
  • We are all guilty of breaking God’s law and must be judged accordingly.
  • Our hope is the righteous covering of Jesus Christ.

Over all I felt the segment did express my position fairly. Thank you KMVT. If my email inbox is any indication of things to come, I’ll need to learn how to type faster as I reply, and to preach to myself to be kind in all speech.

 

Christmas Eve Message

Stop Trying to Save Yourself

As one devoted to giving my attention to the study of the Bible and the preaching of the Bible to a weekly gathering of Magic Valley residents, I hope to be clear and concise on a matter of greatest importance.

It is likely that you have crossed paths with the biblical nativity scene somewhere in the past several weeks. Have you stopped long enough to consider that scene? After all, why would anyone make such an ordeal of this baby in a manger?  It is just a baby right? If so, why do so many people want to display this manger scene and why do so many want it removed from public places? How is it possible that a baby in a manger and a man on a cross can generate such opposite emotions?

Take a moment with me and ponder one more time and ponder these acts of the Almighty God toward humanity.

According to Scripture, all have sinned against God and are found insufficient to reconcile this offence of sinning against God and justly condemned to face the full wrath of God. Do not try to save yourself from this wrath.

Be mindful of this; if it were possible for us to save ourselves, there would be no need for God to send His only begotten son, born of a virgin, to eventually satisfy His wrath against sinners on a cross.

God put the value of heaven at a price that we are not capable of paying. As God placed a value on heaven, it required that He bring all of humanity through the death, burial, and resurrection of His son. Will you still hold that your good works are sufficient to buy heaven for yourself? Will you dare to gamble on any price less than the blood of His only begotten Son?

Have you considered this insult?

Why would he put His only begotten Son to this task if a better deal could be offered? Why begin with a manger? Why a cross if this act of salvation could be done any other way? Why even attempt to barter with such a requirement as this?

To accept these terms means we must be humbled by the weight of such an offence. To accept these terms means we are too weak, too sick and completely spiritually bankrupt to meet the terms and in need of a Redeemer.

As you begin to see the manger scenes removed from yards look quickly to the cross of Golgotha and see the price due for our wretchedness. Believe quickly with joy! Rejoice that this payment has been made and is credited to your spiritually bankrupt account. It is no longer insufficient.

This cross will be, to some, an offence and foolishness, to others it is the best news we have ever heard.

Stop trying to save yourself.

Follow that manger to the cross, see there the required cost to be saved from the full wrath of God and there see how great the Father’s love is for you. He already paid this price Himself. If He were to accept a lesser offer for His glory would be to make His glory of no value.

All of this, according to Scripture; our spiritually bankrupt condition has been satisfied by the Messiah who was born of a virgin, crucified on a cross for our sins, buried in a grave and raised Himself from the grave, according to Scripture.

Believe and live lest you try to save yourself in vain.

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