A few minutes with me after the mail comes to my office will convince you of what I think of the majority of direct marketing directed at the church. Before throwing most of it in the trash I read some of the one-liner zingers attempting to convince the church pastor or administrator to consider their…
Am I Coveting?
In my recent read through 1 Kings 21, in preparation to preach this coming Lord’s Day, I decided to get a better understanding on (evil) King Ahab’s condition. The last verse of chapter 20 says he “went to his house sullen and vexed.” In 1 Kings 21:4 he went “into his house sullen and vexed”…
Interview with Naghmeh Abedini
Yesterday, Dee Sarton, at KTVB in Boise sat down with Naghmeh Abedini.
Visit Them In Their Distress
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27, NASB) After six years, I still revisit this prayer I prayed on January 14, 2010. I take a moment to examine my heart…
$1.5 Billion Lies
A pastor friend of mine in a neighboring town just south of the Idaho border told me once that the greatest issue they deal with is the “intoxicating drug of gambling.” His experience is that gambling is more addictive than most substance abuse addictions. That said; he argued that the overwhelming majority of those who…
the Spell of “the Lottery” has Bewitched the Nation
In today’s podcast (recorded Sunday night, January 10, 2016) we address the hymn, “Trust and Obey”, and pick up the cultural attraction with the bewithching notion that there is no harm in playing the Lottery, gambling, online gaming and fantasy sports. Part One: John Martinez give a short history on the story behind the hymn “Trust and…
To the Iglesia Bautista Gracia Eterna – Let My People Hear!
An open letter: to the Lord’s elect at Iglesia Bautista Gracia Eterna, West Valley City, UT, May the reputation of the kindness of God be known to all by your kindness in recent days for your gift to Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. Eastside Baptist Church decided years ago to build a new…
the Christian Funeral
In this week’s podcasts, John Martinez examines the Fanny J. Crosby hymn, Redeemed, and I give some observations about the Christian funeral. What is the purpose of A Christian funeral? What does the Bible have to say about funerals? What kind of music should be used during a Christian funeral; solo or congregation? How to…
I Am Resolved to be A Resolution Maker
This podcast was recorded on Sunday evening December 27, 2015 at Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, ID. (tBC022) “Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.” With the start of 2016 just on the threshold of reality, I thought I would…
the Bridge Cast (tBC020)
On the threshold of 2016. I began recording a podcast in late 2014 and then took nearly a year long break while moving from one house to another in Twin Falls. In October of this year I picked up the work of a weekly podcast. I’m working on the format still. This week, I asked…