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Posts Tagged with Hope

A Lesson from the Failure of the Teton Dam

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June 5, 1976, everyone down stream from the Teton Dam would soon learn of the catastrophic failure of the a dam constructed with a flawed engineering design and poor earthen dam material and the consequential unexpected pressure points.

The result of the design was disaster.

The United States has survived many things from bad policy, national sins, civil war, bad presidents, drought, national disasters, and career politicians.

But be sure of this, there is no way to stop a breaching dam.

So long as this nation of independent states continues to elect representatives and senators on the current standards of social justice, Critical Race Theory, and general lack of the fear of God we will one day be reading about our land like the residents downstream of the Teton Dam do.

Every election is consequential. Every vote puts pressure on the Constitution. Every sin angers God. Every Representative/Senator reflects the state of the Union.

What should we be looking for? Even though I’ve made mention of the institution of the Government, we really should be looking at (or listening to) the pulpit. What you are seeing and hearing from the pulpit will indicate the health or ill-health of the nation. What you see and hear at the house of prayer will tell you how serious the day is.

(What’s that? Your church doesn’t pray? There could be one of the most serious issues in this nation.)

The most patriotic thing the follower of Christ can do today is look closely at his/her faith and the practice of his/her faith. The Christian should head the council the prophet Jeremiah gave to the exiled house of God and live godly lives in the land of the enemy of God. (see Jeremiah 29:4-9)

Some of us need to enter the battle on the floors of local governments, state and national legislatures, school boards and library boards. Some need to activate citizens. Some need to invest financially in the cause. But all of us need to; Build Homes, live there, plant gardens, eat from your gardens, get married, raise your sons and daughters to become men and women, have babies; have as many babies as God will give you, seek the welfare of those you live among, defend the orphan and the widow, call upon God, and pursue God.

What happened at the nation’s Capitol bldg. on Wednesday will be thought about for days, weeks, months, and likely years. The slippery slope our nation is on is nearing the precipice of a freefall. But let’s investigate what’s really going on here.

This is a spiritual issue. It is not an issue of “warming a pew” as they say. It is an issue of neglect of the holy and righteous things of God that come from the house of God who fear him and worship him is Spirit and Truth, from the house of God who cries out to God in humility and for mercy. Stop merely warming a seat at the church house and gather with joy in the Lord.

Many want to go right past the church house and go to the statehouse to fix the issues. It is time to fill the church house up again with people who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

do not neglect the gatherings with the saints
as you see the day drawing near.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teton_Dam#/media/File:(IDAHO-L-0010)Teton_Dam_Flood-_Newdale.jpg

The Far Side of the Desert

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January 30, 2010 – There are days that have a lasting impact upon body, mind, and soul. There are events that leave permanent marks. No one can see them, but they are there.

Those God ordained days on the far side of the wilderness were physically hard, spiritually complex, and emotionally full of an unexpected path. They were what appeared to be of the reputation ruining kind of days. Yet are still some of the sweetest days in my journey with my God.

This photo was taken just a few moments before we were about to get a first person, seventeen day education of how a Napoleonic judicial system worked. The days to follow would be some of the most revealing of my life. I would learn about how selfish I am. I would learn the lies of worry and anxiety are not easily set aside, they would prove to be worthless friends. I would soon learn who my friends were, I would learn how easily people distance themselves from you when things are not as they seem. I would learn the power of the press and their hunger for a narrative. I would immediately learn that I would need to put into practice everything I believed about God and how critical it was to base it upon His word and not my feelings. Lessons I never want to forget.

Sunday night, February 2, 6:30 p.m. at Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, Silas, Steve, and I will retell the story of the kindness of God on the far side of the wilderness, a Haitian jail cell.

Redemption, That Undeserved Blessed Kindness of God

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Join me today at 204 Eastland Drive North in Twin Falls, Idaho as I continue the epic journey through the Gospel according to Isaiah.

Don’t miss gathering with the faith people of God who gather at 204 Eastland Drive North at 9:15 a.m. for bible study, 10:30 a.m for morning worship gathering, and 6:30 p.m. for evening gathering.

Live Streaming begins at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (mountain time)

Open Letter to My Beloved Church; Eastside Baptist Church

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Dear beloved Eastside,

Over the past few weeks you have given much of your time, mind, strength, and resources to host the single largest gathering we’ve ever had at 204 Eastland Drive North. My greatest fear is that I might miss saying “thank you” to someone.

I want to be brief but specific.

Thank you to all who

  • helped prepare the building by cleaning
  • gathered and returned chairs
  • set up chairs, moved chairs, moved chairs again…
  • Set up the tent, took down the tent, never used the tent
  • baked cookies, served cookies
  • sat outside so visitors could have the main meeting room
  • prepared for security issues, kept your eyes peeled for the unusual
  • prayed for the gathering
  • parked down the street, shuttled people back and forth
  • ushered people in
  • directed people to where the bathrooms were
  • installed new evaporative cooler in old building
  • emptied trash
  • mowed the grass
  • moved tables
  • played instruments
  • lead the music

Eastside, you hosted a people in the community who are ready to act on behalf of the unborn for the glory of God. It is hard to put into words the appreciation I have for you and all that you did. Much of what you did, you did with no one asking you. You saw things that needed done and you did it. You behaved like the church. You loved each other, you loved your neighbors, and you interposed for those who are not able to defend themselves. Your generous hospitality was a blessed joy to witness. Thank you.

You are the kind of church who are not just hearers of the word, you are doers of that sufficient word of God.

May the Lord bless your household, may He bless the city (region) with an outpouring of His spirit, may he revive His Church for His glory, and may He awaken the conscience of the community with His glorious gospel that saved us from our sin and is sufficient to redeem their souls.

May the community know little of your pastor and bless the Lord for God’s people of Eastside Baptist Church but especially may they never forget about the God you love.

This would be a blessed hope we have.

For the glory of God alone.

Be Strong and Show Yourself A Man

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Visit and sign the online statements (after signing, be sure to check for a confirmation email, likely in your “spam” folder.)

King David left these words “Be strong and show yourself a man” with his son Solomon while he was near his death. I think King David understood that the path of a nation depended upon men being godly men. I think it is fair to say in our culture it is equally as vital that women show themselves to be godly women.

Unstable days call for a stable people serious about their God.

Yes, most of my blog posts in January, February and March are usually with a bit of political attention. These are some of the most active days in the shaping of what one can expect it to be like to live in the state of Idaho.

Recently, I’ve asked some men and women in my church to help me call the church across the state of Idaho to be strong. This is a day for God’s people to be ready to speak up, show yourself. This is not a day to fight for individual comforts, this is clearly a day to glorify the only Living, Triune God and give a report in the land of Him for all God image bearers in the land.

There are three statements (see below) I want to get into the hands of as many Idaho residents as possible and then to get them to be strong. I have a limited scope of influence throughout the state of Idaho. I’m not an event promoter, I’m not an activist organizer. I’m first and foremost a preacher. I need the help of God’s people to share this on every available platform you have.

My public figure Facebook page is likely not far from being restricted by Facebook from engaging in a “political cause”. I’m not bothered by that, it’s just a possibility. Because I have engaged in a politically charged arena, I am getting communication about my page and that I may not be authorized to promote such things of such politically charged topics. I’ll use the platform as long as I can keep it without compromising my own conscience on any other request from Facebook.

Here’s what you can do to help (this is not a formal petition) this is an agreed upon statement so that when I speak to the state legislators if this matter goes to debate I can speak with an agreed upon, unified voice from across the state.

  • Pray
  • Ask your pastor to print and make available printed versions of these three statements to your church family to sign. Contact me for a mailing address and send them to me by the end of February. (This is no day to fear what men might do.)
  • Post this to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
  • Send emails to your friends with a link to this post.
  • Visit and sign the online statements (after signing, be sure to check for a confirmation email, likely in your “spam” folder.)
  • Print versions (contact me with a mailing address)

I have only one interest in this. The Glory of God alone. My duty in this is to first and foremost be an ambassador of Christ’s reconciliation. It is to herald the Gospel and give a report of God. Join me in calling our state to look unto God and be saved. You may have another motivation, but this is mine and all who sign these statements.

His grace and mercy be upon us.

When Debauchery Is Viewed As Normal

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In this current day more and more events are promoted as normal that historically would have been known as activities of debauchery. Just within the past few weeks some events, promoted as entertainment, filled with cross dressing, vulgar language, and laughter aimed toward righteousness and holiness have occurred within the city limits of Twin Falls. They have been happening from the beginning, they are just becoming more open and seen as acceptable forms of entertainment.

This kind of promotion is growing in popularity while at the same time hardly anyone within the Christian community speaks of it.

It is one thing to see the increasing boldness of corrupt morals and defaming of God’s creation. The beauty of His creation, humanity in general and male and female specifically is under attack on every front in our culture.

It is of another thing altogether to hear the silence from the Lord’s church. The work of the church is not to simply be an irritating noise amongst the community, it is to be that which God has intended for her to be, a reasonable caring voice based on the character of our Redeemer. Pastors, be a pillar and buttress of truth, churches, be a beaming lamp on a hill calling all sinners to repentance that they may find rest and joy in Christ.

My column this week is an aim to speak into the increasing lewdness and collapsing of decency at large. And appeal to you the reader to look to Christ for joy, rest, and peace.

For flourishing of any community to be of any lasting value from one generation to another there must be at the same time a respecting and valuing of Almighty God and his revealed order. If a church is to be considered a value to a community she must see that her primary duty is not to be entertained by the devaluing of morality or to stick her head in the sand and hope it all passes by without confrontation.

Any church within the valley that remains silent while immorality is hoisted up on the shoulders as the current hero of the day should be viewed as defective and void of truth. The church that silently watches the parade of depravity is part to blame for the growing confusion of what is right and wrong.

This said, obviously the church must exercise her bold speaking with kindness.

To be a truthful speaker one has to also learn that just pointing out how wrong everything is is a calloused act of great cruelty and adds no benefit to the hearer. The longer churches remains quiet on these matters the more complex it is when one does speak into the day. To encourage our congregants to participate in any “entertainment” that promotes what God forbids with silence only advances the hardness of heart of the would be lover of God. We benefit no one when we don’t speak into our day.

My encouragement to the church at large is to increase our compassion for the community enslaved by deadly sins. To speak from our pulpits of the grace of God only makes since when we also speak of the holiness of God. When there is no comparison of the righteousness of God to the depravity of man’s heart there will never be a revival of God’s church or an awakening of the Holy Spirit in our city.

Let’s arise together.

Churches in the city of Twin Falls, especially, we must speak into our city with love for God by warning those promoting wickedness or slightly laughing when we hear of professing Christians among those bold promoters.

This is my biblically reasonable appeal to pastors and churches of the Lord Jesus Christ.

__________________
To be published in the Twin Falls, Times News on Saturday, October 20, 2018

The Problem of Self-Focused Self-Esteem

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The Problem of Self-Focused Self-Esteem

In this temporal world the follower of the Lord Jesus the Christ must look beyond all things temporal to find one’s esteem.

This value or esteem we are searching for will either be rooted in the temporal or the eternal. When our esteem is rooted in the ancient sin of Adam, we will always look to a temporal moment to give us value.To the reader who claims to be a follower of Christ according to the Bible, we must look to the sufficient word of God for our value.

If we think of God as one like us, then we will continue to find our esteem in all things like us- temporal. Consider a few things with me. What is God? Who is God?

If our starting point is with the temporal, then we will have no interest in knowing the eternal.

There is only one living God and He is kind to tell us who He is. If ones source of this God is not a reliable source, then one will be satisfied to search for a god other than Yahweh, the God of the Bible. To view God as lesser than eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present; then one will think that god is ever changing and fluid in nature. One will not see all things, peoples, nations, and creation as God’s so long as one keeps self as the most important being in the universe. Self-focused self-esteem is rooted in a sin of pride, selfishness, and/or unbelief.

Consider how God addresses this in Isaiah 13 and Revelation 18.

In Isaiah 13, nearly one hundred and eighty years before Babylon rises to the height of its global influence, Isaiah informed the nation of Judah that Almighty God uses all nations, sets aside all people, ordains all situations, and sanctifies kings and kingdoms for His work. He blesses the good and the evil with rain. He causes famines, plagues, natural disasters, and tyrannical rulers to rise and fall for His glory. To see God as anything less is to see oneself as greater than we are.

One of the greatest sins in our day is to have a low view of God and a too high view of man. Now, God has obviously put a value on life because He created life, but to misplace and put greater value upon something is to cheapen the value of another. One could argue that some in our day have too low a view of man due to how easy it is to get an abortion, but that will be a topic for another day.

When one looks at the proclamation of Isaiah 13 and reads Revelation 18, it is clear that God does indeed know what is best for us.Understanding starts with seeing God for what God is and seeing our sin cravings for what they are.

In Revelation 18, we are told to “come out of Babylon”. By the time Revelation is written, Babylon has gone the way of all nations of the world. Replaced by another nation to be the judgment of God upon people who make claim to follow God but really have created a god for themselves and only follow their sinful desires.

God calls His people to come out of Babylon. The reason He calls us to come out of Babylon is because otherwise we will participate in the sins of Babylon. As long as we stay in the sins of our flesh we will be in the path of the God’s wrath. The sins of Babylon have piled up as high as heaven and God remembers their iniquities. This is the only just thing a righteous God can do, judge those who sin against Him.

This is why the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ is so sweet. God’s wrath justly lands on someone just like me, all of humanity, all who remain in Babylon. Jesus became sin for us so that those repenting and believing have a way out of the city before His wrath comes.

So long as one’s greatest interest is self and feeling at peace in the city of sin, one will not search for truth. If temporal pleasures are chosen over eternal truth, truth will not even be sought.

Today, while it is still called today, call upon the eternal God and be saved. There are churches throughout the Magic Valley who proclaim this truth faithfully. Find one this weekend and be pleased to give glory to God for His kindness and mercy. The kindness of God is what leads us to repentance. This kindness of God is an eternal truth.

Turn from your sin. Turn to Christ and be saved.

 

________________________________
Edited on April 9, 2018 for grammar and spelling

 

 

Today, Your Freedom Has Come

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Journal entry from February 17, 2010 – Port-au-Prince, Haiti
___________________________________________________________
I’m guarding my heart and mind against disappointment, yet I believe we will go home today.
Alex came by today with a note saying he is sure we will go home this week. He seems to think even today for most of us, maybe. We hear that the prosecutor has recommended that we not be released until further investigation can be done on Laura and Charisa. The day unfolds very slowly. Much like every day, only much slower. Even lunch came later than usual. Usually it comes in no later than 2PM, but today it came around 3PM. The fact that it came at all begins to establish that disappointment I am at war with.
Around 1:30PM the US Embassy showed up to begin talking to us about our return home in the event we are released. Silas and I visited with Cathy and about five other people about possible travel plans. They want to know what our plans are to get home. As encouraging as this visit was, I have no idea what kind of travel plans I have to get home. We no longer have texting ability with our families, so I don’t know what to do here but to do what God has clearly been teaching me to do, trust in Him. The visit was encouraging in that it seems more likely we are to be released soon.
Close to 4:15PM, the lawyers begin to show up and gather in the hallway. Then I noticed Alex. I don’t know how he does it? Then I saw Junior in the hallway.
Alex looked to me and gives me his patented smile and hard blinks of his eyes, then gives me a thumbs up. I know that this is good. I praise God for this breakthrough and then Alex just walked into the jailer’s office and up to the barred window we have spoken through many times and says “Today, your freedom has come!”  He is then immediately ushered out by the police as they grab him by the arms. But not without several glances back to make sure that we heard him. Then in the hallway; Junior, with a grin from ear to ear, points to heaven and mouths the words “Praise to God.”

From this point we are cleared to go, all charges dropped on eight to be released today. We are then told that the people from the Oprah show want us to seek refuge at their place. We quickly say we would rather go the the US Embassy. Aviol has wanted us to go with Oprah from the first day we met him, adding to my unrest with him.
The US Embassy met with us at the jail about the possibility of getting on a military flight tonight to Miami. We are all in agreement that this is best. The military is still flying emergency flights and they have eight empty seats, a provision from God.
We are to leave Haiti tonight at 8PM on a US Air Force cargo flight. I can’t shake the faces of the men in the cell we have just spent three weeks with. They all make eye contact and give firm hand shakes. Even though we have had our things stolen from time to time when we go to court, we have become very close. God please bring freedom to these men soon.
    We make several attempts to allow Charisa to be released so she can get medical assistance in the States by letting one of us stay in her place. This was very hard to be refused to do so. Any one of the eight being released were willing to stay in her place.

The walk through the media zoo was as if it were in slow motion. Alex, true to form comes from the midst of the crowd, then Junior and Florance with a hug and a kiss on my cheek.
What has caused this kind of brotherly and sisterly affection? We are virtually strangers. It can only be the blood of the Lamb. We make our way into the US Embassy van and are escourted to the entrance to the Port-au-Prince airport, just less than 1/2 mile from where we have been for the past 19 days. We have heard these planes coming and going every day for the past three weeks. This time we are to be on one.
The media gets nothing from us and Oprah gets even less.
While at the airport we all get phones to call family. We put the battery back into the phone that NBC gave us to use as well.

This is unexplainable at the moment. How at all did I speak to my love without being in shock of hearing that voice? I will see her face and touch her embrace soon, if God will so allow.
I was able to speak to David for a moment and Renee’s dad. I will look forward to my call to my parents when I arrive in Miami.
The flight was packed with brave men and women of the US military causing me to think a lot about David. There are many civilians with the look of despair and joy. The flight was uncomfortable, but most pleasant! I will strive for the remainder of my life to never complain of this flight, ever!
“Today, your freedom has come!”

 

Blasphemy

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There are many in the land attempting to do what only God can do.

To think that one can achieve salvation through any means other than through Christ Jesus, the only begotten son of the Living God is a hope against hope.

It’s easy to look at the atheist and think how foolish their actions are. It’s easy to look at the cult followers as empty and heading to a dead end with no room to turn around. It’s easy to see the trappings of the religions of false prophets as of no help and filled with falsehoods.

Then there is the danger of practical blasphemy that some professors of Christ practice. To suggest that God needs anything from us or that we have any stake in how he should rule His created order is an equal act of blasphemy.

There is joy in the Lord. In the condition of helplessness we were once in, Christ came to us in our spiritual depravity and saved us from the deserved wrath of God that is fairly charged against us but was graciously placed upon our redeemer in our stay.

O for a thousand tongues to sing…

A Principled Family

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A life well lived is a life lived by principle. It was July 17, 2004 south of Hansen, ID where I participated in a blessed day of the marriage of Ryan and Amie Franklin. It was the public declaration of two young adults bravely declaring they would devote themselves to each other “until death.” None of us expected it this soon.

To follow through on marriage vows cannot be accomplished without intentional principles. One cannot be known as a principled person just by saying they have principles. One has to actually live out, actually do, these principles. Principles are what causes spouses to love each other; where romance would otherwise give up and say, “I didn’t sign up for that!” Principles say, “I will do what I promised I would do, love you through everything!”

We are at our greatest risk when something happens that we didn’t plan on.

Sudden death of a young person is never expected. Ever!

When tragedy strikes, all things are at risk. It’s hard not to blame, it’s hard to remember correctly, It’s hard to be honorable, it’s hard to speak, it’s hard to think, it’s hard to feel, It’s hard to express sorrow, it’s hard to sleep, it’s hard to eat properly, it’s hard to trust, it’s hard to believe.

There is no emotion in this human experience worth trusting that hasn’t first submitted to being transformed and directed by a governing principle.

Death – Where is your victory? O Death – Where is your sting?

I’m not a news breaker. It is hard to believe that anyone living in the Magic Valley (South/Central Idaho) has not heard of the tragic death of Ryan Franklin when he was struck by a car and likely killed instantly, leaving a widow and four fatherless children.

What happens next shows the principles of the Franklin house.

Ryan’s obituary tells the story and the story makes fast way to the gospel. you don’t get there without the gospel being the principle that governed your actions. There is no “however” statement in this obituary.

The reason his obituary makes fast way to the gospel is because Ryan was governed by the gospel and his wife, Amie Franklin, is a principled woman and the gospel governs her life.

A life governed by the gospel is no guarantee of ease of life, doesn’t mean we aren’t messy at times, it means we now have a lighted path to journey on.

Now, go forth in the joy of the LORD and govern your heart and all of its deep felt emotions as a principled person. Your help is not in your romantic dreams of how you see your life ending up, your help is in the maker of heaven and earth. Turn to Christ while it is still called today, repent and be saved.

A personal note:

The past week and a half has been a life filled to the brim.

Ryan FranklinPastoring in the same city and same church for 15 years positioned this pastor to taste the goodness of God, even in the wake from the news of tragedy. I share this as an attempt to bless the LORD while reflecting on friends I would define as (biblically) principled.

It was September 2009, Pocatello, Idaho.

I decided to do something I always wanted to do, complete a marathon.

Unexpectedly at about mile marker 17, I noticed two people standing with Renee. At a distance one was noticeably pregnant (very pregnant). I couldn’t imagine who it might be. As I got closer, I could see, it was Ryan and Amie Franklin.

To my joy, Ryan decided to run a few miles with me. Renee got this picture for me. It is now a favorite. There is nothing flattering of one on the right, but it will forever remind me of a conversation I had with a young man striving to live out his faith. We talked of their growing family, thoughts of the future, his love for Amie and most tenderly of his gratitude for God’s unmerited grace upon his life. It was one of the most unexpected visits this pastor has ever encountered. Oh how sweet it is to have encounters with principled followers of Christ.

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