There is never a day when you should not take advantage to communicate with your elected neighbors. Remember, in this Constitutional Republic government of ours, we are the government. We the people elect our government from among us to defend the highest law of the land, the Constitution.
Yesterday, the Governor of Idaho, threw all of our elected neighbors under the “freight train” of fear. As a result, fear has reached another level of panic.
Logical thinking people don’t decide things on emotion and especially not on the emotion of fear.
I’ll say it again; I am fully aware of the real and present danger of this virus.
Here are a few places for “we the people” to speak up. I’m not shy with what I think of the government overreach nor of the bureaucratic tyranny we are currently under (in reality it has been present for too long, we’ve just been quiet about it for too long),
What should you do?
You should pray.
You should discipline yourself to be taught by the Bible and led by the Spirit.
You should become as informed as possible.
You should contact every one of your elected neighbors.
You should follow up with everyone who responds with kindness and reach out again to everyone who did not respond.
You should make the time to show up when votes are taken.
You should never set your duty as an ambassador of Christ’s reconciliation down.
___________________ “Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143:10) ___________________
My recent letter to each City Council Member and the City Manager. You should consider writing a letter too.
Dear Twin Falls City Council,
I am thankful for your careful attention to the liberties of the people concerning the attempts at the recent South Central Health District Board meeting regarding a mask-wearing mandate and limitations of group size in both public and private property. Where there are many concerns about the current health risks we face in Twin Falls I am thankful to have you in place to speak on behalf of the citizens of Twin Falls to not violate our rights articulated in the Constitution.
I am aware that there is great pressure from other members of the Health District to put such mandates upon the people. I am pleased you have not shown favor to this kind of overreach. I respect that you too have great concern for the well being of the city.
Like you, I too am concerned about the health of others and am able to assess the risks and best practices based on primary documents from reliable health journals. I am always pleased to exercise personal responsibility within our shared God-given rights.
Thank you for your attention to the many issues placed before you. I am thankful to God for you. I bless the Lord to live in Twin Falls.
For the Glory of God
Paul Thompson <><
208-410-2529
Twin Falls, ID
If you have a Facebook account you should visit Commissioner Hall’s page and express your thoughts. I gave a firm “No” to the question about a mask mandate.
We are living in unpredictable days that need the influence of a consistent, careful, and Biblical reaction. It is important that we behave as well-informed and responsible citizens. For the Christian, we have the capacity of doing this as ambassadors of Christ’s reconciliation.
It is important that when we interact with our elected neighbors that we remember we are interacting with fellow image-of-God-bearing neighbors. We have times where sharp words are needed, but never do we have the right to be ugly toward others.
I hold strongly that laws are made by the properly authorized elected legislative people, not hired bureaucrats. This is how our beloved Constitutional Republic is designed to work. The last several months have shown us that the coming legislative year has some important work to do. There was code introduced in the 1970s that gave authority to the Governor and Health Districts on how to exercise their duties in the event of a pandemic, what that code didn’t do is properly define what can be declared an “emergency”.
At last week’s health district board meeting mandates and actions were taken that I have great concern over. They don’t give consideration to primary documents that have been published in recent weeks concerning the situation of mask-wearing and the ongoing inconsistent and, at times, contradicting reports from various fields of expertise. The majority of the board voted to enact restrictions upon public and private property concerning group size and mandatory edicts regarding distancing and mask-wearing.
I do not deny that COVID-19 is a real and serious virus. However, I do have grave concern for how fast both our liberties have been set aside and how seriously the Constitution has been tested. I participate in my government in many ways. One of those ways is I think it important to express appreciation and concern with how elected citizens behave within their elected offices.
Therefore…
Following is a sample letter I wrote my county commissioners following a recent South Central Health District Board Mtg. I leave it here for your consideration to write your own letter. I’m not a fan of copy and paste letters, but I am a proponent of sending messages with the strength of numbers. Consider writing your own letter if you are in the jurisdiction of Twin Falls County.
Commissioner Reinke sits as a board member on the South Central Health District. However, I am very pleased with how the three Twin Falls County commissioners have been consistently advocating for the citizens to behave with personal responsibility and not “mandating” unnecessary emergency declarations. I want them to know I appreciate this. If you appreciate this too, consider writing a letter to all three.
Jack Johnson: jack.johnson@co.twin-falls.id.us Brent Reinke: brent.reinke@co.twin-falls.id.us Don Hall: don.hall@co.twin-falls.id.us
___________________________
Dear Twin Falls County Commissioners,
I am thankful for your careful attention to the liberties of the people concerning the attempts at the recent South Central Health District Board meeting regarding a mask-wearing mandate. Where there are many concerns about the current health risks we face in Twin Falls County I am thankful to have you in place to speak on behalf of the citizens of Twin Falls County.
I am aware that there is great pressure from other members of the Health District to put such mandates upon the people. I am pleased you have not shown favor to this kind of overreach.
Like you, I too am concerned about the health of others and am able to assess the risks and best practices based on primary documents from reliable health journals. I am always pleased to exercise personal responsibility within our shared God-given rights.
Thank you for your attention to the many issues placed before you. I am thankful to God for you. I bless the Lord to live in Twin Falls County.
The opportunity is upon us to strike while the anvil is hot, to do the most effective good, to not bend when the gale-force wind blows against truth – it will require an army of citizens ready to act together under the power of the Almighty. Thousands of mail-in ballots are in homes already. Signs are all over District 24. An army of volunteers are hanging door-hangers in every precinct. Debates are being negotiated. Radio ads are getting ready to air soon. Let me invite you to a special meet/greet happening on October 6, 7-9, at Milner’s Gate. (see photo)
This meet/greet is also a fundraiser, but please don’t think I expect more from you than the $35.00 per person charge if you are able to come. If you are able to come I will give an update of the final plans leading up to Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020.
This is a classic “grassroots” effort. Some friends of the Vote Paul Thompson campaign have put this together for us.
This is why they call this a race, everything happens fast.
Have you ever had a need for more light? My food pantry is in a dark spot in my house and every time I go to the pantry I find myself wishing for more light. Until I install a fixed light that gives sufficient illumination I will always be in want for light.
This is what it is like when truth is lacking.
Can you imagine what it would be like if you went to the kitchen sink and found it lacking of water? What would it be like if you went to the store to get household supplies and found it lacking of toilet paper? Or if you took a deep breath and found the atmosphere lacking of sufficient oxygen?
Isaiah, declared to the city of Jerusalem (Isaian 59) that truth was lacking. He said this in a time when the people of God were spiritually active. They were visiting their temple daily. They were active in doing many religious things but this one thing was lacking, truth.
The Apostle Paul told the young preacher, Timothy, that he was to behave like a pillar and a buttress of truth. He told him there would be times that the people who claim to be of God would not put up with truth and only want preachers who would speak to them easy things or tickle their ears.
We know this is true in our day as well.
We notice in history that when truth is lacking, morality will sink like a lead balloon or will evaporate as fast as a raindrop on a hot summer day in south-central Idaho.
Notice what is happening in front of us right now.
God created men to defend and protect their families, the poor, widows, orphans, and the vulnerable. We are in a day where you will be hard-pressed to find a man doing this anywhere. Where you do, notice how society wants to label him a mad man.
Marriage is an institution created by God between a man and a woman, period. You and I live in a day that this has been completely redefined. Where you find these kinds of truth speakers notice how society relegates them as old fashioned and out of step with the day.
The truth is men are men, women are women. A male is not a female and a female will not transition to being a male. The Bible deals with this, science promotes this, and truth-speakers who say this live now with the name, bigot.
Life begins at fertilization. But when society has been under the influence of the wrong opinion from the Supreme Court for over four decades and a weak Legislature that will not speak truth to the citizens, it will quickly be at ease with the intentional taking of life of over 60 million babies.Few men are willing to speak out against it because they’ve been told that if they don’t have a uterus they don’t have permission to speak out.
Prayer has been absent from the American classroom for more than fifty years and the impact is hardly talked about because now a pastor can barely gather a handful of praying saints at the church house.
Wrong is now right and the nation now celebrates criminals.
We need now, more than ever before, truth. When truth is lacking the only remedy is truth.
The truth is; men are sinful, unrighteous and unable to be pleasing to God. God is sinless, righteous and able to appease His wrath. Mankind’s only hope is the salvation of God who gave His son to be a propitiation and to place His righteousness upon man by imputing man’s sin upon His son.
There are many truth-preaching churches in the region. When you notice you are in a day where truth is lacking, make way to intentionally fill your life with truth.
Paul Thompson is the preaching pastor at Eastside Baptist Church, 204 Eastland Drive North in Twin Falls, Idaho. Eastside Baptist gathers at 10:30 a.m and 5:30 p.m. on Sundays and for corporate prayer on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. www.esbcTwinFalls.com
In light of the current day we are in it is important to not stop thinking biblically. On May 3, 2020, I delivered this message to the gathered of Eastside and I publish it here again to encourage.
I have been encouraged by recent statements and growing boldness of churches and pastors around the country who are gathering under duress of government overreach. Eastside Baptist continues to gather without pressure from neighbors or government in Twin Falls.
Be sure to pray for pastors around the nation.
Be sure to pray for churches.
Be sure to live with joy in the Lord.
Be sure to guard your emotions from a snarky spirit or rude thoughts.
Recently the Constitution Party of Idaho passed a resolution concerning abortion in the state of Idaho. For the glory of God, may there soon be a day when children in the womb are treated with the same respect of all human life, created in the image of the Almighty God.
If your political party is not willing to defend life at any stage then your political party should be abandoned or reformed immediately.
Constitution Party of Idaho Resolution on Abolishing Abortion in Idaho Passed during CP-Idaho 2020 annual convention meeting
WHEREAS, the preamble of the Idaho Constitution acknowledges the authority of the Almighty God when it states “We, the people of the state of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare do establish this Constitution”; and
WHEREAS, the Constitution Party of Idaho Platform – Sanctity of Life – is unambiguous. “The first duty of the law is to prevent the shedding of innocent life. Therefore, it is the duty of all civil governments to secure and to safeguard the lives of all, from conception to the end of natural life.”; and
WHEREAS, Section 32-102, Idaho Code, identifies the preborn child “conceived, but not yet born, is to be deemed an existing person so far as may be necessary for its interest”, and section 18-4001, Idaho Code, defines a human being as “including, but not limited to, a human embryo or fetus”; and
WHEREAS, the Idaho Health and Welfare defines “Induced Abortion” as an intentional action to stop a live birth; and
WHEREAS, Section 18-4016, Idaho Code, presently grants inequity in law by allowing a certain class of people to murder other innocent persons.
Let it therefore be
RESOLVED, that we, the Constitution Party of Idaho will act with consistency upon our stated platform on the sanctity of life by giving our support to swift and lawful abolishment of abortion that will no longer regulate how, when, and where abortions are performed in the State of Idaho; and
RESOLVED, that we, the Constitution Party of Idaho appeal to our elected state representatives, senators, the governor, and the attorney general to hear our voice as we interpose for our human neighbors who have no opportunity to speak for themselves and appeal to the conscience of the legislature to protect our preborn neighbors with dignity and respect.
Has this ever happened? You are finally settled in for the evening… and the dog starts barking. When this happens it is either received as a blessed alarm of protection or it is an agitation, interrupting personal comfort.
Think with me on this for a moment. The way the barking of the dog is received has a lot to do with your expectations of that dog.
If you keep that dog around to love you, do funny tricks when your friends come around, obey you, sleep when you sleep, and play when you play; then a dog that barks just when you are ready to slumber may cause you great agitation. It’s like you only want a dog to make you feel good, a dog to cry with, or a dog to take selfies with.
It’s not like a dog can’t feel like a part of the family. I have cried every time one of my dogs died over the years. I enjoy them. I’m fond of them. But I want a dog that knows when to bark and what to bark at.
That is what the prophet Isaiah means in the fifty-sixth chapter when he illustrates the nature of a worthless preacher with that of a dog that doesn’t bark or sound the alarm when something is moving in the dark.
It is not natural to have a dog that doesn’t bark, but it is tragic when that’s the kind of dog the owner wants. This is what marks many preachers and churches today. Isaiah says preachers that don’t bark are of the worthless kind. It is a national shame when that is the kind of preacher the church wants.
Let’s understand this from Isaiah’s vantage point. Dogs in his day were essentially garbage eaters and like a modern-day alarm system. They were useful, helpful, working dogs, that’s why they earned the title of “man’s best friend”. It doesn’t mean they were not loved and enjoyed but everyone knew of their primary benefit. Most today want a tame and timid dog. That may work for a domesticated affluent day, but in a serious day that will be about as useful as a blind watchman or a lazy employee who thinks he deserves to be on his phone all day instead of doing what he’s been hired to do.
Listen closely to your pastor this week. Is he of the tame, domesticated, sophisticated kind? You know, the kind of preacher everyone loves to have, the kind who knows how to do funny tricks when you invite your friends, the kind who obeys you when you tell him to perform, the kind who makes you feel good about yourself and comfortable in your sin. That’s what Isaiah means when he calls that kind of dog a worthless dog.
Preacher, stay alert today. This is no day to love the comfort of your soft pillow and temperature-controlled dog house. This is a day to stay alert and aware of the present evil danger that has God’s people in bondage, a slave to that sin they love. You know what often happens when the people are agitated with their dog when he barks just as they are settling into their sleepy comfort? That dog gets yelled at, muzzled, and locked in the garage.
Church let the preacher preach. If he is preaching from the authority of the Bible, remove his muzzle and let him preach. You may grow to appreciate the dog who knows how to bark.
Paul Thompson is the senior preaching pastor of Eastside Baptist Church at 204 Eastland Drive North in Twin Falls. Eastside Baptist Church gathers on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. More information can be found at www.esbcTwinFalls.com
We continue in challenging days for the glory of God. I will leave this brief word of encouragement here.
As you may or may not know, at this time, the South Central Health District has not passed an unconstitutional mask mandate with fines and/or jail time. At this point, they are working on a non-binding resolution.
We are in an ordained moment of God to exercise personal responsibility and care for others. This will require all of us to give grace to each other.
When this began in March I have been determined to provide public, in-person worship and prayer gatherings while giving understanding to each other to exercise our faith even with respect to confusing and even at time conflicting science data on this virus.
I commend you to continue as you have been. Be mindful, careful, loving, and understanding of others who may think differently than you. This is not the day nor the subject to divide the house on.
As throughout this season of complexity, we will continue to provide hand sanitizer, a clean building, liberty to wear a mask, and liberty to not wear a mask with respect and understanding of each other. We will continue as we have, carefully.
Be known as a people who will not use their liberty to abuse another and a people who will walk carefully with joy in all circumstances.
Do not hesitate to call me (208)-410-2529 with any questions. This is a day to exercise your Christian disciplines with careful attention. Exercise kindness in your boldness and instruct yourself to be governed by no other but God.
That being said: in-person gatherings continue on Sundays and Wednesdays. Streaming continues at www.esbctwinfalls.com. As always, stay home if you are sick. Come if at all possible. Wear a mask if you prefer. Respect others, always
I’m still doing my best to get a firm understanding of the impact of the Supreme Court’s opinion on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other sexual expression perversions that just advanced. The current laws of our land already protect the rights of its citizens.
But the bigger issue that requires attention is that all those waiting for “conservative” appointments to the high court will still be waiting for a court to serve as their savior and they will be found wanting, disappointed, frustrated, dejected, abandoned, and ignored. Many are telling Christians to wait for conservative judges to overturn Roe v. Wade.
If you are waiting for a majority “conservative” court to abolish abortion you will likely find yourself feeling as though you are in a desert searching for water that is not there.
There are two things worth observing and one of those I am resolved in.
My first, observation is that the United States of America is a nation of laws, not opinions. Laws are absolute – opinions are fleeting. In this nation, laws are made by people in the legislature. This is the way we agreed to self-govern ourselves under the influence of the Almighty God and the direction of the Constitution. If the courts write the law, then we are no longer a nation ruled by “the people”. Courts can’t make laws – they offer opinions on laws made by the elected legislature made up of the people. This is foundationally important.
The second observation, the one I am resolved in, is that “conservative” politicians or “conservative” court appointments will not restore the nation. If you are waiting for that to happen you will still be waiting for a false savior. Give me a God-fearing legislature, give me a God-fearing court, but most of all give me a God-fearing pulpit that does not fear men. Then see the Almighty Savior liberate nations from the bondage of tyrants who rule by feelings and fear men more than God.
If I can’t live in a God-honoring nation then at least give me Bible-believing, God-fearing men in the pulpit leading a Bible-believing, God-fearing people.
Church, stop waiting for the passive appointments of judges, stop believing the lies of “conservatives”. Run for public office, register to vote, read your Bible, believe your Bible, get you one of those Bible-believing/God-fearing pastors, pray, and expect great things from God. Stop governing your own life off of feelings and hear what the Spirit says to the church. You’ll need to stop pretending you are attending church with your live-streaming experience. Get dressed and go to the church house. If your government is telling you to love your neighbor by staying home, then you’re showing you do not understand what loving your neighbor is all about. Moreover, you are showing who your god is and you have decided to let someone else, other than the Almighty God, govern you.
Southern Baptist Resolution on Abolishing Abortion
(1) WHEREAS, from the moment of fertilization, all humans are created in God’s image by, through, and for Jesus to the glory of God, and all souls belong to Him (Genesis 1:27; 4:1; 21:2; Isaiah 7:14; Colossians 1:16; Romans 11:36; Ezekiel 18:4), and
(2) WHEREAS, as God’s image-bearers, all humans both display His divine worth, power, and attributes, and possess the same objective worth before God, not varying on the basis of incidental characteristics; such as ethnicity, age, size, means of conception, mental development, physical development, gender, potential, or contribution to society (Rom 1:19-20; Gen 1:28; 9:6; Matthew 18:6), and
(3) WHEREAS, all humans are created with God’s law written on their hearts, which works with their conscience to accuse or excuse them before God, and to undermine law and conscience is to ask, “Did God really say?” (Rom 2:14-16; Gen 3:1), and
(4) WHEREAS, to murder any preborn image-bearer is a sin, violating both the natural law of retributive justice as set forth in the Noahic covenant, as well as the sixth commandment forbidding murder, and as such, is ultimately an assault on God’s image, seeking to usurp God’s sovereignty as Creator (Gen 9:5-6; Exodus 20:13; Proverbs 6:17), and
(5) WHEREAS, God’s Word clearly declares that all human life is a sacred gift and that His Law is supreme over man’s life and man’s law (Psalms 127:3-5; 139:13-16; Rom 2:15-16; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 1 Corinthians 4:5), and
(6) WHEREAS, God commands His own people to “rescue those who are being taken away to death” and holds them responsible and without excuse when they fail to do so (Prov 24:11-12), and
(7) WHEREAS, God establishes all governing authorities as His avenging servants to carry out His wrath on the evildoer; and commands these authorities to judge justly, neither showing partiality to the wicked, nor using unequal standards, which are abominations (Psa 82; Rom 13:4), and
(8) WHEREAS, in 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States rendered an iniquitous decision on Roe v. Wade, and in doing so deprived the innocent of their rights, and usurped God, who sovereignly ordained their authority (Isa 5:23; 10:1-2; Psa 2; Matt 22:21; John 19:11; Acts 4:19; 5:29, Rom 13:1), and
(9) WHEREAS, in the Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court of the United States subverted the U.S. Constitution namely, the Preamble, as well as the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments without any legal authority (Article 6, Clause 2 “Supremacy Clause”), and
(10) WHEREAS, governing authorities at every level have a duty before God to uphold justice asserting their God-ordained and constitutional authority to establish equal protection under the law for all, born and preborn, by intervening, ignoring, or nullifying iniquitous decisions when other authorities condone such injustices as the legal taking of innocent life (Daniel 3; 1 Kings 12; 2 Kings 11; Jeremiah 26:10-16; 36:9-31; 37:11- 21; 39:7-10), and
(11) WHEREAS, over the past 48 years with 60+ million abortions, traditional Pro-life laws, though well intended, have not established equal protection and justice for the preborn, but on the contrary, appallingly have established incremental, regulatory guidelines for when, where, why, and how to obtain legal abortion of innocent preborn children, thereby legally sanctioning abortion, and
(12) WHEREAS, since 1980, the SBC has passed many resolutions reaffirming the importance of human life at all stages of development, our repentance is still lacking as we consistently have stopped short of calling for the immediate abolition of abortion without exception or compromise, and
(13) WHEREAS, our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, according to Article XV, affirms that children “from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord”; and further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to “speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death,” now, be it therefore
(14) RESOLVED, that the messengers of the SBC meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, June 15-16, 2021, do state unequivocally that abortion is murder, and we reject any position that allows for any exceptions to the legal protection of our preborn neighbors, compromises God’s holy standard of justice, or promotes any God-hating partiality (Psa 94:6; Isa 10:1-2; Prov 24:11; Psa 82:1-4), and be it further
(15) RESOLVED, that we will not embrace an incremental approach to ending abortion because it challenges God’s Lordship over the heart and the conscience, and rejects His call to repent of sin completely and immediately (Gen 3:1; John 8:44; Rom 2:14-15; 2 Corinthians 11:3), and be it further
(16) RESOLVED, that we affirm that the murder of preborn children is a crime against humanity that must be punished equally under the law, and be it further
(17) RESOLVED, that we humbly confess and repent of our complicity in recognizing any exceptions that legitimize or regulate abortion, and of our apathy, in not laboring with the power and influence we have to abolish abortion, and be it further
(18) RESOLVED, that as Southern Baptists we will engage, with God’s help, in establishing equal justice and protection for the preborn according to the authority of God’s Word as well as local and federal law, and call upon pastors and entity leaders to use their God-given gifts of preaching, teaching, and leading with one unified, principled, prophetic voice to abolish abortion, and be it finally
(19) RESOLVED, that, because abolishing abortion is a gospel issue, we will call upon governing authorities at all levels to repent and “obey everything that [Christ] has commanded,” exhorting them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance by faithfully executing their responsibilities as God’s servants of justice, and working with all urgency to enact legislation using the full weight of their office to interpose on behalf of the preborn, abolishing abortion immediately, without exception or compromise (Mark 6:18; Matt 28:18-20; Rom 13:4, 6).
