Articles by Paul

A recent campaign ad by one of the presidential candidates argues that “what happens in the booth stays in the booth.” It is an ad targeted at women voters encouraging them to vote one way while saying the other. As though women voters are oppressed by male voters, especially husbands.

“What happens in the booth stays in the booth” is actually an appeal against reason and logic. I hear the appeal but it falls flat on its face within about a nanosecond. It may be true that no one can trace your vote to you. That’s the beauty of a secret ballot. No one can garnish your wages if you vote for one candidate or another. The government can’t lock you up for voting for one party over another. That is beautiful.

But the truth is, what happens in the booth is not designed to stay in the booth. It must come out of the booth. Otherwise, why vote? A winner will eventually be announced and that will be the result of what happened in the booth.

I’m unimpressed by a campaign ad that encourages misleading, hiding, winking, sheepishly plotting, etc. especially encouraging the voter to deceive her husband. If there’s something women should be offended about here it should be that this candidate thinks women are weak. But, I want to return to the illogic-ness of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”.

It’s an idea that destroys a nation.

Is this a righteous way to behave? Lie?

The spirit of the age has grown comfortable with lying. Hollywood propaganda. School administrators instructing faculty to keep secrets from parents. Drs. performing gender mutilation surgeries. Pharmacies selling puberty blockers and baby murder pills. legislators passing laws to protect murderers. Biologists who don’t tell the truth. Geologists who lie about the age of the earth. Society has grown numb to deceit for so long it seems odd for someone to not deceive. No society can thrive like this. Nobody wants to be played the fool.

What happens in the booth does not stay in the booth. What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. What one does in the privacy of their own home might cause harm to another. What happens in California does not stay in California. What happens in the USA does not stay in the USA.

It is the glory of God in the creation order. Creation order is built upon actions that cause actions.

It matters what we do because what we do creates follow-up actions.

Christians who live quiet peaceful lives should anticipate the result of doing so to turn the world upside down.

If what happens in your church stays in your church, then you are not part of a church.

The morning worship service at Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls begins at 10:30 a.m. every Lord’s Day. Following is what one can expect when you arrive.

• First, we are an age-integrated church. Meaning, boys and girls are welcome in all of our gatherings. Meaning further, it can be loud at times. A cry room with a changing table is available for children who need a moment, but we highly recommend and encourage parents to help their children learn to participate with the entire church body. We also ask that all in attendance extend patience with parents and children. We are like this on purpose.

The order of our morning worship service follows a common liturgy. Liturgy is just another way of saying ‘order’.

• There is a basket in the rear of the room on the right side (as you enter the room) where you can give your financial offering. This is an act of worship that should not be neglected. Offerings are not just O.T. practices.
• We begin every service with the singing and public reading of a Psalm. This is intended to give us attention to the glory of God. It is for our good to gather together at the same time in the same room together to meditate on God. It is good for us to hear others singing and it is good for them to hear you. We are instructed to “sing to each other in “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”, meaning it is something we participate in together. Men, this is good for you, this is good for your wife, this is good for your children. Lead the way here. Take time this weekend to remind your children that you are going to church to actively participate with the saints. This is a glorious opportunity, don’t treat it as a small thing, it’s not. 
• After we sing and read the Psalm we pray. We confess our sins before God personally and I pray corporately for the congregation. This is a moment to humble ourselves before the Lord. Praying is what Christians do. We desire for God to show us things we have grown numb to or think too highly about ourselves than we should. It is a time to appeal to God to light the path with the Lamp of Scripture so that we might glorify Him. 
• After our personal and corporate prayer time, we sing hymns and spiritual songs. These are songs for the congregation to sing. One might think that singing is not that important, but congregational singing is modeled for us and commanded that we do. Again, it is for our good to hear and the good of others that they hear the congregation. 
• The Children’s catechism time is a teaching moment. It is for the good of the children and the good of the congregation. I ask the children questions about what you are teaching them, they are answering according to their age and capacity to recall what you are teaching them. This gives them, and all of us, a higher confidence in theology. 
• The preaching time is a combination of teaching and preaching. The preaching is an exposition of Scripture (preaching straight through books, typically). Some things can be learned by all of us by hearing the word, we should be pleased to present ourselves humbly before the Lord. 
• At the conclusion of the preaching time we provide a time for believing men to give exhortation to the congregation from the subject matter of the sermon. Be willing to be used by God to graciously encourage the gathered saints. (To restrict this address to the congregation to believing men is not a statement of the superiority of men to women. It is our submitting to the authority of God and His instruction to His church.)
• Then we gather at the Lord’s Table and commune with Christ specially. We speak historical confessional statements based upon Biblical truths together just before we come to the table. It is not an emotionless ceremony or tag on at the end of the service. Nowhere else in all of the Lord’s creation does He provide this kind of communion. It is not to be taken lightly, it is not to be a practice of meaningless repetition. Those who come to the Lord’s Table are to remember by proclaiming the Lord’s death and anticipate His return. We literally preach the gospel when we partake at His table. There is a spiritual nourishment, a humble benefit to our souls to eat and drink at the Lord’s table together. Any given Sunday there may be unbelievers in the church house, they witness our proclamation of our need for a sufficient Savior. (if you need assistance with the elements, a deacon is happy to assist you.) We set the table with bread and wine.
• Following the Lord’s Table, we sing. This is a response to the glory of God. 
• Then we sing the Law/Gospel/Doxology as our benediction. Raising our hands during the final verse is an act of humility as we direct our attention to God, the creator of heaven and earth. All across the room, young and old, rich and poor, married and single, households are proclaiming praises unto the Lord. This is not a private service where we participate if we want. This is not a buffet spread where you take what you want and look down on what you don’t like. This is a corporate service, meaning we worship together for our own good and the good of each other, the body of Christ. Glory be unto the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. Come prepared to worship Him, the Almighty God.

Lord willing, we’ll be exhorting each other by participating together as we worship Him on His day, the Lord’s Day. May the Lord bless His name in our day, upon our land, for His glory, and our good.

Following are some short video clips from a recent Q and A time I hosted on a Sunday night. They are extemporaneous answers that carry both biblical consideration and an attempt to apply biblical precepts. This exercise is perhaps more beneficial for me than the observer. I have listened to my answers and am pleased to present them here for the edification of God’s people at Eastside Baptist Church. There is room for liberty on many of these subjects. May God use the questions and the answers to help us apply Scripture to our thinking (a practice I hope to always improve upon).

Here are seven of those questions.

“Why do we observe the Lord’s Supper every week?”

How do I help my children receive value from our meetings?

“Why don’t we have Children’s Church and Children’s Sunday School?”

“Why don’t you speak about Israel more often?”

“How should a Christian approach social media and technology usage?”

“What advice do you have for balancing work, family, and church responsibilities?“

“How do you approach difficult or controversial passages in the Bible?”