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Posts Tagged with Times News

Dwell on These Things…

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My column at the Twin Falls, Times News. Look for it in the Religion section of the Saturday edition. 

Dwell on These Things…

Dear reader, there is no shortage of things to let your mind dwell on or think about in our day. There is no surprise that we behave like that which we dwell on or spend enormous amounts of time thinking about.

In Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul has some practical things he tells the local church to do. It is true that these things can be applied to an individual, but in the context of this letter it is to the whole of the local church, a group of people knitted together in harmony by the blood of Christ. This local church of Philippi was in agreement that salvation, or peace with God, was achieved by the sufficient work of the death of Christ for their sins (Philippians 2:5-11).

If their start with God is not here, at the cross, then the instructions he gives later are but a bundle of heavy burdens that give no peace with God.

So if you consider the list of things the Apostle Paul gives to believers to do in Philippians 4:8 without starting at the cross then you gain no ground in being at peace with God. When you read about being at peace with God, start at the right place and then make application of the nature and character of Holiness.

Now, once you are at peace with God, dwell on these things and do them.

When he says to dwell on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, if there is any excellence, and anything worthy of praise he implies that a change of thinking needs to happen when the peace of God is in your life.

Many professing believers don’t get this. Maybe even today, you don’t see your need to change your way of living. Some false preacher has told you that there is no absolute truth, that you don’t need to submit to truth, or that all truth is equal.

The opposite of everything listed in this text is how many are living their lives. By many, I’m meaning many false professors of Christ. Maybe, even you?

Think of it. Do you let your mind dwell on whatever is true or false? Do you entertain your day with what is honorable or dishonorable? Are you a champion of right or are you a slight promoter of wrong? Are you hungry for what is pure or are you satisfied with impurity? Are you known as a lovely (pleasant) person or one who is unlovely in conduct? Is there anything known about you as a person of good repute or are you carless with your reputation? Are you a producer of excellence in your workplace or are you sloppy and careless? Are you devoted to above board living or are you a lover of deceit and deception?

This is no lightweight text.

Reader, think about these things then do what is expected and commanded of you by God. Remember this is not a list of how to be forgiven of your offense to God; this is a list of what those who make claim of Christ being their Lord do. Knowledge of what Christ has done by calling you unto repentance always leads to responsible Christian living.

Paul Thompson
Pastor at Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls
paul@esbcTwinFalls.com
www.PaulThompsonBlog.com
www.esbcTwinFalls.com

It Only Looks That Way At Times

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Today, the Times News posted my monthly column (HERE) next to an article on a church
offering glitter in their ashes for their drive by Ash Wednesday experience to start the month of Lent.

The gates of hell will not prevail!

It only looks that way at times.

___FULL COLUMN HERE___

Dear reader,
I’m not in the habit of reading any of Anton LaVey’s writings, ever. (Nor would I recommend them to anyone).  In some research for sermon preparation recently I read a short bio of LaVey in search of what I understood to be The Nine Satanic statements. They are everything opposed to righteousness or godliness.
LaVey, claims that “Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!” Satan is not the best friend the (true) Church has ever had. As a matter of fact, Jesus tells Peter; “I will build my church and the gates (or forces) of Hell will not prevail” (Matthew 16:18).
I could agree that Satan is the best friend that the false church has ever had and is why he longs to keep it in business. Keeping a false church in business makes sense if the he wants to mislead all who would join on an emotionally charged false conversion.
“Behold, I will cause those of the temple of Satan, who say that they are [believers] and are not, but lie…” (Revelation 3:9)
But the Lord’s church will prevail! She will not be overcome or over powered by that which is false. And this is why she must stand on the alert. Guard the Trust. Persevere through the end. Advancing the Gospel banner. Dispelling the lies of the enemy, always!
It is possible that one may think he/she is in pursuit of all truth while in honesty is believing in an intentional lie.
To be clear: Satan is no friend of the church.
Church of the Living God, when you gather this weekend, don’t be satisfied with anything but truth. It’s a good day to be the church!

Everything Is Wrong If We Don’t Get This Right

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Published in the Twin Falls Times News on Saturday, February 4, 2017

———————————————–

There is little argument that the most familiar name in all of history is a man named Jesus.

What is at stake however, is who this Jesus is.

The Muslims have a Jesus, the Mormons have a Jesus, the atheists have a Jesus, Jehovah Witnesses have a Jesus, Universalists have a Jesus, and evangelicals have a Jesus. It may not be popular to talk about it, but all of these (and more) have at the core, a different Jesus.

What do you do when there is not enough space in the column to show how different all beliefs are? You look at one source and compare all others to that Jesus. I will do this by looking at the Jesus of the Bible.

Consider a few claims made in the bible…

  • Jesus is the third person of the one triune God (John 14:16, 24)
  • Jesus is the one and only begotten son of God. (John 1:14)
  • Jesus is the creator of all things. (John 1:3)
  • Jesus is the image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:15)
  • Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Jesus. (John 14:6)
  • Jesus is the redeemer of repenting sinners. (Matthew 1:21)
  • Jesus is uncreated. (John 1:3)
  • Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:11)

If we get this wrong: that Jesus is eternal, uncreated, creator, redeemer, the image of the invisible God, and more claims made in the Bible, we get everything wrong. Everything!

Don’t just take my word for it. Look at the Bible and compare this Jesus with the Muslim Jesus, the Mormon Jesus, and a secular Jesus.

Honest and truthful conversation today is what is most needed. It helps us unearth truth. It is more helpful to acknowledge that there may be some things that appear to have similar emotions and thoughts, but faiths built on feelings rather than truth is the most dangerous action one could ever take. It is a clear truth: we don’t have the same Jesus.

The same Jesus cannot be the Jesus of Bible and at the same time truthfully be the same Jesus of all the others.

Don’t get this wrong. If truth is being pursued, then search with all of your being for truth.

Come, let us speak and listen honestly.

Online Updates

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Beloved Eastside,

I greet you today in the grace of God. I want you to know of a few updates on the church website and encourage you to use the new Live Streaming as a way to introduce friends who don’t have a church home to Eastside.

The purpose of the Live Streaming options are not intended to be a substitute for gathering at the meeting house of Eastside. It is intended to allow your participation when unable due to being sick, distance, unable to gather or days when weather makes travel dangerous.

Mid-Week Prayer Gathering: the mid-week prayer gathering is still and always will be password protected. I have moved the location of this online to the church website and off of my personal blog site because I’ve learned how to set up a password protected page.
  • Here is the location of the video feed for the mid-week prayer: http://esbctwinfalls.com/mid-week-prayer/posts/mid-week-prayer
  • Password: request password (will change at times)
  • Please contact Paul via mobile phone that you have logged in to the prayer time. It is important that we know who we are praying with.
  • Please do not share or post the password with anyone. They are welcome to contact me and I’m happy to give them the password.
Lord’s Day Morning: Every Lord’s Day at 10:30 a.m.
We are now streaming the video on our SermonAudio site. You can still access it at www.esbctwinfalls.com. Again, this is no substitute for gathering in person with the church family, but it has been a blessing to many when they’ve been unable to come. This is not a perfect technology for us yet but it is improving. Feedback when you log in is helpful.
  • http://esbctwinfalls.com/live-streaming
    • consider “sharing” this link with friends who don’t attend a church.
    • consider “sharing” this link on your social media sites.
    • consider “sharing” archived sermons and/or excerpts on social media sites.
Lord’s Day Evening: Lord’s Day at 6:30 p.m.
Gathering on the Lord’s Day evening is a long term practice of Eastside Baptist. We are among the few in the region who still gather on Sunday evenings. There has been steady growth to the p.m. gathering. This is a good time to invite others to come with you.
We live stream the evening gathering as well. Currently, nine men in the church are doing the teaching/preaching. This past week Mark King started. If you missed this, I highly recommend you take the time to listen (http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=130171438154) This coming week, Steve McMullin will do the teaching.

  • http://esbctwinfalls.com/live-streaming
    • Consider “sharing” this link with friends.
    • Consider “sharing” this link on your social media sites.
    • Consider “sharing” archived sermons and/or excerpts on social media sites.
    • Consider inviting neighbors/friends/coworkers to your home on Sunday night to watch the teaching and then use that time for extended discussion.
From Behind the Pulpit: short video to help prepare for the coming Lord’s Day gathering, help with family worship time, prayer, and other things happening at Eastside.
Times News Column: Every 4 to 5 weeks I am the guest columnist in the Twin Falls Pastors’ Column. (disclaimer: I don’t like the title of the column because not everyone who writes for the column are biblically qualified pastors) I have been writing for the Times News for over 6 years now and take advantage of the moment to speak into a topic of the day and always attempt to give clarity of the Gospel. The online version of the column offers people a chance to respond and comment, it is not always real helpful for you to feel the need to defend your pastor from rude comments. I
  • Consider sharing that column on your social media sites.
  • Consider using the column for discussion in your home, with friends, coworkers.
  • Your sharing the column I write communicates to the Times News that people read it. Newspaper is all about circulation.
  • My column will be published this weekend (Feb. 4)
PaulThompsonBlog.com: My personal blog is a place were I communicate many things online. I write about various things, promote links to things I’m reading, links to sermons at Eastside,
SermonAudio: For the past 7 years, all sermons are archived here. There are currently over 330 sermons available from your church. There are thousands of trustworthy sermons from some of several pastors around the world.
These are many resources for you and for your use to share with others. Please do.

The Gospel

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Tomorrow in the Twin Falls – Times News:

_______________________________________

Joy In The LORD!

On the eve of 2017 we have yet another natural moment for annual evaluation and projecting hopes for the coming days.

Like the dawning of any new year, we get a moment from the Author of time to reflect and consider. Not everyone will see this moment of pinning a new calendar on the wall as a spiritual or eternal moment; but to those that do, may I offer a few thoughts?

  • I get that a healthier physical body is something that is a pursuit of many at the start of the year. I would even go so far as to agree that it should consume some of your consideration, both for you and your family.
  • It’s good to set goals for personal order such as organizing your home, cleaning out the car, finally going through all the boxes that have not been opened since your last move, establishing a reading goal for the year (including reading the bible through).

These are not bad things to consider as we face the dawn of 2017.

But greater than the changes we hope to make by breaking bad habits and establishing new goals, is the matter of joy.

What is the source of your joy?

Getting your house in order, losing 20 – 40 pounds, running a 5K, or any other temporary matter will only bring about temporary joy. It doesn’t settle the core matters of life. So long as we put temporal goals as our primary pursuit in life, we will always have something left undone or unsatisfied.

What is it that brings humanity our greatest joy?

Contentment in this temporal day is difficult to achieve until we address the eternal matters of our eternal being.

And listen closely, not just any eternal pursuit will do.

Not all paths are equal.

It’s true that many people journey different paths and we live in a blessed land that allows all to pursue their paths equally. We can live in respect of each other in this while noting at the end that only one source of all truth exists.

May I encourage you to give consideration to the greatest pursuit of your life?

There is lasting, eternal joy, only in the LORD, Jesus the Christ, the son of the Living God. He is a gracious land owner, a redeemer and savior.

To know Him, you have no greater source than the Holy Bible. May it be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. There are people all throughout the Magic Valley who are in pursuit of eternal joy in Christ Jesus, the LORD. They meet with other believers throughout the valley on the LORD’s day in organized locations for the purpose of worship in fulfilling their longing for joy. Not just any kind of worship, but the worship of God, the creator of all things and the redeemer of the souls of repenting men, women, boys, and girls.

Not all places of worship are equal in their object of worship.

Be sure that you gather in places where salvation is in Christ alone, through faith alone. Be sure that the source of this salvation is from the recorded pages of the Holy Bible alone. Any other path, by any other means, by any other source is not a path of eternal joy.

O may you taste the eternal goodness of God this year!

Happy New Year

The One and Only

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The One and Only

It is said again and again in our day; “to err is human”.  Could it be said better? “to fear God is human.”

To say “to err is human” will be our safety net to cover all our wandering ways, sinful indulgences, and actions against our creator. The philosophy of men gives us permission to sin; even to laughingly brush away the conclusion that, even in our fallen condition, we are called out to fear God and keep His commandments. This is part of the human experience believers are to live in. Believers are to deny the temptations of sin by fearing (honoring) God.

A problem many of us are blinded with is that we are more impressed with what God will give us than we are with God.  Many spend a lifetime of energy trying to “walk in His Ways” or to “keep His commandments” and never come to fear or know Him (1 Peter 1:17).

If we are to walk in His ways in a manner that is considered an acceptable service, we are to do so with reverence and awe “for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

The natural man more fears himself or others than he does God.

Who even talks about the fear of God anymore? I’m not talking about being a slave to fear or ruined with fear. I’m talking about knowing God for who God is. Not the god you have made up for yourself, or the god your church is currently promoting, or the god that leading presidential candidates are promoting.

I’m talking about the God of the Holy Bible, not the god of the Koran or the god of the book of Mormon. I’m not talking about the god of your favorite author or the god of your favorite actor. Not a god equal with other gods.

I’m talking about the God who spoke all things into existence, the God who is holy and righteous; the god who judges all sinners, the God who can “destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28) and has authority “to throw you into hell” (Luke12:5).

It is right to fear, honor, respect, this Almighty God of the Bible. Even more so when you consider that this same God can save you from His wrath.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) The critical part of that sweet verse is directed to those who believe in Him, the only begotten Son of God. This is why it is important that you believe in the God of the Holy Bible. To believe in any other god, of any other tradition of men, is to be in danger of judgment.

Does your pastor, bishop, imam, spiritual leader tell you that you have no reason to respect, honor or fear God? Are they telling you that a loving god would not condemn anyone? If the answer is yes, ask him or her who gave them the authority to describe God other than how He describes Himself in the Bible.

Will you base your opinion of God off of the authority of men or according to God’s authority? Repent today of making a god for yourself and submit to the ruling authority of the Living God of the Bible.

Taste this saving grace today, how sweet it is.

“How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways.” Psalm 128:1

 

 

What Does It Take To Be Happy?

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On a regular basis for the past several years I have been given the opportunity to be part of writing a column, with others, in the Twin Falls Times News newspaper.

Every Saturday in the religion section of the paper a local ‘pastor’ pens the words for the “Pastor’s Corner”.

I’m thankful to do so, but from time to time need to give a disclaimer that I am not in biblical agreement with all whom I share in this privilege with.

For example; by writing under the same column title I respect that the paper serves a wide scope of readers who, by the kind of rebuttal email and comments I get, obviously don’t agree with me and take exception with me on many issue. To an informed reader, he is able to spot the difference quickly.

I have never been disappointed with the column writing of Bear Morton, pastor at Magic Valley Bible Church.

Last week’s column by Elizabeth Greene, on the other hand, I am in complete disagreement with the premise and conclusion of the author who is neither a pastor of a New Testament church or a Christian as defined by the Bible. Nor am I in spiritual or biblical agreement with Kathleen McKevitt who writes under the column title of Pastor’s Corner. And I’m not offended if they were to speak of our differences either.

Here is an early look at my contribution to the Pastor’s Column to be published on Saturday, July 23 in the Times News.

What Does It Take To Be Happy?

Have you ever read the entire Bible? It seems like a daunting task when you consider the font size, thin pages, total page count, and the complexity of the language. Obviously the reason for reading it will have much to do with the value one gets from reading it.

When one begins reading it, it becomes clear from Old Testament through the New Testament that God is not interested in being a little part of your life, a clichéd slogan on a t-shirt, a piece of jewelry you wear or a fashionable tattoo. He wants to be your whole life. His requirements for this are rooted in the reality that He has the authority to demand this because of who He is.

Think of it with me from the flow of the Sermon on the Mount, recorded by Matthew in chapters five through seven.
There is a progression from the poor in spirit to those persecuted for the sake of righteousness with talk of those who mourn, are meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers in between.

All of these instructions are delivered for the benefit of believers to know that the pursuit of happiness is not like unbelievers. Followers of Christ are not doomed to “eat their own dung and drink their own urine” (2 Kings 18:27) they are satisfied with Christ and His deposit of righteousness into their lives.

Jesus informs us that it is best for us to see that sin does not deliver happiness like we think it does. Sin does not bless the nation. Sin does not help the economy. Sin does not strengthen the family. Sin weakens the church.

Sin has a rotting effect.

Anyone promoting sin as an acceptable way of life is not interested in strengthening your family. Anyone encouraging you to change the law of the land to encourage a sinful lifestyle is not interested in encouraging a strong economy. Anyone leading others to adopt sin as normal is no pastor, and any church that leaves that ‘pastor’ in the pulpit is no church.

To be spiritually bankrupt before a holy God will cause one of two responses.

To be told that we are spiritually bankrupt, unable to do anything good, will lead a person to either repent of sin and cry out to God for salvation or grow proud and stiff necked and continue taking others down this same path.

Reader, beware; there are some in our day, in our city, in our churches, deceiving many with the promise of happiness by embracing your sinful nature or following other gods. Not everyone with the title of pastor, bishop, elder, imam is looking out for your spiritual interest. They may come with soothing words that are attractive because they promote sin as natural and even God approved. They are lying to you. They are deceiving you. They are destroying your family. They are causing a burden to the economy. They are doing so with the greatest form of pride and arrogance by using the name of Jesus to advance unbiblical agendas.

If you are indeed a follower of Christ, if you are truly a Christian as defined by the Bible then you can’t help but want to be different. You can’t come to God and want to stay like you once were.

There is good news; there are real churches with biblical preaching across the city of Twin Falls and throughout the Magic Valley.
Let me encourage you to do a few things as you prepare to gather with others on this coming Lord’s Day.

  • Listen closely to the preaching.
  • Listen closely to the reading.
  • Listen closely to the praying.
  • Listen closely to the music.
  • Stay steadfast at the place you are if it is true with the Holy Bible.
  • Walk away from the false doctrines that promote salvation through any means but faith in Jesus the Christ, the only begotten son of God, repent of your sin.
  • Walk away from any mosque, ward, temple, fellowship, hall, church house gathering that does not call out sin or is actively promoting the embracement of sin.
  • Walk away from any spiritual leader who is preaching happiness outside of following Christ Jesus as described in the Holy Bible or any perversion thereof.

You can do what is right in your own eyes or you can repent today and do what is right in Yahweh’s eyes.
I plead with you to repent!

What is Keeping the Lord’s People Too Busy to Pray.

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The prayer meeting at your church should be filled with people moved to prayerful action asking for God’s forgiveness; asking Him to hear our prayers, asking Him to see the oppression, asking Him to act on our behalf.

If your church is like most in the land today, the prayer room will be empty or the prayer meeting cancelled due to lack of interest while the rest of the church house is busy with activity; the kind of activity that is keeping the Lord’s people too busy to pray.

Here is my full column in the Times-News this week.
(visit and share the column from the Times-News website HERE, this helps communicate to the Times-News what readers want to here.)

You should consider contacting your legislators concerning Planned Parenthood, start HERE.

_______

published in the Times-News on Saturday, August 1, 2015

“You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” William Wilberforce

The truth of what has been going on in Planned Parenthood clinics reminds us of the ethical question in front of the Magic Valley.

Residents of the Magic Valley, the recent video footage of the employees of Planned Parenthood talking about body parts being sold around the nation is alarming, shocking, sobering. We must be careful that we don’t give our local Planned Parenthood clinic a pass because the ethics of the local clinic are above those in other parts of the country. You and I must not forget that the killing of innocent unborn babies is happening on our watch right here in our own region in our own town.

“Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, [because unfaithful deeds which have been committed against You.]” (Daniel 9:7—NASB)

I get that there is public outcry over the selling of body parts, there should be.

But wait a minute, why is there not ongoing outcry over the murdering of unborn babies?

Church, the sanctity of all human life is of significant interest and importance. There is no reasonable reason why the local Planned Parenthood clinic is still being allowed to legally murder unborn babies in our community, on our watch. The open shame that Daniel is speaking about in the ninth chapter of Daniel is the kind of shame that belongs to a people who know what’s going on and are either deceived by the propaganda or are actively deceiving others. The godless work of Planned Parenthood is on us! This must stop.

The prayer meeting at your church should be filled with people moved to prayerful action asking for God’s forgiveness; asking Him to hear our prayers, asking Him to see the oppression, asking Him to act on our behalf.

If your church is like most in the land today, the prayer room will be empty or the prayer meeting cancelled due to lack of interest while the rest of the church house is busy with activity; the kind of activity that is keeping the Lord’s people too busy to pray.

Yes, open shame belongs to us, O Lord.

Yes, individuals, families, churches, communities, and nations must deal with ethical/moral matters. To ignore Planned Parenthood this time or defend their operations as women’s health will be at a level of shame that we will never be able to say again that “we did not know.”

This is on us.

Hate Darkness, Love Light

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Saturday (June 20, 2015) in the Twin Falls – Times News my monthly column was published entitled “We Are Like Dead Men”. This opportunity in the local paper is one that I don’t take lightly. For the past several years (and my hope for as long as they will let me) I’ve written in a rotation with other leaders of various denominations and faiths on spiritual matters. I’m thankful to God for the public forum opportunity. Any online interaction (liking and sharing via social media) you make on these  columns helps communicate to the local paper that this is read; and newspaper publications are driven by readership.

“We are Like Dead Men”
(Isaiah 59:10)
Today I address those who sincerely want to know truth, who are hoping to receive “light” but instead are found wanting and have tasted more bitterness at the end of your searching than at the beginning.

Are you in search of truth? I’m writing about a truth that saves the soul.

If truth exists (and I’m convinced it does in the person of Jesus the Christ as described in the Bible) then how can this truth be known?

All who are dissatisfied with darkness are evidently being drawn to light. The spiritually dead have no interest in hoping for truth. It makes no difference whether there is light or darkness.

The spiritually dead do not revere the word of God nor consider it to revive the soul. It is true that those who trust in God are a happy people. It would be a sin to not consider the blessings of God’s grace as the greatest treasure a man could have. It is a treasure of life-everlasting, being a child, adopted by grace.

Being spiritually alive, it is good that you hate darkness and treasure light.

However, do you notice in you a love for darkness? Is there in you a dislike of light and truth?

May the moment of your conversion come quickly as you see how great the Father’s love is for you.

Awakening sinners, cherish a hope of mercy today.

Hope, O lover of darkness, that you may be able to sing of pardon bought with the blood of Christ. It may appear at times that this is too good to be true. If so, you are no lover of grace because you are not looking with the aid of the law of God.

If you have not found this peace you are in search of yet, consider where you are searching. We are like dead men until we are rescued.

In your anxious desire for reconciliation with God press your case until a gracious answer is granted through the work of Jesus. It’s not enough that you hope you are saved or that you want to be saved from the wrath of God. It is most important that you understand your desire for God does not save you and gives no hope that he will; you must actually obtain eternal life. The saving work of Christ moves you from hopeful sinner to rescued saint.

Trying to do a work of a living God as a dead man is both wicked and foolish. It actually reveals a spirit of rebellion as you try to hide your wretched condition with self-righteousness.

Are you willing to stop doing what only a living God can do? I have a high hope that you may soon obtain peace with God through Jesus the Christ, our Lord.

Paul Thompson, pastor at Eastside Baptist Church, Twin Falls, Idaho
paul@esbctwinfalls.com and www.PaulThompsonBlog.com

Holy Week?

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My column in the Times News this week:

Has Holy Week Become Anything but Holy?

Full column:

Has Holy Week Become Anything but Holy?

The cross in the first century of the church was certainly no piece of jewelry, a logo on a church sign, a screen printed design on a t-shirt, a studded outline on a back pocket, or anything, for that matter, related to something that the world would somehow be impressed with. It always represented shame and death.

Everyone sentenced to death on a cross died on the cross, dead!

The cross beams were not sent home for family members to memorialize or cherish. They were most likely used again by the Roman government to bring shame upon another.

I doubt there were human rights activist groups assigned to make sure the cross beams were cleaned and sanitary for the next user; why would there be? the next user would soon be dead.

Not everyone who goes forth using the name Jesus Christ is speaking of the biblical Jesus. Be sure of this, be very sure.

Some love the appearance of being holy while holding on to all forms of ungodliness. Some think God is just like they are and don’t even know of what kind of idolatry they are enslaved to. Some hate Jesus so much that they mock him by misusing his name as they defend their lifestyles of sin.

The true followers of Christ

“must be willing to make Christ the one supreme Lord and ruler in their lives. They must surrender their whole being to the destructive power of the cross, to die not only to their sins but to their righteousness as well as to everything in which they formerly prided themselves.

If this should seem like a heavy sacrifice for anyone to make, let it be remembered that Christ is Lord and can make any demands upon us that He chooses, even to the point of requiring that we deny ourselves and bear the cross daily.

Those who have known the sweetness of it (the cross) will never complain about what they have lost. They will be too well pleased with what they have gained.” A.W. Tozer

There is great confusion about the biblical Jesus, such confusion that it seems like anyone who uses the name of Jesus is assumed to be speaking with authority of who He is.

Can movie goers trust that a movie based on the bible is a trustworthy representation of God? I hope you know this; the theatre is no trustworthy source.

Can someone who prayed a prayer at a vacation bible school when they were 10 years old but hasn’t gathered with other believers in a bible preaching church in 20 years because he thinks church is for weak minded people be trusted as a reliable source of describing who God is?

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