Month: May 2007

The big news in Idaho Falls over Ink & Blood

Recently, I have been giving three to four tours a week at the Ink & Blood exhibit housed in the Museum of Idaho in Idaho Falls.  The groups have been diverse:  church groups, youth groups, Sunday School classes, home Bible studies, motorcycle clubs, and individual families, etc.

Two weeks ago, I enjoyed meeting Don Landis, chairman of the board of directors for the Answers in Genesis ministry.  Yesterday, I was privileged to meet Clifford Brady, successful and vibrant founder of Brady’s Inc. in Idaho Falls.  Whatever group I take through Ink & Blood, the experience is sheer joy.  Why?  Because I am surrounded by Scripture in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German, and English.  It is a pastor’s paradise. 

Sunday’s announcement in the local paper, the Post Register, thrilled me – ” ‘Ink and Blood’ exhibit will stay through Labor Day”.  I thank the curator, Dr. William Noah.  I thank Executive Director David Pennock and program director Nick Gailey for the passion exerted in bringing this exhibit to Idaho in the first place.  Each one of them deserve a trip to Hawaii. 

Am I culturally and historically prejudiced?  Certainly.  And unashamedly, I will add.  I don’t recall any other artifacts in Idaho Falls topping the scales for religious magnitude.  But hold on to your seats, folks.  The Post Register reports, “The museum will be closed May 29 through 31 so the additional artifacts can be brought into the exhibit.”  What will this entail?  “The addition of 32 artifacts from the Qumran caves east of the Jerusalem”.  As Mr. Brady told me yesterday, “This is unbelievable!” (more…)

Mother’s Day in Rexburg, Idaho

After extended celebration in Ammon, Idaho, last night my family drove up to Rexburg and stepped inside the small, pine-wood church building of Grace Baptist Church in Rexburg.  Looking out the window from the auditorium, you can view the almost completed LDS temple up on the ridge.  When the open house is announced, I will attend.  It will be my first time ever walking inside an LDS temple. (more…)

Interpreting the Bible

Vagn H. Jensen of Ammon, Idaho wrote this recent letter to the editor of our local paper, The Post Register.

There have been several letters lately regarding science versus religion.  One even went so far as to say the Bible was wrong from the start.  Either he/she is atheist, took things out of context or did not read the whole Bible.

 

Second Peter 3:8 –“one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.”  One thousand days, 2.7 years times 1,000 years, and we now have 1 million years in the Lord’s, or celestial, time.  Multiply this by six or seven or more thousand years, and we now have several billion years.  Therefore, the Bible is right, as are the scientists who calculate things by carbon timing.

 

We do not know how long each creative period took, but surely it took more than one day each, as men measure time.  Creative is not a good word.  Even God can’t create anything out of nothing.  He can organize, reorganize or even change things into something else –as can a chemist – but that’s all.  Material was always there and always will be, even if in different substance. (more…)

Kristie’s Letter to the Precious Families of Our Martyred Brothers in Turkey

My husband, Todd, and I had the privilege of touring your country at the end of this March with a Christian tour company accompanied in part by other pastors and Bible teachers from across America.  We had a wonderful tour guide who taught us much about the people, politics, religion, culture, geography, and history of Turkey.  In a gracious and winsome way, he really endeared your people to our hearts.  He discussed the country’s “freedom of religion”, and yet it was quite understood that we could deeply offend others if we openly discussed Christ as we know and believe Him to be from the Bible.

                                 

On one of our travel days, he dedicated his lecture to Islam and its tenets.  He really assisted us to better understand the etiology of the intense animosity of Muslims toward Christian doctrines.  After his talk, I commented in the bus that “a Christian would give his/her life for a Muslim; however, I doubted the same would be reciprocated from a Muslim to a Christian”.  Your precious loved ones illustrated this point undeniably just three weeks after we left Turkey.

 

He listened respectfully.  I felt burdened to demonstrate how this is a supernatural empowering of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life to love his/her enemies enough to “. . .do good to them that hate you”  (you serve and shepherd in a country that is hostile to the Gospel); “and pray for them which despitefully use you” (you are praying for these men who murdered your loved ones) “and persecute you” Matthew 5:44 ( your earthly persecution with the loss of your husbands, fathers,  and fiancé is deep and unfathomable).  Only a God of whose entire essence is love could invoke these acts of sacrificial charity from His believing creatures. It is utterly beyond human self-enablement.

When we heard of your loss, my husband and I both wept.  Our children are particularly sensitive to your children because they are also in a ministry family.  We love our American people- believing and non-believing- just as you do the Turkish citizens.  Our church family also has had your letter read to them. They are faithful to prayer.  It has stirred our hearts collectively to renewed evangelization of our own city.  There is no greater hope to offer a sin-sick mankind than the healing remedy of the Lord Jesus Christ – He is the “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

We too will pray that the blood of their deaths will water the seeds of salvation in many lost souls in your country.  We are praying your children can forgive these men, and deeply root Matthew 5:44 into the soil of their lives.  We are praying you hear the Lord clearly say your name as He did to Mary at the empty tomb when she was over-whelmed with grief and despair (John 20:11-16).  If there is anything we as a family or congregation can do to help outside of continued prayer, please contact us.

Harvesting through sorrow,

Kristie Wood

Your fellow co-laborer for Jesus Christ

Evangel Conversation, Part 2

Teton Whitetail

Note: This is a copy and paste re-entry from what I had placed on the blog, “By Common Consent” in the thread under Margaret Young’s article To The Pastor: I had placed this on their blog yesterday and was notified by Steve in the thread that it was too long. Looking on what I wrote, I realize this is more than just a quick comment and more in the category of a lengthy, serious post (and I am also learning what are the rules for each LDS blog). Secondly, when I mentioned this to my wife, Kristie, she noticed the poor choice of my words in my initial Evangel Conversation blurb, “I appreciate the blog, By Common Consent, for providing the platform.” She told me, “Todd, some could take this to mean you are sarcastic or either in the other direction that you have had prior communication and that the BCC administration is actually inviting you to bring forth your message to their readership.” So, you see what happens when I don’t have my sweet wife editing anything that I write. But thankfully, I see that Margaret Young has given me invitation once again to reshare my thoughts. Well, here goes. And please, any LDS friends can interact with what I am sharing. (I once made the mistake in a past HI4LDS entry by limiting the conversation only to Blake Ostler, revealing my own fears. But he was kind to interact even in his misgivings.)

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Evangel Conversation

First, I appreciate Bruce and Margaret Young in risking conversation with the likes of me.  Because of Margaret’s recent post, To The Pastor:, I wouldn’t mind meeting this particular family one of these days.  God has definitely given Margaret a talent in writing.  In the days and years ahead, may this talent be used fully to the glory of God that all might glorify God for his mercy.  My heart cry is sincere because the vision laid out in Scripture is stunningly and wonderfully gigantic. 

Secondly, I appreciate the blog, By Common Consent, for providing the platform.  God is good.  In fact, He is good all the time in the Intermountain West.