1.  “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me” (Gen. 32:20).  Jacob wanted to give gifts to his brother, but he really didn’t want to have any close relationship with Esau.  The gifts are more like bribery.  Isn’t it possible to treat God the same way?  Offer Him extravagant gifts in order to get Him off your back?  See Micah 6:1-8

2.  Genesis 34 – The sons of the original patriarchal family for modern-day Israel have murdered all the male inhabitants of a city.  Wives and little children are in slavery.  Jacob is afraid for his life.  What does this Jewish family desperately need?  The direct, gracious intervention of Almighty God.  Grace – it is what we all need.

3.  “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matt. 11:2)  I cry out in prayer for brothers and sisters in prison on this day, January 17, 2012.  May the mighty Intercessor, Christ Jesus, grant new grace to those who are under intense persecution for their faith.

4.  Jesus says, “Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple” (Matt. 12:6).   How do you think we should apply this fundamental truth within the city of Idaho Falls?

5.  For the Occupiers on Hitt Road and the Tea Partiers in Freeman Park, consider the King announced by God through the lips of the ancient prophet, Isaiah:

Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust (Matt. 12:18-21).

– utilizing The NKJV Daily Bible (Thomas Nelson, 2004)

Today’s headlines in our local newspaper:

‘Mormon factor’ wears off for Romney

Here is the input from Greer and Greenville, South Carolina:

“Although Romney’s faith is still a matter of some discussion, it is less of a political problem for him than it was in 2008,” said Jim Guth, a political scientist at Furman University in Greenville, in South Carolina’s conservative upstate. “Most Republicans have a generally positive view of Romney, even evangelical Christians.”

Four years ago, the Romney campaign directly took on suspicion about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Conservative Christians, including many protestants and Roman Catholics, do not consider Mormons to be Christian, although Mormons strongly do.

Sitting outside in the sunshine today during the noon hour and reading scripture (can you believe this weather in Idaho Falls?) . . .

1.  God tells Abraham:  “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Gen. 22:2).

2.  How do you respond to a command like that in which you do not at all understand?  Well, here is the section of Proverbs for today’s scripture reading – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

3.  Today’s New Testament reading:  “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25).  But sometimes as the Lord Jesus would answer our cries, He lovingly rebukes us, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” (Matt. 8:26).

There is one thing that we can always be confident about – “The-LORD-Will-Provide” (Gen. 22:14).

The Father’s loving provision to us is both His Son and His Spirit.  Glory.  We can trust.  If there is anyone we can fully trust, it is the LORD, the Everlasting God.

Guest Columnist, Craig Cooper, had his piece, “Hail to the Pastafarians”, published in the Post Register today.  “Cooper is a local scientist with expertise in energy, environmental, and policy issues; and a former member of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s legislative staff.”

Excerpts from his article,

My pastor and I were chatting after church the other day, and he shared the story of an interesting Nativity display that that some Pastafarians put up in a small Virginia town. . . .

Ya’ll will not be surprised to learn that this display was a tad bit controversial!  My pastor, however, was amused by the display’s creativity and seemed to consider it an example of how, “God works in mysterious ways.” . . .

The Pastafarians originated as a response to the growing political influence of fundamentalist Christian organizations. . . .

Many Pastafarians believe success in this endeavor could weaken the political power of Christian fundamentalism, and bring our society closer to a world where facts are established by science — not religion.

I am a Christian.  But I am also a scientist.  Many people see conflict in this.  I do not. . . .

To prosper, human society needs both science and religion.  Yet, we also need to understand the limits of each.  The Pastafarians can help us to better understand the limits of these two worlds of thought, and God bless them for that.

Let me say that I am a Christian who holds to bedrock fundamentals of Christian doctrine.  And secondly, I care not really about the power of American politics or its current trends (less so, I am sure, than Cooper).

But when Craig brings in a flying spaghetti monster into the debate between theistic evolution and creationism, what technique do you call this in debate?  In pofo format, how would you respond when your opponent throws out to you the meatballs?

(laughter?)

1.  Our church building where I preach sermons resides within the city limits of Ammon.  Of course, that name in the Bible has a sordid history.  We read about it, today.  “It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, ‘Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.’ Then they made their father drink wine that night also.  And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. . . . And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day” (Gen. 19:34-35, 38).

2.  What or Who is the hope is for Ammonites?

3.  A leper in Matthew 8 came to Jesus and worshiped Him, saying, ” ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:2-3).  If Jesus can help a leper with physically cleansing, surely He can help an Ammonite with spiritual cleansing.  And the complete cleansing of the sinful heart will be immediate.

Click here for a picture of a LDS meetinghouse built 75 years ago in town.  But believe it or not, LDS architecture is not the first religious architecture in the city.

We just finished reading the Sermon on the Mount today.  It is a well-known passage in Idaho Falls, especially in the KJV.

Highlights from today’s reading:

1.  “Remove the plank from your own eye” (Matt. 7:5).   That could be really painful.  This is a bigger job than what the Advantage Eye Center, Idaho Family Vision, and the elite laser team of the Idaho Eye Center can do.  I know.  I have had lasik surgery.  But none of these fine professionals can help me with what Jesus is talking about here.  I need the skill of the master Surgeon – the one who gives the seeing eye.

2.  “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it” (Matt. 7:13).  The narrow gate is not where all the crowds are at.

3.  The warnings get more severe.  “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 7:19).  Some in America say we should not be too concerned about fire, that love wins.  But it is hard for me to trust speakers, no matter how fascinating their rhetoric, who put the words of Jesus on trial.  I realize that Jesus in Matthew 7 is not trying to woo and win the ears of the crowds or the religious hierarchy. 

4.  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matt. 7:21-23)  In the town of Idaho Falls, we would probably have around 35,000 people professing to be Christians, but wouldn’t it be awful for those among us to hear these words from the Lord Jesus Christ in the end?  Stop a minute.  Consider why you are doing all your religious work, work, and more work.  Ask yourself.  Is your life really on the rock?  Well, how important to you are the sayings of the One having authority?  Who is your authority at the moment?

1. “Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine” . . . “Abraham gave him a tithe of all” (Gen. 14:18, 20).  Among the “Melchizedek priesthood” in Idaho Falls, why no kings? no wine? and no tithes given to them?

2.  “Be angry, and do not sin” (Ps. 4:4)  Challenging verse, isn’t it.

1. “So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground” (Gen. 7:23).  Yes the Creator can do that.  It behoves the creature to not rebel.  It’s pure folly. (Sidenote:  What do you think about the new Ark Encounter?  Sidenote 2: What is your stance on the opening chapters of Genesis and evolution?  Reading scripture, it is easy for me to reject macro evolution and not accept Paul Wallace’s recent rebuke to those he labels scientifically illiterate.)
2. “Nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done” (Gen. 8:21).  A question came up yesterday in an afternoon home Bible study, “Will God destroy the earth again?”  Answer:  Yes, but not by a flood.
3. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4).  Jesus fought the devil with the written Word.  Go and do likewise.  You carry the Word that slays dragons in 2012.  By the way, I do like the title of my friend, Dr. Bob Gonzales’ blog, It Is Written.
4. When Jesus calls you, what should be your response?  Answer:  “They immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matt. 4:20).  It is not, “O let me think about it.”  The King’s command is not a matter of debate.
5. The theme for our monthly Saturday men’s breakfast fellowships in 2012 is “Courage”.  The psalmist says today:  “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (Ps. 3:6).  There is only One whom you need fear.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
6. It is not what you have.  It is not what you do.  It is what you are.  What is your character?  People of the Kingdom have this character:  poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger and thirst of righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake (Matt. 5:3-10).
7. “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20)  Throw that into your community discussions today in Idaho Falls.  How will you discover people interpreting these piercing words by the Lord Jesus Christ?

~Scripture references taken from The NKJV Daily Bible (Thomas Nelson, 2004).

Claire Whitworth is a 7th grade homeschooler and the daughter of a missionary pastor serving with Biblical Ministries Worldwide in the Utah/Idaho field.

Here is her drawing:

That truth of that banner is the only solution to the devastating message of the flying scroll that goes out over the face of the whole earth (Zechariah 5:1-4).