No Accountability Makes for Great Vulnerability

The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart Jeremiah 17:9-10 (HCSB)

We hear the words, trust your heart from our best of friends, but truthfully, biblically, we cannot, we must not. Our heart will deceive us every time.
What I'm about to share with you hurts and angers me all at the same time.
It has been reported that a brother in a VERY public position has fallen...hard. Mentioning his name accomplishes nothing, so I refuse to. What I will say is that we could all place our names in that CNN headline. You see, if we are not accountable to a brother (for men) or a sister (for women), we will be in the the same boat because we have the same fallen heart.
Don't think so? Re-read Galatians 6 and place your name there instead of "you" and "brother". It is then it becomes strikingly real. We are all able to crash into the same ditch of sin. Therefore, it is with fear and trepidation that I write these words and recall the words written by the doctors Blackaby in Experiencing God Day by Day:

"Standing with Others
"Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.—Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
"From the beginning of time, God made it clear that it is not good for His people to be alone (Gen. 2:18). God designed us to cooperate. Throughout the Scriptures He speaks of His people as a community that accomplishes more together than separately. God did not create us as isolated individuals, each seeking to achieve our own goals. Rather, the success of our endeavors depends upon our interdependence. This is why He established the Church and released His Holy Spirit to empower the community of believers to spread the gospel. We are to be a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:9).
"During difficult times it is critical that we are walking in fellowship with other Christians. When a crisis hits, it is overwhelming to face it alone. But if we have cultivated supportive friendships, we will find strength in the comfort and encouragement of those who care about us. Interdependence is also a safeguard for us when we are lured by temptation. The consistent testimony of those who have fallen to temptation is that they isolated themselves from other believers and were not held accountable by Christian friends.
If you are not a part of a caring community of believers, you are missing out on what God designed you for. You are also in danger of falling into sin. You must link your life with others who are seeking God's will. Seek to be a person who willingly joins others in carrying out God's assignments. Strive to be the source of support and encouragement that those around you need."
So, with this cautionary tale in mind, find another believer you can trust...trust to be hard on you when necessary, and stay strong in the faith, together.
It is only by the grace of God and the accountability to other believers and my God we are able to stand. May God help us all.

For the Nations

William Carey exhorted the church of the late 18th century with these inimitable words, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” Too often, the 21st century church doesn’t expect a thing from God, nor is there much an attempt to do anything great for God. Sure there are churches who have gone out on a limb through the years, but we have all become much too much like a business run corporation instead of a living breathing organism that the Word of God calls the church to be as a body.
So, with this beautiful, passionate, and longest of benedictions in Romans 16, Paul comes to the end of the greatest theological book in the Bible with much the same thought he started with, “according to the command of the eternal God, to advance the obedience of faith among all nations” Romans 16:26 (HCSB). He had previously challenged the church “to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations, on behalf of His name in Romans 1:5 (HCSB).
If the church has been called to anything, she is called to propagate herself over and over again to any and all peoples. The call to missions rings out loud and clear for the established church to commit to no matter the size nor the financial resources. We have all rec’d the same calling.
Once we are saved, Christians are established by the truth, which explains why Paul wrote this letter: to explain God’s plan of salvation to Christians so they would be established, and so they would share the truth with the lost. After all, we cannot really share with others something we do not have ourselves (Weirsbe, Be Right).
We look around us in the US and think that all the world is like us. Certainly, if they are not, it could only be because they have rejected Jesus as Savior and Lord. Surely they have been told by someone. Yet there are nearly 1 billion 600 million people who have been given only once choice, the choice of hell. They have never even been offered the opportunity to reject the gift of eternal life though Jesus Christ our Lord. That number is staggering. The Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board has right at 6000 missionaries overseas. Let’s do a little mental figuring (alright, I admit, I used a calculator). That means if every missionary was given an assignment to go to these people alone, they would have responsibility over 266,667 people per missionary. This is an all but impossible task. Now, let’s see what could happen if we released the church. There are 16 million Southern Baptists alone, but let’s admit that we can’t find most of them and could only get one out of four to buy into the vision of reaching the nations. Now, we have whittled it down to 4 million. Then, let’s get each of those to commit one week of their time every year to help established missionaries reach the nations who have never heard. We have now moved our mission force from 1 missionary to 250,000 people to 1 missionary to 400 people. A large number, yes, but it could be workable with time. What I am saying is it is possible if the church is released to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task. And we’re only one of many denominations. What if we all caught the vision to reach the nations? What could happen?
Let’s face it, Jesus didn’t just die for the south or the U.S., but for all the nations…for all. This was always on Paul’s mind and was ultimately what he gave his life for, that all nations, not just the Jewish nation, would know Jesus Christ personally.
The 10/40 window is the area of the world that extends from 40o north parallel to the 10o north parallel and includes countries such as India, China, North Korea, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Chad, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Iran, and Iraq. It is these nations that we must be willing to put ourselves in his place and understand that it is up to us whether or not this world comes to know Christ and His salvation as well. It is up to us!
We are called to the nations. When I say we, I mean each and every Bible-believing church that includes every individual. Here’s 4 reasons why I believe the Bible says to every one of us about reaching the nations.
1. Every Church Has the Power to Speak the Gospel to the Nations
We read in Romans and see the power has already been provided. “Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ (Romans 16:25a).
God has given each of us the power of His Holy Spirit that lives inside each of us. That power was never intended for us to simply consume it upon ourselves. It is working in each one of us so that we can speak the gospel to the nations.
Listen to the words of the Bible that affirms that idea:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
We have been given power not to overcome or defeat nations, but that the nations might be saved. It is the message for the nations, the Jew and the Greek and we must tell that they might believe.
If you believe this is true: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek” Romans 1:16. Then we must go!!
2. Every Church Should Understand the Nations Need the Gospel (Romans 16:25b-26a)
according to the revelation of the sacred secret kept silent for long ages, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures
For eternity past, the truth that the Gospel would be shared with every nation and nationality was kept hidden. When God attempted to get his people to share the message with the nations, all they could do was avoid that task with much more fervor than they avoided worshipping other gods. As was the case of Jonah when he ran as far he could in the opposite direction.
But as much as the OT believers couldn’t understand the reason that they should proclaim God’s Word of redemption to the world, it was all the New Testament believers could think of doing. They were consumed by it.
So with their desire, God brought the nations to Jerusalem, and as we see in Acts 2, Peter preached willingly and with great power to the people that were gathered from all over the known world for the festival that week.
But our example didn’t stop there. Phillip preached to an Ethiopian Eunuch who brought the Gospel with him back to Ethiopia. Soon, Paul was called to Rome. He then felt a great desire to go to Spain as well. What was the result? The governor accused these men as the people who turned the world upside down! They took these words of Jesus as if they applied directly to them, “This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations” Matthew 24:14. They could not imagine not being a central part of such an opportunity to change all the world.
3. Every Church Is Commissioned by Jesus Christ to Go to the Nations (Romans 16:26b)
We then read that it is “according to the command of the eternal God, to advance the obedience of faith among all nations.”
Paul’s vision of reaching all the world was being transferred to the believers in Rome. We don’t know how many people there were in that church, but we do know that there were some believers already there, and we also know that there were house churches in Rome. For instance, Priscilla and Aquila had a church that met in their house.
Whatever the actual size of this church was, it was a smaller church that Paul was sharing his vision from God with. This was not the mega-church in Jerusalem or Antioch. So, he reminds them of the commission of Jesus Christ referred to in verse 26 what is called “the command of the eternal God.” This is nothing less than the Great Commission.
His commission has not changed from when it was spoken by our Lord. Whether it be that small, fledgling church in Rome a small 21st century church in Mount Pleasant, SC. Are we only called to go and make disciples of our neighbors? No, the call is to make disciples of all nations. My concern is that we think too small too often. Let’s hear these words again for the first time:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19
And that wasn’t the first time that Jesus told us that we would have the privilege and opportunity to witness to the nations:
“You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations.” Matthew 10:18
4. Every Church Will Worship Jesus Christ with the Nations (Romans 16:27)
“to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Amen.”
Why do we go to the nations? Jesus deserves every nation’s praise. This is how this letter to the Romans ends…with worship. That is how history will end…with worship. It is what we will do in eternity…worship.
Matthew Henry reminds us that all praise is only worthy when it comes to Jesus. He tells us, “All the glory that passes from fallen man to God, so as to be accepted of him, must go through the Lord Jesus, in whom alone our persons and doings are, or can be, pleasing to God.” We will worship Jesus Christ, the King of the nations this way with these words:
“Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations. Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name? Because You alone are holy, because all the nations will come and worship before You, because Your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3-4). There will be people from every nation there worshipping around the throne. We are called to be a part of making that happen.
Read Revelation 7:9-12 with me:
“After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! 11All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying: Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Notice that it says that it will be every nation, tribe, people, and even language. That’s people from everywhere, and we are called to be a part of insuring that that will happen. Can you say, “Wow” ?
Jesus is calling His Church, every Bible-believing church, everywhere, no matter what denomination to tell the nations. They wait to hear. What will we do? What will you do?

No Johnny Come Lately Here

In light of my last post, I feel that I need to share my history with the SBC.

I went to Sunday School at Isle of Palms Baptist Church in South Carolina. Little did I know at the age of 9 that I would one day be ordained into the ministry and serve as a deacon there.
At the age of 13, I was saved at a crusade sponsored by an SBC church by an SBC evangelist. As my family came to Christ over the next months, we chose to go to that same church. In the 1970's, our church was in the top 10 of all baptisms in the SBC. So, as a teenager, I was avidly involved in winning my friends to Christ, many of whom were saved a baptized at Southern Baptist churches.
I went to college, then after graduation, served on the mission field as a liaison between the SBC and Trans World Radio in Swaziland Africa.
Upon my return, I immediately began a new ministry as a youth minister at a church in the Charleston, SC area. I served 4 years where I was involved in the Charleston Baptist Association. It was during those years that I went to my first SBC convention, Atlanta 1986. I was thrilled to be a part of the conservative resurgence.
Over the next 25 years, I have been to multiple conventions to assure the conservatives stayed the course. Unfortunately, recently, because of health problems, I have not been able to attend many conventions, but still support our SBC through Cooperative Program giving and Lottie Moon offerings.
I went to an SBC seminary (SEBTS for the doubters) became a pastor at an SBC church, and am now a church starter fully affiliated with the SBC, the SCBC and the CBA.
Finally, my great-grandfather's grandfather was also an avid Southern Baptist as a behind the scenes founder of the this "new" denomination in 1845 (He's enshrined in the wall of Lawtonville Baptist Church in Estill, SC).

With all the boring background stuff out of the way, I need to say that I have been concerned for our convention for many years. I have experienced waste and mis-placed resources and wept as our Cooperative Program money was wasted on lavish hotels and expense accounts and excessive salaries. Regardless of the problems I personally had with these expenditures, I worked hard to get to the mission field only to be told there was not enough money to fund us. So, as a pastor, I attempted to begin an African-American work with the help of the SCBC and NAMB, once again only to be told there was no money. I then became a church starter hoping that someone, somewhere would help support our start. But, alas, I wasn't one of the few chosen ones the strategists had meticulously picked out. So, there was no money from the convention for us. All the while the WMU and the SCBC were adding staff in the convention building. They were taking our millions and putting it into what I felt was more and more bureaucracy. In an attempt to stop this, I asked at the SCBC convention in 1999 if the additional CP giving we were being asked to give as churches would be used to plant churches and do evangelism. I received no answer from the SCBC platform. I stated that I believed the extra money would only be used to fund more jobs for the SCBC's ever-increasing bureaucracy. I was summarily dismissed as the call was made for any other questions. I knew then that unless things changed, this was the plight of our convention...to sustain itself though the offerings of many churches that sacrificed their financial resources to support fluff at the top. We are told that the Christian life was one of sacrifice, yet I saw very little in our own convention.
Thank the Lord, that was then, this is now. Enter Johnny Hunt and the GCRTF. They have called for radical change, and the SBC 2010 confirmed by a 3 to 1 margin that vision. Soon our state conventions, our boards, and our committees will have to organize the GCR as they begin to place the money where it is needed most: the cities, the northeast, the west, and the nations.
I really can't believe that I have seen this in my lifetime. I am thrilled.

5 Reasons I'm Excited for the SBC's New Direction

It has been a great 3 days at the Southern Baptist Convention. We have seen the Lord do great and mighty things.

We affirmed our support for the cooperative program and increased our monies to the international mission board. All was done with such a sweet spirit even when there was dissent...as there always is.
I was able to tweet a lot. Some of the tweets about our SBC leadership got very negative and demeaning, so I tweeted this:

"Why do people claiming Christ's name spew venom? Every idle word men tweet they shall give an account. Be careful how u tweet.#sbc2010"

After that, the venomous tweets slowed to almost nothing. So, I was able to do a little for the kingdom...even on Twitter.

Now, here are the reasons for my being so encouraged for the SBC:

1. I am so excited for the future of our International Mission Board and their goal to reach all the peoples of all the nations with the the life changing message of Jesus Christ.

2. I am excited for the future of the North American Mission Board as they plant churches as never before working with the IMB to reach the 600 unreached people groups in our owen country.

3. I am excited that we will be supporting our missionaries with more money than ever before as the SBC give 51% to them for the first time in our history, and increase our Lottie Moon (International missions) and Annie Armstrong (US Missions) offering to $200 million (175m last year) and $100 million (70m last year), respectively. With these additonal offerings, we will be able to reach our nation and the nations as never before. No more retreat. No more calling missionaries home. We will not only get our IMB missionaries back on the field, we will open doors and as Jerry Rankin shared that the total propagation of the Gospel is now in reach. Is that not incredible that we are even able to say that? I never thought I would hear those words in my lifetime from an SBC leader. But they were said, and we can do it!

4. I am excited as never before for us as Southern Baptists reaching the masses in the cities, the Northeast, and the West...for the kingdom of God.

5. I am excited to see what God is going to do as we serve and obey Him as never before as a convention, through every church, every family, every believer.

Finally, I want you to READ THESE POWERFUL WORDS:
"Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the sacred secret kept silent for long ages, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God, to advance the obedience of faith among all nations— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Romans 16:25-27 (HCSB)

Jesus is worthy of every nation worshipping Him. May we all be a part of that becoming reality.

For a full report on the 2010 SBC click here.

7 Steps to Better Parenting

7 Steps to Better Parenting

Thought it would be good to take a look at the steps we can take to get started on the road to better parenting. God wants so much for our children to grow up and be all they can be. So much of that begins at an early age. I've always said that we're fooling ourselves if we can't break our child's will when they are 2 and then think we will be able to deal with them when they are 12. As difficult as it is, we must break their will (not their spirit) when they are young. My children can attest to what it takes...great love, great discipline, and TIME. I love my children greatly but never backed away from the hard part of parenting, discipline. It's as much discipline on me as it is on them. Here's some great ways to start the process.


1. Teach Christian values. As parents we need to identify, live, and communicate our values. If we value truth and honesty, we must be honest and adhere to biblical standards. We need to believe and teach our teens that the only truth in the world that matters is in the Scriptures. You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God (Matt. 22:29).

2. Express love and acceptance of our children. Even when their behavior disappoints us, we must continue to let them know that we love them. Genuine love for our children will grow out of our awareness that we are genuinely loved by God. It’s not always easy, but unconditional love is necessary. We also need to teach our children about God’s love. God’s love is solid and secure. He adopted us into His family, and He knows our needs and will provide them. Your teens need to know and accept these truths.

3. Be consistent with discipline. Our goal is that our children will ultimately become self-disciplined and self-controlled. If discipline does not eventually become internal, no amount of outside pressure to conform will make a teenager a spiritually healthy person.

4. Pray continually for and about our children. God is more concerned for them than we possibly can be, so He welcomes our conversations with Him about them. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints (Eph. 6:18).

5. Worship together as a family. Participating in regular worship, both corporately and personally, will move us all toward spiritual health. Again, I cannot hope that my child will grow to be a faithful worshiper of the Lord if I refuse to do so myself. Let worship become a lifestyle for you, and your teens will likely catch it from you. Also, remember that personal and family worship are important as well.

6. Be active participants in the work of the church. Remember to balance your time with your family and in your church activities; but, again, if you want your youth to participate in church activities, you must do the same. Dropping them off at youth activities will not teach them to be faithful church members.

7. Participate in ministries that are designed for you as a parent. Not every church does this, but when a seminar or class is offered to help parents be better at their jobs, be sure to go. It will communicate volumes to your teen when they see that you are trying to improve in your parenting skills.

My thanks to Chuck Gartman. He served as a youth minister for more than 20 years, has parented three daughters through the teen years, and is presently Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas.

Pastor Trey Rhodes

Burger King's New Left-handed Whopper

"Burger King has announced in USA Today the introduction of a new item to their menu: a 'Left-Handed Whopper' specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. www.burgerking/lefthanded The new whopper includes the same ingredients as the original Whopper (lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, etc.), but all the condiments are rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left-handed customers. Reportedly, thousands of customers are going into restaurants to request the new sandwich. According to the press release, 'many others requested their own "right handed" version.'"
I am so excited about this. No one ever thinks about left handed people and I say it's about time! I don't quite understand what difference it will make, but I'm headed to Burger King for lunch today to get me the special whopper...and I don't even like Burger King. In this economy, I think it's great marketing to tap a market that no one cares about.
With our current president's "left-handedness," it could even help push more people to out themselves as left-handed. This is truly a great first step for us lefties getting the recognition we have so longed for. Thanks Burger King! I can finally have it my way.

But, I'm So Stinkin' Mad!

Anger reveals itself in the small things. You know, it's that feeling that overtakes you when that crazy soccer mom takes your parking place when you know you are much more deserving of it. Or could be that snide remark that a co-worker makes as you walk past them in the aisle that you know you were not deserving of. Or maybe even that bill collector who calls and makes veiled threats about your bank account. Finally, when it comes time to spend the evening with your family, you are so wired from the day that you end up taking it out on those you are closest to and love the most, your spouse and children.

How can you overcome those feelings of irritation and anger? I know that many of you are saying, "What am I supposed to do, suppress it?" That's the personality that holds it in and just lets it percolate under the surface, never letting others see how they're really feeling. Others of you (those who have my personality) are saying, "No, there is a better way, I'll just express it, right?" Then along comes that irritating someone who gets on their last nerve and they explode like Mount Vesuvius.

So if those methods don't work (and they don't), what is the answer? The best way is to find out what the Grand Designer intended. That's why it benefits us to find out what He says about us so we can begin making a difference not only in our lives, but also in the lives of those we influence the most.

Here's what we can do:

1) Understand that God is developing character in you. Things like love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, godliness, faith, meekness, and self-control. Unfortunately, we all tend to be resistant to character development. So, God has to get our attention. That often takes the shape of difficult people and uncontrollable circumstances. 1 Peter 2:18-20 reminds us:

"For it brings favor if, because of conscience toward God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if you endure when you sin and are beaten? But when you do good and suffer, if you endure, it brings favor with God" (HCSB). The suffering we endure always brings great benefits to our character if we allow it to work in us. As James 1:4 encourages us, "endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing" (HCSB). That is really the ultimate goal, maturity and being a complete human being.

2) Dedicate everything I am or ever will be to my Lord and God. As believers, we belong to God. Because of that, we are to dedicate our lives to Christ. You probably dedicated your life to Christ on a Wednesday night youth service or Sunday morning worship or maybe even at a camp or concert. We might have came forward and said, "Lord, I give myself to You. I surrender all to You. My life is your, do as you will." Did you really mean it? God took those words of dedication very seriously. He thought you meant it. Now, He is making you and forming you into that incredible vessel of honor that He wanted you to be from the beginning of time. That is what has been planning all along! That's why He purifies us with the heat of difficult people and circumstances. Listen to the words of 2 Timothy 2:21, "So if anyone purifies himself from these things, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (HCSB).

Here's what we should all consider the next time that person jumps down our throat or steals our parking place or forces an issue: I belong to God. He loves me more than I could ever imagine. This problem I'm having is no where near as big as God, so He could change or stop it anytime He wanted to. Therefore, He wants the best for me and has a purpose for the problem or irritation in my life. If that is the case (and it is), then we need to thank God that He has not given up on us yet and is planning a great and wonderful life of character development for everyone of us who submit to His purifying fire. That is why the Holy Spirit could tell us what seems to be an outlandish command, "Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (HCSB).

Anger is one of those emotions that God gave us to help us to stand for the right things and defend ourselves when threatened, but was never intended to master us. When anger comes calling, we need not answer the door.

More to come next week.

Does God Hate You?

For those who don't know, Westboro Baptist Church, a "church" of 70 people made up of the relatives of Fred Phelps, is coming to Charleston on March 23 and 24 to protest at local area high schools, government installations, the Jewish Community Center, and at a convention. According to their protest calendar, they will be at Wando High School to protest on March 23 between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m.

What the WBC preaches drives a stake in the heart of the God. After having been on their website (don't go and give them the pleasure of knowing you gave them a hit) I can tell you that what they preach is nothing but hate. BEWARE! Here is truth: Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (HCSB) Their message of hate is nothing but darkness and is spoken from the heart of the one who is hate, the dark lord, Satan.

The truth of the matter is they are anything but Baptists or Christians or a church. IGNORE THEM! That is the best way to make your point. Be indifferent to their message. I can tell you, nothing but hatred and bitterness spew from their mouths using filthy perverse words. Be sure, Oceanside Church, nor any God-fearing, Bible-believing church has anything to do with them or their perverse, unbiblical message.

Here is a position paper that our convention has published and I repeat so that you can understand how Christians, regardless of denomination, can and should feel about the WBC:

(The SBC) shares concern over the unbiblical views and offensive tactics of Fred Phelps and his followers. His church is not in any way affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, and his extreme position not only stands in contrast to ours, more importantly they stand in contrast to God's Word. God has stated clearly in His Word that homosexual behavior is sinful, but He also clearly

states His love for sinners, including homosexuals, and that He offers forgiveness through Jesus Christ for all who repent and place their faith in Him.The SBC is not in a position to take official action regarding Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. Indeed, he has picketed the SBC Building in Nashville and annual meetings on numerous occasions because he believes the SBC to be part of the problem. (SBC.net, FAQ page)

To better understand what the church believes and how we respond to a world that is dying to see love and mercy and forgiveness, see this article: Night and Day.

So, does God hate you? Let me quote that verse that we have heard so many times, spoken from the mouth of Jesus: "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). In a nutshell, we can be assured that God loves not only those who love him, but all the world. That there is hope for all who believe in Him; those who believe will NOT go to hell. While WBC takes on the job of judge, jury, and executioner, God's cry from heaven is "I love you. I sent my own precious Son for you. Come as you are. Hate you? I cannot because I am love. My love for will never change Waiting on you." God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Love that Will Not Let Me Go

Have you ever heard someone say this, “Love makes the world go ‘round”? I used to think that was so trite. Now...not so much. As we study and put into practice the biblical concept of love, I have begun to understand that love is the center of all that God intended us to be and all that He has for us in this life. It is love that drives us to serve Him. The Bible tells us, “For the love of Christ constraineth us…” 2 Corinthians 5:14 (KJV). The Message brings that same verse home, “Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.” I read that and I thought, “Can love possibly be that critical to who we are and what we do?” As I asked, I knew the answer to my question: love is more important than I could ever imagine. If God’s love penetrates my life and then is focused on my relationships with God and with people, then it’s impact is both epic and eternal.

But is that kind of love possible in our lives? It has to be. God would never ask us do something that we could not accomplish.

“Jesus didn’t give us a ‘do the best you can’ challenge; this is a ‘do more than you possibly could’ challenge.” Therefore, “If I’m going to love as Jesus loved, I need the power only Jesus can give.” (The Relationship Principles of Jesus, Tom Holladay, p. 83)

O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be. (Hymn, Public Domain; Matheson, Peace).

Love...never let me go.

You can listen to my message from this Sunday (February 28, 2010) below, The Father's Love

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Cursed? Pt. 3

(continued from Part 2)

So, why do these things happen to some and not to others? We need go no farther than what Jesus said when the “Prosperity Gospel”ers of His day were saying that people had done something wrong and that is why they were suffering. Those prosperity guys were the Pharisees. They taught a sort of Judaistic Karma. The idea was that if you’re good, you’re blessed; if you’re a sinner, you’re hurt. The truth of the matter is that no one is good but God, and we’re all sinful enough to deserve hell. Jesus used a tragedy of His day to explain the point:

“Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things?³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well! ⁴ Or those 18 that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the people who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!” Luke 13:2-5 (HCSB)

He was not saying that these men and women were good or evil. What He was saying is that we are all responsible and must take measure against the yardstick of God and repent of our own sin. It should be a wake up call to everyone of us! Each of us is personally responsible for our relationship with God and should refrain from casting judgment on a group of people because something horrible happened to them.

As marvelous as creation is, disasters will continue to happen as long as we live on this fallen planet. We have not been cursed, but as believers, we can also suffer as we are waiting to be delivered one day when Jesus comes back for us. May we wait with baited breath for Him…ready at any moment for His return. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Cursed? Pt. 2

(continued form Part 1)

The truth of the matter is that natural disasters happen because of one thing, sin. I’m not going to approach this the way you think I would. It is not the sin of America, the sin of Haiti, the sin of Swaziland, or the sin of any individual nation that cause these cataclysmic events to happen. According to the Bible, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). We are all under judgment for our sin. Why? Because Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden in the beginning. The earth and all of its inhabitants fell under that curse. Romans 8 tells us:

“For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope ²¹ that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Romans 8:19-22 (HCSB)

Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, malaria outbreaks, and the like are all a result of the earth groaning, waiting for Jesus Christ to come again and redeem the world. We will one day get back to a new heaven and a new earth that is not under the curse when Jesus makes this earth His home (Revelation 21:1). But until then, all the disasters that strike us are reminders that He’s coming gain, He will make all things right, and He’s not finished yet.

The Bible is very clear that we as believers are delivered from curses. Whether it be the law or something much more insidious like a pact with the devil. Listen to what Paul shares with the church in Galatia, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” Galatians 3:13 (HCSB). It is my understanding that I have been delivered and set free by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The truth of the matter is that had it been my own father that made a pact with the devil, I would not be under the curse of that pact because I have trusted Jesus Christ as my leader and forgiver. If I individually choose to remain under a curse, that is my problem, not anyone else’s. There may be consequences for that choice, but not a curse.

Cursed? Pt. 1

It is with fear and trepidation that I write this because I am not a disagreeable person. Sure, I like to debate as much as the next person, but never for the sake of being disagreeable.

It was recently said on television that the land of Haiti has been cursed because of a pact that was made with the devil by some leaders who thought that voodoo was the only way to get rid of the French in the early 1800’s. After a little research, I found out that there is some evidence to point to that as being true. I am not sharing my thoughts because I think that this is true or false. I don’t believe, however, that the people of Haiti, and therefore the Haitian nation was privy to this pact nor would they have supported it. The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t matter who did what and who this pact was made with. All nations have people who have made deals with the devil. Look at our own nation and the satanic priest, Anton LeVey, the head of the church of Satan in America. I’m sure he has made many pacts with the devil. Does that mean that a curse is against our nation? Somehow, I doubt it. As lost as Sodom and Gomorrah were, God was willing to spare them for only 10 righteous people (7 of whom would have been Lot’s own family, Genesis 18:32). Would it be any different for a nation in this age of grace? Again, I doubt it. God’s patience is beyond anything that you or I could ever be, the Lord “is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB).

So, what about this thing of natural disasters?

Is it because of a curse?

Why do disasters happen? Is God just out to get people?

Who should be prepared for judgment?

(Continued in Part 2)

Love for Life

As I write this, we have just experienced another horrible tragedy of monumental proportions. This time the catastrophic loss of life is in our hemisphere. Haiti has been devastated by a 7.0 scale earthquake that some estimate has taken the lives of more than 100,000 men, women, boys, and girls. Buildings are collapsed, missionaries have died, citizens have passed into eternity, and injuries cannot even be counted. When we see a loss of life like this, it hurts deeply. Life is precious. God created each one of us with a strong desire to live. Why? We are created in the image of God and if our God is anything, He is certainly the God of life. Through all his struggles in life, Job understood God’s life-giving and life-sustaining power, “You gave me life and faithful love, and Your care has guarded my life.” Job 10:12 (HCSB).

Every January, we are reminded of new beginnings and new life. As we look to the new year, may we all commit to the sanctity of human life that is so precious to God. Life…what a wonderful choice!

Because of His grace, Pastor Trey Rhodes