The Truth of the Matter

If Life Is Supposed to Be Good, Why Do I Get the Business?

2011-08-10T12:35:00.008-04:00

I was watching a football blooper reel and there were some hilarious moments. That comes from someone who played football all his life. I even played one year in college, but gave it up for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which was I was a human tackling dummy every single day of practice. You should have seen the bruises. I still suffer from a crooked nose that I broke at those same practices on a hot August day. Anyway, if anyone knows what it's like to get the business in football, I do. Back to the blooper reel. Here's one line that I remember when all the other images have long since faded away:

There was a huge pile of football players who had made a tackle. To me it looked clean enough, but then a referee threw a flag. Once they got the players off the pile, I waited to hear the call, "5 yard penalty on the red team. Underneath the pile, giving him the business." That call was the first and only time I had ever heard it. I laughed till my sides split.You see, I knew what it was like to be given the business.

Have you ever felt like you're at a bottom of a pile and life is giving you the business? I can assure you, even as though that call was only made once by any referee, it had happened many times before and would happen many times again. What I'm trying to say is, whatever is giving you the business right now, you can be assured that this is the norm of life and not the exception. Anyone who tells you different is full of bologna (why do we spell that word that way and pronounce in baloni?)

What does God tell us about suffering...er...getting the business...in life? Have you ever read Job 5:1-18? Verse 7 kind of sums it up..."man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." (v. 7)

Here's some thoughts...
How do we, as Christians, cope with the problem of undeserved suffering? The main thing we must do is recognize that in a universe whose balance has been greatly upset by sin, this kind of suffering is bound to come. It is the norm and not the exception. It is because we live in a fallen world marred by sin. If you will face this, you are halfway to turning the problem into a possibility. When you are not willing to face it, it brings all kinds of misgivings into our life. Ever heard of nirvana? (The concept , not the band).

What you're about to read is for real, not some "preacher" story. Here's what happened to a child who was born into royalty. His parents decided to keep all signs of decay and death from him. When he was taken into the garden, maids were sent before him to remove all the decaying flowers and fallen leaves, so that he would be protected from all signs of suffering and death. One day, however, he left his home and, while wandering through the streets, came across a corpse. His reaction was so strong that he set about establishing the teaching that, as life is fundamentally suffering, the only thing to do is to escape into nirvana, the state of extinction of self. The young man was Guatama Buddha, whose beliefs are shared by millions of his followers around the world. His philosophy is a dramatic and tragic result of trying to protect oneself from the realities of life, one of which is suffering.

The Christian faith is the opposite of that: it exposes us to the very heart of suffering - the cross of Christ. It is the cross that takes suffering, and turns it into salvation. This is why Christians should not be afraid to face the worst that can happen - because with God it can be turned into the best.

If you'd like to pray for God's understanding, you might want to voice a prayer like this...
Father, I am so thankful for the cross - what is my suffering compared to that? And even if I have to bear similar suffering, I know that out of it will come to me what came to You - a resurrection. Blessed be Your Name, Jesus, forever. Amen.

If you want to study more about what the Bible has to say, you might want to read these Scriptures. They are as diverse as an Old Testament prophet, to our New Testament Savior, to a church leader letting the flock know that God understands the impact of our suffering. You see, our Lord also knows what it's like to hurt. He knows and cares. Remember, it's not over until we see Him.
Isa. 53; Luke 22:40; Heb. 2:9-10; 5:8; 8:1
My thanks to Selwyn Hughes who provided the thoughts for this enlightening devotion.

Sexting

2011-06-11T16:13:00.001-04:00

With all the surprising uproar concerning Congressman Anthony Weiner's sexting escapades, it seems that we should find out what makes such a thing wrong. On one of the news shows this morning there was a panel debating as to whether or not sexting constituted adultery. The woman said it did; the man said it didn't (or if it did, that's just how men are and get over it).

What Makes It Right?
As we debate the issue, I have divided it into some of the arguments I have heard. Although not exhaustive, it is a good representation.
So, maybe it's...
Stupidity - What if he had just not posted on his public twitter account? If he could have kept it all private, then maybe this would have been just fine.
Admission - If he had just come out and been honest from the beginning, then it would not have been near as bad.
Age - at least it wasn't done with someone underage. (although there is evidence that he was texting at least some underage girls) So, is that what makes it wrong...age?
Forgiveness - it seems his wife graociously is willing to forgive and stand by her man. As long as you are forgiven by those who love you most, is it then okay?
Public opinion - Is it okay if a large majority of the voting public say it's okay? Over 50% of his constituency believes he has done nothing to jeopardize his job. They approve of the job he is doing regardless of the latest disclosures.

Practical Ways to Make Your Decision
I write this today with great empathy. There is not one of us that has done something that we would be ashamed of if the entire "twitterverse" knew about it. Yet I still have to ask, where do we draw the line? How can we really know what's wrong? Is there anything in my own life that I need to heed?

My wife would be a good start. What would she think? I would hope that I would be doing the kind of things that she would give hearty approval to. Something that she could participate in with me...if she wanted to.

My conscience should be another way of making this decision. Is it something that I think is right. Before you get upset with me, this is not final way I should determine my activity. But the reason I include this is because we can knoow osomething is wrong before anyone because we know how it makes us feel. We know our own hearts and minds better than anyone else. We live with ourselves. If your conscience tells you, "No," then it should be a no.

My friends can help me as well. There are things they can see in my life that I am blind to. So, find out from them how far you should be going. Then be willing to listen to what they have to tell you. Also, if you can't or won't tell your friend, then it is probably a "no-go" already.

My Lord is the ultimate standard in my life. To use a NASCAR term, He is the "go, no-go" template for my life.

Here's how that template works. When the race car is brought to inspection, the inspectors have a metal standard that goes over the car to determine if it is within parameters given by the rules committee. When that template is placed over the car, it either touches the body of the car (that's a go), or it doesn't (that's a no-go). If it's a no-go, then there is work to do before the inspectors give approval for the race.

Go or No-Go?
That's very similar to the understanding we are given in 1 Corinthians 9:
"you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize." (v. 24)

Then the Bible goes on to say:
"I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (v. 27)

So then, what should be my template for adultery?

1. When I look at or think about someone, do I want to have sex with them?
It's what Jesus described as lust in your heart. He simply is speaking to the religious, self-righteous people of His day that thought they had it all together and challenged them by saying if you don't have a physical relationship with someone, that's fine, but if you think you can lust after them and think you're doing okay with God, you're in trouble.
Here are the words of Jesus:
But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28

2. Can you lawfully fulfill what you are suggesting with your words or actions?
That means, do you say things to another or do activities with another that you can't fulfill with them and still adhere to the standard God gave us?

For instance, you might say to someone, "I want to have sex with you." Is that wrong if you have no intention of having sex with them?

Another example is this. Are you kissing and caressing another person in such a way that causes them to want more than the standard will allow?

The standard we are given tells us:
this is God's will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, so that each of you knows how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don't know God. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

Sexual Immorality Defined
In case there is any misunderstanding, sexual immorality means sex that cannot be done when God is the moral gate-keeper. It includes any sex that is done with any one that is not your husband or wife. It also includes any sex act that has the word sex in it. That is all sexual immorality.

But you say, as did the congressman, I never met them and had sex, so is it adultery? If you are asking another person to do something that you cannot physically fulfill with them, then it is defrauding them. I Thessalonians 4 goes on to warn us:
"one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. For God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification. Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God" 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8

if you would like to do more more study, then go to Bible Gateway and search for the words sexual immorality, fornication, and adultery. I know you will see what kind of standard God has for us.

Our Loving Heavenly Father
One final thought, God is not a cosmic killjoy. To the contrary, God created sex. He thinks it is wonderful. He even included a book that tells us of the bliss of a faithful, loving sexual relationship with our husband or wife. He created us to enjoy our husband and wife in marital bliss all of our lives. He loves us so much that He gives us right and wrong so we can live the best life possible (Ask the congressman if he would recommend what he has done to others to help spice up their life). God gives us these standards because He wants to provide for us and protect us. That's a Father's heart for His child.

So, is sexting adultery? Yes, it is.

Beware the "New" NIV

2011-06-09T14:43:00.002-04:00

Are all translations the same?

The Bible is God's Word, plain and simple. We believe that God superintended the writers through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to write it without error in their own personalities as given to us in the original manuscripts. That means that God inspired the Bible, not any translation. But are there better translations for us to read and study than others? Yes, it does make a difference whet we study and read.

My Translation History
Let me give you a little of my history. For many years I used the King James Version. Most everything I memorized and studied came from that version. Then in college, for the sake of study and the use of the original language, I used the New American Standard Version. When I got into the ministry in the 80's, my pastor used it as well. I was very happy. Soon, when I went to seminary, my new pastor used the New International Version. I soon grew to appreciate it. I especially liked these verses:

2 Peter 1:21, "men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." and
2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness"

I especially liked the way it explained inspiration of the Bible by saying that it was "God-breathed." What a powerful translation! I was happy and recommended the NIV to others, used it in my preaching, and studied and read it as well.

The First Updated NIV
Then, the translators of the NIV told us that they were going to begin work on a newer more up to date version that was much more gender neutral than the 1984 version. Many were not pleased. If the Bible's is gender neutral, then that's fine, but for man to translate a word that was intended to be gender specific into something the original had no intention of saying...big problem.

So the company, because of the uproar, scuttled the change and simply made it a new version called the TNIV. It was not received well. No one seemed kto like it, and it didn't sell. It was a marketing disaster. In the mean time, many had been working on much more faithful translations like the ESV and the HCSB (my personal favorite). The people had been given some good, viable choices and many gravitated to those translations. the result was the TNIV sales waned and its days were numbered. The idea of getting people to switch over failed as the church found other versions that affirmed the historical Christian faith.

With all that said, I must ask, "Is the new NIV 2011 more the 1984 version we have all come to know, love, and appreciate or more like the TNIV which was panned by scholars and laity alike?"

Comparison
Here's an article I just read that compared all the differences between the 1984 NIV and the New 2011 NIV. Here are their findings:

An example of the way the translators of the NIV 2011
take liberties with. Other translations say simply "fishers of men".
This is but the tip of the iceberg.

"The 2011 NIV makes several noteworthy improvements over the 1984 NIV and the 2005 TNIV, including 933 improvements in accuracy in translating gender language in places where CBMW had criticized the TNIV in 2002 and 2005. And the entire translation process was carried on in a commendable spirit of transparency and openness, for which Zondervan and the NIV's Committee on Bible Translation are to be appreciated.

"However, the 2011 NIV was based not on the current NIV (1984) but on the TNIV (2005). The 2011 NIV retains 2,766 (or 75%) of the TNIV's problematic gender-related translations that led CBMW, and eventually the larger evangelical world, to reject the TNIV in 2002 and 2005. We still consider these 2,766 examples to be inaccurate translations of terms that have male meaning in the original Hebrew or Greek, male meaning that is lost in this new NIV. Therefore, this translation cannot be considered sufficiently trustworthy in its translation of gender language or in its translation of singular and plural pronouns generally. We consider this too high a price to pay for attaining gender-inclusiveness in a translation.

"In addition, the 2011 NIV changes some key verses on women's role in the church so that they favor an evangelical feminist position, especially in translating 1 Timothy 2:12 in a way that differs with all other commonly-used modern English translations and that gives women a wide open door to serve as pastors and elders in churches, contrary to the actual teaching of the New Testament.

"We regret, therefore, that we cannot recommend the 2011 NIV as a sufficiently reliable English translation. (bold mine) And unless Zondervan changes its mind and keeps the current edition of the 1984 NIV in print, the 2011 NIV will soon be the only edition of the NIV that is available. Therefore, unless Zondervan changes its mind, we cannot recommend the NIV itself.

This report was published by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), 2825 Lexington Road, Box 926, Louisville, KY 40280. http://www.cbmw.org/. (502) 897-4065.

Go here for more of this article that actually does a verse by verse comparison:
An Evaluation of Gender Language in the in the 2011 Edition of the NIV Bible

Conclusion

So here is my conclusion, translators that present to the laity the word of God have a sacred trust. This is the Bible, not Shakespeare. That is, good translators can't just change the intent ofnthe manuscript to suit the culture. Otherwise, once this path is taken, there would no point at which to stop pleasing that same culture. What would be the next target? You see, whenever culture demands we loosen up on the language of the Bible to make it more culturally relevant, we are then allowing a standard to conform to the culture rather than the culture conforming to the standard. The Bible's original manuscripts are our standard. These cannot be changed because our culture demands more relevance. Church of Jesus Christ, be aware!

The High Cost of Freedom Must Never Be Taken for Granted

2011-05-28T13:25:00.000-04:00

I found this online and on this Memorial Day weekend, I thought it was important enough to share what our founding fathers faced when they signed the Declaration of Independence. Many of them gave up everything.
When I finished reading it, I was surprised to see who's father had written this piece (not that I would expect any different).
Finally, I want to thank the families of those whose loved one gave the ultimate price of their lives. I want you to know that this American Patriot will never forget.

And now...
Our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor

Trumbull's Declaration of Independence, 12' x 18' oil.
Located in the United States Capitol Rotunda

It was a glorious morning. The sun was shining and the wind was from the southeast. Up especially early, a tall bony, redheaded young Virginian found time to buy a new thermometer, for which he paid three pounds, fifteen shillings. He also bought gloves for Martha, his wife, who has ill at home.

Thomas Jefferson arrived early at the statehouse. The temperature was 72.5 degrees and the horseflies weren't nearly so bad at that hour. It was a lovely room, very large, with gleaming white walls. The chairs were comfortable. Facing the single door were two brass fireplaces, but they would not be used today.

The moment the door was shut, and it was always kept locked, the room became an oven. The tall windows were shut, so that loud quarreling voices could not be heard by passersby. Small openings atop the windows allowed a slight stir of air, and also a large number of horseflies. Jefferson records that "the horseflies were dexterous in finding necks, and the silk of stocking was nothing to them." All discussion was punctuated by the slap of hands on necks.

On the wall at the back, facing the President's desk, was a panoply-consisting of a drum, swords, and banners seized from Fort Ticonderoga the previous year.

Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had captured the place, shouting that they were taking it "in the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!"

Now Congress got to work, promptly taking up an emergency measure about which there was discussion but no dissention. "Resolved: That an application be made to the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania for a supply of flints for the troops at New York."

Then Congress transformed itself into a committee of the whole. The Declaration of Independence was read aloud once more, and debate resumed. Though Jefferson was the best writer of all of them, he had been somewhat verbose. Congress hacked the excess away.

They did a good job, as a side-by-side comparison of the rough draft and the final text shows. They cut the phrase "by a self-assumed power." "Climb" was replaced by "must read," then "must" was eliminated, then the whole sentence, and soon the whole paragraph was cut.

Jefferson groaned as they continued what he later called "their depredations." "Inherent and inalienable rights" came out "certain unalienable rights," and to this day no one knows who suggested the elegant change.

A total of 86 alterations were made. Almost 500 words were eliminated, leaving 1,337. At last, after three days of wrangling, the document was put to a vote.

Here in this hall Patrick Henry had once thundered: " I am no longer a Virginian, Sir, but an American." But today the loud, sometimes bitter argument stilled, and without fanfare the vote was taken from north to south by colonies, as was the custom. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

There were no trumpets blown. No one stood on his chair and cheered. The afternoon was waning and Congress had no thought of delaying the full calendar of routine business on its hands. For several hours they worked on many other problems before adjourning for the day.

Much To Lose

What kind of men were the 56 signers who adopted the Declaration of Independence and who, by their signing, committed an act of treason against the crown? To each of you the names Franklin, Adams, Hancock, and Jefferson are almost as familiar as household words.

Most of us, however, know nothing of the other signers.

Who were they? What happened to them?

I imagine that many of you are somewhat surprised at the names not there: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry. All were elsewhere.

Ben Franklin was the only really old man. Eighteen were under 40; three were in their 20s. Of the 56 almost half -24- were judges and lawyers. Eleven were merchants, 9 were landowners and farmers, and the remaining 12 were doctors, ministers, and politicians.

With only a few exceptions, such as Samuel Adams of Massachusetts, these were men of substantial property.

All but two had families. The vast majority were men of education and standing in their communities. They had economic security as few men had in the 18th century.

Each had more to lose from revolution than he had to gain by it. John Hancock, one of the richest men in America, already had a price of 500 pounds on his head.

He signed in enormous letters so "that his Majesty could now read his name without glasses and could now double the reward." Ben Franklin wryly noted: "Indeed we must all hang together, otherwise we shall most assuredly hang separately." Fat Benjamin Harrison of Virginia told tiny Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts: "With me it will all be over in a minute, but you , you will be dancing on air an hour after I am gone.

These men knew what they risked. The penalty for treason was death by hanging. And remember: a great British fleet was already at anchor in New York Harbor.

They were sober men. There were no dreamy-eyed intellectuals or draft card burners here. They were far from hot-eyed fanatics, yammering for an explosion.

They simply asked for the status quo. It was change they resisted. It was equality with the mother country they desired. It was taxation with representation they sought. They were all conservatives, yet they rebelled.

It was principle, not property, that had brought these men to Philadelphia. Two of them became presidents of the United States. Seven of them became state governors. One died in office as vice president of the United States. Several would go on to be U.S. Senators.

One, the richest man in America, in 1828 founded the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. One, a delegate from Philadelphia, was the only real poet, musician and philosopher of the signers (it was he, Francis Hopkinson - not Betsy Ross who designed the United States flag).

Richard Henry Lee, A delegate from Virginia, had introduced the resolution to adopt the Declaration of Independence in June of 1776. He was prophetic in his concluding remarks:

"Why then sir, why do we longer delay? Why still deliberate? Let this happy day give birth to an American Republic. Let her arise not to devastate and to conquer but to reestablish the reign of peace and law. The eyes of Europe are fixed upon us. She demands of us a living example of freedom that may exhibit a contrast in the felicity of the citizen to the ever increasing tyranny which desolates her polluted shores. She invites us to prepare an asylum where the unhappy may find solace, and the persecuted repost. If we are not this day wanting in our duty, the names of the American Legislatures of 1776 will be placed by posterity at the side of all of those whose memory has been and ever will be dear to virtuous men and good citizens."
Though the resolution was formally adopted July 4, it was not until July 8 that two of the states authorized their delegates to sign, and it was not until August 2, that the signers met at Philadelphia to actually put their names to the Declaration.
William Ellery, delegate from Rhode Island, was curious to see the signers' faces as they committed this supreme act of personal courage. He saw some men sign quickly, "but in no face was he able to discern real fear."

Stephan Hopkins, Ellery's colleague from Rhode Island, was a man past 60. As he signed with a shaking pen, he declared: "My hand trembles, but my heart does not."

"Most glorious service"

Even before the list was published, the British marked down every member of Congress suspected of having put his name to treason. All of them became the objects of vicious manhunts. Some were taken. Some, like Jefferson, had narrow escapes. All who had property or families near British strongholds suffered.

- Francis Lewis, New York delegate saw his home plundered and his estates in what is now Harlem, completely destroyed by British soldiers. Mrs. Lewis was captured and treated with great brutality. Though she was later exchanged for two British prisoners though the efforts of Congress she died from the effects of her abuse.

- William Floyd, another New York delegate, was able to escape with his wife and children across Long Island Sound to Connecticut, where they lived as refugees without income for seven years. When they came home they found a devastated ruin.

- Philips Livingstone had all his great holdings in New York confiscated and his family driven out of their home. Livingstone died in 1778 still working in Congress for the cause.

- Louis Morris, the fourth New York delegate, saw all his timber, crops, and livestock taken. For seven years he was barred from his home and family.

- John Hart of Trenton, New Jersey, risked his life to return home to see his dying wife. Hessian soldiers rode after him, and he escaped in the woods. While his wife lay on her deathbed, the soldiers ruined his farm and wrecked his homestead. Hart, 65, slept in caves and woods as he was hunted across the countryside. When at long last, emaciated by hardship, he was able to sneak home, he found his wife had already been buried, and his 13 children taken away. He never saw them again. He died a broken man in 1779, without ever finding his family.

- Dr. John Witherspoon, signer, was president of the College of New Jersey, later called Princeton. The British occupied the town of Princeton, and billeted troops in the college. They trampled and burned the finest college library in the country.

- Judge Richard Stockton, another New Jersey delegate signer, had rushed back to his estate in an effort to evacuate his wife and children. The family found refuge with friends, but a Tory sympathizer betrayed them. Judge Stockton was pulled from bed in the night and brutally beaten by the arresting soldiers. Thrown into a common jail, he was deliberately starved. Congress finally arranged for Stockton's parole, but his health was ruined. The judge was released as an invalid, when he could no longer harm the British cause. He returned home to find his estate looted and did not live to see the triumph of the revolution. His family was forced to live off charity.

- Robert Morris, merchant prince of Philadelphia, delegate and signer, met Washington's appeals and pleas for money year after year. He made and raised arms and provisions which made it possible for Washington to cross the Delaware at Trenton. In the process he lost 150 ships at sea, bleeding his own fortune and credit almost dry.

- George Clymer, Pennsylvania signer, escaped with his family from their home, but their property was completely destroyed by the British in the Germantown and Brandywine campaigns.

- Dr. Benjamin Rush, also from Pennsylvania, was forced to flee to Maryland. As a heroic surgeon with the army, Rush had several narrow escapes.

- John Martin, a Tory in his views previous to the debate, lived in a strongly loyalist area of Pennsylvania. When he came out for independence, most of his neighbors and even some of his relatives ostracized him. He was a sensitive and troubled man, and many believed this action killed him. When he died in 1777, his last words to his tormentors were: "Tell them that they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge it [the signing] to have been the most glorious service that I have ever rendered to my country."

- William Ellery, Rhode Island delegate, saw his property and home burned to the ground.

- Thomas Lynch, Jr., South Carolina delegate, had his health broken from privation and exposures while serving as a company commander in the military. His doctors ordered him to seek a cure in the West Indies and on the voyage he and his young bride were drowned at sea.

- Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward, Jr., the other three South Carolina signers, were taken by the British in the siege of Charleston. They were carried as prisoners of war to St. Augustine, Florida, where they were singled out for indignities. They were exchanged at the end of the war, the British in the meantime having completely devastated their large landholdings and estates.

- Thomas Nelson, signer of Virginia, was at the front in command of the Virginia military forces. With British General Charles Cornwallis in Yorktown, fire from 70 heavy American guns began to destroy Yorktown piece by piece. Lord Cornwallis and his staff moved their headquarters into Nelson's palatial home. While American cannonballs were making a shambles of the town, the house of Governor Nelson remained untouched. Nelson turned in rage to the American gunners and asked, "Why do you spare my home?" They replied, "Sir, out of respect to you." Nelson cried, "Give me the cannon!" and fired on his magnificent home himself, smashing it to bits. But Nelson's sacrifice was not quite over. He had raised $2 million for the Revolutionary cause by pledging his own estates. When the loans came due, a newer peacetime Congress refused to honor them, and Nelson's property was forfeited. He was never reimbursed. He died, impoverished, a few years later at the age of 50.

Lives, fortunes, honor

Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes.

Twelve signers had their homes completely burned.

Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create is still intact.

And, finally, there is the New Jersey Signer, Abraham Clark.

He gave two sons to the officer corps in the Revolutionary Army. They were captured and sent to that infamous British prison hulk afloat in New York Harbor known as the hell ship "Jersey," where 11,000 American captives were to die. The younger Clarks were treated with a special brutality because of their father.

One was put in solitary and given no food. With the end almost in sight with the war almost won, no one could have blamed Abraham Clark for acceding to the British request when they offered him his sons' lives if he would recant and come out for the King and Parliament. The utter despair in this man's heart, the anguish in his very soul, must reach out to each and one of us down through 200 years with the answer: "No."

The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence proved by their every deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most magnificent curtain line in history. "And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

- Rush H. Limbaugh, Jr (The father of Rush, the radio talk show host)

Raising the Dead

2011-04-20T09:21:00.006-04:00

God is all about life. I mean it in every since of the word. He cares about the newborn baby's life. God cares about sustaining that life through the trauma and difficulties of childhood. He cares enough to hurt when someone dies (remember the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept"?). He also cares when we are hurting in this life. Jesus reminds us, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 (KJV).
When Jesus rose from the dead, it was to give us life forever, in Heaven. If you don't have that straight, then I challenge you to consider the claims of the Gospel. It is not about doing good deeds and believing, or going to church and believing, or even reading this blog and believing...Jesus tells us to believe in Him who sent me. There is nothing we have ever done or could do to get us into Heaven, and there is nothing we have done or could ever do to send us to hell if we trust Jesus Christ with our life. Not only that He was truly a part of history, but that He needs to be a part of your history. His death and resurrection is all about you believing that He took your place and paid your time. You can read here if you'd like to hear what God says about it: Romans 10:10-13
But the thing about our God is that good enough is never enough. What I mean is that He could've stopped with eternal life, but He gives us abundant life, in the present, in the here and now. So as we come to celebrate and commemorate the resurrection of Jesus on what has come to be known as Easter Sunday, His resurrection is proof that He cares about your life. God loves life so much that He can and does raise people to life every single day. That's resurrection. That's God. He's the God who is raising the dead!
For a further explanation of knowing Christ as your forgiver and leader, click on this link: plan of salvation

2011-04-20T09:09:00.001-04:00

Plan B Promo Blooper Reel from Ivey Rhodes on Vimeo.

Moving Forward

2011-02-21T12:47:00.009-05:00

The older I get, the more I believe failure is God's way of steering us down His path. We often have a way that we think is right. After all, we have thought it through, asked for advice, been trained, studied demographics, and ultimately convinced ourselves that what we are doing is right.
I have a problem though. I doubt any of you have the same thing going on. You see, once I've made a decision, I feel like I've got to stick with it. Otherwise, to change my way of thinking is tantamount to admitting defeat. Thinking that way only makes me think I've failed. It is humiliating, and it is difficult to change your mind. Yet I get back to what I started this blog with, failure brings direction. It helps me see God's directing hand. There is great clarification that comes along with failure.
So, starting today, I want to look at failure differently. It is a blessing not a curse; it is God's grace, not His punishment. Failure is ultimately what drives us to be "Plan B" Christians, and it there that God uses us the greatest. That is how I can move forward and press on to God's purpose. Simply by making sure when I fail, I fail forward. It is then you can fail God's direction, and that is always best. So, there is hope for us all...those of us who have fallen short of God's glory. Welcome to "Plan B." It is God's way of dealing with every one of us. "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead."
Philippians 3:13 (HCSB)

No Accountability Makes for Great Vulnerability

2010-09-22T09:02:00.007-04:00

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

2010-06-28T22:47:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-17T09:52:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-17T08:49:00.008-04:00

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

2010-05-03T10:15:00.006-04:00

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

2010-04-01T10:10:00.012-04:00

"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!

2010-03-22T21:00:00.000-04:00

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?

2010-03-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

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.

2010-03-04T13:10:00.001-05:00

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

Cursed? Pt. 3

2010-01-20T09:36:00.000-05:00

(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

2010-01-20T09:34:00.000-05:00

(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

2010-01-19T17:27:00.000-05:00

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

2010-01-19T17:17:00.000-05:00

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