Living on a Prayer

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It's hard to believe, but 12 years ago today, I got a new life. And when I say that, I mean in a physical sense. The doctors had all but given up hope with me when Dr. Blue of Roper Hospital downtown had an idea. But I get ahead of myself...

How did I get to this point? It began on a Sunday morning like any other. I woke up, spoke to the Lord, read the Word, and left for church at Oceanside Baptist Fellowship. We were meeting at the Movies at Mount Pleasant, and I went early to help set up and get my heart and mind prepared for preaching that morning.

Just before the church service began, I began to feel really strange. I looked at my wife, Kelly, and said three simple words, "I need help." In moments, I was on the floor, eyes were blank, and I was gone. I was straining to breath and turning blue from the neck up. My son, Ivey, rather than panic began to give me mouth to mouth. While everyone was screaming for him to give me compressions, he refused saying I was breathing so it was unnecessary. That was the difference between life and death for my body that was hanging on a thread between life and death.

Moments later, the EMTs arrived and were given permission to transport me to Roper. Once there, the doctors were baffled. They couldn't find a pulse anywhere. They were ready to "call it" when one doctor, Dr. Blue, gripped my ankle, felt a slight pulse, and immediately pushed my gurney down to the CAT scan. There, he discovered a pool of blood around my heart because my aorta had ripped lengthwise for 2 1/2 inches. The term was an "ascending aortic dissection." It was the worse case scenario. Very few ever survived. And those that did were blind, crippled, dumb, and lived on breathing machines. The doctors told my wife that they could probably save my heart, but the prognosis was bad. And if my son had given me compressions I would have bled out instantaneously. Thank God for a son who used his knowledge to calmly do what he should instead of doing what everyone else was yelling for him to do. I am forever in his debt.

Then God's people began to pray. The Lord heard from heaven and at that very moment began to restore my body and my brain. Kelly's words to Dr. Blue were, "Save his heart, and we'll worry about the rest later."

Dr. Blue called one of the leading experts on heart surgery in the nation, Dr. David Peterseim. He had recently moved from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to Charleston, SC. He was in church on Sullivan's Island. Blue asked Peterseim, a cardio-thoracic surgeon, if he wanted to come and do his best to save my heart. His answer was, "Yes. And please keep him alive until I get there. I've never seen anyone alive before with an ascending aortic dissection."

By the time the operation began, some say that hundreds had gathered in the waiting room singing, praying, and asking God to save my life. Within hours, Dr. Peterseim had done all he could do to save my heart. In his own words "It's all up to God now."

Now, 12 years later here I am writing about it. God truly does answer prayer. He is still in the miracle business. I am forever grateful for all of you who chose to pray for me and help me and encourage me over these last years. I will always be grateful that you didn't give up on me.

What miracle do you need God to do in your life today? God can do it for you. Pray and trust. You'll never be the same.

And yes, I am "Living on a Prayer."

 

 

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26 Simple Memory Verses to Build your Family

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When I first came to know Christ, about the only bible verse I had memorized was, "Jesus wept." While every verse of Scripture is important and I have many important messages that used this verse describing the compassion and humanity of Jesus, this should not have been the only verse I knew in my heart. Soon after i was saved, I had memorized the entire Romans Road, chapters of the Bible like: Psalm 23, Pslam 100, 1 Thessalonians 1, Colossians 3, as well as many other important verses. I must tell you, I worked hard for those verses.

However, I wish someone had started me with some simple verses that covered most of what I need to know as a Christian. Things like sin, salvation, dying to self, thankfulness, love for God, prayer, importance of words, kindness, obedience, love for others, and the like. Well, do I have a treat for you.

I found these verses in Wolgemuth's book on family.
Here's his mother teaching his children these 26 verses

Here are 26 simple verses that you and your children, grandchildren or other children in your life. The good news is, you can probably come close to memorizing these in a few hours in one week. Most are a single line and simple enough for a child to understand, but deep enough to impact your life. Finally, here's a protip, for ya': to have the most impact, be sure you memorize the references as well.

Here's some kinds reciting their Bible verses. While not the same as we have listed, the sentiment is the same. Is it any wonder that the Jesus tells us we must become like a child to be included in the Kingdom?
Matthew 18:3

Here are these golden 26 verses:

ABC Memory Verses

A All we like sheep have gone astray. Isaiah 53:6

B Be kind one to another. Ephesians 4:32

C Children obey your parents, for this is the right thing to do. Ephesians 6:1

D Don’t fret or worry; it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:8

E Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17

F “Follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

G God is love. 1 John 4:16

H He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

I “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35

J Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” Matthew 19:14

K Kind words are like honey, enjoyable and healthful. Proverbs 16:24

L Love one another. John 13;34

M “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27

N Now is the time to come to Jesus. 2 Corinthians 6:2

O Obey God because you are His children. 1 Peter 1:14

P Pray about everything. Philippians 4:6

Q Quick Lord, answer me, for I have prayed. Psalm 141:1

R Remember your Creator now, while you are young. Ecclesiastes 12:1

S Sing a new song to the Lord. Psalm 98:1

T Thank God for Jesus. His gift too wonderful for words. 2 Corinthians 9:15

U Underneath are God’s everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

V Visit the orphans and widows. James 1:27

W We love because God first loved us. 1 John 4:19

X Except a kernel of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

Y You must be born again. John 3:7

Z “Zacchaeus, you come down; for I’m going to your house today.” Luke 19:5

There you go...26 verses you can memorize and use for the rest of your life.

Hiding God's Word in My heart,

Pastor Trey Rhodes