Storms, Destruction, and the Unknown

Tweet

As I write this, Tropical Storm Isaac is bearing down on the Florida coast. It has been 7 years since the last hurricane made landfall in Florida. That means that many residents have no idea what to expect from a hurricane because they have never been through one. Add to this mix, the national Republican convention is meeting this year in Tampa, and that is going to be next week. Already, there are models that bring the storm right through the Tampa area, and it is predicted to arrive in the middle of that convention.

If there in one thing that most of us know who have lived on the coast, actuality rarely follows prediction. That means we cannot predict with much certainty where Isaac will make landfall, how strong it will be, or what kind of damage it will do. Uncertainty is what creates fear-filled atmosphere. I have believed since Hurricane Hugo that we should prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and let God take care of the results.

Although we may not know what tropical storms may do, there is a greater destruction that we can be sure of. Destruction is looming for anyone who does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. There, I said it. I know it's not tolerant of other religions. I know that leaves out everyone who doesn't believe in God. I know that even many Christians no longer trust the words of Jesus Christ who said that many are on their way to destruction when He said very clearly:

Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. (Matthew 7:13 HCSB)

You see, when there is assured destruction, it is a good thing to go to the One who knows the answers. One Who has been there and back, and One Who has come back from the dead to tell us the truth.

My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish-ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:27, 28 HCSB)

You say, "I do believe that. I was taught good theology since I first trusted Christ." To everyone of us that say that, I have to ask, do you really? It is much more likely that we have acknowledged a religious opinion with our mind, but if our actions don't bear it out, I have to ask, do we really believe? What I mean is if we really believed with our inmost being that people who don't know Jesus Christ on a "He died and rose again for me" level were going to eternal destruction, we would do everything in our power to make sure they knew Jesus came, died, and rose again to give them eternal life. Our lives would be driven by it. Our activities would be built around it. Our resources, including our money, would be used to share that life-changing message with everyone we came into contact with. And, when people called us a fanatic, we would wear that badge proudly, knowing they are hearing the message of exclusive eternal life found in Jesus Christ alone.

For most Christians, the cost is too great. It was General William Booth of the Salvation Army that shared his thoughts on why most Christians do not ever bear witness to Christ:

A young Christian once came to me, and told me that for some time she had been giving the Lord her profession and prayers and money, but now she wanted to give Him her life. She wanted to go right into the fight. In other words, she wanted to go to His assistance in the sea. As when a man from the shore, seeing another struggling in the water, takes off those outer garments that would hinder his efforts and leaps to the rescue, so will you who still linger on the bank, thinking and singing and praying about the poor perishing souls, lay aside your shame, your pride, your cares about other people's opinions, your love of ease and all the selfish loves that have kept you back for so long, and rush to the rescue of this multitude of dying men and women. Does the surging sea look dark and dangerous? Unquestionably it is so. There is no doubt that the leap for you, as for everyone who takes it, means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For you it may mean more than this. It may mean death. He who beckons you from the sea however, knows what it will mean - and knowing, He still calls to you and bids to you to come. You must do it! You cannot hold back.

We are told that we are responsible to advance the faith wherever we are in His world. Paul was sold out to the message of Christ, and gave his life in order to tell more people of Christ. Now, he wanted the Roman church, which was at the center of the ancient world to understand their place in God's kingdom. Now, those same words shout from the shores of safety to the sea of destruction. So, as he laid his pen down in the final verses of Romans, he is asking us to pick up the gauntlet:

Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ...according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all nations (Romans 16:25, 26 HCSB)

Do you authentically, passionately believe? Then you will tell someone.

Pastor Trey Rhodes


Make a Difference in someone's life for eternity: Kinetic Festival, October 19-21, 2012 at Oceanside Church. Click here to find out how you can be more involved and make a difference.

MyOceansideChurch.podbean.com - Oceanside's latest audio message.

www.MyOceansideChurch.com - for information, direction, pics, and more on Oceanside Church

www.OCAnnounce.info - for latest news and information about Oceanside Church

 

Posted with Blogsy

Hope for Sinners (Like Me)

Tweet

I will never forget the day I asked Christ to forgive me of my sin. When I was in eighth grade at Porter-Gaud School, I saw billboards all around Charleston advertising an upcoming event. Usually, the billboards I noticed were for the circus or a rodeo. This time, though, it was for a meeting being led by someone known as the chaplain of Bourbon Street. Later, I would come to know him as Bob Harrington. I begged my mom to take me to see him. for some reason, I was strangely drawn to the idea of listening to him preach. It's not because I liked church, I did not. I couldn't stand preaching. I used to count the lights in the chandeliers and pray for church to be finished as soon as possible.

I don't know why I hated church. I think I must have hated the idea of being inside when there were mini-bikes to ride, lawn tractors to drive, and waves to catch. There was so much more to life than wasting my time listening to a man tell me how awful a person I was, I knew that already. I knew I had sin problems. I had gotten into enough trouble at school, and I had been punished for it. I deserved what I got.

I seemed to get into more trouble than most of my friends. I'm sure to my teachers, I was "that" child. They certainly would have discussed my potential in the teacher's lounge and in staff meetings. They surely would have said that I could be so much better if I would behave, quit talking out of turn, and just apply myself.

Little did they know who I was inside. It wasn't simply a discipline problem. I certainly wasn't reared in an uncaring or abusive home, but I did have a problem. I wanted things my way. I hurt people, physically and emotionally. I cursed like a drunken sailor. I freely admitted that I hated my brother. I obeyed my parents and other adults in authority when they were looking...but when their backs were turned, I was another boy. I worshiped dirt bikes and motorcycles in general. I longed to be even worse...if I thought I could get away with it. Yup, that's who I was.

So, to me it was of utmost importance that I got to hear this man that seemed to have the ear of God when it came to getting my sins forgiven. Still, I knew there was no hope for me. I had sinned waaaaaay too much. I had even admitted to hating my brother. My grandparents were greatly concerned with my hatred for him, so they reminded me as a warning that those who hated could not go to heaven. They quoted to me book, chapter, and verse:

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:14 HCSB)

So, I knew there was no hope for an unloving, brother-hating sinner like me. But, maybe, just maybe, there could be some way out of my eternal destiny. Maybe I could at least find myself in the coolest section of hell. Maybe... but, wouldn't that be too good to be true?

So, I went to hear Bob Harrington with a huge burden of sin on my back. Even though I was only 13 years old, I thought I had more sin piled up than most. As I took my seat in the balcony of the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium on that early spring night in Charleston, SC, I noticed there was an excitement in the air. I was already experiencing something I had never been a part of before... authentic church. People voices were buzzing, the music was exciting, and I was actually glad to be there.

I really don't remember much about that sermon. I couldn't even tell you what book of the Bible it was preached from, but I do remember these words at the end of the message, "If anyone of you would like to ask Christ into your life and have your sins forgiven..." That's all I needed to hear. "If anyone of you..." "Wait," I thought "Were there more people that needed their sins forgiven?" I actually thought that the preacher was speaking directly to me. Then, my mind drifted back to that verse my grandparents had shared with me...and once again I reminded myself... there was no hope... I was a hater. Haters don't get to be with God in heaven. Then, in what turned out to be a moment of clarity, I turned to my mom and asked if she wanted what he was talking about...forgiveness. She let me know that I could go forward if that's what I wanted to do. "Wait," I said to myself. "let me see, I'm supposed to go down front?" Well,if that's all it took, I was on my way. I jumped out of seat and made my way to the counselors as fast as I could. If forgiveness was available, I wanted it... and I wanted it right now!

The time it took me to walk down the aisle seemed to be only moments. Soon, I was at the front of the huge auditorium and was speaking with a lady who asked what I came forward for. I told her that I wanted what that man was talking about...forgiveness. She then escorted me backstage to what I now know as a counseling room where many others who had walked that same aisle that night were already. She helped me read through many Scriptures from the book of Romans. I then asked Christ to forgive me of my sin. In that moment in time, He did just that. My sin was forgiven. As much as I knew before that my sin had condemned me, I now knew that same sin had been forgiven. My sin that had weighed me down, had been lifted. Darkness was driven out by His light. Sin was displaced by His righteousness. Through faith, I knew that not only could my sins be forgiven, but they were forgiven.

What happened? I had experienced Romans 3:21-22 in my life:

But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed -attested by the Law and the Prophets -that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe (Romans 3:21, 22 HCSB)

I would never have been able to be good enough or do enough good works to ever get into heaven. That's because God could not allow one sin into His presence. Jesus Christ had paid my time through His death on the cross and His resurrection from a cold dark tomb three days later. I believed now, He did it FOR ME. My faith in Christ's work brought me forgiveness.

The hope that I could to be forgiven of my sin was never going to be found in me. That kind of hope is only found in Jesus. Through Him, my sin had met its match.

Have you trusted Him to forgive you? God brought you to this point and is asking you to make that choice right now. He may not come this way again. There is hope for you. Believe Jesus gave His life for you. Do it now before you do one other thing. It will be your greatest choice... It will be your greatest day... It will lift your heavy burden... You will never be the same...

Pastor Trey Rhodes

More of the Core of our beliefs from Romans this week. Don't miss one exciting week! Also, ask for your very own notebook when you get to Oceanside Church.

www.myOceansideChurch.podbean.com

www.MyOceansideChurch.com

www.OCAnnounce.info

 

Suicide, a Hellish Answer to the Problems of Life

Tweet

Just recently, the head of a well-respected Christian ministry was found dead. It was determined after the coroner's report that he had died by his own hand. Once again, questions are being asked as to whether suicide is the unpardonable sin. This has been debated throughout the centuries, but most people that believe it is the unpardonable sin do so without Scriptural proof.

There are many verses that refer to sin, and many that refer to forgiveness. There are even verses that speak of certain sins that are unpardonable, but there is no definitive verse that even can be construed to teach that suicide is somehow unpardonable.

Two of the most well-known characters in the Bible that committed suicide are Saul, the king of Israel and Judas, the son of perdition. Let's take one at a time.

King Saul - Saul was at the end of his reign and had disobeyed the Lord several times over. Finally, his last act as a king was to fight the Philistines in a no-win situation from an un-advantageous location. During the battle, he was mortally wounded. In order to not give his opponents the satisfaction of capturing him alive and torturing him, he fell on his sword and died. He committed suicide. (Read for yourself in 1 Chronicles 10). Just before the battle, Saul inquired of a medium, we know as the witch of Endor, in complete rebellion againt God's Law. Samuel was called upon and God brought Samuel back to tell Saul these chilling but enlightening words:

The LORD will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the LORD will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines. (1 Samuel 28:19, HCSB)

Remember, Samuel is dead. Samuel knows God. Samuel is in paradise. Saul was told by Samuel that he would be with him the very next day in spite of his suicide. In the Old Testament, it doesn't seem to indicate that suicide is the unpardonable sin.

Judas Iscariot - Now, let's get to the suicide of Judas. The explanation goes this way: Judas was a disciple of Jesus. Judas was called the son of "perdition" which means "eternal damnation" (John 17:12). Jesus said that it would have been better had he never been born (Mark 14:21). Therefore, according to those who say suicide is the unpardonable sin, he went to eternal damnation because of his suicide. However, his damnation was more about his betrayal of the Son of God rather than a suicide. Once he committed to do the heinous act, Satan himself entered him to accomplish the task and see it through to the end (John 13:2). There is no where in Scripture where a believer is possessed by Satan. Judas never was a believer. To assure we knew that, we are told that he was even robbing the ministry's money chest for his own personal gain (John 12:4-6).

Now, as far as sin is concerned, where does suicide fall? It is a horrible sin. It is a hellish sin. It is a self-centered, narcissistic sin. It is a horrible way to solve problems; it only throws their problems onto the shoulders of those who loved the self-murderer most. That is why it is such a hellish sin. Ultimately, it causes the one who commits suicide to take the place of God, who alone is to have the power over life and death. God loves life and is the God of life. God has such disdain for death that He changed the description of death for New Testament believers from "death" to "fall asleep." Death was overcome for every believer when Jesus rose from the dead.

So, what is the unpardonable sin? Jesus said that every sin man committed would be forgiven him... Adultery? Yes. Fornication? Yes. Murder. Yes. Drunkeness? Yes. Lying? Yes. Suicide? Yes. You name it and God will forgive it. The only sin is that is unpardonable is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10; Mark 12:32). In its simplest terms, that means those who have rejected the leading of the Holy Spirit to come to the Son of God for their forgiveness. They have refused to trust Him to forgive them of their sin. The good news is, while there's life there's hope. The unpardonable sin will only be unpardonable to those who refuse to believe in the name of the Son of God and die in their sins.

Hallelujah, what a Savior! Do you know Him? Then your sin are forgiven, and He says enter into the joys of My Kingdom. That's how much He loves us. He died for us when we were still sinners. All our sins, past, present, and future are forgiven.

After all, I'm only assured heaven by His forgivenness and grace,

Pastor Trey Rhodes