Victory Though Death

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Once again, we are being told that fewer people believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ than ever before:

A new poll released by Rasmussen Reports says that 64% of Americans believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, down from 77% just a year ago. (Poll: Americans Believing In The Resurrection Drops To 64%)

I have to ask, is it any wonder? The attacks are relentless. The rhetoric has been turned up a notch. Nearly every thing people watch on the History Channel and the like have documentaries (really, documentaries? You've got to be kidding!) that share all the reasons why Jesus could not have risen with almost no one giving an opposing opinion. And we are even being told that it doesn't matter to the Christian if Jesus rose from the dead or not as long as you just believe in Him (cue the theologians that are understudies of men like Rudolf Bultmann).

So, as we celebrate the resurrection every single Sunday, my heart is overjoyed to experience the victorious feeling of Christ rising from the dead. It is an absolute certainty that we worship and serve a living Savior! I believe because I trust the facts published and affirmed that Jesus actually rose from the dead, both historically and physically.

However, in the midst of that euphoria, we must remember that the Cross was where the victory took place. It is the resurrection that affirms that victory. You see, you can't have resurrection without a death, and you can't have death without resurrection. Without both, neither are valid.

Here's what I'm talking about. If you go to the tombs of Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed, they are all still there. For thousands of years, archeologists and explorers have tried to find the bones of Jesus in a tomb, but there are no bones in His tomb. They are simply not there. Think about it, when they find the tomb of Jesus, which was a borrowed tomb, by the way, why would Jesus' name be on it anyway? Don't you think that it would've said Joseph of Arimathea or the like? The tomb is empty. Jesus is not there. No one, including the disciples, could've stolen His body. Think about the Romans, they couldn't have cared less. The Jewish leaders didn't want the body to be missing. And the disciples? Are you kidding me? Every single one of them gave their lives for Christ. Had they stolen the body, they would have gladly recanted and claimed it all to be fallacy. Why do they want to find Jesus' bones? Because, they know, better than most Christians, that without an empty tomb, we are miserable and "still in our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). The resurrection is a house of cards that would fall, if it were possible, once the bones of Jesus were found. The empty tomb assures that our sins have really been forgiven once we each trust Jesus as our Personal Savior.

So as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, remember that the victory that took place was on the cross and was assured by the empty tomb. We can never think that it was at the cross we faced defeat and the resurrection was where we received the victory. It is the resurrection that proves that my forgiveness happened because Jesus is now risen from the dead, just as He said. And that is why Satan and his minions have attempted throughout the centuries to try and deceive people into believing the resurrection never took place.

The apostle Paul puts it all together for us in chapter 10 when he writes in verse 9

"if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation."

The resurrection and the death of Christ are permanently and completely bound together to tell us all that both are necessary for our salvation... for our forgiveness... that we might know true victory in Jesus Christ.

So my challenge to you is to glory and boast in the cross. Celebrate the resurrection because now you can know for sure that your sins can be forgiven if you will trust and ask the Father today. That's what Easter is all about.

Pastor Trey Rhodes

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Suicide, a Hellish Answer to the Problems of Life

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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

 

Can I Borrow a Tomb? Life from Death

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"In the day you eat from it, you will surely die," (Genesis 2:17, NASB) warned God. It was not a threat. It was a plea. God's design was perfect. Man's choice was not. God understood that sin would destroy what He intended man to have, and that was real life. But, man chose wrong, so death entered as a conquering king.

You see, when the actual, historical Adam ate the forbidden fruit offered, he died. That doesn't mean he physically hit the ground, and his heart stopped. It meant that the moment he disobeyed, he was dead in his sin. It meant that the relationship that God wanted with him was over. It meant that no longer could he speak in the cool of the evening to God. It meant that the fury of a fallen creation would be released on all of nature. Addictions would dominate. Storms would destroy. Disease would sicken. Animals would die. Marriages would split. Plagues would kill. Death would reign. Not only did his sin destroy him, sin destroyed all it touched.

God created life. Man brought death. So, the Lord of life brought life from death. The kind of life that could not be contained in a borrowed tomb. Think about this, who borrows a tomb? I thought it was permanent acquisition!. As Lewis Sperry Chafer expresses it, "No situation conceivable could be more abnormal than that of the theanthropic (God-man) Person should enter the realms of death. He is the source of all life" (See John 5:26). A borrowed tomb was all the Lord of life needed. He was only going to be there for three days! Jesus arose because He could not stay dead. God would not allow His Holy One to "undergo decay" (Psalm 16:10). This was truly a fixed game. God sent His only Son to death because He knew life was intrinsic to the God-man. He knew that life would once again flow through the veins of Jesus Christ.

That's what ties death to life...the cross to the resurrection. As much as we fear death, Satan fears life. He has been on an all out assault on life since the moment God created life. You don't believe it? Look at the next cemetery you pass. It demonstrates the commonality of life and death. All who live, die.

But God wants more for us. He wants life for us...every one of us. That's not the kind of life that happens just because my heart is beating  God wants every one of use to experience life in Him. The kind of life that has "abundant" and "eternal" attached to it. That's God's kind of life and He wants it for you. The Lord of life is knocking on the door of your tomb. Your lease is up. He's ready to move you to a place of abundant life for all of eternity. Open the door and pack your boxes. He's here and He's alive!

Alive in Christ,
Pastor Trey Rhodes

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Woman Killed for a Hoax

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According to an ABC news article, a woman was killed after she was to be questioned by police after allegedly sending a "hoax WMD package to a republican New York state senator."

The article continues:

"a female (who was armed with a knife and handgun) opened (the door) and began assaulting an officer with the weapons." In spite of the attack, the officer was able to access his service revolver and stop the woman from continuing the assault. The officer sustained non-life threatening injuries, and the woman, identified as Jameela Barnette, was killed.

No matter what the circumstances are that surround such a tragedy, it is always hard to deal with death, particularly around Christmas. Death is such a final word that evokes deep and hurtful memories.

The sad thing is that we live as if we have hundreds of years to live when in actuality, there is no promise that I will finish the next w o r d in this sentence. That is the hoax we believe. Somehow we actually think that life...for us...never ends.

Geof Kimber, a musician friend of mine, wrote these words:

"It's not that life is so short, it's just that death is so long."

If there is anything that our family has learned over these last 8 years, it is that life is riddled with unexpected events. In August of 2003, I went to church on a Sunday morning with no inkling that my life would all but end on the floor of a theater in Mount Pleasant, SC. I had suffered a dissected aorta that nearly ended my life and drastically changed my quality of life.

When that year began, it was like any other. We shot fireworks at the stroke of midnight on New Years Day; we planned for and secured a building for our church; and we even celebrated my 43rd birthday with all the boring jokes about my life being over... never even thinking that nearly 7 weeks later I would be lying in ICU at Roper Hospital fighting for my life.

As we begin a new year, I have renewed my commitment to live each day, wait, let me change that... each moment as if if was my last. The Psalmist understood that lifestyle more than most would care or consider:

Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. (Psalm 90:12 HCSB)

Lord, this year, each moment, teach me.

Pastor Trey Rhodes

ScareMare, Death, and the Kingdom

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As most Christians have come to the point of understanding, halloween is a day when most people glorify that which is ridiculed and shunned the rest of the year. Many years ago...and I mean many...I made a conscious decision to take back this day to use what was intended for evil and use it as an opportunity to tell people about God's love and abundant life. God Himself reminded the Israelites,

"I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live" Deuteronomy 30:19 (HCSB)

So, without hesitation, we are asking everyone who goes through our house called, ScareMare, "Have you chosen life?"

With that in mind, these are the facts:
Death is sure.
Life is limited.
Judgment is coming.
Jesus conquered death.
Heaven is attainable.
Salvation is free.
Many don't know.
Most haven't believed.
We must tell.

We now live in a culture that is interested in the moment. What trends today on Twitter and Google is passe' tomorrow. For those that have grown up in world of immediacy, we must be able to give them a solution to their eternity that is both urgent and real. For them we offer ScareMare.

It concerns me to think that Christians have taken what was intended to be a good way to think, that halloween is evil, and made it into a night to be feared or even banned. The good news is that we are able to get the Gospel message across; the bad news is that for some it has become a way to criticize those who do want to try to shine a light in this dark world.

To give us a better understanding, here's some Scripture that can help clarify what ScareMare (click here for more info) is about:

the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil's hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 (MSG)

Our goal is that people would no longer be scared to death of death, but embracing life in Christ.

To many, death is a reality that comes true only in the life of others. The "everyone but me" belief about death. Think about it...if life is a collection of experiences, as many profess whether philosophically or pragmatically, then they would only experience death  through the death of another. For whatever reason, they have chosen to ignore the fact that mortality is 100%.  Everyone dies.

Concerning the afterlife, there are some so foolish to say they believe that there is no life after death. They say they, "just don't believe in it." However belief doesn't change the fact that we will all spend eternity somewhere. To these, we must shock them into understanding that they cannot be wrong about eternity. The cost is too high. It is what Jude says to us in verse 23, "save others by snatching them from the fire" Jude 1:23 (HCSB). Whatever it takes, using all available legal ethical means, we are called to snatch them from the fire.

I summarize by using the words of the great evangelist and Bible teacher, C.T. Studd, 

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell."

Yours for the Kingdom,

Pastor Trey Rhodes 

Gadaffi Is Dead...Is the Fight Over?

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This summer began with the overthrow of former president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak We were told today early this morning that the 42 year dictator of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, was killed (more here from Reuters) after being attacked by NATO jets. Conventional wisdom tells us that the war is now over. Everything is now fine. Libya has been released from the hold of a ruthless dictator so, "Now that the war is over we must give up our weapons and the children must go to school," according to the words of Mansour el Ferjani, 49, a Benghazi bank clerk and father of five. But I have to ask, is that all there is to it? Is life just going to get back to normal, just better? Isn't there more to do? Of course there is. In the weeks and months and even years ahead, there will be more work and more sacrifice than they can imagine. I hope the best for this country as they now change their fight from an armed conflict to fighting through the messiness of moving to a free and democratic lifestyle.

A large concrete pipe where Gaddafi was allegedly captured (Picture: AFP/Getty)
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/879169-picture-of-dead-gaddafi-as-former-libya-leader-is-shot-by-fighters#ixzz1bLtgJCYQ

You don't have to stretch much to make a application to our Christian walk. We may have won the war, but there are battles ahead. The Israelites didn't quite get it, though. They thought that everything was going to be handed to them. The leaders of Joseph's tribes, who went from wandering in the wilderness to having their own land, complained to Joshua, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who inhabit the valley area have iron chariots" Joshua 17:16 (HCSB). They wanted more to be given to them Joshua's answer was to tell them to get to work. He got back with them by telling them that their land included, "a forest; clear it and its outlying areas will be yours." Then, if they wanted even more land, they could fight more battles and have everything they wanted. That's why Joshua told them that, "You can also drive out the Canaanites"
Joshua 17:18 (HCSB). Yes the was is over, but there was more work and more fighting ahead.

When God gives us our Sun Stand Still prayer, He expects us to go to work. Somehow, we think that God answers, and He does everything else. We don't have to do a thing. Nothing in the Bible, nor the Christian life gives us any such expectation.

Don't miss the opportunities that God has for you because of work. Thomas Edison said it this way, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls&looks like work."

So, here's four opportunities given us now that God has answered our Sun Stand Still prayer:
1. Maturity (Joshua 15)

The leaders of the Israelite tribes were inheriting the land not just for themselves, but for those generations who would follow them. A huge mark of maturity is doing some things that you will never get to see the results of. God for believers who will step up and put themselves ahead of others. You say, but I'm not old enough to be mature. You are an elder to someone. When I was in 1st grade, I thought the 6th graders were so old and had it together. By the time I go to 7th grade, I thought a 10th grader was incredibly mature...and so on. Take the opportunity today to be mature for someone. God will use you. God is calling each of us to be "fully mature adults" (Ephesians 4:13).

2. Prayer (Joshua 15 &17)

We have a good and a bad example of asking in these chapters.

First, there was Achsah who asked for springs to be able to water the dry desert of the Negev. She was granted was she asked for even though it was bold. What she needed was a way to help her family thrive in a harsh environment. God (through Joshua) said, "It's yours."

Second, there was Joseph's descendants. They wanted everything given to them on a silver platter. Joshua's answer to them was, "Sure, but get to work!" They asked, and they received as well as long as they were willing to accomplish the job by their own effort.

God answers our prayer as well. We've got to be ready to get involved for the fulfillment.

3. Activity (Joshua 18-19)

The Israelites were sitting on a prime piece of real estate. It was theirs if they could divide it up among themselves. They wouldn't even do that. Joshua told them "How long will you delay going out to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, gave you?" Joshua 18:3 (HCSB). 

God wants to give us so much, but we have got to willing to get involved in the middle of it. 

• If you are praying for patience, be prepared for God to give you an opportunity to show patience. 
• If you are praying to get your family back, be ready to get yourself right.
• If you are praying for someone to be saved, be ready to witness to them yourself.

Get involved whenever God answers your prayer. Never be content to sit back and relax.

4. Protection (Joshua 20:1-9)

God offered His protection from vigilantes. It was the responsibility of each family to avenge the death of their loved one. There wasn't a police force in those day and certainly no CSI

We have also been protected by God. Our city of refuge is Jesus Christ. As we turn from our sin and run to Him, we find life. He is our high priest and will never die, so we are safe in His arms forever. How does that happen? It happens when you ask Christ into your life. When you ask for His protection from death and hell through His death on the cross. That is protection of the very best kind. Run to Him and ask Him to place His protection around you today.

Thinkin' 'Bout Oceanside

• Worship on the Deck, Sunday morning, October 30th. Because of ScareMare and also to enjoy the beauty and coolness of the weather, we will be having worship on the back deck. for the service, everything will remain the same. In addition, there will not be a Saturday night service that week. 
• ScareMare, October 29-31, After dark. If you would like to be involved, we need you. From crowd control to parking attendants, from actors to actresses, from make-up artists to carpenters, you are all needed. As a reminder, the purpose of ScareMare is to contrast death with abundant and eternal life. This is not for the faint of heart. I would not recommend for your children either. The basis of ScareMare is, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live" Deuteronomy 30:19 (HCSB). We are praying for them to choose life. For more, please go to our ScareMare website.
• Harvest Trunk or Treat, Monday Night, October 31st. One of Oceanside's best outreach activities is our Harvest Trunk or Treat party. This year it will once again be in the front yard of our church. We will have decorated car trunks, food, candy, games, and the GIANT slide. If you can get together a trunk, it would be awesome. Everyone can do something. Make sure you're a part.

Looking for opportunities from God,

Pastor Trey Rhodes