Category: America

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The Cross and the Ballot

UTDDOA2

This week, we have the great privilege to exercise our rights as Americans and vote to elect our next leaders. As citizens, it is an honor to be able to choose the leadership that will serve our country for the next few years. As Christians, it is a solemn responsibility that none of us should take lightly. Conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh once said…

“This is a frightening statistic…
More people vote in ‘American Idol’ than in any US election.”

Whether Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, Tea Party, or any other affiliation we may have politically, as citizens of Heaven, we have a responsibility — first and foremost — to make sure that our vote reflects our commitment to Christ. Baseball great Jackie Robinson once said…

“I guess you’d call me an independent, since I’ve never identified myself with one party or another in politics. I always decide my vote by taking as careful a look as I can at the actual candidates and issues themselves,
no matter what the party label.”

With issues like abortion, gay marriage, racism, sexism, environmentalism, support of Israel, religious freedom, and immigration as hot button topics, as Christians, a good question to ask ourselves would be “How would Jesus VOTE?”, and cast our ballot based on His values, regardless of the platform of our party of choice. I recently saw a great quote on social media. It said…

“A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good just because it is accepted by a majority.” ~ Unknown

In an atmosphere of political correctness, many in the church have become swayed by popular opinion and the desire to be “relevant”. While finding some common ground with those we are trying to reach is important, we cannot do so at the expense of our testimony. As Christians, we should strive to be Christ-like. But being like Jesus does not being accepting of that which God calls sin. Being like Jesus means being in the world and not of it. It means having the ability to be honest with those with whom we disagree without compromising our convictions. It means checking our egos, our popularity, and our pride at the door, and following in His steps. It means heeding the call of Christ from Mark 8:34 when He said…

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Sure… it is always much easier to “go with the flow”, than to swim upstream, but as believers in Him, that is our call.

To be righteous… at the expense of being “relevant”.

To stand… when the rest of the world bows to the idol.

To follow the true and living God… even if that path leads us through the lions’ den.

To boldly proclaim “I love Jesus”… when everyone around you is screaming “Crucify Him!”

What will your vote say about you? Will your vote reflect Jesus?

I hope so.

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America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

Lessons From A Ragamuffin

With all of the chaos going on in the world right now, for today’s blog, I thought I would keep things on the lighter side, and share a blog from one of my staff members. Dana Harding is the Social Media Director for our ministry, and is also a talented musician, producer, and writer. Before joining us “officially” at Ron Phillips Ministries in 2013, Dana produced our CenterPoint radio broadcast for almost 14 years. I actually shared one of his blogs a while back (Angels on I-40), and today, I wanted to share another of his stories, and some truth that is a good reminder for all of us…

 

Lessons I Learned from a Ragamuffin

Dusk

In my life, I have had the opportunity to get to meet and/or hang out with some pretty notable people. Through no fault of my own, but rather because of my position on any given day, or the company I was keeping at the time, I’ve met, conversed with, dined with, and picked the brains of some fairly talented, wise, and well-known people.

That being said, for my part, all of that and $1.29 would get me a cup of coffee at Joe Muggs.

Of all of the folks I have rubbed shoulders with, a few really stood out, not necessarily because they were HUGE stars, but they were influential in some way in my life. A few names stick out… Kerry Livgren (Kansas), Steve Brown, Phil Keaggy, and…

Rich Mullins.

I was working at a music store just outside of Wichita in the late ’80’s, and Rich was a client of ours. We met and talked a handful of times. He would come in the store for whatever reason, and being the retail manager, I’d get to spend some time talking to him. I remember once when we were having a Roland clinic at the store. I had called Rich to invite him, but being that he was on the road so much, I just left a message on his answering machine. Well, the day of the clinic arrived, and just before the official kickoff time, Rich showed up. I greeted him, and then he proceeded to check out all of the new goodies that the Roland Corporation was developing at that time. A little while later, he came up to me to say goodbye, and said “Hey… think you can get me one of those shirts?” He was referring to the shirt that all of the employees were wearing that had been given to us by our Roland rep. I said, “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Man, if you can get me one, I’ll be your best friend!” came the (almost child-like) excited reply. He left, and a short while later I asked my rep if I could get one more shirt. He said sure, but he’d have to send it to me since he had actually run out.

About two weeks later, the shirt came in the mail as promised (just a simple, white t-shirt with the Roland logo and campaign branding message silk-screened onto it). I called Rich, but once again got his answering machine. “Hey Rich, it’s Dana. I’ve got your Roland shirt here. Come by sometime.” I folded up the shirt, and stuck it under the counter.

About three weeks later, I looked out the glass front of the store, and saw Rich coming across the parking lot. I walked over to the counter, and grabbed the shirt. As he walked in, and across the floor to where I was standing, I tossed the shirt to him — “We’re best friends now, right?” I said jokingly. “Yeah man, we’re best friends!” he said while looking gleefully at the cheap shirt that you would have thought was an Armani suit, based on his reaction.

I left Wichita and moved back to Chattanooga later that year. A few months later, Rich came to town on tour, playing at a tiny church in the area. I had the day off, so I went over and hung out with he and the band for a little while. Unannounced, I walked in and sat down during sound check. A couple of the guys in the band who I knew saw me and greeted me, then set about setting up their instruments, and getting ready to sound check. A few minutes later, Rich walked in. He walked up the aisle, and glanced over as he was passing me. He just stopped, looking somewhat dumbfounded.

I said, “Hi Rich.”

“What are you doing here?” he queried.

I explained that, before moving to Wichita, I had lived in Chattanooga, and when I left, I just came back to Tennessee. I spent the rest of the day hanging out with the band, running guys to music stores for drumsticks and such, and eating dinner with them that evening.

About 8 years later, I learned that Rich had been killed in an auto accident. I just sat and cried.

Recently, I was watching a video of Rich singing “Hold Me, Jesus”. I had loved the song for years, but had never heard his story about writing it. It was interesting to find out that he wrote it after a night of struggling with the desire to watch one of “those movies” in a hotel room while on the road. That is what I really remember and miss about Rich… his honesty. While as blunt and unforgiving as a 2×4 upside the head, Rich’s brand of honesty was straightforward, plain-spoken, sometimes shocking, and dripping around the edges with grace.

I think it is that kind of honesty that is missing in the church today.

We skirt issues that are uncomfortable. We quietly dismiss the unpleasant as insignificant. We cling to buzzwords that we hear in church pews, conferences, and Christian concerts, in the hopes of avoiding the tough questions, and even tougher answers. Along with being the King of the Kings, Jesus was the “King of the tough statement”. He made comments and conclusions that would get Him run out of most churches in America, or at least despised within the walls. His words flew in the face of the religious establishment… and still do.

The older I get, the more I come to the conclusion that where we are missing it as the church of Jesus Christ is in that kind of honesty. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life.” One of His self-proclaimed attributes is truth. It is a part of His very being — He is the author of it. We are the Body of Christ, and as such, truth should emanate from us. Not just THE truth of the love of God, but truth… period. Truth in how we see ourselves. Truth in how we see each other. Truth in how we deal with each other on a daily basis. Francis Schaeffer once said…

“Today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes. When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died.”

Making concessions is a part of living. Sometimes we have to lay down our “rights” or our desires for a common good… I get that. But when we sacrifice truth for the sake of peace, quiet, unity, harmony, financial gain, or any other laudable motivation we can name, we risk alienating ourselves from who He is. Truth is not mutually exclusive. There is love in truth (Eph. 4:15). There is freedom in truth (John 8:32). However, we have to have the courage to speak the truth, make each other uncomfortable, and get beyond the awkwardness of being less than perfect in someone else’s eyes before we can find that freedom, or operate in that kind of love. We have a tendency to think that people are being unkind by being honest. I think if we are honest, we would find that it is within the context of truth that grace and mercy are in their respective wheelhouses. True grace and true mercy are dependent on an honest assessment of what wretches we really are.

I’ll close with this thought…

“We don’t need any more nice people who are content doing nice things. What we really need are solid, spirit controlled people who are willing to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Nice people don’t want to get involved.” ~ Rich Mullins

Blessings.

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A Clear and Present Danger

As I have observed, there are many fear-generating circumstances in our world. North Korea continues to arm itself as the world quietly looks away. The Middle East is a boiling cauldron of war, terror, and hate that is now spilling over to places like Africa, Europe, and our own shores. Christians, in particular, are being slaughtered en-masse throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Our economy continues to slide and struggle due to bad decisions made by power brokers who are more interested in special interests than the interests of the people they were sent to Washington to serve. Our government seems to play catch-up rather than give the expected leadership to our troubled world.

And exactly where are our leaders during these crises? They are at the UN harassing business leaders about the dangers of carbon and climate change.

Their “non-crisis” (the earth has been cooling for the last 18 years) has brought together our President, John Kerry, and every kook in the world to bemoan this non-danger. The earth has been through many crises and, without exception, they were catastrophic natural events — not controlled or contributed to by man:

Mt St HelensVolcanoes – A single volcano, Mount St. Helens put out more pollution in one day than all the smoke-stacks in America since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (1760-1850). With a force that was estimated to be 500 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II, the volcano erupted for 9 hours, had an initial blast that was heard 700 miles away, and killed everything for 230 square miles, including approximately 11 million animals and 4 billion feet of timber. 57 human lives were lost.
In 1883, the volcano at Krakatoa (Indonesia) erupted with 13,000 times the strength of the atomic bomb. Furthermore, when the volcano at Thera (Greece) erupted 3,500 years ago (nearly 3,300 years before the beginning of the Industrial Revolution), it is estimated to have been four to five times stronger than Krakatoa.

Earthquakes – Along with related natural events such as tsunamis, earthquakes are unpredictable, strike without warning, and leave mass devastation and casualties in their wake. The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake generated a tsunami that struck the coasts of 14 countries, including Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Over 230,000 people lost their lives.

Storms – Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and Andrew are just a few of the hurricanes that have devastated areas of the United States. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991, nicknamed The Perfect Storm, cost over $200 million in damages and killed 13 people. In comparison, Hurricane Katrina, considered the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, killed in excess of 1,800 people, and cost an estimated $108 billion in damages.

Asteroids – We hear more and more of asteroids passing close to Earth. In fact, a number of asteroids have hit the Earth in the past, causing major devastation. One instance in 1490 saw 10,000 people killed in the Chinese town of Ch’ing-yang when an asteroid broke apart overhead.

One has but to read the pages of Scripture to understand that God Almighty controls the times, seasons, weather, winds, oceans, and celestial bodies. While we are to be good stewards of the earth He has given us, we have no more control over the climate, weather, or natural catastrophes than we have over the earth spinning around the sun, and it is sheer arrogance to think we do. Climate change is the least of our world’s “man-made” issues.

ISIS flagWhat should be of grave concern to the people of the world is the growing threat of Islamic groups such as ISIS. As this plague moves across the Middle East, killing at will all who stand in their path, we have leadership that refuses to identify the root problem: Islamic ideology. When a known Islamic Army officer screams “Allahu Akbar!” while shooting and killing unarmed army personnel, our leaders call it “workplace violence.” When an Islamic worker posts a quote from the Quran on his Facebook page, stating, “I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers; smite ye about their necks“, then proceeds to behead a co-worker in Oklahoma, our leaders call it “workplace violence”.

However, when an unstable young man kills students at Sandy Hook Elementary, the commission investigating it calls for a crackdown on HOMESCHOOLERS???

Just since 2001, tens of thousands of people around the world (many of whom are Christians) have been killed in the name of Islam. Yet, our government is going to crack down on homeschoolers because one former homeschool student kills 27 people?

Folks… I’ve said it before: It’s time to WAKE UP! In ISIS, we face a growing threat to the whole world. Should Iraq and Syria fall, an already unstable region will spin out of control. Do you understand that, should Pakistan fall to ISIS, these terrorists will have nuclear weapons at their disposal?

Isn’t it time for our leaders to get out in front of this, and stop ignoring a “clear and present danger” simply because it does not fit into their talking points, their political correctness, or their social calendar?

But even more important: Isn’t it time for we, the Church, to stand up, speak up, and pray up?

Personally, I think it is.

Lady Liberty

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September 11 and Facing the Spirit of Fear

It was the evening of November 30, 1977…

For those of us old enough to remember (and before the days of VCR’s, DVR’s, and YouTube), it was the night that Americans gathered around our television sets and watched with mixed emotions the final Christmas special featuring the great Bing Crosby. Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas, originally taped toward the end of summer that year in London, England, featured Bing along with his family and a few guests. Just over a month after the taping, on October 14, Bing died suddenly from a massive heart attack following a round of golf with friends.

One of the highlights of the program was a duet by Bing and a young David Bowie. It was a beautiful rendition of the song Little Drummer Boy, arranged together as a medley with a song called Peace on Earth. As Bing’s low baritone voice sang out the familiar “ba-rum-bum-bum-bum”, David Bowie sang out the higher counter-melody…

Peace on Earth,
Can it be?
Years from now
Perhaps we’ll see;
See the day of glory,
See the day
When men of good will live in peace,
Live in peace again.*

* Tune and lyrics, written by Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman, and Alan Kohan

Peace on Earth. Since that night on a Judean hillside when the hosts of Heaven filled the sky with the refrain of “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men“, men of good will throughout the centuries have long worked for peace. As Bing Crosby and David Bowie sang once again a plea for peace on Earth, no one knew the irony of what they were singing… and when. You see, the day that they taped that segment of the show was September 11, 1977.

September 11, 2001

9-11Fast forward exactly 34 years as Americans watched in horror the tragedy of that day unfold before our very eyes. A handful of Islamic terrorists brought the reality of their radical ideology to the shores of our country in an attack unlike anything since December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. When all was said and done, four planes had crashed, the World Trade Center was reduced to rubble, the Pentagon was in flames, a field in Pennsylvania was strewn with fiery wreckage, and nearly 3,000 American citizens had lost their lives. They were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and grandparents. They were business people, students, athletes, blue-collar workers, housewives, politicians, and children. And in the days that followed, as we learned of the facts surrounding the events of that day, Americans spoke out with a cry of defiant resolve…

We will NEVER forget.

But as we spend this day in reflection on the events of September 11, 2001, I have to ask…

Have we?

Have we forgotten what it felt like that day? Have we forgotten the feelings of fear and uncertainty that gave way to anger for this violation against our nation? Have we forgotten the sorrow at the loss of our friends and loved ones, and the determination to never let it happen again on our watch?

Most importantly, have we forgotten our reliance upon God during those dark nights?

In 1 Peter 5:8, the apostle writes…

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

When quoting that verse, we have a tendency to focus on the second part; the descriptive about our enemy. But many times, we neglect our responsibility in the verse, that being the first four words…

Be sober, be vigilant…

I find it interesting that, as a nation founded upon our reliance on God, and having spent the better part of the past 4 decades trying to distance ourselves from God, we now find ourselves fighting an enemy that is waging a war based on a religious ideology, claiming to be fighting in the name of God. The fact is, we are fighting a demonically influenced political ideology that masks itself in the shroud of religion. As we see events unfolding in the Middle East, the persecution and murder of Christians by Muslims, the infiltration of Islam in our own culture, and unresolved events such as the Benghazi attack on our diplomatic team, it is all meant to incite one thing…

Fear.

But the real fear we face is more sinister than just the fear of a group or ideology. The absence of truth and absolutes in our culture has created a vacuum, and fear has been more than willing to fill the void. We have become afraid to speak the truth for fear of being called intolerant. We are afraid of standing up for Godliness and holiness for fear of being labeled a bigot. We are afraid to speak out against social injustice for fear of being called a racist. We are afraid to stand for traditional marriage and family values for fear of being called a homophobe. We are afraid to stand against the evils of Muslim ideology for fear of being called an Islamophobe. The list goes on…

However, cowering in fear from the onslaught of the enemy — whatever socio-political-religious mask he chooses to wear — should not be the response of any follower of Jesus Christ. After all, we have this declaration…

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

Being the habitation of God Almighty, we have unlimited power. As recipients of the finished work of Jesus, we have received unrelenting love. As believers in His holiness and righteousness, we have taken on the mind of Christ. In light of these things, as the Psalmist said…

The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid? ~ Psalm 27:1

So while we are called to be sober and vigilant, and to walk in faith and truth instead of fear, we can walk in the belief that our Prince of Peace has come, and gives us peace — peace that no man can take away. We can move forward from this day — September 11, 2014 — as the day that we resolve to no longer allow the enemy to keep us in bondage to fear, but will live according to the promise of Romans 8:15…

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Peace be with you and yours,
Pastor Ron

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An Invitation

Big Event Collage

Our annual partner and friends event, The Big Event, is coming up in less than a month, and I am very excited about it. I could go on at length, and discuss the amazing things God did in years past. I could talk about the great lineup of speakers we have this year – speakers like Perry Stone, Damon Thompson, Rod Parsley, Randy Caldwell, and more. I could say much about the worship, the fun we have, and the work that we are doing around the world. I could explain more about why we are celebrating 5 Days of Jubilee.

I could… but instead, how about I just show you?

Watch these three short videos, and you’ll get a small taste of what The Big Event is all about. I would love for you to come be a part. You can register for FREE online, and if you register by September 21, your name will be entered for a chance to win one of two Kindle Fire HDs we will be giving away at The Big Event.

So help me out today…

Watch these videos.

Make plans now to attend The Big Event 2014, September 24-28, 2014

Share this blog post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc

A Taste of The Big Event

5 Days of Jubilee

Mission: Pine Ridge

I look forward to seeing you at The Big Event: 5 Days of Jubilee!

Pastor Ron

 

Big Event Collage

 

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Agreement at Work: #ALSIceBucketChallenge

For a couple of months now, I have been mentioning my new book (co-written with my son Ronnie), The Power of Agreement. We have appeared on numerous TV shows, radio programs, and magazine articles discussing how agreement with God and agreement with each other is the key to Kingdom living, and opens the doors of blessing in our lives. God Himself understood the power, positive or negative, that was contained in agreement when He stated (in reference to the building of Tower of Babel)…

If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ~ Genesis 11:6

Well, unless you have been living on a secluded desert island for the past couple of weeks, you are seeing these principles play out right before your eyes.

Exhibit A: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

imageYou cannot venture onto social media for 2 minutes without seeing a video of someone getting a bucket of icewater dumped on their head. The ALS Icebucket Challenge has become one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in recent memory, raising awareness about the horrors of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). From July 29 to August 22, the ALS Association has raised more than $50 million through the Challenge. As a point of reference, during the same period last year, they raised approximately $2.2 million. Actors, musicians, prominent business people, and politicians (including former president George W. Bush) have joined the ranks of “the rest of us” and can be seen taking a bucket of icewater over the head, all for the sake of standing in unity for a cure for those afflicted with this awful disease. People from all walks of life, religious persuasions, ethnicities, and social statuses have come into agreement and said this is something we can all get behind.

So what are some other things the church can get behind?

What are those things that, in spite of our differences in theology, we can come together on and make a difference in the world? We may never totally agree on dispensationalism, worship styles, or methods of baptism. But can we set aside our differences about such things to come together on issues that are going to make an eternal difference in the destinies of the people in our communities, countries, and world? What are some things we can choose to agree on, and find agreement with God about, that will affect those around us?

imageAn intriguing question? I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.

Here’s some thoughts from Jesus to help you start the process…

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;  I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” ~ Matthew 25:31-46

 

 

 

 

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In The Wake of Jihad

On Wednesday, it was announced that American journalist James Foley was brutally beheaded by ISIS Islamic militants in Iraq. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Foley, and pray God’s strength and comfort for them during this time.

In the wake of these events, I can stay silent no longer.

Christian          I have done everything I can to contact those in leadership in our nation – the President, the Vice-President, our congressmen and senators — about the murder, the slaughter, and the disgrace that we are allowing to happen, first in Syria, and now in Iraq. It is a national shame, and America will give an account to God for allowing this to happen… and I’m not talking about what has happened in just the past few weeks.

We have sat back in this country and allowed the Islamic caliphate to almost take over. I stated years ago, when the “Arab Spring” started in Tunisia, that they were trying to rebuild the Islamic caliphate. (The Islamic caliphate starts in Tunisia, goes to Egypt, skips Saudi Arabia, then continues to Iraq, Syria, and Turkey — the old Ottoman Empire.) I’ve said for years that the Antichrist is coming out of a revived Ottoman Empire, not a revived Roman Empire. I stated when the “Arab Spring” happened that Hosni Mubarak should never have been overthrown in Egypt; we had a better friend in him than we did in Morsi, who the military in Egypt was forced to overthrow before he destroyed the country. America has stood back and allowed a 20-year friend, who had peace with Israel, to be lied about and run out of office in Egypt. Since 2012, we have watched the same scenario play out in Syria with President Assad.  While he was accused of using chemical weapons on his own people, there is much evidence reported to the contrary (including the testimony of a Syrian guest who visited Abba’s House in 2011). However, since coming into office, the Assad regime has not fired a shot at Israel or America.  The fact is that Syria has not exhibited any aggression toward Israel since 1973. The largest synagogue in the Middle East was in Aleppo, Syria, and was being protected by Assad. Yet, it is the rebels in Syria who were known for telling Christians to “either convert to Islam or die.” There was actually one video making it’s rounds on social media of a “rebel leader” who, while standing over his defeated foe, cut the man open, cut out his heart, and ate it. And THESE were the people we were supposed to be pulling for??? These were the people our government was purportedly supporting against the Assad regime??? Now, as a result, the largest group of Aramaic-speaking Christians — a genealogy of Christians who date back to the time of Christ — have been scattered and slaughtered under our watch.

What we as Americans have allowed to happen with regard to the slaughter of our fellow Christians, not only in Syria and Iraq, but in the Sudan as well — people by the thousands being driven from their homes by Muslims — has got to stop, even if it has to stop at gunpoint. There comes a time that you have to fight for your family, fight for what is right, and fight for what you believe in.

I have been saying for the past couple of years that what we are now seeing in the Middle East was coming. In 2011, I spend four Sunday nights discussing the coming storm of Islam in our world. Now it is coming to pass before our eyes. It’s time for every person reading my blog — Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Tea Party, Independent… whoever you are — to speak up and let your voice be heard by the people you elected into political office, and start making a difference. It’s high time for those in our government to stop hiding behind political correctness, start calling these events, and the people involved in them by their proper names, and start using the power of our government, whether it be political, financial, humanitarian, or military, to help these Christians who are being slaughtered “en masse” by Muslims all over the Middle East. When I see rallies being held on our own American soil in support of known-terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and ISIS… we have gone too far. When I see celebrity-types speaking out of defiant ignorance, and slamming our Israeli friends and allies, it is time to put the truth out there.

WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!

I believe in peace, but even Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). In Hebrews 12, Paul says, “You’ve not resisted unto blood” fighting against sin. I am telling you right now, it does not take a PhD or a rocket scientist to figure out that cutting off the heads of children and placing them on poles for public display, raping women and murdering their husbands, and forcing people from their homes and sending them to flee and die of starvation and thirst in the desert — all because they are Christians — is evil. This type of behavior should not and can not be tolerated in the world in which we live. Maybe you don’t agree with me now, but you probably will when they show up on our shores, and force your wives and daughters to wear a burka, and mutilate their bodies in the name of Allah.

It’s time for the church of Jesus Christ in America to WAKE UP!

It is time for those in our government to stop playing “political chess” with every two-bit dictatorship around the world, and stirring up the pot of political unrest in these places, overthrowing leaders who are less-than-perfect, and creating political vacuums that are being filled with the horrors of Islamic ideology. It’s time for the people of our great nation to demand more from their leadership than empty promises from empty suits. It’s time to start holding leaders accountable for the words they speak. It’s time for the people of America to start having an attention span that lasts longer than the last worthless sound-bite, and start demanding truth, accountability, justice, and righteousness from those in the seats of power in Washington D.C., and every capital building in every state across this great land. It’s time for the Church to be the Church, come together in unity, and be the force that has the ability to change the world with the most powerful weapon in the universe… the love of Jesus.

This link is to a video recorded on the floor of the Iraqi parliament on August 5, 2014. It is approximately three minutes long… please watch.

We cannot sit and do nothing any longer. We must take a stand against evil at home and abroad. We must pray fervently. We must all contact our representatives and leaders and demand more from them. Demand the truth be told. Demand action be taken. Demand that this country, firmly established and founded upon Judeo-Christian values, take a stand against the tyranny of Islam that is being perpetrated across the deserts of the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and is slowly seeping into the fabric of our great nation. While I am all for religious freedom, what I will not stand by silently and watch is for a political ideology that masks itself as a religion to invade our nation, and steal the hope of a better future from the rising generation.

May God bless America, protect our Christian brothers and sisters abroad, and grant peace to Jerusalem, all of Israel, and the Middle East.

Pastor Ron

 

To write the President of the USA:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers for the White House:
Comments: 202-456-1111

Switchboard: 202-456-1414

FAX: 202-456-2461

Send E-Mail:

President Barack Obama:
president@whitehouse.gov

Vice President Joe Biden:
vice.president@whitehouse.gov

To contact your member of Congress, please visit… http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship Healing Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith The Secret Place

When The Laughter Goes Silent

This week, our nation lost two greats in the entertainment industry. On Tuesday, iconic actress Lauren Bacall passed away at the age of 89 after reportedly suffering a major stroke. The wife of legendary actor Humphrey Bogart, Ms. Bacall appeared in dozens of movies and television shows. Having outlived her husband by over 50 years, she lived a long life beyond the grief of loss, and went on to be an award-winning actress, known for her cynical humor and her straightforward personality. She once said…

I figure if I have my health, can pay the rent, and I have my friends, I call it ‘content.’

Robin WilliamsBut while the news of Ms. Bacall’s death was being announced, the world was still reeling from the shock of the news, just the day before, of the death of actor Robin Williams. At the age of 63, leaving a loving family, devoted friends, and a successful career including several movies currently in production, Mr. Williams committed suicide in his home just outside of San Francisco. As the news was confirmed of the manner of his death, a collective “why???” went up from the general public. Known not just for his talent as both a funnyman and a dramatic actor, Mr. Williams was, by all accounts, a kind and generous person as well. Testimony after testimony — of family, friends, and complete strangers — over the past few days bears this out. Friends and co-workers went on talk shows and discussed what a kind person he was. Strangers on social media posted pictures from meeting him on the street, and talked about how gracious he was. An entertainment icon, an Academy Award-Winning actor, a genuine humanitarian (as evidenced by his multiple trips in support of our troops overseas, as well as work for charities like St. Judes Children’s Hospital)… what makes a person with that kind of success choose to end their own life?

A 2011 CDC report states that suicide is the #2 cause of death in Americans aged 15-34, and the #3 cause in adults ages 35-44. While no case is exactly the same, the reasons for suicide are often related to personal loss, depression, financial stress, and family issues. In the case of Mr. Williams, struggles with substance abuse, career issues, and severe depression were cited as possible contributing factors in his death.

So how do we go forward, as a society, and stem the tide of the plague of suicide in our nation? What can we as individuals and Christians do to stop this tragedy from touching those close to us, in our circles of influence?

First of all, we need to open our eyes. As believers in Christ, we make it a point to say that “we are in the world, but not of it”. For many, however, being “not of it” tends to make us mentally disconnect from what is going on around us. Although He came as the King of Heaven, Jesus was keenly aware of the pain and suffering going on around Him. Jesus reached out to the needs in the world as He encountered them: He fed the hungry, He healed the sick, He raised the dead. He ministered to the big crowds, but He also dealt with people one-on-one, sometime in the secretive dead-of-night (see John 3 – story of Nicodemus). Just as Jesus did, we must take notice of those around us, and be proactive when confronted with need. It is the example of Jesus that offers hope to those in need of it.

We must listen without judging. One person’s minor irritation is another person’s major crisis. Without the knowledge of where another person has been, we cannot assume to know exactly what they are feeling. So many times, we want to give advice without knowing all of the facts. Take the time to listen — REALLY LISTEN — to what someone is saying, and make it a point to listen, not just to what they are saying, but to how they are saying it. Learn to read between the lines. Love, manifested in genuine concern, has a way of bringing pain to the surface.

A friend of mine had a brother who committed suicide when he was younger. He shared with me that, while he knew his brother was having some problems, he didn’t know to what extent. As it turned out, there was more going on in his brother’s life than he knew, because he would share one thing with one person, and another with someone else. It wasn’t until after he passed away that friends and family members put all the pieces together, and began to comprehend the extent of his sorrow and pain. Take the time to sit down, share a cup of coffee (or 10), and just listen. Sometimes, that very act lets a person in pain know that they are not alone. Sometimes, a soft touch and kind word can give that person the resolve to live another day. Former talk-show host Phil Donahue once made a very true observation…

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Finally, we must see people for who they are. We are all unique creations of the Creator. We all have extreme value in the eyes of God. We are all challenged in different areas, and the problem of depression is no less real than diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. Sometimes depression can be the result of wrong choices we make in everyday life. Sometimes, it can be the result of a chemical imbalance. As a minister who has dealt for years in Spiritual Warfare, I know that some types of depression are demonic at their root, whether handed down through generations (generational curses), or demonic doors of depression that are opened through one’s own actions. Regardless of the reason and just like any disease, depression (and mental illness) must be properly diagnosed in order to be dealt with. Individuals suffering from depression must know they have people who love them standing beside them, caring and not critical. They must be encouraged to get the help they need, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual (or oftentimes, a combination).

I encourage all of you reading this today: Be the light of the love of Jesus in another person’s life. Love the misunderstood. Reach out to the “unlovable”. Learn to recognize pain in the eyes of those around you. If someone needs to talk, be that ear. If they need to cry, be that shoulder. If they need more help than you can give, be that companion that accompanies them to the pastor or counselor who can help. Make it a point to make every person you come into contact with know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that they are not alone in this world.

“I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.” ~ Robin Williams

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith

With One Voice

Christian

As we wake to a new day, our Christian brothers and sisters in places like Iraq, Syria, Iran, and elsewhere in the Middle East are living in fear and terror, their very lives being threatened. As we see the events unfolding in Iraq as ISIS marches across the nation, pillaging and slaughtering at will, we think back to the last presidential election, when we were led to believe that Al-Qaeda was all but destroyed. We now face an enemy that, although affiliated with Al-Qaeda, was apparently “kicked-out” because Al-Qaeda considered them “too radical”. Scarier still is the fact that, while the Taliban has an operating budget of approximately $70 million, and Al-Qaeda had a budget (prior to 9-11) of about $30 million, some estimates put the ISIS bankroll at approximately $500 million. Some would even say that the ISIS army has grown to a size larger than the armies of some legitimate countries.

A Pew Research poll in 2013 found that over 75% of Americans claim to be Christians, while only an estimated 0.6% claim to be Muslim. If this is the case, why is the Christian voice not being heard? Why are Christians constantly being mis-characterized, turned into caricatures, and ignored? Why are our leaders marginalizing the plight of Christians in the world, and acting (if at all) too little, too late?

As you read this, approximately 300,000 Christians in Iraq are fleeing for their lives. As you enjoy your morning coffee, American Pastor Saeed Abedini still sits in an Iranian jail cell. While liberals will invoke “the children” to pass everything from gun control to healthcare to global warming legislation, what about Pastor Abedini’s children? Will their recent video appeal to our President go unanswered? What about the children in Iraq, who are being beheaded by this barbaric horde that is razing Iraq at this very moment?

As I said last week, our leadership in Washington D.C. cannot sit idly by and allow this persecution, genocide, and chaos to continue. I am asking all of my friends who follow this blog to help me spread the word. It is time for our nation to rise up and demand that our leaders stop sitting on their hands and start doing more to protect our Middle Eastern brothers and sisters in Christ who are trapped by these barbaric terrorist groups and regimes.

So, please consider doing three things today…

1) Pray. Pray for the supernatural safety and protection of our Christian family throughout these troubled places in the world.

2) Share. Help us spread the word by sharing this blog post with your friends and family. Encourage them to do the same.

3) Speak up. Let your voice be heard. It is time to hold our leaders accountable for both their actions as well as their inaction. Contact our leaders, and let them know you expect more from them.

Below is a number of ways you can make your voice heard. Please consider calling or emailing President Obama and/or your members of Congress, and demand that the United States do more in this crisis. It is time for the Body of Christ to come together in unity, and stand firmly against the forces of darkness that threaten our nation and our world. It is time for the light of Jesus to shine brightly… unwavering and unapologetic.

To write the President of the USA:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers for the White House:
Comments: 202-456-1111

Switchboard: 202-456-1414

FAX: 202-456-2461

Send E-Mail:

President Barack Obama:
president@whitehouse.gov

Vice President Joe Biden:
vice.president@whitehouse.gov

To contact your member of Congress, please visit… http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God

The Deception of Diversity

A recent poll revealed an interesting statistic regarding sexual orientation in our nation. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention poll reveals that, when asked regarding sexual orientation, only 1.6% of American adults self-identify as being gay or lesbian, and 0.7% as bisexual.* Yet, the LGBT lobby has become one of the most powerful political lobbies in America.

So, why is that?

Consider this story from the Bible…

      Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. ~ Genesis 11:1-9

God created unity to be a powerful force, but misguided unity can be just as powerful. By His own admission, He knew that, in order to thwart the prideful plan man had devised, He would have to create confusion and disunity. God knew there is great power in agreement…

If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

By confusing their languages, it brought the building of the Tower of Babel to a screeching halt.

If we take the above statistic and plug it in according to the population of the United States (317 million), that would mean that there are approximately 7,291,000 people who claim to participate in an LGBT lifestyle. Now, contrast that with the fact that there are between 75-100 million people in the United States that claim to be Christians.

So why does the LGBT community seem to have a louder voice than a Christian community more than 10 times it’s size?

It’s all about unity.

Consider a beehive. Science tells us that, in the course of an individual bee’s life, it will produce 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey. However, an average beehive will produce 60 lbs. of honey in a year. Bees “know” that it is not about the individual bee. It is about the entire community working together to complete the task — queen, drones, and workers united for a single task, with everyone performing the function they are made for, not concerning themselves with what they are not meant to do.

The liberal idea of diversity is killing our nation. Liberals think that, in order to be diverse, we must accept everything — unacceptable or not. It is the idea that I must unquestioningly throw my support behind those things that are contrary to my convictions. We have seen it recently in the infamous Hobby Lobby case: The idea that, in the name of anti-discrimination, and “women’s rights“, a family-owned company must sacrifice their own faith-based convictions on the altar of political correctness and diversity. Liberals choose to ignore that real facts (that of the more than a dozen types of birth control Hobby Lobby offers their employees, the only one in question was an abortifacient that ends the life of a fetus), as well as the inherent hypocrisy of a law that, in the name of anti-discrimination, discriminates against people of faith. You cannot sacrifice truth for diversity. You cannot claim to be positively diverse simply because you have a bunch of differing opinions, races, and ideologies. Lack of a distinctive is not constructive diversity… it’s just randomness.

True constructive diversity is different elements working together for a common purpose or good. If a football team was made up of a bunch of punters, you could kick field-goals all day, but you probably would not get close enough to make one. If a baseball team was made up of a bunch of outfielders, who would pitch the ball? In sports, a team is made up of a diversity of talented individuals who all serve a common purpose in differing capacities. A Swiss watch is a precision timepiece made up of a diversity of useful parts, all working together. However, if those parts are not aligned and set up correctly, all you have is a box of junk. An orchestra is a vast array of instruments — some brass, some wooden, some stringed, some percussive — that, when playing a Prokoviev concerto in unity (not to be confused with unison), creates a beautiful, dynamic, and emotionally moving sound. Remember, unison is everyone playing the same part. Unity is many different parts working together for a common goal. World War II General George Patton once said…

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.

So why is the church not more of an effective voice in our society? Why are we the largest, yet most ignored group in America?

Lack of unity.

We major on the minors. We fight between denominations and church groups. Within our individual churches, we fight over craziness… the color of hymnals, our worship styles, the visions different groups within the church have for the church, parking spaces…

It’s time for the church to stop dying on hills of battle that don’t matter, and look to the One who died on the hill called Calvary. The life and example of Jesus should be the standard by which we all live. The Word of God should be the benchmark for how we relate and confront a society that is bent on removing His Presence and guiding hand from all memory. If we would stop trying to pressure the church down the street into our image, and instead join hands with others of differing styles but the same Lord, the Church of Jesus Christ could once again be a mighty voice for righteousness, goodness, and promise in a society adrift, without a moral compass or hope.

Unity is the beginning of revival! A Church in unity would be a force strong enough to weather any storm, and intriguing enough to attract the hardest heart to the love of Christ.

* http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/health-survey-gives-government-its-first-large-scale-data-on-gay-bisexual-population/2014/07/14/2db9f4b0-092f-11e4-bbf1-cc51275e7f8f_story.html