Category: Living It Out In Real Time

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Come Home

Easter is just around the corner. It’s a time of resurrection, new life, and new beginnings. More than probably any other season, Easter best represents the hope we have because without the resurrection, the birth and death of Jesus would have little power. There are plenty of religions in the world whose object of affection is lying in a grave. As Christians, we serve the former Occupant of an empty tomb; we serve a Savior who conquered death, Hell, and the grave, rose from the dead, and is seated in a place of honor above all powers, kings, dominions, and principalities.

AH StatueI would like to take this blog today to invite you to come home to Abba’s House this Easter. No matter where you have been, what you have done, or what you have gone through, there is a God who loves you, and wants to spend eternity with you. He is the Father who is standing on the porch, waiting for you to come home so He can wrap you in His arms, and give you a place of honor at the table.

Please join us Easter Sunday, April 20 at 10:30a.m. There’s always room for more, and Abba’s House is a place of love, acceptance, and joy. I would love to see you, meet you, and let you know how much you mean to our Heavenly Father, and how important you are to Him.

So come join us this Easter.

Come into His Presence.

Come home to Abba’s House.

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Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith The Secret Place Through The Looking Glass

When The Mighty Oaks Fall…

For about 14 years, I had a radio program called CenterPoint. The person who produced my program was a recording-producer who was a member of my church.

Sunlight thru trees-editedA few years back, we had a series of storms and tornadoes come through our area, and there was a LOT of damage throughout the region. On our first visit back to the studio after the storms, while there was no damage to his home or studio, there was significant damage to my producer’s property (it was actually determined by the NWS that a tornado had, in fact, passed across the back of his property). He told me that the thing that really made an impression was that, although he had many smaller pine trees (which in our area have very shallow roots, and fall fairly regularly), it was actually several mighty oak trees that fell. In one place, three that were close to each other fell together, decimating everything around them… including some trees that were larger. He told me that, while he was never surprised when the pines fell, he never really concerned himself with the oaks. They seemed nearly invincible.

Snow 1JSometimes, what happens in the natural is a picture of what is going on in the spirit. How many times have we put our trust in something or someone we deem greater than ourselves, only to watch them fall, and leave those around devastated? How many times have we looked at the “mighty oaks” in our lives for security, only to watch them collapse, and leave us questioning everything else? How often have we seen the “small trees” in our life lead to the demise of that in which we placed an inordinate amount of faith and trust, leaving us shaken and confused?

So, what is their problem? How could they let us down like that? How could they put us in this “crisis of faith”?

Maybe the problem is not with them at all.

Maybe the problem is with us. Maybe it is our unreasonable expectations and misplaced faith that led us to this place of crisis.

Putting our faith and trust in anything or anyone but God will, inevitably, lead to disappointment. After all, He is the only One with the ability to make good on such a promise…

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways acknowledge Him,
    and He shall direct your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Sometimes, when all is stripped away, we find that the love of God is the only thing we have left.

However, it is at those lowest of times that we find that the love of God is all that we really need.

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America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

Will the Real Jesus Please Show Up?

Go with me here…

Imagine if Jesus were a guest speaker in the average church. First, ever the good Samaritan, He may be running slightly late, having stopped to help some unfortunate family stranded  by the side of the road. When He finally arrives, He catches some cold stares from folks lingering in the vestibule. They notice that He isn’t wearing a suit and tie, but the work clothes of a carpenter (now stained with dirt, oil, and grease from the encounter with the unfortunate family’s broken down vehicle).

We hurry Jesus to the pastor’s office where we hand Him our bulletin. With a smile at the corners of His lips, He gives our printed order of worship a passing glance, and mumbles, “We’ll see.”

The choir begins the call to worship, and we walk in with Him. Suddenly, several individuals begin to scream and cry out, “Jesus, why have you come to torment us?” They fall at His feet, writhing and crying out. Everyone stares at the scene, trying to guess what Jesus will do. Will He deal with such things in church?

imageJesus gazes around at the crowd, His eyes sweeping over the audience as if searching out every needy soul. He speaks again the words He once read in the synagogue:

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the Gospel to the poor;
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. ~ Luke 4:18 NKJV

Turning to those still writhing at His feet, Jesus casts out the demons simply by saying, “Come out of them.” The delivered people lie quietly in the aisles of the church. Suddenly, others begin to move forward as the sick begin coming toward Him for His touch. He lays hands on them one by one and, regardless of their malady, they are instantly healed. With leaps and shouts of joy, they begin praising God for healing them.

After a few minutes, Jesus quiets the crowd and begins to teach with authority, as sinners begin to weep under the conviction His words bring. Before a formal invitation can even begin, people are flocking to the altar, falling prostrate before Him in glorious salvation.

Word soon spreads to the children’s church that Jesus is in the building, and they leave behind their craft projects and Sunday School papers to find Him. With noisy enthusiasm, the children burst through the sanctuary doors. Embarrassed parents lunge to restrain them as the little ones scramble to where Jesus is standing, clamoring for His touch. Jesus addresses the adults in the room:

Let the little children come unto Me.

He then proceeds to touch all of them with a blessing.

Young people gather around Him next, begging to follow Him as disciples. He asks them if they are willing to take up His cross. Will they go anywhere? Are they willing do endure the hardship that being a disciple will inevitably bring?

Dozens volunteer.

While all of this transpires, an outside door creaks open as a young man, tattered, filthy, and smelling like a pigsty slips in the back – unnoticed – and slowly makes his way across and around the back of the room.

Soon, the aged saints with youth still in their hearts come, asking, “Is it true we will have a body like Yours?” He smiles at them and tells them of the glorious victory they will have over the grave. He blesses them for their faithfulness and charges them to continue their mentoring of the younger saints. They step back from His words with hope restored, feeling a new vigor to go on and serve Him as long as they live.

Then suddenly, a woman with the marks of the world on her countenance begins to weep loudly. Her face is tear-streaked with makeup that could never hide the ravages of her immorality. She falls at His feet, covering them with tears as she receives His pardon.

On the other side of the building, music begins to sound, as there is a commotion in the aisle. We hear a voice cry out, “This my son was dead, and is alive again! He was lost, but now is found!” Our attention turns to a well-dressed older gentleman dancing with and hugging the tattered young man who had snuck in just moments before.

By this time, the church leaders are gathering in the back of the church… watching. One man says, “I cannot believe that our pastor brought this radical into our church.” Another replies, “We’d better get this back in hand quickly.” Another speaks, “Some of our best people have left upset today.”

So, I ask you… Does the real Jesus dare show up in our churches?

Too many churches have learned how to operate without Jesus, much like the end-time church of Laodicea. No doubt, the LORD makes this same lament over our churches today…

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked… Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ~ Revelation 3:15-17, 20-21

imageRecently in our own church, we had a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit at a Wednesday evening service. When it came time for me to preach, there was no reason to… we were in the middle of experiencing the very thing I was going to speak on. It’s fine to talk about the move of God, and how He should work in our churches. However, when He shows up, we have to be willing to get out of the way, and let Him move.

Jesus’ presence should be evident today in all of our services through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Churches will be different when He shows up in full power! Today, the church is a colony of Heaven. We are outposts of another Kingdom beyond time and space. These outposts we should be expressions of Jesus’ presence and power. The power of “the world to come” must be evident in our churches. The powers of Heaven can be ours through the down-payment of the Holy Spirit. The supernatural should be “the norm” in the life of the church.

~ adapted from Awakened By The Spirit by Ron Phillips

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

Keep Calm… and Focus.

We are living in a time of uncertainty. We are living in an age that, in spite of all of our toys and technology, we can’t answer the seemingly simple questions. We can transplant a human heart from one person into another, but we cannot cure the common cold. We have the technology to put people in space, but we’re still baffled by cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer’s. We talk about hope and change, yet we have a media that thrives on agenda-driven bad news and fear-mongering.

And for any of us who still watch the news, two stories have captivated the headlines for days now: The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, and the events unfolding in the Ukraine.

When Flight 370 went missing on March 8, most people assumed it was just another unfortunate plane crash. However, after days of searching without any sign of wreckage, our thoughts quickly turned to something more dastardly: terrorism. Upon the discovery that two passengers were (allegedly) on the plane with fake passports, as well as many questions surrounding the pilot, the idea that the plane had not, in fact, crashed began to surface. Was it possible that the plane had been hijacked for some nefarious purpose? Most of us still remember the feelings we felt in the pit of our stomach when 9-11 unfolded right before our eyes. Could this be the precursor to another 9-11?

And while all of the events surrounding Flight 370 were taking place, the world has been watching events unfold in the Ukraine as Russia announced the annexation of the Crimea into the Russian empire. While world leaders have denounced Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, and promised sanctions against the nation and it’s leadership, for the rest of us over the age of 30, we feel as though history is repeating itself, and are left wondering if we are seeing the genesis of another Cold War.

And all of it is having the same effect: Fear. We’re afraid of flying, afraid of traveling, and afraid for those who are. We’re in fear that history is coming full-circle, and that the days of school children hiding under desks, anti-Russian rhetoric, and threats of nuclear war are back on the table. So what are we supposed to do? How should we conduct ourselves during uncertain times?

Keep calmWell… to coin a phrase from a 1939 British motivational poster, we should “Keep Calm”.

Recently, my wife and I had the pleasure of a visit from my daughter and her kids. While they were staying with us, my (only) granddaughter wanted to go see a movie, so we went to see Catching Fire, from the popular Hunger Games series. There is a scene in the movie in which the evil President Snow is discussing with Plutarch Heavensbee (another “bad guy”) how to destroy Katniss Everdeen, the story’s heroine. Part of their conversation really caught my attention…

Plutarch Heavensbee: “Shut down the black markets take away what little they have, then double the amount of floggings and executions… put them on TV. Broadcast them live! Sow fear, more fear.”

President Snow: “It won’t work. Fear does not work as long as they have hope…”

That’s it. That’s the bottom line when it comes to dealing with fear…

Hope.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a Hope. Our hope is in the fact that this world, although a temporary residence, is not our home. We can follow the instruction of the Apostle Paul by being…

“… Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12

There is a very short, yet very powerful scene in the movie 42. It is the first time that Jackie Robinson steps out onto the field in a Dodgers uniform. He hears the cheers of the crowd, but then the voices of hate hurling racial epithets at him cut through the cheers. Just as he is beginning to focus on those voices, he hears another sound… he turns his focus to a small section of African-Americans in the grandstand, cheering him on. A slight smile comes across his face, and the hate-filled cat-calls fade into the distance. The hateful cries were still there. What made the difference?

Focus.

We can choose to focus on the negatives. We can choose to focus on our past experiences and perceptions. We can listen to the panicked cries coming from the agenda-driven media-elite. We can choose to ignore the fact that, for every airplane that experiences tragedy, hundreds of thousands of flights take place without a hitch. We can barricade ourselves up in our homes with our TV remotes and smartphones, isolating ourselves from the world.

Or…

We can arm ourselves with Hope. We can put on the full armor of God. We can stand boldly in the face of adversity and, while the world falls apart around us, shine the light of Jesus on our signs that read “Hope Found Here”. We can reach out to those around us, and make a difference. Hope is life. Hope is real. Hope is contagious.

Hope is Jesus.

So, what’s it going to be? You have the rest of the day (and your life) before you… where is your focus going to be? How are you going to change the corner of the world that you are touching?

In the Hunger Games, they have a saying…

“May the odds be ever in your favor.”

With Jesus as your Hope… they are.

Pastor Ron

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America Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith The Secret Place Through The Looking Glass

To Tell The Truth

Former President William Howard Taft once said:

Don’t write so that you can be understood…
write so that you can’t be misunderstood.

Wars have been started over misunderstandings. Careers have been destroyed because of something someone said or wrote decades ago — things they thought long forgotten. I find it interesting during political interviews and debates when, asked a simple question, a candidate gives a two-minute response, and still never actually answers the question. In the age of social media, we hear horror stories all the time regarding simple misunderstandings that are blown out of proportion. Someone makes a comment on Twitter or Facebook which is promptly misunderstood or taken out of context. It is then regurgitated by someone else, and pretty soon feelings are hurt, relationships are destroyed, and the character assassins have more than enough to keep them busy for days and weeks to come.

And why all the misunderstanding? Because, in many cases, people are more concerned with being socially or politically correct than being honest.

Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

Jesus said to “let your yes be yes, and your no be no”. He encouraged us to speak the truth with love.

BibleSometimes the truth is tough.

Sometimes the truth is difficult to say, and harder to hear.

Sometimes the truth hurts worse than a slap in the face or a punch in the chest.

In the movie The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred, has a great quote:

Maybe it’s time we all stop trying to outsmart the truth, and let it have its day.

That’s good advice that we would all do well to heed. Maybe it’s time for we in the Church to be honest with each other, and operate with the truth and integrity that God has called us all to. After all, how can we expect people to hear the truth that can set them free if we ourselves are not operating in truth. And the great thing about speaking the truth is that no one who speaks the truth ever has to remember what it was they said in the past.

God is a God of truth, and in Him there is “no shadow of turning”. As long as we are standing on the truth of His Word, we never have to worry about where it is we are standing.

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America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God

In Solidarity with Israel

RP & Paulette
Overlooking Jerusalem

I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you. ~ Genesis 12:3 (NIV)

Here are a few interesting statistics…

  • Of the more than 850 Nobel Prize winners since 1901, better than 20% have been Jews.
  • One-fourth of The Fields Medal (mathematics) recipients have been Jewish.
  • One-third of the conductors of the leading symphonies in the United States have been Jewish.
  • Nearly two-thirds of Broadway’s longest running musicals were written by Jews.
  • 38% of “Best Director” Oscars have gone to Jewish directors.
  • Nearly 30% of Kennedy Center Honors have gone to Jews.
  • … I could go on and on (Grammys, Pulitzer Prizes, etc.)

With names like Albert Einstein, Jonas Salk, Sigmund Freud, Albert Sabin, Levi Strauss, and countless others, there is no denying that, in spite of their small percentage of the population (Jews comprise only 1/2 of 1% of the world’s population), the world has indeed been blessed beyond measure by the existence and contributions of the Jewish people. However, in spite of not just these accomplishments, but what the Bible plainly says about Israel and the Jews, I have observed with sadness the use of replacement theology among Western Christian conservatives. Replacement theology is the belief that the church replaced Israel, and that Israel no longer exists. One only has to read Romans 9, 10, 11, and Ephesians 2 to understand that this belief is totally without Biblical support.

The rise of replacement theology had its roots in the edicts of Constantine who banned the observance of Jewish holy days that were observed in the early church. Across the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and even Protestant worlds, the appalling silence during WWII and the Holocaust gives witness to their embrace of replacement theology.

Dachau 2
Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.”

~ Martin Niemöller, German Protestant Pastor

Many voices coming from the Arab Church in the Middle East embrace replacement theology… simply stated, “the Jewish people have no claim to that small parcel of land (less than 1% of the Middle East)— they should be driven out.” However, not only is this approach contrary to scripture, it flies in the face of history. When has there ever been a country of Palestine? If East Jerusalem belongs to a “Palestine”, why didn’t the Arabs claim it from Jordan from 1948 to 1967? For nineteen years there was never a claim.

A brief look at history — including scripture — reveals the following facts:

  • God gave the land to Israel forever. Their ownership is unconditional, while possession of the land carried conditions.
  • There is no Palestine in Middle Eastern history.
  • The Ottoman Empire ruled the land for centuries until they were defeated by the British early in the 20th century.
  • The Ottoman’s were Turks. Can anyone find a Palestinian claim for the land in the entire Ottoman history? Where was the outcry then for a Palestine?
  • Early in the 20th century, the Balfour Declaration partitioned the defeated Ottoman empire into lands for Jews and Arabs.

All of the modern Middle East — with the exception of Egypt, Israel, and Syria — was carved up by Winston Churchill…

Iran – Persia
Iraq – Part of Assyria
Jordan – Intended to be the Palestinian territory, it is now ruled by the Hashemites from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia – Midian

Palestine was how the Romans referred to the land in 116 AD.

RISE OF TERROR AND ANTI-SEMITISM

In spite of overwhelming evidence, some naïve evangelicals and their liberal friends choose to ignore Palestinian support of the terror that brought down the Twin Towers. They totally reject Biblical eschatology that clearly prophesies the very scenario we are experiencing today. Think about it… while every special interest group is vociferously defended (homosexuals, environmentalists, abortionists, Muslims, etc.), where are the voices for millions of displaced Christians from the Sudan, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, the West Bank, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries (not to mention the current atrocities against Christians in North Korea)? Where are all those so-called Palestinians from? There are now more people claiming Palestinian heritage than lived in Israel before the 6-Day War.

THE TRUTH

The fact is… Islam wants Jerusalem, or Al Quds as they call it. We have watched the Muslim Brotherhood try to destroy Egypt and take down Syria because of their secular government. This same philosophy is embraced in Gaza and other places in and near Israel.

IMPOSSIBILITY

There can be a Palestine territory in Israel much like the French Territory in Canada. However, the land is too small, too close, and too infiltrated with terrorists to ever have a separate entity. The people of Israel have a right to protect themselves, and such a scenario would make viable defense that much more difficult.

Evangelicals claiming the authority of Scripture would do well to embrace the fact that the only Biblical position is support of Israel. While I do recognize that there has been injustice and unfairness on both sides, the land belongs to Israel and the Jewish people ever since God promised it to Abraham in Genesis 12. As believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we have no logical choice than to stand on the side of Israel with regard for their birthright.

POST SCRIPT

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ~ Matthew 7:1-5

Landscape#1For all of their cries about justice, equality, and fairness, certain evangelicals and others who oppose the Jews might do well to focus their attention on America. Are they prepared to return lands to native Americans? What about the slaughter of Native Americans at places like Wounded Knee? How does one criticize the concentration camps of Germany, yet say nothing of the American “reservation system’? (It is a FACT that the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (South Dakota) has the highest poverty rate of any place in the Western Hemisphere except for Haiti.) In light of the way our government has treated the indigenous people of this nation, the voices that accuse and criticize Israel for “human rights violations” are crying out, not from a  moral high-ground, but from the quicksand of hypocrisy.

Pastor RonRP

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Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith

Standing With Our Friends

There is so much I would like to say about what God has been doing at Fresh Oil New Wine 2014, but how do you put the Kingdom events of (already) 4 days into a few paragraphs? We have experienced wonderful worship, dynamic preaching, and restorative and healing miracles. As of tonight, we have had reports of three people with varying degrees of hearing loss completely healed, one of whom was one of our visiting speaker’s wife. To God be the glory, great things He is doing!!! Every speaker has knocked it out of the park with words for the body of Christ that I wish everyone who is reading this blog could hear.

Worship2When I think of the focus of our conference, a theme of recognizing our Jewish roots as believers, and the importance of standing with the nation of Israel in these troubling times in which we live, I cannot help but recognize the stark contrast of the actions of some in national leadership who have taken a “less than supportive” tone with Israel this very week. Veiled threats of isolation and global disdain at a time when we should be standing firmer than ever with our greatest ally is a cause for deep concern. However, even as some in Washington ramp up the rhetoric, we see glimmers of hope coming from some corners of our country that give rise to hope and trust that our relationship with Israel is not beyond repair.

I’ll say more about this in an upcoming blog post… be watching for it.

In the meantime, today marks the conclusion of Fresh Oil New Wine 2014, and it will end with a bang! My dear friend Rabbi Curt Landry is with us for the morning session (9:45a.m.), and tonight, I welcome my friend Pastor John Hagee to close out the conference.

If you are within 100 miles of Chattanooga, you owe it to yourself to come. If you cannot make it, be sure to watch our live streaming at our website.

If you are on Facebook, and would like to stay connected, please visit and like us at…

https://www.facebook.com/AbbasHouse

and

https://www.facebook.com/RonPhillipsMinistries

You can also follow me on Twitter at @PstrRonPhillips

Hope to see you soon.

Pastor Ron

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

Capturing The Olympic Spirit

imageAs we say goodbye to the XXII Winter Olympic games, and the world says goodbye to Sochi, Russia, with all of the pomp, opulence, and fanfare that any Olympic games is deserving of, I am reminded of the Olympic Creed, adopted by Pierre de Coubertin from the inspiration he received from a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service during the 1908 Olympic Games…

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

During these games, this creed was borne out over and over again in the faces of winners and unsuccessful competitors alike. In most cases, competitors who came up short of the gold understood that this defeat was not the end, but merely a clarion call to work harder, find that “edge”, and bring the painful lessons of the past to bear in preparation for the next time, with a determined unwillingness to make the same mistakes again.

One has to wonder if the apostle Paul ever observed the Olympics firsthand (the ancient Olympics were believed by many to have begun around 776 B.C.), or if he was merely familiar with the stories of what athletes went through in preparation for the event. After all, it was Paul who penned…

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ~ II Timothy 4:7

At the end of the day, Paul knew he had done his best. He knew he had given his all. He knew there was a prize waiting for him at the finish line, and that it wasn’t reserved exclusively for him. In the next verse he goes 0n to say…

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

… And not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul knew there were many who had gone on before him… names like Moses, Elijah, Deborah, David, and Abraham… others who had fought the good fight, and had been his forerunners in the faith.

However, I also believe he knew there would be others after him, with names like Charles, Catherine, Billy, Bob, and Joyce… people who would take up the mantle and track shoes of the great runners of the faith, and continue the race. After all, the race we run is not a sprint, but a long-distance relay in which “the called” run the distance and then, at the end of their leg of the race, hand the baton of faith to the next tent-maker, fisherman, shoe salesman, gang member, or dejected teenager in line. And as the sweat-drenched, blood-covered baton is passed to the next competitor, they hear the call echo from all who have gone before…

Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not faint. ~ Galatians 6:9

So what about you, Runner? Are you ready to strap on those shoes, and leave the thrills, spills, and defeats of the past behind? Your due season may be closer than you think.

Ready… Set…

Go!

FONW2014

I want you to join me at Abba’s House for Fresh Oil New Wine, March 2-6. Registration is free, and I will be speaking on Due Season the very first night. My friends Perry Stone, John Hagee, Rabbi Curt Landry, Randy Caldwell, Dwain Miller, and more will be joining me. I hope to see you there! Click here for more info and to register.

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Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God

Thoughts For A Cold and Wintry Night

Snow 7J

For the second time in about three weeks, we have been hit with snow in the Chattanooga area. Last time, it caught most of us by surprise (much of the South, actually). This time, however, we were a little more prepared (or as prepared as we get, I suppose). While we were expecting some snow, I don’t think most of us expected as much as we got.

Snow 5JI will say this, however… while many folks around this area may not fully appreciate a good snowfall (and the inconvenience it brings), there is something about it that is most intriguing. To look out across a landscape that had been diverse – filled with beauty, flaws, focal-points both positive and negative, and works of art (some man-made, some “Creator-inspired”) – then to see it all covered with the same blanket of snow, the same texture and tone, it is as if a good snowfall becomes the great equalizer. The edges and inconsistencies of the topography disappear into one solid, flowing, undisturbed landscape of snowy perfection, punctuated by trees, ponds, and structures. Even the night seems less intimidating, less mysterious, and less ominous.

imageSnow and winter have long been popular subjects for writers, poets, bards, and balladeers. The great Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote…

Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear
Has grown familiar with your song;
I hear it in the opening year,
I listen, and it cheers me long. ~ from “Woods in Winter”

Snow 2JRobert Frost painted a picture of a snowy paradise…

A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree. ~ from “A Winter Eden”

The beauty and purity of snow was not lost on those who penned the Bible either…

“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow…” ~ Isaiah 1:18

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” ~ Psalm 51:7

imageFreshly-fallen snow paints a beautiful picture of grace. Regardless of what went on before, upon snow’s arrival,  the blemishes are forgotten, the inequities are forgiven, and below the surface, new life is waiting to be born.

However, another picture comes to mind with the invocation of snow. Think of the majesty of a snow covered mountain range. Think of the creative power displayed in the beauty of a snow-covered vista. Now, with that in mind…

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“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.” ~ Daniel 7:9

“The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.” ~ Revelation 1:14-15

Think about it the next time you encounter a good winter’s snowfall. You may not look at snow the same way.

(Special thanks to my friends who braved the cold, and shared their pictures with me.)

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America Healing Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God

Lombardi, Oscar, and Leaving Your Legacy

This past Sunday was a day filled with irony. It was a day of exuberant joy, bitter disappointment, and deep sorrow. It was a day filled with contrasts as profound as night and day…

So where do we start?

First of all, this past Sunday was the Big Game… Super Bowl XLVIII. All of the hype, all of the pre-game shows, and all of the pre-gameday shows that aired in the days leading up to a 6:30p.m. kickoff built a sense of anticipation that resulted in the game being the most watched event in television history. In the days of commentary leading up to the clash between two teams that weathered the storms of the season to make it to this moment in time, much of the talk centered around one word:

Legacy.

In case you were stranded on a desert island for the past month, please allow me to re-cap…

In the Northwest corner, we have the young Russell Wilson, a second-year, third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin. Russell would be leading a young, yet powerful Seattle Seahawks team that boasted the best defense in the NFL.

In the Mile-High corner, we have Peyton Manning, a 16-year NFL and 3-time Super Bowl veteran who is the epitome of the stuff legends are made of. This man has more awards than most of us have room on our mantle for, and would be leading the storied Denver Broncos, with an offense that proved to be virtually unstoppable on it’s march to East Rutherford, NJ.

With such a matchup, everyone expected it to be a game for the ages. Yet, with so many players involved in the success of each team, the vast majority of the conversation centered around Peyton Manning. “Can he win the Big Game to cement his legacy? How will his legacy be affected should the Broncos lose? Will his legacy survive in the event of defeat?

Legacy… There’s that word again.

From the first snap of the game, things seemed to go wrong for the Broncos. A 2-point safety on the opening play of the game defined the rest of the spectacle. After 60 minutes of play, and the dust and confetti hadn’t begun to settle, the Seahawks emerged victorious… 43 – 8. Immediately, the talking heads and media-elite began discussing the effect of this major loss on Peyton Manning’s legacy. Could his legacy survive this brutal beatdown? Would Manning hang up his cleats in defeat, and end his NFL career now?

Well, with all deference to smarter sports-minds than mine, I just have to ask a few questions:

Isn’t this the same Peyton Manning who just completed (arguably, with the exception of losing the Super Bowl) the most successful season in the history of the NFL? Isn’t this the same man who just set records for most touchdowns thrown, as well as most yards thrown in a single season? Isn’t this the man who was just selected as the NFL MVP for a (record) fifth time? I could go on about other records he set (including the passing record he set in the Super Bowl itself), others he tied, not to mention all of the records set by other members of the Broncos organization, and the team itself. But I digress…

Now for a reality check.

Earlier in the day, around 20 miles from MetLife stadium, the police were called to the apartment of Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. After Mr. Hoffman failed to meet his children and their mother at a park, she called a friend who went to check on him. Mr. Hoffman was found in his apartment, dead from an apparent drug overdose.

Philips Seymour Hoffman was considered to be one of the brightest and most talented actors of this generation, having starred in films such as Twister, Patch Adams, Mission Impossible III, Capote (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), the popular Hunger Games movies, and dozens of other films. Having seen several movies that he appeared in, I thought of him as a very talented person. According to stories I’d read, as well as interviews I’d seen, he seemed like a nice and humble guy.

So again I ask, what about the legacy? Have we become so shallow as to base a person’s legacy on a 60-minute sporting event? Has our collective attention span gotten so short that we decide the legacy of a life based on the manner of death? Sure, Peyton Manning had a really bad day. However, it does not wipe from the annals of sports history his incredible contribution to, not just football, but to the lives of young people that he sowed into through other benevolent endeavors. And while Mr. Hoffman may have died with (as the police have reported) a needle still in his arm, it does not erase the hours of great theatrical performances, or tarnish the Oscar statue he earned for just one of those great performances.

So where am I going here? Simply this…

The legacy of a life is built on miles, not inches. It is built on years, not seconds. Sure, there are those people who are only remembered for a sad, solitary event (John Wilkes Booth, John Hinckley, James Earl Ray, etc.). However, for most of us, a positive legacy is built over a lifetime of actions, attitudes, and contributions. It is built on a foundation of what we did to change the world around us, and how those changes affected others. People may remember that Peyton Manning lost Super Bowl XLVIII, but what Peyton Manning will be remembered for will be for being one of the best athletes to ever play the game of football. People will remember the manner of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death, but he will be remembered for being a brilliant actor who brought to life memorable characters for the rest of us to live vicariously through.

But… here’s the catch. When time has ended, and eternity is upon us; when the crowd noise has finally ceased; the Super Bowl rings, Vince Lombardi Trophy, and Oscar statues have turned to dust; and the accolades and applause have long since died away, only one legacy will matter: What did you do with Jesus? The Bible says:

“… It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” ~ Hebrews 9:27

While the rest of the world may mourn your brilliance and contributions to society, when you take that final breath, the only thing that will matter is how you lived your life for Jesus. Did you live a life that honored Him? Did you point others to His blood-stained cross? Did you accept the love that He died to demonstrate?

A good legacy may stand the test of time, but only what you do with Jesus will stand the test of eternity.

If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus, and start a legacy that will last forever, pray this prayer…

Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive me of my sin.
Wash me and cleanse me. Set me free. Jesus, thank You that You died for me. I believe thatYou are risen from the dead and that You’re coming back again for me. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Give me a passion for the lost, a hunger for the things of God and a holy boldness to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m saved, I’m born again, I’m forgiven and I’m on my way to Heaven because I have Jesus in my heart.

If you prayed that prayer in faith, please let us know. Please drop me a comment here, or you can call us at 1-800-877-6493. We would love to celebrate with you your decision to join God’s family!