Category: The Bible

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2013 Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith The Secret Place Through The Looking Glass

What It Was Was Football Life

Through the Looking Glass“It’s football time in Tennessee!!!”

Ok… it’s a little late, and I’m actually an Alabama Crimson Tide fan (Roll Tide!), but if you live in Tennessee like I do, you are used to hearing those words in the fall of every year. Not just a declaration – it is a warcry. It is a call to Saturday football, friends gathered around television screens, popcorn and potato chips flying everywhere when your team scores, an occasional pilgrimage (for some) to Neyland Stadium, and lots and LOTS of orange.

Regardless of your persuasion of team choice (or what color you think you look good in), there is nothing quite like a good football game. When it is neck-and-neck, back and forth battling on the gridiron, the energy is contagious – the excitement nearly impossible to contain!

It reminds me of some quotes by icons of the game:

Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority. ~ Vince Lombardi

I believe in getting a team prepared so it knows it will have the necessary confidence when it steps on a field and be prepared to play a good game. ~ Tom Landry

Never be too proud to get down on your knees and pray. ~ Paul “Bear” Bryant

Three different coaches. Three different quotes. One important message, not just for football, but for life…

Be prepared.

Just like a football team has to practice, condition, and prepare in order to have any chance of winning once it walks out onto the field, we have to prepare for the challenges and trials of life through education, dedication, hard work, and…

Prayer.

In the Bible, Paul stresses, over and over again the value of preparation…

“Run with perseverance”… “Endure hardship”… Hebrews 12

“Everyone who competes goes into strict training”… I Corinthians 9

“Put on the full armor of God”… Ephesians 6

In order for us to win in the “game of life”, we must prepare. As Christians, we do that through worship, prayer, studying the Word of God, and fellowship with other believers (just to name a few).

Years ago, the late Andy Griffith had a comedy routine called What It Was Was Football, in which he described the game of football from the vantage point of a “good ole country boy” who had never seen the game before, and didn’t understand the rules.

As we go through life, are our lives shining and crystal-clear examples of the love of Jesus, or something that is foreign to those that are observing our lives at arms-length? Do we point people to the love of Christ, or confuse them with an unconvincing and unattractive “performance” devoid of passion, love, or commitment?

Take the time today to assess your “game plan”. If you see that it needs work, a good place to begin is on your knees.

Categories
America The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

Getting Back to The Cross

My friend Rod Parsley recently completed a book entitled The Cross, which has just been released. Here is a short video in which I talk about this great new book…

Categories
Fresh Oil New Wine 2013 Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

Understanding Mystery

I think that it would be safe to say that archaeology fascinates most people. Whether it is the stories we see on the news when a significant artifact is located, or historically-based fictitious movies such as National Treasure or the Indiana Jones movies, people are drawn to a good mystery that has it’s roots in truth.BLOG_ARC

I would contend that there is no more intriguing mystery or powerful truth than that contained within the pages of Scripture.

   BLOG_NOAHFrom Noah’s Ark to the Ark of the Covenant to the crucifixion of Jesus, the earth itself holds clues and keys in unlocking the veracity of these historical objects and events. Is it possible that the Bible explains the origins and events surrounding discoveries like…

  • The skeletons of giants discovered in places like France, Turkey, and China that range from 14 to 17 feet in stature?
  • Encapsulated sulfur (brimstone) in the ash and rock formations located near the base of Masada in Israel (the location of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah)?
  • A grave site around which no bones were found?
  • Burial clothes in which no body was actually found?

Blog_AtlantisOr maybe some of the “myths” we have learned about as children – that have been turned into folklore and Disney movies – are actually based on scientific, historical fact:

  • Are angels and demons real?
  • Was the lost city of Atlantis an actual place?
  • Who were “the Magi”?
  • Do we know the real identity of the one known as Melchizedek?

Do you struggle to find the answers to questions when it comes to science and faith?

Do you want to have the ability to give an answer for the hope you have?

Do you want to understand why you are more than an accident of evolution, destined for more than a six-foot hole in the ground?

My new book, Unexplained Mysteries of Heaven and Earth (Charisma House) will help you unlock some of the mysteries of the faith, as well as bridge the gap between science and faith. For more information, click the image of my book in the sidebar to the right.Blog_Pyramid

Categories
America Friendship Healing Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith

Find Your Way Back

StatueYesterday, many of us commemorated the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on our nation. We remembered the event like it was yesterday. We remembered the horror and anguish we felt as we helplessly watched nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens be whisked away into eternity. We remembered the uncertainty of facing an enemy we could not see coming. We remembered the promises we all made to “never forget”. However, there is one thing we seem to have forgotten…

Our dependence on God during our darkest of nights.

Flag half-mastIn the days following 9-11, Americans flocked to churches. Some were looking for answers. Some were looking for peace. Some were looking for consolation. All were looking for something…

Many didn’t find it.

The cry of so many in our culture could be summed up in the words of an old ’80’s song by the group Jefferson Starship…

I know it’s too late now
But I wish I could go back in time
And start all over somehow
And get it right from the start

Many people carry unnecessary regret. Many think it is too late to change, or wish they could go back in time and get a “do over”.

Well, this Sunday, you can.

Sunday, September 15, 2013 is National Back to Church Sunday. If you are currently involved in a church, I challenge you to invite someone who isn’t to join you at your house of worship. If you are not involved in a church, I invite you to visit a church in your area, and see how you can get involved.

You may say, “I’m just not sure I can find a church that is right for me.”

Well, you won’t know until you try, and with 20,000+ churches participating this Sunday, the odds are pretty good that there is one that is right for you. And just remember: You have to start somewhere. If you don’t find it the first time out, keep trying. I believe the church where you belong is out there waiting for you.

“Well, I have a lot of questions… maybe some of my questions are dumb”

Church is a great place for asking questions. The Bible is filled with people who “inquired of the Lord.” If it is an easy question, we should be able to find you an answer quickly. If it is a tough question, we may just have to find it together. The only “dumb” question is the one you don’t ask. Wouldn’t it be great to find a group of people you can grow with?

“I just feel like my life is a journey.”

Life is a journey, and the church is not a destination. It is a place to stop, rest, and find encouragement to continue the journey. It’s about finding a fire, and spreading it to others to light their way. Isn’t the journey always nicer if you have someone to travel with?

“Maybe I’m too different.”

The first church in Jerusalem as described in Acts had a wide diversity of people: spiritually-mature, physically-challenged, ex-cons, religious professionals, widows, foreigners, new-believers, problem-makers, problem-solvers, and more. Sadly, the 21st century church is the most segregated place in our nation. Let’s work together to change that.

“But I’m a sinner…”

Welcome to the club… we all are. The Bible says that “all have sinned”. It is why we need Jesus.

“I’m broken…”

What better place to find healing than a hospital? The church is a hospital for the downtrodden and weary of heart. Come find rest and healing in the hands of the Great Physician.

“Well, the church is full of hypocrites…”

True, so you should fit right in. <<wink>> Seriously… we are ALL hypocrites in one way or another. Unless you live 100 percent of what you believe 100 percent of the time, you are, by definition, a hypocrite. However, our goal as Christians is to be more like Jesus. We may not always succeed, but most of us are trying. That is the great thing about grace and mercy.

So, the ball is in your court. Maybe you were involved in a church and left. Maybe you’ve never darkened the doorstep of a local church. Whatever your condition, why not find your way back (or to) a church this Sunday? I know that we would love to see you at Abba’s House, if you are in the Chattanooga/North Georgia area.

Blessings,
Pastor Ron

Categories
America Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God

In Search of… The Blessing

bat-creekAs believers in Jesus, and joint-heirs with Him, we have the rights of sons and daughters of the King. The same blessings that applied to the nation of Israel in Scripture apply to us as believers as well…

I was almost a year old when David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel. Almost a year to the day later, the UN voted by majority vote to admit Israel as a member. Here are some interesting facts about Israel that you may not know:

  • For all of the terrorist attacks we hear about, Israel has one of the highest life-expectancy rates in the world. At #4, it is far ahead of our own United States (a distant #33).
  • The only three U.S. states geographically smaller than Israel are Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut. However, in 2012, Israel had the 43rd largest economy in the world (based on gross domestic product).
  • Israel has the highest standard of living of any country in the Middle East, and has the third highest in all of Asia.

So how can this be? Consider the words of Mark Twain. In 1898, Mr. Twain was living in Austria, where he witnessed vicious anti-Semitic attacks, and subsequently penned an article entitled “Stirring Times In Austria” (Harper’s Magazine, March 1898). One of the responses he received was from an American Jewish lawyer who asked, “Will you kindly tell me why, in your judgment, the Jews have thus ever been, and are even now, in these days of supposed intelligence, the butt of baseless, vicious animosities?” Twain’s response was in the form of an essay titled “Concerning the Jews”. He stated:

“If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, and has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallest of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.
He has made a marvelous fight in the world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished.
The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

Right now in our world, the Middle East is as unsettled as it has been in decades. Between uncertainty in Egypt and Libya, violence and revolution in Syria, protracted war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and incessant saber-rattling in Iran, the survival of Israel seems to be nothing short of a miracle.

“So, what does this have to do with me?” you may ask.

The mystery of Israel’s survival is not just that they have survived, but that their survival is a living picture that, in Christ, you will live and not die. Your life is meaningful and full of purpose. God made you, chose you, and loved you from the foundation of the world, and no amount of persecution, tribulation, or trial will snatch you from His hand. In Christ, you are a child of the King— princes and princesses, royal priests, and heirs to all that God has to give you.

Categories
Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Too Small for Prayer?

Through the Looking GlassSo what has got your stomach in knots today?

What are you concerning yourself  with that  you have absolutely no control over?

Corrie Ten Boom was the only member of her family to survive the Nazi death camps of World War II. Having faced death on a regular basis, she once said…

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer
is too small to be made into a burden.”

What is it that you are worrying about right now?

Potted PlantYour job?

A relationship?

Your health?

Events unfolding in the world around you?

Whatever it is, the next question is…

Have you prayed about it?

We have a Heavenly Father who is concerned with every part of our lives, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. He reminds us repeatedly in His word of this fact.
In I Peter 5:7, we are told…

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

This is not just a nice thought or helpful suggestion from an ancient book — this is a present imperative command and promise from the living, breathing Word of God!

Still need more convincing?

Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
~ Psalm 55:22

If your situation is not big enough to pray about, it’s not big enough to worry about.

However, if you earnestly seek God about it, you may just find that He takes the worry away, and replaces it with His peace.

Categories
Friendship Healing Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

The Way of an Eagle

KS77759From references in Scripture to it’s place as our national symbol, it is obvious that the eagle is very highly regarded.

Why is that?

Consider a few facts about eagles:

  • When eagles mate, they mate for life.
  • Eagles are very protective of their families.
  • When eagles grow old, they return to the rock of their birth.
  • After an eagle’s 60th year, it appears young once again.

Do you think you’ve missed your call in life? Are you worn out, and think you’ve outlived your usefulness? Is “purpose” a word that you believe is a thing of the past?

Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to throw in the towel. Before you do, can I ask you to do two things for me?

#1: Consider this verse…

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31

#2: Watch this video…

My prayer is that after watching this, you will find your strength renewed like the eagle, and understand that with God, faithfulness, perseverance, and persistence are qualities that far outweigh the superficial qualities (money, fame, looks, etc) that the world tells us gives an individual worth.

Keep on soaring!

Pastor Ron

Categories
Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

The Devil, Darwin, & The Wizard of Oz

In the 1939 film classic, The Wizard of Oz, let’s recall a scene from early in the movie. Dorothy has just arrived in Oz, having unwittingly made the Wicked Witch of the East her impromptu landing pad. When her disgruntled and ill-tempered sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, inquires as to the whereabouts of the magical ruby slippers, she watches in horror as the slippers mysteriously disappear from the feet of her deceased sister, and appear on the feet of the unsuspecting Dorothy, the meek and simple farm-girl from Kansas.

Well, Toto… we’re not in Kansas anymore. Rewind thousands of years, back to before the dawn of time.

Lucifer is serving as the “anointed cherub” in the very Presence of God. He was visually stunning beyond belief. Music emanated from his very being. He is “all that”, and if you don’t think so, just ask him…

You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” ~ Isaiah 14:13-14

Because of his pride, Lucifer is cast out of the Presence of God. Because of his arrogance, he goes from being “Lucifer… Angel #1”, to “Satan… Public Enemy #1”.

To add insult to injury, God takes the dust of the ground and forms a man, stating…

“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… ” ~ Genesis 1:26a

So man was created in the image of God. Just like the Creator, we, “the created”, are an eternal trinity…

  • With our bodies, we are “world conscious”.
  • With our souls (mind), we are self-conscious.
  • With our spirit, we have the capacity to be God-conscious.

However, there was a down side, and Adam and Eve succeeded in finding it in fairly short order. Being made in the likeness of God meant having a free-will. When Adam sinned by disobeying God, humanity was plunged into a death-spiral. Man is now a creature subject to death…

  • Immediately in spirit.
  • Progressively in soul (mind).
  • Ultimately in body.

But hold on! When Jesus, the “second Adam” came into the world, the sinless Son of God dying for the sins of all mankind, He made it possible for man to be saved…

  • Immediately in spirit.
  • Progressively in soul (mind).
  • Ultimately in body.

Furthermore, we were created, not just in the image of God, but as vessels and instruments of praise to God…

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.” ~ Psalm 100

Like the treasured ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz, God took the very thing that Lucifer desired (God’s image), as well as what set him apart (his ability for worship), and endowed lowly man with these precious gifts.

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart. ~ Proverbs 20:27

I was watching The History Channel as they explored the Theory of Evolution. A contemporary and friend of Darwin opposed him on evolution between species, especially man. On this show scientists said that man, as he is now, could not have evolved as we are today. Their answer is aliens from outer space planted a DNA 6 – 10,000 years ago! Darwin’s contemporary said perhaps a spirit out of another world or realm planted man. They focused on man’s reason and his ability to speak. The human larynx could not have evolved from other hominids or apes!

They are right, but it wasn’t “a” spirit… it was “the” Holy Spirit; not “from” another world, but the Creator of this one. We aren’t the product of chance or an evolutionary “roll-of-the-dice”. We are the very image of a Divine Creator, Who spoke everything forth from nothing more than the sound of His voice. We are more than just another species of animal, driven by primal desire. We are more than just another organism, no different than any other creature crawling around in the muck and mire of a fallen world.

We are the candles that, if we choose, burn with the very fire of God. When we allow the “Consuming Fire” that is God (Heb. 12:29) to consume us, He lights within us a passion that is unquenchable, unstoppable, and unmistakable. Just as a candle is no good without fire, we must have the fire of God burning within us to ignite His passion and His power to affect this world.

Do you want to find out how embracing the fire of the Holy Spirit will give you the mind of Christ? Do you want to know how to take that “personal” passion and change the world?

Join me at Abba’s House this Sunday at 10:30a.m., or watch us online by clicking here.

Categories
Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

At the Crossroads or In the Crosshairs?

Through the Looking GlassOver two hundred years ago, Thomas Jefferson spoke these words:

I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.

For the last several years, we have heard a lot about change. But change, strictly for the sake of change, is not necessarily a good thing. Society thinks it is being progressive by becoming more socially open-minded. But with issues such as gay marriage and abortion on the forefront, America is at a crossroads.

BibleSo, what does God think? What does His word say?

The Bible makes it clear that God is holy, that He is just, and that He never changes. When we don’t see His hand of judgment, could it be that His silence is not necessarily a sign that He approves of what we are doing?

Could it, in fact, be that He is simply giving us another chance to turn our hearts and our country back to Him?

By taking a stand on an issue (or issues) that opposes God’s Word, are we merely standing at the crossroads of history, or are we standing in the crosshairs of judgment?

I have a word for the church and the nation this coming Sunday (5/26/2013). I hope you will join me at Abba’s House, or by watching online at http://abbashouse.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=136360

Categories
Friendship Healing Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Bible The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

Whys, Lies, & The Mysteries of God

Why?

It is the single word ground into the bloody soil of every battlefield in the world.

It is buried in the rubble of every civilization, state, and neighborhood that has been devastated by a natural disaster.

It lies in the ashes of the burned-up dreams of a family that just lost everything.

It can be heard in quiet, night-time sobbing of a little girl whose mother just succumbed to cancer.

It resonates in the screams of a father as he buries his son.

It is the shortest, most-asked, and

least-answered question in the English language.

Why?

You’ve heard it asked thousands of times, and while there are sometimes physical reasons that events happen in our lives, reasons – even good reasons – don’t answer why.

Or, to be more specific…

Why did God allow this to happen?

Whether you are just wondering, have gone through something that you have come to terms with, or are in the heat of that emotional torture right now, I don’t presume to have an easy answer for you, or have anything to say that is going to make the pain magically disappear. In reality, I believe we have a very skewed, 21st Century perspective of life, pain, and suffering (and I’m as guilty as the next person). We don’t want to believe that “bad things happen to good people”. We cannot conceive a loving God who allows tragedies and atrocities to occur. We stand on the words of Thomas Jefferson and claim “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, while forgetting the words of Jesus that promised, “…In this world, you will have trouble…”.

Quite honestly, it is a mystery… pure and not-so-simple.

Mystery… one word that encapsulates the very nature of God.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. ~ Isaiah 55:8

The Bible is filled with references pertaining to the mysteries of God. The word mystery, by its very definition, means something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain. There is not the time, knowledge, or vocabulary to begin to explain either the mysteries of God or the mystery that is God. However, there is truth that, while it may not give us answers, can give us hope.

All of us are going to see difficult times. Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, and the subsequent curse that altered the course of human history from a state of perfection to what we find today, we will all face problems, suffer hardship, and experience death. It all goes back to the verse I mentioned earlier…

… In this world you will have trouble…

But the hope lies in the rest of the verse:

But take heart! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

While suffering in every conceivable way is part of the deal our ancestors signed in the Garden of Eden, Jesus assures us that He has it all in hand because He has overcome the world.

Whatever we are going through, HE has already been there. Bad things do happen to good people. If you don’t believe me, just think of Jesus. While being the sinless Son of God, He was falsely accused, suffered at the hands of sinners, and was killed in a horrific way by sinners.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21

The mystery of this verse lies in the first 4 words: For He made Him… When Jesus went through all of the agony of being our sacrifice on the cross, God didn’t just watch it happen, or even allow it to happen… He MADE it happen. He wrote the law that provided our way of escape as a result of the fall, and then executed the plan even though it would cost Him His only Son. He did that for you.

When you are in your darkest night, there will be no shortage of people making inappropriate (and even stupid) comments. Some people truly want to help, but don’t know what to say, so they say the wrong thing. Some people just want to be judgmental, give you your why in the form of condemnation and criticism, and throw gasoline on your emotional fire. If either of these describe what you have gone through, you are in good company… consider Job. Everything that happened to Job was simply because Satan wanted to prove a point, and God took the challenge – at Job’s expense. When the bottom fell out in Job’s life (along with losing his possessions and health, he tragically lost his ten children), his “friends” showed up, and immediately started telling him everything he may have done wrong. His wife even chimed in, telling him to “curse God and die”. However, after all of the criticism, nay-saying, and unsubstantiated accusations from his friends, Job was vindicated. Not only was Job restored and blessed (even more than previously), but the very people who criticized him had to go through Job in order to be forgiven by God (see Job 42:7-10).

Whatever life sends your way, none of it gets by Him.

The fact of the matter is that God has a pretty profound list of whys as well. Why did God have to allow Jesus to go through all of the frustration, humiliation, sorrow, pain, and death? Why did He decide to offer a faithless, ungrateful, and fallen race a second chance with Him? Why did He decide that we were worth loving when He knew we would fail Him over and over again?

It’s a mystery I don’t understand.

But… I’m sure glad He did.