Category: The Big Event

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Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 The Big Event The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

Fighting the Ghosts of Unforgiveness

Wallace SwordThe 2005 movie The Kingdom of Heaven illustrates an important lesson about forgiveness. As the inhabitants of the city prepare to defend Jerusalem from the onslaught of the Muslim army led by Salahadeen, the hero of the movie, Balian, makes this observation…

We fight over an offense we did not give, against those who were not alive to be offended.

How many times has this very scenario been repeated throughout history? How many wars have been started over an offense that can no longer be remembered? How many times have lives been destroyed because someone took up the offense of another person?

The Bible says in Proverbs 17:9 that…

He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

We as Christians are called — not to take up the offense of others — but to “deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus” (Matthew 16:24). We are called to be living sacrifices in a world in which sacrifice is rare. As I once heard someone say…

The problem with living sacrifices is they keep crawling off the altar.

Sometimes, it feels better to “pick up our sword”  than to lay down our pride. But it could be your “soft answer turning away wrath” that brings peace to a situation, and heals a transgression through an act of love.

How can you be that voice of forgiveness, love, and reconciliation today?

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

No Expiration Date on Favor

Recently, at every turn, we are faced with stories meant to incite fear and worry.

ISIS.

Islam.

Ebola.

Political correctness run amok.

Healthcare.

Climate change.

It’s easy to get bogged down in gloom, despair, and depression with so much negativity right now.

That being said, let’s all pause, take a deep breath, and go back to the well of God’s mercy and grace. Today, I want to share with you something I shared back in 2013. It is truth that is just as real, and just as pertinent today as it was then, and I hope it encourages you today to trust in the favor God has for you as one of His favorite children.

got favor?

Gas GaugeIn May of 2002, I was preaching a crusade in Nigeria. After about a week of wonderful meetings, it was time to once again climb aboard a plane and head back across the Atlantic. As we were about to leave, we were praying with our host pastor, Dr. Nick Ezeh, and rejoicing in what God had done in the meetings. After saying our goodbyes, we turned and walked into the terminal only to be confronted by these disturbing words on the flight schedule screen:

Flight #— to Lagos: CANCELLED

Now, in the U.S., this is not really a huge issue. When a flight is cancelled, most of the time, there is another flight within hours. However, since we were in Calabar, Nigeria, and not Cleveland, Ohio, this was not the case. If we missed our connection in Lagos, the next available flight was FOUR DAYS LATER!

At this point, our team shifted into overdrive, trying desperately to speak to someone who might have a solution to our dilemma. We quickly discovered that there was a flight to Lagos from another town called Port Harcourt. The flight was scheduled to leave in 3 hours and 45 minutes. Great, right? Except for one small problem…

Port Harcourt was 3½ hours away.

If we left immediately, we would have a fifteen minute margin of error. If we hit traffic, had any mechanical issues, or were in any other way delayed, chances were good that we would not make our connection, and would have to get comfortable for a four-day layover. Our team quickly gathered all of our gear, and got back into the vehicles for the long ride to Port Harcourt.

Now, one thing about Nigeria is that twice a year they shut down all of the oil refineries for a week or two for scheduled maintenance, thus creating shortages, rationing, and gas station shutdowns all over the country. It just so happened that that shutdown fell during our visit. The whole time we were there, we witnessed lines at gas stations that made the U.S. gas lines of the 1970’s look like the express line at Wal-Mart. About an hour into our drive, I glanced down at the gas gauge of our borrowed vehicle, and noticed that the needle was below empty. Our driver, a very nice Nigerian gentleman by the name of A.G. Bright didn’t seem too concerned. I leaned forward and asked him if the gauge was broken.

“No, my brother,” he answered, “but God will provide, for we prayed for mercy on this journey. Also, you and Dr. Ezeh are God’s men… He will surely see us through.”

It is difficult to admit this, but my faithless soul was not comforted. As we drove on, my mind was filled with visions of our stranded team, standing by our vehicles in the middle of the sweltering Nigerian jungle, or worse, being taken captive by rebels or robbers.

As my mind raced through the worst possible of scenarios, all of a sudden, I heard the sound of singing. Mr. Bright had started singing praises to God, and was quickly being joined by others in the vehicle. As the praises went up from our SUV, my faithless heart still continued to fret, expecting our engine to come to a grinding halt at any second. However, after another HOUR of unrelenting driving, we came to a crossroads, with a gas station that stood like an oasis at the intersection. As we pulled in, we questioned whether or not it was even open, since it was without the massive lines we had witnessed everywhere else. Upon discovering that it was open, we soon found out from the proprietor that the station had been closed for a week due to the fuel shortage, but that he had just received a shipment, and was actually re-opening his station AS WE PULLED UP!

A smiling A.G. Bright looked at me and said, “See, Pastor Phillips… God always takes care of His servants. You are in favor with God!”

Now here we are today, and we face challenges like never before. Turmoil in our financial markets, uncertainty and unrest about the state of our nation politically, and chaos and disquiet in various hot-spots around the globe make it difficult to have faith. Yet having the favor of God is not dependent upon who is king, prime minister or president. The favor of God does not hinge on “bull markets” or diversified portfolios. The favor of God is not even affected by our immediate circumstances… our job, our family, or even our gas gauge. The favor of God is about His goodness and His faithfulness. We receive God’s favor, not because we are good, but because HE is good.

Driving down those dirty, pot-hole infested roads of Nigeria that day, Mr. Bright became a shining example of how we get ahold of that favor.

Mr. Bright prayed… He prayed a prayer that said, “God, here is what I am expecting, and no one will be more surprised than me if You don’t come through.” (Contrast this with the prayer that many of us pray: “God, here is my need, and I will be shocked if You actually answer me.”)

Mr. Bright walked by faith… He put his proverbial “money where his mouth was”. He had no choice but to move forward by faith, and he did it with gusto, literally driving into the unknown with nothing but a belief that God is true to His word and to His children.

Mr. Bright worshipped… He didn’t sit there and fret about the gas gauge. He opened his mouthand declared God’s goodness and faithfulness in advance.

What a powerful lesson! I want to be like Mr. Bright. I want to be the one who walks in favor, stands in favor, and lives in favor! I want to be the one whose life is centered in His presence, and in the blessing that God gave Moses for the children of Israel…

“The Lord bless you
and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

(Numbers 6:24-27)

That is the kind of favor I want.

How about you?

Pastor Ron

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

Jalyn’s Story: Healing In The House

Do you need healing in your body? Do you know someone who does?

How does a young girl with a broken back run three miles?

With all of the talk of viruses, syndromes, infections, and the like, there’s no doubt that our nation is overrun by sickness. Think about it… What is one of the most divisive topics in our nation for the past few years?

Healthcare.

I want to share with you this story of a miraculous healing that happened not long ago at Abba’s House. If you need healing, this story is for you.

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

The Tear-Stained Pathway Into His Presence

The phone rang as I stepped out of the shower. As I picked up the receiver, I heard the voice on the other end say, “Mr. Phillips, your wife, Paulette, has been in a little fender bender.” I dressed quickly and jumped in the car.

As I crested a hill on the main highway, I was unprepared for what I saw. Through the rain, I spotted my wife’s little convertible, now a twisted mass of metal. An ambulance stood waiting, and workers were trying to free Paulette from the wreckage. The smell of gasoline was heavy in the air. I tried to get close to the car but was held back by emergency workers. I was frustrated and felt helpless knowing she must be desperately hurt and I was unable to offer comfort. However, God had provided someone at the scene to do that for me. A fireman, at the risk of his own life because of the potential for an explosion, removed a window from the car and climbed in next to Paulette. He covered her with an asbestos blanket, held on to her, and spoke life into her. It was his job to watch her carefully and keep her talking to be sure she wasn’t falling into deep shock.

Twenty-five agonizing minutes passed before the firemen and the Jaws of Life freed her from the car. And we didn’t know it then, but it would be six months before her crumpled body would allow her to return to a normal life. As I ran to Paulette’s side while they hurried her stretcher toward the ambulance, I remembered clearly hearing her say, “Thank You, Lord!” I know that in the midst of that tragedy, God was there, and He provided a wonderful young Christian fireman whose presence comforted my wife in that dark hour. His heroic presence was the touch of God. She felt carried in the Father’s arms.

Paulette returned home from the hospital after two weeks, but life at home was difficult. We had to rely on our extended family, our amazing church family, and heavily on the Lord to carry us through each day.

When tragedy strikes, we find ourselves in need of the assurance of God’s presence more than ever before. To that point in my life, I never needed the Lord more than I did in those first hours and days following her wreck. It is no coincidence that our ascent into the most secret place with God can occur during times of great heartache and tragedy. Tears have a way of driving us from ourselves and into His arms. Who hasn’t cried out in the dark night of the soul for comfort that can only come from Jesus? Expect to find the pathway to His presence stained with the tears of thousands of heartbroken saints before you.

Isaiah, the court prophet, cousin and confidant to King Uzziah, thought he had it all. His cousin king, although a leper, had given the nation peace and hope. Isaiah’s own ministry was one that sternly laid down the law to God’s wayward people. He had angered them, calling them stubborn, ungrateful children, and even went as far as to compare them to “rotten, stinking grapes”! (See Isaiah 5:4.) Surely God was pleased with Isaiah’s obedience in ministry. He surely had the ear and heart of his cousin, King Uzziah. Isaiah is like many of us. When you read the first five chapters of Isaiah, though inspired, you feel that something is missing in his life. There is a lack of hope and only a vague hint of what God is actually up to. Isaiah 6 gives us the turning point—an amazing “alone” experience with God that is vivid and clear.

After Isaiah’s dear cousin died suddenly, Isaiah felt his life collapsing. The hope that had sustained him and the promise of ministry in a peaceful Jerusalem that kept his eyes looking ahead seemed to evaporate. Tragedy is like that. Normally, it will either drive us to God or cause us to run away from Him. But Isaiah made the boldest decision any prophet ever made. He decided to charge into God’s presence! Isaiah turned purposefully toward the temple of Solomon, the three-room structure that housed God’s presence. Beyond the outer court, beyond the candlelit holy place, Isaiah knew there hung a thick veil. Beyond that veil, God promised to be present. However, the rules were clear—only the high priest could step behind the veil; anyone else would be struck down by God! Even the high priest could only enter the holy of holies once a year!

Isaiah came to the place of absolute self-abandonment, just as each of us must approach God. Death no longer mattered to Isaiah. He pushed his way past quiet worshippers and astounded priests to get to God. Isaiah needed help and hope, and had come to the end of his own resources. He was now a candidate for a miracle. He pressed past the veil into the holy of holies. The fearful protesters behind Isaiah no doubt backed away in fear, certain that this crazed man was walking straight into death.

There in the holy of holies, lit by only the Shekinah glory of God, Isaiah did die, in a sense. He died to himself and all of his own ambitions! In this bold step, I believe Isaiah gave up on Isaiah! He met Yahweh, and nothing else mattered. God was in that place, high and lifted up, with His unmatched glory trailing behind Him like the train of royal robes billowing behind a sovereign. Angelic worshippers surrounded the throne crying, “Holy!” The place shook with the voice of the angels. Isaiah 6:1–4 paints a vivid picture of the scene that Isaiah saw when he stepped inside the holy of holies:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

At that moment, Isaiah had no choice but to die to his flesh and ambitions. “Woe is me…” he cried, in an expression that could be also translated, “I am doomed!” He understood that even his own mouth, the mouth of a man of God, was unclean. Angels brought cleansing fire to touch his preaching lips, and his life was transformed. Soon he heard the voice of God crying for volunteers to carry His message. “Here am I, send me” (Isa. 6:5–8) cried the transformed Isaiah.

No man can see the Lord and continue living like nothing ever happened! No, the old life will be burned away and a new life will begin. Isaiah stormed into God’s presence in the middle of his pain because he needed answers, comfort, and help. The New Testament puts it this way:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ~ Galatians 5:24

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ~ Galatians 6:14

In the secret place of God, we come to the end of ourselves. We come as a bride to take on Jesus’s name and nature. When we are willing to die daily, Jesus says to us:

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” ~ Luke 9:23–24

 

~ from the book, The Power of Agreement
by Ron Phillips and Ronnie Phillips, Jr.
© 2014 Charisma House Book Group

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

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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Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship Healing The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God

Thank You!

TBE Crowd

Another Big Event has passed into history, and this year was no exception… it was incredible! From the ministry and preaching, to the worship, to the fellowship of getting to spend time with our partners and friends from around the country, this last week has been a wonderful time of jubilee, soaking in the Presence of God, and getting new revelation through His Word and the teaching we heard.

Pastor3On behalf of all of us at Ron Phillips Ministries, I want to say thank you to everyone who was involved. Our guest speakers, our musicians and singers, all of the media and technical crew, nursery and hospitality workers, counselors and ministry teams, ushers, deacons, and so many others… my heart overflows with gratitude for your love, participation, and sacrifice of time and talent.

Pastor2Most of all… thank you to our partners and friends who have come along side of us with your presence, prayers, and financial support for the cause of Christ, and sharing the Good News of the Gospel. We cannot do what we do without the love you show us in so many ways. I pray that these last few days have built up your faith, strengthened your souls, and given you the desire for more of Him in your everyday lives.

So thank you, to the people of Abba’s House, to my partners, friends, and co-laborers in Christ. In the words of the Apostle Paul…

 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,   For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. ~ Philippians 3:3-11

Pastor Ron

Crowd

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The Life of Faith Healing The Secret Place The Big Event Fresh Oil New Wine 2014

#RPMBigEvent… We’re Underway.

Big Event Collage

The Big Event is HERE, and we started off with a God-sized explosion! Perry Stone kicked off The Big Event like only Perry can, the worship was deep, and we are now in 5 Days of Jubilee!

If you are currently attending The Big Event, I invite you to share your thoughts — and what God is doing in your life — below. If you were not able to come, it’s not too late. The Big Event runs through Sunday morning, and if you can’t be here in person, I invite you to join us online by clicking here. You can also download the app for watching on mobile devices.

Services start every morning at 10:00, and every evening at 6:30 (EST).

I hope to see you there!

Pastor Ron

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Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 The Big Event

The Big Event!

Big Event Collage

It’s here! This is the week! Our annual partner and friends event, The Big Event, begins this Wednesday (September 24). Perry Stone, Damon Thompson, Rod Parsley, Randy Caldwell, and more will be joining me as we celebrate 5 Days of Jubilee!!!

With all of the great worship, preaching, and ministry that will be going on, we believe that God is going to do incredible things. The only thing missing is YOU.

Check out these three short videos (and share them with your friends), 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.

The Big Event 2014, starting this Wednesday (September 24-28, 2014)

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

 

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

I Want To Be Like…

Any of you that watch my program are familiar with my co-host, Angie McGregor. Along with being on Ron Phillips from Abba’s House, and being the Executive Director of Communications for Ron Phillips Ministries, Angie is also a very talented worship leader, songwriter, speaker, and…

Blogger.

Angie CUAngie recently began her own blog called Real Life. I encourage all of you who follow mine to follow hers as well. She writes things from her own life experience, with deep spiritual meaning woven throughout her words. It’s really good stuff! To visit (and follow) her blog, go to…

http://www.angiemcgregor.com

This is one of her recent posts that I read and, with her permission, wanted to share with you today. I hope you enjoy it! Now, without further ado, I give you my friend…

Angie McGregor.

I Want To Be Like Mary

September 4, 2014

“She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”  Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭39‬ NKJV

There’s nothing like a perfect dinner party or family event. Unfortunately, there are many times I have missed the fun because I was trying to get everything ready! If you have the gift of hospitality you always want things to be right. You want the house to look right, the food to taste good, the porch to be swept clean and the plan well organized. It is a lot of hard work! And often times, the work continues after the guests arrive.

Looking back across the years I realize there have been many moments when I had to ask for the conversation to be repeated when something really funny or really important or really beautiful happened. Why? Because I was working in the kitchen.

Everyone thanks you for a great meal and lovely evening. They leave. You realize that you missed it!

In the Bible there is a story about two sisters, Mary and Martha, who were having a dinner party. They had invited a special friend over to the house. This guest was one that they had welcomed to their home before and everyone wanted to sit and listen when he came to visit. His words were insightful, instructive, encouraging and filling. Jesus was their special guest.

For Mary and Martha it was very important to have everything right for Him. They wanted the house to be swept, the furniture in order a good place for him to sit as he enjoyed time in their home. I imagine they had a room prepared with fresh linens and a water pitcher by the bed so that he would be comfortable in the night if He stayed as their guest.

Martha had plenty of food cooking on the stove and fresh bread baking in the oven becauseBread she wanted to provide a special feast for this Man who had given her so very, very much. When He arrived, everyone was excited and they all gathered in the family room and sat down to spend time with Jesus…everyone but Martha, who was tending to food.

Mary and the other guests listened to Jesus talk about where He had been and about all that miracles that had taken place during His travels. He probably told them about the people who had been changed along the way. And then He began to teach them.

From the kitchen, Martha could hear Jesus teaching in the other room but she couldn’t leave the stove. The bread would burn! And then I imagine that she started to think about her sister sitting at Jesus’ feet.  And she began to feel left out and unhappy with her sister, who was not carrying her part of the load!

After all, she was working really hard for her Lord preparing this meal, making sure everything she was doing would please him. I can imagine her finally saying to herself, “Enough is enough! I’m going to go tell Jesus to send my sister in to help me!”

So she goes into the other room where everyone is gathered and she interrupts Jesus, “Master won’t you tell my sister to get up and come and help me make this meal? I shouldn’t have to do all of the work while she sits here and does nothing!”

Jesus replies in a way that’s really difficult to accept if you are someone who has the spiritual gift of hospitality or service. Jesus says to this hard working friend, “What you’re doing is not important right now. The most important thing to do is what Mary is doing — sitting here at my feet and letting me teach her.”

I know that is hard to swallow for those of us who have spent our lives working hard for Jesus. Having been a staff member at a church for 25 years I certainly understand the importance of hard work in serving Christ. But if I look back over my life and even more than the conversations I have missed during dinner parties in my home, I have probably missed some incredible moments with Christ because I worked myself ragged “doing” while the Savior was sitting in the living room of my heart ready to speak to me. All the while I was in the church doing, or in the laundry room washing or in bedroom sleeping because I was so exhausted from all of my service for Him in the kitchen.

So which one are you– Mary or Martha?

Jesus is sitting in residence today in the living room of your heart. He has so much to share with you! Let me encourage you to find the balance between the two. If you say proudly,”I’m Mary”, please don’t leave all the work to someone else! Do your share so Martha isn’t so exhausted all the time and grumbling because she’s missing out.

If you’ll do your part Mary, Martha will be ready to sit down with Jesus when He shows up at the house!

Martha, if there is too much work to be done and no one else will do it, you have to come to a place in your life where you will stop and sit down at the feet of Jesus for the well-being of your soul and the strength of your mind, heart and emotions. Sit at his feet; listen to His voice and learn from Him while He is near. Jesus told Martha that Mary had made the better choice by sitting down at His feet to learn from Him. Why do you need to be still at times?

So you can be equipped by Jesus to teach your children. So you can serve effectively in the community. So that you will want to be in the house of God. So you’re a better spouse. Better parent. Better friend. Better child. Better employee. Better manager.

I want to be like Mary because too often I find myself in the kitchen like Martha…working.

One more very important thing to note, both women had a personal relationship with Jesus. But all of Martha’s doing didn’t gain her more favor with Jesus than Mary did in her stillness.

We must be about the work of Christ. But doing the work of Christ will not save us. I want to be like Mary. How about you? Have you found the balance in your life?  Pray this prayer with me: Dear Jesus, help me sit at your feet and learn from you so I can daily serve you and others with power, wisdom, love and grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen