Category: Through The Looking Glass

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Friendship Through The Looking Glass

The Human Touch

Through the Looking GlassIn A Letter to Arthur Greeves, C.S. Lewis wrote:

“If I had to give a piece of advice to a young man about a place to live, I think I should say, ‘Sacrifice almost everything to live where you can be near your friends.’”

In the age of Facebook, Twitter, and the plethora of other social networks, it is easy to lose the human touch. Through instant messaging, texting, and email, we think we can show affection, settle conflict, and stay close to our “5,000 closest friends”.

However, when times get tough, how many of those 5,000 friends are going to show up on your doorstep to help? When you get the bad diagnosis, how many of your Twitter “followers” are going to offer you a ride to the doctor, or come visit you in the hospital? When you just got news that your company is laying off, and you’re probably going to lose your job, is a “poke” on Facebook going to touch you like a hug from a true friend? While social media has its place, no amount of online chatting can take the place of sitting down across the table from a friend, sharing a cup of coffee, and engaging in a heartfelt conversation.

Jesus said that there is no greater love a man can have than to lay down his life for a friend. He understood the value of deep, abiding, face-to-face friendship.

Take a moment today (now is a good time) and reach out to someone in a very real way. Schedule a lunch together. Go grab some coffee with them. Make it a point to reach out and be real. There’s no telling the difference you can make in someone’s life today.

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Fresh Oil New Wine 2013 Healing Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place Through The Looking Glass

A Fisherman’s Tale

TN River BaptismWe just wrapped up our Collide Chattanooga 2013 Conference at our church. This was a youth meeting that brought powerful worship and ministry to the auditorium at Abba’s House, and featured Damon Thompson, Dutch Sheets, Chris Brooks, Ronnie Phillips Jr., Rick Pino, Eddie James, Abby Brown, and more. There was restoration, healing miracles, deliverance, and the overwhelming Presence of God. With nearly 2,000 youth and adults gathered together, hungry for the presence of God, the atmosphere was electric.

On the last afternoon of the conference, they took the crowd out to the TN River and had a mass baptism. Hundreds of young people and adults stepped into the water, and made a public statement that they were “burying the old man”, and going on with God in freedom. It was an awe-inspiring site as hundreds gathered on the banks, dozens were baptized at once, and even boaters stopped just outside of the “swimming area” where the baptism was taking place, just to watch.

That evening, when the last session began, one of my staff got up on the stage to do some announcements. He looked out at the audience and said, “I look out here at your faces tonight, and I see the love of Jesus. But I just gotta say… you guys smell like fish!”

The audience laughed as he continued.

“Now, that’s not so bad. Any fisherman worth his salt is going to smell like fish. And here’s the deal… Jesus called you all to be fishers of men.”

What a great analogy! In Matthew 4:19, Jesus commands His disciples to “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Any good fisherman is going to get his hands dirty. Any good fisherman is going to get scrapes, cuts, and bruises. A good fisherman knows going into it that, in order to be successful, it’s going to require having “skin in the game”. Fish are unpredictable. Fish are sometimes slippery and hard to handle. They have scales and fins that are slippery and sometimes sharp. However, any good fisherman knows that catching fish means embracing the task, and that in most cases, the fish that is hardest to land is usually the one most worth having. The more fish a fisherman hauls in, the more he is going to smell like that catch.

As fishers of men, that should be us. If  we are going to win the lost, we must follow the example of Jesus, and be willing to get our hands dirty. Sometimes the people we witness to are skeptical and hard-hearted. Still, we must be diligent in our witness, fervent in prayer, and committed to the task, regardless of the squalls, storms, and hardships along the way.

Someday, I will stand before God. I long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter in!”

But in my mind’s eye, as I turn to enter in, I can see Jesus catching my attention, smiling at me, and with a wink saying…

“Ron… you smell like fish!”

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The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

Burning Bright or Burning Out?

Through the Looking GlassConsider this quote by Thomas Edison…

“Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment, and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”

That is so true. It seems that we latch on to every “get-rich-quick scheme” and promise of a quick buck, yet don’t want to put in the time, the thought, or the perspiration to make our busy-ness really count.

CandleThe same can be said of the Church.

For all of our programs…

Are we ministering to the poor?

Are we saving the lost?

Are we making disciples?

Are we passing on what is important to the next generation of believers?

Are you burning bright, or burning out?

Remember, only what is done for Christ will really last.

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

The Patriot

Through the Looking GlassMark Twain once said…

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time,
and your government when it deserves it.”

Patriotism is not about who is in the White House… it is about taking pride in the fundamental beliefs that made this country great.

It’s easy to lose patriotic fervor when you disagree with politicians and their policies. It’s easy to fall into discouraged complacency when we believe that those who were chosen to lead us are taking us down the wrong path.

However…

I would contend that such times are the VERY times that we need to show our patriotic colors. During such times, we need to take a stand for the principles that our country was founded on.

We need to declare that we are still “one nation under God”, regardless of what the courts, they cynics, and the skeptics say.

As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s 237th birthday this week, let us remember the words of John F. Kennedy…

“Ask not what your country can do for you…
ask what you can do for your country.”

May God bless America.

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

Finding Order in the Chaos

Through the Looking Glass        M. C. Escher was a Dutch graphic artist, known for some of the most interesting art of the 20th century. Two of his works, Relativity and Waterfall, are classic examples of his work, which combined art, architecture, and optical illusion. He once said that…

 “We adore chaos because we love to produce order.”

 Sounds a lot like man’s relationship to God.

 Our world — devoid of God — is chaos. At Adam’s Fall, the world was plunged into disarray. Yet, each time one of us makes the decision to leave the chaos of death for life in Him, He takes what was confusion and disorder, and turns it into a beautiful paradox… a life that was seemingly going nowhere that now has eternity as its open road.

Not sure which way is up? Just reach out your hand to Jesus. As imperfect and chaotic as your life may be, He still adores YOU!

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America Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Dancing With the Fishes

Through the Looking Glass      A couple was walking down the beach when they saw a man dancing in the sand up ahead of them. As they approached him, they realized he wasn’t dancing at all. Instead, he was picking up starfish that had washed up on the beach, and was throwing them back into the sea. They called out to the man…

“You know, there are thousands of starfish here? You’ll never be able to rescue them all. It’s not going to make a difference!”

Without looking up, the man reached down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf.

“It made a difference to that one,” he replied.

When we see the problems facing our country and the world, it is easy to lose hope. Jesus even said, “In this world you will have trouble…”

But then He said (and I can see Him smile as He replied)…

“Cheer up! I have overcome the world!”

“But the world is so big,” you may be saying. “Where do I start?”

Look down at your feet, and then out from your feet 5 yards in each direction. Do this multiple times a day (constantly is good), and every time you do, realize that the area you see is your mission field at that moment. Pick someone you know, or maybe even a complete stranger, and make a positive difference in their life today.

Question: “How do you change a world that needs Jesus?”

Answer: “One heart at a time.”

On a related note…

As you read this, we have a mission team from Abba’s House on it’s way to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to spend a week ministering to the people that live there. We are believing for great things for the team and the people they minister to. Please pray for safety, favor, and open lines of communication to hearts hungry for the love of Jesus.

If you would like to keep up with the team, you can follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/abbashousemissions

You can also follow them at:
http://www.ronphillips.org or http://www.abbashouse.com

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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

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

Prioritizing Your Passion

Through the Looking GlassFormer Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir was known for her wit and her wisdom. She once said…

“Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil!”

Though at times accused of governing from her emotions, she replied…

“It’s no accident many accuse me of conducting public affairs with my heart instead of my head. Well, what if I do? Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either.”

That is advice we as Christians would do well to remember. We can laugh and claim that “the joy of the Lord is our strength”. We can dance as David danced, and throw ourselves into unrestrained worship at the drop of a hat. However, if we can’t weep for the hurting in this world – if we cannot burn with hearts of conviction for the least, the last, and the lost –  how can we claim to be passionate for any of the things of God?

In Romans, we are encouraged to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”.  If we as the Church cannot show compassion to a world that Jesus died to save, we should probably re-examine whether the title “church” belongs on our door.

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

When Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

Through the Looking Glass

The Tsavo Man-Eaters ("The Ghost" and "The Darkness") on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL
The Tsavo Man-Eaters (“The Ghost” and “The Darkness”) on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL

The movie The Ghost and the Darkness is based on the true story of two man-eating lions (named “The Ghost” and “The Darkness”) who attack a railroad crew in Africa. In reality, it was estimated that these beasts killed over 100 people before they were finally hunted down and killed by Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson in 1898. The by-line of the movie states that…

“Only the most incredible parts of the story are true”.


Mark Twain once said that “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities… truth isn’t”.

As Christians, we must hold on to the truth of God’s Word. While society may tell us that the truth is subjective, and is constantly changing, we have a golden standard by which we live. If what we are being told – by society, the media, or even some churches – does not line up with the Word of God, quite simply, it’s not truth. God will never contradict Himself. He is the same… yesterday, today, and forever.

The “User’s Manual” for life is the Holy Word of God… the Bible. The answers are there — all we have to do is take the time to look.

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Friendship The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

Faithful Are The Wounds

Through the Looking GlassI like this quote by British author J.R.R. Tolkien:

“Faithless is he that says ‘farewell’ when the road darkens.”

It reminds me of the words of Solomon:

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. ~ Proverbs 17:17

So what is your definition of a true friend…

The one that gives expecting nothing in return?

The one that is willing to tell you the truth even if it means making you angry?

The one who can sit with you in silence during your darkest hour, and not say a word – who understands that just being there is enough?

The one you trust to hold the other end of the rope you are dangling from the proverbial “cliff” by?

Solomon said that “faithful are the wounds of a friend”. Does that mean faithful are the wounds a friend gives us? Or, could it possibly mean that faithful are the wounds a friend named Jesus took on your behalf?

In memory of Bob Martin ~ 1931 – 2013
“Faithful”