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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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Uncategorized

Important Message from Fresh Oil New Wine 2014

FONW2014

Wow! We are having a pretty incredible time at Fresh Oil New Wine 2014. God is moving, and we believe this is just the beginning. We have already heard from Dwain Miller, Randall Collins, and Kevin Wallace. I brought a word last night on Due Season that I wish all of you could have heard. We are still waiting to hear from Randy Caldwell (tonight), as well as Perry Stone, Rabbi Curt Landry, Ronnie Phillips Jr., and Pastor John Hagee. Stay tuned… it’s going to be a great week.

So, my social media director had an idea… let’s get the blog involved. Here’s what we are going to do…

For Facebook users, there is a “status” on the Abba’s House Facebook page that says…

We want to hear from YOU!!!
#FONW14

We want you to “like” and leave a comment under that status.

If you are on Twitter, make a comment using the hashtag #FONW14

If you do this by 6:00p.m. tonight, we will draw one name from those who left comments or Tweeted, and that person will receive a gift.
However, YOU MUST BE PRESENT AT THE CONFERENCE AT THE TIME OF THE DRAWING TO WIN.

Ready… set… Tweet!

Pastor Ron

Categories
Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Miracles Out of Nowhere The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place Through The Looking Glass

A Leader Worth Following

From inside the walls of our churches to the halls of Congress, people are looking for leadership. But what is a real leader?

Is it the person who “makes the rules” and “calls the shots?”

Is it the one who constantly reminds others of who is in charge?

Is it the person who has the “my way or the highway” mentality?

Or…

Is it the person who listens to the advice of others? Is it the person who takes suggestions and criticism, and has the wisdom to run with the good, and throw out the bad?

In his book, Jesus: The Man Who Lives, British author Malcolm Muggeridge made this observation…

If the greatest of all, Incarnate God, chooses to be servant of all, who would wish to be master?”

Jesus said that “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.”

Do you wish to lead? If you do, then find out what it means to serve, and become a servant today.

This week…

We are in the beginning of what is already promising to be a great week at Abba’s House. Yesterday, we began our annual Fresh Oil New Wine Conference, and it is off to a great start. I’m being joined this week by Pastor John Hagee, Perry Stone, Rabbi Curt Landry, Dwain Miller, Randy Caldwell, and more. We are already seeing God move in mighty ways, and are expecting an outpouring of His Spirit as we tap into the ancient wells of our heritage as believers. I hope you can make it, but if you cannot get to Chattanooga, you can watch us online by clicking this link. You can find out more about Fresh Oil New Wine by visiting here.

I know that there are so many different social media sites out there, and chances are, most of you that follow my blog participate in at least one or two. I would love to stay connected to you…

If you are on Twitter, you can connect with me at @PstrRonPhillips

On Facebook, there is more than one way.

To connect with Ron Phillips Ministries, go to https://www.facebook.com/RonPhillipsMinistries

Our Abba’s House Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/AbbasHouse

You can also visit our website at ronphillips.org

Thanks for following my blog. Hope to see you at FONW14

Pastor Ron

Categories
Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

5 Reasons You Need Some Fresh Oil & New Wine In Your Life

If you follow my blog, you know that next week we will be hosting our annual Fresh Oil New Wine conference at Abba’s House. By now, you might be saying to yourself, “Self… why should I go to Fresh Oil New Wine?”

I’m SO glad you asked!

In the spirit of “all things listed”, here are 5 reasons you should come to Fresh Oil New Wine:

#5 The Olympics are over.

Snow 6J

With all of the ongoing video clips, comments, and chatter still dying off in the distance, you may not be aware that the Olympics actually ended last Sunday. Now that you have so much time on your hands (in the absence of skiing, bobsledding, skating, etc), you can come and be a part of what we believe is going to be a mighty move of God.

#4 It’s better than watching YouTube.

Worship2Yes, you can sit at home and watch other people worship God through endless videos on YouTube, or…

You can register now to be smack-dab in the middle of His presence with hundreds of other hungry worshipers.

#3 This might just be your Due Season.

Leaves1On Monday night of the conference, I will be delivering a message about Due Season. What does it mean? How do you know when your due season has arrived? How do you persevere while you are waiting for your due season to arrive? This session will hopefully answer those questions for you, and give you strength to be an overcomer through all of the seasons of life.

#2 I’ve invited a few friends along.

Each year at Fresh Oil New Wine, we have powerful speakers who join us, and this year is no exception. Pastor John Hagee, Perry Stone, Rabbi Curt Landry, Randy Caldwell, Dwain Miller, and more will be joining us to make this a conference like no other!

#1 You have a rich heritage that needs to be tapped into.

As believers in Jesus, we have deep roots in Jewish heritage. The Jews are God’s chosen people… What does that mean for you as a Christian? How can we honor Israel and our ancient Jewish heritage as 21st century Christians? Come find out.

Fresh Oil New Wine is March 2 – 6, 2014. Registration is free.

I hope to see you there.

Pastor Ron

P.S. I would really appreciate your help. Help us spread the word about Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 by sharing my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, or whatever form of social media works for you. If you are on Twitter and Facebook, we are using the hashtag #FONW14.

Categories
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.

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Healing Miracles Out of Nowhere The Big Event The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

Tapping The Ancient Wells

FONW2014

Our annual Fresh Oil New Wine conference is about to begin at Abba’s House, and I hope to see many of you there. Fresh Oil New Wine is always a great time of spiritual renewal and outpouring, and this year, we expect no different.

Christianity has deep roots in Jewish heritage, and I will be joined by John Hagee, Perry Stone, Rabbi Curt Landry, Randy Caldwell and others as we honor Israel and our Jewish roots.

I would love to see you there! March 2-6, 2014 are the dates for this free conference at Abba’s House in Chattanooga, TN. To register, click here.

Are you someone who needs renewal and refreshment from the Holy Spirit???

If so, then this is the conference for YOU!

See you at Fresh Oil New Wine!

Pastor Ron

Categories
Through The Looking Glass

Understanding the Answer

The 2006 movie, Amazing Grace, depicted the life of William Wilberforce, the member of the British Parliament who was most instrumental in abolishing the slave trade in Great Britain. Through sheer determination and prayer, he took on the slave industry, and eventually witnessed the abolition of the trade… without war… without firing a single shot.

Prayer2Wilberforce once said…

Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.

How much of what God wants to do in our lives is simply waiting for us to call on His name in prayer? How much of what God wants to do in our nation is on hold until His people humble themselves and pray?

But you may be saying, “Well, I prayed, and God didn’t grant my request… He didn’t answer my prayer.”

The thing that we often forget is that no is just a valid answer as yes is.

So, let me encourage you today: Make finding God in the secret place of prayer a daily habit in your life.

Categories
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…

image

“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.)

Categories
Through The Looking Glass

Finding Joy

Through the Looking Glass

British philosopher Sir Francis Bacon once said…

“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not…
a sense of humor to console him for what he is.”

In spite of the state of our world today, humor can go a long way toward making tough times bearable. Humorist Bill Cosby observed that..

“You can turn painful situations around through laughter.
If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.”

Our God is a God of joy, happiness, and laughter. Proverbs 17:22 says that,

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”.

Throughout scripture, God puts great value on joy.

There is strength in joy…

There is hope in joy…

There is health in joy…

No matter what your circumstances, make it a point to find joy.  As C.S. Lewis said…

“Joy is the banner flown from the heart when the King is in residence”.

Allow your life to be a declaration of the presence of the King.

Categories
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!