Tag: Abba’s House

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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.

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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 The Secret Place

America’s Covenant with Death

ACWDWith recent events in our nation, we are a people in fear…

The Oklahoma tornadoes. We are afraid of forces of nature we cannot control.

The Boston Marathon terror attack. We are afraid of an enemy we cannot see.

Government scandals at the highest levels. We are afraid of a corrupt government that we can no longer trust.

Quite honestly, we’re not just afraid of the shadows… we’re afraid of our own shadows.

I believe that fear was Job’s fatal flaw. Job stated that “… the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.” I think that Satan knew that fear was Job’s “Achilles heel”, and was drawn to that flaw like a moth to a flame. But Satan’s attack on Job was not just about picking on a righteous man… his attack on Job was a part of a greater strategy:

 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. ~ Job 1:11

Satan’s strategy was to use Job’s fear as a catalyst for him to turn his back on God. Everything that Job went through was simply for the benefit of Satan seeing Job shake his fist at God, and curse Him to His face.

So what fear has you paralyzed?

Fear of life?

Fear of death?

Fear of the enemy?

Fear of man?

Fear of insignificance?

Fear of the future?

FlagI could go on and on for days. But the fact of the matter is that, because of our fear, we have allowed the enemy to build a stronghold in America. While the voices of ungodliness and fear are running amok, the real voices of truth and hope have been cowed into a corner of anti-Christian, anti-American, and un-Constitutional silence.

We have called evil “good”, and good “evil”.

We have embraced our enemies while alienating our friends.

We have slaughtered the innocent in the name of “choice”, while rabidly fighting for nonsensical liberal causes in the name of being “conscientious”.

We (as the church) have sacrificed morality, decency, and holiness on the altar of moral relativism, self-improvement, and dead works.

In trying to avoid controversy and conflict, we have given the reins of power to the ungodly and corrupt. By “going along to get along”, we have remained silent in the midst of a chorus of voices that mock our sacred beliefs. By compromising with evil at every turn, America has made a covenant with Death.

Now, are you ready for some good news? When Satan attacked Job, he failed at his primary goal. In everything that he went through, Job reiterated one sentiment: “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

On Sunday, May 26, 2013, I delivered a powerful word from the pulpit of Abba’s House. Starting this coming Sunday, that word will be released to the nation.

For viewing times in your area, please go to https://theheartofabba.com/listen-watch-pastor-ron/

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

Confessions of a Tired American

Next week, we will celebrate our nation’s 237th birthday. I find it ironic that, just yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that chips away yet another stone in the foundation of Godliness that this country was built upon. As I witness the erosion of the greatness of America – a land that I love and still believe to be great – I must admit to you…

I’m tired.

I’m tired of the LGBT agenda that is being forced upon the American people. Understand me when I say that I don’t believe that anyone should be threatened, abused, or discriminated against because of their lifestyle. However, I do not believe that churches should have to hire someone that promotes a lifestyle contrary to our biblical world view, or be forced to affirm perversion as a “civil right”. While members of the LGBT community should not be oppressed or mistreated, neither should those of us who believe that their lifestyle is a sin be forced to agree with their choices. If you can’t “legislate morality from the (court) bench”, you shouldn’t be able to legislate immorality either.

I’m tired of abortion being called a choice when it means the death of an unborn child. Where was the child’s choice in the matter?

I’m tired of we, the American taxpayers, being robbed to support leftist causes and wasteful governmental agencies. It infuriates me to see our tax dollars go to failed and failing “green” companies (remember Solyndra) and other “pet projects and programs”, as well as paying for silly videos, lavish parties, and non-sensical conferences for corrupt government agencies. Contrast this waste with the poverty in places like the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and it is even more maddening.

I’m tired of government leaders apologizing for America to third-rate terrorist countries and dictators. I still believe in the greatness of our nation, and don’t believe that is something we need to apologize for.

I’m tired of the assault on our Judeo-Christian heritage, history revisionism, and the mocking of every accomplished conservative by a leftist media that holds up semi-literate celebrities as icons of virtue and wisdom. While the truth of God’s Word may not be popular to some, it is still truth… and that is something I will not apologize for.

I’m tired of “reverends” who value political correctness over biblical authority.

I’m tired of the abuse of our welfare system. I believe that the aged, infirmed, and disabled need our help. Their needs are legitimate. However, the abuses of the entitlement system have to end. As the late Adrian Rogers once said…

“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.”

I’m tired of Islamic terrorists being called moderates. When I was young and growing up in the South, there was a religious organization that committed acts of terror in the name of God. They were called the Ku Klux Klan. Yet, the church rose up against them and said, “You’re not Christian… You’re wrong.” It’s time for any moderate Muslims to rise up, call these terrorists for what they are, and affirm the right for Israel to exist in peace.

But you know what? While I may be tired, I still have hope.

I am still proud when I hear the sound of our National Anthem being sung at a sporting event.

I am still humbled when I see a brave soldier in uniform in the airport, coming from or going to the far reaches of the world to defend freedom.

I am still moved at the sight of our flag, “Old Glory”, waving in a warm summer breeze.

I still believe that our nation is not beyond hope when I hear the words…

If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ~ II Chronicles 7:14

I believe in the greatness of America. I believe that if we turn our faces in repentance toward God, He will heal our land, and give us “a new birth of freedom”.

Long may our land be bright,
With freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.

God bless America!

(Adapted from the message, “Freedom’s Holy Light – Part 1”)
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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 The Secret Place

The High Cost of Influence (A Lesson from Crazy Horse)

Crazy Horse2         One of our mission teams returned from South Dakota this past week, having seen and experienced some amazing things in and around the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. While there, they had the opportunity to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial – a mountain that is in the process of being blasted and carved into the shape of the famous Oglala Lakota Indian warrior. There are some interesting facts surrounding the memorial…

RushmoreThe Crazy Horse Memorial is the largest mountain carving in progress. All four of the 60-ft heads from Mount Rushmore would fit inside Crazy Horse’s head. The carving is 641 ft long and 563 ft high.

Although the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, died in 1982, his wife and 7 of his 10 children carry on the work and the dream.

All of the money used to finance the project comes from private donations and admission fees for the attractions related to the monument.

Even though Korczak was offered $10 million in government funding on two separate occasions, the Memorial organizers refuse to accept any government funds.

So why, if the organizers are needing funds would they turn down such a generous donation? Why would anyone in their right mind refuse to accept help that is offered for something of that magnitude?

It could be that the Memorial organizers understand the value of allowing (or not allowing) someone else to have influence over them. It could be that they grasp the concept of caution when allowing someone to speak into your life.

Consider this story from I Kings 13:

By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. 2 By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’” 3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”

4 When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. 5 Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.

6 Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.

7 The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me for a meal, and I will give you a gift.”

8 But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. 9 For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’” 10 So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

11 Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king. 12 Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken. 13 So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it 14 and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”

“I am,” he replied.

15 So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.”

16 The man of God said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’”

18 The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying to him.) 19 So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. 21 He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. 22 You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors.’”

23 When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. 24 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. 25 Some people who passed by saw the body lying there, with the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived. (NIV)

Wow! Although the man of God did as the LORD commanded him in the face of Jeroboam, he failed when it came to the “harmless” request of the old prophet. It was that failure that cost him his position, his heritage, and his life.

So what does this say about how you should react when someone speaks into your life? Does that “word” reinforce or contradict what you know to be God’s will? Has the still, small voice of God already spoken to your heart something that you feel someone else is trying to divert you from? Is the person speaking to you someone you know to be a person of integrity and Godliness, or an “old prophet” who will say anything hungry and eager ears want to hear?

In I John 4, John tells us to “…not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Just remember the three “P“s when it comes to allowing someone to speak into your life…

Prove. Has the person speaking proven themselves to be a person of integrity and Holy-Spirit power?
Prayer. Take the time to pray about what you have heard. Ask God to guide you in His wisdom.
Peace. Allow the peace of God to be a sign that what you are hearing is from Him.

Make sure that any “word” you are given is from God. If it’s not, even the most “well-intentioned” word can become a curse.

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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 Miracles Out of Nowhere The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God The Secret Place

A Midnight Stranger

“Well… that was a close one!”

How many times have you heard that said? How many times have you said it yourself?

We may never know how many accidents, injuries, and “near misses” we have had in our lifetimes. We may never know how many times we have received angelic counsel from a quiet “impression”, a “still, small voice”, or a stranger who may have, in fact, been an angel. Hebrews 13:1-2 says:

Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers,
for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels.

In my book Our Invisible Allies (Charisma House), I convey one such story…

It happened just past midnight on March 26, 1993, to Vincent Tan, and analytical chemist  who works in Chattanooga, TN.

Vincent was born Tan Ban Soon in Singapore, of Chinese Buddhist parents. A few years ago as a young boy in Singapore, he was in the library reading a book on nuclear physics and discovered an offer for a Bible course stuck between some pages. He ordered the course and later became a Christian. He came to the U.S. to attend a Christian college, then gave himself the Western name of Vincent. After four years, he graduated with a major in science. He has been very active in his church and in sharing his faith.

On the night of Thursday, March 25, 1993, Vincent was working late in his laboratory to complete tests due on Friday. During the evening he moved his car close to the front door of the building, since there had recently been criminal activity in the area. From time to time, he looked out the window into the almost empty parking lot to check on his car. At 1:30a.m., he finished working in his lab. As he was preparing to lock the door, he saw a person standing by the passenger side of his car. Vincent assumed the man was trying to steal his car. He noted that the stranger was of medium build with clean-cut, straight hair and had on a T-shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. Unsure what to do, he went back into the lab and prayed, “Lord, help me to do what I have to do. Do I have to use chi-sao?” (Chi-sao (pronounced “chee’-sow-o”) is a form of martial art in which Vincent is proficient.)

To be extra safe, he looked around the lab and picked up an 18-inch metal rod, held it behind him, and stuck his head out the door. He said, “Hi, can I help you?”

The stranger answered, “Hi, Vincent.”

Startled, Vincent asked, “Do I know you?”

The stranger replied, “Not really.”

“What is your name? Who are you?” Vincent probed.

The stranger said, “I have the name of your primary and secondary school.” He added, “I’m a friend. You don’t have to use chi-sao or the rod on me.”

His voice had unusual authority, and it seemed he knew the question before it was asked.  Now Vincent was really startled. No one, not even his best friend in this country, was familiar with chi-sao, nor did anyone even know that he knew it. Also, there was no way the stranger could have seen the rod behind his back.

Vincent later reflected that the stranger had used terminology (“primary and secondary school”) of Singapore and not the U.S., and that the name of his school back in Singapore was St. Gabriel. The stranger was saying his name was Gabriel!

“How do you know that?” Vincent asked.Angels

“I know,” the stranger replied. “By the way, Mum is fine.”

Vincent was startled again. Just the week before, his sister had called from Singapore saying that his mother had heart complications, and Vincent had been quite worried about her.

Gabriel continued, “You love the Lord very much, don’t you?”

“That’s right,” Vincent replied.

“He loves you very much too,” Gabriel said. Then he added, “He is coming very, very soon.” He seemed to emphasize the “very soon.”

Vincent answered, “That’s great!”

Gabriel then asked, “Can I have a cup of water?”

Vincent said, “Sure,” and turned momentarily to get him the water. Then he decided to invite the stranger inside to drink from the water fountain. He turned back to invite him inside — but Gabriel was not there. He had suddenly and inexplicably vanished! Vincent had not turned his head for more than three seconds.

There was no place for the stranger to have gone. Puzzled, and not wanting to go back into the lab, Vincent laid the metal rod down by the front door and headed to his home outside of Chattanooga. When he came back to work later that morning, he wondered if he had dreamed the whole experience. As a scientist, he wanted to prove whether it had really happened. When he got to the building, he found the metal rod lying by the door just where he had left it. He knew he had not been dreaming. Upon entering the lab, the first thing he did was to lock himself in the restroom and kneel in prayer. “Show me what to do Lord. I know what I remember, If I’m supposed to share it, I must believe it myself,” Vincent pleaded. He then sat down at his computer and recorded every word said, and everything that had happened.

That night, March 26, 1993, in a dream Vincent relived the whole experience, seeing himself and, word for word, hearing the whole conversation. He awoke at about 3:30a.m. and wrote down every word in the dream and the description of the stranger. What he wrote from the dream confirmed every detail he had written earlier. Also, a week after the experience, he learned that his mother had received needed surgery and was recuperating nicely — and that the medical decision about her improved condition came a week earlier at about the very same hour as he was talking with Gabriel!

On July 29, 1993, Vincent was asked what effect this experience has had on him. He said he believes more strongly now that we should be ready every day for the Lord’s coming, and not worry about which day He will come. He said the experience has intensified his dedication, causing him to spend more devotional time than before, wanting to know more about God and be closer to Him. For some time, even before that experience, Vincent said he had been asking God, “Am I ready, right now?”

Now more meaningfully than ever, this writer is asking that same question.

Would you like to find out more about angels… where they came from, how they operate, and how you can activate them in your life? Click here for more information about my book, Our Invisible Allies.

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

Refusing To Settle For Less

How many times have you seen someone give their all to a pursuit, only to come up short? We see it all the time…

  • A thriving business that ends up failing due to bad decisions, mismanagement, and financial chaos;
  • An actor who receives accolades for a performance, wins an Academy Award, then falls into obscurity;
  • An athlete or team that wins contest after contest, only to fail when it really matters. (Remember the New England Patriots 2007 season – they were undefeated going into Super Bowl XLII, only to lose to the New York Giants.)

But worse than coming up short in a contest or personal pursuit is someone who makes a conscious decision for defeat… someone who makes a decision not to take advantage of every opportunity, resource, or gift available to them.

     † D.L.Moody was NOT such a person. D.L. Moody, the founder of many establishments including Moody Bible Institute, was a man who refused to operate without the power of the Holy Spirit. Early in his ministry he pushed forward in his work, operating mostly in the strength of his own flesh. He felt he had no real power in his life, but he didn’t know how to resolve the problem.

At the close of his meetings in a YMCA, two humble Free Methodist women often approached him and said, “We are praying for you.” Their comment unnerved the young preacher. Finally, one night upon their approach, he asked, “Why are you praying for me? Why don’t you pray for the unsaved?”

They responded, “We are praying that you may get the power.” He asked them what they meant, and they proceeded to explain to him the definite baptism of the Holy Spirit. He then prayed with the women, fervently desiring the power of God to fall on his life.

Not long after that prayer, as he was walking in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the streets of New York, the power of God fell upon Moody so mightily that he had to turn aside to the house of a friend. There, alone in a room for hours, he experienced the filling of his soul with such joy that he at last had to ask God to withhold His hand. He went out from there with the power of the Spirit upon him, and going directly to a London crusade, he saw God do a wondrous work through him, bringing hundreds into the church.¹

I could write pages and pages of the men of God who have experienced the filling of the Spirit, such as Charles Spurgeon, Billy Sunday, Charles Finney, and Evan Roberts, the Welsh evangelist. However, God’s power is not just for great preachers of the faith. It is God’s desire for all Christians to know the power of the Holy Spirit upon them.

† From my book, The Essential Guide to Baptism in the Holy Spirit Published by Charisma House

¹ R.A. Torrey, “Why God Used D.L. Moody”, in James S. Bell, ed., The D.L. Moody Collections (Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), 116-117

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Uncategorized

Honoring Memorial Day

Today is the day we in America take pause to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of a grateful nation.  While most of us will spend the day with family and friends, we must not forget those who, by their commitment to freedom, made it possible for us to enjoy the lives we have been blessed with. The spirit of this day is best summed up in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, as he stood on the fields of Gettysburg four-and-a-half months after the cannons, muskets, and war-cries were silenced…

Flag2The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. ~ from The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863

God bless America!