Tag: Holy Spirit

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

The Gospel According to Forrest Gump

ShrimpAnyone born prior to 2009 is probably at least familiar with the name Forrest Gump. As the 20th anniversary of it’s release approaches (originally released on July 6, 1994), I thought this post a timely one. Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, I’m sure you are familiar with some of the colloquialisms derived from the film, as well as some of the pop-culture that was born from it. After all, ever hear of  the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.?

(Incidentally, they DO have boiled shrimp, popcorn shrimp, fried shrimp, jumbo shrimp, shrimp creole, BBQ shrimp, etc… but I digress)

Among his most famous “Gump-isms”, one phrase that is often re-quoted in normal conversation is one quote Forrest attributed to his momma.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Well, as living proof of that, allow me to share my own “Forrest Gump moment”. Recently, I was speaking out of town, but as it was not at an unreasonable distance, we decided to drive. There are a number of people who sometimes travel with me to assist with logistics, books, etc., and on this occasion, my travel companion was a gentleman named Brad. We got to the multi-evening event, and everything went great. However, due to a wedding I was slated to participate in back in Chattanooga, we had to leave immediately once I finished speaking at the last session, and begin the long drive back home.

On the last night of the event, upon completion of the service, we packed up all of our books and materials, said goodbye to the wonderful folks who afforded us the opportunity, and headed out to the truck (I drive an SUV). As we approached the vehicle, I realized something was wrong…

It was already running.

Now, this is a problem, since Brad had stayed with me the whole time, and had never come out to the truck to start it ahead of time. In fact, neither of us had been out to the truck since before the service started, a couple of hours before. As all of the potential reasons why it may have been running, as well as the potential consequences of such, raced into my mind, all I could come up with was a simple question…

“Brad… Did you leave the car running this WHOLE TIME????”

Without missing a beat, and seemingly unfazed by the directness of my question, Brad very simply replied, “No, I just started it remotely a minute ago.”

Whaaaaaaat????

“You did WHAT?” I asked.

“What? You didn’t know you can start it remotely?” Brad asked with a touch of incredulity in his voice. He held up the remote to the truck. “Yeah, you push this button, then push this other one, and it cranks right up.”

So let me get this straight… I have had this vehicle for how-many-years, and never knew I could start it remotely? All of the scorching, southern days that I sat in the car, sweating until the AC caught up with the oven-imitating cab? All of the cold, winter mornings that I had to leave the warmth of my home to go out and crank the icy engine? You mean to tell me that, all this time, I could have simply pushed a button, and let the car warm up (or cool down), without the discomfort of my presence?

Ok… as I am so fond of saying in my sermons: “Hold up your sign” (you know, the one that says stupid on it).

Well, I guess I wouldn’t be a real preacher if I couldn’t find a spiritual application to my own misfortune (or stupidity), so here we go…

How many times have we all had something at our fingertips, and never realized it? How many times has the answer, solution, or tool we needed been within our grasp, but we are too focused on the complexity of the job to see the simple fix? How many of us are guilty of being creatures of habit to the point that, when a better way comes along, we ignore it and wallow in our time-worn inefficiency?

The Psalmist said…

  Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ~ Psalm 103:2-5

   Ok. Closer to home. How many of us are really good at “blessing the LORD”, and really bad at “forgetting NOT all His benefits”?

Chocolate“Momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you’re gonna get.'” ~ Forrest Gump


We sing praises. We worship. We bless His name. However, when the first sign of trouble comes, we retreat into the “box of chocolates“, and we take whatever is handed to us — complain, worry, and fret — and forget that…

He forgives.

He heals.

He redeems.

He crowns (rewards).

He satisfies.

He renews.

While life may be as unpredictable as a box of chocolates, it doesn’t mean you have to take it lying down. You know, it’s a wonderful thing when a Christian does not get used to being a Christian. The ability to still learn, still study, still pray, still have a sense of wonder… still trust. Sometimes, we get lost in the life of being a believer, and forget what it means to actually believe. We must never lose sight that our God never gets old, never gets tired, is always creating, is always ready with a new “gadget” or two that may surprise us, and always has your best interests at heart.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my staff members sang a song on Sunday morning that he wrote several years ago. I think it is appropriate today. As you listen to it (video link below), remember that while the world may say you are stupid for believing in Someone you cannot see, as Paul said…

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18

So, maybe “stupid IS as stupid does“. But, if that means believing in the “foolishness” of the cross, and that putting my faith and trust squarely in Jesus is “stupid” — then stupid is something I can live with.

How about you?

Pastor Ron

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Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 The Big Event The Secret Place Through The Looking Glass

A Wolf At The Door

Through The Looking Glass2While I don’t spend an inordinate amount of time on social media, I do participate some. It’s always interesting to see what my friends are posting on Twitter and Facebook, understanding that much of what we see has to be taken with a grain of salt. Whether quotes are attributed to Steve Jobs, Steve Forbes, or Steve Austin (you children of the ’70’s will get that in a minute), truth is truth — regardless of who is saying it.

Blood-Moon14I saw a story on a friend’s Facebook page the other day, and found it interesting. It went something like this…

An old Cherokee once told his grandson, “Son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.”

The boy thought about it for a bit, and asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The old man quietly replied, “The one you feed.”

— author unknown

Wow! What an amazing analogy of the life of the Spirit. As human beings living in a fallen world, though redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we must continually be on our guard against feeding the “wolf” of the flesh. If we spend all of our time on pursuits and interests that do not bring us closer to the heart of God, we cannot expect to have any kind of Holy Ghost power in our lives. Is your dust-covered Bible the tell-tale sign of a life spend on pursuing money, notoriety, popularity, possessions, entertainment, and lust? Are you spending so much time and energy worrying about staying alive that you have forgotten how to live? Paul had this to say about where our thought life should reside…

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ~ Philippians 4:8

In Mark 8:36-37, Jesus asks a very poignant question…

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

But it all really boils down to this…

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Luke 12:34

Jesus makes it painfully clear with this sentence that what is in your “treasure box” is a direct reflection of what is in your heart. If your treasure is devoid of evidence of the Spirit, it’s probably time to re-evaluate, not just your priorities, but your commitment to the Savior.

So which creature are you feeding? Are you feeding a wolf that may stay quiet for a time, but will eventually devour you?

Or…

Are you feeding a creature that looks — not like a wolf — but like the Lamb of God, who “takes away the sins of the world”?

 

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America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship 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 Power of Being

BPRecently, while on a trip to Great Britain, we visited iconic sites like Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Holyrood Palace, and St. Andrews.

Big Ben
Big Ben / Parliament


We also journeyed to Stratford Upon Avon, the home of the great poet and playwright William Shakespeare. Shakespeare once said, “To thine own self be true…” There is also an old Greek aphorism which, when translated, means “Know thyself.”
Our existence is a miracle of creation. We are human beings. We have the gift of “being.” It is interesting that the name of God in Hebrew — Yahweh — is a “being verb” meaning “I am who I have always been, and I always will be who I am.”

The scripture says…

“… In Him we live and move and have our being…” ~ Acts 17:28

With my wife, Paulette, in front of Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Our being means we are more than unreasoning animals. We are made in the image of God, and though fallen, we are given our being back by the sacrifice of Christ!

So I must know who I am and understand my God-given talent, temperament and opportunity. My being can (and should) be filled with His Holy Spirit and His gifts. I can be more than I imagined.

Jesus said for us to deny ourselves for His sake…

“… If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” ~ Matthew 16:24

 

With my grandson, Ethan Logue, near Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

However, we can’t do that until we affirm ourselves. If you do not love yourself, you cannot love your neighbor. It’s time for we as believers to see ourselves the way God sees us. When we choose to deny self, we aren’t giving up anything. By setting aside the very thing that anchors us to death (our sinful nature) and taking up the cross, we are gaining infinitely more than we are leaving behind. The act of following Jesus is the ultimate act of being true to yourself… living the life for which you were always intended — the life for which you were created.

But it is also not just about the individual… individual churches have being as well, and churches must be true to who they are and what they are positioned, gifted, empowered, and called to do.

True human beings are all unique and special. Our churches are as well — each with its own unique calling.

 

Let’s be something great for God — together!

At Cardiff Castle, Wales
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Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

The Journey Home

Through The Looking Glass2

I once heard the story of an old missionary couple that was returning home after years of faithful service on the mission field. As their journey across the sea began, they discovered that they were sharing their ship with none other than President Theodore Roosevelt.

Activity swirled around the President as the old couple went virtually unnoticed.

Finally, when the ship arrived in New York, bands and dignitaries came out to greet the President, while the old couple slipped off of the ship, and disappeared into the crowd.

The old man became bitter with God about the fact that they were in no way recognized. Complaining to his wife about how unfair it was, his wife encouraged him to take it up with God.

After a short time, the old man emerged from their bedroom with a changed countenance. He explained to his wife that, as he was complaining to God about not being recognized on returning home, the Holy Spirit gently spoke to him and said…

“You’re not home yet.”

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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

An Unexpected Stop on a Holy Quest

New MexicoCenturies ago there lived a young German monk. This devoted man took his holy orders seriously. His life was one of discipline. He had surrendered everything and viewed soberly the holy obligation of the church. Still, his struggling heart was empty. Finally, the young cleric decided that pilgrimage and penance was the way to God. He crawled up the high stairs in Rome where many made their pilgrimages, the staircase known as Scala Santa. Worn out and bloody from the journey, he still had no answer from God.

Returning home, the young monk was browsing in a library when he came across a complete copy of the Latin Scriptures. He was astounded, for he had never held the entire Word of God in his hands, in spite of years of Bible study as a monk. That day the light came powerfully to Martin Luther as one verse from God’s Word broke over his soul—

“The just shall live by faith.” ~ Romans 1:17

Luther knew that Paul had written those words, echoing the prophet Habakkuk, to the church at Rome. Now, 1,500 years later, the same truth that had become almost smothered by church traditions exploded in his heart. In that moment of revelation, Martin Luther had a profound conversion and filling of the Holy Spirit. He moved from religious ritual to a personal relationship with Jesus. Now, at last, his quest for life together with God was made possible by the journey to Jesus.

Luther went on to lead thousands of others to that same freedom!

Fast forward about 500 years…

Not unlike Luther, in 1989 I came to realize my own life had become one of religious works done to please God and to rise in denominational prestige and position. My early quest for life together with God had been swallowed by religious obligation. With a legalistic work ethic, I worked hard and achieved a measure of success — if nickels and noses were any measure in church life. Vacancy After twenty-two years in the ministry I found myself empty and powerless. My walls were lined with books I had mastered, a few I had written, degrees I had earned, and awards I’d received. Yet I had no close relationship with God. I had received His salvation, had dedicated my life to ministry, yet my soul was emaciated, starved for spiritual things. My pride in my knowledge kept me from talking about my hunger. I was opinionated and mean-spirited to those who didn’t agree with me. Being right was more important to me than being righteous. God graciously began to allow disappointment and difficulty to exhaust my flesh. I became so miserable that I could no longer stand myself, nor did I feel I could continue as a pastor. My life had reached critical mass… something had to give.

It was then that my life was overturned completely by what some call the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Up until that heavenly invasion, I had my faith neatly stacked into an orderly package. I believed that God did great things in the past and one day in heaven I would see Him. I was thoroughly orthodox and adamantly opposed the “mystics” who believed God could speak, act, and touch people like He did in the Book of Acts. Like a Pharisee, I had turned the written Word into an idol. I was a “Scripture expert” but a miserable failure at life.

AMotel Signt the moment I was ready to tender my resignation from the ministry, God met me in a hotel room in New Mexico. Oh, blessed invasion! Oh, divine disruption! I had a literal and personal awakening in the long night of my despair! God spoke to me, baptized me, filled me, and called me to an authentic relationship with Him. From that new relationship would flow a new ministry, wild and free like a rushing river. This experience was not an end but the beginning of a fantastic quest for intimacy with Jesus. All my life I have been in hot pursuit of an intimate life dwelling together with God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

—from The Power of Agreement
by Ron Phillips and Ronnie Phillips, Jr.
Published by Charisma House, © Copyright 2014

 

 

 

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

A Life In Disagreement

This week marks a milestone in my ministry. My son Ronnie and I recently wrote a book together called The Power of Agreement, and this week, it hit the bookstore stands.

Charisma House (our publisher) recently featured an article by Ronnie in their online publication (www.charismamag.com).  I thought, for today’s blog, I would share Ronnie’s article with all of you. Enjoy!

“Can we agree to disagree?”

How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said it yourself? It’s a pretty popular saying, especially in the political and socially diverse environment in which we find ourselves today, but it’s a sad thing when all you have in common with another person is the fact that you disagree. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, except they are agreed?” (NKJV). That’s kind of the million-dollar question—a question for which I had a resounding answer: Nope.

Growing up in the church, I had more than enough to disagree with. I’m not talking about theology, worship style, legalism or anything related to your admission into the pearly gates. My disagreements were far more simple and personal. As the son of the preacher, my disagreements were with unrealistic expectations placed upon me by those who thought they knew me by virtue of my name. My jumping-off point was with how “good church folk” treated my family (in particular my father) and the abuse we suffered at the hands of such people.

At the ripe old age of 23, I was mad at God, through with church, and living a life that in no way reflected my upbringing as a preacher’s kid. As a result of my poor decisions and the root of bitterness that had me firmly entangled, my relationships were strained, my marriage was a mess, and I was trying to deal with the pain, regret and humiliation of life by hiding inside a bottle. I was working my way up the corporate ladder in my secular job, but beyond that, everything else was crashing around me.

Yet in spite of the disagreements, fights, feuds and other assorted turmoil I had put my dad through, I still had to admit that he was my best friend. While I had done my best to push him away, my father, the son of an alcoholic-father-turned-church-deacon, knew what it was to be cast aside, knew the power and price of redemption, and knew that the best way to win over the object of your disagreement is with love.

Now, the problem with any disagreement is that the vast majority of the time, someone is in the right and someone is in the wrong. It pretty much went without saying that based on my lifestyle, I was wrong—although my dad would also be quick to admit he was not without fault. Still, I hung on to my bitterness and anger like a lifeline and refused to give an inch. I refused, that is, until I found myself on the bathroom floor—a total wreck—crying out and yelling at God. After consuming an inordinate amount of alcohol and a screaming match with my wife, I had collapsed on the floor of our bathroom late one night. Totally freaked out, she knew of nothing else to do than to call my father. I challenged her to do so, thinking he wouldn’t come. Ashamed and confused, I had no use for myself anymore. I figured he didn’t either.

In the middle of one of the darkest nights of my life, there was a knock at my door. It was my dad.

My initial reaction to seeing him was a hate-filled rant that quickly devolved into the cry of the prodigal. Once the angst-filled rebel gave way to the worn-down prodigal, the next couple of hours were filled with cries of remorse, tears of forgiveness, and promise—the promise of healed relationships and renewed commitment to my family, my heavenly Father and the calling He had placed on my life.

Someone smarter than me once said that the problem with running from God is that usually you end up running into Him. Living a life of disagreement with the godly people God has placed in our lives and being forever at odds with our gifts and calling will only lead to ruin and an up-close-and-personal view of the bathroom floor.

Is there happiness in disagreement? Sure. Even the Bible alludes to that in passages like Hebrews 11:25: “He [Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (NIV).

However, the momentary happiness that a self-serving life brings pales in comparison to the life lived in agreement with the call of God. Pleasures lose their luster. Riches lose their value. Prestige lasts until the next shiny new employee comes along. The only life that has any lasting, eternal value is the one lived for Christ.

Now, years later, I’ve left the parties with my friends for the peace and contentment of my family. I’ve given up the life of egotistical and selfish disagreement for agreement and harmony with my fathers (earthly and heavenly). I traded in the confinement of self-imposed loneliness and unworthiness for the wide-open spaces of promise and hope that only a life in agreement with God’s call can bring.

And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

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

Will the Real Jesus Please Show Up?

Go with me here…

Imagine if Jesus were a guest speaker in the average church. First, ever the good Samaritan, He may be running slightly late, having stopped to help some unfortunate family stranded  by the side of the road. When He finally arrives, He catches some cold stares from folks lingering in the vestibule. They notice that He isn’t wearing a suit and tie, but the work clothes of a carpenter (now stained with dirt, oil, and grease from the encounter with the unfortunate family’s broken down vehicle).

We hurry Jesus to the pastor’s office where we hand Him our bulletin. With a smile at the corners of His lips, He gives our printed order of worship a passing glance, and mumbles, “We’ll see.”

The choir begins the call to worship, and we walk in with Him. Suddenly, several individuals begin to scream and cry out, “Jesus, why have you come to torment us?” They fall at His feet, writhing and crying out. Everyone stares at the scene, trying to guess what Jesus will do. Will He deal with such things in church?

imageJesus gazes around at the crowd, His eyes sweeping over the audience as if searching out every needy soul. He speaks again the words He once read in the synagogue:

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the Gospel to the poor;
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. ~ Luke 4:18 NKJV

Turning to those still writhing at His feet, Jesus casts out the demons simply by saying, “Come out of them.” The delivered people lie quietly in the aisles of the church. Suddenly, others begin to move forward as the sick begin coming toward Him for His touch. He lays hands on them one by one and, regardless of their malady, they are instantly healed. With leaps and shouts of joy, they begin praising God for healing them.

After a few minutes, Jesus quiets the crowd and begins to teach with authority, as sinners begin to weep under the conviction His words bring. Before a formal invitation can even begin, people are flocking to the altar, falling prostrate before Him in glorious salvation.

Word soon spreads to the children’s church that Jesus is in the building, and they leave behind their craft projects and Sunday School papers to find Him. With noisy enthusiasm, the children burst through the sanctuary doors. Embarrassed parents lunge to restrain them as the little ones scramble to where Jesus is standing, clamoring for His touch. Jesus addresses the adults in the room:

Let the little children come unto Me.

He then proceeds to touch all of them with a blessing.

Young people gather around Him next, begging to follow Him as disciples. He asks them if they are willing to take up His cross. Will they go anywhere? Are they willing do endure the hardship that being a disciple will inevitably bring?

Dozens volunteer.

While all of this transpires, an outside door creaks open as a young man, tattered, filthy, and smelling like a pigsty slips in the back – unnoticed – and slowly makes his way across and around the back of the room.

Soon, the aged saints with youth still in their hearts come, asking, “Is it true we will have a body like Yours?” He smiles at them and tells them of the glorious victory they will have over the grave. He blesses them for their faithfulness and charges them to continue their mentoring of the younger saints. They step back from His words with hope restored, feeling a new vigor to go on and serve Him as long as they live.

Then suddenly, a woman with the marks of the world on her countenance begins to weep loudly. Her face is tear-streaked with makeup that could never hide the ravages of her immorality. She falls at His feet, covering them with tears as she receives His pardon.

On the other side of the building, music begins to sound, as there is a commotion in the aisle. We hear a voice cry out, “This my son was dead, and is alive again! He was lost, but now is found!” Our attention turns to a well-dressed older gentleman dancing with and hugging the tattered young man who had snuck in just moments before.

By this time, the church leaders are gathering in the back of the church… watching. One man says, “I cannot believe that our pastor brought this radical into our church.” Another replies, “We’d better get this back in hand quickly.” Another speaks, “Some of our best people have left upset today.”

So, I ask you… Does the real Jesus dare show up in our churches?

Too many churches have learned how to operate without Jesus, much like the end-time church of Laodicea. No doubt, the LORD makes this same lament over our churches today…

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked… Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ~ Revelation 3:15-17, 20-21

imageRecently in our own church, we had a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit at a Wednesday evening service. When it came time for me to preach, there was no reason to… we were in the middle of experiencing the very thing I was going to speak on. It’s fine to talk about the move of God, and how He should work in our churches. However, when He shows up, we have to be willing to get out of the way, and let Him move.

Jesus’ presence should be evident today in all of our services through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Churches will be different when He shows up in full power! Today, the church is a colony of Heaven. We are outposts of another Kingdom beyond time and space. These outposts we should be expressions of Jesus’ presence and power. The power of “the world to come” must be evident in our churches. The powers of Heaven can be ours through the down-payment of the Holy Spirit. The supernatural should be “the norm” in the life of the church.

~ adapted from Awakened By The Spirit by Ron Phillips

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Through The Looking Glass

The Tornado of the Spirit

Through The Looking Glass2

Wikipedia describes a tornado as…

A violent, rotating column of air which is contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud.

Another way of putting it might be…

A violent force which touches both earth and heaven.

What an amazing picture of a life lived by the Spirit of God. A believer who has their feet firmly planted in their mission on this earth, as well as having a firm grip on their Heavenly calling, is a force of immeasurable power. Jesus said:

“…I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” ~ Matthew 10:34

By following the example of Jesus, we are called to stir things up. We are called to make the truth our weapon, and to upset the apple-cart of complacency and apathy that permeates not just our society, but the church as well.

When the tornado of the Holy Spirit shows up, something is going to get broken. However, what comes out of that brokenness?

Peace… and power.

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

Following The Father’s Voice

Leaves1As we enjoy the colors of fall, in the midst of a season of thanksgiving, this seemed like a good thought for today…

Jesus’ challenge to us  – His calling – is to “follow on”.

What an exciting call!

Jesus acknowledges us as joint heirs with Him, saying literally, “What is Mine is yours.” And the Holy Spirit wants to guide you into the treasure chest of what God has for you.

We have, for too long, kept our hands behind our backs, Leaves3afraid to plunge them into the fruit basket of the Spirit, not opening up the presents God has for us. There is so much to experience – so much to see. Jesus cries, “Follow on!”

A simple, yet potentially double-edged Ashanti proverb begins Javaka Steptoe’s picture book entitled In Daddy’s Arms, I Am Tall, a powerful collection of poems celebrating African American fathers. The proverb reads…

When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him.

Leaves2In Jesus’ arms, I don’t have to worry about the future! The future is in the hands of my Father. He will whisper in my ear, and He will say, “This is what I am going to do if you trust me and step out in faith. My gifts are here to help you live in peace and joy.”

— from the book, Kisses from the Father
by Ron Phillips

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

Strange Fire or Fresh Fire

On Wednesday night at Abba’s House, I was asked to address the recent controversy surrounding statements made by John MacArthur, Pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA. On the proverbial eve of releasing his new book, Strange Fire, Pastor MacArthur hosted a conference at his church by the same name. The Strange Fire Conference was October 16-18, 2013 and was dedicated to attacking Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians.

Before I continue, I would like to state unequivocally that I have a great deal of respect for what Pastor MacArthur has accomplished. He serves in a thriving congregation that has done much for the Kingdom of God. Many lost have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ under his leadership and ministry. There is a lot he is doing that I believe is – as Philippians 4 says – “true, noble, right, and pure”.

With that being said, I believe that his stance on the Gifts of the Spirit, support of cessationism, and his related and unrelenting attacks upon his brothers and sisters who believe and walk in the fullness of the Spirit are – quite simply – wrong.

With real threats like militant Islam, creeping socialism, moral breakdown, government meltdown, crime and violence, it would seem that there are other targets of greater importance in the battle against the enemy of our souls than those who reside within the walls of the church. Yet, in his new book Strange Fire, MacArthur “opens fire” on fellow Christians. The famed pastor and teacher, who (it appears) has become the resident theologian for Southern Baptists and many evangelists, is continuing his attack on Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians with the publication of his book, as well as last week’s conference.

As the modern arbiter of cessationism, MacArthur is of the belief that the miraculous gifts ceased with the death of the last apostle or at the closing of the Biblical canon (around 100A.D.).

The problem is that this approach has no Biblical support and very little historical validation. His views are simply a regurgitation of the late B. B. Warfield’s views. The teachings of Warfield were a reaction to the events surrounding “Azusa Street” and the mighty Pentecostal awakening in the early 20th century!

I have absolutely no doubt that there are extremists, heretics, and hypocrites among us in every belief circle and corner of Christendom. However, Pentecostal Christianity is the fastest growing part of God’s Kingdom worldwide. It is obvious from what I read, have heard reported by witnesses, and have observed with my own eyes that miracles, signs, wonders, and gifts have not ceased. I have personally witnessed miraculous events, not just within the walls of Abba’s House, but in other churches throughout America, and foreign countries as well.

Cessationism (birthed by Calvinism) is killing both the spirit and the mission heart of Evangelicals. I wish this blog gave me adequate space for a full answer, but it does not. However, in my Essential Guide series of books on the Holy Spirit, I deal Biblically, historically, clearly, and spiritually with all of MacArthur’s attacks.

Volume 4 of the series, An Essential Guide to Spiritual Gifts, answers the cessationist argument in Chapter 3 called, The Availability of Spiritual Gifts Today.

For those of you reading this blog, I will make all 4 Essential Guides available for a gift of $25.00–postage paid (this is a discount of nearly 50% from our regular price… discounted price good through Nov. 2). This includes:

  1. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
  2. Speaking in Tongues
  3. The Gift of Healing
  4. Spiritual Gifts

Simply call our order line at 1-800-877-6493 and one of our representatives will be happy to assist you. Ask for the Fresh Fire blog offer. If the operators are busy, please leave a message, and someone will get right back to you. You can also order online by clicking here.

You can also download these at Kindle, as well as Barnes and Noble.

Remember Luke 3:16, “…He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire…”

There’s nothing strange about that!

Ron Phillips

PrayerP.S. As I shared from my heart during the service, this picture was snapped by one of my staff members. Our Wednesday night crowd was taking a moment to pray for our brother, Pastor MacArthur. I believe it is time for the body of Christ to heed the words that Paul wrote to the Ephesians and “Make EVERY effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)