Tag: Jesus

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

It Goes Without Saying.

For today’s blog, I wanted to share with you what is currently going on in Nicaragua. My son, Ronnie Jr., is leading a team doing ministry in the churches, schools, and streets of that country. Working alongside the ministry Voice of Hope, over 1,000 people have already prayed to receive Christ Jesus. We are believing for reports of more salvations, miracles, healing, and deliverance.
So, without further adieu, here’s Ronnie…

Greetings from Nicaragua!

imageI am honored to be filling in for my father, pastor, and hero today (technology really is amazing). Seeing a great harvest of souls on this trip, I am reminded that our message is about the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are so many times in our lives that we assume people know how we feel or where we stand on an issue, but in reality, they don’t know until we speak out. Preaching this crusade in Nicaragua, as well as all of the other ministry we are involved in here (with an incredible team from Abba’s House and Cedar Hills Baptist Church in Alabama), has reminded me that people don’t know how you feel until you tell them. There is a supernatural release that comes with the spoken word. Many of us are guilty of not addressing issues in a timely fashion, and then when we finally do, we are negative and harsh.

God has really been convicting me about the power of the spoken word. In Luke 6:45, Jesus said:

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

In James 1:19, we are told:

…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…

1 Peter 3:9 tells us:

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

The Spirit-filled life is a surrendered life. If we would all remember this — and walk in it — maybe there would be less conflict in our families, churches, jobs, and nation. For all of our Bible-thumping, denominational bickering, political ugliness, and hate-filled personal attacks, what have we gotten? Look at the mess our country is in right now. Obviously, what we have been doing is not working.

Let me tell you what works in a place like Nicaragua…

Agreement works. Nearly 50 of us have come together from three different churches in a spirit of agreement about one thing: THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST. We have seen over 1,000 saved already (and we still have 2 more days of ministry left).

Loving people works. Genuine love and concern for people who are less fortunate than we are is important to God.

The truth works. Being honest and upfront with people, and not taking anything for granted. Don’t assume people know what you believe. Make sure they know. Don’t assume people know the Gospel. Take the time to sit down, and share your faith with them.

Yesterday, we were driving into the town of Loscocos to work with some children and share Jesus with the people there. As we pulled up, there was a fight involving about six young men. It looked pretty serious, to the point that our interpreters were afraid to exit the bus we were in. At this point, my friend Charlie and I got out of the bus, and tried to talk to the young men involved. One young man looked at us very intensely, and refused to even acknowledge us. I went to one of the other boys, and began to share with him what many of us in America think goes without saying… that God loves him and gave His life for him. I went through Romans and told him how to meet Jesus. He began to cry, and I thought he was going to accept Jesus as his Savior. I was stunned when he told the translator that he wanted me to pray for him, but he could not pray to accept Jesus. It was then that Charlie informed me that there were three gang members watching him, and he was fearful that they would hurt or disown him.

imageWe made our way to the other young man who appeared to be the main aggressor in the altercation. While I was certain the first young man would accept Jesus, this young man filled with “attitude” appeared to be a real “punk”, and I was sure he would be a lost cause, and would probably curse us and walk away.

Boy, was I wrong…

Some things don’t go without saying. We learned his name was Jenner, and as we began to share the Gospel with him, he began to cry. He hung on every word we said, and when I asked Him if he would like to accept Jesus into his heart, he eagerly did so. We went beyond our assumptions and reached out with the love of Jesus.

The story of Jesus’ love does not go without saying.

The simplicity of the Gospel does not go without saying.

Once we began to get to know Jenner a little better, we learned our initial assumption about the entire situation was wrong. He told us that he had been in a fight two days before, and showed us his bloody knuckles. We asked if he won the fight, and he said he did, showing us his phone that he had taken back from rival gang members.
He finished the conversation by telling us that he had a dream the night before about being surrounded by a cloud of white, and heard a voice say, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” I explained to him that God was preparing his heart for our encounter. At this point I began to weep.

In our nation, and our world, we can take nothing for granted. We cannot assume people know the Good News of Jesus’ love. We must be diligent to” spell it out” to people, to make sure the truth is known.

The love of Jesus does not go without saying.

The truth of God’s Word does not go without saying.

Our compassion as Christians should not go without saying.

I challenge you to say what is in your heart to those you love.

I challenge you, if you don’t know Jesus as Savior, to accept Him today. 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 that You 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 did that, please let us know. We would love to rejoice with you in your decision to follow Jesus.

Don’t let it go without saying.

image

 

 

Categories
Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 The Big Event Through The Looking Glass

The Right Motivation

Through The Looking Glass2

Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn made this quote:

You only have power over people so long as you don’t take everything away from them. But when you’ve robbed a man of everything, he’s no longer in your power – he’s free again.

Manipulating a person is easy once you find out what it is that they treasure. When a person fears loss, they can be coerced into doing almost anything.

What an insight into the spiritual realm —

As long as we have things that we hold on to tighter than our love for Jesus, we will always live in fear, and we’ll always be subject to manipulation from the devil.

Jesus tells us in His word…

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ~ Matthew 16:25

If we lay everything we hold sacred at the feet of Jesus, we will find that nothing can compare to knowing Him…

And that is the one thing no one can ever take away.

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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

A Life On-Purpose… Heidi’s Story

It was a short time back when I was speaking at Emmanuel College that I met Heidi. Heidi shared her story with me. With her permission, I wanted to take a moment to share it with you…

 

“My dad walked out on us when I was two years old. I never knew him being at home, he was just someone I remember going to visit. My mom eventually remarried an amazing man of God. I loved him and how he treated my mom.

Heidi Before
Heidi – before

I started experimenting with alcohol with my sister and brother when I was 12 years old. I remember it being “normal” for me to be alone and drinking at that age. By age 14, my drinking had increased so much that I began blacking out from being so drunk. I had nights that were so bad that I couldn’t even remember.

When I was 15 years old, my stepdad was going away on a hunting trip. I remember telling him goodbye on Friday and then on Saturday he died of a heart attack. I remember getting the call that he wouldn’t be coming back home from the hunting trip. I became very angry at God. I was hurt and couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t have a dad – I had lost two. My anger manifested in even more rebellious actions. I tried to settle and fill that loss and emptiness from not having a dad through bad relationships, popularity, drinking, etc. After my stepdad died, I entered into a relationship with a man who I later found out sold drugs, and got me selling and using drugs. HE gave me a drug, telling me it was something other than what it was. After I snorted it up my nose, I found out it was heroin. Later that year, the relationship ended, and I was again devastated.

By the time I was 17, I was selling enough drugs that I could afford to use them on my own. I had become a master at manipulating and using people. I got to where I didn’t like the idea of “family” and I didn’t even want to be around friends. I soon entered into another relationship with a man who shared an interest and love that I had — running. He helped me to continue to get drugs and money. At 18 he introduced me to IV drug use of heroin. The “gray area” in my life kept getting wider and wider. In Fall 2011, I was high from IV heroin use for 11 consecutive days. In spite of all of this, I was a high school cheerleader making good grades. However, my mom knew that things were getting out of hand. It had become obvious that I didn’t care anything about my family.

On Dec. 22, 2011, I left home after writing my mother a one-paragraph note telling her that I could not follow her rules anymore and that I was leaving. However, on Christmas morning (three days later), Mom asked me to come home and stay. I went home that morning, but when my sister tried to give me a hug, I turned around and ran out the door. I thought, by making the decision to leave, I was fixing my problems. I no longer had to lie about using drugs since I wasn’t at home, I could just do it and not have to hide. I dropped out of school and began writing fraudulent checks against my mom’s bank account, and stealing with my boyfriend. For three months, my mom didn’t know where I was or if I was even alive. I later found out that she would drive around Huntsville all night long looking for me and praying.

I don’t want to minimalize Hell, but the place I was living seemed like what I thought Hell must be like. It was so dark inside.

I had a job making good money, but I spent everything I made buying drugs. I couldn’t even save $2 to do laundry. I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor with just one single sheet. I had gotten down to 92 pounds, had no energy, and was passing out due to my severe bulimia. I had no money for groceries, and sometimes wouldn’t bathe for seven days at a time.

One day, my boyfriend and I went out for a run and decided to rob a drug dealer. We did, and got some pills and money. However, a few days later, they came after us. We were in our apartment and I was high on cocaine and heroin. Three guys came in wearing ski masks and had guns. My boyfriend told me to stay in the back room no matter what happened. I thought I was going to die. I stayed in the back room and remember just punching a pillow repeatedly. I prayed to God, telling Him that I was not ready to die. I knew that my life was not in order and I couldn’t die.

Eventually, the robbers left, and my boyfriend came in and told me that we had to leave. I was so confused and paranoid by the drug use, I even considered going to Mexico to get away from these people. We knew they were serious, and that they would be coming back.

Three days after my “prayer,” the tires were slashed on my car, I was evicted from my apartment, and had lost my job. God was trying to speak to me, but I wasn’t listening. I still didn’t think my drug use was “that bad”, and I justified it in my mind by comparing it to how bad my boyfriend’s use was. I thought I would never get as bad as him.

My boyfriend mentioned Teen Challenge and I thought he was crazy. I said, “NO WAY!” He left, and I remember God saying to me that I was killing myself and didn’t even know it.

In March 2012, I called my family and told them I needed money to go to detox. I didn’t even apologize to them or talk about anything other than that I needed the money. They paid for short-term detox, and I stayed 28 days and got clean. But even though I was clean, I had no joy in my life. I was incredibly miserable, horribly sick, and very confused. I had serious health issues from how I had abused my body, and didn’t even know what “normal” was anymore. My mom knew I needed long-term help, and the Holy Spirit used this as an escape for me. I was scared to be at home. I knew heroin couldn’t be beat in three weeks, and the people I was running from would find me again.

My mom took me straight to Teen Challenge of the Upper Cumberland. I was amazed when I got there. People were talking to me about how I could have joy again, and I was mad because they had joy and I didn’t. After being there for 18 hours and gotten some sleep, I woke up and was ready to leave. I was convinced this program wouldn’t work for me. Even back then, I knew that I was dealing with spiritual warfare. I was fighting spirits of shame, guilt, sickness… everything. I told the pastor that I wanted to leave. He said that he knew I wanted to start using again because I could do that and get away from all of my issues. I had one staff member tell me that things were going to get worse. I called my mom and told her I was leaving. She told me that if I left, she’d have me arrested for the check fraud. She said she would have the police waiting for me outside when I checked out. She told me she didn’t care if I hated her for it because at least I’d be alive. Then, the thought of the “prayer” that I had prayed telling God that I wasn’t ready to die returned to me. I made the decision to stay at Teen Challenge.

Heidi2
Heidi – A new life in Christ

In Teen Challenge we had to work through study guides that were based on biblical principles. The booklets were to help you renew your mind. After being in the program for a week, I was working through one of the study guides and there was a section that was a “Statement of Faith”. You had to read it and sign it, acknowledging that you couldn’t do this alone, and admitting your need to surrender to Christ. So, sitting in my little cubicle, on March 26, 2012, I started crying and finally surrendered my life to Christ (I wrote the date and time in my bible). I knew I was literally minutes from death. God began moving in my life, and for the next few weeks, any time I read scriptures, heard songs, or sang hymns, I could not stop crying.

After a few weeks in Teen Challenge, we were rewarded with a “field trip”. The staff told us there was an evangelist named Damon Thompson that was going to be at Abba’s House in Chattanooga, TN, and that we were going to go. On Sunday morning, April 15, 2012, we pulled in to Abba’s House. After church, we visited Teen Challenge in Chattanooga, and came back to hear Damon that night. I remember Damon tried to preach on how to have faith and kept having to stop. Eventually he quit trying to go on and just opened up the altar for people needing healing. People began running to the front. I had heard about healing and knew that God could do it, but didn’t think He could heal me. I was still being told by Satan that I had done too much damage to my body and would be diseased and sick forever. I knew He could do things like heal broken bones, but I believed the lie of Satan that he couldn’t heal me.

I fought it for 40 minutes, but finally jumped out of my seat and started towards the altar. The closer I got to the stage, I could feel a “thickness” in the air (it’s the only way I can describe it). When I got down front, I fell to the ground. I don’t even remember if anyone touched me. I remember that I was shaking on the ground and felt like I needed to hold on to something. Then I started feeling wave after wave coming over me and knew that it was a “washing” of the Holy Spirit. I remember there was a woman praying over me and I started gasping. When I finally stood up, I took a deep breath, and for the first time in years I was able to breathe normally and deeply. I felt a sense of freedom. The oppression and depression was lifted from me that night. I don’t know what happened, but I know I had encountered God. I was healed that night and my body was restored!

When I visited Abba’s House, I walked out a different person than I was when I walked in.

On April 24, 2012, I left the crisis center and moved to the Appalachian Teen Challenge. It was like a time of getting to be alone on the mountain with God. I really began to deal with so much stuff over the next 13 months. I worked through the issues I had dating back to my dad, eating disorders, drugs, etc. I met the Christ who had pursued me for 18 years — the Savior whose face I had repeatedly spit in — and got to know Him on a personal, intimate level.

After being in the program for seven months, I began to feel like I was being called into the ministry, but I didn’t even know how to “talk like a Christian.” All I knew was I was a dying shell of a person, and Jesus saved me. Ecclesiastes 11:1 became so important to me…

“Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.”

I started applying for internships and jobs through Teen Challenge and got calls and had very good interviews, but never could get a job. I graduated from Appalachian Teen Challenge in May 2013. I couldn’t move back home because I didn’t want to be exposed to the same things I had left. My aunt graciously opened her home in Wisconsin to me. I began researching non-accredited schools and online programs because I didn’t think I could do a typical college education due to my past. I never really got a good feeling about any of the schools I researched. It was then that a friend of my mom’s told her about Emmanuel College. I looked them up and saw that they offered a degree in Christian Ministry, which is what I felt I was called to do. I prayed for three days about Emmanuel and received an incredible peace about it. I applied and was accepted.

HeidiXC
Heidi at Emmanuel College

In Fall 2013, I enrolled in Emmanuel College. I was allowed to walk on to the cross country team and earned a full scholarship. I was able to run again for the first time in such a long time. I used to be so “dope sick” that I would lay in bed for days without enough energy to get up unless I had a needle in my arm. I was so weak that I couldn’t pick up my chair in my counseling sessions. Now I’m able to run just a crazy number of miles every single day and I love it.

I am now a sophomore and was recently elected by the student body as Miss Emmanuel to represent the school. It’s still hard to believe that I’ve been given a second chance and I’m here. I’m blown away that I’ve been recognized by staff and alumni for service projects and asked to represent the school because of my character.

I know that it’s not over. I’ve been able to deal with why I’ve experienced the things I have in life. Philippians 1:12 has become one of my life verses…

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel… .”

RPandHeidi
Pastor Ron and Heidi – 2014

I know that God is no respecter of persons, but I’ve learned that neither is Satan. God used amazing circumstances to save me.

I still have the bulletin from Abba’s House from April 15, 2012 in my Bible. I didn’t know what had happened to me, but I knew something had and I didn’t want to forget it. I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing, but I have such a passion now. All I want to do is show helpless people that there is life in Christ, and He can give help and grace.

I give all the glory to God!”

Heidi

 

As you read this, our Summer Collide event is getting under way at Abba’s House (July 10-12). If you need a touch from Jesus, now would be a great time to come to Abba’s House and get in on what God wants to do in your life. Damon Thompson, Ronnie Phillips Jr., Chris Brooks, Rozario Slack, Heartcry, Rick Pino, Bryn Waddell, Heidi, and others are speaking and leading worship at this life-changing event. If you would like to be like Heidi, and find out the difference Jesus can make in a life surrendered to Him, PLEASE join us. For more information about Collide, visit this link.

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 The Big Event

The Demonic Downgrade of America… Pt II

UTDDOA2

Last week on The Heart of Abba, I spoke about the Demonic Downgrade of America. I tackled those things going on in our society that are dragging our country into an abyss of ungodliness and despair. I cited numerous symptoms, in our government and our society at-large, that are tell-tale signs that we are running head-long down a path of moral, fiscal, and societal destruction. As I cited from the tagline of the 1984 movie, Something Wicked This Way Comes…

For every desire, there will be a cost.

Well, it’s a pretty grim picture. However, the words of Jesus offer us hope…

         “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” ~ John 14:18-21

This past Sunday, I delivered the sermon Upgrading the Demonic Downgrade of America to the church body at Abba’s House. I invite you to join me now, through this video, and find the hope that exists for our nation if we but turn back to the Author and Finisher of our Faith — Jesus.

I invite you to share this video with your friends,
and join me in prayer for the very soul of our nation.

UTDDOA2

Join me this Sunday, July 6, 2014 as I discuss the Mysteries of Eternity. As we stand and watch the flames of retaliation burn in Israel following the brutal murder of three Israeli young men, we as believers need to understand the times in which we live. What do the current events unfolding right now mean to believer and unbeliever alike? Is it going to get worse before it gets better? How should we live our lives in light of these things? Don’t miss this important message.
Worship begins at 10:30a.m… to watch live, click here.

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Choosing the Right Hill to Die On.

Through the Looking GlassThere is a saying…

Is that a hill you are willing to die on?

In a battle, a hill (or other high ground) is of immeasurable value. As a point of defense, having your army on top of a hill gives you a tactical advantage in that you can see an oncoming attacker a long way off (taking away any advantage of surprise), thus allowing you to prepare your defense accordingly. Offensively, holding the high ground gives you an ideal position from which to conduct a siege, or keep an enemy contained. Famous battles on such hills as Pork Chop Hill, Bunker Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, San Juan Hill, and many others were oftentimes decisive battles in a conflict. Arthur MacArthur, the father of famous WWII general Douglas MacArthur, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee for his heroism during the Battle of Missionary Ridge. Because of the difficulty involved in taking a hill, the missions to do so were often deemed “suicide missions” because of the likelihood of high casualty numbers.

In our current culture, you often hear the expression related to personal, business, and career decisions. It is another way of saying, “The decision you are about to make — do you feel strongly enough about it and have enough conviction to risk everything? Is this decision worth the potential fallout that may very well ensue?” It could be a job decision that could potentially cost you your job or a promotion. It could be a decision that could cost you a friendship. It could be a life-altering choice that could forever alter the course of your life. While we may not always see the immediate consequences of positive decisions, we see negative decisions played out every day…

The decision by a person to drink and get behind the wheel of a car.

The decision of a spouse to walk away from the marriage they promised to honor.

The decision of a pregnant mother to end the life of her child through abortion.

Yet in spite of whatever decisions and consequences we face everyday, there is one “hill” that trumps them all…

It is a lonely hill called Calvary where Jesus faced a choice: Call 10,000 angels to storm down from Heaven onto a sinful race and obliterate all of His enemies, or go to the cross and be the sacrifice for all mankind.

His choice was YOU. He looked down through history, saw you right where you are, and decided that taking a chance on saving you was worth it.

So while you may have tough decisions that cost you personally, making the eternal choice to trust Jesus as your Savior is an easy decision you can make — not a hill you have to die on.

Why?

Because He already did.

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Healing The Big Event The Life of Faith

The Demonic Downgrade of America

In 1983, Disney produced a film adaptation of the 1962 Ray Bradbury novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes. It is the story of a mysterious carnival that comes to Greentown, Illinois, and is run by a character named Mr. Dark. While the carnival at first appears entertaining and thrilling, two young boys discover that the carnival and it’s proprietor have a much darker purpose… the acquisition of innocent souls for condemnation. The film was promoted with the tagline…

For every desire, there will be a cost.

Now, 31 years later, this film has become eerily prophetic.

FlagJust as, in 2011, the United States experienced it’s first-ever fiscal downgrade (by Standard & Poors), America is in the midst of experiencing a demonic downgrade. For the last 50 years, America has been experiencing a fundamental shift from our founding Judeo-Christian roots to a nation I hardly recognize. And now, we are seeing our faith, our freedom, and our very foundation under a full-scale attack from the forces of darkness… an attack that began with the removal of Scripture and prayer from our public school system. This victory led to an attack on any Judeo-Christian reference in the public arena. Our timeless symbols such as the cross, the Star of David, the Menorah, and the manger scene (among others), have been deemed unwelcome. Political correctness has not just invaded the statehouse, however… it has cooled the fervor of preaching and witness in America.

Dachau StatueOur government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” has been replaced by an “all-seeing, all knowing, all-controlling” government that is now attempting to take over every aspect of our private lives. Because America has abandoned God, our protective covering has been removed, and we have been invaded by demonic entities. We saw the same thing happen 81 years ago when evil in the form of a man named Adolph Hitler took the reins of power in Germany, and began his Islamic-sanctioned attack on the Jews (the Islamic Grand Mufti (mayor) of Jerusalem (at the time) later traveled to Germany and personally endorsed Hitler’s Jewish “final solution” – the Holocaust).

So, take a look at where we are today…

  • Worst unemployment since the Great Depression.
  • Historic devaluation of the American dollar.
  • Destruction of the world’s best medical system.
  • Since 1973, over 56 million babies have been murdered through the act of abortion.
  • September 11 saw the brutal murder of almost 3,000 of our fellow Americans in New York, The Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA.
  • Benghazi… the first murder of an American ambassador since 1939.
  • The gradual disappearance of our religious freedoms.
  • The legalization of drugs.
  • The systematic breakdown and confusion of the family unit.

While I could go on and on, the fact of the matter is that only demons could orchestrate such a rapid decline of a once God-fearing nation.

In order understand the significance of these things, and how we can fight back against the spiritual forces of wickedness that are influencing public policy in America, we must understand what brought about the circumstances that created an environment conducive to such Godless behavior.

Iwo JimaThis Sunday (June 29), we will be celebrating the birthday of our nation (5 days early) at Abba’s House with All-American Day. We love our nation, and believe in the principles that made this country great… faith, family, & freedom. Our worship ministry will be performing a number of patriotic songs, we will honor our veterans and armed services, and I will bring a message entitled Upgrading The Demonic Downgrade of America. If you love our nation like I do, join me as we find out together what it is going to take to put her back on the right track.

If you are in the Chattanooga area, I invite you to come and join us. Our service begins at 10:30a.m.

If you follow my blog from a distant city or state, and cannot join us in person, you can watch us online at abbashouse.com  Click on this link to watch us live.

Join with me, and let’s enter into this season of national pride and celebration on our knees, with the determination that we will once again be “one nation under God” — for generations to come.

Categories
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

Categories
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”?

 

Categories
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
Categories
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.