Tag: Ron Phillips

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

A Leader Worth Following

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

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

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

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

Or…

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

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

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

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

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

This week…

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

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

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

On Facebook, there is more than one way.

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

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

You can also visit our website at ronphillips.org

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

Pastor Ron

Categories
Fresh Oil New Wine 2014 Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

Capturing The Olympic Spirit

imageAs we say goodbye to the XXII Winter Olympic games, and the world says goodbye to Sochi, Russia, with all of the pomp, opulence, and fanfare that any Olympic games is deserving of, I am reminded of the Olympic Creed, adopted by Pierre de Coubertin from the inspiration he received from a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service during the 1908 Olympic Games…

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

During these games, this creed was borne out over and over again in the faces of winners and unsuccessful competitors alike. In most cases, competitors who came up short of the gold understood that this defeat was not the end, but merely a clarion call to work harder, find that “edge”, and bring the painful lessons of the past to bear in preparation for the next time, with a determined unwillingness to make the same mistakes again.

One has to wonder if the apostle Paul ever observed the Olympics firsthand (the ancient Olympics were believed by many to have begun around 776 B.C.), or if he was merely familiar with the stories of what athletes went through in preparation for the event. After all, it was Paul who penned…

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ~ II Timothy 4:7

At the end of the day, Paul knew he had done his best. He knew he had given his all. He knew there was a prize waiting for him at the finish line, and that it wasn’t reserved exclusively for him. In the next verse he goes 0n to say…

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

… And not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul knew there were many who had gone on before him… names like Moses, Elijah, Deborah, David, and Abraham… others who had fought the good fight, and had been his forerunners in the faith.

However, I also believe he knew there would be others after him, with names like Charles, Catherine, Billy, Bob, and Joyce… people who would take up the mantle and track shoes of the great runners of the faith, and continue the race. After all, the race we run is not a sprint, but a long-distance relay in which “the called” run the distance and then, at the end of their leg of the race, hand the baton of faith to the next tent-maker, fisherman, shoe salesman, gang member, or dejected teenager in line. And as the sweat-drenched, blood-covered baton is passed to the next competitor, they hear the call echo from all who have gone before…

Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not faint. ~ Galatians 6:9

So what about you, Runner? Are you ready to strap on those shoes, and leave the thrills, spills, and defeats of the past behind? Your due season may be closer than you think.

Ready… Set…

Go!

FONW2014

I want you to join me at Abba’s House for Fresh Oil New Wine, March 2-6. Registration is free, and I will be speaking on Due Season the very first night. My friends Perry Stone, John Hagee, Rabbi Curt Landry, Randy Caldwell, Dwain Miller, and more will be joining me. I hope to see you there! Click here for more info and to register.

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

Tapping The Ancient Wells

FONW2014

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

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

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

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

If so, then this is the conference for YOU!

See you at Fresh Oil New Wine!

Pastor Ron

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

Thoughts For A Cold and Wintry Night

Snow 7J

For the second time in about three weeks, we have been hit with snow in the Chattanooga area. Last time, it caught most of us by surprise (much of the South, actually). This time, however, we were a little more prepared (or as prepared as we get, I suppose). While we were expecting some snow, I don’t think most of us expected as much as we got.

Snow 5JI will say this, however… while many folks around this area may not fully appreciate a good snowfall (and the inconvenience it brings), there is something about it that is most intriguing. To look out across a landscape that had been diverse – filled with beauty, flaws, focal-points both positive and negative, and works of art (some man-made, some “Creator-inspired”) – then to see it all covered with the same blanket of snow, the same texture and tone, it is as if a good snowfall becomes the great equalizer. The edges and inconsistencies of the topography disappear into one solid, flowing, undisturbed landscape of snowy perfection, punctuated by trees, ponds, and structures. Even the night seems less intimidating, less mysterious, and less ominous.

imageSnow and winter have long been popular subjects for writers, poets, bards, and balladeers. The great Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote…

Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear
Has grown familiar with your song;
I hear it in the opening year,
I listen, and it cheers me long. ~ from “Woods in Winter”

Snow 2JRobert Frost painted a picture of a snowy paradise…

A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree. ~ from “A Winter Eden”

The beauty and purity of snow was not lost on those who penned the Bible either…

“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow…” ~ Isaiah 1:18

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” ~ Psalm 51:7

imageFreshly-fallen snow paints a beautiful picture of grace. Regardless of what went on before, upon snow’s arrival,  the blemishes are forgotten, the inequities are forgiven, and below the surface, new life is waiting to be born.

However, another picture comes to mind with the invocation of snow. Think of the majesty of a snow covered mountain range. Think of the creative power displayed in the beauty of a snow-covered vista. Now, with that in mind…

image

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.” ~ Daniel 7:9

“The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.” ~ Revelation 1:14-15

Think about it the next time you encounter a good winter’s snowfall. You may not look at snow the same way.

(Special thanks to my friends who braved the cold, and shared their pictures with me.)

Categories
Through The Looking Glass

Finding Joy

Through the Looking Glass

British philosopher Sir Francis Bacon once said…

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

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

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

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

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”.

Throughout scripture, God puts great value on joy.

There is strength in joy…

There is hope in joy…

There is health in joy…

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

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

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

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

Lombardi, Oscar, and Leaving Your Legacy

This past Sunday was a day filled with irony. It was a day of exuberant joy, bitter disappointment, and deep sorrow. It was a day filled with contrasts as profound as night and day…

So where do we start?

First of all, this past Sunday was the Big Game… Super Bowl XLVIII. All of the hype, all of the pre-game shows, and all of the pre-gameday shows that aired in the days leading up to a 6:30p.m. kickoff built a sense of anticipation that resulted in the game being the most watched event in television history. In the days of commentary leading up to the clash between two teams that weathered the storms of the season to make it to this moment in time, much of the talk centered around one word:

Legacy.

In case you were stranded on a desert island for the past month, please allow me to re-cap…

In the Northwest corner, we have the young Russell Wilson, a second-year, third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin. Russell would be leading a young, yet powerful Seattle Seahawks team that boasted the best defense in the NFL.

In the Mile-High corner, we have Peyton Manning, a 16-year NFL and 3-time Super Bowl veteran who is the epitome of the stuff legends are made of. This man has more awards than most of us have room on our mantle for, and would be leading the storied Denver Broncos, with an offense that proved to be virtually unstoppable on it’s march to East Rutherford, NJ.

With such a matchup, everyone expected it to be a game for the ages. Yet, with so many players involved in the success of each team, the vast majority of the conversation centered around Peyton Manning. “Can he win the Big Game to cement his legacy? How will his legacy be affected should the Broncos lose? Will his legacy survive in the event of defeat?

Legacy… There’s that word again.

From the first snap of the game, things seemed to go wrong for the Broncos. A 2-point safety on the opening play of the game defined the rest of the spectacle. After 60 minutes of play, and the dust and confetti hadn’t begun to settle, the Seahawks emerged victorious… 43 – 8. Immediately, the talking heads and media-elite began discussing the effect of this major loss on Peyton Manning’s legacy. Could his legacy survive this brutal beatdown? Would Manning hang up his cleats in defeat, and end his NFL career now?

Well, with all deference to smarter sports-minds than mine, I just have to ask a few questions:

Isn’t this the same Peyton Manning who just completed (arguably, with the exception of losing the Super Bowl) the most successful season in the history of the NFL? Isn’t this the same man who just set records for most touchdowns thrown, as well as most yards thrown in a single season? Isn’t this the man who was just selected as the NFL MVP for a (record) fifth time? I could go on about other records he set (including the passing record he set in the Super Bowl itself), others he tied, not to mention all of the records set by other members of the Broncos organization, and the team itself. But I digress…

Now for a reality check.

Earlier in the day, around 20 miles from MetLife stadium, the police were called to the apartment of Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. After Mr. Hoffman failed to meet his children and their mother at a park, she called a friend who went to check on him. Mr. Hoffman was found in his apartment, dead from an apparent drug overdose.

Philips Seymour Hoffman was considered to be one of the brightest and most talented actors of this generation, having starred in films such as Twister, Patch Adams, Mission Impossible III, Capote (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), the popular Hunger Games movies, and dozens of other films. Having seen several movies that he appeared in, I thought of him as a very talented person. According to stories I’d read, as well as interviews I’d seen, he seemed like a nice and humble guy.

So again I ask, what about the legacy? Have we become so shallow as to base a person’s legacy on a 60-minute sporting event? Has our collective attention span gotten so short that we decide the legacy of a life based on the manner of death? Sure, Peyton Manning had a really bad day. However, it does not wipe from the annals of sports history his incredible contribution to, not just football, but to the lives of young people that he sowed into through other benevolent endeavors. And while Mr. Hoffman may have died with (as the police have reported) a needle still in his arm, it does not erase the hours of great theatrical performances, or tarnish the Oscar statue he earned for just one of those great performances.

So where am I going here? Simply this…

The legacy of a life is built on miles, not inches. It is built on years, not seconds. Sure, there are those people who are only remembered for a sad, solitary event (John Wilkes Booth, John Hinckley, James Earl Ray, etc.). However, for most of us, a positive legacy is built over a lifetime of actions, attitudes, and contributions. It is built on a foundation of what we did to change the world around us, and how those changes affected others. People may remember that Peyton Manning lost Super Bowl XLVIII, but what Peyton Manning will be remembered for will be for being one of the best athletes to ever play the game of football. People will remember the manner of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death, but he will be remembered for being a brilliant actor who brought to life memorable characters for the rest of us to live vicariously through.

But… here’s the catch. When time has ended, and eternity is upon us; when the crowd noise has finally ceased; the Super Bowl rings, Vince Lombardi Trophy, and Oscar statues have turned to dust; and the accolades and applause have long since died away, only one legacy will matter: What did you do with Jesus? The Bible says:

“… It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” ~ Hebrews 9:27

While the rest of the world may mourn your brilliance and contributions to society, when you take that final breath, the only thing that will matter is how you lived your life for Jesus. Did you live a life that honored Him? Did you point others to His blood-stained cross? Did you accept the love that He died to demonstrate?

A good legacy may stand the test of time, but only what you do with Jesus will stand the test of eternity.

If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus, and start a legacy that will last forever, pray this prayer…

Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive me of my sin.
Wash me and cleanse me. Set me free. Jesus, thank You that You died for me. I believe thatYou are risen from the dead and that You’re coming back again for me. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Give me a passion for the lost, a hunger for the things of God and a holy boldness to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m saved, I’m born again, I’m forgiven and I’m on my way to Heaven because I have Jesus in my heart.

If you prayed that prayer in faith, please let us know. Please drop me a comment here, or you can call us at 1-800-877-6493. We would love to celebrate with you your decision to join God’s family!

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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.

Categories
Miracles Out of Nowhere The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Angels on I-40

MapAs a pastor for so many years, I love hearing stories of how God is working in the lives of His people. Whether it’s how He guides us along the paths of life in quiet, subtle ways, or interjects Himself in more obvious displays of His power, as I travel around the world, I hear so many stories of both natures. It is especially significant when I hear the stories from those in my own church, the the people to whom God has called me as shepherd. One such story happened last weekend.

Dana works in the media department of Abba’s House and Ron Phillips Ministries. He is also a long-time musician and worship leader, and as such, had made the decision to attend The Next Step Gathering, hosted by my friend, Ray Hughes. The event was in Asheville, NC, which is about 3.5 hours from Chattanooga. On the final day of the event, it began to snow in Asheville. Due to some previous commitments Dana had made, he felt he could not afford to get snowed-in in Asheville, and decided to head back early to Chattanooga. He posted his story on social media, and I’ll share some of it here…

I had been on the road for a little less than an hour when my daughter Maddie felt the urge to pray for me. She went into her room, and began to pray. Within minutes of her prayer, as I came out of a curve on I-40W, I was in the left hand lane, and was merging right when I inexplicably lost control of my vehicle (at first, I thought I had hit a patch of ice, but upon further review, it seems that something in the steering/suspension mechanism of my vehicle may have malfunctioned/failed). I completely lost control, crashed nearly head-on into a concrete barricade, and came to rest on the shoulder of the road about 150 feet from the point of impact. A couple of things of note are the fact that, had I broken through or flipped over the concrete barricade, I would have dropped about 150-200 straight down into the river below. Also, the front right of the vehicle basically folded up under the chassis. I am completely puzzled as to how the vehicle managed to roll another 150 feet. I am also amazed that, in spite of moderate traffic, no other vehicles were involved.

I walked away without a scratch.

Prayer2Wow! So why would a daughter nearly 200 miles away inexplicably drop what she was doing and pray for her father at almost the exact moment he was in trouble? How does someone lose control of a vehicle, crash into a concrete wall at nearly 50mph, and walk away without so much as a scratch?

We serve a God that operates and communicates with us through the power of His Spirit. It was the prompting of the Holy Spirit that directed Dana’s daughter in how to pray. When she acted in obedience to the Spirit, angels of protection were dispatched to that place on the highway to put a hedge of protection around her father. The prayers of His people are a sweet aroma in the nostrils of a Holy God. A simple prayer offered in faith is all it takes to activate angelic power in our lives.

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ ~ Jeremiah 33:3

God is not looking for the smartest, biggest, strongest, or most talented. God is looking for obedience. He is looking for those who will be the Joshuas and Gideons of this generation. He is looking for the ones who will operate in “ridiculous obedience” to achieve the impossible.

The angels of Heaven are available to us as ministering spirits, and offer us guidance, protection, strength, and assistance. When we activate their presence through the power of prayer, great, mighty, and miraculous things can happen.

Pastor Ron

Categories
America Fresh Oil New Wine 2013 Living It Out In Real Time The Big Event The Life of Faith

Make A Difference (Ducks & Martyrs… pt 2)

RPLast week on my blog, I discussed Ducks, Martyrs, & Suiting Up for the Wrong Fight, in which I talked about how many Christians in our society are using the power of social media to wage war against anti-Christian bias in pop-culture; namely, the recent controversy concerning Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson. While standing for solid Christian principles and against the “spirit of Antichrist” that exists in the media is commendable, it appears that we do so at the expense of very real, life-and-death persecution going on in other places in the world. To paraphrase one person that responded to my article, we as Christians can fight more than one fight at a time.

So… why don’t we? Why are we not more vocal about the plight of Christians elsewhere?

I understand that, when the media blacks-out such activity, such stories have a tendency to slip from our radar. However, with so many alternate media sources today, and limitless resources on the internet, there are many ways to, not just stay informed, but to actually make a difference. Paul had this to say in II Corinthians 10:3-6 (I like how The Message puts it)…

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

With that said, let’s looks at a few ways we can make a difference…

Get informed.

Sometimes it takes a little effort on our part, but by simply doing a Google search (Christian persecution 2013, killing Christians, Christians killed in ) you can find limitless stories about the plight of Christians around the world. While I understand that you cannot believe every single thing you read on the internet, there are many, many reputable resources that are telling the truth about what is happening to our Christian brothers and sisters around the world.

Pray.

As II Corinthians 10:4 says (NKJV):

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

We must diligently fight the war against the forces of darkness in the place where we can do the most good… on our knees. We must commit ourselves to fasting and prayer for the toppling of governments that support the killing of Christians, the defeat of radical Islamic groups around the world (including on our own soil), and for the courage of our political leaders to stand up in the face of such activity and say that we will not support or aid any nation that participates in these atrocities.

Vote.

We the people have a powerful weapon against the abuses and apathy of those in the power-centers and decision-making halls of our nation… it’s called the ballot. It is time for we as a Christian nation to stand up and say to our elected officials, “We sent you to Washington to serve. You were elected on the assumption and promise that you were going to do what is best for our nation. If you are unwilling to do this, we’ll put someone in office that will.”
What is in the best interest of America is following the tenants of Scripture, and standing up in the face of tyranny, not just in our nation, but around the world. This includes suspending aid for governments guilty of participating in, or endorsing, the persecution and slaughter of Christians. This means demanding that our leaders hold accountable rogue and radical Islamic governments who violate the rights of Christians (and others).

Get involved.

You may be limited in what you can do as an individual or even a church. However, there are plenty of Christian and humanitarian organizations that are on the front lines, making a difference. Do what you can to support those that are “fighting the good fight” with your prayers and resources. Groups like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, Compassion International, and others do much to provide relief in countries hard hit by poverty, war, and persecution. Our own ministry (Ron Phillips Ministries) works among the poor in countries like Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Let your voice be heard.

Most of us have access to social media on a regular basis (Facebook, Twitter, etc). Use your influence to help draw attention to what is going on as you become aware. All it takes is a few well-timed posts to get the ball rolling, and to raise awareness in your corner of influence to what is happening across the globe. We hear reports about Christians being assaulted, raped, and murdered on a daily basis, and much of it comes through social media. We have but to open our eyes to find such reports, and raising awareness can be as simple as clicking a “share” button.

Not every person or individual can do the “big thing.” Not everyone can be in these far-flung places to be the hands and feet of Jesus. But ALL of us can do something, whether it is a comment on Facebook, a few dollars sent to assist, or a few minutes a day spent in prayer. In the end, the question will not be, “Why didn’t you do the BIG THING?” The question will be, “What did you do with what I gave you?”

Now… Go make a difference in your world.

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

Ducks, Martyrs, & Suiting Up for the Wrong Fight

By now, nearly everyone in America that watches television is familiar with the controversy surrounding Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty empire. For those of you that have been hiding in the hills for the last month or so, let me re-cap:

Phil Robertson was interviewed by GQ Magazine, In the course of the interview, Mr. Robertson, a devout Christian, shared his beliefs regarding the sin of homosexuality. A&E (the network that owns and airs Duck Dynasty) issued a statement, saying they disagreed with Mr. Robertson, affirmed their support of the LGBT community and lifestyle, and subsequently, announced the suspension of Mr. Robertson from the Duck Dynasty program. Immediately following this announcement, social media erupted with outpourings of support for Mr. Robertson. Boycotts of the A&E Network were organized, and shouts of everything from intolerance, to Constitutional rights, to Christian persecution were being screamed across the political and social spectrum. Subsequently, within days, the network announced that it was going to suspend the suspension, and allow Mr. Robertson back on the program. This announcement was met with mixed feelings by the public. Many Christians felt vindicated. Many felt A&E’s “explanation” didn’t go far enough, and felt the network needed to out-and-out apologize. Regardless, America’s favorite camo-wearing family was back, and now – just a few weeks later – most of the furor has died down.

Before I go on, let me be clear about a couple of things. I share the Biblical position of many Christians (Mr. Robertson included) that homosexuality is sin. I dislike any time a Christian is vilified and trashed in the liberal media, simply for stating their beliefs. I am saddened by the fact that public discourse in this nation has been reduced to rabid political correctness and misleading sound bites portraying Christians as “unintelligent and backwards”, while radical leftists are portrayed as “courageous and principled”. The Bible talks about “those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). That is the day we are living in… I get that.

But if we as the western church are going to be outraged, I fear we have chosen the wrong target for our righteous ire. Many Christians in America are very good at “putting on the whole armor of God”. However, once it is on, we have a bad habit of picking the wrong battle to fight. No Christian likes to see another Christian mistreated in the press, however…

Christ1Where was the outrage when Coptic Christians were being slaughtered in Egypt during the “Arab Spring”, following the ouster of President Morsi?

Where was the outrage when 80 people were executed in North Korea for “crimes” such as possessing a Bible?

Where is the same indignation for the estimated 50,000 – 70,000 Christians currently imprisoned in North Korean prison camps that we show when we see pictures of WWII Nazi concentration camps?

Where is the outrage for the fact that killing Christians on Christmas in countries like Iraq is practically a “tradition” by Islamists?

Where is the outrage for the fact that the Islamic “rebels” that we so vocally support in Syria are the same people responsible for the wholesale slaughter of Christians in that country?

Where are those voices asking why, as of 2011, two-thirds of the Christians in Iraq (the country America “liberated”) have vanished (believed either murdered or fled)?

According to Open Doors 2014 World Watch List, 9 of the top 10 countries in which Christians are most persecuted are Muslim majority states, with Islamic extremism listed as the driving force behind the persecution.

Wake up, people! Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being martyred on a regular basis in nations like Syria, Pakistan, North Korea, Iraq, Somalia, Nigeria, Egypt, and many more, and we have remained silent by comparison. By many accounts, worldwide Christian martyrdom has doubled in the last year, yet the church is not discussing it. We have not held our media to account to report on these atrocities, while they are all too complicit in carrying the water of the left-wing agenda, focusing on “hard news” items like “gay-bashing”, “climate change”, and every other politically-correct sideshow out there.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said…

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies,
but the silence of our friends.

While the suspension of a popular Christian millionaire from a TV show for espousing his beliefs is objectionable in this free nation, it pales in comparison to the plight of Christians in third-world countries who, for them, a stand for Christ could come at the cost of their next breath. It’s time for American Christians to get our priorities straight. It’s time for us to wake up to the fact that Jesus didn’t die so that we could be entertained… He died to give us life more abundantly – to give us a life that takes up our cross daily, and follows His example.

German Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said…

Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.
Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.

We must be silent no more.