Tag: salvation

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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 2013 The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Saving the One

Arlington2 In the Academy Award winning movie, Saving Private Ryan, 8 soldiers set out across the French countryside in the days following D-Day. Their mission is to find one soldier, Private Ryan, deliver his discharge order, and get him back to safety and home. By the end of the mission, only two of the team members survived. Six of the men that originally set out to save Private Ryan sacrificed their lives so he would be saved.

Helmet2Jesus talked about the Good Shepherd, who left his ninety-nine sheep to find the one that was lost.

Some may say, “That’s crazy… to sacrifice many just to save one.”

It sounds crazy… unless you are that one.

We were all that one.

The Bible says that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

The theme song from our TV program, Ron Phillips from Abba’s House, has the following lyrics:

Wherever you’ve been
Or what you’ve been through
The Father is waiting for you

If any one of us as individuals had been the only one needing to be saved, Jesus still would have gone through the torture, the pain, the anguish, and the death… just to save the one.

Just to save you.

He thought you were worth it… and He still does.

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America Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere New Year The Bible The Mysteries of God

Wonderful!

Christmas_Tree_FarmsIn Shakespeare’s classic play, Juliet asked Romeo:

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

In spite of the sentiment in those words, the truth is that we are people, not plants, and our names carry great significance. Someone once said…

“The sweetest sound on earth is your own name spoken tenderly by a friend.”

A Good Name

In biblical times, a person’s name directly indicated his character. If we explore the pages of the Hebrew Bible, we find that the Hebrew word for “name” is shem, the name also given to one of Noah’s sons. This word comes from a root word meaning “to set a mark.”A child was often named according to something that “marked” the child.

Many times a name would become synonymous with fame, renown, and heroic reputation, such as in the case of David. God Himself blessed the name of David, saying,

“I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.” (2 Samuel 7:9 NKJV)

Unfortunately, a name can also come to represent evil. After years of being under the rule of a fiendish queen whose wickedness caused heartache in the land of the chosen people, few Jewish families consider the name Jezebel for their baby girls!

KS12499

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us, a Son is given…
And His name shall be called Wonderful…

Wonderful! Isaiah began his description with this word that comes from the Hebrew people, which refers to supernatural power, something that cannot be explained in terms of human planning.

A great evangelist of the 1900’s was a man named Rodney “Gypsy” Smith. Until his death in 1947, having ministered all over the world, he maintained a glow and an excitement about Jesus that were infectious. One day he was asked how he stayed so fresh in his life and preaching. He replied…

I never lost the wonder!

Gypsy Smith couldn’t get over the wonder of being touched by the God of the universe through the salvation given by Jesus. He often said, “I didn’t go through colleges and seminaries. They wouldn’t have me… but I have been to the feet of Jesus.”

So how about you?

KS12474Have you been to the feet of the baby in the manger who became the Savior of the world? Have you stood, as the shepherds and kings of old, in awe at the wonder of the One called Wonderful? If not, this Christmas season is a great time to start! What better gift to give to the One Whose birthday we celebrate that your own heart and life.

Merry Christmas!

— adapted, in part, from the chapter Call Him Wonderful by Ron Phillips from the compilation book, The Spirit of Christmas (©1999 Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Categories
America The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

One Day In November

JFKOn Friday of this week, most people in our nation will remember it as the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. As history reminds us, President Kennedy was shot and killed by an assassin’s bullet as his motorcade drove through the streets of Dallas, TX, on November 22, 1963. For the last 50 years, conspiracy theories have swirled around the event, inspiring countless books, movies, documentaries, and websites.

But while the attention of the world was focused on Dallas on that fateful day, two other world-renowned personalities slipped into eternity within hours of the death of the President…

ALH

Well-known British author, humanist, and agnostic Aldous Huxley died in Los Angeles, CA, at the age of 69. Best known for his novels, including Brave New World, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry.

LewisChristian author, lecturer, and apologist C.S. Lewis died at his home in Oxford, England, one week before his 65th birthday. Lewis was known for so many timeless classics including The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters.

The contrasts are palpable… one man in the prime of life, while the other two entering into their twilight years. One man cynical of God and spirituality, while the other two with deeply held religious beliefs. One man a powerful world leader, while the other two intellectuals from the halls of academia.

But by the end of the day on November 22, 1963, all three men were standing before God, faced with only one question that mattered…

“What did you do with Jesus?”

Whether a prince or a pauper;

Whether from prestige or from poverty;

Whether the most powerful leader in the world, or an individual lost in obscurity.

The Bible says that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). No matter who you are, what you’ve achieved, your net worth, or what you’ve become notorious for, we all live by the same non-negotiable rule:

“And as it is appointed for men to die once,
but after this the judgment…” ~ Hebrews 9:27

Judgment. The one thing all men face and no one escapes. But just as this destiny awaits all men, another promise is just as real and just as available…

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” ~ John 3:16 (NKJV)

My friend, judgment was something you were never made for. But just as God’s righteousness could not allow sin to go unchecked or unchallenged, His mercy would not allow mankind to be lost without hope.

He would not allow YOU to be lost, without hope.

Hope is as close as your next breath – that breath that calls on the name of Jesus.

If you would like more information about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, click here.

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America Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith

Freedom’s Holy Light

Lady LibertyA sailor was on his way out of Algeria aboard a ship that contained a sick missionary. Right before the missionary died, he pointed his hand toward the distant horizon and spoke prophetically: “There lies a land there where the seas wash. There is a native people there that have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

When the sailor finally arrived home, he told his son – and later his grandson – what the missionary had told him. When the grandson grew older, he also became a sailor. He remembered the old missionary’s words, and wrote many letters and diary entries expressing his desire to see the inhabitants of that land convert to Christianity.

The land the missionary spoke of was America.

The sailor’s grandson was Cristoforo Colombo, or as we know him, Christopher Columbus.

KS77810From the very beginning, our nation had, at it’s very core, a foundation centered on faith in God. While liberals and history revisionists would like to erase every mention of God from the history books, there is no denying the reliance our Founding Fathers placed on The Almighty. Don’t believe me? Listen to them, in their own words…

“The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite, and these Principles only could be intended by them in their address, or by me in my answer. And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United…”
~ John Adams, 2nd U.S. President

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever…” ~ Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President

“Let us then, unite in offering our most grateful acknowledgments for these blessings to the Divine Author of All Good.”~ James Monroe, 5th U.S. President

“The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith. Whoever believes in the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth.” ~ John Quincy Adams, 6th U.S. President

I could go on and on… and on.

The 4th verse of the song My Country, ‘Tis of Thee sums up the prayers and petitions of these great men appropriately…

KS77849

Our fathers’ God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.

Freedom’s Holy Light still burns brightly in America…

That Holy Light which was ignited in the hearts of her Founders, kindled by the dreams of her citizens, fueled by the blood of her soldiers, and sustained in the hearts of her children. It was the Holy Flame that burned brightly during two Great Awakenings, at the Cane Ridge Revival, the Finney Awakening, in the streetlamps of Azusa Street, and in the eyes of Billy Sunday and Billy Graham. It is that Guiding Light of God’s love that guided the Pilgrims to the shores of New England, kept freedom’s dream alive in the cold of Valley Forge, illuminated the heart of Abraham Lincoln during the dark nights of the Civil War, was the fire of freedom in the face of imperialism following December 7, 1941, and was the light of hope in the darkness of September 11, 2001.

It was the fire that blazed in the forge from whence came
the timeless inscription on the Liberty Bell:

“Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
~ Leviticus 25:10

So… let freedom ring.

Let the sound of freedom be heard in the cries of repentance of the people of God. Let the church rise and once again be the vessel that unashamedly bears the message of forgiveness and hope that the world needs to hear.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” ~ II Corinthians 3:17

No amount of legislation or Supreme Court rulings will change America… only the cross of Jesus can bring real change.

No amount of political correctness will change a single heart… only the love of Jesus can turn a heart of stone to a heart of flesh.

No amount of wealth-redistribution can force an ounce of compassion… only identifying with the tears of Jesus can break our hearts for a dying world.

It’s time for we as American Christians to wake up, get up, and go. It’s time for us to get on our knees and pray for a breakthrough… in the White House, the Statehouse, the schoolhouse, and the churchhouse. It’s time for us to be salt and light, look the world squarely in the face and say, “This is going to sting, but THIS is the truth, and the truth will set you free.” It’s time for us to BE the revival we have been praying for, and put our lives out there for that which He gave up His life. It’s time for us to stop asking for God to bless America, but for we as Americans to start blessing Him – through obedience, sacrifice, and holiness.

On this July 4th, I leave you with the words of President George Washington, from his Inaugural Address of 1789:

“In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either. No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States.” KS77759

May America bless God once again.

“I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” ~ Psalm 34:1
Categories
America Friendship Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith The Mysteries of God Through The Looking Glass

Dancing With the Fishes

Through the Looking Glass      A couple was walking down the beach when they saw a man dancing in the sand up ahead of them. As they approached him, they realized he wasn’t dancing at all. Instead, he was picking up starfish that had washed up on the beach, and was throwing them back into the sea. They called out to the man…

“You know, there are thousands of starfish here? You’ll never be able to rescue them all. It’s not going to make a difference!”

Without looking up, the man reached down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf.

“It made a difference to that one,” he replied.

When we see the problems facing our country and the world, it is easy to lose hope. Jesus even said, “In this world you will have trouble…”

But then He said (and I can see Him smile as He replied)…

“Cheer up! I have overcome the world!”

“But the world is so big,” you may be saying. “Where do I start?”

Look down at your feet, and then out from your feet 5 yards in each direction. Do this multiple times a day (constantly is good), and every time you do, realize that the area you see is your mission field at that moment. Pick someone you know, or maybe even a complete stranger, and make a positive difference in their life today.

Question: “How do you change a world that needs Jesus?”

Answer: “One heart at a time.”

On a related note…

As you read this, we have a mission team from Abba’s House on it’s way to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to spend a week ministering to the people that live there. We are believing for great things for the team and the people they minister to. Please pray for safety, favor, and open lines of communication to hearts hungry for the love of Jesus.

If you would like to keep up with the team, you can follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/abbashousemissions

You can also follow them at:
http://www.ronphillips.org or http://www.abbashouse.com

Categories
Friendship Living It Out In Real Time Miracles Out of Nowhere The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

Who Is Writing Your Future?

Through the Looking Glass           As we approach the anniversary of the assassination of one of America’s greatest presidents later this week, I am reminded of this story:

Robert Todd Lincoln
Robert Todd Lincoln

Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln, was once standing on a crowded railroad platform when he was pushed up against the side of the train by the pressing crowd. Suddenly, the train began to move, and Robert fell into the space between the platform and the moving train. Facing serious injury or death, he felt someone reach down, grab his collar, and lift him up to safety. As he turned to thank the person who had saved his life, he instantly recognized the face…

It was renowned actor Edwin Booth, the older brother of John Wilkes Booth.

Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln

Following the assassination of President Lincoln at the hands of his brother, Edwin recalled that the memory of saving the son of the slain president was one of the only things that kept him sane in the dark months that followed the night of April 14, 1865.

Is your past is checkered by the notoriety of others, or maybe by your own actions?

If so, I have good news for you…

We serve a God who is bigger than our past, mightier than our memories, and makes all things new!

The past is what it is.

Trust Jesus to write your future.

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Living It Out In Real Time The Bible The Life of Faith

Allegorical or Absolute: Finding Faith in The Bible

Bible        Over the last few weeks, Americans have been captivated by The Bible on television. The record-setting series garnered huge audiences, and brought many of these most well-loved Bible stories into our living rooms in living color. Congratulations to Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, for the wonderful job they did in bringing the Book of the Ages, God’s Holy Word, to life.

But lest we get lost in the fanfare surrounding the success of Christian-friendly programming, I would like to mention a few of things that would be good reminders for all of us regarding The Bible:

Now that you’ve waited for the movie, don’t forget to read The Book. All in all, The Bible was very well done, and the producers should be commended in trying to “stay true to the spirit of the book”. However, be sure not to base your theology entirely on what was depicted on the screen: Read the Bible for yourself, and let the Holy Spirit of God reveal to you personally what is the holiness, righteousness, and love of the God of the Universe.

You can’t make this stuff up. In the course of promoting The Bible, I saw Mr. Burnett and Ms. Downey on a well-known (fairly conservative) talk show. The interviewer (who said he was religious), while discussing the series, stated repeatedly, “Now, we all know that the Bible is just allegory (good moral stories, but not factual, historical accounts)”. When he pressed the issue, and asked the producers their opinion, they stated, unequivocally, that they believed the Bible to be a historical, factual account of actual events.

As Christians, our faith depends on the factual and literal life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 states it very plainly:

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 Now, I could go on for hours about historical fact, archaeological evidence, as well as personal observation (having personally traveled to the Holy Land more than a dozen times). However, in the interest of time (and not to be overly simplistic), I’ll sum it up as a friend recently noted:

“If you are going to pick and choose ‘truth’, and if the death and resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith (and thereby must be factual truth), which story is easier to believe: That a boy killed a giant with a stone, or that the God of the universe became a man, was born of a virgin, was killed by His own creation, and got up out of a grave after being dead for three days?”

Eating at the buffet of truth. It would be impossible to cover every significant event of the Bible in the 10 hours that it took to portray what ended up on screen. Just as God’s plan for the ages cannot be contained in a mini-series, truth is not a “buffet”. Unlike the stories chosen for the series (for time and content purposes), we cannot pick and choose what truth we want to believe and what we want to leave at “the bar”. If we cannot trust God in matters of judgment and justice, how can we trust Him on matters of grace and mercy? When it comes to truth, it’s all or nothing. God does not operate on the shifting winds and whims of the masses or mobs. Even if “the majority of Americans believe” that which is contrary to the Word of God, God is not going to change His opinion. Truth is truth… regardless of polls, public opinion, or political correctness.

When we come to Christ, we must come to Him on His terms…

We must recognize our need for Him. “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

We must recognize that we have sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

We must recognize that our sin separates us from God. (Romans 6:23… 1 Corinthians 6:9-10… Romans 1:28-32)

We must believe, accept, and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

When we come to Jesus, we are invited to come and die; die to our old self… die to sin and the sinful nature. We are invited to “deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him” (Matthew 16:24). If you did see The Bible, then you realize that taking up the cross (even figuratively) is not to be taken lightly. But although the path in following Him may be steep, stony, and wrought with peril, that which awaits us at the finish line is joy, peace, grace, mercy, and life eternal… all found in the open and nail-scarred arms of Jesus.

Categories
Living It Out In Real Time The Life of Faith The Secret Place Uncategorized

The Pardon

Sunlight thru trees-edited“In the year 1829, a Philadelphia man named George Wilson robbed the U.S. mail, killing someone in the process. Wilson was arrested, brought to trial, found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged. Some friends intervened on his behalf, and were finally able to obtain a pardon from him from President Andrew Jackson.

When Wilson was informed, he refused to accept the pardon.

The sheriff was unwilling to exact the sentence since the president had pardoned Wilson. An appeal was made to President Jackson who, in turn, asked the Supreme Court for a ruling. Chief Justice Marshall ruled that a pardon is a piece of paper, the value of which depends on it’s acceptance by the person implicated. If it is refused, then it is not a pardon.

George Wilson was hanged, although a pardon lay on the sheriff’s desk.” **

During this Easter season, I am reminded of this story. We, too, have a pardon that is there for the taking. However, our pardon is not written in ink by the hand of a president, in order to save us from the hangman’s noose…

Our pardon is written in blood by the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, in order to save us from an eternity of torment — forever separated from Him.

And while this free gift of God is available simply for the asking (because He desires that “none should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)), so many reject His pardon, missing out on the life of peace, protection, and promise that life in the Presence of God brings.

So what about you? Will you choose a life of hope and purpose, or an existence of uncertainty.

Will you choose the Rock of Ages, or the stone of judgement?

If you want to choose life everlasting, it is here.

HE is here.

All it takes is a simple prayer of faith…

“Jesus… I am a sinner. Please come into my life and save me. I know You died to pay the price for my sins. Thank You for all You did for me on Calvary. I accept Your gift, and ask You to be my Lord and Savior! Thank You Jesus for saving me.”

If you prayed that prayer… CONGRATULATIONS! You are now a part of the Family of God!

If you prayed that prayer, please let me know. I would love to hear from you.

Happy Easter!

** from my book… Isaiah: Light for Days of Darkness
Categories
Friendship The Life of Faith Through The Looking Glass

Nothing But The Blood

Through the Looking Glass     The Petersen House in Washington D.C. is the house across the street from Ford’s Theatre where a mortally wounded Abraham Lincoln was taken after being shot by John Wilkes Boothe. A few hours later, Lincoln succumbed to his wounds and, as then-Secretary of War Edwin Stanton observed, passed into the ages.

    For years, his blood-stained pillow remained on display – a testimony to the horrific events of April 14, 1865, and the violent death of one of our greatest presidents.

     A while back, some friends of mine visited the Petersen House only to discover that the pillow had been removed, and placed into storage. The only item that contained the blood of the Great Emancipator had been taken out of public sight, and put into a place where it could, potentially, be forgotten.

     As Christians, we must never let it be forgotten that it is only by the blood — the blood of Jesus — that we have been forgiven. We must never forget the price that was paid when Jesus spilled His blood, and willingly gave up His life out of love for us.

     In this time of history revisionism and self-obsession, as well as being an appropriate reminder during this Holy Week, may this story remind us all that we must never lose sight of the ONLY thing that can save us… the blood of Jesus.