Made for More Challenge # 3: Risen for Power!

Made for More Challenge #3: YOU Can Tap Into God’s Physical Power

The last two weeks, we’ve been talking about the risen life—how you can walk in the MORE for which God created you. The first week, I challenged you to take a step toward a life of faith by finding one Scriptural promise to claim for your need and praying that promise back to God. Did you do it?

The second week, I challenged you to commit to a life lived in agreement. I asked you to dedicate one hour each week to attending a small group at your local church, so you can build friendships and find like-minded people to walk with you on this journey of life. I hope you’ll be in that small group this Sunday, worshipping and studying God’s Word together.

Today as we celebrate the Feast of Firstfruits, I want to talk to you about a life lived in power. Christ himself was and is our Firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:23).

Did you know that you can tap into God’s physical power?

God’s power is not reserved for an elite few. It’s not just something you can see at church services, when people get healed or fall to the ground in the glory of the Holy Spirit. No; God’s power is available to everyone. Our Father wants us to be filled with His power in our daily lives.

Romans 8:11-12 says:

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”

Notice that Paul wrote that the Holy Spirit would give life to your mortal body! He wasn’t referring to some kind of heavenly power that would fill your immortal body after you go to Heaven. He was saying that God will give you the power you need to accomplish every task set before you on THIS earth, in THIS life!

That means the Holy Spirit will give you power to:

·       Take the kids to ball practice;

·      Face another day working in a tough job;

·      Say “au revoir” to your military spouse who’s leaving on deployment;

·      Save money and get out of debt;

·      Get to church every week;

·      Exercise and eat right; and

·      Take care of your marriage.

.   Forgive those who have hurt you

God’s power is available to you right now. He wants to help you with every task you will face this week.

So how do you tap into God’s supernatural power?

Your challenge today is to try out the two secrets to being filled with God’s power. Both of these secrets are found in Psalm 71:5-9, which says:

“For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.

My praise shall be continually of You. I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.”

Secret #1 to being filled with power is to ask.

The Psalmist specifically asked for strength. He said, “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.” Jesus said that if we ask, we would receive (Matthew 7:7), and the apostle James told us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2).

So we need to ask God for help, even in the mundane circumstances of our daily lives. If something is important to you, it’s important to God. So ask your Father for the power you need!

Pray this simple prayer with me:

“Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, I want to thank You for Your Word today. I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit right now. Fill me up with Your joy, which is my strength. Fill me with Your own strength, life, and victorious power today. Help me to notice Your power at work in my life, and help me to finish everything I have to get done today with more power and anointing than I ever dreamed. Bless all the work of my hands, and I give You praise and glory for what You’re going to do. Thank You, Father.”

Secret #2 to tapping into God’s power is to trust.

If you just prayed the prayer above, God heard you and He will answer. So believe Him, and go after everything you have to do today in faith.

Faith without works is dead, so you have to act and not just ask. However, if you’ll go after what you have to do today (the “works”) and believe Him to keep His promise (the “faith”), He will be right there to back you up with His anointing! He will put His “super” on your “natural” and do supernatural things that surprise you.

As you move throughout your day, it will build your faith AND your joy (and remember, the joy of the Lord is your strength) if you will keep an eye out for the Holy Spirit at work in your life. For example:

·      When you get the kids in bed and they haven’t burned the house down, thank God for His help!

·      When you get your housework finished, notice what a miracle that was and praise Him for it!

·      When you make it through a tough day at work and you weren’t sure you would, thank him for it!

Your final Made for More challenge is simple: ask, and you shall receive!

Ask God for physical strength. Ask Him to fill you with His victorious power. Then trust that He heard your prayer and will do extraordinary things in your ordinary life.

Do you need God’s power and strength today? Leave a comment below if this message speaks to you!

Also, don’t forget to pray for our RPMI Passover conference starting today! I'm asking God for a mighty outpouring of his spirit and partners to help me do what God has placed in my heart to do.

Here are the mission projects we’re currently working on:

• We’re hosting an evangelistic crusade in Nicaragua in June.
• We’ve almost finished the construction of Phase 4 of our new Abba's House Church and children’s center in Cien Fuegos Dominican Republic.
• Plans are underway for Abba's House Haiti and Cuba. 
• The dream for RPMI is to build a second church in El Rubio, D.R. This area has not been reached with the Gospel.
• Also, our feeding and homeless ministries needs additional funds. 
• We want to support local churches in the inner-city to assist them with Chattanooga's gang problems. We are working with like-minded individuals about some partnership ideas.

Will you be one of our partners? Will you come into agreement with the mission and vision God has given us and stand with us as we carry the message of Christ to the ends of the earth? We are asking those that can to Sow a Firstfruits offering to RPMI today. You can give securely on this website if you can't make it to the conference. If you don't have a church home, we invite you to join us live today at the Faith Worship Center (Chatsworth, GA) Facebook page at 10:30 am. 

Thank you in advance for your partnership and prayers, and please keep us in your prayers this week. Expect Big Things. Experience New Things. Exemplify Christ in all you do!

Made for More Challenge # 2: Risen for Unity

Made for More Challenge #2: Doing Life with Godly Friends

In our first Made for More challenge, we talked about how YOU can live the risen life filled with the resurrection power of God, but you have to take action to get there. Every journey begins with a single step, so I challenged you to take one step to build a life of faith: find a Bible promise that corresponds to your need, write it down, carry it in your pocket, and talk to God about it until that need is met.

In this week’s challenge, we’re going to talk about how finding people to do life with can take your spiritual and practical experience to a whole new level of success. The risen life is a life lived in agreement. We need Godly agreement and unity in every aspect of our lives.

What do I mean when I talk about “agreement”?

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

A life lived in agreement is a life lived in companionship with other people. Having people to agree with means you have friends who will watch your back when you need it. It means you’ll have people who will pray with you when you’re down. It means you can talk to people who care when you’re hurting. Christian's need to stop attacking one another and learn to build each other up. We need authentic relationships if we are going to be all who God has called us to be.

A life lived in agreement means you and your friends challenge each other to grow. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” A real friend will believe in you no matter what, but they’ll also challenge you to believe God, make things right with other people, and live in covenant with the Body.

How do you find those true friends?

As I wrote in my book The Power of Agreement, real friends like I described above are going to be teammates for you. So how do you find those friends? I believe the best way is to find godly friends in small groups in the Body of Christ.

In our church, hundreds of people gather in small groups every Sunday morning before our worship service. Our small groups take one hour to worship together, pray for one another, and study God’s Word together each week. In those close-knit communities, people get to know one another and share their struggles, sorrows, and victories.

I believe a small, God-centered, purpose-driven group like that is the best way you can find your teammates. It’s easy to identify brothers and sisters who share your calling in life when you get beyond the small talk and seek God together. And most importantly, when you’re together with your fellow believers and teammates in close fellowship, God can move in power.

The original Pentecost happened in a small group!

Did you know that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the earth for the first time during a small group meeting? It’s true. Acts 1:14 says, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” All the believers were together in one place, and as they prayed together, this happened:

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

When God’s people gathered together in agreement, He met them there. He’ll do the same thing for you, too, as you meet with other people, agree in prayer, and do life together with them. Matthew 18:19 says: “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

So here is this week’s Made for More challenge:

• Find one faith-based small group under the covering of a biblical and mission-minded church that you can meet with for one hour every week.
• If you don’t know where to start, try one for a few weeks; and if it’s not a good fit, then try another group until you find one that feels like home.
• Ask God to lead you, and He will.
• When you find the group that feels like home, COMMIT to it! Decide you’re going to be faithful. Be there week in and week out.

One hour is not a lot of time, but the agreement and encouragement you’ll gain out of that one hour of fellowship with other believers will change your life. As you follow God and plug into Biblical community, He will reward you for your decision. You’ll begin to grow as other believers challenge you. You’ll have people who can encourage you when you’re down, and you can serve other believers when they need it as well.

Agreement makes life worth living. Sharing a common goal, common purpose, and a fellowship that connects you with God and others is essential if you’re going to live the risen life.

So find that small group today, and make a commitment to be there every week starting this week!

Also, don’t forget that my inaugural Ronnie Phillips Ministry International Passover conference is coming up soon! It’s going to be held April 24-27 at Faith Worship Center in Chatsworth, Georgia. Check out the conference speakers and schedule here and make plans now to join us. It’s going to be a powerful time of worship and the Word of the Lord. My dad and many of my brothers and sisters in the Lord are coming to help preach and minister in worship, and we’re expecting a mighty outpouring.

We’re believing God for 1,000 new partnerships to help us continue to reach people for Jesus in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and here at home. Here are the mission projects we’re currently working on:

·       We’re hosting an evangelistic crusade in Managua, Nicaragua in June.

·       We’ve almost finished the construction of Phase 1 of our new Abba's House Church and children’s center in Cien Fuegos Dominican Republic.

·       Plans are underway for Abba's House El Rubio in Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, and in cities across America.

All of these things are exciting, but there is so much more to do! We need faithful partners who will come up beside this ministry and covenant with us to carry the work of the Gospel forward into the next generation.

Will you be one of our covenant partners? Will you come into agreement with the mission and vision God has given and stand with us as we carry the message of Abba Father to the ends of the earth? If you feel the Holy Spirit calling you to be one of our new partners, please email me. I want to hear from you. Happy Birthday to my son Reid Montgomery Phillips! He turned 10 years old yesterday and has the call of God on his life. Pray for my father who is in Charlotte, NC with Sid Roth doing an interview about his new book, The Hiram Code. This book is a great read.

Thank you in advance for your friendship, "follow"ship, and partnership. We covet your prayers as wee look ahead. Please be sure to check back next week for the next “Made for More” challenge!

MADE FOR MORE

Made for More: YOU Can Live the Risen Life

Have you ever looked at your life and been less-than-satisfied, but you’re not sure what to do about it? Do you hunger for more, yet feel like you’re not making progress? Does it frustrate you to see the promises of God in the Bible and hear about them at church, but you’re not seeing them come to fruition in your life?

In the weeks leading up to Passover and my Passover conference on April 24-27, 2016, I want to challenge you to live the risen life. This is challenge 1.

Jesus didn’t die on the cross for no reason. He died because His blood was a holy currency that purchased complete redemption for you and for me. And when He did the impossible and rose from the grave on the third day, He proved to the whole world that everything He had preached about—and everything God’s Word promises—is true.

Better yet, not only is it true, but it’s ALL available to you and me right now by grace. Christ’s resurrection is our guarantee that we have access to MORE. He arose so that we could have more than we could ever imagine in this age and the age to come!

So how do you go about getting what God’s Word promises? How do you move from where you are right now to the MORE God has for you?

That’s where action is required.

In Matthew 11:12, Jesus said, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (NKJV). The Kingdom of heaven is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). It is also POWER (1 Corinthians 4:20).

Put these two verses together, and we see that the Kingdom is a beautiful thing that brings righteousness, peace, joy, and power into our lives, but we have to take action to experience it.

I love what Paul wrote in Philippians 3:10-12:

“… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”

During this devotional series leading up to Passover, we’re going to talk about ONE key foundational piece of the victorious lifestyle each week. Each week, I’ll ask you to take one specific step in your own life that will help you receive everything Jesus died to give you.

And the first key we’re going to talk about is FAITH.

The risen life is a life lived by faith. Think about faith in the resurrection: you and I weren’t there, but we believe it! We believe it because:

·      Jesus prophesied that He would arise;

·      Hundreds of people saw Jesus in person after the resurrection, and they left their eyewitness accounts in mountains of historical documents which have been proven authentic;

·      and because the news of Christ’s resurrection changed the world.

There is literally more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that George Washington ever existed. So we believe Jesus is alive. But do we stop there?

·      What about believing that God is a good Father who wants to bless YOU?

·      What about believing that He really does love you?

·      What about believing that He will fill you with the fullness of the Holy Spirit right now if you ask?

·      What about believing that He will provide all your needs according to His RICHES in glory in Christ Jesus?

·      What about believing that He is the Giver of good and perfect gifts and He has already given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm?

Beloved, it is time to rise up out of the ashes of doubt and unbelief and believe God.

It is time for us to find out what He says about every situation, glue the promise to the problem, and lift that promise up to Him until we see Him do what He promised in our lives.

Luke chapter 18 tells the story of the widow who harassed the unjust judge until he gave her what she requested. When Jesus finished His parable, He said:

“Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:6-8, NKJV).

The unjust judge gave in to the widow’s request just because she was persistent. He felt no obligation to help her. He didn’t love her or have a relationship with her, and he certainly hadn’t sent His son to the cross to redeem her. But he still gave her what she asked for.

How much more will our Father give us what we ask, when we have His love, His Spirit, His Word, and the blood of Jesus on our side?

So here’s your assignment this week:

1.     Find ONE Scriptural promise in which God said He would meet whatever need you have. (If you need help finding a promise, just do an internet search for “Scriptures about ____”.)

2.     Read whatever God put in that passage as His conditions to seeing the promise fulfilled.

3.     Write it down and keep it in your pocket.

4.     Pray it back to the Lord every single day. Every time you think about that promise or touch your pocket, pray it back to the Lord.

As you pray, ask Him to show you how He’s working along the way. And I guarantee, because God is faithful and His Word is true, you will see Him move. Just don’t stop praying that promise until you get what you asked for!

Jesus died on the cross for you and then rose again to prove that everything He said was true. With His own life, death, and resurrection, He bought powerful, holy, Spirit-filled, victorious, abundant life for you.

What promise will you claim in prayer this week? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Also, mark your calendars!

My Ronnie Phillips Ministries International Passover conference is going to be held April 24-27 at Faith Worship Center in Chatsworth, Georgia. Check out the conference speakers and schedule here and make plans now to join us. It’s going to be a powerful time of worship and the Word of the Lord for this season. My father, Dr. Greg Collins, Dr. Bobby Atkins, Pastor Angie McGregor and many of my brothers and sisters in the Lord are coming to help preach and minister in worship, and we’re expecting a mighty outpouring.

We’re also believing God for 1,000 new partnerships to help us continue to reach people for Jesus in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and here at home. We’re hosting an evangelistic crusade in Managua, Nicaragua in June, There is a benefit concert at Abba's House this Sunday (4/10) at 6:00 pm in the Awaken Student Center led by our Awaken Student Choir. Please come and support this mission or designate a love gift to help us.  Also, we’ve almost finished the construction of Phase 1 of our new Abba's House Church and children’s center in Cien Fuegos Dominican Republic. Plans are underway for Abba's House Haiti and Cuba. But there is so much more to do! We need faithful partners who will come up beside this ministry and covenant with us to carry the work of the Gospel forward into the next generation. I would like to thank my board and faithful partners. You guys build my faith.

Will you be one of our covenant partners? Will you link arms with us and stand with us, shoulder-to-shoulder, as we carry the message of Abba Father to the ends of the earth?

If you feel the Holy Spirit calling you to be one of our new partners, please email me. I want to hear from you. And you can give online using the “Give and Partner” buttons above.

Thank you in advance for your partnership and prayers! Remember to comment below to tell me what promise you’re claiming from God’s Word this week, and check back next week for the next “Made for More” challenge.