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“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:”
~ ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭

Yesterday morning at Abba’s House, my staff shared a letter from me to the congregation, and I wanted to share it with you now.

Beloved,

For some time the Lord has been speaking to Paulette and I about not only our legacy, but His plan for the church’s and our future. I will be 70 this year, and feel I still have much to offer the church and the Kingdom as does Paulette. Along with our Pastor’s Council and other leadership, we feel it is God’s will that Dr. Ronnie Phillips, Jr. assume the role of Lead Pastor beginning in January 2018. We will joyfully and faithfully continue to serve Abba’s House as Pastor Emeritus and Paulette as an Assistant Pastor .

1. I believe I can lengthen my service by shifting the yoke of leadership to stronger and younger shoulders. The priests of Israel did not “bear the yoke” after 55 years of age, though they continued to serve.

2. We can grow faster with a younger leadership team that have a vision for the generation rising. Our growth can be much stronger than it is now.

3. Your Pastor’s Council has an exciting restructure plan that will lead the church to be able to embrace the rising generation; including building, staff, media, outreach, and revenue streams.

4. Ronnie and Kelly are ready and strong with vision to touch all of our area, to the ends of the earth. They are both children of this house and love you and the greater Chattanooga area.

5. Our staff has embraced the change wholeheartedly and some will be serving in new callings.

6. I sense and apostolic calling to not only serve Ronnie and Abba’s House but the many church’s and missions that look to us for leadership. I will extend your influence around the nation and the world.

7. I feel that there are things that I can do for the future of our civilization that require me to be away more than a true pastor can be. I need to war a good warfare for you nationwide.

8. I need you to know that I will go to heaven serving this congregation. I will be preaching often…doing television with Ronnie as needed…and serving you .
Now, I need you to embrace Gods plan with all your heart and soul. I need you to be patient and loving as the changes are implemented across the next year. Wonderful and exciting things are coming from God for us all. Please pray and be fully supportive and watch what the Holy Spirit does.

 

Pastor Ron Phillips

Today, we remember our 2,977 fellow Americans who lost their lives 15 years ago in New York City, Washington D.C., and near Shanksville, PA because of an act of terrorism, hatred, and evil.

We remember the bravery of our military and First-Responders, many of whom selflessly gave their lives to help those injured and in need.

We remember the bravery of our fellow citizens; ordinary people who showed extraordinary courage on that day.

We pray for those who still live with the pain and loss of that day.

We pray for the safety of our nation, the wisdom of our leaders, and the courage and safety of our military and First-Responders.

We remember… and we will never forget.

May God bless America.

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ “Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them— those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ ~ Isaiah‬ ‭41:10-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

How many of you remember the old ketchup commercial? People sitting with their ketchup bottle upended, waiting for that tomatoey goodness to start flowing onto their fries or hamburger. For 30 seconds, the anticipation was killing us as we watched that commercial, and listened to the song… “Anticipation – it’s making me wait…” 

At Abba’s House Media, we have been living in a season of anticipation, and it’s about to happen. Just watch…

When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time. ~ Saint Francis de Sales

Life is supposed to make sense. But, sometimes life comes at you so hard and fast that you wonder what just happened. If that has ever happened to you, I can understand, because no matter how long you have been a believer, and no matter how long you have lived on this planet, sometimes you feel like you are a walking, talking, and breathing contradiction. One day up, the next day down. One day on top of the world and the next day, I’ve got the world on my shoulders. It’s called “living in the contradiction.”

All it takes is a quick view of the morning news to know that our world is in a mess. We go to church on Sunday and hear one thing, and live the rest of the week hearing and seeing something totally different.

Did you know that one of the greatest illusionists in the world, Harry Houdini, did not die from an illusion that went wrong, or from an assistant that did not do his job properly? No, actually he died from a “sucker punch”, that’s right, from a punch to the stomach that he was not ready for.

Wow!  He wasn’t ready for the punch – and it cost him his life. For you who feel like you have been “sucker punched” by life, cheer up…

WE WIN!

We win, even when it looks like we are losing!

By definition the word Contradiction means: the act of going against; opposition; a declaration of the opposite or contrary; a statement that is at variance with itself (often in the phrase a contradiction in terms); conflict or inconsistency, as between events, qualities, etc.[i]

[i] Definition of “Contradiction” @ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/contradiction

What does it mean for Christians “living in the contradiction?”

It is the difference between what we “see” around us and what we “know” inside of us.

Consider this…

Isaac lived in the middle of a contradiction.

Isaac lived in a famine without hope for the future. God told him to stay where he was and sow into the barren soil. Even though in the natural it didn’t make sense (a contradiction) he obeyed God and reaped a hundredfold.

John the Baptist experienced the contradiction firsthand.

There came a point in the life of John when nothing made sense. No doubt he felt he was doing everything right and yet found himself in a dark, depressing prison cell waiting to die. Things were not working out like he thought they would. John is going through something that we all go through called the process events of life. It’s when life doesn’t match up with what we know. Up until his prison experience John had no doubts as to the identity of Jesus Christ.

     When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” ~ Matthew 11:2–6 (NIV)

 David, a man after God’s own heart, lived in the contradiction.

When you read the Psalms it’s like reading the writings of a musical manic depressive. One minute he’s up and the next he’s down.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. ~ Psalm 42:5 (NIV)

David is “living in the contradiction” of trying to understand the gap between his anointing and the manifestation of the power of God in his life. His emotions are being integrated into his circumstances of what he is seeing with his eyes and what he knows to be true in his heart. The process is actually working for him, he just doesn’t understand how something that looks bad can be good for him. Every right response to the “process” moves him to the next level of his assignment with a fresh and more powerful anointing.

“Process” is the term we use to describe what is going on in our life that we don’t like. But, when we understand that God has a purpose for our life even in the middle of a contradiction it takes the enemy out of the equation. What the enemy will try to do is interfere with our God-given assignment, create confusion, and move us away from our destiny.

The Kingdom of God is one of contradictions:

• The way up is down.
• If you want to be first, be last.
• If you want to lead, learn to serve.
• In order to live, you must die.
• In order to get, you have to give.
• If you want to rise to the top, start at the bottom.

It will be impossible to put this world’s system under your feet until you have seen a better view from heaven’s perspective.

The contradiction of what you see around you and what you know on the inside will be so confusing it might just overwhelm you unless you see a better world above.

D.L. Moody was instrumental in shaking two continents for the gospel of Jesus Christ. His influence is still being felt today through the Moody Bible College, and other Christian enterprises that bear his name.

        “Someday,” D. L. Moody used to say, “You will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don’t believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now!” He preached his last sermon in Kansas City on Nov. 23, 1899, from the text Luke 14:18: “And they all with one consent began to make excuse.” When he gave the invitation, fifty stood to their feet and went across the street into the inquiry room. He was too ill to continue the Kansas City campaign, so he took the train back to Northfield. On Friday, Dec. 22, he went “home.”

        Five years before his home going Moody had said, “If it can be said, faithfully said, over my grave, ‘Moody has done what he could,’ that will be the most glorious epitaph.” Instead, 1 John 2:17 was chosen: “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” [i]

[i] Excerpted from a brief biography of D.L. Moody @https://bible.org/illustration/moody-epitaph

Today’s blog is adapted from my book,
The Hiram Code by Ron Phillips, DMin
Copyright © 2015 by Ron Phillips
Published by Charisma House

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”

With these words, Charles Dickens begins his classic story, A Tale of Two Cities. If one knew no better, it could be said that he was describing 2015. While some have seen blessings, prosperity, and hope, still others have experienced pain, loss, and misfortune. For some, 2015 was the best… for others, it was the worst. I would venture to say that, for most of us, it was somewhere in the middle. We take the good with the bad, and hope for a better year. With the dropping of the ball in Times Square, we hold friends and family close, and pray that 2016 sees a better year for all of us.

With the advent of 2016, we find before us a choice. We can remember the good times, and rest on our laurels, or, we can recall the bad times, and wallow in our misery. Personally, neither sounds like a great idea to me.

However, there is a third option: We can take the advice of the apostle Paul when he said in Philippians 3…

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. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:12-14

Regardless of the past, we have the opportunity to move forward. We have the opportunity and a prize before us, and it up to us to go after it, but we can’t do that while sitting on the trash heap of the past.

So what’s it going to be? The choice is yours.

For me and my house, we’re moving forward.

From our house to yours, Happy New Year! Go out and make 2016 a great one!

  
If you are in the Chattanooga area, and would like to join us tonight for our Christmas Eve Traditions Worship service, it will begin at 5:00pm EST. All are welcome!

If you can’t be with us in person, you can join us online at http://www.abbashouse.com/live

Let’s celebrate the Savior together!
Pastor Ron