This has been a year of transition for me, as I move into more of an apostolic role in the life of Abba’s House, and watch the next generation take their place, led by Dr. Ronnie Phillips, Jr. as Senior Pastor, to move this ministry into the future. I’m excited to see what God is doing through our new leadership, and I look forward to my new role of traveling and ministering to pastors and churches around the nation, speaking into their lives God’s goodness, grace, and truth.
This coming Sunday, I will be delivering a message I last preached many years ago called Come Before Winter. I would like to invite you to join me at Abba’s House on November 5 at 10:30am, and bring an unsaved friend.
Here is my personal invitation to you…
Depression.
I stand… because from the streets of Lexington and Concord to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, for over 240 years, brave men and women have given their last full measure of devotion to secure the freedom the rest of us enjoy on a daily basis. I stand, saluting an unfurled flag because of all of the wives, mothers, fathers, husbands, and family members who have been handed a folded one.
O beautiful for patriot dream
A very special thank you to Angie McGregor and her great staff and volunteers at Abba’s House Media who put in all of the hard work putting the AHM Golf Classic together, as well as all of the hard work they do every day to keep this ministry running efficiently and effectively.
THE LISTS. Like God’s promise in Genesis to Abraham about his offspring, social media/internet lists are becoming as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. Lists for every conceivable vocation, location, and 12-step program in 15 easy steps. For someone who is in the ministry (like me), it seems like these lists grow faster than the weeds in my flower beds at home. For ministers and ministry-types, the topics can include (but are certainly not limited to) things like…
After Peter denied Him, He gave Him another chance without throwing His failure up in His face (John 21).
One of the things that drives me crazy about politics is when, in a debate or interview, someone won’t answer a direct question. It is as though they have paid no attention to the question, and simply use their response as an opportunity to change the subject, and advance their own agenda. In the Bible, the apostle James encourages us to be “quick to listen and slow to speak…” (James 1:19). Too often, instead of really listening to what someone else is saying, we are simply working on formulating a pithy or intellectual response while they are talking. We are HEARING, but not truly LISTENING. Really listening requires undivided attention, focusing on the person who is speaking, and if they are in front of you (ie: not on the phone), observing facial expression and body language. There was a time not long ago when we were NOT connected 24/7; NOT constantly looking at Facebook and Snapchat, and NOT at the instant beck-and-call of every email or phone call. And you know what? We survived! We probably had a better quality of life, and definitely had better interpersonal relationship skills. Honestly, short of some sort of personal or dire emergency, when you are having a conversation, there should be nothing more important at that moment than the person sitting across from you with whom you are conversing.
Billboards have long been a fixture across the landscape of our country. Just drive down nearly any state highway or interstate, and you will be witness to massive advertisements for any number of businesses, products, services, or causes. From ads for fast food to political candidates to massive marriage proposals, people use billboards to communicate any number of products and ideas.
But here again, for the believer in Christ, fighting against the labels the world attempts to put on us is an untenable position; if we stand unwavering on the tenants of Scripture, particularly with regard to issues of morality, we are labelled “intolerant, bigots, homophobic, judgmental,” etc. But the same people who use such terms to describe people who stand on their Christian moral standards and beliefs are as equally unforgiving of any Christian who appears hypocritical in any way, form, or fashion. Essentially the argument is, “You are going to criticize me if my Christian belief system is counter to your political, social, or moral ideology (ie: if I am NOT a hypocrite), but you are going to criticize me for being a hypocrite if I don’t live my life perfectly in keeping with what I claim to believe.” Are you seeing the absurdity here, in trying to please those who you are never going to please?
Another thing that it takes for revival to happen is for men and women of God to stand in the public square, and to proclaim unashamedly that Jesus is Lord, that right is right and wrong is wrong, and to be champions of truth, the poor and the unborn, and to be a voice against the ungodliness that has leeched into the walls and halls of our government.
Recently I, along with several others, were given access to some confidential information from a clandestine source inside a liberal think tank. The information we received was disturbing, to say the least.
He met every one of their attacks with a determination not to be defeated, and has now made it to Level 7 — Aggressive Legal Effort. The liberal left have turned to a “special prosecutor” to bring false charges against the President in an attempt to thwart him in the media and public perception.
Right now there are brave souls who are daring to try to “drain the swamp” and to clean up our politics. Unfortunately, even the Republican Party bosses are not standing shoulder to shoulder with our President. Those who love America need to send a powerful message in 2018 to the elite in our halls of government… that message must declare, “You will hear us, and you will represent us, or we will unseat you and replace you with someone who will.”
Abraham Lincoln once said, “He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help.” Until you are willing to be a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem. You cannot say you care about this nation if you are stubbornly unwilling to pray for those who lead this nation. As I recently read, “Hoping for President Trump to fail is like riding in a plane, and hoping the pilot fails”. What you may find, if you earnestly seek God on behalf of those in authority, is that His will is different from your perspective.
I believe that the election of Donald Trump was, in part, due to the faithfulness of many who committed to prayer (and fasting) for our nation. Now we must come together, make our voices heard, demand that the foolishness and childishness of fake news and false accusations be put aside, and for those in the halls of power to come out of the shadows, and get to work for the good of the American people. And for those who are unwilling to do that, know that your days are numbered, that your election is coming, and we the people have influence, determination, and a vote.
Listen my friend, destruction is coming to Damascus and parts of Iran. This Ezekiel 38 war is not Armageddon; it precedes the rebuilding of the temple as described in Ezekiel 40 and following. You must have this message contained in my books 
The Heart of Abba - Ron Phillips 