Amazing Grace - Wintley Phipps

I know...I know...I don't like long youtube videos either. This one is almost 9 minutes. But I'm telling you, buckle your seatbelt. I don't mind admitting that I wept through the end of this one. It's powerful - especially coupled with the fact that we watched the movie Amazing Grace a couple of months ago. Pull it up, let it load, and praise God.

2 BILLION

I spent Thursday and Friday at a Missions Conference in Atlanta. I was reminded of two things in particular. One was the power and necessity of prayer. Missionaries often times find themselves very alone and helpless and their refuge is prayer and the prayers of their supporters.

Let's face it. We have it pretty easy in the States. We don't often find ourselves in desperate need and therefore, we don't pray because we don't have great needs. But prayer is where the power is. Prayer plows the hard soil and prepares the hearts of unbelievers when the seed of the gospel is planted. Prayer should be more than just a wish list of wants and needs. Prayer is communing with God. It is not reaching for things in the hand of God. It is reaching for the hand of God.

The missionaries that I encountered over the last two days believe in prayer and they served to remind me of its importance. I confess that I do not pray like I should. My prayer life is up and down like a roller coaster. It ought not be that way. I want to give more time to it in the days ahead.

The second thing that God spoke to me about at the conference was the need for our churches to focus on missions. Unfortunately, we have departmentalized missions. We see it as just another ministry of the church. The truth is that missions should be the central focus of the church. It is our commission to go into all the world to baptize and make disciples. We get so caught up trying to meet our own needs and make everyone feel good and happy that we forget about the 2 BILLION people in the world who have little or no access to the Gospel. 2 BILLION. That's 1/3 of the world, folks.

We are guilty of being too busy making sure our pews are polished, our stained glass shiny, and our sermons sweet while 2 billion people go to bed each night without any hope for the Savior.

God help us.

My 2 Favorite Guys

Yesterday I had lunch at Ruby Tuesday's with my 20 year-old son. Today I took my 77 year-old dad to lunch at New China Buffet. It occurred to me while talking at the table with my dad today that I had lunch with my 2 favorite guys in the past two days. One is just beginning his venture into adulthood and the other is nearing the end. One is looking for a life mate and the other constantly remembers his mate of 52 years. One is looking forward and the other looks backward. One needs a lot of wisdom and the other has tons. I find myself in the middle watching one grow up and the other one grow old.

They are my 2 favorite men in the whole world.

They both love Christ and God has blessed them both immensely. I certainly am blessed to have them in my life.

It's Netflix for Books!

I haven't tried this yet but it looks pretty cool if you're a book lover. Let me know what you think if you try it.

http://www.booksfree.com/

Ever thought about this?

I've been meditating on Zephaniah 3:17 a lot lately. It's an inspiring passage from an obscure Old Testament book. Have you ever even heard of Zephaniah? Come on, be honest. Here it is:

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

The whole verse is great. But the part that gets most of my attention is the last line. "He will rejoice over you with singing." We sing to God in corporate worship at church and in private worship in our cars, in the shower, or even at work. It is a completely natural and normal thing for us to rejoice over the Lord with singing. In fact, worshiping God is one of our purposes in life.

But Zephaniah says that God rejoices over us with singing. Have you ever considered that God sings to you? Can you picture God rejoicing over you in song? I wonder what that song would sound like? I wonder what the lyrics would be? God loves you so much and takes great delight in you. He sings a song of praise over you.

I would suggest that you take a longer look at Zephaniah 3:17 and when your day gets challenging or frustrating or even if your day is going well - remember that God is rejoicing over you with singing.

Proud Daddy

Laura (lcfoblog.blogspot.com) recorded this on her handy cam at TrueNorth last Sunday. My son, Cliff, and daughter, Bailey, sang together for the first time at TNC. Wish you could have been there to hear it live. The handy cam audio just isn't the same.

Christians: Lose Your Swagger

Last Friday, I started reading the book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity. I'm only about 80 pages into it but I've already underlined lots of interesting thoughts. The book was written by David Kinnaman of the Barna Group. The Barna Group is like the Gallop Poll for the Church. George Barna and friends have done an exceptional job over the past 25 years or so keeping the pulse of the Church and the world. In this particular book, they reveal the results of a survey performed with the next generation (Mosaics - born between 1984 & 2002 and Baby Busters - born between 1965 & 1983).

Here's the most interesting thing found in the book so far: We need to lose our "swagger." Here's the quote from the book, "The primary reason outsiders feel hostile toward Christians, and especially conservative Christians, is not because of any particular theological perspective. What they react negatively to is our 'swagger,' how we go about things and the sense of self-importance we project." Those outside of the Church say that the "Church is infatuated with itself."

A couple of paragraphs later, Kinnaman writes, "We have become famous for what we oppose, rather than who we are for."

The title of the book is unChristian because outsiders think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind. It is a stinging rebuke on the Church - and much needed.

Powerful Christians

Thought this article was worth the link:

http://www.wittenburgblog.com/2008/01/awkward-subject-evangelical-power.html

36 Ways to Reduce Stress

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say no to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will
compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out
what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't
do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget.
13. Have backups - an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key
buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.,
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an
enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the kid in you everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read in spare time.
17. Get enough exercise.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a CD while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write thoughts and inspirations down.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in
the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you, Jesus!"
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but yourself not at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that
you've never been grateful for before. (Contributed by Timely Words reader Ann Diamond)

107 Hours per week

Just something that I've been pondering for awhile:

I often find myself wondering (and hoping) if our churches are "equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry" as Paul said in Ephesians 4:11-13. At TNC, we encourage people to soak and serve, i.e., soak up the worship, teaching, and fellowship in one of our two services on Sundays and serve in some capacity during the other service. In addition, we encourage everyone to be a part of a small group (Journey teams) where we develop further in our walk with Christ.

If you soak and serve on Sunday mornings that encompasses about 3 hours. If you participate with a J Team that takes about another 1.5 - 2 hours each week. So let's do the math: There are 168 hours in a week. Let's assume that you sleep 8 hours each night for a total of 56 hours. If you take part in the weekly routine at TNC, that's another 5 hours. That leaves you with a total of 107 hours each week when you are not a part of a structured program at church.

So, here's my question. During most of your week (107 hours), it's just you and God. Now granted, you spend some time with other believers during the week but hopefully you get my drift. How are you doing when it's just you and God? Are you spending time with him? Are you learning from him daily? Are you communicating with him on a constant basis? Are you sharing his love with others? Are you worshiping him as you have opportunities? Are you growing and stretching others in their spiritual journey? Are you doing the work of the ministry?

How are you spending your 107 hours each week?

A Timely Word for 2008

This was emailed to me and I thought it was worth posting.

Tell God: Whatever It Takes, Anytime, Anywhere, Anyway
by Jon Walker

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14 NIV)

… In this new year, we can “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” We can, once again, affirm our commitment to the work of the Great Commission. My prayer is that we will view this declaration as a covenant with God, promising him that from now we will do whatever it takes: anytime, anywhere, anyway….

A Call to Radical Commitment

Today I am stepping across the line. I'm tired of waffling, and I'm finished with wavering. I've made my choice; the verdict is in; and my decision is irrevocable. I'm going God's way. There's no turning back now!

I will live the rest of my life serving God's purposes with God's people on God's planet for God's glory. I will use my life to celebrate his presence, cultivate his character, participate in his family, demonstrate his love, and communicate his Word.

Since my past has been forgiven, and I have a purpose for living and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying.

Instead I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of his family.

Because this life is preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, “we” over “me,” character over comfort, service over status, and people over possessions, position, and pleasures. I know what matters most, and I'll give it all I've got. I'll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today.

I won't be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil. I'll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me.

When times get tough, and I get tired, I won't back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I'll just keep moving forward by God's grace. I'm Spirit-led, purpose-driven and mission-focused, so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I finish the race.

I'm a trophy of God's amazing grace, so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for everyday, and generous with everything that God entrusts to me.

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say: However, whenever, wherever, and whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes! Wherever you lead and whatever the cost, I'm ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyway.

Whatever it takes Lord; whatever it takes!

I want to be used by you in such a way, that on that final day I'll hear you say, "Well done, thou good and faithful one. Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!"

I'm Just Saying...

I wanted to post this before the big Pats/Giants game tonight but didn't get to it in time. I don't know if the Giants will beat the undefeated Patriots tonight are not, but I want to go on record to say that I believe that the Patriots will NOT be in the Super Bowl this year. Someone will take them down.

There. I said it.

Costa Rica Christmas - Chapter 2

For the second year in a row, our family had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica to help our missionary friends at Missions Impossible International give Christmas gifts to children in poverty. In addition to the Jennings family, we were joined by 7 others from TrueNorth Church.

From left to right: Stephen Tillman, Carolyn (Cat) Tillman, Beth Jennings, Kameron Waters, Kathryn McCormick, Gene Jennings, Bailey Jennings, Eydie Tillman, Cliff Jennings, Chloe Sylvester, and Karin Soderstrom.

We had a great team! Everyone worked hard and made Christmas happen for hundreds of kids. We worked with Joy Sheraden, a native of Augusta, along with Phil and Jill Jones, founders and directors of Missions Impossible. They minister in the Los Triangulos precario in San Jose, Costa Rica. The precario is a 3 acre tract of land with about 2000 people (mostly Nicaraguan refugees) living there.

I'm not sure what the final tally was but I think we gave over 1000 gifts away! We also cooked hotdogs for everyone in the precario, hosted a Christmas party for Joy’s Ladies Bible Study group, and went into the city one night to serve coffee and cookies to prostitutes and the homeless.

Here’s a pic of Joy with one of her many friends and more shots below:

Amazing Grace the movie

I finally watched the movie Amazing Grace last night. It is the biographical story of William Wilberforce who led the abolition movement in Great Britain in the late 18th century.

It is a great story of faith, perseverance, and fulfilling God's calling for your life. I would encourage you to check it out. Since the movie came out earlier this year, Wilberforce's book is on the shelves again. Real Christianity is a revised and updated version of his original 1797 work titled A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in This Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity. They didn't believe in short, catchy titles in those days.

One of the characters in the movie is John Newton, a former slave ship captain who later, after his conversion, wrote the song Amazing Grace. The movie has many powerful lines in it. Very quotable. As I watched it, I found myself thinking that I should watch it again just to write down some quotes. Here are a few that I found online:

John Newton (when he was old and blind): Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly. I'm a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.

Newton asked Wilberforce if he had found religion. Wilberforce replied that he had seen no bolts of lightning. Newton said, "God sometimes does his work with gentle drizzle, not storms."

Pitt the Younger: Why is it you only feel the thorns when you stop running?

William Wilberforce: Is that some sort of heavy metaphorical advice?

Richard the Butler (quoting Sir Francis Bacon): Great changes are easier than small ones.

One other tidbit about this movie. Patricia Heaton (Debra of Everybody Loves Raymond and currently starring in Back To You) was one of the producers of Amazing Grace.

Compassion International Testimony

Beth and I have sponsored children through Compassion International since 1987. We are on our third child. She is a teenager in Rwanda. This video is a testimony of the great work that Compassion does. Check them out at www.compassion.com.

What's Wrong with this Picture?

As seen on Seth Godin's blog, www.sethgodin.typepad.com

Every Christian Needs a Passport

I spoke at TNC a couple of weeks ago and one of my points was that every Christian should have a passport. We had 60 passport applications at the Missions table in the lobby. They were all gone after the second service. Here's an essay I wrote about this topic last summer. You may not agree with me. That's okay.

Every Christian Needs a Passport

Since the early days of my journey with God I’ve been aware of the Great Commission. For a Baptist, Matthew 28:18-20 is like the Holy Grail of Scripture. It’s one of the first passages of the Bible that is memorized after John 3:16. It is talked about repeatedly and we are challenged to believe it and live it on a regular basis. Next to the Great Commission is Acts 1:8 when Jesus commissioned his disciples to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth with the power of the Holy Spirit and the message of the gospel.

And we absolutely adore people who are fleshing out the Great Commission. We call them missionaries.

The King James Version Bible that my wife used in her childhood has autographs from missionaries who came to speak at her church. After these Christian celebrities spoke to a congregation, children lined up to get the holy people to write a personal note, cite a verse of Scripture, and sign their autograph on the inside cover of their Bibles.

The missionary men who spoke always wore a tropical looking untucked, button up shirt – like something a retiree in South Florida might wear. Ordinarily, no man could ever get away with speaking behind the pulpit without a coat or tie and wearing an untucked shirt but the missionaries broke convention when they came to town. It was like the standard issue uniform for male missionaries. The missionary women were always more colorful and creative. They wore the native dress from the country where they served and adorned themselves with the jewelry of the culture. They usually had some odd head covering – a piece of cloth looped around their head or a weird hat. They opened their talks with some unintelligible sentences and said, “That is how you say, ‘Greetings! God bless you and keep you’ in Gibberish, the language of our country.”

Our mouths fell open. In my small South Carolina town, the only people who could speak two languages were the Spanish teacher and French teacher at the high school. The missionaries then proceeded to tell stories of life change and adventure on another part of the globe. Some missionaries did a better job of story-telling than others. Unfortunately, most of the time, before they were halfway through their talk, they had lost their audience’s interest, and it was laborious listening until the end.

I was named after a missionary doctor. My mom loved missions and missionaries. Even in the dark ages, when my family was not involved in the church, I heard my mom talk about missionaries in Africa. She referred to the Pitmans, my namesake who served in Nigeria, often. They were my heroes even though I never knew them. My mom wanted to be a missionary when she was young but life didn’t unfold that way for her. She supported, helped, and prayed for a lot of them over the years. She typed missionary newsletters and stuffed envelopes with exciting stories of what God was doing throughout the world. We hosted an African pastor in our home one week and, finally, she served as a short-term missionary for four months in Tanzania with my dad in 1979. It was one of the greatest experiences of her life.

Missions. Missions. Missions. Christians love and believe in missions and missionaries. Then why doesn’t every Christian have a passport?

If you believe and teach the Great Commission shouldn’t you have a passport? If you say you believe in missions but don’t own a passport, are you a hypocrite? If you say all believers should support missions with their prayers, participation, and pocketbooks, but you don’t have a passport, aren’t you lying? If you are a loyal member of the WMU (that’s the Women’s Missionary Union – kind of like the Ladies’ Auxiliary for missions for a Southern Baptist), but aren’t prepared to leave the country, are you all talk and no action?

Maybe if we really believed in missions we would require new members of our churches to fill out passport applications along with their new member information – and the church would pay all of the expenses for the passport. If we really believe what Matthew 28, Acts 1, and other similar passages in the Bible say, we should expect to go on mission during our journey with Christ. More than once. It should be a lifestyle.

Did Jesus say that we had to have a special calling in order to go into all the world? Does the Bible indicate that we must become “full-time missionaries” in order to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission? Where does it say that we have to obtain a Bible college or seminary degree to travel overseas and share the love of Jesus? Why have so many restricted foreign missions to so few?

Go read Matthew 28:19 again. It says, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” This verse was spoken as an imperative statement. It is a command, not a suggestion. Read Acts 1:8 again. It says, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” It does not say, “You might. You can. Or you may be.” You will.

Jesus gives no qualifications. No prerequisites. No special calling. No degree. No experience necessary. No ordination service required. He said, “Go” and “You will.” His audience had no questions and no rebuttals. They did what they were told and they turned the world upside down. But we have reservations.

“I’m not called.”
“I can’t afford it.”
“I’m not educated enough.”
“I need to go deeper in the Word first.”
“I can’t take time off work to go on mission.”
“What about my family?”
“I can’t leave my kids that long.”
“I don’t have any talents, gifts, or abilities to offer.”
“I’m afraid to fly.”
“My parents are aging and I need to stay close to home.”
“I have to get my kids through school.”
“I’ve got too many responsibilities here.”

Here’s the problem. We say we believe in the Great Commission but we haven’t really digested all that it says. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…and surely I am with you always.” “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”

We focus on self instead of Christ. We think about all of the reasons why we should not go but Christ says simply to “Go.” We are afraid that we will be left out in the jungle all by ourselves. Christ says that he will be with us. We are afraid that we will not know what to say or what to do. Jesus says he will give you the power to do whatever the situation requires.

Here’s the bottom line: We are scared and we are selfish. We are scared to venture out into the unknown and we are too comfortable living our own self-centered lives.

So here’s my challenge to you. Go to the post office today and get a passport application. After you complete the application process, call the person at your church who is in charge of missions and tell them that you want to sign up for the next mission trip.

What? You say your church doesn’t have such a person? Give this to your pastor and tell him to read it.

And while you’re at it…ask your pastor if he has a passport.

Interview with Rob Bell

Thought you'd be interested:

http://www.wittenburgdoor.com/interview/rob-bell

Young Engineers

For a few seconds, I really thought that I might die laughing the first time I saw this:

http://veryfunnyads.com/ads/25417.html

Quotes from today's reading

Couple of quotes I came across while reading through some online articles today:

My favorite t-shirt says, "No One Cares About Your Blog." (Ben Arment in Catalyst Monthly)

In a Wittenburg Door interview with Rolf Potts, travel writer:
DOOR:I notice you talk about evangelicals at arm’s length, like you don’t consider yourself one.
POTTS: For me, evangelical Christianity is like an ex-girlfriend who you once loved very much—but now when you’re around her, every little tic, cliché and hollow pleasantry drives you nuts.