Recommendation of Missionaries Tim and Marci Jones

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The US Missions Ministries have approved Tim and Marci Jones to travel and train children’s workers in churches. They can help your church establish Children’s ministries in your church and develop outreaches for your community. They are developing school Assemblies for the local churches as well. These folks have been doing this for over thirty years. I have known them for at least that long and know them to be incredible people and servants. Yes they are raising their support and need churches and pastors to partner with them. But if you are in the Southeast I would take advantage of them and see what can happen in your Church and community.

Tim and Marci Jones

Mobile 205-966-2748

Email Pastortim.jones@gmail.com

Health, Wealth and Death

The last wishes of Alexander the Great:On his death bed, Alexander summoned his generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:
1. The best doctors should carry his coffin

2. The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious stones)should be scattered along the procession to the cemetery, and

3. His hands should be let loose, hanging outside the coffin for all to see.
One of his generals who was surprised by these unusual requests asked Alexander to explain.

Here is what Alexander the Great had to say:
1. I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that, in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal

2. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that material wealth acquired on earth, stays on earth

3. I want my hands to swing in the wind, so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted,

        and that is TIME.
TIME is our most precious treasure because it is LIMITED. We can produce more wealth, but we cannot produce more time. When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back. Our time is our life.
Copied, author unknown 

Ceilings and Crossroads can be the end of the road or new and great opportunities

When a ministry is faced with ceilings and crossroads it is not a time to panic but pray. It is too easy to choose other opportunities where the sky is the limit and to change highways instead of making a choice at a crossroad. It in those moments that your mission is reinvestigated. Who are you? What are you about? What makes you feel alive when you are doing it? Where do you want to end up at when it is time to hang up the hat? What do you want to see when you look back to your yesterday’s?
The ceiling and the crossroads of ministry are really new opportunities to soar to a new level. The moment when you face them it is easy to feel it is over rather than it is just beginning. Follow your heart but be sure your heart has great information to follow. Never follow money let money follow your dreams and visions. 

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving Thoughts
 I like all the posts about what people are thankful for at this season. One of the worst things a person can do is to receive the blessings of God without remembering the gift. But let me add a little different perspective. The blessings we are given are not for our pleasure and benefit only. If we are the end result of God’s blessings we fail to understand the heart of God in His gifts. He gives to us so that we can replicate in the lives of others His care and love. He gives to us more to give through us than to us. If your blessings are consumed on you and your family alone you really don’t get it and may cause detrimental damage to your future blessings.
It is somewhat like the farmer who receives his harvest after his planting. If he makes the harvest and does not save seed for the future then his harvest will become his consumption and also his bankruptcy. God never runs out of seed but He will not invest in you if you see yourself as consumer and not distributer.
The enemy uses your blessing to be your curse if you are selfish and materialistic. The enemy wants you to be a consumer because that keeps God’s blessings from others who will not have reason to give praise to God for His blessings. They will not know that God blessed them because you consumed what was meant for them on yourself.

So how can you remember and distribute the blessings of God without becoming a consumer only. 
1. Acknowledge that your blessings do come from God with testimony.

2. Look at the blessing He puts in your hand and ask if it is for your need or someone else need. Is God helping me or is He wanting me to help someone else?

3. Is my blessing my spouse and have I looked around at someone who has lost a spouse and need to encourage them in their sorrow?

4. Is the blessing my children and I need to focus on helping someone else who’s children are in trouble?

5. Is the blessing my job, my home, my clothes, my friends, my vehicles, my whatever and do I need to help anybody in my circle who is in lack?

6. Who can I call or send a note to so that they do not feel alone or lost in a season of loss and pain?

7. Who is it that was very public at one time but now they are private and may need a call for you to restate how much they meant to you in your life?

8. Who is it that needs a kind word when everything looks like they are deserving of ill treatment?

9. Who is it that needs forgiveness that you are withholding because they failed you? You and I do not have the right to withhold forgiveness. 

10. Can I do any and all of this without becoming prideful of my kindness because I realize it is God though me blessing others and not me blessing them? In others words can I bless others without feeling like I am God?

Serve anyway

Some days all you can do is to serve in quietness. There will be no pats on the back or warm smiles to recognize your service. Nobody will notice that you are even in the house while you work. While you serve you will wonder if it was enough, was it done correctly. You will have no gauge, no guide to measure your work only your heart. In those moments of silence and absence of thankfulness the crude and course actions and words of people will be loud. Your insecurities will be attacked and vulnerable. Don’t yield to what you feel in those moments. Continue to serve in quietness and faithfulness to Christ. Let your actions be invested into the Lord who served us and gave to us. Be satisfied to know that He sees, He hears and He cares for you and accepts your quiet service as worship to Him.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Don’t let hypocrites bait you

I love it when insults are sent your way and you act like you did not get it and watch the expressions on their faces. Also when you know that you are disliked by some and when they smile at you and hug your neck because the crowd around them would judge them harshly for their childishness. Never take the bait and you will not be the victim. 

Transitions

Transition as we just saw with our presidents is an example to all of us. In every way the two men were in disagreement over policy and strategy for our country. What they did agree on was the constitution and our country. They put this in the forefront of their actions. It is admirable and a example for us all.
In our organizations and churches there is a lot to be said about longevity in office. But more to be said about those who will know when to transition. Congregations and organizations should respect and honor their leaders and pastors. But is incumbent on all of us to know when it is time to step aside and let the next generation lead. In the church we leave that up to the leader and should never try to destroy or damage their leadership because we need change. We should pray for them that they will love their constituents, people and organizations enough to transition. Our responsibility is to serve and show honor and the leaders responsibility is to lead and know when they leave. It is always best for people to be sad at the transition rather than glad to see it.  

Principles that lead to blessings

I firmly believe that there are certain things a church must do to have the blessings of God. Blessings come in many ways; spiritual, numerical, financial and relational. 
First the Church must have a mission that is centered on the values of the Bible. The Bible is our constitution and frames for us what we are to be and be about.
Second the church must be committed to caring for its pastors. The church that thinks the man of God can produce the ministries that successfully grow a church while starving him to death is not logical. It is a law of reciprocation. Too many pastors are being left to fend for their families while the church stores up its wealth. 
Third the Church must be committed to local evangelism. God put His church in the community to be the place the Lost find Jesus. Too many times the lost don’t even know the Church is there because it is hid inside the walls having fellowship meals.
Fourth the Church must be a giving church. Stingy churches never grow or impact their world. Churches that look for ways to do more are much more effective than the ones who seek to keep more.
Fifth the Church must be committed to honor those entities which have oversight of them. If the church is committed to a brand it should represent that brand according to its standards. I am Assemblies of God and feel that I owe ethically to represent the organizations standards. The leaders of these organizations cannot help the church be all it can be and protect it from things that hurt it without the yielding to authority of the organization. 
Sixth the church has to be committed to world evangelism. The missions efforts of the church is the true gauge of the churches health. Don’t measure effectiveness by seating capacity but sending capacity. A church that does not invest itself in world evangelism fails the main reason we exist. The goal of the Church is Discipleship and evangelism. We are to reach the lost and then train the disciple to reach the lost. This is the cycle of life in the church. Both are important to the life of the Church!
I am concerned with the lack in churches today. Do the right things and the right things will happen. Healthy pastors create healthy churches. Healthy churches are happy churches. I urge churches to review their care for their pastors. I also urge pastors to review their churches commitment to local and world evangelism.
David Raley

This day is done- what will you do about your tomorrows?

This is what I know to be true. When you lay your head on your pillow tonight it is too late for regrets. You cannot do anything about the day you just finished. If you accomplished a lot or little will not be impacted by a sleepless night. It is over and it will not return to you. 
When your head leaves the pillow in the morning is a fresh opportunity. It depends on how much you have planned, how much you are willing to invest, how hard you are willing to work and how you adjust your attitude as to what you will accomplish. A day organized around reading, reflection, planning and execution usually over the long span makes for successful people. Get up late, start with out a plan and getting angry at everybody because they did not organize their lives around your lack of planning will bring you to a disappointing end of the day. It is the person who moves forward with enthusiasm, energy and execution who profits from his days he lived.

Dream well and dare yourself to better days for a successful destiny tomorrow.

Are you building your walking cane?

Walked behind a man leaning on his daughter as he walked. He could barely breath and walk. She hummed the tune, “Lean on me” as they shuffled through the hall. I could not help but think about the time Jesus told Peter in John 21:18.
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
As we grow up it is all about getting to the place where we are dependent on no one. We work to find independence from those who are responsible for us. But when we get old we are dependent on others again. I wonder if most of know that we need to be building our support systems now. If we don’t learn interdependence then when we have to depend on someone they will not be there. Be strong for someone today so in your time of weakness they will be there to be strong for you!
Lean On Me

Bill Withers

Lyrics

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain 

We all have sorrow 

But if we are wise 

We know that there’s always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you’re not strong 

And I’ll be your friend 

I’ll help you carry on 

For it won’t be long 

‘Til I’m gonna need 

Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride 

If I have faith you need to borrow 

For no one can fill those of your needs 

That you won’t let show

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand 

We all need somebody to lean on 

I just might have a problem that you’ll understand 

We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me, when you’re not strong 

And I’ll be your friend 

I’ll help you carry on 

For it won’t be long 

‘Til I’m gonna need 

Somebody to lean on

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand 

We all… Full lyrics on Google Play Music