More Grace

My Best Fasting Experience

It has been an absolutely amazing 5 days of fasting and prayer. The timing of my transition to Bethel World Outreach Center in Brentwood, TN and this fast were literally perfect! We have held prayer meetings Mon-Fri at 6am, noon and 7pm. That's right... 15 services in a 5 days period! It sounds crazy, but it has been a tremendous experience. We culminate tonight with a full on worship and celebration service followed by a church meal (soup, salad and breadsticks) to break our fast as a church family. In order to keep this blog entry brief I will just say that this has been the most fruitful and deeply spiritual fast I have ever participated in. Some words that describe what this week has meant to me are: Jesus, repentance, consecration, purging, ministry, revelation, confirmation, affirmation, grace, peace and a new normal. As I said, these are just some of the words. There are many more but this could turn into a novel! I have felt great physically in spite of the demanding schedule as I have literally felt carried along on a wave of grace. My fast has consisted of water and protein shakes for nutrition... like I said in a previous entry, it's not a hunger strike to manipulate God with my starvation. I have been extremely busy so it's made the food issue negligable. However, I am looking forward to breaking it tonight.

Fasting or Hunger Strike?

Next week I will be participating in an annual churchwide fast at www.bwoc.org, the church I am currently serving. It is from Monday Jan 9th through Friday Jan 13th. There is a lot of excitement and expectation in the air as we prepare to spend five days fully focused on Abba Father. I'm more excited about this fast than most, due to the fact that we are in a the middle of a major transition from Texas to Nashville. New church, new position, new house, new educational method for Rachel, new... everything!

Fasting is not a hunger strike to garner God's favor, it is a deliberate act that quells the static so that we may give our attention to Him. In an effort to acquire something from God we may subtly use fasting to manipulate God into doing something on our behalf. That's not fasting, that's a hunger strike. Perhaps we should take a little time to honestly evaluate our motives for fasting. That may be all the leverage God needs to have his way with us. Consider joining us for this fasting journey. It's a great way to start the new year!

The Road to Nashville

I made my first drive to Nashville yesterday. I logged 13 and a half hours and 850 miles on Interstate 20, 30 and 40. It was actually an easy drive and I did not get tired at all. Part of the reason I enjoyed the drive was due to the fact that I had never driven this part of the country before and that made it interesting and entertaining. I drove from Abilene in central Texas to Nashville in middle Tennessee.

I'm used to driving through central and west Texas and I must confess the scenery can be pretty sparse (yes, I'm being kind). However the drive through east Texas and Arkansas was full of interesting sights. One thing I noticed when I stopped at two Interstate truck stops in Arkansans was how many people were wearing camo... I little scary to be honest. It makes you think back to the movie Deliverance!

Crossing over the bridge at Memphis was beautiful at night and then I encountered snow flurries about 45 miles outside of Nashville. It was a fitting way to roll into my new city. I spent the hours turning my Camry into a Cathedral and enjoying good worship music. I had a lot of time to think, pray, plan and declare God's blessings for 2012!

Transition

Interesting times indeed. I recently resigned my church in central Texas and now we are moving our family to Nashville, TN. I'm looking forward to a new chapter of discovery, growth and ministry. I will be serving as a pastor on the staff of Bethel World Outreach Church in Brentwood, TN. New seasons and new beginnings.

The timing is interesting as it is occuring at the beginning of the new year 2012. I have always liked new seasons, both natural and spiritual. This is no exception. We have served in this church for 9 and a half years. I have sensed God shifting something for some time.

Two words stand out to me concerning this transition: 1) Positioning and 2) Expectation. These two words capture the essence of what this move means for us. God is positioning us strategically for his will to be executed and we are to go with expectation and faith. So, here we go!

Deep End

I have always been an "all in" kind of guy. Whether it was sports, music, driving a fast car, partying, girls, etc. I was always "full on" in life. However, as I have aged I have found that I have been more reserved, hanging back and not as spontaneous or ready to go. That's not all bad, but it's not all good either.

Annette and I have been experiencing a personal renewal of sorts concerning our walk with Jesus and our desire to be the kind of people who not only talk about the kingdom of God, but actually demonstrate the kingdom. It started with a challenge from a friend who quoted Acts 10:38. I was undone after that moment because I realised I was not walking with the same passion, tenacity and faith that I used to.

I did what anyone who loves God should do in a moment like that... I ran to the word of God (Bible) and to the Cross (to die to myself... again). All I can say is God's Spirit flooded onto the dry parched ground of my soul and I was renewed, revived and refreshed!

However, a fire started must be a fire maintained. So we held a little meeting at our home last night. There were 10 hungry people at my house for this little gathering we are calling Deep End. I read Ez 47, prayed and then we watched the documentary Furious Love. We were all touched as we saw that God is moving across the earth with His furious love. We then shared our hearts and our desire to 'swim in deeper waters.' It was an amazing evening with amazing people and an even more amazing God!

Do you want to go deeper? Are you looking to move toward the Deep End? Do you get tired of wading around in the shallow end? Continue to check back as I will be posting honest and transparent observations from our journey into deeper waters.

Swimming,
Pastor Jimmy

A Love Revelation/Revolution

There will always be seasons in life that come and go. It's the ebb and flow of life... rhythms if you will. All of us experience these rhythms and they keep life interesting, exciting and in some cases, frightening. A few months ago I was challenged by a brother in the Lord with a scripture. At the time, he had no idea that he was challenging me to my core, but God was using him to "jerk the slack out of my chain."

The verse he quoted to me was Acts 10:38 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." I was rocked to the core because of the confidence I saw in my brother. Rocked... and ashamed of myself.

I knew I needed to run back to the "Grace Point" i.e. the Cross and seek the Lord. Where did I miss this? How did I move away from the belief that God still moves in power, that God still works miracles and that God wants His Glory displayed and demonstrated through His kids? There was only one thing to do... Repent... and that is exactly what I did. 

All I can say is that I had a Love Revelation that resulted in a Love Revolution! It's not rocket science, it's simply believing that the nature and character of Jesus is to be displayed through us... and in particular... me. From that time all I can say is God has flooded my heart, life and spirit with His love and His power. Some would call it revival, renewal... I call it a revolution. Let the revolution begin!

Renewed,
Pastor Jimmy
Grace Point Church 

Thoughts and Musings... Yeah, I'm Random Sometimes

Up early this morning.  There are seasons in my life when I sense the movement of God in unique and intense ways.  This morning is one of those mornings.  I can either lay in bed, wide awake, or get up and jot my thoughts down and process what I believe the Lord is saying to me.  So, here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that "You're my God."

The Passing of a Dear Friend

A friend informed me that a dear saint in the Lord went home to be with Jesus this week.  The funeral is later today.  I have appointments but will do what I can to rearrange my schedule in order to be there and honor a life well lived.  I met Harold Garrett when Annette and I were planting River of Life Community Church in Brownwood, TX in 98'.  It was a time that was both blessed and difficult.  I had never been a senior pastor nor had I ever planted a church... that's the perfect storm for the school of hard knocks.

Harold used to attend our little church off and on and he would come and visit me.  Over coffee we would have extended conversations about the Kingdom of God and it's implications for life in this world.  I was always struck by his zeal and youthful enthusiasm.  Though he was well into his 70's it was like talking with a 24 year old new believer! 

My first thought when I got the news was, "He's home with his Abba Father now."  I will grieve our loss here on this earth, but will also celebrate his home-going!  Someday, we will see each other again and perhaps we will laugh about our "Kingdom Conversations."

Reconnection

Dr. Jack Taylor has always been a hero of sorts to me.  Back in the mid 80's I was a university student at Howard Payne in Brownwood, TX.  My hunger for all things Kingdom was intense and I was searching for a deeper experience in God.  Someone passed along the book, "The Hallelujah Factor" and I was captured by the author's vocabulary and writing.  It resonated deep in my soul.  That writer was Dr. Jack Taylor.  He was from my denomination and yet refused to be limited by the traditions and norms of our "system."

As I read that book and "After the Spirit Comes" I pursued a more profound experience with the Holy Spirit.  My life was changed forever.  A few years ago I invited Jack to speak at my church and he graciously came and poured life into our congregation.  He and his precious wife even washed mine and Annette's feet before our congregation as a show of honor.  We were deeply touched.

Life happened and I lost touch with Jack.  I even fell into a three year funk (mid-life crisis perhaps?) and my isolation caused me to not put forth the effort to maintain our relationship.  Recently, I was thinking about Jack and his willingness to "Father" this fatherless son and I called him.  Hearing his voice was like hearing the voice of a lost and yet familiar friend.  It was such a joy to catch up and we have committed to stay connected and not let time pass.

New MSCC Website

Check out our new website at www.mscc.tv.  We have changed web hosts and have opted for a more streamlined and simple layout.  I tend to operate by the "KISS" method, "Keep It Simple Saint."

Blessings,

Jimmy

Anticipation - Expectation

Today I will be driving to Southlake (Fort Worth, TX) to attend the Connect Conference at Gateway Church.  I'm looking forward to getting out of town and being in an environment of learning and training.  I tend to respond well to these opportunities to grow and expand my capacity.  I will be spending time with Daniel Stevens from Mid-Cities Church in Midland and Greg Bobbit from Austin.  Two great men of God that I look forward to being with.  I am anticipating a wonderful time of fellowship, growth and impartation.

I had a wonderful weekend with my family.  We did not have much going "agenda-wise" so we spent time doing random things.  We spent some time enjoying the Winter Olympics... I'm fascinated by the stories behind the athletes.  Many of them come from very difficult experiences and have had to fight their way to world class status.  I love it!  Makes me cry a lot...

Rachel is growing up so fast, however last night I was reminded of the fact she is still a little child.  She had received a balloon from school and was having trouble blowing it up, so like a good daddy, I volunteered to help.  She was concerned that it was not working right and cautioned me repeatedly to be careful.  I began to huff and puff until it got "almost" full and she said, "Stop Daddy, tie it no."  Being "The Man" I thought it needed one more good blow... "BOOM!!!"  After a moment of awkward silence... you know, shock and awe, the tears began to flow... I felt like a nerd as my little girl stood there with tears streaming down her face.  Fortunately she got over it quickly and life resumed, but it was a poignant reminder that she is still my little girl.

Simple Faith

James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. NIV Am I the only one who tends to complicate things?  I'm passionate for simplicity and yet it seems that everything in my life left to itself drifts toward complexity.  My garage is cluttered... how did that happen?  My desk collects excessive amounts of papers... how did that happen?  Following Jesus takes a doctorate in theology... how did that happen?  You see it's easy to sit back and allow complexity to clutter our lives and even our walk with Jesus. I find that when it comes to the Kingdom of God and our walk with Jesus that it's actually a very simple matter.  Love him.  Talk with him.  Relate to him.  Trust him.  Obey him.  Allow him to love you.  I'm amazed at how "deep" we can get when it comes to the outworking of faith in our lives... "In order for God to bless you, you need to pray and confess like this... tilt your head to the side like this, raise your voice like this, hold your tongue just like this, listen to this tape, read this book"... ad infinitum. Jesus and the authors of the Bible didn't seem to think it was that complicated... oh perhaps in the Old Testament under the Law there was a degree of complexity.  However, when Jesus came along he championed a simple faith built on trust and confident assurance in a loving and gracious Father.  Has your walk with Jesus become as cluttered as my garage or my desk?  Perhaps it's time to take it back to a "Simple Faith."  Keep it simple today... and everyday for that matter.  Have an amazing day! Many Blessings, Pastor Jimmy Phil 3:10 "Greater things are yet to be done in this city!"                                                      - Bluetree

2010 A New Year, A New Outlook

I always enjoy the new year.  It's a chance to get a fresh start with new goals and resolutions.  I'm not an anti-resolution kind of person, in fact I think having some concrete goals in place are a wonderful thing.  As for me one of my goals is to be a good Christian this year.  I know it sounds simplistic, but think about it... if I am a good Christian then I'll be a good father, brother, son, daddy, husband, pastor, friend, disciple, etc.  So don't be fooled by the simplicity of the statement. I also have some concrete goals and action plans for the church I pastor.  If you want to hear those then come to MCSS over the next two weeks as I share my vision for MSCC for 2010.  All I can say is, "You better fasten your seatbelts!" You will also notice a fresh look of the evotional format here as I like to keep things fresh and mixed up a bit.  For me, the color green represents life, new growth and new beginnings.  I'll turn 48 during this month and I believe the best is yet to come in every area of my life!  You will also notice the title change to "Good TGIM Morning."  I will continue to write these evotionals but I only be writing once a week as I want to focus my creative energy toward MSCC as we grow into 2010.  I will also continue to post this evotional to Facebook and my blog on a weekly basis, however you will see less of me on Facebook this year. It's January 1, 2010 and as I sit in my home office looking out at a clear and sunny morning I'm grateful for 2009.  In many ways 2009 was a very difficult year.  The financial bust of our nation did indeed affect our church and many organizations in a negative way.  However, I tend to look for the silver lining in all situations and ask of the Lord, "What can I learn from this?"  As for me, I'm continuing to learn what it means to simplify and stay focused.  Another way to say it is I want to do less but better.  I actually walked in to my office this morning and cleaned off the top of my desk to start may new year with this simple first step. Have a great New Year's weekend and join me in my resolution to be a better Christian this year.  Look for "Good TGIM Morning" in your inbox on Monday! Much Love, Pastor Jimmy Phil 3:10