It was in the late 70’s when I first heard that song.  I was a very young kid and I had no idea how significant that song was.  The reality is, that time is not slowing for anyone.  even the seconds that have gone by since I began typing this are never to return.  We can watch the new star trek (which is a really cool movie) all day long and yet, we can not repeat the time that has gone by.

I have been here in Southern Cal. for just over 4 months now.  It seems like merely days.  Alot has and continues to happen and yet for this moment, it is time to pause.  To my friends and family across the country, I want you to know that I think about you all, I pray for you all.  I hope that when the time comes someday to be with the Father in heaven, that we will all enjoy the moment where we stop running around like chickens with our heads cut off. 

On this day, I want to digress and quote my friend Hitch and propose a toast to life.  To toast to the “moments that take our breath away.”

Earlier today, I spoke with a brother in Christ, in fact, one I just met.  Last week he encouraged me and shared how much the worship had impacted him.  I was honored and encouraged by his gesture.  Today, he shared with me that just 2 days after that day of encouragement, he was in the hospital.  He discovered that he had a stage 4 tumor on his lung and the doctors are giving him anywhere from days to just a few short weeks to live.  He sat there as we prayed for him, peaceful.  He lived this day like it may very be his last.  I hope that I can do the same.  I hope and pray that we don’t have to look back, whenever the time for us, and regret not living the moments we have been given.

So go encourage someone

Smile at someone

Take a deep breath and thank God

And . . . even if you are in a tough situation, thank God that you have the life inside you to face it.

Blessings and peace.

James

Greetings from Southern California.  The jones family is in the middle of our first full week here in North San Diego county.  This last weekend at New Venture Christian Fellowship in Oceanside was amazing and the Lord has been reminding me that He is preparing to do some big things in this generation.

I want to encourage all of you to remember something we knew as kids but sometimes forget as adults.  I remember as a kid waking up feeling like the sky was the limit.  In my small world I didn’t have to take care of responsibilities like mortgages and car payments.  I didn’t need to deal with all of the “adult stuff” directly.  Even though I knew that our situation growing up was very tough and I experienced the emotions of no dad around, living on very very little and pretty much having to raise myself, I was still blissful knowing that when I got up on a weekend, I could jump on my bike and go anywhere.  The other thing I had as a kid was a tremendous sense of optimism.  I believed that things could and in fact would get better.  I know now that God placed that Spirit in me.  I didn’t identify it at the time but it sustained me.  I knew, no matter how tough and painful the circumstances were, that tomorrow was a brand new day.

Guess what, we have forgotten that.  We take the accumulated realities of poverty, economic conditions, diseases, crime, war, terrorism, and the list goes on and on, and we decide that all we can hope to expect is more of the same.  I am here to tell you, that that is a lie.  It is a lie for one reason . . . me.  You see according to my history, I shouldn’t have a marriage of 18 years, I shouldn’t have 3 kids that are well adjusted, who are thriving in school and in life.  I shouldn’t be doing what I am doing today in ministry.  I shouldn’t have the skill sets I have, In fact, thinking back to some of my actions as a teenager, I shouldn’t even be alive today.   We do the same things that are in are world.  If you are a believer in God, let me ask you this.  Do you not think that God can change the circumstances?  Is He not the God over the economy, healthcare and culture.  Does He not have the ability to intercede in times of war?  The problem is, that we don’t ask in faith that are circumstances be dealt with.  We believe that history must inevitably repeat itself.

But then God has always enjoyed changing history.    Especially in those who pursue Him.  So I have one challenge for you today.  What history in your life needs to be changed?  What legacy needs to cease?   What insecurities need to be changed into potential?  What past abuses need to be changed into future nurturing?  What broken relationships need to be redeemed through healthy, thriving and Christ centered new ones?  It’s a brand new day.  Isaiah 43 says this, “Behold, I am doing something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it?

Make today that day.  I invite you to offer up this prayer.

“Lord, I am living in the burden of my past, I see only the failures and stumbles of a time that was without your guidance and protection.  I believe that you are the One who can change this legacy.  I submit myself to You and ask that you guide me into the posture that I need to be in in order to receive this new day that You word promises.  Amen”

James

Wow, what a whirlwind. It is July 31 and I am finishing my second full week here at New Venture Christian Fellowship in Oceanside CA. It has been pretty smooth getting used to the area and the time with the New venture pastors, staff and body has been awesome. I am sorry to everyone for not being good with updates but you can imagine that getting up to speed took a little doing and some long days. It has been worth it though and I am looking forward to getting back to Charlotte on the 10th to get the wife and kiddies. It’s been too long without them.

I once again want to thank everyone for your prayers, thoughts and friendship. It is always hard leaving great relationships but I know that someday we’ll be having a great reunion. until then, You all have a reason now to visit sunny southern Ca.

Hey gang, check out www.worshippingservant.wordpress.com to see the new blog site for the Worshipping Servant Project.  You will receive updates on both the book and the CD projects that are happening. 

James Jones

May 10, 2009

Dear Friends,

I want to take a moment and share a vision that the Lord has placed on my heart and invite you to be part of it.

The Vision – Our country, our culture is experiencing the let down that is more than financial, it is a let down of the heart.  We are aware more than ever that all the things that we have depended on can crumble in an instant.  As most of you know, I have experienced some closed doors and disappointments recently.  In the midst of that I have come to realize an opportunity.  It is an opportunity that I believe has the potential of touching people in dramatic ways.

The vision is two fold.  The first part of the opportunity involves the writing and recording of a CD.  It is a project that is meant to encourage and convict and to draw people into alignment with how God thinks about our purpose on earth.  It is meant to bring light to the fact that we are not on earth to simply obtain goods, consume resources and then call it good.  We all, as human beings, know that there is so much more than that.  For years, I have had creative concepts in my heart and mind with no chance to realize them.  In the midst of this season, as ministry doors have closed, I realize that it gives me the time to invest in a project like this. 

The second part is to complete a book that I began years ago entitled “The Worshipping Servant.”  The Bible says that we have two purposes in life; to love our Maker and to love other people.  Imagine if the world actually operated like that.  While this book is set into a context of worship ministries, I have come to realize that the core issue hits everyone.  The fact is, we live much of our lives for ourselves and wonder why we are empty.  To be a true worshipper of the one in heaven and a true servant to those here on earth is to find the sweet spot in life.  This vision is within reach and I believe that the Lord is calling and commissioning me to invest in them.

I woke up about two weeks ago and saw, in a very clear way, how this could be accomplished.  The answer was simple, It can be accomplished by you and I.  I realized that the Lord has given me people like you, 100’s of friendships across the country.  I find myself surrounded by people who have been gracious, loving and supporting to me and my family.  This has been especially true the last two months.  I also believe that the Lord charged me with a challenge to you, a challenge to partner in this endeavor.

So here is the challenge.  These two projects I estimate will take about 2 months of fulltime effort.  I am asking you to consider partnering with me for two months through a small amount of support in order to accomplish this goal.  As the Lord woke me with this vision He showed me a picture of 200 people, each supporting through $25 per month for 2 months.  This support would allow me to focus on the projects before moving back into fulltime ministry or work following the layoff and it would cover some of the production costs of the projects.

I do want to share this as well.  Immediately after waking up and thinking about this, I wrestled with my discomfort.  The reality, like many of us, I have been sucked into the “self-sufficiency” vortex of America.  It is that dark place in which we try to do everything on our own.  The Lord has shown me clearly that, even when you do your job well, even when you cross all your t’s and dot your i’s, that the human systems that we design can change or crumble quickly.  So this project begins with me doing what goes against my independent, self-sufficient nature, to ask for your help.

I know that many of you are in difficult financial situations as well with layoffs and downturns affecting so many.  If you are not able to be part of the financial support, please accept the invitation to be part of my prayer team.  For others, you may feel led to do more.  No matter how you feel led to respond, know that I appreciate you more than you know.  For me this is a test of faith.  If the Lord does not open the doors of support I know that me going through this step will be used for His glory.  I will be receiving responses until May 20.  If at that time, there is enough support to press forward I will move ahead and I will provide weekly update emails about the progress of the project.

 God has brought all of you into my life and I am constantly reminded of how the people in my life are true angels sent from above.  I don’t know what the Lord has in store for me 3 months from now, whether I will still be in fulltime ministry or working in some other field but I know that this trail is the one directly ahead and I can’t wait to start hiking. 

Thank you and God Bless

James Jones

Worship Pastor

Charlotte NC

______________________________________________________________________________ 

____   I want to partner with James in this project.  I can be one of the 200 pledges that give $25 each month for two months.

____    I want to partner with James in this project and I desire to pledge $________ each month for two months.

____    I want to partner with James in this project by supporting him daily with prayer. 

____    I am not able to partner at this time

______________________________________________________________________________

To reply, please copy and paste the selection above that you feel led to choose into a reply email and send to jamesjonesinc@gmail.com.

If you are led to support this project, I will be in contact by email and/or phone.  If sufficient support is raised I will be giving instructions as to how and when to mail the support.

James Jones   Worship Pastor

c/o Worshipping Servant Project

323 Lowland Way

York, SC 29745

jamesjonesinc@gmail.com

So much has and is happening and while I want to share, I am blogging to say that . . . I will blog later.  Blessings on your day as you continue, just like me, to figure out what all the craziness around us is about.

I am sitting in the “executive lounge” on the 32^nd floor of the Amari Hotel in Bangkok.  It is humorous in a way considering how un-executive I actually am.  I am looking out at a huge city.  I never realized how large and how modern Bangkok is.  The fact is, I like most of the human beings on the planet only really know our bubble within a very big world. 

Me and John walked down the street at 2 in the morning last night.  Nothing really scary but we did pass at least one person sleeping on the street.  10 feet later a small group of early 20 somethings’ were eating from a street vendor.  It struck me that even half way around the world, in a different country, culture that we still find the same human condition.   That is, the tendency to live in our own bubbles, oblivious to the world and intern, the needs around us.  I hope that this trip will help burst my bubble.  The great commission that has been given to us is a much bigger call than most of us realize, even those of us who are serving that purpose as ministers. 

The jet lag behind me, I look forward to giving you a painting of the next week.  God Bless and keep poking at that bubble in your life, you never know what might be waiting just outside of it.

I enter into my last week in the office at CtK.  I am truly amazed out how the Spirit has allowed me to focus on these closing weeks.  I really do feel that the Lord has amazing things, both for my ministry and CTK.  But here is yet another question for the week.  Why don’t I go into every week living it as though it were the last?  As I think about that question I think about the verse that says “make the most of your time for the days are evil” (Don’t have my bible right now so I can’t give a reference, oops)  Nonetheless, what would happen if we all approached each day, each week with the urgency that Jesus had.  Urgency, not anxiousness but rather a sense of urgency that propels us toward the vision, keeps us from distraction and saves us from majoring on the minors.

My prayer is that this week will be that for you.

Peace,

James

I have come to realize that the likelyhood of actually writing a blog for every day of this journey is pretty unlikely.  Because of this I will try and give a lowdown on what days 2-4 were like. 

This 40 day journey began on Friday, March 13th.  As I stated in that initially blog, this entire journey is about finding out what God is up too and being part of it.  It is to resist the temptation to go full steam ahead on what we think is God’s agenda, only to leave Him in the dust, asking Him to keep up and to bless us.  Of course, the result 100% of the time is that we begin going down our own path and find ever increasing ways to talk God into affirming it, even if we have found ourselves on a road that He never intended.

That weekend, saturday and Sunday (days 2 and 3) were a challenge.  This was the first Sunday that I was worshiping in the body rather than with my teammates.  It was a good Sunday and I knew that I had a purpose for this Sunday as well as the next.  the bottom line is this, for those of us who step up on the platform to lead others, we often don’t consider how our presence influences people.  the Holy Spirit made me realize how the enemy would love to try and accentuate in peoples hearts negative aspects of the changes happening.  I will be honest, part of me wanted a break.  Part of me wanted to find a neutral setting to be in, you know, a place where I could be semi-invisible . . . but then, I was reminded how radically foolish and unfaithful that was.

the reality is that none of us as a believers, servants, ministers are invisible.  Our every step, breathe, movement or absence has an impact.  So that Sunday, as challenging as it was to be there, it was right.  The Lord loves His bride, the Church, He wants the best for it.  Let’s celebrate the seasons that He gives us with each other, and when the difficult seasons come, let’s remember that while it is more comfortable to escape, it is most likely the worst move we could make.  For those in the CtK family reading this blog know this.  Peggy and I are deeply appreciative of the care so many of you have shown.  It brings joy to the heart of God.  I look forward to the remainder of this 40 day journey revealing God’s will for our lives. 

I appreciate your feedback, feel free to share your thoughts

The story of Jesus in the desert can’t be matched, at least not by human standards.  I mean there is no way anything I face can compare to having the prince of darkness offer me everything, power, wealth, you name it, in a circumstance like Jesus faced.  I say this because the title of this blog, and the next 39 blogs that follow, are not meant to insinuate that I am going through what Jesus did.  On the other hand, the number 40 is used in many stories in the Bible that had to do with waiting.  Jesus began his ministry after the 40 days, the children of Israel entered their promise land after 40 years.  It seems like a pretty important number.

So I will spend the next 40 days blogging about my wait.  While the circumstances that brought on this waiting were troubling and unexpected, I believe that when God says “I work all things together for good for those who believe” that He means it.  And the fact is, I could easily miss it.  I don’t want to miss it.  In fact to miss it may mean missing the very thing that brings about the next season in my life.  Wouldn’t it be a shame to get to the end of 40 days, see a door open and realize that I remember nothing of the last 40 days, the days that were meant to be a revelation.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am called to pastor people, helping them discover and grow in a real, authentic, intimate relationship with a real God, a Father who loves us beyond our wildest thoughts, that calling is also centered on worship because to open yourself up to worship means to be in a posture that allows you to see the fullness of His love.  In fact, if you are holding back in worship, don’t be surprised that you don’t see His love for you. 

With that call firmly in place, the time right now is for me to simply know Him, talk with Him and most importantly, listen to Him.  Church ministry has a way of taking us away from that. 

So I hope you will join me on this 40 day journey. 

The deserts that we sometimes find ourselves in are meant to have purpose, so . . .  let’s go build some sandlecastles.

James