Celebration 250 Alabama | Lift Off with Brother Jacky Connell, Ken Allen & Rob Jackson transcript

Hey everybody, welcome to Lift Off with Brother Jack. I'm so glad you tuned in to this podcast. I love to be around leaders and I love to talk to leaders and I believe that I've got two premier leaders in the state of Alabama with me today and I'm so excited. You're going to you're going to lean in, I promise you. You're going to lean in to what we're going to talk about. It's going to be great. And so today is an honor to me to have Brother Rob Jackson with us.

He is the with the State Board of Missions for the Alabama State Board of Missions here in the state. He is the evangelism and church revitalization state director here and man, Rob, I'm so glad that you're with us today. And also have Dr. Ken Allen with us, Association of Missions and Church Planting for the state of Alabama. Now, all that sounds big, y'all. All of that sounds big. So let's let's get the ball rolling a little bit.

Let's start with you, Rob. Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you came from, how all this happened. Bring us up from your history a little bit. Introduce yourself. Let's go, brother. >> Yes, okay. So I am a pharmacist and was pharmacist in Troy, Alabama. I was interviewing for medical school, University of South Alabama, my wife and I and driving back, I just felt God's calling on my heart that he wanted me not in med school, but to preach the gospel. >> Oh my goodness.

What a change. >> That was a big change, but that began a process of the two of us just being servants of the Lord. I I went to seminary in in Kentucky. I was at Buckrun Baptist Church in Kentucky. Came back and worked at the State Board of Missions for a few years. Long-term pastor at Central Baptist in Decatur, Alabama. Went to be assistant to the president of University of Mobile for a short time and then God called me back to the Alabama State Board of Missions with the purpose of let's bring about revival.

Let's do what we can so that Alabama can be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. >> Oh my goodness, I'm going to come back to that Rob. I promise you. I'm going to dig a little deeper on that. Today Ken, take take a tell us a little bit about yourself. >> Yeah, I grew up here in Birmingham, born and raised. So all the way through until I went to seminary. I was in the Anglewood Terrace areas where I grew up. >> Yeah. >> Saved as a boy, called to preach as a teenager.

I started pastoring at 19. Don't necessarily recommend that, but anyway >> brother. >> Yeah, it is young. And [clears throat] was in pastoral ministry for nearly 25 years. Then was a director of missions for a county of Baptist Association for about 5 years to cab and then down at the state board of missions for 7 years and helping our leaders around the state and associations to reach their county. And we also have a little bit of hand in church planting as well. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> So anyway, it's it's all good. >> Well, God is using both of you in incredible ways.

You know, as I've got to know both of you, I respect you so much. I'm inspired by you guys. I love working with y'all. You two are premier leaders across the state of Alabama and I thank God for both of you. Rob, let's go back to you a little bit. Where were you weren't you weren't born in Alabama were you? >> No, I'm Monroeville. I was born in Flomaton, Alabama and grew up in Monroeville, Alabama. >> Okay. All right.

And didn't you do some stuff in Kentucky for a while? >> Well, when I did I went to the seminary in Kentucky. So my dad and I were Buckrun Baptist Church together and and so well, actually let's back up. My dad went to Southern Seminary. So as a boy, he was in Kentucky and the Asbury revival broke out. I was a boy and it was out of that revival that God called me to himself and I was saved. He said, "Once you've tasted revival, my entire life has been, 'Oh Lord, I want to see you do it again to a greater extent uh throughout this world.'" So, we moved back to Alabama, grew up in Alabama.

Then, when I God called me into preach, my dad went back to that little small church. I went with him to work with him so he could mentor me. We were back in Kentucky and then, of course, then we moved back to Alabama. >> Got you. And uh Kim, with church planting, I know you're you got your hand right in the middle of church planting. Uh tell us a little bit about how that has evolved in your life. >> Yeah, well, yeah, this uh one little small part of the that office that I'm a part of, uh it's really great that um a third of what we find with plants are African American, a third are Anglo, third are Hispanic or other.

So, it's tremendous that across our state there are multiple churches that are being started every year. Uh it's incredible when we think about uh the doom and gloom that is out there, but here is the churches being planted, churches are growing. My son is in one of those churches and we're just seeing God do uh wonderful things. People are coming to know the Lord through those plants all around our state. It's really something to behold. >> You know, when you're thinking about the church plants and the multicultural population of the state of Alabama, seems a little bit uh like people are not aware of that as much as we see the reality uh being developed uh today.

And I look at that and I look about the I think about the Book of Revelation, every tribe, every tongue, every nation, and it's happening right here in the state of Alabama, isn't it, Kim? >> Haitians. >> Oh my goodness. Yeah. >> Down in the Enterprise [clears throat] area >> Yeah. That are meeting and that and that's just happened over the course of a year or two that that they've gathered together in large large amounts.

So, praise the Lord. There are people being reached all over. >> All all over the state of Alabama by church plants, by uh established churches as well. >> Rob is seeing great things among churches growing, smaller churches that are eight or 10 when they start the process and then end up and uh Rob knows the details of what what we're seeing in all across the state, no matter the size. >> What's happening, Rob, when you look at you you mentioned the um the the revival, the Asbury revival, and how that propelled people.

And obviously, it infected you with the pursuit of revival. Uh let's talk a little bit more about that. I know that your heart, because when I first met you uh years ago, the thing that inspired me to connect with you was your passion to see revival happen across the state of Alabama. Uh take us a little bit deeper into that. >> Well, as as I'm looking and seeing what this latest Asbury revival and I went there to begin to examine and see what happened there.

I walked into that that worship center >> This was a couple years ago, right? >> Couple years ago. And I fell on my knees uh just for the presence manifest presence of God, just weeping. And there were young people lying on the floor, weeping and praying. One young lady came walking in and and she just fell and said, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner." And and I saw God begin the puddles of revival. And that began to spread to our college campuses, but I'm seeing it spread uh to churches as well.

Billingsley Baptist Church, a church that we began to work with a little over a year ago. Eight to 12 people, an average attendance. And they just said, "What do we need? We needed prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit." A core team began to meet. They went through Experiencing God together. And they began to see God moving. We were praying there were no young people. And so instead of praying for young people, because they're old people, they were praying, "Lord, would you bring leaders to our church that can attract the young people?" And lo and behold, the whole church is praying, and the head football coach in the area shows up.

I said, "Why are you here?" He said, "I just feel led, my wife and I to come here." >> Oh my goodness. Look at >> a revival breaking out in that church, and went from no young people to now they're averaging 17. Most of those never heard the gospel before. And the church has grown had a high attendance of 92 people. >> Hey, praise the Lord, man. >> six baptisms, had a a dean now that that they had multiple people saved.

And so we're seeing God That's just small. We're seeing puddles >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> of revival around Alabama. So when when you and I got together and began to pray about this and >> Right, right. >> and we began thinking of Celebration 250. You mentioned this, and I thought, "Wow, why don't we we pray that how we can systematically help each region to prayer, prepare, and proclaim >> Come on. >> Jesus Christ. Because what I want to see these puddles I'm seeing all around Alabama converge into a mighty rushing wave. >> Oh my goodness, yeah. >> And and God is doing something in our state with the church plants, with individuals, and I'm just praying, "Lord, pour out your spirit on our state like never before." >> Yeah, you know, Rob, you you I see you getting all spiritually excited here about what God is doing.

I can't you want to add on to that a little bit from your perspective? >> Again, uh we there's stories all over our state really of churches that are coming back, that are again uh Rob and I were recently in an evangelism meeting with uh leaders that have really had that as their heartbeat just in the last few days in Daphne, Alabama. And we were talking about one of the things that struck me early in ministry, the '80s and '90s, is there brother Jackie, there was an an atmosphere of evangelism. >> Right, right. >> back then that we simply are missing today.

And would we pray once again that we would see that revival that ends up with that again to see people having a heart to reach others with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ like we did back then. It was just more pervasive in the church. Sure, sure. It was more of a thing that people knew that they needed to do and had the passion to be able to go out and share the good news. And so I'm praying that >> Yeah, yeah. >> that overall atmosphere will will return. >> Dive in.

I know you I know you're sitting on the edge of your seat there. >> exciting thing is so So I look back. I've been at State Board 5 years. 5 years ago uh very few called me uh to do any evangelism training. And when I would go to places they'd have about four or five people, you know, show up for this. But that's changing. Uh just a few months ago in Tennessee River uh they came and they said, "I don't know how many we'll have cuz it's an evening." Packed room to hear about it.

Last night uh once again we were I was in Clanton and Tyler there AMS and I don't know how many to expect. I may be 10. I don't know. >> [laughter] >> Packed room of people. >> Churches coming together. There is a hunger for reaching people for Jesus Christ. A hunger for training. A hunger for prayer. And that's because of God. God creates that hunger. >> Absolutely. >> I am pumped up, brother Jackie, because [clears throat] I see the wave of spirit in Alabama. >> I mean, you know, you you look at uh Ken, you look at evangelism and Rob, you look at it and you think and you mentioned back in the '80s, you know, and and it was almost, you know, it was kind of like second nature for the churches to be evangelistic.

And what happened, do you think? What what what derailed that from that perspective of intentional evangelism? What what went wrong, Rob? Can you tell us from your perspective? >> Yeah, I think I think in some in some respects, our hearts have grown cold overall. And there there is a need to be warmed up in the presence of the Lord again. And I mean, when you're when you're walking with the Lord, you want to share the Lord.

Because he is so good >> Amen. >> can't keep it in. You've got to share him. So, that you know, that's part of it. And you know, Jackie, there was this idea, Brother Jackie, of not having a program. And so, we began to kind of that began to wane, having a program of evangelism, having a process of evangelism, having a night, and so forth and so on. >> Right, right. >> But nothing replaced it. And what I have seen out there are the few churches that really have intentional evangelism.

This is what happens. So, they may have what we call want to call a program, but we would prefer it being discipleship. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're discipling people in evangelism. And and then what we're seeing is that as those people are outside of that discipling process, when they're in their everyday life, all of a sudden, it becomes real to them again that they need to be sharing the good news as a part of their ongoing walk just in living in life.

And so, that is what I think needs to be restored, the heart that is warmed in the presence of God. >> Well, that's that's big right there. >> And the intentionality of discipling people in evangelism. >> Man, I like that. I'm going to I'm going to preach on that, Ken. Rob, go ahead. >> Yeah, so around 1% of churches in America have an evangelism strategy. >> Right. >> And so, I think yes, our hearts have grown cold and I believe that's part of it.

Some of it's complacency because we were the biggest baddest boys around. >> Right, right, right. >> And so, we we we we got become comfortable in who we were. And then, the strategies, we just began to say, "Okay, here's a plethora strategy. Brother Jackie, you do one of these things." And it's good, but when you give people too many choices, a lot of times they do nothing. >> There you go. >> And so, yes, you can give them all kind of hooks to fish with.

But, when I look at the churches that are really knocking it out in evangelism right now, they have an intentional strategy. Lawrence Phipps at First Gulf Shores. He went there and he has an intentional strategy and the church has doubled in size in Gulf Shores. Doubled in size. And the heartbeat of that is training disciple makers who will witness and share their faith. >> My goodness, I could stay right here through this whole podcast because you guys have got me jazzed up.

I'm telling you, I'm even moving in the seat. I love what you said, Ken, about, you know, your heart goes cold when you're not in the presence of the Lord and it's true. But, I also believe, Rob, that when you're in the presence of the Lord, you're going to love what he loves and you're going to you want to pursue what he wants to pursue. And it's obvious that Jesus came to seek and save those that are lost, right? And when we look at the harvest, my goodness. >> Right. >> I don't think we're living in the worst of times when it comes to opportunity for spiritual transformation and revival.

I believe we're living in the best of times for that to happen. Jump off there, Rob. Talk to me about it. >> Yeah, well, the scripture says the fields are white in the harvest, but the laborers are few. Pray the Lord of the harvest he might send out laborers or workers to his harvest field. And I think we are in the best of times. There is much darkness around us, but when there's much darkness, what an opportunity for the light to be bright.

And so part of the [clears throat] whole thing that we're praying and and you we begin to partner together and I thank you brother Jackie for your leadership in the celebration 250. But we want to once again to be light bearers and to inspire the church of Jesus Christ and Alabama Baptist to be light bearers in a dark and world. And I believe as we get out there as people begin to hear these testimonies of the Billingsley of the First Gulf Shores and I can go on and on and on.

Then then they begin to get inspired. And Jonathan Edwards in the First Great Awakening said this, "Revival spreads on the wings of testimony." And so what you're doing here with this with this podcast what what we're doing is sharing these stories as we're praying that others will taste and see the Lord is good. And through these testimonies that others will want to be inspired and develop a deeper heart for God. And to be intentional about reaching their neighbors and their communities and our state and our nation and our world for Jesus Christ.

Well, you know, that's what celebration 250 Alabama's all about. Let's let's take the next few minutes to talk about specifically celebration 250 Alabama. Let's rewind our mind just for a minute to go back Rob, you're coming to my office sitting down bam, take it from there and then let's look at how this thing has developed and what we're seeing happen. So let's go there for a minute. You know brother Jackie as you and I were meeting and of course God's given us a kindred spirit.

We both want to see Alabama and this nation come back to God. And as we were sitting there talking and praying you presented what about our 250th anniversary of our country. What about what if >> What if? >> we made this a priority? Would you pray about this? Would you consider this? What do you think about us getting this going? I love the idea, but we didn't just make that decision. We just prayed. Then we brought Brother Ken in, Brian Blast, Jay Stewart, and and we met together.

And we just said, "Lord, would you show us what you want to do?" And after our praying, after our seeking, we believe this is what God wants us to do. 250 years as a country, but more than anything, we want this to be a springboard. Yes, we're celebrating 250 years, but a springboard to launch Alabama and America back to our founding. That is to one nation under God. >> Absolutely. You know, you we met in Dallas. You remember we had the meeting in Dallas, and then we came back and we said, "Okay, we're in." And just to see the encouragement from all the leaders that we met with that said, "Hey, we want to see God do something." And and you know, I think that part of God doing something is leaders wanting to see God do something.

You know, I believe it's another act of faith in what God does and how we step into that. You know, God's plan is always to reach the lost, and you know, as we look at this, we're going, "Hey, all across the state of Alabama, what would happen What if every city, every area said, 'Hey, we're going to have a rally. We're going to preach Christ, the cross, and he's coming again.' And we're going to give an invitation. What if everybody, every city, every community in the state of Alabama said, 'We're going to cross denominational lines.

We're going to break down what separates us. We're going to unite together under the banner of the blood-stained cross and we're going to call people to Christ. What would happen in a state if everybody said, "We're in." >> Amen. [clears throat] >> And it's begin I mean it's you know, we look at celebration 250 Rob and Ken. We think about America's 250th anniversary that we celebrate on July the 4th. This thing is bigger than a day of celebration. >> Sure. >> It's an inspiration. >> Yes. >> It's a it it should inspire us >> Yeah. >> as a nation to get back to what we should be doing.

And I'm I look at celebration 250 and we're seeing momentum happen. >> Yeah. >> What do you think? >> Yes, yes, yes. >> Yeah, I mean the our the way our nation was founded uh the the focus on the on the Lord uh it's it's it's like uh you know, Benjamin Franklin was talking about hey, the God's hand is on is evident. >> Yeah. >> And certainly we need to continue to as a church to beg him, plead with him uh that this experiment will only happen as we see people come to know the Lord and they self-govern. >> Yeah, yeah. >> That was a part of what what started all all of this.

And so one of my the the disciple me he said this and he may have heard someone else share this, but it stuck with me. He said "Don't you think that there are more people willing willing to hear than there are people willing to tell?" >> Yeah, oh my goodness. >> Yeah. >> So, the things that are that are wrong, sometimes with our churches or especially with our culture that will make it right is Jesus. It comes down just to the simplicity of of uh coming to know him.

And he will >> He changes everything, doesn't he? >> He will cure a whole lot. >> Didn't he change everything? I mean, you look at broken families, Jesus changes that. >> yeah. >> You You look at addiction, Jesus changes that. You look at Jesus changes everything. And I I You know, one of the things that I I want to just kind of push in celebration 250 is we we we can't be doing wrong by saying to people and churches and leaders and communities and cities, let's present Christ.

Let's give people opportunity say yes to Jesus. What do you think? >> I agree 100%. >> And that prayer time on that Wednesday night, statewide. >> [clears throat] >> Yeah, we're we're telling everybody in the state of Alabama, shut down your churches uh on your normal programming. Don't do everything you've been doing on Wednesday night. Just go to your church and pray on September 30th. We're calling it all church Alabama prayer.

We want every church in Alabama, Methodist, Baptist, no matter what denominate, shut it down and pray. Can you imagine? >> Mhm. >> What would happen if every believer in the state of Alabama came to their church and said, "You know what we're going to do? We're just going to bombard heaven for the souls of men." >> Amen. >> What do you think? >> I I'm excited. I We're going to do it. >> We're going to do it. >> going to see a great move of God.

And I love Brother Jackie, you're the one that came up with October 1st to be Although we've got some pre celebration 250 going around the state. They're just beginning to prime the pump. But the focus October 1st. And I love that because Benjamin Franklin, October 1776, the Continental Congress commissioned him to go to the king of France for help. And French they did help us. So, they helped us become a nation. But here we are, 250 years later on that month, we're going to the king of kings and the lord of lords say, "Lord, would you send a great revival?" >> Oh my goodness.

Let's Let's take the next few minutes, Robin Ken. Let's talk about Alabama in in the perspective of the whole nation. You know, people have prophesied, people have said >> Yeah. >> people believe that Alabama is pivotal >> Yeah. >> for a revival in this nation. What have you heard about that? >> Yes, I've heard that. When I was director of missions in DeKalb County there were two or three that I heard there that they mentioned that someone on a radio or TV program in another part of the country said that that this part of Alabama would be pivotal part of seeing revival spread. >> In the whole nation. >> Yeah, it's incredible to to think that there there certainly where there's smoke >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> there could be some fire.

And so may we pray that that it would start here. Who knows? If we seek the Lord hunger hunger for him once again that he'll bring it about. >> Mhm. >> That will happen. >> Yeah, Wayne Atchison, our all our dear friend, he was at a meeting with a bunch of them praying and talking about revival and awakening and and from that meeting he he told me so many people came to me and said we believe that Alabama is going to be the very epicenter of an awakening in North America.

And and of course Wayne Atchison he's at the Billy Graham Library. >> Right, right. >> But I'm just praying Lord let it be so. >> Let it be. Let it be. >> You know, here we are guys. Here we are. We've been meeting, we have met y'all. We have met, we have prayed, we planned, we've communicated and we believe that God is going to do something. We believe God's going to do something in Alabama. Man, I'm telling you it would be a wonderful wonderful moment to see God just shower his blessings his spiritual blessings on this state and we have a radical transformation I in the state of Alabama where boys and girls and teenagers and young people and mamas and daddies and grandmamas and granddaddies just turn back to Jesus.

I'm telling you it can be done. So, Ken and Rob, I want you to look at the camera and just give if you had to say something Now, this is your camera, but if you had to say something to everybody that's watching, what would you say to them, Rob? >> I would say, "Would you pray? Would you prepare your own life? Make sure you're having a greater hunger and thirst for him, and then would you participate? Would you invite people?

And if you're not doing one in your in your region in your area district of for October 1st, you start planning right now. But I'm going to say, "Expectantly pray because God has something great in store for Alabama, for this nation, and this world." >> Yeah, I mean, find what's going on where you are and and what uh Celebration 250 event is there, but beyond all of that, it's not just this event, but it's being warmed in the presence of the Lord once again, and that you desire what he desires.

As been mentioned, he came to seek and to save those who are lost. So, once again, getting the heart of God for the people that we are around and to love them where they are and what God wants to do in their life. So, I'd say again, it's it's it's just it has to be something that the Lord does within us, not just simply this one time, but yes, we're praying for this, praying for that revival, but the overflow that will happen beyond this as well as we see uh hundreds and thousands of people come to know the Lord and the church revived. >> Amen. >> And you know, I believe that's going to happen.

I really do. I believe that. And I love what you said, Ken. It's going to go beyond that. I mean, if we we we've already heard testimony, y'all, of churches that were dying and now they're coming back alive. Uh we're we're hearing testimony of people coming back to the Lord and God doing things. We've already heard testimonies of churches going, "We don't know what else to do. Let's pray." And then God does miracles.

Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus is still alive. God is still on his throne. The church is the bride of Christ. The Lord is ready and I believe that we're going to see a mighty move of God's Holy Spirit that's going to flood through the state of Alabama like never before. And I believe that as we get ready for celebration 250, that we're going to see great things happen. I believe that testimony's going to go from this all over the state.

Don't miss out on this. Man, don't just sit there as uh Rob told you, get busy right now. Call another pastor and say, "Hey, let's get together. Let's do it in our city. Let's do it in our community." You know, we got people doing it all over the state in football stadiums. We got people doing it in civic centers. We got churches that are doing it. You can be involved in that. Come on, y'all, it's not too late. We are in the midnight hour and I believe that right now is the time.

God bless you. Thanks for tuning in to lift off for brother Jackie. We'll see you next time.