Australia 2010

Jimmie has returned safely and enthused over his trip . . . but also with the worst case of jetlag he ever remembers. That was a lot of traveling in a short time. Still, a report and pictures should be posted soon.

- Linda

Australia 2010

Jimmie finally arrived safely in Tasmania after more than 43 hours of travel. I don't even want to think how tired that would feel.

April 2010 Hill Mission Report

Dear Brethren,              

            Since April 01, 2010, I have been working with International Bible Teaching Ministries.  Despite the advent of a new work, re-organizing daily routines, and dealing with all the pressures and stress involved in a new work, things are going very well. 

Once again, I want to thank all of you who continued to support me in this new work.  As expected, some did not but chose to continue with Truth for the World and that is understandable – Truth for the World has done so much good in the past. But, it is truly an encouragement that so many of you have expressed your confidence in me as a Christian and a missionary.  I have lost about 40% of the monthly support that I need and am working feverishly to restore this.  But, I am also convinced that the Lord, with the help of good, faithful, and generous brethren, will give me all that I need (Genesis 22:14; Matthew 6:33). 

            I have been defining my areas of work with International Bible Teaching Ministries and thus far have come up with the following:

-          Writing and Editing Materials for the Work.

-          Developing the Bible Correspondence Courses, Grading, and Coordinating Teachers and Students.

-          Recruiting New Students.

-          Fund Raising and Informing the Brotherhood of International Bible Teaching Ministries.

-          Implementing and Coordinating the Mobile Bible School.

-          Doing Follow Up With Missions Trips.

-          Teaching In the International College of the Bible.

-          Teaching and Preaching the Gospel of Christ at Home and Abroad.

-          And Doing Anything Else That I Can Think Of That Is Scriptural and Profitable for the Kingdom of God.

International Bible Teaching Ministries is in need of donations for Bibles, library books for schools of preaching, and bicycles for the work of our Lord in Uganda and Zambia.  We are working with two schools of preaching in these African nations.  If you can help with any of these things, please make the checks out to Hill Mission Fund and mark the check for the appropriate item.

In the excitement of this new work, the raising of funds for my mission trips this year has been put on “the back burner.”  That is not good!  Therefore, I could really use some help. At the end of April I will travel to Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and work with brother Gary Young and a host of others while taking part in the Eastern Shore Lectureship.  In July I will go to Ghana, West Africa where brother Yaw Boateng and I will work with the brethren in and around Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region.  There we will hold five Gospel meetings along with classes and personal Bible studies each day.  Then in August I will travel on to Livingstone, Zambia where I will work with brothers Ron Gilbert, Earl Alverson, and Rusty Stark.  We will be teaching at the Zambia School of Biblical Studies, International College of the Bible, and holding Gospel meetings in Siamafumba and Misika.  Brethren, if you can help defray the costs of any these mission trips, please, it will be truly appreciated.

Thank you once again for your prayers and encouragement.  May our God bless you richly and grant you peace, happiness, and success in all your Gospel endeavors according to His good will.  If you know of someone looking to support a good work (Titus 3:1), please let them know about Jimmie B. Hill and International Bible Teaching Ministries.

In Christ Who Saves,

Jimmie B. Hill

Twelve years ago when Jimmie was brand new on the staff of Truth for the World, Rod Rutherford asked him to write a flyer that could be used to advertise the work.  He came up with the TRUTH FOR THE WORLD is . . . Broadcasting . . . Internet . . . Literature . . . etc. that we have used ever since in some form or another on every display table.  In 2006 when I was writing the TFTW fundraiser booklet that was eventually mailed to most of the congregations of the Lord's church in the USA, I used Jimmie's idea but added a category - TRUTH FOR THE WORLD is . . . People. 


People.  Why are they so often the forgotten element?  We get excited about inanimate objects or numbers on a page, past glory or brilliant new plans - and forget that it's people at the heart of any endeavor.   Any group, congregation or even nation is only as good or bad as the people in it right now. 


I was watching Glenn Beck as we ate dinner tonight - perhaps not the best choice for relaxing.  Anyway, he was talking about spiritual advisers, comparing those to the president today with those in the early days of our country.  The contrast was distressing.  Just in my own lifetime I cannot believe how moral values, work ethics and typical attitudes have been turned upside down.  In the relative scheme of time, it really didn't take too long.   How was our nation changed so drastically so fast?  Well, no doubt Satan was gleefully paving the way.  But still we had to have leaders who led and followers who blindly trotted along behind.  People.  When are we going to wake up?

- Linda

Greetings from Georgia!

I'm not one to wish time away, but I was never so glad to see a month end as I was March.  "Stressful" doesn't begin to describe it!  On top of our usual active lives was the business of Jimmie closing out one mission work and beginning another.  Naturally, the heartbreak accompanying that move didn't help but we are, as we have always done, striving to focus on the positive.

And there were some positive aspects to March.  Our home congregation - New Hope Road Church of Christ - had a wonderful 5-day Gospel meeting with Adam Cozort.  We've known his parents, Keith & Cheryl, since Jimmie's FSOP days, so we were pleased to learn firsthand what a powerful preacher Adam has become.  We also attended the MSOP Lectureship for the first time in several years.   It was a blessing to hear more good lessons and visit with brethren we had not seen in a while.  Of course, having our daughter, Julie, and grandson, Cole, with us there made it even better!

Now that April has arrived we are moving forward.  Jimmie has vacated his office at Truth for the World and set up a temporary work station at home.  He is dedicating more of his time to writing and, the part that all missionaries hate, fund raising.  We have lost a great deal of Jimmie's support with this move.  We had expected that to happen but it is stressful none the less.  So Jimmie must be about the business of raising money, not only his personal support but funds for the campaign work and benevolent aspects of IBTM.  That is certainly a challenge in the present economy so if you know of a congregation or individual looking for a mission work to support, please direct them Jimmie's way.

I have been working on revamping this blog to reflect the change in Jimmie's mission work.  I wanted it to have a new look, but I also wanted it to be easier to read and have more information easily available about his work.  I would appreciate your feedback.

I hope that Jimmie will be able to send a newsletter out soon, but there has been no time yet.  It will be very helpful if most of those can be sent via email, so if you currently get a printed version but have an email box, please send us your address.  Or if you have never gotten the Hill newsletter before but would like to start, the comment button below will send us a message that I won't publish if you give your name and email.  The new Hill Mission Report newsletter will probably only be concerning Jimmie's work with IBTM/ICOTB. 

I plan to write more frequently on this blog, so I hope you will visit.  It appears that I do love to ramble.

- Linda

WHAT IS A FRIEND?

“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24).


A pretender will make an occasional show of love, especially when he can benefit from the exhibit. The love of a true friend, however, is constant. The true friend (the “brother” of verse 17) is always a helper in the time of adversity. This kind of friend is “a friend indeed” to those in need.


How can a man expect to have friends unless he himself strives to be a friend to others? What does it means to be a friend? True friendship comes from deeds designed to help others in their time of need and not simply the association of a social club or public organization. The friendship that springs forth from appreciation in response to another kindness and benevolence is more likely to be a deep seated and lasting relationship than that of mere association. There are those who are so thoughtful, helpful, and kind that the relationship shared with them is a closer relationship than that of one’s physical family. Such a friend is one who is always ready to lend a listening, sympathizing ear (Proverbs 27:10) as opposed to family members who are not thus disposed (James 2:15, 16).


Please note the following from an ‘Author Unknown.’


There are friends with a little “f” and Friends with a big ‘F.” The first is a large group with sloppy admission standards, the other an elite, time-tested crew.


What’s the difference?

• Little “f” friends identify themselves when they call. Big “F” Friends do not have to.

• A little “f” friend opens a conversation with a full news bulletin on his life. A big “F” Friend says, “What’s new with you?”

• A little “f” friend thinks the problems you whine about are recent. A big “F” Friend says “You’ve been whining about the same thing for 10 years. Get off your ‘good intentions’ and do something about it.”

• A little “f” friend has never seen you cry. A big “F” Friend has soggy shoulders from your tears.

• A little “f” friend knows almost nothing about your family. A big “F” Friend knows the medical history, dietary habits, and marital troubles of everyone on your tree.

• A little “f” friend calls you at 10 P.M. just to chat. A big “F” Friend knows you do not like to be called after 9 P.M.

• A little “f” friend, when visiting, acts like a guest. A big “F” Friend, when visiting, will open your refrigerator, put their feet on the sofa, talk back to your spouse, and reprimand your children.

• A little “f” friend thinks the friendship is over when you argue. A big “F” Friend knows that a friendship is not a friendship until you’ve had a argument.

Be a Friend…Have a Friend.

- Jimmie

UNDERSTANDING ANGER

The words "anger" and "angry" are found eleven times in the King James New Testament and are from the Greek orge. Originally, any natural impulse, desire, or disposition signified anger and was considered the strongest of all passions. However, in the New Testament, the Greek thumos (translated "wrath") became the stronger of the two words. It indicated a more agitated condition of feelings, usually with an outburst from inward indignation. Orge suggests a more settled or abiding condition of mind, often (but not always) with a view to revenge. Orge is less sudden in its rise but more lasting in nature. Thumos expresses the inward feeling and orge the more active emotion. The Greek word kakia (translated "malice") is used in connection with both orge and thumos. The difference in the words is the degree of their intensity as will be illustrated later.

Please note that the mere fact of being angry does not constitute sin. If so, then Jesus sinned against the Pharisees for He "looked round about on them with anger" (Mark 3:5). The sin involved with "anger" is what one allows it to lead him into doing. Jesus was greatly agitated over the hardness of the Pharisees' hearts. Previously, He had explained to them the circumstances of His disciples by David eating the shewbread and the priests working on the Sabbath. When the Pharisees sought again to accuse Him after this explanation, Jesus became angry. To illustrate, let's say a brother falsely accuses you of sin but you explain to him the circumstances and facts in the situation and, in fact, no sin was involved. But later, this same brother accuses you of the same sin and this time publicly. By implication, he has called you a liar, betrayed a trust, and has misrepresented you. In this case, not only do you have every right to be angry but you should be angry "being grieved for the hardness of (his) heart." This is commonly called "righteous indignation."

Unjust anger, however, can lead one further into sin. In Colossians 3:8 Paul writes, "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice." When these words are used alone they virtually have the same meaning. But when they are used in the same sentence they represent degrees of intensity of an evil temper which results in an evil feeling and intention of malice. Anger is an emotion, which when stirred up, should not be retained after sunset (Ephesians 4:26). If anger occurs, which is not a sin in and of itself, it should be worked out between the parties at that time. If the anger continues it may develop into wrath which is a more fixed and agitated state. And wrath can and often does leads to malice which is simply defined as "hateful spite." It is this state which results in bitterness (strong hatred), clamor (a disorderly demonstration against another), and evil speaking (unfavorable remarks against someone said for the purpose of injuring him). In Ephesians 4:31, these evils are to be "put away from you" or avoided by members of the body of Christ.

Christians (and especially elders) must be "not soon angry" (Titus 1:7). The Greek here is me orgilos. Meorgilos means "prone to anger, irascible" and therefore "not prone to anger, not irascible." Concerning this, brother L. R. Wilson said, "A man who is quick to 'fly off the handle' and make rash statements will make enemies for himself and the church." Brother Rex Turner said of this phrase, "He must not be soon angry - or not vengeful, hotheaded or impetuous." One who views a situation and, not knowing the circumstances and the facts thereof, becomes angry and makes boisterous and rash statements is one who is "soon angry." simply means "not" and

Anger is an emotion given to us by God. It can be used or abused. Let us be careful! "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" (Proverbs 16:32).

- Jimmie