JOE: Welcome to FJM TV. I'm Joe Jordan, and I'm excited
today because we get to share from God's word with
you some things that will hopefully encourage you and
bring you a little bit of hope in whatever situation
you're facing. I'm here with two amazing ladies here with
Gina Thompson, my wife, Kris Jordan, and again, we're just
excited to be with you today to share from God's
word, some insights, some truths, and hopefully something
that will just bless you today. But Gina, you know how can
people get involved?
GINA: We're excited for our 80 year anniversary here at
Fred Jordan Mission. I mean, it is amazing. And so the
need is great, and especially this time of year, the needs
are even greater. So just go to fjm.org, see how you can
help, how you can be a part of this 80 year celebration with
us and look for the events that are coming up. We
need those volunteers obviously, and if it's
on your heart today, do it today. Do it right now. fjm.org.
JOE: Yeah, they can see everything on fjm.org.
They can also get on our social media, can't they?
GINA: Oh, we've got a lot going on at social media,
which is a lot of fun. So yeah, find us on socials.
JOE: And you'll see all the great stuff that God's doing
and it's because of our great partners.
GINA: That's right.
JOE: Yeah. So today we're going to be talking about My
Strong Tower, and it comes from the verse in Proverbs
18. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous
run to it and are safe. That's amazing because God is
our strong tower. And here it says, the Lord is our
strong tower. And how great is that to know
that our Lord, our savior, Jesus, is our strong tower. And
here in Proverbs it uses, the word Lord is strong tower and
it's speaking about God, his entirety, his character and the
entirety of who he is. You know he's all righteous, all holy,
all perfect, all everything because God is amazing. And
throughout the Bible, God is referred to as the strength, the
rock, our rock, our fortress, God in His name are one in the
same. And I just love that knowing that the Bible says here
as I read it and as we study God's word, that if we know him,
if we have that personal relationship with him through
Jesus Christ who was the greatest sacrifice of love that
God sent to this earth, to die on the cross for our sins. If we
believe and receive and we have that relationship, we can go to
him and find refuge and find strength and find peace. But not
only that, but in those times of storms and trials and the enemy
just out to get you, we can be behind that fortress and it's
God protecting us, not just the soldier fort or the bunker that
you go crawl into or some great cave, but you have God to be our
fortress. And that's so amazing to me. One of the things that I
wrote is that the name of the Lord, our strong tower, that
place of safety that promises anyone who runs to him, that
knows him, that has a right relationship with him, can be
protected, can be covered by him. So girls, I just want to
ask you today, like what does it mean? What does it mean to you,
Gina? That God, that the Lord is your strong tower?
GINA: Well, I always go back to the very first time God
revealed himself to me in such a way that he was my
stability, he was my safety, he was my protector. And that's
when I was a young married girl and I was pregnant and
I was having difficulties. And the doctor said, you
literally need to be in bed, lay flat and it's a 50/50
chance every day if you're going to carry this baby. We've
got some serious situation going on here. And I remember
at that moment that baby was relying on me and my
relationship with the Lord as with me as a young girl. I
always relied on my mama's prayers and my daddy's prayers
and my family's prayers and going to church and relied all
that. All of a sudden, here I am, this young new mother. Now
I've got to stand strong for this little life and I have to
be you know the one that has that intimate relationship with
the Lord. And in that moment, of course, it was Philippians 4:13
that just flowed from me, and I just opened the word of God for
myself. And each scripture that I had read my whole life of
being a little girl, all of a sudden like the light bulb went
off. And there was this lifeline that happened from right from I
thank God's heart to right to my heart that it came alive, that
it literally was like, then I had this relationship with the
Lord for myself. And then that's where I, oh my goodness, he was
my strong tower, my rock, my fortress, my safety. And so yes,
I've had many situations, as we both know, as we get older,
situations that we face. But from that very first moment
where God revealed himself to me in such a way, I never forgot.
JOE: We can't leave our viewers and our partners hanging on
the story of you in bed 50/50 chance the name of the baby.
GINA: That's right. My Austin Rex Thompson and you know
he's just been a miracle from day one. And I did have
him early and the first, when he was first born, the
doctor said, don't get attached. We don't expect him to live
through the night, he's the most critical baby we have
in our intensive care unit. But I had already known that
God, he was fearfully and wonderfully made and God had his
hand on Austin Rex and my situation. And I look back and
just say, God, you know during that time like when we're in
a time of crisis like God, why? Why am I going through this?
And we could always look back and God has a greater plan, God
brings us through. And it was for me to have my personal
relationship with the Lord deepened and strengthened.
JOE: That's amazing. And I just want to tell you a little
personal story about that behind one of the cameras today
and every time we tape. Austin is there. So Austin not
only was a 50/50 chance, but in God's view it was a
hundred percent he would be here. He is here today
and he is actually part of how FJM TV gets into
your home, and we're just blessed by your son. We love
him. I love him. Amazing. So I'm glad that when you need it, you
went to God, he was your strong tower. And now Austin goes to
God, it's his strong tower. His children go to God, their strong
tower, because for all of us who believe in Jesus, he is our
strong tower. Love, what does it mean to you for God to be your
strong tower and to have that confidence and know God is there
for you when you need him?
KRIS: So, like as you were sharing one of the storms of
life that you went through, you know when I think about
God as my strong tower, it means so many things. But
I always envision like if you've got a hurricane, a category, I
think they're called category five hurricane, right? Okay.
Blowing through your city and everything is just, the wind
is pounding, trees are bending, things are flying. And I just
envisioned this pillar in the middle of the storm that is
immovable, dependable, reliable. It's not going anywhere. And
when you are in that storm of life, you can cling
to that tower, that pillar you know, and that's
who Jesus has been for me. Because as you know, I mean
our lives, we've had a lot of things happen and sometimes it
feels like the ground is eroding underneath us. And it's like I
know that no matter what, Jesus is my rock, he is my pillar.
He's who I can cling to. He's who I can depend on. He's
reliable. He says what he means and means what he says. I can go
to his word and he just, his promises are true. And so that's
just what I envision when I think of strong towers, just
this immovable, unshakeable God who loves us and who is always
there for us, who never leave us, never forsake us, never
abandon us, all that. So that was just kind of what I was
thinking, especially as you were sharing about Austin.
JOE: It's amazing. Yeah and we have gone through a lot
of things. I've gone through a lot of things in my life
too, and we go through health scares, we go through
relationship issues and family issues and all kinds of
things. And they're hard, and sometimes they're like shifting
sand. But what is so amazing, and I just want to encourage
you, our viewers and our partners with this is no matter
what, if you call upon the name of the Lord, he's there.
He's always there for you. So no matter what the storm
is doing, the trials doing, the hurt, the heartache, the fret,
the worry, the financial situations, whatever you're in,
wherever you're in shifting sands and being crushed by
waves and you just don't know what to do, I just
encourage you, call upon the name of the Lord, let him be
your strong tower and he'll always be there for you. He is
faithful. We'll be right back.
MALE: We represent the LA County Sheriff's Vital Intervention
Directional Alternative, called VIDA. It's a risk program
for youth from the age of 11 to 17 1/2, anything from
defiance, poor grades, and we're here just to do
community service as part of our project to open their
eyes and seeing how they can make a difference in
our community. And this is a place where people can come
and say, I need help. From time to time, I've seen
it on TV that how they got started and what their impact
was as a family here and they established themselves for
a long time. That just opens people's eyes. And the more I
can bring that to the kids, hopefully they can see that as
well, that there's, there's resources out there, you just
have to ask for help. I think just interacting with the people
here that they were challenged throughout, whether it's
poverty, whether it's diversity, whether it's the streets, and
hopefully that this will enable them to just be appreciative of
what they have and the opportunities and then they make
full success out of that. Some are working in the kitchen,
putting some meals together, some are handing out coffees,
some are just putting bags together to give for some people
that are less fortunate, an opportunity to take something
home. I think it's an eyeopener for them because even the ones
here, they're talking to the people that are coming in,
they're getting engaged. And from the most part, every kid's
told me, I love doing this. So I think it's us exploring them to
this. Maybe they'll do it in the future.
ANNOUNCER: Today as we look all around, no matter where
we are in life, more than ever, we see needs, great
needs, hopeless, hurting, desperate people. And what
we would typically see on the streets of Skid Row, we
are now seeing in every city, every community, and in
every neighborhood. Hunger is no respecter of persons.
Willie Jordan says, hunger never takes a day off. For
those of you during this unprecedented time of
history who are doing good than we ask that you would
generously give to those who are not as fortunate, so many from
all walks of life are hurting, will you extend a hand of mercy
to help them in their greatest time of need? Your most generous
gift is needed. Go online to give fjm.org. Whatever the
amount, great or small, your donation is greatly appreciated.
ANNOUNCER: Join the conversation by connecting with us on social
media. We are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more.
Visit us at social.fjm.org.
JOE: Well, welcome back to FJM. I'm here with Gina Thompson,
my wife Kris. And I'm just again, so excited and so
blessed to be able to come to you today and share some
truths from God's word and just offer some hope and
let you know that God is our strong tower. He's our
refuge, he's our strength, he is everything. And as
you said, he is unshakeable, unmovable. He is a rock
like the whole planet. He is just a rock and no one will
ever move him and who he is. You know I was thinking about it
girls and you know when you think about Jesus being our
strong tower, God being our rock and everything else, that
doesn't mean for us as believers that we won't go through storms,
trials. We won't have those 50/50 chances. What's going to
happen? And those worries. It doesn't mean the enemy's not
going to try to come after us or hurt us or try to discourage us
or any of that. It doesn't mean that we will be free from all
that. But what it does mean, and I just love this from God's word
and his promises, is if we're in a right relationship with God
through Jesus, the troubles and trials may come, but when they
do, it means that the trouble will not have the final say. And
I just love that I know this, that the devil is never going to
have the last word. The devil is never going to have the last say
in my life, in our lives or in your life because God already
won the battle. He already won the war. When he gave us Jesus,
he died on the cross for our sins. He rose from the dead.
He's sitting at the right hand of God the Father. One day he's
going to come back for us and if not, and we go to be with him,
which we don't want to run off this earth and leave our family
and all the ministry that we do, but when God calls us, we know
we're going to be with Jesus instantly and what a day that
will be. But let me ask you guys this. Kris, how has God shown up
in your life just to be your strong tower, your rock, when
you needed that? How has he shown up and you just knew it
was God?
KRIS: Well, you know my life verse, I've quoted all
the time, and it's just something that I cling to as
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called
according to his purpose. And as you were talking earlier
about the trials, the storms of life, God doesn't promise
us you know dandelions and rainbows. It's life
is hard. And we face trials and we face tough times. And I
just love how no matter what happens, no matter what we go
through, God can take everything, the good, the bad,
the things that Satan intended for evil, and he's going to work
it all together for good to accomplish his purposes in our
lives. And so for me like, there's been you know so many
times where I face difficulties and challenges and it's like,
Lord, what is happening? Why is this happening? Why are you
allowing this? And yet God has shown his faithfulness time and
time again where he takes it all and he uses it for good in my
life and through my life, and so I can trust him because he's not
going to let me down. He is my strong tower. He's somebody I
can rely on and depend on that he's got my back and he loves
me. And so I mean, I can't ask for more than that.
JOE: Absolutely. And Gina, how has God shown up in other
areas of your life or other times and you just knew it
was God and you didn't even have to go to him. He
was just there for you as your rock and your strong tower.
He was just your strength and your source of whatever
you needed. You knew it was God that was taking you through it.
GINA: Oh, so many times I know that every time because
when I'm faced with a storm, how can you have peace? Like
even back to Austin, when I was in the hospital in the
intensive care unit for 56 days there every day, every
day people would come and visit, and then I'd be there
and I'd have this smile. They're like, how are you having
the peace? How are you having joy? Because I knew
God was with us. I knew though that looking at the
circumstance, I didn't see a little two pound little baby. I
saw a big football player, strong and healthy. I saw
through the eyes of Jesus that greater is he that is in you
than he that is in the world and that you are going to overcome.
And so I could see with the mind of Christ almost through a
situation, that's when our thoughts and our words line up
with God's word, then that's when we're going through the
midst of a storm that we can have peace, we can have the joy
of the Lord is our strength. You know and I remember when the
strong tower in my life passed away. It was my mother, she'd
always been my strong tower and I get a phone call one day, she
laid down and took a nap and she was gone. And it was during a
time where we had not really spoken. It was the longest time
we'd ever gone without speaking, which wasn't like me and my mom
you know? And I thought during that time like, I was just going
to fall apart. You know but God showed up during that time and I
remember asking God, you know why did this situation happen?
Like we weren't prepared for this. You know and that's what
happens many times in our lives where a situation happens. We're
not prepared for, we didn't ask for this sickness to come on us.
We didn't ask for this person to hurt us. We didn't ask for a
loved one to die. You know but during that, when we do go to
the Lord, he's our comfort and our strength. And to finish that
story, when you asked me a week after my mother passed away, I
got a letter from her in the mail and it was saying, the card
actually said, when you see this, remember me. Remember when
a bird sings. Remember when the sun rises, it's a little bit of
heaven. And it was just a little thing, but to me it was just
like, thank you God.
KRIS: Yeah, a hundred percent.
JOE: God is so faithful, and I don't know what you're facing
today, our viewers and our partners, but there's a lot.
There's a lot that you face and we face and we're not
immune from it. We're not, whether we're believers in
Jesus for 30 and 40 and 50 years or one day, you face
a lot and we just want you to know that God's
word and his promises are true. Jesus loves you. And if
you don't know Jesus, there's a God in heaven that created you
and made you in his image and his likeness, and he wants that
relationship with you. And if you want God as your strong
tower and you don't know him, it's easy to have him as your
strength, your source, your rock and your strong tower. All you
have to do, the Bible says is believe and receive. If you
confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, that Jesus died on the cross and you
repent, which means you turn from your sin and your ways and
what you want and you turn to Jesus and his plan for your
life, receiving him into your heart, Jesus will save you and
you'll be a Christian. You'll be one of his children reunited
because of that great thing, that amazing thing, that
wonderful thing that God did when he sent Jesus to die on the
cross for our sins. You know we only have a few more minutes,
girls, but you know one of the things that I just love is that
a strong tower is all we need. When we face those times of
trouble, the name of the Lord we can call upon and he's there for
us. And again, the righteous, those who know him that have
that right relationship can run to him and know that he is all
powerful. He has all authority. He has mercy, he has grace, he
has love, he has compassion. He has empathy for everyone. Even
those on Skid Row, even those who live on the streets and
sidewalks, even those who live in the penthouses in the most
expensive homes in the world, God loves us all. We know that
his grace and his protection is there for us. But in just a few
words, what would you say to someone today who needs God's
strong tower? Like what would you say to somebody as far as
how God offers his strong tower, his rock and his strength to
others? What would you to say to somebody that needs that today?
KRIS: Come to Jesus just as you are. You don't have to
clean up your act. You don't have to get your life right.
He's the one that does that. You come to him in that
humble surrender and you just say, Jesus, I need you.
Help me, save me, and he does. You know and that's just,
that's an amazing thing because we don't have to do
it. We just have to surrender to him, and he does the work.
He changes. Absolutely. He does it.
JOE: And Gina, what's your final few thoughts?
GINA: Exactly. Just, he meets us right where we're at. It
doesn't matter where. It doesn't matter what you've
done. It doesn't matter what you're going through. There's
no situation too great for him. Just call out to him
and he'll meet you right where you are.
JOE: Absolutely. I can't believe time's going so fast,
but today, if you don't know Jesus, just say, Jesus,
I'm a sinner. I need a savior. I believe you love me. You
died for me. Come into my heart and he will. The other
thing is, if you're a believer today and you just strayed
a little bit as I did many times in my life, and you
live in that guilt and shame and like, oh, God's
got to be irritated and mad with me. He's got to be
frustrated with me. I'm his child, but I'm not acting like
it. I'm in disobedience. Let that nonsense go. It's a lie
from the devil and just say, God, I am your child. You saved
me. Just confess your sins. He's faithful and just to forgive you
like he already forgave him all, but go to him and repent and
just ask him to get you back on track and he will.
We'll be right back.
JOE: Here at Fred Jordan Missions every day we see all
all types of people. I remember as a kid, my father Fred, and
my mom Willie, teaching me a song about Jesus loves the
little children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white,
we are all precious in God's sight. I still know that song. I
taught it to my children, and that's exactly what
we see here at Fred Jordan Mission every day, red and
yellow, black and white, every single person that you could
think of from children all the way to seniors are here on
the streets living in LA, and they come to our doors to be
loved on, to be shared with that Jesus loves you and Jesus
saves. You know we hand out water, we hand out drinks, we
hand out snacks. We preach the gospel. We have hot meals,
we do special events. But if you want to know who comes
through our doors, it's all of us. There's no certain person,
there's no certain look. But like I said in that song, red
and yellow, black and white, we're all precious in God's
sight. That's who we see here every day at Fred Jordan
Mission. People from all around this country that end up on
these streets can come through our door and we will serve them
as we declare and demonstrate the love
of Jesus to those in need.
JOE: Well, welcome back you know, it's been a great time.
I just love being able to talk about Jesus and all that
he's done in our life and continues to. You know it's
just a journey we're all on and you're on a journey also.
Our viewers, those who are our partners, whatever you're
doing today, maybe you just turned it on for the first
time and you've never seen Fred Jordan Missions before. FJM
TV. FJM has been around for 80 years, serving the poor,
the needy, the hungry, the homeless, and the hopeless with
the hope of Jesus. Yes, we feed and clothe and put blankets
around people who are cold. Socks and shoes on their feet
so that they have warm feet and they're walking
on the streets of Skid Row and around Los Angeles, and
we just want to care for those who really feel like they've
been abandoned by society, but it's only because of partners
like you. If you already partner with us, God bless you. If you
don't, will you go to fjm.org today and just look at all the
things that God has been using us to do for 80 years, 44 to 24.
That's what it is. And so 80 year anniversary. Today, if you
can give a gift, we need you because the needs just continue
to grow and grow and grow some more, and we want to keep up
with those needs. We want to feed and care for and clothe
those who are naked, hungry, and homeless, but we also want to do
what we do best to, and that is declare God's love. Let 'em know
that there's a God in heaven that loves them, that they can
be delivered by anything and God can be their strong tower If
you'd like, I send a text out every day. It's Bible
626-314-7703. Just a little verse that says God loves you,
and then explains what the verse says. But if you'd like, text
that to us, get on our social media. But no matter what you
do, either come and visit and volunteer, pray for us, or give
today to be a part of something eternal. God bless you.
FEMALE SINGING: We will overcome this sorrow. We will see the
dawn tomorrow, we will soldier on down this
road as we reach for hope, reach for hope.
ANNOUNCER: Please, will you join us in feeding hungry children
and their families by phoning today, 844-FJM-FOOD, or
donating online, fjm.org. That's fjm.org or mail your
check to Fred Jordan Mission, PO Box 12345, Covina,
California 91722. Please, will you help?
FEMALE SINGING: Reach for hope.
ANNOUNCER: The preceding program was sponsored by generous
friends and partners of Fred Jordan Missions.