Home Going Service of Bishop T. F. Tenney

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] he loved him he loved old hands when we sang him all the time and this is one that he really is [Music] no she [Music] change I come [Music] forever he gives a pardon for all my sin [Music] [Music] to you [Music] right hopes for with 10,000 I stayed for your [Music] by faithful day morning see your hands [Music] [Music] favor [Music] [Applause] thanks to all of you coming today welcome to the Pentecostals of illig's andrea and welcome to the homegoing of one of the greatest men of the gospel that's ever walked the face of this earth our beloved I will read my best to read to you word-for-word the obituary I have before me though neither Tom nor Fred made the top 20 names for baby boys in the year 1933 in a house on Pine Street into river Louisiana the decision was made and the birth certificate details filled him he would be Tom Fred tinny he would belong to the ages they didn't know that Wednesday December the 6th 1933 just what a world changer had come to be part of the tinny household time alone would tell one thing that was firmly established that day in hell true 84 plus years of his life was this simple truth Louisiana would always be his home he was raised in a Christian household though of another denomination than the one to which he would devote his career and that change happened at age 16 he snuck off to hear someone of another faith tell their story and he left with a story of his own TF 10 he was destined for greatness that few and our generations would achieve and he couldn't wait to get started things were different back in 1949 a 16 year old new convert could strike out preaching could marry the girl of his dreams and get elected pastor at his first church by age 19 it didn't take long for the gift that was inside him to make room for itself not only did this gifting and anointing bring him before great men as promised in Proverbs it also made him a great man the phone would ring and off he would go Louisiana Texas Mississippi Arkansas then around the United States and around the world for over six decades of ministry from conferences and Crusades to small and large local churches in Louisiana and across our nation his preaching was anointed life-changing and certainly memorable countless messages are watched and re-watched never once without impacting the listener with pure anointing a keen insight into the scripture a remarkable story are those unforgettable quips and quotes his brilliant mind his eloquence in the pulpit his love for God and people cannot be matched he was a prolific writer authoring twelve books with a thirteenth in process at the time of his demise he was a wordsmith extraordinaire and the master of one-liners though he was well into his 80s TF tennis Twitter account lists his current number of followers at more than 44,000 by virtue of his calling and his remarkable gifting brother tena served an administrative ministry holding elected and appointed offices from 1952 until his death the work was secondary to the ministry as he was one of the most gifted and sought-after conference and camp-meeting speakers he was a minister and an administrator and it was always in that order he served as Louisiana district use secretary from 1952 through 1954 and then became Louisiana youth president 1950 and served until 1960 and it became international youth president 1960 and served until 69 during this time the Louisiana district held his first youth camp and set an example that other districts would soon follow it was under his administration at the international level that Bible quizzing was developed the first youth Convention was held and the magazine for apostolic youth titled the conquers tread was created from 1970 until 1975 brother tinnie served as internet international director of foreign missions it was during his tenure in this office that much progress was made on behalf of global evangelism the partner and missions program was launched the school of missions was begun short term evangelistic policies and programs were implemented field conferences and regional conferences for missionaries were established the fields were opened up for more participation from pastors and evangelists to make overseas trips and assist in the work he may have traveled the world and loved almost every minute of it but as is pretty much always the case with a true Louisiana when the call came from the river his home church to see if they were interested in coming home to Pastor well Louisiana folks always want to go home so back to the Ritter they came and it was during this timeframe that for a short period of time he served as the radio voice of the United Pentecostal church international to the world serving as the speaker for harvest time and international radio broadcast the summer of 1978 with the untimely death of our then District Superintendent C G weeks TF 10a was first appointed to serve as interim district superintendent then elected as district superintendent a position that he continued to hold through May the 1st 2005 at which time he retired and took on the role of bishop emeritus of the Louisiana District United Pentecostal church believing in demons reading that his retirement was actually refinement TF 10 he continued to travel and preach and teach from here to young long after Sunday authorities should be staying home he was traveling to China and Chile and the regions beyond as well as booking almost every available weekend stateside in the last couple of years when his physical condition became serious enough to affect his travel it was only with great reluctance that he allowed his calendar to be cleared at which point he joined the staff here at the Pentecostals of Alexandria a preacher has to preach a minister has to minister he would remind us of what happened to Jonah a preacher that doesn't preach gets so rotten that even an oversized fish can't stand him theta Steny his wife of almost sixty six years is left to cherish his memory along with his son Tommy teenie whose wife is Jeannie you just heard sing his daughter Terri Spears and husband Steve the tennis grandchildren will not soon forget their beloved papa Shan Spears and wife teryn Tiffany Kenny Shannon Spears Natasha tinny and Andrea tinny Lavis fear her husband Craig the Great's were his delight and will well remember this gentle giant their Brooklyn MacFarlane Braxton MacFarlane Caitlyn MacFarlane Kristen MacFarlane Seth Spears Eli Spears Zoe Harris Zach Spears and Sam Spears Reverend teeny is also survived by his only sister Nelda Frazier who is unable to be here today but sends her love his life and ministry touched the lives of a host of friends and fellow ministers who were honoured by his presence in their lives none more than we of the Louisiana district our district will not be the same without him camp-meeting will be just a little bit off after this year we'll miss his tweets his text his shout will miss those timely place phone calls and the knowledge that he was praying for us it is true what I said about folks from Louisiana there's something in us that when we get away sooner or later we just want to go home so Friday afternoon surrounded by his family and with Pam Nold standing close by - he found out what going home really means at so many funerals he would ask the rhetorical question what must it be like well he found out when the last breath at 2:05 p.m. became the first deep clear breath of celestial air and he said finally I'm home that was our brother tini I personally had to read wonderful responsibility of getting to work alongside by the tini for seven years his district secretary in the final seven years of his being District Superintendent I wouldn't trade those seven years for anything I loved every bit of it today our governor John bel Edwards ordered the flags at our State Capitol building to be flown at half-mast to recognize and pay respect to our leader Reverend TF Kenny what an honor I personally stand here tonight having lost a pastor a spiritual advisor and the consultant and TF tinnie but what I expect is that there are many more in here tonight that if you were to be honest sister Tina if I had them raised their hands they go up all over this building that said he was my pastor he was my mentor he was my adviser that was brother tini if I had the time and it's already taken me just in minutes to read the obituary I could go on for hours I promise I will not telling stories of our times together because we ate together we laugh together we worship together as the writer of the book of Hebrews stated in verse 32 and what shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of so many times at funerals I've heard the remark from the speakers talking about whoever was there before them when they get to heaven they're gonna try to find Abraham and David or Peter or Paul you know what I'm saying I want to find them and talk to them I agree with that no problem there's a couple days ago Kevin Cox opinion Abraham and Dave and Peter and Paul were huddled together saying reckon when we can find time to get in that line to talk to TF Tenny sister tinny we loved we lost a bishop we lost a great superintendent mission director internationally-known speaker you name it we lost that you didn't lose that you lost your wonderful companion your best friend I know then we're paying you feel because of that I also know that you were right alongside him every one of those positions that he's so Abele and powerfully and wonderfully served and I commend you for that I know particularly in raising your children at home there undoubtedly were many times that you kissed him goodbye as he headed out to fly and even in the later years whether it be overseas or somewhere else just a few days ago your beloved our brother tini but your beloved finally made good on a one-way ticket that he bought at age 16 we're not going to see him anymore on this earth but what a day it's gonna be when we join him in heaven our prayers are with you [Applause] TF ten he was a leader a preacher a mentor as a leader he innovated as a preacher he inspired as a mentor he invested we all know the wit and wisdom of TF tinnie we can all remember the unique quip the inspired phrase the profound thought the memorable idea and today I'm representing thousands of Ministers who have a testimony just as much as I would have but let me share my version on their behalf every one of them thinks they had a very special connection with brother tinny and they did of course I know I had a special connection you see the first thing is that I was from Louisiana and he always wanted to invest in preachers from Louisiana second thing I was a missionary kid my dad served under his leadership in fact I remember when I was just a young teen a preteen and he was the youth president he took a world tour in 1969 came to Korea one of only three visits that entire five-year term from America for the she's for Christ drive that was the purpose and and so that's my first recollection of brother tinnie as the youth president then of course the end of that year he was elected as foreign missions director and served in that capacity I remembered the interest he took in me as a young minister it's amazing in retrospect I was a lowly associate editor he asked me to come to the Louisiana district conference and speak an evening service on the doctrine of the new birth and then of course when we started Herson graduate school of theology he was a strong supporter because he believed in apostolic scholarship and of course sister tena you are a partner in that endeavor and I still appreciate the strength and so work that both brother and sister tenant gave later I had the privilege of serving with him on the general board when he was still District Superintendent on every issue he could bring an amazing historical perspective going back to the 60s 70s all the way up tell you exactly why when and how and give you insight for today and tomorrow and then when I became general superintendent he was an honorary board member and he was quite an encourage or quite a supporter he always wanted to help he always wanted to advance the kingdom of God I remember just a few years ago when we were discussing the relocation of world headquarters that was quite an event and he was for it but he wanted to make sure we covered all the bases so we told the story of when a team organ general superintendent 1967 from Louisiana was addressing the general board and suddenly died of a heart attack and there were some conspiracy theories that he was going to announce a new doctrine or something like that but brother tinnie had the the right story he knew the inside scoop he was going to talk about the relocation of world headquarters and he knew how challenging that would be and so brother Teddy just wanted me to know his general superintendent just be careful there some precedent here but as long as you know what you're doing as long as you've got your plan then I'm for you I just want to make sure you've got it covered even in the last couple years he talked to me about his desire for the work of God in Calcutta India I want to make sure that I as general superintendent would personally be involved in that and make sure it went according to plan and didn't fall by the wayside he was one of the key leaders of the United Pentecostal church international who has shaped who we are today we now have about four League 4 million constituents 225 nations and territories around the world 41,000 congregations in great measure to to people like brother tinny the leaders of his generation have shaped who we are today but far beyond the UPC ah he was also an apostolic Pentecostal ambassador one little interesting story when I was working under Brother Hall our editor-in-chief we had an occasion to communicate with one the leading Southern Baptist theologians and he had written a book that was amazing and describing the doctor of God in essentially the same ways as oneness pentecostals so we wanted to talk to him and we ask him if anybody else believed the way he did if he had encountered any others and and he said well when I was pastor of the Baptist Church in Doretta Louisiana there was a young boy I believe he baptized him in the Baptist Church and he said later he joined a Pentecostal church he became one of those Pentecostal preachers and we did talk about the doctrine of God and yes I think he and I would agree on the doctrine of God of course that was TF tinnie you never knew where his name or his influence would pop up when you talk theology when you talk the world Christian movement I will say this probably my most vivid recollection in the last few years is when brother tinny had the closing remarks at the funeral of James qohor one of his closest friends I was deeply stirred I saw brother tinny become very passionate and he went far beyond the memorable phrase into deep conviction and he quoted then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost he said I wanted to make sure that was quoted over my friend because that's what he gave his life to and then of course I'm paraphrasing as I remember it he said who will pick up this mantle that touched me deeply and you know I feel the same way today there's no one here that can take the place of TF tinnie however we can because he taught us that we can take this Jesus name Holy Ghost message everywhere and we can change our world [Applause] I was only 27 years old and whether 10 he was 34 years old when he asked me to come work for him at world evangelism Center and I'm supposed to represent the day today the old friends and it's been long enough that I guess 50 years or so that we could certainly classify as old friend sister tinny and today we want to honor a longtime friendship it was a step of faith for each of us because but attending didn't know Sue and myself but this was the beginning of a long and trusting relationship and a respect for each other any major move or change in our lives from that time on was always filtered and blessed by the one so many relied on by the tea of Tinian one of my first assignments from brother tinny was to purchase a camera I don't really think about taking pictures but I want you to buy me a camera that I can use to go around the world or a mission trip and take good pictures so the Instamatic Kodak cameras had just come out and I fixed him up with that in plenty of film and and on that world round trip he took great pictures enough that we developed our first she's for Christ's film strip from the pictures he had taken of going around the world but the attendee also showed great interest and concern for each of our children and grandchildren he would always ask how Brad and Marsha were doing I always remembered their names because of the love we all felt from the Tenney's our entire family loved them so much I realized that this type of caring was repeated over and over in the lives of all who are here today we all felt like we were special to brother sister today he made each of us feel that way I know you've had similar circumstances that you could relate to as well although there are many friends and relationships that we have through the years there was a special bond that developed many years ago when seven ladies pledging their care encouragement - Jenna - Jenna class who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and this group continued to pray and express concern for each other through those years those ladies were in our Lorene Gusterson leaders tinny Billy Lambert Cissy Roden Bush Jerry and get Rose Shirley Welch and my wife Sue and after they had plenty of time to get together and talk to pray and whatever they decided maybe they could include their husbands and their gatherings and we were included became a very compatible group of friends who made time in busy schedules to spend quality time together that was not always easy but it was a choice we made it was a wonderful time of relaxing we could be laughing one moment and crying the next we quickly became old friends we vacation together many times sometimes it was just spending an extra couple of days after General Conference sometimes it was a cruise for brother tinny and I kept the ice cream machine busy then there was Branson which he enjoyed and where we met many times together our last time being just after the conference last year well wonderful memories we have we all looked up to the titties as our mentors and dear friends the close of any get together whether they're on a cruise ship in a hotel room or in a condo in Branson brother today would arrange for a place to meet where we all shared our hearts and prayed for each other and our families whatever forget those special moments sister Finnian Seward I feel especially blessed because the titties have a second home in Branson and they would come there two or three times a year sometimes for extended stays years ago we could never have dreamed that we would be together in the same town enjoying our older years and having some fun times when they were in town we kept busy almost every day doing something but the Tenny would say sooo what are we doing tomorrow or they'll come by for coffee by 4:00 tomorrow you can come over at our place or he'd say I want to eat the Olive Garden over here and we would and we could be out driving and suddenly he would say maybe we ought to swing by Andy's frozen custard and we would he always wanted to take us to dinner somewhere really special before the left town to show appreciation and thanked us for our time together we will miss those times and it's very difficult to grasp that he won't be coming back again sister team affectionately call you we have birthdays on the same day I think you're not much older you said today I know I speak for thousands of others when I say please know that we will continue our support of you even though the bishop will not be with us we will talk and reminisce about the good times we had together and share sweet memories and yes there will be tears lots of Tears there will be hard for you to return to Branson without him but please do come back as often as you can Tommy and Jeanne Terry and Steve we love you as family and we're praying for you during this transition he loved you and those grams and great-grand so much and talked often about you all anytime soon would take a picture of he and sister teenie or with pictures they were here and he'd say sue send that to me he wanted to share it with his family you were never far from his thoughts we all just wanted you to stay with us forever and I'm not sure how or what will do without him his imprint will forgiver forever be all over our lives his voice admonishing but mostly encouraging us to carry on but the tea will be forever forever loved you and hold you up as an exemplary Christian and then highly revered and loved your departure has made our eyes dim with tears we miss you already o friend but we will read again and resume our friendship over there we'll pick up where we left off [Applause] brother Kenny was my loyal friend and mentor for more than 50 years he was also general director of global missions while we were serving as missionaries I'm going to focus on that part of our friendship today it was in 1969 and we were already missionaries in West Africa living and serving in starting churches when we got the news that the retiring youth director was elected as the foreign missions director as a young missionary I was so thrilled at the thought of a young visionary leader whom I believed could take us to new levels in missions work and he did just that under his leadership he and his team totally changed the face and the image of foreign missions when we were appointed as missionaries in 1969 the general concept of missionary work was a penny march on Sunday morning during Sunday school and whatever came in that month they would get it together and share it with the missionaries overseas brother Kenny began immediately to lift the image of the Ministry of a missionary to a higher level he promoted missionaries as heroes of the faith and world changers he felt missionary should be honored and provided for and he was going to do everything he could to honor and provide under his leadership faith promise concept of giving was launched and he promoted faith promise missions conferences across North America and missions giving begin to soar breaking giving records every year he and brother Edwin Judd together launched the partners and missions program which has proven to be one of the greatest blessings to the missionary outreach worldwide he started the overseas ministries department to coordinate literature and the importance of training worldwide and at this time I believe there are nearly 500 training programs overseas today because of the emphasis that he gave he initiated the Regional Director program employed in four regional directors because he realized one man could really not coordinate everything worldwide what a blessing that was further Brotherton he launched a worldwide revival emphasis money was raised at general conferences for Crusades worldwide and two of those Crusades were held in Ghana in the late g8 Mangan came along with Kenneth Phillips and in those days for nine hundred people to get the Holy Ghost in just a few nights was unheard of it was the beginning of a worldwide revival that continues on today those were the days of the evangelists Billy called Leo Upton and the Doyle spears family Steve the people around the world still talk about your preaching and your singing thank you it was also under brother Jenny's leadership along with SW chambers that the world conference fellowship was conceived and has now become brother Bernard the Global Council that includes national leadership from all over the world and all of this was accomplished in a little less than six years amazing and incredible that one man could be given the gift to lead and to encourage each one of us to do more to reach the world with the apostolic message today we our general director Bruce Howell and a retired director Harry sysm both of these men have served well there are many men here who are members of the global missions board many missionaries and retired missionaries are here today to the great fellowship of the United Pentecostal church thank you Louisiana for sharing TF Chandi with us and thank you sister tinny Thank You Tommy Thank You Terry for sharing the man of God with the whole wide world [Applause] before I begin my remarks this evening I just think it's right to express gratitude to pastor Anthony and Mickey Mangan and the Pentecostals of Alexandria for the way they have put this together in such a short order and you've put heart and energy and effort and you thanked me and thank you I'm honored that brother teeny planned his own memorial service I'm not surprised because he always had a plan for anything and everything but I'm thankful that he is allowing me to be a part of it the challenge is this man literally wrote the book on funerals it is the other black book that pastors go to when they need a funeral thought and here we are trying to honor the man who wrote the book on funerals so I'm simply going to say that Genesis 6:4 has an opening phrase where it states there were giants in the earth in those days and if ever that can be spoken about someone I will tell you there was a giant in the earth in these days and it was Tom Fred tinny I Melanie and I had been in de Ridder assisting there at that church and of course that was our introduction to the Louisiana district we had crossed the sabine from Texas and after our time there we were moving back to Texas and in 1990 during youth camp in fact I was speaking at one of the camps here on the campgrounds that golf cart began to make its way around that brother tinnie always drove and I heard a voice saying brother Scott have you got a minute and first I thought dear god what have I done then I said yes sir and I got on the golf cart and I had a golf cart invitation to serve Him as his administrative assistant I did not have to pray about it we literally never discussed money the answer was just absolutely yes I could not believe I had such an opportunity in reflection I was 24 years old and he was 56 I'm here tonight and I'm 52 and I've got on the front row here my 16 year old daughter and my 22 year old son and my 29 year old wife but I'm Marvel that a 56 year old man because at that time he was so old and wise and seasoned and experienced and especially when I consider where I am and I'm still a kid trying to find my car keys and my way through life we were here a few weeks ago the family Spencer Savannah Melanie and myself I had that inclination I didn't like the inclination but I knew we had a small window and we came and spent the day we toured the campgrounds he insisted he wanted he and sister tinny we every square inch we covered it all we talked we showed them the house we lived in we covered it everything and then of course we went back to their house my kids got to sing for brother tinny and sister tinny and speak and of course they prayed and all that but there was a conversation between Spencer and brother tinny and as they were speaking it struck me and I realized that as 22 and myself at 52 that was about what we had going in 1990 when I came to work for brother Tinian that was the dynamic he told me when he when he hired me he said son normally I would pick someone at least a decade older than you but I'm doing this intentionally he said I need to be around your generation he said I'm hiring you because I want you to sharpen me while I sharpen you I came out on the better into that deal the first day on the job his words were son we got a tiger by the tail grab hold anywhere you can and hang on the very first weekend I worked for the very first weekend I was working for him I drove him to one of the small Pentecostal churches that I had not heard of here in Louisiana and right off the bat I offended the pastor and his wife I didn't I was 24 I did not mean to I'm a third generation Pentecostal I have seen it I've experienced it I nothing rattles me but what took me by surprise is that it was the Sunday morning service and everybody knows Pentecost happens at Sunday night so that part had me for a little bit of a loop but then it was also the very first song and and all they said was well good morning and praise the Lord and immediately people started running and shouting and we it was Sunday morning and we had just started and I just leaned over to brother tinny and I said wow these folks love to run and I didn't know the pastor's wife heard me I was supposed to be sharpening him and I did not know that story until years later that he fixed that one for me and I'm grateful I have learned more about homiletics I have learned more about preaching it though I not even in his ballpark from this man than from any college course any workshop I've ever taken he let me as a 20-something study with him and for him on his sermons you know a lot of pastors and preachers protect their source they they tell you they got it at the gettin place they they forget that Solomon said there's nothing new Under the Sun and they hold onto it and I can appreciate that but this man took on the role of Jesus the ultimate mentor who let his disciples gather fish and bread and bring it to him and then he would of course do the multiplication and the miracle brother Jenny would do that he did the blessing the dividing and the multiplying but he let this lad gather loaves and fish and present it to him to see what he can do with it he'd let me work one time for a general conference sermon and he he would open that district office door and had a bell attached I don't know if it still does or not but if the first thing it hears the bell dinga dinga ding and then the next thing you'd hear is pam and then sometimes scott and we gather but he told me son i'm gonna preach on jacob i'm gonna preach on jacob and I want to cover how he deceived his father with the hair of a goat and I'm gonna call it a feel for the real and then he said get me everything you can on it what a rush [Applause] so I took my cd-rom that was our only Bible software program plugged it in and for a couple of days I worked and I studied and and I finally printed five pages of anything that stood out to me in that story and I presented it to him and he sat in his rocking chair and he began to read and he'd read and he'd read and then he checked a mark General Conference I don't remember what year it was but I will tell you this he was preaching to thousands and one of my points made it [Applause] the crowd was on their feet heaven kissed earth and at about 24 that was the first General Conference I ever preached I knew then I'm on my way but he let me be a part of the miracle he was an avid reader he'd read anything in fact his idea of unwinding was when he would just read the National Geographic constant student block pen in his hand reading and he would do checkmarks if he liked the sentence or a paragraph and then give Pam the book and type out the parts that I like and and he told me son read anything and everything and when you read a book take with you two tools you need a shovel and you need a pitchfork some things you dig into some stuff you pitch but there's always something good in fact he's the one that's stressed to me that a man who won't read has no advantage over a man who can't read he'd listened to sermons from people from all walks of life and denominations he wanted the pastors and the ministers of the Louisiana district to be readers to be well read to be growing in knowledge every sectional meeting every sectional banquet we would load the acts 2:38 mobile with books and we would go to every one of those events pushing people to read to grow brother Anthony and I were talking about this brother Cox and I talked about this where if there's a few of us men who have been been privileged to have two spiritual fathers next only to my father this man has influenced and molded my life like no other he has admonished me he has coached me he has chided me he has challenged me and he has always loved me and had my back he told me son I'm gonna give you a hundred things to do you'll do ninety nine right I'll see the one you did wrong well he prophesied that one correctly there was a giant in our land he was the king of the one-liners when he I pushed him to get on Twitter I was one of many I knew when this man goes on Twitter he long before Twitter he was tweeting he could talk up with presidents and Senators and governors and statesmen and then he could transition into the language of every man and let you know that I'm a farm boy who knows which end of the cow gets up first his leadership and his diplomacy were second to none his passion for the word and the Ministry of the word was unparalleled in fact in his last days he he struggled with a cloud of depression and he expressed it to us and I know he told others he said I'm my struggle is two things number one is because I can't see well enough to read and I I miss reading and then secondly I'm not getting to preach and son the fire is still in me he texted me one day recently and said if you can sneak up on the Lord and ask him why is he slowing me down so soon I've been with him at the White House I've been with him on the Senate floor I've been in the governor's mansion and I've been in nursing homes I've been to hog scoldings which if you don't know what that is that's a church business meeting I've watched him deal firm deal firm grace with someone who has fallen morally I've seen him go the second mile to make sure restoration was done right he'd stand toe to toe with anyone anywhere one time there was a man who was running for governor here who had been I won't mention his name because Brotherton he was very diplomatic but I will tell you this man's background had in it white sheets and burning crosses and yet he declared that he was intolerant in his youth but he had converted and he came to the office and why brother tinny let me in on that meeting I don't know but I was quiet and I was listening and brother Teddy just looked right through and said talk to me about your conversion so you've converted tell me about your conversion and of course it was vague and then he asked who's your pastor and this man this candidate said oh well not the pilot I have is a retired minister and that's my pastor and he said sonnies he's not a pastor he's a pilot and he finally said we don't endorse anyone and I'm not going to endorse you but I want to pray for you and I watched him lay hands on that man and say Lord only you and this man know his heart and I'll let you deal with that and he prayed over a man and I just knew again I'm with a giant in the land if if Mohammed Ali was the king of the rope-a-dope rope-a-dope and the ring my mentor was the king of the rope-a-dope and the boardroom you couldn't put him in a corner that acts 2:38 mobile I've driven it on interstates and I've driven it on red dirt roads he never needed a map to any Pentecostal church in Louisiana didn't matter how many cattle guards you crossed he knew where the church was and he knew somebody in that church and he liked to give directions anyone who's driven him knows if you picked him up at his house to drive to the top NACO he tell you turn here you're gonna want to turn here yes sir I live here [Applause] but I got to tell you about those license plates acts 2:38 we'll get you a lot of places and in the state of Louisiana the only thing better than that license plate would that we two have red and blue lights on your car because we could move and I've been stopped a few times and I've had more than one officer give me my driver's license back and just say well listen let me encourage you to slow down and tell Reverend tinny I said hello I missed that when the gig was up it didn't work the same he was an ambassador not just to his fellowship but to the body of Christ he loved to go to the National broad religious broadcasters convention he and brother GA Mangan would go together and sister Vesta doesn't need to know this but the first thing that brother GA would do is at the airport stopping by all the candy he could and say don't tell Lane but I've seen men who have worldwide known ministries stop and hug and say Tom Fred and he hugged them and I realized they knew one another by name he loved me and mine as if we were his own my kids were privileged to call him pop all tinny and me me tinny they've sung for him and loved on him and of course they have prophesied and imparted and prayed over my kids we're rich we are rich in love and legacy he nicknamed Melanie sunshine one thing that happened while we were again we were a young couple as we discovered while working at the district office that we had fertility challenges we didn't know that and so the good doctors here in Rapids Parrish had us working on rhythms and schedules and sometimes I'd have to leave the office because faith without works is dead and brother tinny got the biggest kick out of that but sometimes I'd say well I need to head home to the CG weeks house which I hope they've remodeled because and this giant could get a boyish grin Scott yes sir where are you going and he just smiled a little while later I'd come back to work and he'd just look at me and say well his passion and his fire never waned in fact he texted me last fall and he said the doctors tell me I've got to lay low for 90 days I can't travel don't tell fetus but I'm gonna fudge on that timeline TF tinnie was the closest to being omniscient of anyone I know he just knew he knew he knew what you were doing he knew where you were he knew what you did not want him to know I attended an unsanctioned event one time just that for a look-see and before I started my car to leave the phone rang and he said what are you doing there how do you know another time I conducted a board meeting and we dismissed the board meeting and I loaded the car and as I was leaving he called and he just started right out and say he said why didn't you talk to him about adjusting the budget how do you know we were talking about a budget I've seen him approach young pastors and ministers and just say hey you know what you're doing stop it and I don't know if the young minister knew what he was or wasn't doing but I promise you he stopped something I want to conclude a lot of great men of God have come lived their life they have impacted the world and then they've gone to their reward they raised up sons in the Lord but it ends there I could name names of powerful ministries strong strong ministries apostles you think of their name you hear their name and in a conjure up just a sense of all but when they died it died with them because many great ministerial legacies many great apostles when that father passed from the scene I believe what it was as they found so much fulfillment in their the ground they covered and their anointing and their gifting that while they raised up sons when they are gone their sons don't know how to father their sons are still sons so the legacy ends maybe that's why Paul said the ratio is about 10,000 instructors to not many fathers we have a great disparity a lot of instruction versus those who will let you do it and let you learn TF 10 II did not father sons he fathered others he taught us how to become fathers there's a difference his legacy will live on because what he had he imparted to us and he made room for other men and women to father and mentor others he told me Pam can attest to this that God would often give him a funeral message before a key death I've seen it happen God would put an impression on him he would literally craft a message and then there would be a key death in the organization or in Louisiana and he knew now I know that message was for this death I've witnessed that many times I was in Canada in British Columbia in fact on the day that brother tinny passed due to the time difference I was asleep just about five hours before he had passed I knew he had about his situation sister tinny and I were talking but he came to me in a dream on the morning of his passing he was strong he had that fire and fervor like we've seen in the pulpit and he was admonishing me and he looked right at me and he said Scott you have got to revive your passion for fervent prayer it is the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails much and then he told me use the name exercise your authority and the holy spirit son you've got it now use it I woke up and about two hours later I had a text he had passed and for me it was just a moment of realizing my mentor had something to say to me as he was in transition and all the great saints of Louisiana and all the great pastors and the men of the women men and women of God of this this organization in this district we can all say there was a giant among us but he has still given us that fervency in prayer the power the name of Jesus and our authority and the Holy Ghost to the children I've learned this if you're going to bury your father you have to dig very deep to the grandson to sister tinnie your loved one he's no longer constrained by time and space he's with the movers and shakers he's literally a Louisiana phrase he's in high cotton it's called the great cloud of witnesses he has influence like he's never had influence he's close by where there's intercession being made day and night and I will tell you he'll talk to you more than he's ever talked to you he'll show up sister Mangan and I were talking you'll catch a smell of something and it'll make you realize he's here you'll hear a song and you'll know he's here he can do more for you now than he ever could before now in heaven there is a giant among them I honor the memory of my mentor [Applause] when peace [Music] my son like see [Music] Wow me to say it is it is where my Lucy [Music] though try Korres makeup sure control [Music] we go did my head [Music] [Music] mice it is [Music] with my soul [Music] my so [Music] - range hi [Music] clowns boudoir to say [Music] he was with me Jesus because turn the arms of God it is well Oh with my [Music] my what [Music] oh well with my son [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Applause] would you praise Jesus with me right now would you give him great glory and honor oh he's worthy of praise tonight Jesus Jesus Jesus name above every day we honor you we love you Jesus you may be seated it's an extreme extreme honor to be here tonight I think I'm the only speaker so far who was not born out of this church and out of this movement I know he loved you but he loved me too he loved him and he loved many like me that I represent and that man changed my life there's a scripture in Genesis 49 and verse 22 the old man Jacob was calling his boys in and laying hands on him speaking prophetic blessing that would follow them the rest of their life and he gets to Joseph and he says three things about Joseph he says Joseph you are a fruitful bough or garden and then he said by a whale and then the third thing and he said and your vines will go beyond the walls and I thought about TF tinnie many years ago he found a whale not multiple whales he's taught me well there's one whale and that whale is Jesus there's no other name there's no other way there's no other message but Jesus and when he found that whale he couldn't keep it to himself and God said to Joseph because you went beyond the walls you could have stayed in your garden and it's the most amazing garden but you couldn't stand it knowing that there were people on the outside who had never tasted live in water who had never experienced power and anointing like you take for granted and he said I must go beyond the walls and God told Joseph and I believe it's a word for many of you here today cuz there's a lot of Joseph's in this room he said the cost of that I'm going to give you double you'll have two tribes all the other boys had one tribe but you'll have two tribes Manasseh and Ephraim and Tom TF Tennessee if Kenny had two tribes he had a tribe inside the walls and he loved and honored his amazing amazing church I have nothing but respect for you I have nothing but honor and amazement at the beauty of what God is doing inside these walls but there's also another tribe that he had outside these walls and for some reason Vitas one day when I didn't know the storm that was coming to our life brother 10 he threw of a vine over the wall and he made his way to Georgia and my wife who and sitting on that front row at a time when we wouldn't have a ministry today I wouldn't have a church I wouldn't have anything because the enemy had a master plot and plan but there came a man and his wife and his wife his wife is just as powerful as he is the wife is just as I'm Lorna and they they loved us back to life he poured living water into me he loved me he helped me he straightened me out he helped Cherise and they loved us through crisis and we will never ever ever forget the vine that went beyond the wall and I just really want to say that Anthony maintenance and all of these phenomenal preachers God's promise to you is that as you go beyond the walls you don't change or compromise anything you believe but as you go beyond the walls God will give you double inside here and there are men out there and they're women out there who need your voice who need your anointing who need your message who need to drink from your whale because there's nothing like it and I love you I love you fetus you're not alone we're not gonna leave you alone we will never leave you alone you are part of us Tommy tinny I love you like a brother and you will never be alone in Terry I love you I love your grand his grandchildren great-grandchildren and I honor you may the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine on you may the Lord be gracious unto you may he lift up his countenance upon you and may he give you peace coz you sure gave it to us in our darkest night we loved [Applause] love you too Jensen love you dad love you church love you Jesus and the King talked with gazai the servant of the man of God saying tell me I pray thee all the great things that Elisha have done that 2nd Kings chapter 8 verse 4 and the stilted language of King James and the more easily versed colloquial language of the message Bible the King asked aJE's I the question this way he says tell me some stories of the great things that Elisha did reason he asked that question of Gaza is because days I was in a unique position as lifelong servant of days I was the lifelong servant of Elisha I don't know that I was the lifelong servant of my dad but I've been the lifelong son of my dad so perhaps that uniquely positions me to tell some stories about my dad the tentacles of his ministry were long enough to reach around the world but short enough to wrap around our home and I bet no one here today knows how good he could dance all of these dignified photographs that they have been placing on these screens leave one particular aspect of his life just unresolved for you that around his kids and his grandkids well as we say in Louisiana he would let his hair down which for him that wasn't very much he would make this statement I bet you didn't know I could do this and at that point he would bust some moves that were the absolute worst dance moves you have ever seen in your life but to his grandkids it was delightful and to to the delight of the rehab center he was living in one day about two weeks ago he told my mom somehow there were some music playing and my dad with all of his spirituality he never got delivered from a mischievous streak that just could not be prayed out of him and I for one am glad that he never lost that because it lets the rest of us know that you don't have to be sanctimonious to be spiritual that you can be normal and spiritual in fact only a privileged few of you here you've heard the incredible preaching of bishop TF tinning but very very few of you here have ever heard the incredible skillful storytelling ability of bishop TF Tenny as he weaves the narrative of goofy Mickey and the Garbage Pail story I can't hold a candle to that while all of you here tonight call him Bishop the highest honorific title he was ever bestowed was dad or perhaps even pawpaw because about 30 years ago he started saying to me and my sister if he had known how great grandkids were he would have had them first and then to the dismay of the grandkids when the great grandkids came along he told the grandkids if he'd known how great the great grandkids were he would have had them first my dad was an unmatched investor I don't know if you know that Warren Buffett was no match for him he invested in property literally to make sure - and to ensure that we would always spend time together as family the first extravagant purchase he made to ensure that we would spend time together as a family was a fish camp on the Bayou Beth in the expensive area to the east of Columbia Louisiana in the just just west of just south of a bear I don't know if any of you know where a bear Louisiana is it's not on your GPS it's close to mr. mots bait camp the Bayou Beth fish camp had no air conditioning in fact it had no hot water it it had a chipped pink bathtub that was parked at a judicious angle on a screened porch in the back on the back porch that the only way you got hot water to it is my mom had to heat hot water on the stove my sister and I had to share hot water at this luxurious fish camp but we spent time together I learned how to scale fish that place could be affectionately called a sweat box and learned how to clean fish if we caught fish that's a big if because my dad used to say that he could sell tickets to the fish to to watch us he could sell tickets to the fish just to watch us in the boat trying to fish he could sell tickets to the fish to raise money for she's for Christ's because my sister would be playing Barbie dolls in the bottom of the boat while my mom would was probably the best Fisher woman and my dad and his straw hat and heaven help us if we drifted up under a limb that had a snake on it and the memories that that I have of that but 50 years later there there's a house and Branson on a golf course and we're still going there as families to spend time together and it's really not about a house it's all about the time because he prioritized family above anybody here the one thing I can tell you that I never had to compete with you from my dad's attention [Applause] never had to compete with any church from my dad's attention I never had to compete with any district function any conference at times he had to be gone for my birthday that might at my house right now and I've got a little memento box that still no Maya dresser at home there's just some things that I always know where they are of known where they are for I'm 62 and I've known where they are for for over 50 years I've just some things I've always known where they are and one of those things is a telegram that I got when I was 14 years old when my dad was in India he couldn't make it home from my birthday and I don't know if you understand the days before cellphones when you're charged for every word but it was hi son I'm in India you're the telegram out that meant you had to drive to wherever Bob Roden Bush could tell you but you had to drive to a place where you could get every word out in it it was metered and just to make sure that the telegram could get delivered and he wanted to make sure that even though he knew and I knew ahead of time he wasn't going to be there that it didn't bother me that he wasn't there but I still have the telegram I never felt shortchanged I felt honored because if the United States of I can send a Secretary of State around the world then the kingdom of heaven can have diplomats to serve and I was honored that my dad was a diplomat he started taking me on diplomatic missions when I was age 12 I became a global citizen he taught taught me something that then allowed me to model something that I began to take my children at age 12 they became global citizens that that now they can find their way around London without a map they can jump on the tube they know their way around the cities of the world if you're going to impact the world you have to know the world I learned things at a young age I learned about the Prince of Darkness and the power of light and why you should always close the windows and that there were no foxes under my bed when I was eight years old I know that sounds like a jumble of things to you but every eight-year-old should know those things first of all I thought there were foxes under my bed that meant that you if you have foxes under your bed you can't just walk up to your bed and get in bed because they bite your toes when you walk up to the bed so that means you have to take a running leap to jump in bed every kid has certain fears but that was just my fear you know things that go bump in the night and the darkness in the closet then there's there's there's real fears and I'll never forget the night that I was eight years old and not just foxes under the bed but darkness came in my house and I'm not I'm not I'm not saying these things to scare you I'm saying these things because they were absolutely true the Prince of Darkness came into my room as sure as I'm standing here and as sure as I know the voice of God and I was awakened by the Prince of Darkness as the window over my bed a black blob came in to my room covered me like a blanket woke me up as a terror in the night I could not breathe I felt absolute terror I jumped up and like any kid the only thing you know to do run and jump in the middle between your mom and dad how many of you did the same thing when I did that my dad woke up and he immediately realized what had happened because perhaps it was even that day that he had just returned that my mom's nodding her head that it was that day I'm I'm only eight and all I know is something came in the window he realized what had just happened that an evil spirit had followed him home from India and he knew that what he had to was closed the window and with me following him he said come on some we've got to close the windows and as casually as he could he went to every door in every window in our house and he just went through the house and he said I plead the bud I plead the blood I plead the blood I plead the blood I plead the blood I plead the blood I plead the blood and he said son I just came back from India and the evil spirit followed me and I'm sorry I didn't close the windows and I it's okay now you can go to bed and I learned about Prince of Darkness and the power of light and I was able to go back to sleep and from eight years old I learned you have nothing to fear he shared the delicious recipe for the secret sauce of loving one woman deeply for the entirety of one's life thank you Dad he we like heartedly competed about how many countries each other had preached in right outside that door to the left hand side there's a little plaque with pins in it that came from his house of the office and I can tell you how many pens there are in there it's a 115 because he kept reminding me and I've only reached 70 maybe now dad I'll catch up he left me with them a gold more important than amassing money and that is reaching the world he taught me about that making memories was more important than buying souvenirs some of these memories I'll never forget I'll never forget the memory of the alcoholic monkey we were in Port of our yarda and it was a I wouldn't call it a zoo it was one monkey in a cage oh there was a lion I'm sorry I forgot the lion and my dad leaned in to look at the monkey and the monkey stole his glasses and it was just a chain-link fence and and and it had just a little little little slip locked anybody could open and my dad just went around the side and he was aggravated because the monkey just stole his glasses and threw him over in the cold corner and my dad just went in and opened the gate and what inside the chain-link fence and went to reach for his glasses and that monkey climbed up to his leg and bit him four times my dad closed the gate and called for the management said that monkey made me a little bitty monkey and and the man said oh okay no problem we know what to do and a few minutes the man came down with pina colada not a virgin pina colada and my dad thought it was for him my dad said no no I don't need that I just need my glasses and he said no sir that that's not for you that's for the monkey and he said well what do you mean he said no the monkey will steal anything he can offer people when they lean in he'll steal the lady's necklace he'll steal glasses he's an alcoholic monkey guy and he steals things so he can get his pina coladas and the only way we can get it back from him is bringing him his pina coladas so we're brought him his pina coladas it will give it to him so now we can go in and get your glasses my dad had to go get rabies shots because of the alcoholic monkey and we've never forgot we don't need souvenirs we have memories alcoholic monkeys he took us places let us live things have you ever woke up in the morning cold because your spouse stole the covers this past Saturday was my the first morning that I woke up uncovered because my dad was not there to pray for me as he had every day for the past 62 years of my life it felt cold sunday was almost as difficult as Friday the day of his death woke up Saturday it was cold because I felt uncovered Friday was difficult the day of his death Sunday was even almost just as difficult because there's a tradition I woke up Sunday morning my phone gets charged beside the bed and I instinctively I reached from my phone and it's habit out of habit I reach for my phone and the first thing I look for is the text from my dad because every Sunday morning I get a text from my dad and it's short it's just something like preach good have great church praying for you and after I reached for my phone and and flipped it over it dawned on me I'm not gonna get that text I realized I'm I'm not ever gonna get that text again and it hurt and I posted something about it and much to my amazement I found out I'm not the only one that he was sending those texts to in fact how many how many anybody else in the year was he sending texts like that to hold your hand up whole Genda come on and I posted that and I must have got over 150 he never told me that that's my dad he made everybody feel like you're the only one I thought he was doing it because I'm his son I haven't yet preached since he's been gone between now and this next Sunday again I'm pretty positive to this he caught the chariot that means the mantle is still floating in the air I miss his prayers I didn't get the text the mantle is floating I'm gonna try to catch it but I think that I think that there's a bunch of us gonna try to catch it and I shouted after that that chariot and I said hey hey don't forget as much as it is within a son to inherit what a father can give the next time I step up to speak I'm positive I'm gonna have his support night before last I was helping my mom clean out his closet I took the liberty of trying on a pair of my dad's shoes I'm not saying that I or anyone else will ever fill a pair of my dad's shoes but I am wearing them tonight but I had to wear two pair of socks and I encourage anybody else we've got some growing to do but if God can call a 16 year old boy from BullGuard parish and do with him what he did with TF tinny he can do something with you let's go get it [Music] when I made my start for heaven I could only find one way of road and let me through [Music] folks [Music] miles of sudden miles of smiles and pain this roads been rough I again would choose the same [Music] Oh you I see a sign you're not your father from your victory [Music] I although it's dusty and for years it's more [Music] [Applause] there are some times when I hurt my my body burns from the sweat [Music] my street completely juris my face mocks my back it's Benz from the strain [Music] [Music] would after can turn some may be using my pegs I see one [Music] [Music] people I see this island Romeo [Music] [Music] although it's done and it's all years it's already turned [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you may be seated I chose today just stay down here to be close to Daddy I want to first say thank you for all the miles you've driven thank you for the money you've spent and the time you've invested to come honor my father he loves you it didn't take long being with my dad to know where his heartbeat really was and you've raised heartbeat I don't know if you really understand the depth and the breadth that my dad would reach but my dad was comfortable with presidents with governors and with little kids it didn't matter your state in life and it didn't matter your name or what your pedigree was daddy just simply didn't care my daddy left people loved people and I have heard many accolades of his today and they're all true my dad was an orator he was an author he was an administrator he was a mentor and he was a friend but today all I have to say if I was his little girl I stand here to take a grown woman with five grandchildren but it never ever failed the minute I rocked in a room with my dad Oh daddy's little girls here I always knew he loved me and the man that was with me the longest that's gave me the most memories has now become a memory and all the things that he instilled and not only me but in all of you our warrior may have gone before us our warrior may have laid down his shield but his light still shines and every one of you because he left you and I'm not gonna be the accolades of all the things that he did because I just wanted to stand here today that's his little girl and I really have no words to say except daddy I'm sure gonna miss you life could only bring in the days I took for granted with her voice as just a call what I give just time to share these there's so much I'd really like to say I can never go [Music] the things we I saw those precious in my mind [Music] I'll take what you've instilled in me I tried [Music] and walk the path you have lived behind I shall miss you [Music] fool [Music] you each passing day is not much pain with God's grace length remains how to miss you sweep with you [Music] the little things seem so small are now gold in a memory vault and I'll cherish every one I have [Music] now I can see in red the part you played to shape my life and I often see you in the things I do God's design and last aflame we saw the hurting man as we would say goodbye to those so Dean [Music] with our family [Music] you Evon slender and I miss you [Music] the same with you not me each passing day is brought much pain we laser straight I sure miss you but heaven Sweden with you I sure miss you but heaven Sweden with you [Music] look if we do that hidden God good I think we'll give a big hand clapping shouting on her brother tinny in his life we ought to get praised to God for the things that he has done [Applause] [Music] Heloise [Music] [Applause] hallelujah gotta give you honor for this great land let the anointing of God touch our lives tonight in the great way god bless you may be seated it's a brother and sister Bernard to brother Mooney and brother sister Jones and to our general Board to our speakers and singers you were just tremendous tri distinguished guests from our church our city and our state and the hundreds of ministers and wives and my dear friends that should be speaking and me sitting with the family along with all the missionaries and their wives brother teeny was something else we were at a Funeral one time and this preacher was getting ready to preach and it said homily and I said what is a homily he said that's a short message so after tonight I think I know it will I'm gonna change mine from a message to a homily if you don't mind but you know he always had his say in when he started funerals he said especially we're honoring a patriarch he would start with these words traditional Jewish mourning is seven days he said Deuteronomy 34 night the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days he said it takes time to bury a patriarch it took 110 days in Egypt to have Jacobs funeral then we traveled to Canaan ed a funeral for seven more days so if you don't mind I'm gonna take 20 or 30 more minutes flags that have masked till the nation's loss but there are no symbols of words that can tell the love and sorrow that fill our hearts tonight in this sanctuary and yet out of the depths of our grief arised the feelings of the truest gratitude and Thanksgiving in shouts of praise for the nobility of example the uncommon leadership of our peerless fearless leaders life there is no death for such as TF tinny if the Lord tarries the ages to come will Revere his name for unnumbered generations of the children of men shall rise up to call him i blessed hero his anointed words and mighty works and acts that impeccable character will go on to bless the lives of the generations that are to follow and that which seems death to our eyes was simply his translation from the Lord to the heavenly he shall be remembered forever he shall be alive forever he shall be speaking forever and the people both now and tomorrow shall hear him forever - sister tini our first lady for 27 years - Tommy and his wife Jeannie and tearing her husband husband Stephen till you five outstanding grandchildren Shane Shannon Tiffany Natasha and Andra Andrea and nine great-grandchildren all your families he loved each of you to death you were the center of his universe and he would have laid down everything for y'all's lives and Pam know you're from another planet and to the members of his extended family to this great POA church without dispute the United Pentecostal Church International and the evangelical circles around the world have suffered this great great loss this home going tonight of TFP any one of the greatest Christian leaders in champions of expository preaching and mentor to not only preachers and leaders of the United Pentecostal church but also to in evangelical leaders of this generation let me pause to add if you don't mind there are some here tonight and not present with us that are now baptizing the name of Jesus and filled with the spirit because of brother tinny reaching out beyond the United Pentecostal church to all of you thousands that are watching by way of the web and those of you gathered in this sanctuary we're all one mind that not one of us tonight nor all of us together can crown this great man for the memory of seventy years of ministry for it was 16 year old teenager which by the way when I received the text I asked for it to come and I'm not comfortable behind this pulpit because I've never spoken from behind this pulpit but when I found out but brother Smith had it he brought it from Illinois this is the purse first pulpit that brother tinny preached behind in de Ridder Louisiana so I considered a great honor as his posture to stay in here tonight knowing that he wasn't physically right the last few days but spiritually he finished strong he kept the faith he stayed the course and he crossed the finish line in a blaze of glory a week ago Sunday in that chair where you see those rows there he held high the truth in the torch for the sake of time though I plan I'm not gonna play that tonight but man he prophesied over us that you want to see that clip to the people of diverse backgrounds and creeds in culture the pulpit was his throne and he filled it like a king and the pulpit was the world and he could say with the Apostle Paul I have magnified my office eternity alone will reveal the impact of this powerful anointed preaching and his unforgettable sermons in a life a good fortune he valued above all else brother Tina's value was on the god-given gift of the most talented anointed wife Sita scorned tinnie that a man could have to attend of your powerful teacher your anointed preacher you're a skilled administrator you have the gift of government together I want to pause and let the United Pentecostal church understand what has walked among us unless we take it for granted they pioneered an incredible number of programs that's going to shocked you when I start naming them that have become funnel mill ministries of the United Pentecostal church this couple I can't talk about brother tinny without talking about sister teeny this couple began the first youth camp this couple began Bible quizzing this couple began the first Youth Congress that had thirty five thousand at it this past summer this couple began the first women's conference this couple began the first Men's Conference this couple began the first singles ministry this couple began the first district music department this couple began the first Allstate youth choir this couple began the first Allstate Talent Competition all these program came from TF and Thetis Kenny that's amazing Men's Conference in every district that's brother Timmy Women's Conference that sister Timmy that's amazing Louisiana and the tinnies would leave and all other districts would just follow one of the biggest things he started brother Roden Bush was what you recognize was our partner in mission program all because they were a man and wife team that had a mission and they were path makers but other of us were able to follow so close and so dependent on each other President Reagan's vice president George HW Bush for years said this the president passed through a thousand crowded places during his career but there was only one person who can make him lonely by just leaving the room and that was his wife Nancy and that was true a brother and sister tinny there was only one person that can make him lonely by just leaving the room and that was used sister tinny and your two cups of coffee every day he wanted you by his side and you stayed there and as your pastor I give you honor you stood by your man and this United Pentecostal church sister teenie gives you honor for your great life tonight you're an unbelievable lady maybe seated everyone in this room owned a piece of them you have many teachers but not many fathers Mike and Debbie and I were together last weekend when it all happened Debbie just simply said it's like I lost my father and for 15 years Mike you had in there for Father's Day and as his pastor I appreciate that they've counseled us they've encouraged us they befriended us they fought battles for us he identified with us in good times and bad times you know the counsel of this wise giant especially since I lost my father he always had a word of wisdom about whatever dilemma I was in he always made you feel better Brotherton he always made you feel important he never descended or talked down to you and what was great about him is if I said brother Kenny I need to talk to you about we need to swim the river together with this I knew it was confidential enough that it would not even be going to sister penny he was a confident we're all in their debt he could walk into general board doing him I only had the privilege of serving their two years of executive presberg but I watched and observed as you did such a great job handling that meeting but when we reach crisis and when the temperature was rising every General board member sort of back up let's hear what brother teeny has to say about it let brother teeny cast his verdict on it and without fail what was in a general boardroom or whether it was on our conference floor when brother teeny got through we all felt at peace Brotherton he came into pentecost and he became the bridge from those great men our pioneers our founders of the Pentecostal movement and the later generation he bridged us together the knowledge that this man has the history of this district and where it all began for the Jesus name movement and the the latter day down all the way from the Quincy up through kinder those great places he knew these churches and the people of this district he was just legendary he he considered and we considered him the the resident historian he he was something else he knew Louisiana now lest you think that I think that the only thing he could do is walk on water let me break it down to some carnal things about brother tini in this organization he knew the political landscape and the politics of the United Pentecostal church he was as savvy as any man I've ever seen in the political arena of the United Pentecostal church so my generation we named for the ocean whom you all know I love dearly and had the privilege of speaking his funeral we decided brother Shem was the Godfather and that brother tinny and brother canal and brother Lumpkin was the loominatee when dime I went and I got there early for a day and they came out of general board meeting in my father-in-law brother Lumpkin and by the Tinian brother canal were we're eating dinner together or lunch together and I went and set out with him and I'd been in the lobby a little bit and I said man I think brother Ocean may be in trouble I said I'm worried about it and my father-in-law still dealing with a probably a little arrogant young son-in-law he looked at me and say may be in trouble with the fellas you run with but he's not in trouble with this organization [Applause] he said your crew don't run this organization so you mean it's run by the dead none revivalist don't believe in the gifts of spirit and you could pick their burden up with a pair of tweezers brother teenies glasses came off he said son the book of James says be quick to listen and slow to speak in that time all I knew that I had to be nice brother tini knew everything Scott he knew when you were account meeting he sits there with a book and if you wasn't there he had called you he knew when you wouldn't it kept meeting he knew if you wasn't a district conference he knew if you hadn't signed the affirmation statement so you had to be good for goodness sake he knew everything he knew everything he was sit on that plan for he was just something else he was famous for his one-liners some might offend pancake that doesn't have two sides main thing to keep the main thing the main thing if you can't say man look Amen in life one either dies young or he dies ugly there are some people who belong to the hallelujah what's it to you club instead of fishers of men some of you become keepers of the aquarium too many churchgoers who are singing standing on the promises while they're sitting on the premises and he was famous for those tweets on eternity to do the most good on earth think the most about eternity he tweeted out hole with a loose grasp anything that is not eternal the game we're in is the Super Bowl the Indy 500 the World Series all rolled up in one we win this one or else the wind or loss is eternal there is no cheat sheet for the judgment seat of Christ the exams are taken graded and in before you ever get there we all die the goal isn't living forever it is create something that will at the end of the road whether you're in life whether you on the broad of the narrow you're gonna meet the same person at the end goodbye here's hello there her sunset is heaven sunrise the release of the temple leads to the grasp of the eternal he said treasures in heaven laid up only as treasures in earth or laid down jesus is coming soon who will be caught up with him those who are caught up with him now David crossed on a ferry Elijah cross in a chariot angel angels took Lazarus I wonder what the god of adversity was send after me death can't kill what won't die dead Saint is more alive than a living center my departed loved ones are with him he's with me then we are awfully very close when he talked about his age he said getting old is the hardest job I've ever had I'm just grateful that so far I've been successful at it I was recently introduced as an icon I told them last time I checked the dictionary and Kahn was an antique religious really I guess I qualified your only though when your memory exceeds your dreams my problem is I have a 2017 Roy's Roy's engine in 1933 male body the measure of a man is how he handles power once you become sold out to Christ you become a best seller because you're the book that everybody wants to read smallest deed is better than the greatest intention any man who is too big to sweep the platform is too little to stand on it man can be too big for God to use but never too small it is your job to humble yourself I love this one it is God's job to promote you if you insist on doing God's job he will do your job I will admit some days I feel like a Shetland pony in the Kentucky Derby you cannot live a perfect day without something for someone who will never be able to repay ministry love people more than you love preaching the finals will be giving at the judgment seat of Christ preaching for God's sake preach not philosophy or speculation don't promise a banquet and serve ku will preach until hail rattles and the church is revived no man will wet eyes will ever preach a dry sermon preached ever sermon like your son was sitting on the back seat giving Church one last chance the leader is mentioned only six times in the Bible but servant is mentioned 900 times it is not the Great Commission it's the great go mission oh those unforgettable sermons regardless of your Creed your color or your condition those of us that can be backed into the corner of the circumstances of life always found hope and new reason for living those in the midnight of discouragement we found hope and encouragement salvation and healing and when my pastor stepped in the pulpit whatever the occasion it was like Allstate Insurance you knew you were in good hands if Kiev teeny was in the pulpit he signed off every ministers funeral that I ever attended with these words I will speak the last thing over this man that will be spoken and here are the words then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and today I speak that over my pastors life you may be seated I'm gonna skip some other stuff to reduce this from a message to homily and I'm about done but in the final words please indulge me to go a little personal here just a moment Miki and I our family have been privileged and blessed for all of our lives to be acquainted with the tinnies their friends said here Kenneth and Wanda brother-sister crafts many more that I could name but they these people's honored them at Bo TT they were my heroes and I looked to these people as the example that I wanted to follow but the last two and a half years when God directed me to bring brother and sister tini on staff at the POA they gave us a distilled essence of their lives some of the greatest staff devotions he would sit there would get him and he would speak to our staff there'd be staggering words I just wish I could sit there say oh my god I wish so General Conference could hear this I wish PTT could hear what this man is spitting out to the staff can I tell you the an estimate of each visit or call meeting with them it caused the flame to burn more brightly in my heart and in my preaching fo hearing around the world sister Teddy something you don't know that I will tell you now but in the last year brother tini called Mickey and I twice and he said I want to see you pastor and he said I don't want to see him at your home and he said don't be in a hurry he said I need a minimum of an hour I said okay brother tini come on so he came walked in and and he said I'm on staff here and I said yes sir he said well you need to use me more he said you got all this counseling he said I can take a lot of that offer you I said I know brother tinny I said but the problem is brother tinny we've been taking you to the hospital in amesys and he got so tickled he just started dying laughing he said you know that's the truth no wonder I haven't been able to counsel I said the only place I could send them would be to your hospital room he was so funny he said then I'm worried about you paying me in this staff day and I said brother tinny if you will just keep breathing I will keep paying you your knowledge your wealth what you've given to my generation what you offered to this church I can never pay you enough any left and he called me a few weeks later he said I I neither comes I need to come back to that same meeting I won't Mick you there because Mickey he want to make it everything you know our wedding if you'll remember Kenneth I got mixed up Mike and I said I was gonna say simply Mickey and I said simply Nikoli so he always called Mickey Mickey after our wedding so I said come on brother Tinian so he said I just got a favor to ask he said I don't know how much longer I have Mickey can vouch for all this he said I just asked you if I go before she does please take care of Thetis he said make sure she goes to camps and make sure she goes to conferences he said make sure you take care of fetus so sister teenie it won't just be pastor and me you got a whole congregation and men on this platform that our goal is to make sure that you stay in the middle of everything at POA and the United Pentecostal church he told me that God sent him to POA to guard my anointing and I called him Friday at 12:47 and I said but any I love you he said I love you and then Mickey spoke up he said I love you baby he loved Mickey and I said by the tini I'm gonna pray for you and this is gonna be a very strange prayer I'm a brave God doctor raise you up to release you and the family was gather around the bed and I went into a Tong and the Holy Ghost I begin to pray a release from my pastor in two hours later he was on the sunny banks of sweet deliverance the whole void that's there few years ago he came to me said I don't know where I'm gonna be married and I said well we can figure that out he said let's me and you and Mick in sister tinny drive to the Ritter and we'll find a place where you want to be buried you know we'll take care of that he said I want to be buried here I said okay I said let's go out to where our plots are so I took him out to Forest Lawn we'll go in the morning from this place about 9:30 and I said sir finding the plots I would like in front of the Bible and there they found them two plots Kenneth there by brother sister mama Bob Phillips and my dad brother and sister at my grandparents and we've got plots there and tomorrow we'll go to graveside that me and POA had the privilege of buying the plots of two of the greatest Saints you'll ever want to meet in my pastor and wife when he was elected district superintendent of Louisiana district the alexandra town talk printed an article announcing his election they quoted brother tinny and his acceptance remark saying tinny declared that peace and progress had been hallmarks of the louisiana district he said i don't look at my office as anything but a servant i want to be able to say when god is through with me that it was peace and progress brother tinny has your pastor i can stay in here today and say now that your ministry as far as flesh and blood is concerned is over you accomplished your task and you will hear him say well done in second samuel 1931 through 40 there is a great man by the name of bars le i he had conducted King David over Jordan and when David was driven from the throne he provided the king with sustance and the King said unto bars daily I come over with me and I will feed thee in Jerusalem you can sit at my table with me you can share my inheritance in the city of Jerusalem and the dialogue that takes place is amazing between David and bars le I it is said to be one of the most beautiful stories that is written on the pages of history Barzagli I said thank you Majesty I am honored O king but I don't have long to live today is my birthday and I'm 80 years old and I can't think like I once could I can't taste what I eat or what I drink I'm getting tired and I'm weary and I'm weak and I'm feeble I don't want to be a burden to my lord the King I'll go a little ways over Jordan with you to protect you and strengthen you you don't need to reward me I pray thee just let me go back to my homeland back to my community where I was raised and just find a place for me to be buried along with Thetis but King Your Honor if it would not offend you I would like to ask that my son qiyam and my children if you would let him go over King with you and you do to him whatever you were going to do for me if you would do that to my children King David said Bart say Lee I your children shall go over with me and I would do to them that which seemed good unto thee that will I do for thee count on it it's the word of a king where the word of the king is there is power and he did and King David kissed Barzillai and he blessed Barzagli I and Barzagli I returned his old homeplace to get ready to go to his brand-new home but David took his children with him to Jerusalem it's amazing when you look at 2nd Kings chapter 2 verse 7 and he is bringing it all down and David is at his last words I mean when he's bringing everything to an end I mean you say a lot of things when you're on your deathbed and when he is at his last words to his son Solomon the king who was going to take his place he simply says show kindness to the family of barzillai the gileadite for he was a very great man and when I helped him he returned that so I'm asking you Solomon when you start giving out all the rewards and you start honoring people remember Barzagli I the gileadite for he was a very great man brother tinnie was a great man and according to God's eternal unchanging word whatever this man prayed or asked the Lord for concerning his family the Lord said that will I do for the county God remembers all the good works and mighty deeds will be missing upon you even unto many generations because of bars ellie i TF tinnie many years later when you're thumbing through nehemiah 7 and ezra 6 you come across a priestly clan in the Word of God and that priestly clan was called the children of Barzagli I all because he took care of the King in the years to come Tommy and Jeanne Steve and Terri the legacy of TF tinnie Friday death claimed it so excuse me that's claimed his body God claimed his soul but now the living is to preserve and protect the legacy of those that have gone before us and tonight I stand here as one who has a legacy of GA Mangan and many of you sit here with a legacy of fathers and mothers that have given us things that are precious and dear to our lives that are so very very important and Tommy and Jeanne Steve and Terri you five branches God Shane you won the most gifted teachers you have blessed POA in such a great way there nor any of your grandfather the man you ought to here Shane Spears teach don't Lee thing happened to that legacy this was my pastor and his pastor legacy hold on to that truth hold on to that legacy how do all the things that your father's taught you hold on to the doctrines that your father taught you may remember how many times he lives on the Lord our God is one and besides him there is no other repent and be baptized in that name hold on to those doctrines for the sake of yourself it's not long folks it's about over here those of you planning the state in here a long time we're gonna pray for all y'all but we're getting ready to get out of here the brides just about to leave this place a trumpet of God is getting ready to sound better get everything in order and everything right it's time the Lord's getting ready to come after us he's gonna take us brother tin he's not just going to a better place the Bible said he's going to a far better place we missed quote that scripture we say a better place the Bible said is far better today my pastors in a far better place today he's in a far better as I would do and he did we preach those funerals one of the last ones I remember with Billie Coast funeral he was in a girl his shoulders would get to going well you know he'd get to saying and the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with his challenge force of your case oh I'll feed it right now and then he would go into that last line and he walked sitting down I didn't know what to do I mean he walked to the chair he's alive he's alive he's alive he's alive let me look at you great body of minister to the general board to all you speakers and let me declare to you he's more alive today that he's ever been brother 10 years alive he's alive he's alive he's alive won't it be wonderful there having no burdens to bear joyously singing with heart bells all ringing yes won't it be wonderful there everybody will be happy we'll be happy over there we will shout and sing God's praise it everybody will be happy over there yes everybody will be happy goodbye goodbye goodbye hallelujah hemp oh well when you see Jesus coming yes in the sky goodbye flyaway glorious I'll fly away in the morning yes when I die hallelujah by Bow Wow fly away giving praise everybody give me praise everybody giving praise I thank you great guy I give you Guren praise for the things there's nobody like you Jesus thank you for the life for the ticket you know it's late I didn't go very long it's late but I I don't think I could close up to the Kevin I don't know if you needed that things always out of keep when I sing but I'd like to sing his anthem Mickey would you come get a mic and I want to just sing and I'm gonna take such a tinny out we will be we will meet here in the morning at 9:30 here in the sanctuary at 9:30 and we'll be going the graveside together if you want to get in the lineup if you'll get behind there their cars the fan would love to have you it's not a private it's for everyone that whosoever will would love to have you but I don't think this service would be complete if we didn't sing all hail the power of Jesus I think that's what he'd want some would you help me do that [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you for giving honor to such a great man may God bless and may God's hand rest upon you I'm gonna take the family god bless [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

Channel: Called, Chosen and Faithful

Views: 29,784

Rating: 4.8525348 out of 5

Keywords: God (Deity), Holy Spirit (Deity), Holy Ghost (Deity), Jesus Christ (Deity), Religion (TV Genre), Religion (Literary Genre), New Testament (Religious Text), Old Testament (Religious Text), Christianity (Religion), Pentecostalism (Religion), Apostolic (Religion), christianity (religion), monotheism (belief), religion (tv genre), Oneness Pentecostalism (Religion), the bible (religious text), salvation (belief), believer's baptism (religious practice), T F Tenney

Id: KE0Yr6DWITk

Length: 170min 36sec (10236 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 06 2018