Thursday, September 19, 2013

Pass It On


So, I am going to the Promise Keepers Men’s conference in Tulsa tomorrow evening and Saturday. I have been to a couple of different Promise Keepers conferences back in the 90s. My first conference was shortly after I became born again at age 28. I rode in a van from Cedar Rapids, IA to Boulder, CO with a bunch of men I had never met before. We sat in a sold out football stadium of 51,000 men on a Friday and Saturday and listened to gifted teachers preach the word of God and we, yes, all men, sang worship songs, prayed and worshiped God for two days and nights in an open air stadium in the middle of the summer. I will never forget as the sun went down on that Saturday evening, they passed out a single candle to each and every man. They turned out the stadium lights and in complete darkness they began to light one candle at a time throughout the entire stadium. 51,000 candles were lit and then we began to sing the song “Holy, Holy, Holy” a cappella (without musical instruments), just 51,000 men singing. I will never forget that moment as we were sitting on the side of the stadium that faced the mountains’ the beauty of the candles lit and I thought to myself, I think I just got a glimpse of what heaven might be, when so many people are singing in one voice praising our God outdoors in His beautiful creation. I marveled at how God had begun to transform my life in a way that I would never be the same again. I thought football stadiums were for watching football. I never imagined that there would be this many men “wanting” to spend two full days and nights listening to speakers talking about God and singing together???? WHAT????? Who does that????

It was inspiring to me, that as a new believer, I was not alone, or even in a small group of men. There were 51,000 other men attending the same event!!! And there were more events with many more men attending across the country! After the conference, I began to meet in a small group of men for accountability and for the rest of my life, at one point in time or another I have been in some form of accountability with a small group of men. It’s been life changing, invigorating, challenging, motivating, and a true blessing to my Christian walk and to my life.

Now back to this weekend. I have asked both of my step sons to attend this event with me. One is 19 in college at OSU and the other is 15. I have no idea what they will be thinking while they are there. I can’t imagine either of them is going to like getting up at 7:30 on Saturday morning when they could be sleeping in. Neither of them are morning persons.(Is there such a thing with a 19 and 15 year old teenager?) It will be a much different experience for me and them, since this event will be an indoor experience and much less men attending; probably in the 4 to 5000 range. But there will still be some similarities. There will be great teaching. There will be a stadium of all men. There will be great praise and worship music with, yes, all men singing. AND there will be the presence of a very Holy God, working in men’s lives through the Holy Spirit, just like He worked in mine 20 years ago.

I have no idea what the two sons will think after it’s all over. I can tell you that they have never seen that many men under one roof, for this purpose. But I am SO thankful they are willing to come with me. I am praying this too will be an unforgettable experience that they can look back and say, “wow, it’s not strange or weird to gather together with a group of men, outside of church and not on a normal Sunday or Wed night, who are chasing after God. I will never forget that weekend when I went with my step dad and brother, with so many men gathered together in downtown Tulsa to hear, to grow, to learn, to be changed and to be challenged in their faith. It added another strong layer on my foundation for my faith.”

Psalm 103:13-18
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.  As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.  But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children- with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts."

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