One of the biggest trips of my life was being privileged to fly back to minister in the Washington D.C. area only 2 days after flights resumed following 9/11. It was quite a challenge just leaving San Diego. I think 3 of my potential flights were canceled (along with most of the others that day). After over an hour in line, I counted approximately 200 people in front of me and 300 behind me . . . the line spiraled around many times. It was very surreal & quite unbelievable. I finally made it out after around 6 hours and ended up at my moms in Erlanger, KY via Chicago. I was up 34 hours straight! I finally made it to DC the next night after midnight (altogether using 3 different airlines). I take back all my whining about flights in past newsletters!
A few people have asked me if I was afraid flying so soon after the attack and quite frankly I wondered if I would be as well. But after hours of no sleep, standing in lines and canceled flights I was so thrilled to finally be sitting on the plane that I really didn’t even care if it went down. It would be a one way ticket to perfect peace, joy and rest in the presence of Jesus!
One teenager told me about a friend in their youth group whose parents both worked at the Pentagon and died on the 11th. Now there are 4 kids with no parents. On the other end of the spectrum were guys like Kevin Adamson who was in my youth group when I was a youth Pastor. He goes to the WTC frequently as one of his company’s main offices is in the WTC. He was there Monday and by God's grace, not Tuesday!
But where the devil brings massive evil, God is the master chess player and brings even greater good out of it (Romans 8:28). I did rallies at 4 different High Schools during the week. Kids were much more responsive than normal . . . especially older kids. The high school age is progressively getting harder to reach for the Lord, yet many prayed to receive the Lord that week! The culminating event was a combined rally with Solomons Wish and The Jeff Greer Band at Hylton Auditorium (seats 5,000). Point of Grace was there 2 nights later! When I gave an invitation to follow Jesus, the platform area (which extends some 100 feet in a semi-circle) had people lined up all around it!
I also preached at a Triangle Baptist Church, which is right next to Quantico Marine Base. In fact, the young lady who helped with the sound system actually works in the oval office and runs sound for some guy named George W. Bush. It was nice of the President to keep her sharp that week as he addressed the nation on TV so she’d be ready to do sound for me!
I just flew back from preaching a revival meeting at Village Meadows Baptist Church in Arizona. The school across the street from the church had a bomb scare. They evacuated kids to the church where Jason Blackketter (their music minister and pianist extraordinaire) and I were rehearsing some songs. So we "entertained the troops" for a while. The newspaper reporter covering the story asked our names to include in their front page article! I feel so humbled and privileged that God allowed me to be part of the healing and revival taking place in our country at this time! Thanks for your support and prayers, which I have definitely needed and felt lately!