Jesus & me

JESUS & me

This blog post really could be a book and Lord willing, it may be one day but I wanted to just share a snapshot, mini chapter and a run on sentence of what Jesus means to me. First, He is everything! Second, apart from Him – I’m NOTHING! It is a fact that FAVOR comes after faith in the dictionary and travelling hundreds upon hundreds of miles I cannot help but ponder, pray and praise (not so much in that order).

A verse that has touched me for years is the passage Luke 17:11-19 when Jesus met ten lepers. They screamed: “Jesus have pity (mercy) on us.” The Lord told them: “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” The next line notes: “As they went, they were cleansed (healed).” Time won’t enable me to break this down but with the valuable moments of your time I would like to lift Jesus UP. At times, the Lord did touch folks and they were instantly healed. Others, He spoke the Word and they were delivered (even resurrected)! Friends, work the Word because the Word works! Sometimes, the Lord spoke a healing but others had to “walk it out” to benefit from it.

Years ago, I heard a story of a sophmore in college who begged his father for a Mustang. The story goes that the father was a Christian and the boy resembled the prodigal but knew his dad had the means to pay for it. After asking again, the boy was dismayed when he received a Bible instead. The boy became bitter and resented his father for trying to shove “Christianity down his throat.” The boy would write on ocassion: “Send me the car!” The Dad would reply: “Son, did you ever read the Bible?” The boy thought in his mind: “I want a car NOT Christ!” This went on for his junior year and senior year. After graduation, the boy (now young man) so upset at his father that he cut off all communication. It pained his father to see the way his son had isolated himself from him. The father died two years later. The funeral was packed and the son still couldn’t comprehend why the father never answered his request. After the wake, the friends left and the food was gone the young man saw the Bible on his bookshelf. He opened it finally for the first time and in the middle of that sacred Book was a check dated five years earlier for the exact amount at the time for a brand new, red Mustang. The note attached to the check said: “Son, you asked for a car and your Momma and I, are sure proud of you. We have been blessed by God to buy you this but our prayer for you is that you will realize the true treasure is not in a car but Christ. Drive the car but read the Bible. Enjoy! Love, Dad.”

Tears rolled down the cheeks of this ungrateful son who learned only after his father’s passing that he had provided for his request all along but pride kept him from missing out not only on his car but relationship with his now deceased dad. When Jesus speaks the wind, waves and weather listen. Christ calmed Tsunami’s at sea, raised the dead to life and even rocks worship THE ROCK but we as humans should take Him at His Word. Why? For starters, He is The Word!

In a nutshell, when God says “go” we must be gone! My pastor told me I should drive to a preachers’ conference in 1994 (age 22). Ironically, I had $72 to my name and the conference was booked months in advance. I didn’t have a reservation and plus it was for three nights. Financially, we had enough gas for the seven hour trip down and back and maybe McDonald’s once per day. I had more “sense” than cents (dollars) but had a hunger in my heart to hear God’s Word. My buddy, Tim Heddings and I, drove “by faith” for the four day conference. We get to the hotel and it was crowded! We entered this elaborate four star hotel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and found out the rooms were SOLD OUT. We told the manager running the register that we drove seven hours to attend the conference. He replied: “You didn’t make any reservations?” Now, I felt like I was letting God down and the poster boy for being unprepared. We humbly walked away and he called us back. He said: “I shouldn’t tell you this but we keep a room ready at all times in case staff or visiting family of staff need a room.” Here is what I am going to do. I will give you a room for three nights for $52! I almost fainted. Three nights in a four star hotel for $52 total! We took the glass “see-through” elevator of this fancy hotel and entered our room and shut the door and the room rate on the back said: “$169 per night!” HOLY SMOKES!! That is over $500 for three nights for 1/10th the price ($52)!!

After high-fiving each other; we threw on our suit for the conference that evening (we had been in car for 7 hours) and rushed down the elevator and to my right is a man in his early 80’s, dressed in a navy double-breasted suit and looked like a U.S. Senator. God told me to invite him to the preachers’ conference and so I did and he gladly accepted. We jumped in my 1983 280ZX and my tags were Z U L8R. My 6″4 buddy is now sitting in the back of my 2+2 Z with our new senior citizen friend in the front seat and when we pull up to the massive Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown, NC a huge circle enveloped my car. My first thought was “my car is clean but NOT this clean!” We get out and everyone hands their Bible to the man in my passenger seat but the funny thing is I have no idea who was in my car! We walk towards the church (already 20 minutes late) and when we enter it was as if the RED SEA parted. I’m starting to think I got Moses with me – LOL The church was packed and the 2,400 seat sanctuary was standing room only. Picture this, we are 20 minutes late, not a place to sit but when the people see us for some strange reason they placed us not up front but VERY FRONT and seated us on the front row! I have always said: “Those that come the furthest go the farthest.” This is not just some bumper-sticker but been a reality in my life. Go God!!! Immediately, I thought of the theme song from the Jefferson’s – “Moving on UP – to a deluxe apartment in the sky!” I am a tad slow but started to think the guy I drove may be someone “pretty big.” Five minutes later, the moderator from the platform said: “Our keynote speaker tonight has baptized over 63,000 people in his 65 year ministry. Please give a warm welcome to Dr Lee Roberson.” The next thing I know the place errupts in applause and my new (unknown) friend sitting next to me (who I drove to the event) stands up, walks towards the stage and preaches to the packed crowd. I about lost it at that point – my buddy’s mouth fell to the floor and then in front of thousands the saintly senior said these words I will never forget: “I want to thank the two young men who drove me here tonight. If it were not for them, I wouldn’t be here tonight.”

Tears welled up in my eyes and I thought WOW! This man is just like Jesus. Why? In the midst of thousands He still saw individuals. Keep in mind, we had a hotel (by God’s grace) for three nights but no food. However, at this juncture, I knew what the Lord meant when He said: “I have food that you know not of.” I also love the Bible notes: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” I was so high at this point I would have fasted for a month and not even realized I was hungry. After the event, the legendary preacher came up to me and said: “Can you kindly drive me for the rest of the conference?” Well, I didn’t have to pray about that and between God’s grace and this famed preacher’s invite (both in their wisdom) knew we were destitute financially for the week and by driving him the next three days the conference had a special “green room” for the keynote speakers to break bread and fellowship with each other. They were granted two meals per day and I’m not talking fast food but like a meal that my mother would make on Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. I love Cracker Barrel but this was as Ed Young, Jr would say: “A WHOLE NUTHA LEVEL!!”

Now we learn that we would eat like princes while worshipping the King (Jesus) at the conference because while driving this preacher we were now invited to eat in the private reception area with them twice daily! Ain’t God good!! We raced back that first night to the hotel and called our pastor, Marvin Harris who told us to go. It was after midnight when we called him but he answered and we were screaming so loud in the phone at first I think he thought someone died! We assured him we were more than fine and thanks to him pleading us to go we were having the time of our young lives and at all places -a pastors’ conference! Friends, those that say Jesus is boring have never STEPPED OUT in faith to follow Christ. Out of 2,400 people we were probably the youngest, drove the farthest and certainly the poorest in the house. On the phone I said: “Pastor Marvin – You gotta come down!” He said: “Frank, its after midnight, its almost a seven hour drive and your in the midst of thousands – how will I find you?” I laughed: “It’s easy – LOOK for the BIG BOYS because we are standing right next to them (since we are now driving them)!! He laughed and to his credit – he and his son, Tommy made the trip and for the next three days we had a time!

God has blessed me like this more than once. Honestly, it would fill a book! Folks that may miscontrue us for “dropping names” didn’t see the faith we had early on to LIFT JESUS UP in our daily lives. God granted me some nuggets when I heard His voice, by His grace – I stood up when many would have sat down, I learned that “obedience was better than sacrifice” and Pentecostal or not – FAVOR comes after FAITH and when God said “go” I was gone. Years later, I was invited to drive Dr Lloyd Ogilvie – Chaplain of the US Senate (and now my dear friend) to meet Mother Teresa and for half a year, every day drove now House Majority Leader in Congress, Steny H. Hoyer to and from his home to Capitol Hill, drove governors of states, Grammy & Dove winners, world champions in my car and the list is almost endless. What is worth mentioning is not who I drove but WHO drives me! It is Jesus who remains the Captain of my ship, the Author of my faith and my Savior who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. You would think my favorite tv show was “TAXI” but actually it resembles “HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN.”

God has been so good to me but He’s dying to not only save us but use us for His Glory. Like the Lepers, the Lord told them: Go and as they went they were healed, delivered but also provided for. God was willing to part the RED SEA in various venues of my life all along but I just had to trust Him at His Word and step out and watch Him SHOW OFF! The first two words of that Scripture I quoted initially was Go, SHOW. You see, when we GO then God SHOWS UP. If you want to know the SECRET of any SUCCESS in my life its God, He gave me amazing parents, a caring family but my child-like faith in Jesus has made me whole. As I went, I was healed. Some suggest that having faith is dangerous – I’m convinced that having no faith is dangerous! It has been said: “Show me your faith and I will show you your future!” Not arrogant but an accurate assessment of “The King & I.” What a ride it has been and remember this great Word my buddy, Tony Nolan told me: “When God guides – He provides.”

Honestly, I never got in it for crowds but Christ. Not fame but faith and not for my pleasure but pleased to do His will for my life. Looking back, regardless if boarding “Air Force One”, meeting influential friends or life experiences that would make Forrest Gump’s head spin to driving ministers to conferences as a young adult and later on preaching at a few myself it was always JESUS & me.