Getting ready for the Issachar Conference…

Tonight is the big night. I don’t get as nervous as I used to about concerts. I wonder if that’s a good thing or not. I’d almost rather be nervous… that way I know that I’m not over-confident or cocky. But, then on the other hand, being more relaxed allows me to focus more and be more deliberate in what I do.

Going into a concert, there are so many technical things that you think about. Sound, lighting, staging, the set list (songs that will be sung during the concert), communication on the stage… all of these things is important. Then there are the intangible but most critical elements such as spiritual preparation, the anointing of God, the flow of the Holy Spirit, the flexibility of the persons on the stage to follow the flow if it changes what we planned to do.

I’ve had to take the stage with little notice for two big events this weekend. On Saturday morning at about 10:00 I was asked to open a concert in Hampton, VA that was featuring national recording artists Lexi and Richard Smallwood. I had to be at the venue by 1:15 and on the stage at 2:05. With such short notice, I had to do it by my self with no BGVs… just the track and me. I did my two sets and the Lord truly blessed. So, Lexi took the stage and did a great job. Not long after she was finished, the gentleman responsible for the event came and asked if I could to two more songs right away because the next person wasn’t quite ready to take the stage and they needed a “filler.” So, I took the stage and did two more songs. And, again, God showed up and blessed. After it was all over, I had the opportunity to talk with Lexi. She was so encouraging. She shared some great industry insight with me. I made a great contact there.

So, Sunday evening we had a special event planned at my church. I invited a few friends to perform who are both recording artists. I got a call at 5:15 pm (the event started at 6:00) from one of my friends to inform me that he would not make the 5:00 sound check and would be a little late to the event. Then he called back at 5:55 to inform me that he wouldn’t be able to make it at all. He had a legitimate excuse but it still left us in a bind. Of course, I wasn’t about to let my home church suffer because of it. So, I pulled up out the tracks and took the stage – again by my self – and God again showed up and blessed!

So, maybe that’s why I’m not that nervous today. God has been proving himself all weekend. His presence had been there each time I took the stage. I’ll be presenting myself before him for the rest of the day – getting spiritually prepared for the event. I trust that he will move freely tonight.

It’s pretty exciting. I see it like giving someone a gift that is made of brass. Before you give it to them, you put some “elbow grease” into polishing the item so that it will shine. We’ve spent the past few weeks polishing what we are doing tonight… making sure that it shines. Tonight, we will present this offering of music to the Lord. We trust that he will take it and use it to bless his people.