Back in October 2011, I called one of my childhood heroes and dear friend, MEADOWLARK LEMON. He answered the cell in his rich, deep voice and said: “Brother Frank!” It’s a fact: “The Clown Prince of Basketball” always makes me laugh!! The Lord had laid him on my heart and I told him that the next time he was in St Louis, Missouri to let me know because I had a church or two who would be thrilled to host his ministry.

In life, we need more DOOR-KEEPERS not gate keepers. Doorkeepers “open doors” but gate-keepers attempt to keep them closed. What the iconic Basketball Hall of Famer said next floored me but shouldn’t have surprised me. He said: “Frank, ironically I will be in Saint Louis, MO on December 3, 2011 attending my good friend, ALBERT PUJOLS annual gala for his foundation that evening.” Without missing a beat the Harlem Globetrotter legend said music to my ears and as I type this I can still hear the tune of “Sweet Georgia Brown” playing in the background of my mind. He said “Brother Frank, I appreciate you trying to open a couple church doors for me and I want you to meet me in St Louis, MO on Saturday, December 3, 2011 as my personal guest and I will introduce you to my friend, Albert!”

HOLY SMOKES! Meadowlark knows EVERYONE and if Fat Albert showed up I wouldn’t have been surprised or dissapointed but I knew who he meant. In ministry, it can be lonely at times and it is a JOY to try to open doors for friends. Honestly, it was my honor just to call him to say “hi” and my only intention was to assist with a referral that the next time Meadowlark was coming through town he had an open invite. The irony is it could have been any one of hundreds of cities across the Country but I felt God leading me to call him specifically and share St Louis. It was definitely a “God thing.”

As a kid, I loved basketball and lived for it too! We played basketball indoors on fancy courts and outdoors on busted backboards with missing nets. We played in rain, sleet and even snow! We played in the dark and as soon as the sun came up! At one time, I couldn’t get enough of playing hoops and after playing three years of high school ball I coached Parks & Recreation a couple seasons while in college. Those were good times! No joke, I knew what it was like to “ride the bench” and also the thrill of leading the league in scoring. One game I never played and another night dropped 31 in a single game!

My mother shared with me one night after a game as I was drenched in sweat walking to our car (before I had my license) and hit me with this truth that has stayed with me since. She said: “Frankie, almost everyone dreams to hit the game winning shot and get their picture plastered in the paper but just as (if not) more important is the guy (or gal) who will un-selfishly give the assist. The crowd may remember the one who scored but the coach will remember the one who found the open man to win the game.”

Those words have danced in my head and have been embroidered on my heart for the last quarter of a century. Sports teach us so much in life and “teamwork” goes a long way. Before hanging up, Meadowlark said: “Frank, I really appreciate you doing this. I also want you to introduce me at both services at the churches you line up on Sunday, December 4, 2011.” PRAISE THE LORD! The irony is I was trying to open a door for him and wasn’t planning or needing to be present. However, by thinking of others – others think of us. In the morning, thanks to my buddy, Ronnie Dean “The Preaching Machine” and Rev. Dan Hartley we got in a Baptist church in Farmington, Missouri and my dear friend, Pastor Myles & Valerie Holmes of the beautiful First Assembly of God Church in Collinsville, Illinois hosted us that evening. We had a time and you can see that video introduction below.

Meadowlark then said: “Frank you can sit at the table with me the night before at the gala in St Louis with Albert Pujols and by the way, I am going to buy your airplane ticket.” CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY and it is true, you cannot outgive God. At the V.I.P. reception Meadowlark introduced me to countless people and it was an honor to shake hands with 91 year old baseball Hall of Famer Stan “THE MAN” Musial. Plus, met Hall of Famers “Mr Baseball” Don Mattingly, Lou Brock among others. Meadowlark graciously introduced me to Mr & Mrs Albert Pujols and their witness for Christ is AMAZING! Together, they are doing an awesome work of providing for the poor in the Dominican Republic and providing love and joy to children with Down Syndrome. You can read more about the Pujols Family Foundation.

That was an evening I will not soon forget and it was the very weekend before Albert announced that he was leaving the World Series Winners St. Louis Cardinals and would be playing for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Albert is considered one of the greatest baseball players to ever swing a bat. Meadowlark’s iconic jump shot is second to none. Meadowlark was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and 2003, and Albert is already guaranteed in the future. Even better than being named into man’s Hall of Fame both are in God’s Hall of Faith.

In life, sports, business and even ministry we may never hit the game winning jumper or crush a homerun ball nearly 600 feet in a World Series to win but we can all seek to serve and open doors for others with the power of the assist. Jesus said “The greatest among you would be the servant” and in the words of Pastor Ed Young, Jr “if you are not serving than you are SWERVING.” Not everyone can score or swing nor speak or sing but all of us can shine by serving.

You cannot go wrong when you are on the LOOK OUT to bless others. Zig Ziglar said: “The doors you open for others God may open for you.” God is great and Meadowlark and Albert are gracious. Right now, ponder how can you bless someone today. Mother Teresa was right – “God didn’t call me to be famous but faithful.” However, by being faithful you may be able to minister with the famous. The greatest blessing is to be a blessing. We are never more like Christ than when we give and forGIVE. Mature people promote and think of others. Insecure folk belittle others and think only of self. Be a winner NOT a whinner.

We all win when we promote the Lord and help others. The Lord taught me years ago that if you love on the folks that no one knows God will allow you to meet the one’s everyone knows. Regardless, if anonymity or celebrity may we all seek to credibly represent Christ and promote others before ourselves. One of my favorite Bible verses since childhood notes “Your gift will make room for you and bring you before kings and great men (Proverbs 18:16).” Ironically, in another translation it says “A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.” Buckle up, this one will bless you “A gift OPENS DOORS for the one who gives it and brings him into the presence of great people.”

Your gift doesn’t have to be charisma, credentials or contacts but should be Christ-like compassion, class, courtesy and consideration of others. Without question, I also believe grace and generosity opens doors as well. Praise the Lord and thank you Meadowlark! If it were not enough to re-unite with Meadowlark for the weekend, sit next to him as his guest, grab a couple meals together on the road, tag-team preach at two churches in two states over that one October phone call I got one more gift for the road. A beautiful autograph of Albert (below) and one more from my dear friend and fellow evangelist, Meadowlark. My desire was to GIVE and ended up getting. Its the gift that keeps on GIVING! It is a privilege to promote others.

Today, I’m so thankful that I called that day back in October 2011, desiring only to open a door for a true friend. Ironically, I can still hear my mother saying “the crowd may remember the one who scored but The Coach (JESUS) will remember THE ASSIST.” We all win when we promote Christ and each other. The Bible notes: “One plants and another waters but THE LORD brings the increase.”

 NEXT WEEK: Frank was a guest on SARAH PALIN RADIO - Feb 6, 2012. The producer of Gov Palin’s radio show invited him to share for 14 minutes LIVE “on air” honoring President Ronald Reagan on his 101 birthday. Enjoy!

Well, its here and will be over before you know it. Sunday, February 5, 2012 is  SUPER BOWL XLVI. Yes, I love the game and equally enjoy (most of the commercials) during the “epic” show. From the classic “Mean Joe Greene” commercial by Coca-Cola in 1979, or a cameo of Sly Stallone in 1983, for the United Way or cute kid last year dressing as Darth Vader trying to start his Daddy’s Volkswagon we have all seen our share of advertisements for big brands during the big game.

This VISA commercial started to air a couple of months ago and I don’t know about you but instantly I knew this would be a future blog and/or mini sermon. We all like to win and  this would be a great prize to take TEN friends to the Super Bowl. My parents went to the Super Bowl in 1992, in Minneapolis, MN when our beloved Washington Redskins beat the Buffalo Bills. Hard to believe it was exactly two decades ago Sunday!

The commercial above is a classic. The acting is awesome and euphoria is evident that comes from winning the PRIZE and secondly the PRIVILEGE to invite friends to the big game. Who would you pick? Who would you bring? Who would make the cut? Worse, who would be “left out.” Notice in the ad before being notified that “they won” their lives were dull, meaningless and heading down a dead end path. Existing but not really living but when the INVITE came everything changed!

God gave me something that I have been preaching on the past few years that I ocassionally close with at the end of my sermon. The reason this commercial resonated with me is because I have been doing it for the past few years. Perhaps you recall the old Western posters that may have hung in a post office or nailed to the wall of a saloon and in bold letters it noted “TEN MOST WANTED.” The government or some guy was looking for them and it usually wasn’t good!

The Lord showed me early on that the government looks for some but God is on the LOOK OUT for all! Like a Ferrari with no brakes, I share with them that most folks who don’t attend church are “missing in action” not because they don’t believe in God but no one believed in them to invite them. WORD OF THE DAY: “You may not believe in God but Jesus believes in you!” Defense wins championships but OFFENSE builds the Kingdom. We need to get a burden for our friends without Christ and in case you missed the memo as born-again believers we have the winning ticket (JESUS) and yet too many are content going to the “Super Bowl” (Heaven) alone! At the conclusion of my message I remind the audience to get out a piece of paper and write TEN MOST WANTED at top. Write the names of ten loved ones (family/friends and even enemies) who you know need Christ. Write their names on that list, put it on your refridgerator and begin to pray for God to work in their lives. Each time you go get milk in the midnight hour or pass by the kitchen you will begin to pray privately for their public salvation. No one needs to know what its for (just you and God) and when you get a burden for others is when you can really become a blessing for God.

Those that pray and fast for the souls of others will see God firsthand do an AMAZING work in your midst. God will strategically like pawns on a chess board begin to put people in your path where you can demonstrate the love of God to them. Share the Gospel with folks, dare to be different and invite them to church. Take them out for coffee, invest in their lives and watch God snatch sinners heading for Hell and get delivered to be destined for Heaven. As souls are saved, scratch off their name on your list. The key is get them off your list and in Lamb’s Book of Life. Each one can reach one!

Back in October 2011, I preached chapel at Truett-McConell College in Georgia at the invite of my good friend, Dr Emir Caner and shared “I evangelize not because I am an evangelist but because I am a commited Christian.” As Dr Johnny Pope reminded me in 1993, “Frank, don’t just keep the faith but SHARE your faith.” Mediocrity is not an option in ministry and too many got enough of Jesus to get them to Heaven but apparently not enough to get a burden to reach souls heading on the highway of Hell. Not glamorous but the Gospel Truth. 

A farmer once shared “You will never see a harvest until you learn to water your crops.” Friends, when was the last time you cried yourself to sleep over the condition of another’s soul? At age 10, we had a contest whoever brought the most kids to VBS would win a prize. I couldn’t sleep for a week but decided then and there I needed to care more what God in Heaven thought of me than friends on Earth. In 1982 (age 10) I asked God to use me in love but boldness to invite friends to church and by the end of the week 22 friends came with me!

 With salvation I had already won the PRIZE but now have the PRIVILEGE and responsibility to share Jesus with others. Last year, counting Praisefest Ministries “Cruise with a Cause” where 23,000 souls crossed over from death to life in Jesus while in Jamaica and me preaching nearly 200 times in 17 states and a couple countries the Lord allowed me to witness firsthand with a front row seat seeing nearly 30,000 souls come to faith in Christ in just over one calendar year.  That is not exaggeration but evangelism! Regardless, if you see ten or ten thousand we each need to be about our “Father’s Business” and be in the soul saving ministry.

Without question, I love the rich voice of Morgan Freeman and in this commercial he shared regarding the SUPER BOWL that its “the most epic day in America.” For those without Christ, sadly for far too many it is but we whom hold the winning ticket (salvation found only in faith in Christ) can be more than a game changer but a LIFE CHANGER for those whom need God. We need to dare to share Jesus with Biblical boldness. FACT: The Lord is the biggest name and souls of men is the biggest game. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mercedes, Verizon, Apple are all brands but what are you doing  to advertise and introduce JESUS to those in need of His saving grace?

Not long ago, I preached at church and saw a family of five in one row and an elderly couple sitting behind them. Before the sermon as we were singing hymns of praise I noticed the woman behind this group of five had the biggest smile on her face and she was beaming with pride from ear to ear. I didn’t know the family but the grandmother looked familiar. Right before the sermon, I said to her: “It is so good to see you today and I notice you are smiling. Is this your family in the row before us?” With the world’s biggest smile and tears in her eyes she said “Preacher Frank, you preached a couple months back about coming up with a sign that read “TEN MOST WANTED.” Wiping tears from her eyes, she said “Frank, I did what you said and today, is the first time my son and his entire family came to church as a result of praying for them.” Friends, you cannot put a price tag on that. GO GOD!

Like most of you, Ruth & I have reservations to have nachos with dear friends at their home to watch the game on Sunday. Since childhood, I love sports but also know that the “NFL” to most mean National Football League but those who have played or know the game in and out also attest it stands for “Not For Long.”  We are here today and could be gone tomorrow. Some preach as if they have 30 years to connect. As an evangelist, I am mindful I may not have 30 minutes. Its worth repeating: “Ministry – urgency = catostrophe.” We don’t  have forever to rescue those dying without Christ.

Sunday’s game is temporal but the souls of men is the bigger game because it’s ETERNAL. When the game is over, the tv turned off, the trash taken out and the last friend has gone home for the night may you ponder more than ever what TEN friends will you bring to the biggest event ever (Heaven)?  As a Christian you already won – the question is just how many are you bringing to the BIG GAME? After all, you hold the winning card (Christ).

 COMING UP: Next week - “THE ASSIST” featuring Meadowlark Lemon & Albert Pujols

Paul & Silas were en route to prayer meeting (church) and interrupted by a woman with a demonic spirit. She was the first “Damsel in Distress.” She made her living as a fortune teller. Paul and Silas in kindness but boldness shared her future was a dead end without trusting Christ as Savior. True friends and genuine Gospel preachers will tell you what you need to hear NOT what you want to hear. When Paul shared Jesus with her the demonic spirit immediately departed from her and she got gloriously saved! Moments before she was enslaved by Satan but now a daughter of God.

HAVE YOU EVER DONE THE RIGHT THING and yet, got in trouble. Paul and Silas extended grace but got grief. They just honored Heaven but now going through Hell. The leaders escorted these two Christians to the town square and didn’t bless them but beat them, shackled them and tossed them in prison with their “back’s against the wall.” When you are in prison (solitary confinement) you do a lot of thinking with time on your hands.

I shared in my sermon that you will learn three things when your down and out.

1) WHO YOU ARE (When you get to end of you is BEGINNING OF GOD)
2) WHO YOUR REAL FRIENDS ARE (A friend of mine was in prison briefly and shared that not a single one of his “party” friends ever came to see him while incarcerated).
3) WHO GOD IS (self help is something but GOD HELP is EVERYTHING!

The SITUATION was Paul and Silas were honoring God. They were going to church but God orchestrated their steps and enabled them to bring church to this woman in need of God. She now got her reservation for the Palace but they got thrown in the prison. Even Jesus had to endure Good Friday for us to partake of Easter Sunday! Scripturally what seems like a temporal demotion is often a ETERNAL promotion! #ThatWillPreach Paul and Silas learned their SALVATION was still their SOLUTION. When your back is against the wall we need to do four things like never before.

PRAY – Paul and Silas began to pray. “When you are down to nothing – God is UP to something.” Plus, when you kneel before God you can STAND before any man. We need to fear (respect) the Lord more than worry what man can do to us. God is eternal. Man is temporal.

PRAISE – At their lowest point they worshipped God on High. You cannot worship anxiety and the Almighty at the same time. We need to stop telling God how big our mountains are and start telling our mountains how BIG our God is! They never pouted but began shouting praises to the Lord while in prison. The guards heard about their God. Convicts heard their caroles of Christ, singing of their Savior and their HYMNS about Him!! Divinity Dejavu – once again, these lost, shackled sinners couldn’t make it to church so their witness brought church to them! EVEN in jail!! FACT: Paul and Silas (not ELVIS) was the first to sing JAILHOUSE ROCK! #ThankYaVeryMuch

PROBLEMS – Will tempt you like never before to compromise, cut corners, cheat and leave Christ out of the equation. WORD OF THE DAY: “When you are TESTED. God can be TRUSTED.” Cling to God’s PROMISES in the midnight hour or as Dr Adrian Rogers said: “Never doubt in the dark (or dungeon) what the Lord taught you in the light.” Your world may shake but the Word of God never moves. Faith in Christ is a firm Foundation. When you read and trust God’s Promises your problems will evaporate and experience the PRESENCE of God in a powerful way. The Bible says: “I have yet to see the righteous forsaken” and true to His Word, the Lord sent an earthquake, the jail cells flew open and Paul and Silas were set free. The irony is they were free even when hand-cuffed. With the Lord we find liberty and you cannot contain God in a box or handcuff His Holiness (read that again). Atheists are actually in “prison” while walking with no shackles but Christians are free even in confinement.

Paul and Silas shared the Gospel with their jailors and led him and his entire family to the Lord (while they were in prison). Your dissapointment may be a Divine Appointment to shine God’s Light and love to dark people in dark places (even dark prisons). I closed with this story and the church went wild. The next time your back is against the wall may you be reminded to honor Christ even in your darkest dilemma. Plus, others are watching how you deal with adversity. Let them see the Almighty in you.

“More than 24 years ago, Pam and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink. She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant.

Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. Pam said the doctors didn’t think of it as a life, they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue.

While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher. Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry on ocassion in the Philippines. He also plays football. He doesn’t preach in pulpits but in massive stadiums. However, they both preach on Sunday’s. Pam’s son is Tim Tebow.”

Friends, if Pam compromised, cut corners and left Christ out of their decision making process they would have missed out. Tim would have missed out. We would have missed out on what God has done with this boy whom grew to mature as man to shine Light with the whole world watching. “Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding but in all thy ways ACKNOWLEDGE HIM (God) and HE will direct thy paths.”

WHEN YOUR BACKS AGAINST THE WALL – hit your knees, raise your hands and praise God through it all! People are watching and God is worth worshipping.

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Code Orange Revival – Vision from Pastor Steven from Elevation Media on Vimeo.

Sorry for the infrequent posts as of late. My ten part blog “HELPFUL HINTS” came out every Monday before the Holidays and ever since I’ve been tying up all the loose ends on my new book. Yesterday, I finally finished it “THE BLESSEDNESS OF BROKENNESS” and now in the hands of the publisher in New York. It is 18 chapters, 84,500 words, 302 pages and co-authored with 17 other friends and release date is the week of my 40th birthday (February 20, 2012).

Pastor Matthew Barnett from the L.A. Dream Center, Dr Junior Hill & Zoro, “The Minister of Groove” international drummer to Grammy Winners Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire and others wrote the foreword to the book. Zoro, is a Godly man and we went to Guatemala together for Compassion International and both are honored to be speakers for them to “help rescue children from poverty in Jesus name.” Honestly, I am excited about the book and I pray you will read it to reconsider the power of brokenness in your life. Adversity is not your enemy but a friend you just haven’t met yet. My prayer for you is that you will both reconsider hardship and experience revival with Him.

Speaking of REVIVAL, I am so excited about the burden for souls and vision that God gave Pastor Steven Furtick at ELEVATION CHURCH. They are kicking off their “Code Orange Revival” tonight hosting 12 Holy Spirit packed services promoting an old school revival at 6:12PM EST. It’s called “Code Orange” because that is a term stressing an urgency that something big is going to happen. I have always said: “Ministry – urgency = Catostrophe.”

People will criticize what they don’t know or have never experienced. FACT: Revivals are not obsolete its just TOO many Christians and church leaders are “out of order.” In the words of QB Tim Tebow: “Critics criticize, “Haters” hate but winners win!” Dr. Bailey Smith said: “Its not that revivals don’t work its that pastors and their people aren’t willing to work.”

Honestly, I couldn’t be more proud of Pastor Steven and he has invited a plethora of anointed, God called ministers to preach at his home church in Charlotte and it will be available online for the entire world to watch. God is going to do something HUGE with this revival. In my heart, I already know God will save thousands and touch millions during the next 12 Days of Glory but my prayer is that just as my new book reminds all to reconsider our seasons of brokenness that this revival will help leaders reconsider the responsibility and realization that revival is urgently needed. We still have a Hell to shun and souls to be won!

Dr. John R Rice powerfully penned: “There is a wicked, Christ-denying, unbelieving slander abroad in the land. I hear it everywhere I go. It disgusts me, and I believe it nauseates God. It is the lament of power-less preachers. It is the alibi of dry-eyed Christian workers, without passion, without burden, without tears. It is the prattle of premillennial Bible teachers who never have revivals and who rarely win a soul. The slander is this: “We can’t have great revival now like Finney and Moody and Torrey and Chapman and Billy Sunday had.” That is a doctrine directly of the Devil. It minimizes the power of the Gospel. It pictures God as old and weak, unable to cope with the increasing wickedness of the world. It ties the hands of preachers. It makes prayer seem useless. It closes the door of faith. It belittles the love and grace of God. It would make the gates of Hell prevail against the churches.”

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14

Dr. Rice goes on to say (buckle up): “The trouble is not with the Harvest but the reapers. The basic facts about sinful men have never changed, and the basic facts about the power of the Gospel have never changed. The harvest is white. Souls are lost. Notice that the Lord said revivals depend on “my people,” that is God’s people, the unsaved. God never promised a revival if sinners met a requirement. He promised a revival when the people of God grew humble and prayerful, waiting on God and confessing and forsaking sin. When there is no revival, the trouble is not with the wicked world; it is with the saints of God.”

Regardless, of your denominition our disposition towards souls must be UNITED. We need to cling to the cross and exalt Christ and preach Him crucified and coming again sooner rather than later. Pray for this revival in Charlotte and that it would spread like wild fire in countless hearts in North Carolina and abroad. Revival is bringing back to life saints that were stagnant and evangelism catches sinners from Hell and present them blameless by the blood of the Lamb to our sinless Savior in Heaven. My prayer is that this revival will impact preachers corporately and individually to reconsider and host them in their churches. As always, may revival begin with me.

Rock on Pastor Steven and thanks for standing up when it was so easy to play it safe and stay seated. Love you brother!

Code Orange Revival Promo from Elevation Media on Vimeo.

This time next month (January 2012) my new book “THE BLESSEDNESS OF BROKENNESS” is scheduled to be released. It is such an honor to finally share it with folks across America and I’m honored and humbled to have some AMAZING authors and friends who contributed to share their broken seasons. Intentionally or subliminally we think God uses only the flaw-less but truth be told He uses the FLAWED the most.

FACT: The folks whom have endured the most are often the ones that God uses the most. Those that have tasted dry seasons now eventually deliver fresh food, focus and fire for all later. The individual that has been in the darkest dungeon often shines the brightest Light. Truly, we find a blessing in our brokenness. It draws us closer to Christ and He appoints and annoints us to bring hope and healing to others. I believe it was Spurgeon whom said: “There is a special battallion of soldiers in the Lord’s Army that only the wounded can serve.”

REMEMBER THIS: A valley is just an upside down mountain. How ‘low’ you feel today may be a guage of how high you will fly tomorrow. Broken Seasons are PROMOTIONS not demotions. They are our friends not enemies. We tend to hear from God in the silence of the valley more than the applause on the mountain. By God’s grace, I have been to both but President Richard Nixon said it best: “You will never appreciate the highest mountain top unless you have first endured the lowest valley.” Thank you Mr. President.

It was my honor to interview Dove Award Winner MATTHEW WEST last year on “FRANKLY SPEAKING” airing on American Family Radio and its a JOY to share it with you this week on my blog (see video below). Its perfect timing because Matthew in our interview talks about having vocal chord surgery. That is not a great place to be for any artist. Ironically, when Matthew called in LIVE for our interview he was in Los Angeles after just ministering at the Crystal Cathedral and was heading to the airport to fly home to Nashville.

Matthew has a way with words. He is an amazing singer but also an anointed song-writer and story-teller. He shares how the Lord was near and spoke to him during his darkest days. Life was good for Matthew West. Having catapulted onto the Christian music scene in 2003 with his debut single, “More” — the most played Christian AC song of 2004—the multi-Dove Award nominee and sought-after songwriter had enjoyed two critically-acclaimed studio recordings, Happy (2003) and History (2005); been a mainstay at Christian radio with memorable hits like “Only Grace,” “History” and “Next Thing You Know”; and toured with such artists as tobyMac, Jeremy Camp and BarlowGirl.

But in April of 2007, with a new label home at Sparrow Records, concert dates on the books and plans to hit the studio with a fresh batch of songs for an album he’d already titled Something To Say, Matthew lost his voice. After one look at his vocal chords, doctors at the Vanderbilt Voice Center immediately put all his plans on hold. They discovered a vascular polyp and hemorrhaged blood vessels on Matthew’s vocal chord, making it impossible for him to sing. His doctors were convinced only two courses of treatment would work: complete silence and surgery.

“Everything came to a screeching halt,” Matthew says of the diagnosis and the news of surgery. “All of a sudden my calendar was completely cleared. My studio plans were postponed. My life shut down.” Even worse, he says, was the frustration of not being able to communicate with his wife, Emily, and 1-year-old daughter, Lulu. “I was armed with a dry erase board, unable to do the little things we take for granted everyday, like talking with my wife, or singing to my little girl before bed.” This season of silence wasn’t just a wake up call for the Wests, it was a dark, uncertain place. “I saw a side of Matthew that I had not yet really seen,” says Emily. “A more fearful side, vulnerable, less confident. But also, I saw in Matthew a determination to allow God to do a work in his life through this trial. I saw him commit time each day in prayer, and really seek God for some purpose to this season.”

Matthew recommitted himself to journaling his thoughts and prayers during his season of silence. “Solitude is an uncomfortable place, and silence is so unnatural for most of us,” he relates. “I found myself surrounded by questions like, ‘What if I can’t sing anymore? What if my voice doesn’t sound the same? What if I can’t provide for my family?’ It was foundation shattering. But over and over again, I felt this recurring message on my heart saying, ‘Cease striving…don’t even ask for answers, just be with Me. Be still. I am using your voice, even when you can’t hear it.’ The core message of the entire album, he says, is “no matter how many mistakes we ve made or trials we’ve faced, it’s the brokenness of our lives that God uses to give us something to say to the world. I was sitting in church one Sunday after my surgery when my pastor read a quote from C.S. Lewis: ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’

It’s easier to cover up the weakest moments in life, hoping no one sees, but that’s not God’s plan for us. ‘Offer it up to Me, let Me show you what new life is like, what I can do with your mistakes.’ He will amplify His voice through you in a huge way.” Ultimately, Matthew hopes to communicate the message that God is indeed at work in all our lives, in every circumstance, in every moment of our existence. And even in the silence—as Matthew well knows—there is still great Hope to be shared, a story to be told, and something to say.

One of my good friends is Robbie Robison and he is on pastoral staff of the great Peoples Church in Franklin, TN. Matthew sang Christmas Eve Service at his church this weekend. You can catch a glimpse of it here. For more info visit www.MatthewWest.com or wwwFrankShelton.com

(PRESS PAUSE on far right video of Frank preaching at Truett-McConell College to enjoy interview)

Two months ago, it was a HUGE honor for me to re-connect with one of the men that I admire most – William Franklin Graham IV. Will is Dr Billy Graham’s grandson and son to Franklin Graham. Will graciously spent an hour with me on the phone October 9, 2011 as my guest on my radio show “FRANKLY SPEAKING” that aired the past two years on American Family Radio in Richmond, VA on 89.7 FM. Christmas came early and its my JOY to share this with you this Holy Season.

The Lord is using Will in a powerful way and he is an Associate Evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and also the assistant director of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina. Will was born in 1975, and he speaks around the globe at various crusades and conferences.

Will is humble and God honoring and has a great sense of humor and loves to promote Heaven. He is passionate about people and plainly but powerfully proclaims the Gospel. He is an amazing and anointed preacher and scores have come to faith in Christ through his ministry. Will is married to Kendra and blessed with three children and lives and loves to tell the story of Jesus and His love. In this interview, Will shares what it was like growing up as the grandson to the world’s most beloved evangelist and even greater what Jesus means to him.

Ironically, Dr Billy Graham was just released today from the hospital and please continue to keep him in your prayers this Christmas Season. In this recent radio interview Will shares his testimony and private hobbies and public ministry. One of the greatest moments of my life was right before this interview began and prior to hitting record Will asked if he could pray for the interview and my ministry. He went on to say in that prayer: “Thank you God for Frank and the friend he has been to my family.” That will go down as one of the greatest gifts in my life.

My prayer is that this amazing testimony will inspire you to grow closer to Christ. The “greats are gracious” and Will Graham is both and I am so thankful for he and his family. Our interview is above but check out this link to learn more about Will and BGEA. Feel free to follow Will on TWITTER @TellaGraham

It was my privilege to return yesterday to the great First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Upper Marlboro, MD and worship the Lord. Dr John K Jenkins, senior pastor of the 11,000 member church is passionate about making dynamic disciples for JESUS. He is the brother-in-law to one of my best friends, Stevie Prather and the Lord is really using them both greatly for God’s glory.

One of the many attributes that I admire about Pastor Jenkins is that he loves to bless others. He is generous, godly and lives to give. It takes a big man to celebrate the gifts of others without feeling threatened and Pastor Jenkins is HUGE in my eyes. Pastor Jenkins is one gifted man of God and his ministry blesses countless folks around the globe and I love hearing him weekly on WAVA 105.1 FM. He is a great expositor and encourager and can FLAT OUT bring the heat!

One of my favorite preachers is also Dr Tony Evans and he was invited back to FBC Glendarden yesterday (Nov 27, 2011) and as always he lifted Jesus up and brought the house down. Over 100 folks went forward for salvation at the noon service alone and he preached 8AM & 10AM too. I first heard Dr Evans in person in the early 1990′s when he was keynote speaker to one million (not a typo) on The Mall in Washinton, DC at Promise Keepers. In 2008, he came with us on Praisefest “Cruise With a Cause” to Bahamas and I witnessed him speak to nearly 30,000 and God showed up.

Yesterday, Dr Tony Evans preached on one of my favorites topics and texts – Matthew 28 (The Great Commission). Dr Tony Evans is chaplain to both the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks (no wonder the Mavs won it all last year in NBA and Dallas beats my Skins both times this year – prayer works)!

Dr Evans noted at every football game we find THREE teams. A home team, a visiting team and a team of officials. The officials may not be stronger or faster than the players but they have authority. The Bible says in Matthew 28:18 – “all power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth. GO ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Dr Evans noted the officials are not to take sides for either team. They find their allegiance to a higher authority located on Park Avenue in NYC. They work for the NFL commissioner and enforce his rules. Keep in mind we are in this world but not of it (that will preach). The officials are to enforce the rules not play or pick sides. Officials lose authority and credibility when they forget whom they represent. At times, officials can be distracted and tempted to hear the praise or criticism from the stands and on the field to compromise their reason for being on the field in the first place.

We are called to be Salt and Light in this dark world. As Christians we are called, compelled and commanded to grow and GO! FACT: 2/3 of God’s first name is GO and while some prefer to be out of commission the truth is The Great Commission is not a suggestion but a commandment. As believers we report to a Higher Authority and we also have a Commissioner and we find Him not in New York but high and lifted up seated at the right side of the Father in Heaven.

Being a Christian may bring you to Heaven but being a disciple brings Heaven to you. We are on the winning side and we must not squander our opportunity or forget our authority to preach, teach and reach people for Christ before its too late. A mature Christian is both growing and going to share the Good News. If you could care less if others repent and trust Christ as Savior you need not only a check up but a heart transplant! WORD UP: If you are “over the cross” you may not be under the blood.

Dr Evans also said fans don’t pay big bucks to see grown men “huddle” but to play. We don’t mind watching you gather in a circle for 30 seconds as long as you can execute the play assigned by the coach. BUCKLE UP: Satan doesn’t mind you going to church on Sunday as you “huddle” gather and commune for an hour or two but the moment you actually have the audacity to execute the game plan from God all Hell will break lose. Are you complacent or commited in your walk with God?

The Susan B Anthony is a Silver Dollar. Unfortunately, it lasted only one year in circulation and in 1978, was pulled from production. Why? It was worth a dollar but resembled the quarter. God has called us to be righteous not religious and if we don’t adhere or implement the Bible we are doing a dis-service to God and our fellow man. We have been bought with a price and we need to glorify God.

Dr Evans is much more eloquent than I but you can enjoy an excerpt of him preaching part of this message below at another event. My friend, Dr Johnny Pope told me years ago – “Don’t just keep the faith but share it.”

* NEWS FLASH: Check back next week to hear my 47 minute interview w/ Dr Billy Graham’s grandson, Will Graham

Pastor Mark Batterson is a Godly genius, gifted author and also a receipient of God’s great grace. He has a hunger to reach his city for God and travels the globe pointing people far from Jesus to a personal relationship with Him. Mark is the Lead Pastor of National Community Church in our Nation’s Capital (place of my birth) and they started with 19 people and have now grown to ten services in SEVEN locations!

Mark was born in Minnesota and grew up in Naperville, IL (hometown of my Best Man in my wedding) Sam Glenn. Mark went to the University of Chicago on a basketball scholarship and was preparing to major in pre-law but after a walk in a cow pasture God lead him to full-time ministry. NOTE: If you walk forward with God in a cow pasture that doesn’t make you a COWard. Actually it takes a man to follow Christ. Now back to the regular scheduled blog. Pastor Mark is author of best-selling books “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity & Soul Print.”

I have always found the “greats to be gracious” and Mark is both. His NEW book “Circle Maker” hits bookstores in t-minus three weeks (DEC 13, 2011). Pastor Mark mailed me personally a pre-released copy of “The Circle Maker” two months ago and I read it in two sittings. Friends, I am so slow it takes an hour for me to cook “Minute Rice” but I couldn’t put it down. Mark noted some things I always believed and expounded on many things that God gave Him to encourage and challenge all of us. Mark has a way with words because He has allowed the Word to have His way in his life.

Outside of the Bible, reading Pastor Mark’s new book “The Circle Maker” is hands down the best book I read this year. It would make a great stocking stuffer for your loved ones and certainly will bless you. Maybe you should buy one for you and five to give away as gifts. This book is more than a game changer but a life changer in growing deeper in your prayer life with God.

Pastor Mark gave me permission to share a blog post of his below (excerpts from his book SOUL PRINT) and graciously agreed to be featured as my second GUEST BLOGGER. I love to promote God and others and Mark needs no help from me but I love to honor those whom are honorable. May this blog from Pastor Mark bless you, stretch you and embolden you to dare to do great things with God and for our King. Feel free to keep up with him daily on TWITTER @MarkBatterson or weekly here
Enjoy!

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“David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put the armor in his tent.”
1 Samuel 17:54

David knew he hit the bull’s-eye, but did he hit it hard enough? He waited for a subtle shift in Goliath’s center of balance. That’s when intense fear turned into triumphant relief as the nine-foot giant teetered, then came crashing forward like a felled tree. There is an old adage: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And it’s true. But so is this one: The taller they are, the longer it takes! It takes a long time for giants to hit the ground, but when they do, the cloud of dust is spectacular.

When the giant hit the ground, David didn’t waste a moment. He sprinted to the fallen Philistine, unsheathed the giant’s sword, and decapitated him with his own weapon. Then David did something curious. He didn’t just leave Goliath for a battlefield burial. He began undressing his armor, which was far more complicated than simply untying a shoe or unbuckling a belt. It took all his strength just to turn Goliath over! But piece by piece, David removed the armor that was defenseless against a perfectly aimed stone. The great irony is that removing his armor was more difficult than defeating Goliath.

David barely broke a sweat slinging the stone, but removing the giant’s armor left him breathless. It’s not insignificant that Scripture records the actual weight of Goliath’s armor: 125 pounds, 15 ounces. David probably didn’t weigh much more than that! Carrying Goliath’s armor was like bench-pressing his own body weight. It wasn’t as simple as picking it up and plopping it down in his tent. And it certainly didn’t fit on the mantle. It probably took two men just to move it. David’s shoe box was much heavier than mine! But David went to the trouble of putting that set of armor in his tent. Every time he packed up his tent and pitched it someplace else, the armor went with him. How come?

Because that armor doubled as a daily reminder of a defining moment. It was a 125-pound, 15-ounce lifesymbol. And every time the sunlight reflected off the bronze scales and caught the corner of his eye, it renewed David’s holy confidence in the God who fells giants. And that’s the purpose of lifesymbols. They are physical objects that remind of us spiritual milestones. They are reminders from the past that give meaning to the present and holy confidence for the future.

GRAB YOUR COPY of “Circle Maker” on Dec 13, 2011

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church (www.theaterchurch.com) in Washington DC . Targeting emerging generations, 73 percent of NCCers are single twentysomethings that live or work on Capitol Hill. Currently one church with three locations, the vision of NCC is to meet in movie theaters @ metro stops throughout the DC area. The theaterchurch.com podcast is one of the fastest-growing church podcasts in America. Mark is also a daily blogger @ www.markbatterson.com. Mark lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and three children and loves Green Bay Packers!