When I got saved in 1989 in the youth room of Vision of Glory Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN, I was immediately taught to read my bible and do what it says. I was speaking in tongues within days of giving my life to Jesus. My youth pastor, Grant, discipled us upon arrival into salvation. The high value placed on the word of God for me from the start has stuck with me all these years. One of the main foundations of the Lutheran church is Sola Scriptura, scripture alone. I am so thankful for the foundation I was given in that Charismatic Lutheran Church, all those years ago.

Now 35 years later, I am sitting at my desk in Nashville, TN preparing to attend The Send all day conference in a stadium with 40,000 other people today. The Lord is bringing me back to the beginning this morning, as I remember when I was reading the book of Isaiah, when I first got saved, and literally did everything the Bible said. I read in Isaiah 5 the words, woe to those who serve mixed drinks and it caused me to cancel my application to attend bar tending school. I know that is now what it means in context, but when I was a new believer, if the Bible said, woe to those serving mixed drinks, I was not going to be a bar tender.

Another verse that really got me was Isaiah 6:6-8 “One of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven. Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then I said, Here am I. Send me! He said, Go, and tell this people!” I was forgiven, I knew that and I remember saying these exact words, “Here am I. Send Me!” Little did I know it would take me to Seattle, WA, Kansas City, MO, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and now Nashville, TN.

Here I sit, with a desire in my heart after all these years to say it again, “Here am I. Send Me!” As I prepare to go to The Send today, I am remembering when I was 19 years old and said those very words. But it wasn’t just a nice thing to say, it was a cry of my heart to go and tell anyone that would listen about this man Jesus who radically changed my life. Now 35 years later, I am saying it again, Here I am. Send me. I want to go and tell anyone who will listen about this man Jesus and His kingdom that consumes my life. I am praying today is a multigenerational commissioning as when I was sent the first time I did not know what I do now, but the desire to go and preach the gospel of the kingdom is the same. Here I am. Send me!!!!