Full video interview with Fred
THE TIMES
A movement began in June of 2015 when a supernatural release of forgiveness was poured out after an unimaginable tragedy in Charleston. Instead of being torn apart, a city stood unified. Only days before, several thousand people from all over South Carolina had gathered at the North Charleston Coliseum to pray and intercede for one another, our cities and towns, our state, and our nation. Those prayers, and an outpouring of grace and mercy, miraculously averted a potential racial war.
Now we are being tested again. The Presidential campaign is dividing our nation and making the majority of us angry and disenchanted with our leadership. Fears and uncertainties of our nation’s future are only being fed by the constantly pounding rhetoric surrounding the upcoming Election.
Just before these elections, another major event has affected the Low Country: Hurricane Matthew. Hurricane Matthew raked across our region, bringing evacuations, loss of work, loss of business for many, discomfort, and physical damage to homes and businesses. Many are having to endure unexpected financial pressure and hardship while cleanup is still taking place throughout our area.
A symphony of challenges have come together for Charlestonians–crescendoing with two emotionally-charged murder trials set to begin in November. Charleston will again be in the national spotlight. Law enforcement and community leaders have been preparing to circumvent and quell any potential unrest as TV images of the riots in Charlotte are still fresh in our minds.
THE PASSION
“Stirred Up” came out of a burden I have for the Mother Emanuel Nine families. My desire and strong hope is that the song will inspire every hearer to pray and intercede for the families intensely in the weeks ahead as the trials get underway. It’s not hard to join in these efforts – just take take a few minutes and listen to an interview with the two ladies who survived the shooting that took place during their Bible study: Polly Shepperd and Felicia Sanders. Even though I do not know them personally, I was very moved by their testimonies and those of Alana Simmons and her father. As I watched many clips from the events, services, and news reports, I remember weeping when I heard them forgive the young man who killed their family member.
With both federal and state trials approaching, the families will be forced to revisit all their pain and anguish. They will need the Holy Spirit’s divine intervention to continually strengthen and encourage them. We can lock arms with them in the Spirit – no matter our color or age – and intercede in prayer, asking the Lord to carry them through with our prayers and His grace. Charleston can do this! God will hear our prayers and empower us all when we “cry out to Him!”
THANKSGIVING
Stirred Up recognizes it was “The Power of God that flowed mightily and gave the families the strength to forgive……” To God be the glory! The supernatural ability to forgive was, and is, from the LORD. The sound released from our city went around the world. It snapped the momentum of rioting and hate released in Ferguson and Baltimore, demonstrating the truth of Psalm 46:9 –“He makes wars to cease. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear in two. . . ”
The Lord truly intervened in Charleston. Full of thanksgiving and praise, I can sing: “The power of God flowed mightily…”
UNEXPECTED INSPIRATION
My wife and I went out of town for a few days this past summer to escape the July heat wave and to celebrate her birthday. We were having breakfast together at our friends’ home overlooking a lake in the mountains. While we were talking, I reflected on a feature article in Post and Courier. All of a sudden, I felt really stirred.
Words and a melody began to flow. I quickly grabbed my cellphone to record and capture this burst of music that was coming so spontaneously and effortlessly (My dear wife was very patient with me. She had just fixed us an awesome breakfast when I got up in the middle of it to hastily write a song about racial unity). As I began to write the words and say them out loud, I started to cry and agonize, interceding for people I did not even know. I felt maybe His Spirit was allowing me to connect in a small degree with the families’ grief.
More lyrics came. I pounded my fist and declared “It’s stopping here. We’re locking arms together. The Holy City will be Holy. We won’t be shaken!”
Isn’t this what happened last year in Charleston? People joined together and made a statement that this destructive movement and attitude “is stoppin’ here.” They showed support for one another as they marched across the Ravenel Bridge and demonstrated to the world a unified Charleston community.
THE DECLARATION
The declaration near the end of the song is about coming together and declaring: “We won’t be shaken!” It is about accepting one another regardless of color and putting the pains of history behind us that we can’t change and choosing to walk in the love and forgiveness only GOD can give.
We won’t, we won’t be shaken
We won’t, we won’t be shaken
We won’t, we won’t be shaken
Living love, with the power of God (Repeat)
I made up my mind
I’ll keep lovin’ my brother
I made up my mind
Don’t matter what color
I made up my mind
I’ll keep lovin’ my brother
World’s gonna see, we got the vic-to-ry ( Repeat)
In Jesus, In Jesus, In Jesus, In Jesus
WHAT IF
Someone was quoted as saying that it is the poets and musicians who can change culture. Many possibilities and “What if’s?” are in front of us. Could this be bigger than Charleston?
In the weeks ahead, we will be in the national spotlight once again. Could Charleston impact the world once more in how we respond to these trials? Maybe help bring change in what appears to be the continual erosion of relationships between the races? Could a few minor lyric changes produce a national message stirring a nation to solidarity? Our nation needs revival like never before!
SPEAKING OF REVIVAL….
The 1906 Azusa Street Revival was set in motion by an incredibly humble African-American man named William Seymour. God used his amazing humility and hunger as a catalyst for revival that swept Los Angeles and began a movement that still is having an affect to this day throughout the world. Check out The Azusa Street documentary:
At AZUSA NOW, an event celebrating the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street revival, over 55,000 people from across the globe attended to intercede and pray for our nation at the LA coliseum in April this year. My family attended the event. Lou Engle had the vision for the event and is interviewed along with Pastor Bill Johnson from Bethel Church in Redding, California, prior to the event broadcast on YOUTUBE.
In the interview, Lou Engle makes a powerful statement: “…only a united church can heal a divided nation…. I believe the African American community has the potential of leading this nation into a great outpouring of the Spirit! …If you can forgive us, you can lead us into the greatest revival because those who have been wounded the most, have more authority to heal the most. If they can say “Father forgive them!” that’s Jesus’ Word. I believe America is poised for a racial reconciliation revival and Azusa is kind of like a sign of that thing.:”
I believe this is a new season for our city. I believe God put His grace and favor on Charleston for some reason to carry His message of forgiveness. This sound of forgiveness was miraculously released in the courtroom by the victims’ families while in their pain and grief. That sound is what stirred Charleston to unite. That sound produced the sound called “Stirred Up.” I truly believe “Stirred Up” can be a vehicle to inspire believers to pray, while praising Him for the mighty Holy Spirit’s work of forgiveness.
Our God is quite amazing. He saw in advance what is happening now. The inspiration, the words, and the melody to this song are for His glory, as I believe they only could have come from Him “for such a time as this.” I’m not sure why He put it on my heart, but I know that when He did, I recognized it was different and carried a message that has been burning in my heart every since. Now I’m bringing it to you.
The greatest gift ever given to us is the gift of forgiveness. When we receive Jesus and the forgiveness He gives, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We as believers, now, through His power, have this supernatural gift of the Spirit giving us the ability and strength to forgive. Our eyes have seen and our ears have heard what is only just the beginning of what He can do when individuals, families, a church, and a city make up their minds to love and release forgiveness.
And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together… (Acts 2:6)