Klampert | Rambling from a klampert

Are you an ark builder or a wood gatherer?

January 26, 2012 in klampert, lessons, ministry, Random chatter with 1 Comment

The year was 1995. I was off to VA to train and then work with YWAM. We had so many sessions on prayer and worship and the passing on of the “mantle” to other leaders. It was an amazing time. Eventually I was off with a small team to Kiev, Ukraine, but before I went I had a good 3 months in VA. One day we had invited a guest speaker and prophet to come to the missions school to pray over us. Prophets are scary people because you never know what they will say and they don’t seem to have a filter. This man didn’t trudge up a deep rooted sin or an unrepentant bitterness, but instead cast a vision that I will never forget.

He said “Joel…God is raising you up to become a green beret in His army. So will be doing things that have never been done before and may seem odd to others all while rescuing drowning people and pulling them into the boat.”

Wow…at the time I did not know what to do with that. That was a huge vision and one I would pray about for years. in the last 16 years of ministering in many different kinds of churches and atmospheres I have attempted to do what God has called me to do. To create things that have not been created. In essence to tap into the creativity that God has birthed in me to lead others to the hope of Christ.

Lets fast forward to 2010 where God gave me friendships with a few guys named Adam, Jack and Doug. We all had interesting visions as to what God was doing in our lives and God made some crazy things happened that created The Forge Conference. The first one was amazing and I was starting to get a glimpse what God saw as my main ministry. Then the second Forgecon God started moving people around and shifting visions and agendas and what was left was what God wanted to do and not 5 peoples separate visions mashed together. Of course that year went even better. Most recently another friend of mine, Mike Mahoney, and I hosted a Forgecon alumni get together that we called a 1day. Much like the other events it was uncharted territory for the likes of the small church.

What happened at the last event though seemed to tie 16 years of ministry up into a nice bow. While we were discussing our needs and prayer requests something came out of my mouth that I did not expect.

“God as called me to build arks”

I believe God said that through me because I had never thought of that before. Think about Noah for a second though. God asked him to build a GIANT boat because it was going to rain and flood the earth. In context though we know they most likely had not ever seen rain or even a boat. So basically God called him to create something that had never been seen before for his glory. He would guide him and help him all the while Noah built something that he didn’t understand the need for until it came time to use it.

Right then my mind flashed to the prophecy over my life in 1995 and it all clicked. God called me to create the seemingly absurd and impossible so He could do the impossible and get all the glory.

Right after that Mike Mahoney chimed in “God has called me to gather the wood and the animals”

I was floored and synapses started firing in my brain. I started to think about how many times leaders latch onto a vision and try to work in roles they were not created to do.

Noah was given the vision of building the ark. He was handed the blueprints.

Then his family jumped in with hammers, gathered wood, and slapped on the pitch. Sometimes one of his sons wold help him decipher the blueprints which may have taken more heads than one.

Some of us were meant to build arks and to create the seemingly impossible. Others were meant to gather the wood. Others were meant to administrate the team.

In your ministry do you know what your role is?
Are you letting your ceiling be somebody else’s floor?
Are you bringing skilled people to fill in your weaknesses?
Are you willing to support the vision even if you don’t get the spotlight?
Is God getting all the glory?
Does impossible vision and the mystery of God paralyze you from doing what He has asked of you?

Your daughter and the VAMPIRES that love them

November 18, 2011 in Random chatter with 5 Comments

It is not a secret that I have been reading about the occult and all things spiritual since I could read pretty much. I have read most of the books on “spirits”, christian and pagan and tried over the years to learn as much as I could about the topic. I have seen people possessed by demons and I have spoken to demons through a person. I have been in places that were “haunted” and know the reality of what is going on behind the spiritual curtain…

In the 90′s I got into the vampire books from Anne Rice. I read them and loved them. Somewhere within the series though it seemed to take a twist from a story to actually being evil.

My wife and I loved Buffy the Vampire slayer and Angel. It was a great show about good versus evil, but somewhere along the way, most likely for ratings sake, it began to glorify evil.

The truth is in the end we all knew this stuff was evil and we justified why it was ok to be wrapped in media with it.

Recently I was talking to a friend who loves the Paranormal Ghost shows. She told me it was “just plain fun”. My answer to her was that there is a line we Christians love to cross and if she was ever actually in a haunted house she would feel different about the show.

I have been really focused on the power of our praise and the battle that there is in the spiritual realm over our attention and ultimately our souls. I am becoming concerned because it seems to me that we used to watch and be involved with stuff fully knowing it was evil, but doing it anyway justifying along the way. Now we are involved with stuff and are so desensitized that we have forgotten that what we are involved with is just plain wrong.

I am a guy who loves fantasy and fiction probably more than most people, but we as a society have crossed a line where we glorify Satan and it is messed up.

Last week I was on a youth retreat leading worship for a few churches. I was amazed how many kids spoke more about “Twilight” than they did about anything else. There was a kid there who looked like the vampire character and because of that all the girls were all over him. They said he “sparkled”!! We all laughed and thought it was kinda funny, but then in worship I could not shake how crazy that is. Not only have we forgotten just how evil these things are but our “daughters” are fawning over dudes that look like vampires. Nothing says I love you like a sparkling bloodsucking demon guy.

You as a reader may say I’m taking this too far and it’s innocent. Again I love fantasy, but I love Good versus evil and GOD coming out on top because it mirrors what real life is like. However society has twisted it where it is evil versus evil and we end up rooting for one of the evil sides and then are convinced they are good.

This youth retreats conversations, while innocent, kind of woke me up to the realization that the church is not aware that we fight against principalities and rulers in the spiritual realm. The Key part of that phrase is that there is a “SPIRITUAL REALM” and while we can’t see it angels and demons battle around us daily.

Just because you have not smoked crack does not mean you don’t know what it can do to you. I will say the same thing that just because you have not encountered a demon doesn’t mean you should play around with things that are overtly glorifying Evil.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

I admonish you Christians to tune into the Holy Spirit and discern right from wrong, what is or is not beneficial, and what glorifies God or Satan. In the end we have already won the battle, but daily we still fight.

Ascent from Darkness by Michael Leehan Book Review

November 17, 2011 in blogging, Books/Magazines, Review with 0 Comments

Ascent from Darkness
How Satan’s Soldier Became God’s Warrior
By:Michael Leehan

I recently got this book from the Blogging for Books program with Thomas Nelson. I did not know what to expect, but judging from it’s description I had I feeling I would be in for a wild ride. Crazy enough the day I received the book I went to the ER for a false alarm and had to sit in a bed with an IV for almost 6 hours. That is where I started the book. The next morning I woke up and neglected the things I needed to do and had it finished in 2 more hours. I could not put this book down.

I have read many books on the occult, satanists, and spiritual warfare, but something about this book was different. The way Michael told his story was riveting and also disturbing. It is a true story of a man whose life spirals into utter turmoil when he rejects Christ and literally sells his soul to Satan. Michael goes through a journey of torment from demons, satanic rituals, killings, drugs, sex and everything in-between. The devil tells him to destroy the church by infiltrating it, sleeping with the women and confusing the men. The book takes us through his whole life and how he handled those issues and that later he is instructed by Satan to kill pastor of lifechurch.tv, Craig Groeschell.

In the end there is redemption and Christ turns everything on it’s head.

At the risk of this review acting as a spoiler I don’t want to go far into describing this story. I LOVED IT. There are so many instances that really had me think harder about the spiritual realm that I had not before. The fact that when he tried to destroy churches he could not be in the room during worship really floored me because it was a testament to how powerful our praise really is.

Then his transformation…WOW! Now that was just amazing how God showed himself and the battles he could see.

I think if you can handle some disturbing “images” that everybody should read this book. We need a reminder of how great the transforming power of Christ is. We need to remember that there is another world that we don’t spend enough time thinking about. We need to be focused on the battle daily. Go read this book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

John Mark McMillan – Economy CD Review

November 4, 2011 in cd review, CD's/DVD's, Review with 2 Comments

John Mark Mcmillan
Economy

Some might say that this is John’s second CD and followup to the Medicine. Well technically YOU ARE WRONG because he had already released music before he go signed to Integrity. John has been in the music scene for quite a while now and has carved his way into the hearts of millions through people covering his songs. Now that those covers have paved the way for him to get in front of people as well I was worried his sound might get watered down. Worried it might get stuck in the box I like to call “that sound’ with over processed and over produced drivel that we hear so much these days.

Praise God like others at Integrity (bravo to those guys again) he is creating ART as an act of worship and not as an act of trying to sell records.

This followup to “The Medicine” is brilliant! Of course he brings us wonderful lyrical content that is poet and beautiful, but at the same time striking and arresting sometimes. Like “I believe You can overcome my economy…You can dig me out of the grave” are driven at our hearts but also bring to mind the time we are living in. He truly has worked hard at his craft at pulling on heartstring and at the same time giving us hope through songs like “murdered son”. The only song I have issues with is “who is this” which is very similar to the bridge tag in “skeleton bones” and that is because I don’t expect a guy like him to repeat a phrase.

Instrumentally it is just wonderful. Great production and creativity. There are times where it seems vocally he could have stretched more for a bit more diversity. Sometimes he gets a bit too Bruce Springsteen for me, but then I remember I don’t like springsteen’s voice and I love John’s!

I absolutely love the song “Sins are Stones” which seems like John’s attempt at a modern hymn. I hope to do this someday soon in church.

The only thing I have issues with and that I have issues with half the christian CD’s and worship our there is WAY WAY too many woah’s and Oh’s. At least he didn’t add in OO’s and AH’s.

Bottom line is this is a brilliant CD that is is not better than “The Medicine”. It is different than that album and 100% equal to it. Many times the second release determines the quality of an artist and often it falls flat. This is a MUST buy album that I promise you will love just as much as “The Medicine”.

Disclosure of Material Connection: We received this CD free from Integrity Music to listen and post a review on our site. We were not required to write a positive review. The opinions we have expressed are my own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> > “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Plan B by Pete Wilson Book Review

November 3, 2011 in Books/Magazines, Review with 0 Comments

Plan B
By: Pete Wilson

What Do You Do When God Doesnt Show Up the Way You Thought He Would?…

Where do I even begin with this book. It showed up in my mailbox at just the perfect time when I was questioning what in the world God was doing. As a matter of fact I have been in that state a lot the last few years.

This book addresses frustration with God, uncertainty, fear, loss, joy and followed up with the Hope of god’s promises.

I love this book and can’t say enough about it. It got me to think out of the box and whenever I am thinking inwardly I always rethink about what I have read.

I have now read this book twice and kinda think it may be a must on my list of something I should read yearly.

If you are questioning God’s direction and are looking for a bit of a peek into His heart for your life you need to read this book.

Yes I know this may be the shortest review of all time, but the truth is there is not much more to write other than just that. GO BUY IT!