Klampert

The new “Dirt Poor Robins” CD is out…and you are worried about spending the 7.99 on itunes. I get that totally. So here is how you can get it for free.

Go to your CD collection and grab these CD’s/book:

1. Panic at the Disco
2. Kings X
3. Flemming & John
4. Blondie
5. Queen
6. Bjork
7. Alice in Wonderland Book

Ok..you have them? Now…throw them in a blender..use the PULP setting for about 32 sec.

Once it stops look inside…

do you see the new “Dirt Poor Robins” CD?

hmm…didn’t work..

well lets go to plan B and save you $70+ because instead of buying all the CD’s above you could buy:

the new “Dirt Poor Robins” CD

and join the COOL club!

Friday night I was invited by a great friend of mine to help serve at a Homeless shelter in Providence, RI. My wife and two littlest ones jumped in a car to join the 8 or so people from his church plant “Connexion Church” at the shelter.

It was a great time with family, friends and serving, but I noticed some odd things as well.  When pastor jack was done preaching to the men and women there he gave an altar call. Of course many got saved and I am not about to judge who were for real or who just wanted to go through the motions to get their dinner. All the people got up afterward and proceeded rather quickly to the dining hall. Well, all but one. One man stayed behind and talked to Jack and he got to pray with him. I love when that happens because to me thats how you really know how hungry a person is for God.

This man went for the bread of life before he went for the bread that came with the Ziti.

There was a homeless man there that i guess is on staff with the place. He was breaking down the room, clearing chairs, and stacking them. I went up to him and asked if I could help. His answer floored me.

“Huh?” he said “you want to help?..Uh yeah! thanks so much…You are now my favorite church!”

“Why?” I asked “thats what I’m here to do…Help”

“Because most of the other churches show up to preach and then leave. They don’t stick around to help me”

AMAZING! He went on to say that he was floored we have 8+ people because usually churches send the preacher and maybe another guy. I was happy to hear we were there for him and could help even in what seemed like such a little task, but also sad that churches are just sending people there to preach.

I’ll leave you with this quote that I think sums up the problem with the church today.

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” St. Francis of Assisi

We spend so much time drilling people with the gospel that sometimes we need to realize all people need to see the Light of Christ is just a helping hand, somebody to love them, somebody to care like Jesus did.

If you read my blog, which you should be, you would have noticed a group of men I meet with that we call “the Forge”. It is a group where I can go and be completely transparent with fellow brothers in ministry from other churches. About 7 months ago God had me move out of the role of HS youth director/leader into the role of being part of a team running the men’s ministry in my church, along side of leading worship. If there is one thing I love about our men’s group that I have not seen in any men’s group I have been in it’s honesty and transparency. In both my men’s group and in the Forge nothing is off limits. Everybody is broken.

I decided to look up the definition of Transparent. Here is what it says:

transparent [trænsˈpærənt -ˈpɛər-]adj

1. permitting the uninterrupted passage of light; clear; a window is transparent

That definition is astounding. I think there are two keys for real ministry within the church. Honesty and Grace. I have been talking about both with my men and forge group for months. We need to be honest with one another, but at same time we need to have grace for each other when things get put on the table that may possibly floor us, hurt us, or concern us.

I have been a “HUGE” fan of Vicky Beeching since the Hungry CD from Vineyard. She is a brilliant songwriter and amazing lyricist. On top of that her theology is pretty spot on.

On Feb 16th, in anticipation of her new CD coming out later this year, Vicky and integrity music will be releasing a 3 song EP.

I am stoked to be able to offer the chance for you to hear the songs first on my blog and two others listed below.

I promise integrity did not pay me to say this, but I think I got the best of the 3 songs to preview and I can’t wait to do this one in my church!

LISTEN BELOW:


Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

UPDATE: we have been asked to shorten the song to a 30sec clip. For those who heard it before I switched…Count yourself AWESOME!

What’s that? you love it and want the chord chart?
COME AND GET IT!!

Deliverer
Words & Music by: Vicky Beeching , Sarah MacIntosh

VERSE 1
Deliverer, come set me free
Break every chain holding me
Deliverer, come have Your way
I surrender to Your rule and reign

CHORUS A
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is healing

VERSE 2
You say the word and mountains are moved
Oceans and stars stand in awe of You
Just say the word, I will be changed
We’ll see Your face and we will not be the same, ‘cause

CHORUS B
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is hope
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is healing

BRIDGE
And Your blood is enough to break every chain (8X)
Every chain, every chain

© 2010 Integrity Worship Music and Thankyou Music (adm worldwide by EMI CMG Publishing, excluding Europe, which is administered by kingswaysongs.com) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695 and EMI CMG Publishing, Inc., PO Box 5085, Brentwood, TN 37024 All rights reserved. Used by Permission. CCLI#5657498

Looking for more info on Vicky Beeching? Here are a few places to start –

www.vickybeeching.com
www.twitter.com/vickybeeching

You can hear the other two songs from Vicky’s EP over the next couple of days at these two blogs –

Monday, February 8 – www.chrisfromcanada.com
Tuesday, February 9 – www.klampert.com
Wednesday, February 10 – www.fredmckinnon.com

I had the honor and privilege to receive a pre-release copy of “Sex, Lies & Religion” by Randy Elrod and I was able to read it in one day. The question you may ask yourself is “1 day?…must have been short”. It is not a long book at 166 pages, but it is a riveting book. I was not able to put it down.

A year ago I was able to meet Randy in person and talk with him. What I encountered was a man of integrity and transparency. A Godly man with a great marriage. This alone made me want to read whatever he put out.

This is a book that tries to debunk the old church rules about sex and nudity. It talks about the history of our creation and what we were created for. It delves into the connection between sexuality and spirituality starting first with nudity and sex onto our longing for God.

I am an artist and have drawn nudes and been around that culture a long time, but I am also aware of how much the nude body terrifies the main stream church. Randy talks about the lies that are out there and delves into teaching the reader how to achieve freedom from the way we have always been taught. There is a difference between “beauty” and Pornography” and Randy gives us a pretty great check list to determine that.

There is so much in this book to go over and re-read. I will be reading it for a second time next week and will probably need to blog again about it to really dig deeper.

A great quote from the book which really stood out to me was:

“Simply gather a handful of the succulent fruit described in this chapter and your mate will be literally eating out of your hand while racing you to the bedroom for an endless time of wild and abandoned lovemaking.”

Randy goes on to talk about the Fruit of the spirit and making that the most important Foreplay in a marriage. Something I am sure we all need a reminder of daily.

Last but not least it talks about communion and the sacraments. For the sake of a long post I won’t get into it, but let me tell you the connection he makes to the above is amazing.

Folks, this is a must read and maybe the top book I recommend this year. It’s not very often you will hear me say I need to read it again.

Do yourself a favor and order this book, but order it with an open mind because it will challenge you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from cre:ate 2.0 Publishing to read and post a review on my site. 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 <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.”