GLENN'S PODCASTS!

GKB is off to Germany, Italy and Switzerland March 1st. Hope to see
many of you on tour :)

I have a lot of podcasts about to be uploaded. You'll notice the
link above this blog (in the window) for those. Huge thanks to
Nathan Cameron (and earlier on, Marshall Nelson) for help in this.

During this tour, I plan on uploading a lot of pics as well as
writing a daily blog and hope to post them here all along the
journey. We'll let you know how to access that info. soon as we're
up and running.

Shannon Coberly of Trimmed & Burnin' Amps and Guitars has built an
incredible new amp for me. As soon as we're able, we'll add a page
with brief comments and pics on that and all the T&B gear I now own
and use! His site is here in "More Links" below.

Thanks for stopping by!

PODCASTS AND EUROPEAN TOUR COMING

I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about both doing a lot more podcasting personally, including a few interviews as well as interviewing others here at JPUSA who I think have good and important things to say. There are a boatload of issues worth considering so check glennkaiser.com for the next batch in about two weeks.

Vod (or "Vid") casts will follow sometime in the future, but to produce a load of 15-20 minute audio for you to hear online or download is just too easy to -not- do! I'll also cross-link to other sites depending on the particular podcast with regard to topic and audience interest.

We also expect to offer RSS (real simple syndication) in the future so those of you who subscribe to my pod/vodcasts will automatically receive a download to your pc, mac, ipod or other Mp3 device every time we upload them. We'll post info. on this when we're ready to offer the service.

GKB, Wendi and I had a blast meeting old (and it seems, making some new:) friends at Parkview Christian Church, doing music for five (yep!!) services! These are sweet people, and one of them told me I needed to put more audio messages on my site... so we're gettin' on it.

Some have noticed the Swedish festival cancelled, and that's true as they decided to not do the fest this year. Meanwhile, GKB were invited and are touring Germany, Switzerland and Italy throughout March. Please check the Shows section and as soon as we have final details on cities, we'll post that information there. Have mercy on me and don't email me for details (!), we promise to post them soon as we can :)

Thanks for stopping by!

FORM-0-RAMA ABSURDUM

re. "Exit Stage Left: Why the Spiritually Mature are Leaving the Church"
(You can find the article and book this is based on online with a quick search)

***Attention/warning/advance apology- Kaiser Rant, and a tad lengthy at that:

First, I just love the title here! Nothing like shock-attention getting, polarizing phrases to get people "in the door". So truly American. God help us.

Next, my thinking upon reading the full article recalled (indeed, what -are- points five and six...?) the oft-used phrase from that immortal intelligentsia flick "Buckaroo Bonzai": "Wherever you go, there you are".

I'm really working at mining truth in such massive paint-strokes in much of what's being written and podcast these days. I'm sure I'm guilty of doing it too, but whew!! "All" or even "most" are words with HUGE implications that just aren't often accurate.

I'm getting increasingly tired of "form" and "system" analysis to the 90th power. Dude, it's YOU and it's ME, not the form!!

I know jerks -and- saints in all forms church-wide. So do most of us (there's a "most" I'll bet on). THE FORM AIN'T THE SUBSTANCE. Never was, never shall be.

Is it important? To some degree. But my choices and my own commitment to the Lord, His Word and making daily choices regardless of status quo OR hipness factors loom larger than any form or lack thereof.

"Church" is US. WE are the church, ain't no other. The multitude of "we" and not form define Church. Now, "churchES" is another matter.

It's interesting that what is being largely discussed in my view, tends toward methodology and often, an individual's lack of a few seriously committed people who are used by the Spirit to disciple us.

This isn't rocket science or new in the least! It's just not as hip to say so. But in the end, for lack of such risky relationships of love, pain and depth, we just go out into rampant individualism. NO one person is "church". Nothing new under the sun here.

In time, the fruit of all this will (or won't, in the negative) be evident. But in my view, there have been very few "secrets" exposed in all the blather about form in the past ten or so years.

Can I find in every/any local fellowship godly folks who can help me grow deeper in spirituality and genuine life in Christ? Yes/no/maybe. But the form doesn't dictate maturity. If it did, He'd have prescribed such a form in His Word.

Frankly, I think it may just be spiritual immaturity that causes one to think that -any form- will in and of itself, meet our deepest need regarding spiritual growth!

THE END OF THE SEARCH

Tom Brady and the classy dynasty of New England Patriot's are watching The Big Game at NFL's year end like most of us... on the couch in front of the television.

Well, perhaps they're in a club or at friend's houses, watching on huge hi-def screens, maybe even at the game itself but in any case they're out of it.

Ever feel "out of it"? I have.

So what about Tom who in an interview I recently saw said (nearly verbatim) "Hey, I won it all twice and have seen the top of success in the game but there's still an emptiness, something missing. I wish I knew what it was, I wish if somebody knew how to find it that they'd let me know"!

Whew! What an opening for God's love. For THAT- relationship with God through the risen Christ- IS THE END OF THE SEARCH.

Of course not everyone believes it. And many who say they do apparently have little to do with Him on a daily basis. Knowledge doesn't equal relationship. Sincere and deepening conversation and being in the presence of the one you love, does.

And so we shall see another championship. One team will win, the other lose. But winners can be just as lost as anyone else, in any sport or endeavor no matter how successful.

I have found what millions over the centuries have found: Jesus Christ is THE end of the search.

ONLY EVANGELISM?

One of a few problems I have had with my gifting and calling as an evangelist is- I don't know how many believers really know what the Bible says about evangelism and worse yet (in my view), discipleship.

No matter how deeply some may believe and have reason to trust that God chooses and calls people to Himself via us (and He indeed does!) -He is not only utterly responsible for their salvation, He's also responsible for their spiritual formation and growth as a fruitful disciple of Jesus.

But PLEASE notice that God, the other person, and you (or I) are in the picture! It takes the agreement and cooperation and of all three parties.

From all I know of Scripture and all I've studied on the issues involved, God chooses, we choose and of course the people in question choose. God is present with the new Christian. They are present with Him. We may not be around them daily or even monthly, they may move to another city, etc., etc., but what I'm getting at is that some of us just do not enter into "aftercare" and ongoing relationship or even begin to deal with "follow up" after we've led someone to Christ. This is not good!

The parable of the sower informs our thinking a great deal on this, but in the end, just as the Father uses His children to win lost people to Jesus, He also uses His children to disciple them after conversion.

If you won't disciple others, could you not work a bit to get them linked with someone who will? Is this asking too much? I think not.

Is it ALL "God's responsibility" for a new Christian to grow up in the Word, prayer and Christian maturity? May we rely on the Holy Spirit alone to help the person mature in Christ? According to the gifts the Spirit gives to all of us ("for the work of the ministry"... "for the building up of the saints"), apparently not!

Is it ALL the Church's responsibility? Clearly not.

Let me put the question another way: which Christians are NOT called to enter into spiritually edifying relationships with other Christians? Is it only up to pastors and teachers to encourage others to grow in their relationship with the Lord?
.
If we aren't relational and willing to enter into long-term discipling of a person we lead to Christ are we really being responsible to love our brethren as we ought to?

I'm aware that -some- are evangelists, -some- pastors or teachers, etc.., and no one of us of us has -all- the gifts of the Spirit. Yet, all believers should be witnesses/bear testimony by word and everyday life, by authentic, caring relationship, that Jesus is real, risen, our Lord, Savior, LOVES each and all. Sharing the Good News is every Christian's "general" call. How is it that most would agree with that, but few think that discipling our fellow Christians is not just as much every Christian's "general" call?

I can tell you that in my years of listening, pastors and other leaders have lamented more about lack of genuine, fruitful, biblical discipleship in their congregations than they have lack of sharing the Gospel. From my own experience it's far more easy to lead someone to Jesus and a genuine saving faith than it is to help them apprehend authentic spiritual growth as consistent "listeners/learners" (Gk.- "disciples").

One can become a Christian in a few seconds of repentance and faith. It takes more time and yes, effort- to bloom as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

When we're "saved", Jesus calls it being "born again".

We were all physically born. In most cases, it was pretty easy and in terms of the moment of actual birth, rather quick.

Four parties are involed in every birth: God, a man, a woman and a baby.

It takes God and others in the family of God to help a baby Christian to grow up.

It takes relationship and family for a child to grow and not only survive but thrive.

I believe God is calling each of us to love somebody in just that way! This is why the Christian life is about "church", not just you or me... but together, we -are- the church, and we can and will not only be part of others' salvation but discipleship. We can and must be part, not only of the birth process, but on-going maturity.

What does it mean to truly LOVE our brothers and sisters in the family of God? I am convinced helping them grow as disciples is an intrinsic part of the answer.