GLENN'S PODCASTS!

As I've written in my update section, we've entered the touring season now so my emails both pick up to the point of HUGE volume of emails as well as having less time online myself, so answering 'em all can be tough to impossible. Thanks for your understanding.

I've long loved Iceland and am looking out the window down a beautiful fjord as I write, from Iceland's 3rd largest city. Akureyri is indeed beautiful and needs Jesus just as every other place and people we've ever been. Tonight we play a club here, tomorrow fly back to Reykjavik and then onto play at the national prison in the day, in Selfoss at a church in the evening. Lots of people have prayed, have chatted with us after shows and just in general are open to hear about Jesus via blues and blues rock music, but my main concern is never that they simply open up, even pray to be saved. It's what happens later and after that initial contact with Him and the church.

This is in part, why Project 12 was and is so important. It's just one of many places people can follow through and hopefully get discipled but also as we say, "ruined for the world".

I DO NOT think all believers should or must live in community, nor at JPUSA nor manifest the exact same spiritual gifts (i.e., pastoring and evangelism) as I or we do! I never really have and do not even preach much on these things. What I DO speak about more and more is that too many followers of Christ are less followers than believers, especially at work, school, play, socially and in their everyday activities.

Too many who say Jesus is their first love simply live to make a living. Most of their time, money and effort goes to survival and then to creature comforts. While "God has given us all things richly to enjoy" He does not call us merely to salvation but to be His disciples, His listeners/learners. What I'm amazed at is that too many simply pay a preacher or other spiritual leader to LIVE their Christian life out for them. Therefore, show up for an hour a week, put some money in the offering, read your Bible every so often and simply live a rather selfish life like most pre-believers around you. This is plainly ridiculous- and worse when you consider the example Jesus left us regarding what real love looks like!

I think it is time to challenge people to truly live for, with and in Christ no matter WHAT they do in a day job, nor sport, nor school environment. I think living for Jesus is about Him and others, not yourself, your agenda, your plans and dreams and desires. And this still is such a hard and even unusual word for people to hear much less consider and act upon in their lives.

I have begun to think Jesus is less concerned with rocking our boat than He is getting us entirely OUT of our status-quo boats and onto the water with Him!

Someone please email me the places in God's Word that tell us as believers to live and work EXACTLY and FOR THE SAME BENEFIT of those who do not follow Jesus Christ! If you can find such verses in the Bible, please email them to me so I can be convinced that serving and ministry isn't the call to all "kings and priests", to ALL believers!

Some who have read this far will judge my words- "Ahhh, see, he DOES think everyone should live as he does, do as they do". This is not at all what I think. What I DO think is that a lot of people have not read the whole Bible, and are not serving God, rather they serve self, family, friends and neighbors EXACTLY as they would had they never followed Jesus at all. Is this good? Is it spiritually fruitful? Is THIS the call of God upon His people? I think not.

So I call you to consider- is Jesus Christ... or is the local status-quo truly Lord of your life?

Wow... what a late-Spring early-Summer it's shaping up to be! It seems we've got a load of work ahead of us with touring, Cornerstone Festival (Bushnell) and trips to Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. GKB is planning to record a fresh studio project in the autumn, I'm doing some solo shows and a few with friends here and there as well as with GKB. The Bound For Glory touring has been excellent, just amazing people in every place. But you can check my UPDATES section for more on all this, as I'll add from time to time. Oh... apologies but I'm finally set to add podcasts from wherever I am on the planet (with web access of course) so we'll try to get that rolling.

For those interested: here are 3 incredible guitar and/or amp creators I call friends. If you promise not to covet you need to know about 'em :) Two have websites and the other is just an amazing guy who I've finally pursuaded to not tempt me with more guitars.

You can find Shannon Coberly's excellent Trimmed & Burnin' guitars and amps via my webpage via the link. I use them constantly as they're just fabulous. He's finishing up a dobro-style electric that will have to be seen to be believed!

We'll add another link soon for JR McClellan Guitars- Rod does many acoustic stringed instruments by order, custom-only, and one of his supreme acoustics will be raffled off to help pay the bills at Cornerstone Festival this summer! Myself, Scott Knies (SEEDS, Bound For Glory Tour, etc.) and others will play his instruments at the Fest so folks can get an ear and eyefull pre-raffle.

Here's some info. re. the raffle at Cstone Fest as per the Festival website:
"NEW FOR 2007 - NIGHTLY RAFFLE Don't miss the nightly raffle at Main Stage (proceeds go to support our year-round grounds expenses). Lots of cool prizes will be raffled off each evening, including a custom-built guitar from JR McClellan Guitars: www.jrmcclellanguitars.com. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT ALL CORNERSTONE FESTIVAL T-SHIRT BOOTHS."

Then there is Kevin Stamper of Stamper Custom Guitars over in Galion, Ohio is building me a 3/4 size electric guitar (from scratch) for fly dates here and overseas, as well as a cute electrified acoustic. Kevin's a custom-guitar conissuer and very talented. He doesn't have a website but I'll provide his email addy (with his permission) on request. When the instruments are finished I'll put pics up here for you to see. All three of these guys are serious Christians and all do exquisite work.

And that's all for now! With Love, see you on tour... -Glenn