Having enjoyed so much the post What I’m Listening To, I have decided to write again about some new things that I am currently listening to. I am very committed to filling my mind and heart mainly with things that bring transformation to my life but I also enjoy some other things that are recreational. This fits the description of my Wordcast for it touches both sides of the human heart, spiritual and practical. So here is a list with more links, pictures and information concerning what I have been listening to. Doing graveyards I have about eight hours a night to listen to a variety of things. Here we go.
1) Luke Wood, IHOP, Video Of Luke Leading Worship
Luke Wood is a worship leader and the International House Of Prayer in Kansas City. Luke’s sound is mentioned as Americana, Folk, Classic Rock and Indie. I don’t know what category I personally would place him into unless I could chose all the above. One of the things like many of the worship leaders from IHOP I enjoy is their personal journey of going deep in God. Luke’s songs are sung from a deep place that he has went in his heart and personal life and that is reflected in his music. I have had the opportunity in the past to be in several services with Luke and each time have left feeling like I have had an encounter with Jesus. His music makes me think about things in a different way and even challenges my current thoughts on God, culture and life in general. This CD is actually his debut CD and he has a newer one out called ” The Sound Of War”. Out of the two I would recommend this one as a starting point and if you enjoy this one I would encourage you to pick up the newest one. This is a young man full of great songs, and many that have yet to be sung.
2) Mike Bickle,MIke Bickle’s Blog,Book Of Revelations Series, IHOP’S Youtube Page
For the past five years or so I have connected with the International House Of Prayer in Kansas City, Mo both in person and via the Internet. Mike Bickle is the director of IHOP-KC along with others that help oversee the mission base. For the past 35 years Mike has made decisions based on having oil in his lamp versus’ gaining influence in ministry. Although God has given him both, his passion is still growing in intimacy with Jesus through the Word and Worship. Mike has a myriad of sermon series that I would encourage you to listen to but the one I want to highlight here is his current series on the End Times. This is a 13 part series and he is currently still covering topics weekly concerning the end times and the final generation. Mikes views from the Bible are very different from that of cultural Christianity in the present day, but reflect the values of first century Christians. This series is moving and creates urgency for the hour in which we live. I would invite you to listen and enjoy not only this series but also some other teachings that have come out of IHOP-KC.
3) Justin Rizzo’s Website, Justin’s CD ” Found Faithful”,Video Of Justin Leading Worship
Justin Rizzo is another young worship leader at the International House Of Prayer and an intercessory missionary. Justin’s full time occupation along with hundreds of others at IHOP-KC is to stand before the Lord in worship and prayer. Justin has been called by some a Psalmist. He is a prolific songwriter and again, his songs are written from a deep place in God. I have also been in service with Justin and have enjoyed listening to him both in person and through the Prayer room. This CD “Found Faithful” includes some songs from a previous EP that him and Luke Wood released. Many of Justin’s songs have the theme of remaining faithful before the Lord through the seasons and hard times of life, both present and those that are to come. These songs are songs that you could sing in a Church service and also use in your private devotions. Justin has been a blessing to me and I trust you will enjoy him as well.
4) Brett Dennen, A Video Of Brett Dennen
Jennifer and I were on a Ministry trip one year ago when we ran into this red haired singer/songwriter. We both have been listening to him ever since. Brett has never really made it mainstream and that might be one of the reasons we really like him. Brett is challenging with his words in the songs that he writes, singing about a variety of topics, from war to unhappiness to foreign affairs and modern life. Not only is he fun to listen to but he makes me think about life in a way that I don’t in the normality of my life.
5) The Glossa Ordinaria On The Song Of Songs
About two weeks ago Jennifer surprised me with some really cool gifts and one of them was this book. Jennifer is so thoughtful when it comes to giving gifts. I stumbled upon this book completely by accident but what a blessing it has become. The book is written by Mary Dove and its called The Glossa Ordinaria On The Song Of Songs. This book is a collaboration of theologians and Bible scholars from centuries past. A Gloss is a Medieval way of looking at a topic in the Bible through a couple of different lenses. This book like I said is a collaboration of over 12 writers from history. These writers were first century writers that wrote with great clarity concerning the Song of Songs. This book is the first of several that I am going through,looking deeper into the book of the Song that is above all Songs.
6) Studies In The Sermon On The Mount, Martyn Lloyd-Jones
It was one and a half years ago that I began to look into the most important sermon that was ever preached by the Greatest Preacher. This sermon is what I call Christianity 101. Its called The Sermon On The Mount or as I like to refer to it as the SOTM. This book although I am only about a quarter of the way through has impacted me in a deep way, and sent me into a serious study of Matthew chapter five, six and seven. One of the things that I love about this author is that although he writes from a first century background with much history he was still alive in the 1900’s. I love that he was connected with the past but alive in the present. His writing is deep and heartfelt, you can tell that he was a man of passion for a right lifestyle before both God and man. This book would be a great introduction for anyone who is interested in looking into the SOTM. You might be surprised as I was when it comes in the mail. It has about 600 very full pages of information.
I have been listening to some music thats been changing my life and other music that been filling my time. Music is apart of my life both pre-salvation and post salvation. Recently before cleaning up my iTunes library I had over 4,000 tracks.I love music and enjoy sharing it with others. So here is a list of music, links, pictures and information of what I have been listening to in the past month or two. There is both music and preaching.
1) Misty Edwards, IHOP, Misty’s Myspace
Misty Edwards is a young worshiper/worship leader from the IHOP-KC. Jennifer and I have found a sound that we both love and has spoken to us at the heart level. I have been in a couple services with Misty and so appreciate what she has cultivated with Jesus, and her passion to protect and guard it. Mike Bickle told a story about Misty that I think is note worthy. At 19 she told God that she would give Him all of her twenties. She said that she wouldn’t build a house, pursue a career, a profession or a soul mate. The passion of Misty has cultivated is something that is offered to everyone but not all chose it. Check out my post on this topic. I love this counter culture lifestyle that she is living and would recommend anyone of her three CD’s.
2) Kim Walker Music & Jesus Culture
Both Kim Walkers new CD ” Here Is My Song” and the CD she helped with “Jesus Culture” have been something that I have wore thin. Kim is a young worship leader from Bill Johnson’s Church in Redding California. She has a fresh new sound in our generation in and out of the Church. Her songs are very heartfelt and its evident that they have been written from the secret place. She often laughs, shouts and dances in and throughout her music which makes it different from most of whats coming out today. I was moved as she sang John Mark McMillan’s “O How He Loves Me” and fell in love with the CD and the Jesus Culture team. Something else that I love about her is the willingness to sing in the Spirit. This is something that most of the Church doesn’t even know exists in the Bible. Make sure to check her out and get the CD’s.
Jonathan Stockstill is local Church worship leader from Baton Rouge La, at a Church called Bethany World Prayer Center. Pastor Jonathan is a tremendous worship leader with a different spirit on the inside. Many want an unusual anointing on the outside, but this is a young man with a different spirit on the inside. His sound is not like something that I have heard before. I wouldn’t even say that it was the sound of many different people but truly a new sound. We were with him live for the past couple of years and have ate dinner with him at the GC Conference. This CD is fun and highly anointed.
4) Rick Pino
Rick Pino is a new sound for me. Although I have seen his name at Conferences, and other live events he is a new sound for me. I just purchased his Album Angel of Awaking and some songs from his CD called The Undiscovered. What a young voice of the prophetic man is. His songs once again, have been written from the secert place and carry a grace for encounter. This is a young man who is singing the songs of God. Here is a clip of him that I came across. Jen and I were working in the front office when we played this and couldn’t stop laughing at the fun these people were having. If you watch it you will understand. RIck Pino’s video.
Now this band is a little different than the worship leaders that I have just mentioned. I came across these guys in a note that was located on the Apple iTunes music store. This band was one of the most downloaded groups from the Apple staff. Having great trust in the quality of folks that work at Apple I went headlong for the CD and I was not disappointed. After doing a little research on the band I found out how they got their name. The Postal Service’s front man is the young man from the hit indie band Death Cab For Cutie. This lead man and another guy were sending beats and tracks through the mail, and thus came the name The Postal Service. If you are like me, you love a great organic story and this is one great story in deed. This is a clip of from their song “From Such Great Heights“.
Starting this year, I would honestly say that I just didn’t have time to watch American Idol. As this has recently changed. This season has been the first time that I have watched the season from start up until the present. It has been interesting to watch the change in the contestants from their introduction to the show, till now with only 9 people left. Its amazing how just a little bit of stardom creates such confidence in the contestants. Sometimes these programs are hard to watch if you catch them in the middle, but since we have been watching it from the beginning I have more interest than normal. So here we go. Below I am listing my favorites in the oder of my own personal preference. Jennifer and I have enjoyed watching this together and now I am sharing them with you. These are what I have labeled their best performances so far. Enjoy
#1) Michel Johns—Queen Remix
#2) Daivd Archuleta—Imagine By John Lennon
#3) Brooke White—Let It Be By The Beetles
This is such a cool cool find. When Jennifer and I were at our hotel on Saturday night, we were flipping through the channels and I saw for a split second this red haired young man playing a guitar. I said to Jen ” Turn it back real quick”. What we were about to see was so cool. It was a young man who we had never heard of named Brett Dennen. He is a young singer/songwriter in the folk music genre. He sings with heart and lots of class. Such a young man singing with such depth and understanding about life, and his own views. It also dawned on me as he was singing, as much as our nation doesn’t want to admit it we are in war right now. If you don’t agree with me, just ask one of our troops who are out in this war day in and day out, and they will tell you its war. Not fun, but war none the less. It was when this idea of war dawned on me, that I realized that so much of our music today is void of heart and real raw lyrics and instruments. I feel one of the main reasons why our music is so heartless is because the artist are out to make money, not put their hearts on paper and turn it into a song. For me personally I feel that music apart from heart inst worth me listening to. I don’t want to just listen to something necessarily just to listen to it but rather cause it moves me to think about life, and God, and culture. So with all that said here is a video of this young man playing at a radio station. Check it out!!
