December 24th, 2009 by Joe

Over 2000 years ago, Jesus was born on this earth.  He was born in a manger; lain in a water trough for a bed.  All this because the inns were all full.  No rooms were open, and the innkeepers pushed his parents away.

I thought of this during this Christmas season, filled with parties, gift buying, work (both jobs), church, bible study – well, you get the picture.  It seems my "inn" was full as well…leving no time to reflect on the season, and the reason for it.  I began to realize each activity was my "inn-keeper", pushing Jesus on to the next person.  I was grateful the Lord revealed this to me; I immediately repented and asked forgiveness for filling my life up too much in this Christmas season.

Tonight, we served dinner to homeless women and their families in a Downtown Atlanta shelter.  The area is known as the most dangerous section of Atlanta; over 60% of the Atlanta murders occur in this block.  Amazingly, the Lord provided 8 acres of land and 5 acres of warehouses to be converted into a beautiful sanctuary for these battered ladies and their children.  I thought about how close to Christ these folks were, as they healed from their past and built a new future with Him.

How about you?  Why is your inn full?  Why don’t you take the time to talk with Christ through this season?  Who/what has become your innkeeper?  Be honest, and if you get your answer, ask yourself if that innkeeper serves you well.  If not…perhaps it’s time for a change of employees!  Get rid of that inn keeper and ask the Lord to forgive you…He already has, I assure you!

This year will be a big one for me in ministry; we already have a Hungary tour lined up again and the new Jeremy Whitaker CD I pray will send us out around the world as well.  I pray I get to meet you on the road and pray with you.  Know that I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas, and the blessed joy of the new year!

November 6th, 2009 by Joe

Well I sure am embarrassed for not posting in such a while.  The Lord has had me on a mission to find the location for our new business!  Many people have had confirming visions on the idea He has given me, including a priest in Florida I met in August!  Talk about exciting!

Right now I am currently recording on a new CD, with a brother of mine named Jeremy Whitaker.  We started on his project this month, and should be done shortly.  The Lord speaks mightily through Jeremy and his songs.  I am truly honored and humbled to be a part of it.  I am covering myself and my family heavily in prayer to protect them while I work on this project.  Projects like these are perfect spots for the enemy to attack us.  I ask you pray for Jeremy and his family, as well as Jason (our producer) and Mike (the studio co-owner) over the next few weeks.

In December, I begin working on Bill Drake’s newest CD.  We will start culling his songs for the ones we want on the CD, then start the arrangement process.  This will be a very exciting time as well!

How about you?  What are you learning?  What is God doing in your life?  Do you feel Him close, or is He still out at arms length?  I encourage you to ask for Him to meet you where you are…He so wants to love you and let you live the victorious life through Him!

September 16th, 2009 by Joe

Hey all!  We’ve had a bunch of new people join up; to all of you I apologize for not posting for awhile.  Tomorrow I will take some time to collect my thoughts on what has happened over the last 6 weeks and try to keep it somewhat brief.  Needless to say, God has been very busy in my life!  I hope and pray He has been busy in all of yours as well – maybe after I lead the way (it’ll be posted late Friday due to travel plans) each of you can share how He has been changing you or teaching you – whatever He has been doing!  I’m praying you all are having a great walk with Him, but if not, maybe in the coming weeks/months we can change that!

Be blessed, and keep in touch!

August 31st, 2009 by Joe

The last few weeks have been a blur.  I had a meeting with a close friend where I shared a vision the Lord had given me for a new business venture that would develop personal and spiritual gifts.  This friend prophesied the business would go global and would build the Kingdom in a mighty way.  I was, needless to say, completely overwhelmed.

I left a few days later to visit my mother.  While there I contemplated the prophesy and the business plan.  I was feeling quite like Moses, and a bit fearful of the daunting task it appeared the Lord had given me.  I went to my mother’s church, and as I walked into the church, I asked the Lord to once again please show me He really wanted me to lead this venture.  I was looking maybe for a hidden scripture, or a sermon that maybe alluded to what I was dealing with.  I had no idea what was to happen next….

During the service, there was an altar call, whereby the Priest (who did not know me at all) called out to a man named "Joe" that the Lord had a special message for him.  I was deep in prayer, and prayed for whoever "Joe" was…As the Priest repeated the name, it dawned on me that perhaps it was – me – he was calling out to.  i opened my eyes to see the priest gesturing to me!  Oh no….

After I avoided the attention, I cornered the Priest after the service and asked him what he heard.  He said the Lord told him that I was not to doubt Him; the vision he gave me was real, and I was not to fear what the Lord had called me to do…

So much for a subtle message!  So, we all embark on this, the next phase of my ministry…the new business for the Lord.  I will, in time share all of this with you, but for now, pray for clarity, and the new bulding, which the priest saw in a vision as well.

July 25th, 2009 by Joe

"We must all eventually give up all the things we love most"…

So was the thought in an article I read in a sailing magazine the other day.  The author reflected on how aging had started to restrict his enjoyment of the sailing lifestyle he had enjoyed most of his life.  As I read this line in the article, it occurred to me we all go through this – but for a Christian, there was a slight difference.  Join me in this thought today…read on and see.

When we are young, we are invincible – our bodies strong and unbounded by endurance and growing strength.  Through our middle years, most of us are blessed with good health, an stable income, and the fruits of our labor.  As we reach our twilight years, it begins slowly – suddenly, we get more winded going up the stairs we took two at a time in our youth.  We cannot read our mail without a pair of glasses kept nearby.  Colds last a day or so longer.  But then come the big ones – maybe one day we cannot garden like we loved to all our lives.  Maybe we lose our driving license.  You get the picture – the things we love and enjoy in our life begin to go, one by one, until, at last, we are left with the simple life until we again return home to our heavenly Father.

As Christians, if we put God first – and love Him with all our heart – we rob the thought at the top of this blog.  If we love God the most, we will have him at all times in our life, right until the very end. He cannot be lost as we age, and he cannot be taken from us, like so many of the worldly things (driving, sports, wealth, youth, etc.). Focus on God daily, make Him your joy, make him the center of your world each day, and He will never leave you. May God Bless you in His grip every day of your lives!

July 8th, 2009 by Joe

Sorry to have dropped off the earth on you all for the past days, but part of my absence was spent reconnecting with my children, camping and enjoying time with our family united again! The melancholy feeling of returning from missions has subsided, and I am now focused on our next trip this Fall and hopefully more gigs around the country.

An interesting conversation and revelation occurred last night. A few posts back you may recall the apparitions and occurrences at the bible college grounds where we stayed. I kept thinking that there must have been some rituals performed on the area in the past, but couldn’t discern much more than that. Last night, over dinner, Bill Drake (our band leader, singer, songwriter) shared with me that after we left, they had a great time of worship on the last evening there. The owner of the college shared with Bill how the mountain in our backyard (beautiful; great to wake up and look at) was the site for pagan rituals and sacrifices, and that there had been many sacrifices in the area in the past! I got chills as I heard this, realizing many of the things we experienced were probably connected to the property’s past occultism.

As I close up this chapter, we will move these posts over to another folder, and move on to the summer’s challenges. I hope to have pictures from the tour uploaded in the coming days/weeks, so please check back when you can. It’s been great sharing with you – I hope we go deeper in faith together this summer!

July 1st, 2009 by Joe

Right now I am 6 hours into the almost 9 hour flight to New York. A few more hour flight after that and I will be back in my home state. I have had some to to unload by watching movies, but the songs from the last 10 days permeate my mind and soul. I see the faces of people I’ve talked with and ministered beside. I take time to now reflect on the beautifully choreographed dances the dance team created to go with our songs, and the wonderful spirit they brought. I pray for the evangelism team; who love humankind so much they are willing to constantly seek out people to share the Gospel with – and in such a kind-hearted way.

This trip was a big question mark at first; we’d never gone with such a large group, and never worked with more than one dancer at a time. We also always did our own evangelism with the crowd after each concert, so we had absolutely no idea what God was teaching us. It was absolutely wonderful; we could focus on serving with excellence, while being completely comfortable in the efforts of the evangelism team and relishing the freedom of the dancers! What a unique experience for all in attendance at our events.

I wrote a song about a man Jon met with in Slovakia. He was a highly educated man, who had researched every religion and spiritual way, except Christianity. He felt hollow inside, and had almost committed suicide. What attracted him the most was the constant joy he saw in our faces; something he longed to experience. In Europe, and the Middle East, people do not just shut down your conversation when they disagree. They probe you for insight to your viewpoint, and expect you to do the same to uderstand them. Do not misunderstand me – I love “chit chat” as well – and I do NOT want us to become more European. I am merely sharing with you how nice it is to share your Faith with someone who may not agree with you, but is willing to ask more questions; hungry for answers. This man – Alex – did not come to Christ that night, but rather left us as a more educated man, and seemed to be very interested in seeking out what Christianity would offer. I feel the seed landed on fertile soil; pray for him.

I just a few hours, I will be able to connect with my children on the phone – a real treat, even though Skype and Facebook have provided a means to keep in touch. As this tour concludes, I invite you to stay with me as we go through summer together, and maybe some thoughts will strike a chord with you. As always, I welcome your emails through the contact link, and I will continue to pray this blog touches lives and grows your faith. Thank you for reading and writing to me on the tour – it has been a source of strength! Blessings!

Joe

June 30th, 2009 by Joe

As I fly home tomorrow, I will be flooded with emotion; it is unavoidable, but accepted. When on the missions field, be it on tour as a “musicianary” or as a pure evangelist, your spirit soars as you grow incredibly close to the Lord. As you return home, the reality of the world you live in at your house sets in, and there can be a period of let down. I do not regret these emotions, but rather embrace them as a sign that the time spent here has been time walking as close to the Lord as I can, and enjoying His daily embrace. I encourage you all to try it; go on a short term mission trip sponsored by your local church. Don’t listen to the lies the enemy will hit you with:

“I’m not that deep a Christian”

“They just want pastors”

“I can’t sing”

“I have nothing to offer”

“I don’t have the money or time”

“My friends think I am crazy”

Go for it – now – while you hear the quiet calling of God’s voice in you. You’ll not regret this at all.

June 30th, 2009 by Joe

Before I post the story of what happened out here, I need you to understand my viewpoint of the spiritual battle around us. I firmly believe that God – my God, is the God of the Bible, the father of Abraham, who exists as a triune God; a trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. If you do not believe that, you most likely will not agree with my interpretation of this post.

Over the past week, many of our team have had vivid dreams and visions; some of us have been physically injured. The ones who were injured were first attacked spiritually, either by dreams or words spoken to them from people for whom we performed. I firmly believe these were attacks from Satan – our enemy – because the Bible, which is where my God has spoken to me, assures me that Satan is indeed real and ready to attack all that is Godly. Last night, the apparitions and attacks became very real – two members of our team are injured physically, while others have been seeing what appears to be a cloaked figure walking out on the property with a red candle toward a building. Some members have been hearing screams in the middle of the night from the direction of the candle walker’s destination.

Sometimes, Satan becomes all too obvious. Twice this week, the local dogs began to howl as we prayed, and today – right as we celebrated communion – all of the dogs began to howl in unison…as if on cue. It was so obvious as to be laughable – but we do not mock our enemy to invite more attacks, but rather bind him in prayer and deliverance. We went out of our building at the end of our communion, and walked the local streets, singing praise songs and praying against the enemy’s presence here. I know some of you may be a bit “wigged out” on that thought, but ask yourself this:

“If I really believe in the God of the Bible, then I have to believe all that is in that Bible as well. The Bible assures us that Satan exists, and he prowls the earth looking to devour God’s people. If I believe that, and I know the Bible discusses spiritual warfare and tells us how to combat Satan, then why are we not fighting this battle on every front?”

Why do we not pray for our neighborhoods, praying against powers that have a stranglehold on our neighbors and their families? I submit we have authority, in Christ, through the Holy Spirit that God has dwelling in us, to combat these powers. First you must believe this, and accept Christ to be Lord of your life – ask Him to guide you daily…allow His spirit to live in you. When you have done that, you become members of the family of God, and his Bible – his love letter to you – tells you He has given you authority over all things on this earth.

Stop looking at the Bible as a list of do’s and don’t’s – instead view it as a love letter from your father; telling you the great history of your family, ways to live a more blessed life, and the power you have over all that comes against you. Become mighty warriors today!

June 29th, 2009 by Joe

Today was a day to recharge after the last three long days. During the morning I reflected on many people in my life that still wrestle with “religion” versus “relationship with Jesus”. I pray the video of our concert last night really strikes a chord with you all. God never wanted us to be about the rules sometimes constructed by people in religion; He only wants US – He wants our fellowship and love. He is a kind and loving Father that wants our time, much as we want time with our own children.

Yes…going to church is important, in that our pastor will challenge our walk and teach us properly. We also need to surround ourselves with like-minded (Christian) people to help sharpen our faith and help us when we struggle and fall. I fear too many people are lost, as well-meaning believers chastise them for missing a Sunday service, or dancing, or _____ …you can fill in the blank. We need to lift each other up, in love and understanding daily. As the Holy Spirit fills our lives, we will be compelled to come to church and seek that relationship with our awesome Creator, who longs to be with us every minute of the day.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this…to join in on this blog, you create an account (very easy…I did it!), which keeps out the riff-raff…and post your comments. This blog, and this site, are meant to be a connecting place for us to discuss these ideas, share our faith, and share our lives together. Well…it’s after midnight out here, and the wonderful Hungarian people have flat-out worn me ragged as we toured the city of Budapest today! So, I bid you all a great night’s sleep; may our great God grant you a deep sleep, and a great week! Blessings.

Joe