If he can...

This is Brian "Head" Welch. He was the lead guitar player for a band called Korn. Their music is what I listened to through my teenage years. Brian's testimony touches my heart. It is amazing what God can do and who he chooses to do his work. Just amazing...

Christianity...

Christianity...This is a huge, yet small word. It has so much weight to some and just another trend to others. According to a poll in 2007, ninety-one percent of people in America claim to be Christians. Ninety-one percent?! If ninety-one percent of Americans are christian, then why are the ten commandments taken out of schools? Why has prayer been taken out of schools? Why are crime rates so high? The questions could go on and on. The point I'm trying to make is that Christianity has become popular. It's become something you put on the back of a t-shirt and wear around your neck, rather than a life changing experience and a deep love for the things of God. The truth is, many people that go to church have never read the bible. They claim to be Christians and hide behind a mask. They paint on fake smiles every Sunday so that everyone will think they have everything together. Christianity is not about bad people becoming good, it's about dead people becoming alive!

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Many people take these verses and concentrate on the small gate; but then they think when they are through, it's all gravy. It also says, "narrow is the road." That means after we are saved, we still must follow this way. As children of God, when we stray from the "narrow road", God is there to pick us up and help us get back on that road. Only a few find it...

Where would Jesus be?

Sometimes as Christians, I feel that we get in our religious bubbles, hang out with our religious friends, go to our religious churches, and do all the religious things Christians do. Why? What are we doing to advance God's kingdom if we continually "preach to the choir"? It seems like we hide behind the phrase, "I don't wanna hurt my witness" just so we don't have to step out of our comfort zones. Where would Jesus go if he was here today? Would he be pleased with us or would he look at us as he did the religious leader of his day? Have we become selfish? Do we cast judgement before we even know someone? This is what Jesus said at a Pharisee's house:


Luke 14:12-14
Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."


Jesus constantly ate and socialized with what some people would call the "scum of the earth." He showed love to everyone equally, and in the end, died for everyone equally. Where would he be if he had been born in these years? In a church, or showing love to hurting people in a bar? Just something for you to think about....

Matthew 25:35-36
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Amazing...

My Prayer

I cry out to you God. I crave more, more of you. More wisdom. More of your power through me. More of your holy spirit. I fall to my knees in humble fear knowing you are an Almighty God.

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

I pray that your people are lifted up. I pray that our ears are not dull to your voice. Your purpose is majestic. I pray that your hands are over my mouth so that only your words are heard. I pray that your words are in my heart so that I will not stumble. Remove the scales, that blind me, from my eyes so I can see as you see.

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The Walking Dead

I am dead. I died at the age of 19. I am not afraid of death, nor fear any man. It is not me that lives anymore, but Jesus living through me. Let me explain a little deeper. Because Christ died for us we in turn must die also and allow him to live in and through us. You must lose your life to gain it. You must die to live.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Encouragement

We all need encouragement on the journey we call life. As christian we are suppose to have things together, but sometimes we stumble, we fall, we slander, we lust, and we do things that are not of the righteous. What better encouragement than the bible? This is some encouragement from Paul:

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Paul stood as God's ambassador through beating, imprisonment, persecution, and even death. Let's step back and look at the worries going on in life right now and look at the big picture. Stand firm in your faith and be that city on a hill, and salt and light. Knowing that through our weaknesses God brings victory.

Heart Breaking

So, the other day I was going into a store to buy a cherry-coke. Hmm, I love caffeine. Just before I stepped out of my car I felt that I needed to put my new testament in my back pocket. As I walked up to the counter I noticed that there was a woman stand there having an argument with the cashier. I notice that she was pregnant. Then, I realized what she was saying. She was trying to buy lottery tickets, because she said that she had to support her unborn child. She mentioned that she was on welfare and her husband had just been laid off. The cashier was of middle-eastern descent and he said he wouldn't sell them to her for some reason I didn't catch. She was very angry. She was calling him names littered with obscenities. Have you ever felt you had to do something and just did it without thinking? Its like you get a word from God and you just do it. Well, that's what I did. I tapped the woman on the shoulder, pulled out that new testament, handed it to her, and said "this will give you instructions on raising your child and the God who inspired it will bless you." I never would have guessed what happened next. The woman spit in my face, understatement of the year, she just worked up a big one and let it go right in my eye. Then she threw the new testament down and stormed out the door. I was surprised more than anything. The cashier looked at me and asked if he could have the book, because there had to be something to it if I would take that. You never know how God will use you. You never know what circumstances you will come across. You never know who will spit in your eye. The main thing is that when God tells you to do something, you do it. Persecution will come one way or another. God never promised the path to righteousness would be easy in fact it says:

Matthew 7: 13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Search for the road less traveled. Follow the narrow path of righteousness. In the end, through all the persecution, all the hardship, and all the tears cried God will pick you up and say "Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter the place I have prepared for you." Doesn't that make it all worth while.

Life

Life is about making others people's lives better because you are in it. Its about blessing other people not because you look for something in return but because you love them because God loved you first. God loves the unlovable just as much as he loves the popular. Yes, God wants to bless his children but that doesn't mean we should do things for other people just to get blessed ourselves. The greatest thing you can every do is love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God is love. What right do we have to hate anyone since God loved them before they were even born? Why does it make people feel better to put others down? God is love. This blows my mind that even through all I've done wrong and all the people I've wronged God still loves me. But he does. More than our mind can even conceive. We should strive daily to love others more deeply and more passionately. My heart breaks....

Josh

Good Friends...Good Times

So I've always been kind of the Lone Ranger, just me and my bass guitar. I've realized recently that good friends are hard to come by and can be a gift from God. God has brought some people in my life in the last year that are not only there for me, but also are great accountability partners.

First is Mark and Katrina, I group them together because I guess that's what your suppose to do with married people. Mark is an amazing worship leader. He is just an all around amazing person. Katrina makes me laugh so hard for really no reason. She's just crazy, but in a good way. They are the greatest couple I've every met.

Next is Dre, Dre has a heart for the things of God that you rarely see. She is there through the good and the bad, thick and thin, you get the picture. One day an amazing guy will come along and sweep her off her feet and he will be the lucky one.

Lastly is Danielle, she is the most amazing woman I've ever met. I can't believe that I am so lucky that God would bless me with such an awesome woman of faith to be my girlfriend. I thank God every day for bringing her into my life. If every word I said could make her laugh I'd talk forever, kinda corny I know but true.

True friends are hard to find, but I think I have the best in the whole world.

Josh

God's Rocker

You know I've spent so much time in my life wanting to rock and worrying about the music that sometimes I've completely miss the mark. There is more to life than screaming guitars and ear blistering cymbals. I've been a christian since I was 19 years old and it seems like it took me until about a year ago to realize what it is all about. One year ago, I was searching for a church with a different worship style. That's it. Just a church that had a band rather than a choir. I never even dreamed what God had in plan for me. Let me start from the beginning. I played in a christian rock band called Mercy Jones. Our drummer had recently left and we had a show at a small church in Rockmart, GA. Our lead singing had brought in a guy named Billy Britt. Now I was 19 at the time and this drummer was around 40. I was very, very skeptical about have an, pardon the phrase, old man play with us, but something deep inside told me to be more open minded. So the night came and there was technical problems, like there always is, and I just made myself scares. I find a room by myself and decide to read in my bible a little bit, when Billy comes in the room. We start talking and God starts to speak thru me like I've never seen in my life so far. To make a long story short Billy and me are best friends now and he blessed my heart so much that night. He told me about the church he went to call Cornerstone. Skipping ahead three year, I'm looking for a church and I remember that Billy had told me that he went to Cornerstone so I figured I would check it out. Wow! I was blown away by the spirit of God in this church. His hand was on this church from the worship to the preaching. I was amazed that God was working in people's lives so deeply and you could see it and feel it. I had to stick around for this. One Sunday Pastor Douglas Cumbly was preaching on prayer and he handed out this little yellow index cards and told us to write on them what we where believing God for. Hmm. This was a new concept to me. I came from a church with the prayer request list on the back of the bulletin that no one really ever noticed, well or should I say I never noticed. I wrote down on the card: a new vehicle, to move out on my own, a new job, and to be used. I never expected what would happen next. Within one year, I have a new car, a new job, I moved to Rome, GA, and now I have a deeper relationship with God than I've ever had and I'm band leader at Journey Church of Acworth. God is so amazing! Sometime we pray for things that we don't really think will happen or when it doesn't happen immediately we give up on it and get mad at God. We have to realize that God works in his time, not ours. God has a plan for our lives that is so much better than we could have every dreamed. And finally, God wants to bless his children beyond our comprehension. God works in people lives! I'm living proof of that. I've found that God doesn't show you his whole plan all at one time. The closer your relationship is and the harder you work to advance the kingdom the more he will show you. Life is more than Rock 'n' Roll, its bringing praise to an almighty God with everything you do. Even if it is Rock 'n' Roll.

Josh