Wanna share with you guys and gals some cool stuff coming out today. First, my friend, Todd Anew’s CD “Need” hits the shelves. Check out toddagnew.com for details.

Second, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Brandi Carlile, has a cd that releases today, as well. It is called “Give Up the Ghost” and it is amazing. Head over to BrandiCarlile.com.

Also, wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine named James Joseph. He co-produced 2 tracks on “God and a girl”. He is a composer. And a genius. He has started a business called Earsmack Audio. Go to earsmackaudio.com and check out his portfolio.

That’s all for today! Thanks for reading……
Joy

So….yesterday was quite an eventful day for me. It started off with me heading to Ardent to do some demos, which is always intimidating and, almost nerve-wracking, in a way. I mean, you are debuting brand spanking new songs. New emotions…new thoughts…new ideas. You’re basically saying, “Here’s my secrets for the past 6 months. Hope you like them”. I had actually just finished writing one that very morning!

Next, headed to AR for a show that night. Arrived early and had time to check into the hotel. Checked my phone. Scoped out the people I follow on Twitter, and saw, “Here’s a fun announcement. “Go to JenniferKnapp.com”. It was from SkörInc…the guys who handle my website. Well….I knew what I would find. She was back. I couldn’t get my computer on fast enough! Thousands, including myself, had waited for this day for years. Now, I realize all this “fanfare” may seem dramatic, and even, well let’s be honest…crazy. My friend, Naomi, who is a fan herself, was even looking at me funny as I was jumping around the hotel room. But for me, it was excitement…and joy…and relief. It was a good day, friends. Very good day. Answered prayer, actually. My dad is pretty excited, as well.
I don’t know her. Never met her. And, honestly, it’s none of our business where’s she been. I would like to shake her hand one day, at the least, to say “Thank you”. THANK YOU!
Joy

I was at the supermarket today and was stopped by an employee there who asked about the Hebrew tattoo on my arm. Now…this happens quite often, and they always ask, “Are you Hebrew?” or “Are you Jewish?”. And then they always ask if I know what the writing says. Which, of course, I do. I was even stopped in the mall by a Hebrew young man and young woman and they actually read my arm right there…in Hebrew! It was a really cool experience.

Anyway, when they ask if I am Jewish, I always say, “No, but my Savior is.”. It’s just a way to somehow get the Gospel in any way I can. But today’s experience reminded me of a similar situation I had months ago and meant to blog about, but never did. I was in Jackson, TN at a Starbucks. An older gentleman approached me and asked about my arm. He looked like a simple man….working man…humbly dressed…around the age of 60. I immediately assumed this man was a Christian. I mean, Tennessee is in the “Bible belt” part of the country. Plus, I just assumed this man was a church-going Christian. So, he asks me about the Scripture on my arm, and I proceed to tell him that the Scripture is from the book of Isaiah and it prophecies about the coming and the birth of Jesus Christ. And he says to me, “ The Old Testament talks about Jesus?”. Now, he wasn’t asking this sincerely or innocently as if he truly did not know. He said this in a mocking and condescending way. And it completely shocked me. All I could say was, “Yes it does.”. He just walked off at that point. I should have turned around and furthered our conversation, but I was so taken aback at the reality that there are people who do not believe Jesus was spoken of in the OT and probably would laugh at you to speak of Christ’s Hebrew origin.. I had completely pegged this man as a Bible-believing, Gospel preaching, church-goer. And I guarantee that he had sat in a church pew many times, but this man had been seriously misinformed.

We need to be aware that just because someone says they go to church doesn’t mean that they are followers of Christ. We need to be aware that there are so many versions of the Gospel floating around and that there is only one Gospel that saves. We need to be aware that when we present the Gospel, that we need to get the facts right…all of the facts.
Hope this shakes you up like it did me.
Thanks for reading.

I just found a remarkable and accurate quote that I wanted to share with you all. It struck me because it seems to be missing from a lot of the gospel presentations that we hear these days. So, here ya go….

“Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice, and you deny yourself, and take up the cross and go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest, and the whole world, may call you a fool, or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference. That is repentance.”
D. Martin Lloyd-Jones

We wonder why most people have no desire to know Jesus or have a relationship with Him. It is because no one is telling them the truth and reality and seriousness of “this thing called sin”. Grace sounds so cheap and easy these days. People are led to believe that Jesus is a preference or a choice rather than the ultimate necessity.
As Todd Agnew always says….”and discuss”.
JW

Many have things have happened since returning from the tour with Carolina Story. Many changes have taken place and many are on their way. Almost all of them have led me to one question. Am I ready? Jesus tells us in the gospel of Luke to be ready at all times for we do not know the hour that He will return. I am curious as to your thoughts. It seems that the church, not all Christians, but the church as a whole, does not focus or speak much about these things. Why? It saddens me. After all, this was a direct command from our Lord. It was also an admonishment from many of the other New Testament writers.

So, I pose this question to you. Are you ready? Some of you will jump the gun, much like I did, and blurt out a YES. But the more thought I gave to this question, the Lord began to show me the opposite. I encourage you to think long and hard before responding. Do you, do I, do we wake up each morning and say to ourselves, “This might be the day that I meet the Lord”?
Are you ready?
Joy

“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these things?
HE who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.”
Isaiah 40:26