More or Less

Posted on by josiahkagin

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Is your church attendance connected in any way with your spirituality and relationship with Jesus Christ? In an effort to keep church attendance from being a work for salvation, many believers have grown accustom to dismissing the need and obligation of gathering together as believers. They might say, “I worship God on my own.” “I just catch the podcast.” “I am in God’s Word everyday. It won’t matter if I skip the Midweek service.” To be clear, our salvation does not rest on our church attendance. However, your spiritual wellbeing does. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Let’s consider some reasons why assembling with our church family should not be viewed casually.

  1. The Pattern of the Early Church
    From the earliest days in the book of Acts, the followers of Christ gathered together. This was their pattern. They did not gather three times a week, but daily. They gathered for teaching, fellowship, prayer, for the remember their Lord. This was a time to be strengthened in their Christian journey. It was a time to encourage and to be encouraged.
  2. The Relationships We Need
    Our society is quickly becoming a closed society. Neighborhood block parties are seldom. When we get home from work, we park in the garage, close the door and remain cut off from our neighbors. We order on Amazon. We pay at the pump. We bank online. Soon, we will pay for our items at grocery and retail stores through apps taking away one more human interaction. With headphones, people walk through stores barricaded behind their music.What does this have to do with church? The closing of relationship in society is slowly happening in our churches. Christians want quick, downloadable church. Church that does not demand their attention for long. It is popular to rush to the service of choice and then rush back into private living. We need the relationship with one another. Catching the podcast or live stream will give you truth to ponder, but it is completely detached from relationship that is needed. One reason we are not to neglect the gathering of believers is so that we can consider and relate with one another.
  3. The Stability It Provides
    Paul tells the Ephesian believers that the gathering of believers and the ministry of the pastor, along with other God called spiritual leaders, was essential to their stability. In that day and today there are many winds of doctrine blowing. Sometimes it seems like a hurricane of false doctrine. Yet, instead of gathering with their church family, many believers will settle to scroll through YouTube, download a podcast or watch Christian television. Wind tossed and discouraged by unbiblical teaching, they ask their pastor if what they heard was really true. God designed the church body and gave a pastor so “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” The great instability among believers today can be often traced back to a casual approach to their gathering with believers under sound preaching and teaching.

While many will argue that you can be spiritual without assembling with other believers in your local church, the Bible teaches us that we are not to neglect it for our own spiritual good. In fact, we are to assemble more as the end nears. So I ask you, this year, do you need to be assemble with your church more or less?

 

The Answer to Worry

Posted on by josiahkagin

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There is always something worry about! Right now you are likely worried about something. Worried about what you ate, if you are healthy, will I get enough hours this week or will I get stressed out while trying to figure out getting insurance on the marketplace. You are not alone! USA Today reported the top ten worries of Americans.

  1. Top Ten Worries of 2016 (USA Today)
  2. Corruption of government officials (same top fear as 2015) — 60.6%
  3. Terrorist attacks — 41%
  4. Not having enough money for the future — 39.9%
  5. Being a victim of terror — 38.5%
  6. Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition — 38.5%
  7. People I love dying — 38.1%
  8. Economic or financial collapse — 37.5%
  9. Identity theft — 37.1%
  10. People I love becoming seriously ill — 35.9%
  11. The Affordable Health Care Act/”Obamacare” — 35.5%

Worry! Worry! Worry! I have met some chronic worriers. I have gone through phases in my life of constant worry. It really is not very fun. It takes a toll on you both physically and mentally.

What is the answer to worry? What will usher worry out the door of our heart and mind? Though it might sound overly simplistic, trust is the answer!

Psalm 125:1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, Which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

God says that when I trust in Him, I will be just like Mount Zion. This is a mountain that stands some 2,500 feet above sea level. It is safe to say that Mount Zion is not going anywhere. It is stable, firm, steadfast, unmovable and sure. The Psalmist gives a vivid and accurate illustration of the one who trusts in the Lord.

Perhaps you find yourself troubled, anxious, worried about everything including your worry. Pause! Pray and choose to trust God with all your problems. You can sit and worry about things you cannot change or stand and trust them into the hands of Him that has the power to change them.

A little boy was loudly singing the well known hymn, “Trust and Obey” in church one beautiful Sunday. Instead he sang, “Trust and O.K.”. Little did he realize, his mistake contained a great truth. When we trust God, everything will be O.K..

Listen—Promises for the Trusting Heart

Lessons from Ten Years

Posted on by josiahkagin

TEN

Sheila and I are celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary, and it is amazing to us how fast the time has flown. It literally seems like yesterday that we were getting to know each other, planning our wedding and honeymoon. Now we are looking back on a decade of marriage!

Today, as I reflect, I am reminded of the sweetness of a life following Jesus. I remember back to when marriage was a dream. God had to teach me a lot about waiting on Him. He taught me that if I would trust Him, He would intersect my life with the woman He created just for me. God did just that! I will never forget the day I first realized Sheila was the one for me. I saw a real, genuine, godly and fun loving young lady.  That was about twelve years ago now.  I have learned many lessons over these years. Here are a few of them.

  1. God is good all the time.
  2. God knows exactly what we need and can be trusted completely.
  3. Following God will always lead to the greatest blessing.
  4. Marriage is a journey—it keeps getting better as long as Jesus is the center.
  5. Any problem can be overcome with God’s help.
  6. Marriage is one of the greatest gifts God gives.
  7. God’s provisions are always on time and just enough.
  8. The Bible’s instructions can be trusted no matter what.
  9. Communication is one of the most essential keys to a harmonious marriage.
  10. Chocolate is always appropriate.

Celebrating our Independance

Posted on by josiahkagin

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The July 4th holiday, aka Independence Day is celebrated with reunions, barbecues, parades, festivals, bonfires and fireworks. Adults and children alike enjoy wearing and waving red, white and blue. Flags go up on houses and poles, and the Star Spangled Banner is sung. This special day provides a needed mid-summer break for hard working Americans to relax and spend time with those they love. All these things and more is what Americans love about July 4th.

DETACHED:

 As I participate in public Independence Day activities, I am often reminded just how detached we, as Americans, have become from it’s significance. Because we have been an independent nation for two hundred and forty-one years, it is easy to forget that there was a time we were not independent.

There was a time that we were required to pay taxes to a nation which gave us no representation. July 4, 1776 marks the day that the final version of the Declaration of Independence was approved. Though it was not signed until August, this is the date that is included in the Declaration as the day we, as a nation, declared our independence from the tyranny of England. 

 MEMORIALS ARE IMPORTANT:

We become detached when we fail to remember the significance of past events. This was the sentiment of John Adams when, in 1817, he wrote in a letter that America seemed uninterested in its past. Fortunately this would soon change. When the Federalist party fell apart following the War of 1812, the Declaration of Independence began to be circulated again.

The deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1826, also helped to serve as an important reminder of the day. By 1870, Congress declared July 4th to be a national holiday in a bill that also included the observation of Christmas as a holiday. 

If we are to remember, establishing memorials is essential.  We see this demonstrated for us in Scripture. God often called His people to establish memorials. He wanted them to remember significant, life-changing events like crossing the Jordan on dry ground. He wanted them to remember Lot’s wife. He wants believers to be reminded often of the sacrifice of Christ by observing the Lord’s Supper. Memorials are important. 

As we celebrate Independence Day, we are pausing to remember the day that our nation was born as an independent nation. The day we became a free nation. As such, our nation became something truly exceptional because our nation and its founders valued independence and freedom. 

FREEDOM IS FROM GOD:

“WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The well known opening lines of the declaration reveal that the writers understood that freedom is a gift from God.

This understanding directly stemmed from their respect of the Word of God. While many today question our beginnings and seek to turn from the God of the Bible, it is extremely important that we remember that the freedom we celebrate is from God. It was made possible by men who believed this and pledge their lives and sacred honor to procure it for our nation.

As we celebrate, may we remember again that the freedom we enjoy today is a product of our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage.

Take the time to remember the significance of Independence Day. Share it with your family and friends. Take a moment to publicly thank God for the freedom that we are privileged to enjoy. Also, don’t forget your personal independence day. It is the day you were set free from power and penalty of sin. The day you believed on Jesus to save your soul. John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

(This article was originally posted on Theology without Apology)

Switch Flippers

Posted on by josiahkagin

Switch Flipper

Recently I have been doing some thinking about outreach events. At Grace, we have at least four large outreaches each year—Easter, Vacation Bible School, The Big To Do and Christmas. Beyond those we schedule eleven Great Commission Saturdays, Wednesday Blitz’s and weekly soulwinning. Right now we are preparing for our Vacation Bible School. We have just finished our team training and are anticipating a wonderful event. Every year, God works in the lives of children, teens and adults through VBS. It is a tried and proven evangelistic tool. I am excited about it and our team is as well. However, a thought I have been considering lately has the potential to increase our effectiveness during outreach events.

Here’s my thought. It is easy as believers to look at outreach as an event rather than a lifestyle. Our church has an outreach event and so we flip the switch to get involved in Gospel outreach. Sometimes we flip the switch in order not to feel guilty. We go out on door to door soulwinning because everyone else is.  When the event ends, we flip the switch and go back to our former secret Christian lifestyle. I have been preaching through the Gospel of Mark and the example of Christ is one characterized by consistently preaching the Gospel. It was not a weekly, monthly or quarterly event, but a daily lifestyle. He trained His disciples this way.

If we only reach out to people with the Gospel during outreach events, we will be ineffective witnesses. We must, on a daily basis, be praying for and seeking opportunities to preach Christ.

Let’s not be “switch-flippers” when it comes to outreach. Let’s make it our lifestyle at work, as we are about our communities, at the park and wherever we go. When outreach is our lifestyle, outreach events will be welcomed opportunities that increase our impact.

What person has God prepared for you to preach Christ to today?

So…What about Disney?

Posted on by josiahkagin

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Disney and the Gay Agenda

Disney has been in the center of some controversy over its decision to include a gay scene featuring Josh Gad as LeFou in the newly released Beauty and the Beast (released March 17th). The opposition was voiced especially via social media and petitions. One of the petitions created by Life Site News gave the message to Disney, “Children’s movies are no place for promoting a harmful sexual political agenda, one that offends the deeply-held beliefs of countless parents and families.” The New York Times responded to this opposition with the article, “‘Beauty and the Beast’: Disney’s $300 Million Gamble.” Even the New York Times saw such a move as a dangerous one for a company that claims to be family oriented.

If any people wonder if this is a casual move on Disney’s part, it is not.  Bill Condon, Beauty and the Beast’s director, is quoted as saying the movie includes “A nice exclusively gay moment.” He goes on to share that Disney deals with the opposition by ignoring it. The point is, Disney has no intention of changing. In an interview, Condon was asked about his feelings toward the Bible and what he would do when he finds one in a hotel, “I wish I could say I’m like Ian McKellen and immediately go rip pages out of the Bible, but there don’t seem to be Bibles in the hotel rooms I stay in these days.” The obvious fact is, Condon has no respect for God’s Word and defiantly chooses to promote agendas contrary to it. Furthermore, it is evident that Disney will continue to promote whatever agenda is in vogue even if it causes them to lose supporters for a time. 

Nothing New

We must realize that this is not new for Disney. Disney has been a kind of Trojan horse, seeming to uphold traditional, moral, family values, when in reality, they have been doing just the opposite. During 1994, Disney opted to begin granting health insurance benefits to homosexuals. This move was a declaration of approval for the gay lifestyle. Their annually hosted “gay days” at their theme parks further confirms this. Disney has well earned the public reputation as a promoter of the homosexual lifestyle. 

What Does the Bible Say?

God designed marriage to be between one woman and one man, and it is honorable. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Nature itself reveals that this is God’s design for companionship and procreation.  Man will give account for every distortion of this sacred institution. (Romans 1:26-27, 32)

Shock of Bible Believers

However, even with Disney’s blatant defiance of Biblical principles, I am often more amazed at the shock expressed by born-again believers concerning the decisions of this and other secular organizations to promote anti-biblical agendas. There is shock over Starbucks not promoting Christmas on their cups. There is shock that Target would want to publicly jump on the transgender bathroom bandwagon. Currently, there is shock that Disney would take an old story, reshape it, and use it to promote a sexual political agenda. The list could go on, but I think you get the idea. We sometimes are stunned at the fact that the lost act like the lost.

A Secular Company and Biblical Values

This is what is most astonishing about this issue–not that Disney is failing to uphold moral values, but that believers are surprised at it. You see, the Bible gives us several truths about the lost that show us that they simply do not have the ability to understand or uphold Biblical values. 

I Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 

Those without Christ do not understand Biblical truth and do not make their decisions according to it. We are reminded in Ephesians 2:1 that before salvation, we “…were dead in tresspasses and sins.” 

We were spiritually separated from God in active lawlessness and defiance against God. Every lost person is in that exact position of defiance against God’s laws. I John 3:8 shows us that they continuously sin and side with the god of this world—Satan.

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” While we all mourn the declining morality of so many in our society, we must remember that they do not have the ability to uphold Biblical values—they are lost. That is the job of Bible believers. 

Christians point their fingers at the lost and expect them to act like believers and follow God’s Word. They won’t. That’s why we have been left here. God has told us to be salt and light. He has commanded us to go and preach the Gospel to every creature. They will not stop acting against God until they personally know God through a relationship with His Son Jesus. That’s where we come in.  

May we as Bible believers be ever ready to share Jesus Christ everywhere we go.