My Stay

Posted on by josiahkagin

Untitled design-4I remember back when I was working construction having an especially startling moment.  There was one winter night we were trying to finish covering a freshly sheeted roof with tar paper. The snow was beginning to blow in and it was miserable! This was a very steep roof and so we were standing on roof jacks. One of the guys had put just one nail in the roof jack and when I went to step on it, the jack came loose. I thought I was going to fall and I am sure my heart stopped for a moment. There is nothing more assuring than a firm footing!

In our lives, we often find ourselves in unstable situations. We are unsure of the future outcome. As a result, fear and anxiety often overwhelm our souls. You are probably thinking of a situation now. It is in those times that we can be assured that our God is our stay.

Psalm 18:18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: But the Lord was my stay.

At this point, David was running for his life. Saul was bound and determined to murder David. How was it then that David was able to be calm and declare, “The Lord was my stay”? The word stay has the idea of a support or staff. David certainly had much experience with a staff as a shepherd and the support that it gave. Notice at the beginning of Psalm 18 three reasons David was able to make this statement.

  1. Love God (Psalm 18:1)
    He had found the comfort and blessing of loving God. There was nothing more important to David than pleasing God and putting His will first. When you love God with all your heart, you will be able to find all the support you need in Him.
    Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
  2. Find Your Security in God (Psalm 18:2)
    Relationships, support groups, doctrinal positions, family ties, wealth, success or popularity will not give lasting security. Everyone, whether known or not, is looking for security, a sense of safety and stability. Those who run to God will have to look no further!
    Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
  3. Seek God (Psalm 18:3)
    Nothing will hush the anxiety of your heart quicker than bending the knee before the God of Heaven, our Heavenly Father. David knew he could not turn to anyone on earth for help. Even the band of men could not ultimately help, but God could. Oh that we would learn to seek God first. How we could then live lives marked by stability.
    Psalm 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, My flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

The disciples of Christ must be able to truthfully say, “The Lord was my stay.” You can make that declaration if you will follow these points from this powerful Psalm of testimony.

Someone Cared

Posted on by josiahkagin

TYPE DESIGN

Can you think back to the day you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior from sin? Can you remember the person God used to point you to Christ? Maybe it was your mom or dad, your pastor, a faithful soul winner at your door or maybe it was an unknown person who left a tract in a public place. Whoever it was, they cared for you!

Today, you and I will have opportunities to connect with people. People who are doomed to spend eternity in the fires of hell. Would you care enough to give the truth to them? Would you care enough to tell them of what Jesus did for you? Would you care enough to invite them to attend church with you?

Would you be someone who cares?

John 5:7  The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

No Bible!

Posted on by josiahkagin

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Recently my wife and I attended the Outreach Conference at Faith Baptist Church in Avon, Indiana. We both were blessed and invigorated. One of the sessions that I attended was by Dr. Ken Fielder. He is the president and director of WorldView Ministries. They are “committed to both the training of Bible translators and to Bible translating and publishing for the unreached people groups of the world.”

He posed a very probing question that I have been thinking about and believe it would do us all good to pause and consider.

What would your life be like without the Bible?

Think about the questions you would have. Think of the confusion you would experience when going through trials and injustices. You would wonder who to worship. You could not know where you came from. There would be no value to life. Without the Bible and the knowledge of the one true God you would be completely heathen. You would be lost and on your way to hell.

There are 4,000 plus languages that do not yet have a copy of God’s Word in their hands. While we in America have multiple copies, they have none. I believe it is time that we begin to spend time in prayer and financially support this great need! We must do our part as individual people and churches to give the heathen God’s Word in their own language so that they can know Him.

Let’s Seek God for Revival

Posted on by josiahkagin

Untitled designIf my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. —2 Chronicles 7:14

Nothing warms the heart of a parent more than to have their son or daughter come to them and talk openly; to come on their own and make a wrong right. So it is with God. When I read 2 Chronicles 7:14 I hear the heart of our Heavenly Father being poured out. I hear the earnest desire to bless and help. I also see what stands in the way of His blessing. Let’s think about it.

We live in a country that is running from God. From the highest office in the land to the lowest citizen, we see the marks and mindset of  lives lived in rejection of the one true God. However, believers cannot point all the fingers out at the people and leaders of our nation. The church is running from God. The evidences of this fact are seen in the instability of believers, the lack of unity, the forsaking of basic Christian doctrines and duties, the acceptance of many worldly philosophies and ideals, the casual approach to a daily relationship with Jesus and the fear to stand for His name. Many scoff at the desire and prayer revival. They say it is not possible, we are in the last days. I believe that there has never been a day in which we need to see the God of Heaven to revive His people. I believe He longs to do just that but we must humble ourselves and seek His face. This means we must turn from seeking many other things and seek Him.

Would you take sometime to pray, humble yourself and seek God’s face? Would you pause and give God your attention? Would you ask Him to revive your heart, to give you a fresh awareness of who He is and what He desires to in your life? Would you let God have control of your life? If you will God has promised in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.“

Reflections on Couples Retreat

Posted on by josiahkagin



I always enjoy spending time with my wife. She is my best friend, cheerleader and soulmate. This was our second annual couples retreat at Grace Baptist Church. I would like to share several blessings of having and attending couples retreat.  

  1. Growing Together—Couples retreat is an awesome opportunity for God to work on a couple together. My wife and I hear the same Bible truth together and are given opportunity to respond to that truth together. It seems that God gives a focused openness to each other and an excitement about putting into practice what has been received. 
  2. Gaining Wisdom—We do well to listen and accept the advice of those who have walked with God for many years. We were privileged to have Dr. Bob Taylor and his wife Joan as our speakers. God used the wisdom they have gained from fifty plus years of marriage to give Biblical insight. I appreciated men in the older generation being willing to share all that God has taught them over the years. 
  3. Encouraging Others—It is exciting to see God’s people edified. In a day when Biblical marriage is under attack, what a blessing it is when marriages are strengthened! I praise God for the work He did in mine and what I heard testified that He was doing in other’s. 

In addition to these blessings, I want to give a two fold encouragement. 

  1. If you have not yet attended a couples retreat, plan to attend one! You will be blessed. Begin now to plan and save to be able to attend. 
  2. If you are a pastor and do not have an annual couples retreat, prayerfully consider beginning one. Strong families make up strong churches. Time investing in the marriages in your church will never be wasted time.