Author: josiahkagin

1. My salvation and my loving heavenly father who continues to work on me.
2. My wife, Sheila, who is an inspiration and constant blessing to my life.
3. My son, Jack, who never fails to be excited about everything he sees.
4. My daughter, Sabrina, who loves to laugh and tease.
5. My parents, Jim and Dawn Kagin, who raised me in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
6. My 5 siblings who often times are a spiritual encouragement to me.
7. My mother and father -in-law, Karen and Robert Shaw, who are not only a great influence in my life but in my children’s as well.
8. My church family at Grace Baptist who I look forward to meeting with every chance I get.
9. The Teens 4 Christ at Grace Baptist who have a desire to grow in the Lord and are willing to listen and follow admonition.
10. The privilege to be in the ministry and the responsibility to preach God’s Word.

God is so good to me and I am grateful to Him for every blessing He as given me. My desire is that in this 28th year of life that I would fulfill all the will of God for this year to the fullest.

Mark 10:13-16 “And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”

Have you ever wondered what might have been going through the minds of the Disciples as they kept the little children from getting to Jesus. Were they thinking that He was too important to bother with children? Maybe they would be too loud and interrupt Christ’s teaching. Were they worried that the children might make a mess that they would have to clean up? We could wonder all day but this much we know, the Disciples had very strong feelings against those children getting to Jesus.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and Jesus still wants the little children to come to Him. He still is “much displeased” when we in someway stand in their way of coming to Him. Certainly children can be loud, interrupt formality and make messes, but none of those things should stop us as believers from allowing them to come to Jesus. In a sense, we ought to roll out the red carpet and clear all obstructions within the church to get children to Jesus. Just remember that children are special to Jesus and He says, “Suffer [allow] the little children to come unto me.”

This excerpt is from E.M. Bounds book The Possibilities of Prayer

“Prayer is a direct address to God. (Philippians 4:6 In everything…let your requests be known unto God.) Prayer secures blessings, and and make men better because it reaches the ear of God. Prayer is only for the betterment of men when it has affected and moved Him to do something for men. Prayer affects men by affecting God. Prayer moves men because it moves God to move men. Prayer influences men by influencing God to influence them. Prayer moves the hand that moves the world.

The utmost possibilities of prayer have rarely be realized. The promises of God are so great  to those who truly pray, when He puts Himself  so fully into the hands of the praying ones, that it almost staggers our faith and causes us to hesitate with astonishment. His  promise to answer, to do, and to give ‘all things,’ ‘ anything,’  ‘whatsoever,’  and ‘all things whatsoever’ are so large, so great that we stand back  and give ourselves over to questioning and doubt.

Let us ever keep in mind…that God means all of what He says in all of His promises.”

 

I am thankful for older men who take the time to invest in young men. Men who over the past several years have taken interest in me by giving me specific advice on ministry, listening to and critiquing my preaching and challenging me to wait on the Lord. While it may be in style to talk down that generation, I just want say I am thankful for their input into my life.  

Today I was blessed to be invited to coffee by Martin Valcarcel, a missionary to Spain. We had a great conversation together about ministry. He challenged me with lessons that God had taught him over his years in ministry. Brother Martin was an encouragement and a specific answer to prayer. I appreciate this man of God taking the time to invest in me, something I’ll not forget!