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. 

Required Characteristics

Posted on by josiahkagin


Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 

 God is graciously clear to us in His Word. He does not hide His will from us but shows us plainly. In this verse we are given three characteristics that God requires. Lets think about these for a moment.

  1. Do Justly—This simply means to do what is right. One man said, “Do right till the stars fall.” The disciple of Christ must always strive to do what is the acceptable will of God. Do what is right toward God, our families, our employers, our co-workers and other believers. Live each day purposing to do right in every situation. When we act unjustly, we must make it right as soon as possible in order to keep a clear conscience toward God and man.
  2. Love Mercy—The greatest act of mercy was displayed at Calvary. Jesus gave His life for hell bound sinners so that they could be heaven bound saints. Having been shown so much mercy, how can we not delight in showing mercy to others. It is easy to treat others with less grace than we have received. We hold out for full restitution to be made for wrongs committed rather than show mercy and forgive. As believers, we ought to be excited to show mercy just as Christ did toward us.
  3. Walk Humbly—Our daily prayer ought be for the enablement of God to live our lives before Him in humility. How we need a fresh daily realization of our absolute need of His guidance. When we walk humbly we will pray without ceasing, seek God’s will in His Word, treat others with respect and kindness and take the disappointments and trials of life as allowed by our loving Heavenly Father trusting His perfect plan. God will be first in our thoughts and actions. 

Micah 6:8 provides characteristics that are practical and ought be applied to our lives today. Take a moment and ask God to help you live accordingly.

Anger

Posted on by josiahkagin

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Ephesians 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

I was reading Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Chambers and came across a helpful list of six conditions that make anger sinful. These were taught by Joseph Butler (1692–1752) and I believe helpful in evaluating our anger.

  1. When, to favor a resentment or feud, we imagine an injury done to us. 
  2. When an injury done to us becomes, in our minds, greater than it really is. 
  3. When, without real injury, we feel resentment on account of pain or inconvenience.
  4. When indignation rises too high, and overwhelms our ability to restrain.
  5. When we gratify resentments by causing pain or harm out of revenge. 
  6. When we are so perplexed and angry at sin in our own lives that we readily project anger at the sin we find in others.

Are You Vocal?

Posted on by josiahkagin

Untitled designIt is easy to be vocal against policies with which we disagree especially those that are morally wrong. Being vocal and exercising the right of free speech is one of the great benefits of being an American. However, on this Presidents Day, we should be vocal in another way—vocal in prayer. As people of the cross, we can get distracted by news stories, rulings and the silence about ISIS persecutions. Let’s be reminded of a Bible truth.

Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water:He turneth it whithersoever he will.

God holds our President’s heart in his hand and is perfectly able to direct it. As believers we ought to lift up our President in prayer today because the God of the Bible is ultimately in control. After all, this is what God commands us to do for all those that are in authority over us.

1 Timothy 2:1-2  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Take a moment and pray for our President Barack Obama today.

Technology and Christian Homes

Posted on by josiahkagin
Teens-and-Technology-blankIt is very clear that technology is not going to go away. Children and teenagers growing up now need parents to both protect and direct them in the Godly use of technology. The fact is they will be using technology daily as adults and the principles that they learn now will help them live Godly while using technology. Here are a few suggestions.
  1. Use a family policy. 
    Every family with teens should have a carefully thought through and written set of guidelines regarding the use of technology. As with any guidelines, what is not inspected should not be expected. Be sure that you establish adequate accountability such as parents should have open access to all devices and accounts. By the way, open accountability ought be modeled by mom and dad. Teens ought to see that their parents are practicing what they preach.
  2. Use your computer’s existing features.
    Both Apple and Windows come with parental controls as a feature. You can set up allowed apps, sites people and time limits. Here are instructions for Mac and Windows. If you have Android devices, you can use an app called Kids Place. Apple devices have a built-in feature called restrictions.
  3. Use an internet filter.
    While parental controls limit access, filters filter content. There are two that I have discovered to be great options— Covenant Eyes and Safe Eyes. Each are full service filters. Each come with a monthly cost (which are cheaper than lifetime scars). I would encourage you to take the time and research a filter that is best for you and your family’s devices.
  4. Develop the heart. 
    One man said in relation to the internet, “The best filter is the heart.” While parental controls and filters will make it harder to stumble on or intentionally view junk on the internet, the heart is what determines to do right or wrong. If a man, woman or teen has a heart for God and righteous living, they will not seek out the dark side of the internet. No filter is completely fail proof, but coupling a right heart and a good filter will insure internet safety.

    Proverbs 4:20-27 My son, attend to my words;
    Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
    21 Let them not depart from thine eyes;
    Keep them in the midst of thine heart.
    22 For they are life unto those that find them,
    And health to all their flesh.
    23 Keep thy heart with all diligence;
    For out of it are the issues of life.
    24 Put away from thee a froward mouth,
    And perverse lips put far from thee.
    25 Let thine eyes look right on,
    And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
    26 Ponder the path of thy feet,
    And let all thy ways be established.
    27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:
    Remove thy foot from evil.

My Hope is in the Lord

Posted on by josiahkagin

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“And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.”  Psalm 39:7

This verse was written in a time in David’s life when he was facing something few of us will ever face—a son who was out to kill him. Absalom was bitter because his father failed to take action against the crime Amnon committed against his sister Tamar. Certainly, David should have stood up, taken charge in his family and dealt with this horrible sin. Like each of us though, David had his failures. Maybe he had hoped time would heal the situation or that by ignoring it everything would go back to normal. The opposite happened and this problem continued to fester.  What is so encouraging is that as David was going through these consequential circumstances he placed his hope in God. He realizes his desperate need for God. He sees ever so clearly that he cannot look to himself to resolve his problems. David not only places his hope in God but goes on to acknowledge his sin and to seek deliverance from God.

“Deliver me from all my transgressions: Make me not the reproach of the foolish.” Psalm 39:8

There is a lesson here for us all! From time to time we find ourselves in situation because of our own failures. We agonize and look for resolutions but come up empty. We must learn to do as David did and to acknowledge that God is our only hope, confess our sin and seek His deliverance. God is always there willing and ready to help the believer who acknowledges his need.

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, And give ear unto my cry; Hold not thy peace at my tears.” Psalm 39:12 

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

No matter the situation you can always put your hope in God. He will be right there for you!