Book Review: The Insanity of God

Posted on by josiahkagin

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The Insanity of God. An eye catching title, I know! When this book was first recommended to me, I have to admit, it didn’t sound like a book I would read. You can never judge a book by its cover! From the first pages I was struck with the powerful testimony of God’s guidance in the life of Nik Ripkens who sought God earnestly. Here are some of the lessons I learned from the book and why you need read it as well.

  1. God is a Rewarder: “…he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
    Nik’s heart to seek God and to do His will is obvious throughout the book. There is a progression of growth in the author’s life that makes one thirsty to seek God also. By the last chapter, there a sense that Nik had experienced enormous growth in both the knowledge and love of God. It is time that American believers seek God in sincerity.
  2. God is Working in the Midst of Persecution: Much of the world does not know the freedoms that we experience in America. Persecution is a daily occurrence for many believers around the world. As Americans, we think restriction and persecution limits the work of God, but the opposite is true. God’s power is revealed in the most amazing ways in the most heavily persecuted countries. Persecuted believers in Somaliland, Russia, China and in Muslim lands are seeing God work as He did in the pages of the New Testament. Though we ought not seek persecution, we ought to embrace living for and serving Christ with same focus and passion as our persecuted brethren.  As Stoyan said, reference American believers, “I took great joy that I was suffering in my country so that you could be free to witness in your country.” He went on to say, “DON’T YOU EVER GIVE UP IN FREEDOM WHAT WE WOULD NEVER GIVE UP IN PERSECUTION— AND THAT IS OUR WITNESS TO THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!”
  3. God uses Dedicated Disciples: I discovered that these persecuted believers knew by experience what Jesus meant in Luke 9:23 when He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” I was left asking myself, “Do I know what that means.” They serve Jesus gladly even in the face of death because Jesus is worthy. Reading of their dedication, I have no question why God used them as He did. Let us decide to be dedicated to Jesus no matter what happens. He is worth it!
  4. God is the Same: The Bible tells us that God is always the same. We read the Biblical accounts of God’s powerful works and conclude, “That was just for Bible times.” Nik  asks, “Is the resurrection power that the New Testament describes still real and available to believers in our world today?  Nik discovered that the God of the New Testament had not changed and was still able and ready to show Himself strong.  Our God is not limited by governments. He is not limited by evil. I was personally convicted of my lack of faith in the unlimited power of God. How we need a fresh realization of the grandness and power of our God.

After reading this book, I plan to recommend it to everybody I can, simply because it was a huge help to me. I am hungry to see God work in America and more specifically in my own community. This book challenged me not to get sidetracked by the thrills of life, but to seek to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.

Available on Amazon

Your Impact

Posted on by josiahkagin

 

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You have the unique, unspeakable power to impact others who live around you. When I speak of impact, I am talking about the ability to influence the direction, decisions and destiny of others. You have heard the statement, “No man is an island unto himself.” Simply put, every action, word and decision that you make influences the actions, words and decisions that others in your life make.

Romans 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

None of us slip into life and back out without making some kind of impact in the lives of others.

Take a moment to consider both the kind of impact and the amount of impact you are making. If you are like me, you will be left thinking, “How can I impact others more?”  The best way to maximize impact is to simply love God with all of your heart, soul and mind. Your impact will be directly proportionate to your relationship with God.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus

If He Can There, I Can Here!

Posted on by josiahkagin

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Most of us quake in fear when we think of personally spreading the Gospel in the Muslim world. Preaching the Gospel in most areas of the Middle East legitimately requires that a man would be willing to lay down his life for Jesus Christ.  These are precisely the reasons why the autobiography of Edgar Feghaly, Forward in the Face of Fear, will grip your attention. As I read it, I was encouraged by the testimony of a man who chose to walk by faith and not by sight. I was inspired by the countless examples of how God had preserved the life of His servant. Here are five reasons why this book would be a great encouragement to you.

  1. It is Current—We hear the great missionary stories of the past. They are inspiring but, in our minds they are often relegated as possible in the past, not in the present. Chapter after chapter is filled powerful accounts of God doing the impossible during the lifetime of my generation and last. As a young man, that just encourages me!
  2. It is Relevant—With all the focus on the turmoil in the Middle East, this book will be one you don’t want to put down. While reading of the power of God, you will also learn enlightening history describing the beginning of conflict in that region. You will gain a greater understanding of the unrest we see there today. Beyond that, you will see that the unrest has not stopped the Gospel from advancing or Christ’s church being built.
  3. It is Simple—When I hear of the ways God used great men of the past, sometimes I am tempted to think that God used them because they were special. While that is not true, it is easy to slip into that thinking. Edgar Feghaly is just a man who simply decided to follow Jesus early in life and practiced simple faith in God’s extraordinary power. “Although I knew at a young age that God had called me to serve Him, the night I walked the aisle at the Baptist church to surrender to His will I had no idea what a life of service would involve. I just knew I wanted to tell everyone I met about the One who had changed my heart and my family. And soon, God blessed me with opportunities to do just that.”
  4. It is Challenging—You will be challenged by Mr. Feghaly’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Multiple times his obedience to the Spirit kept him from danger or enabled him to win a soul to Christ. You will be challenged by his contentment to serve God without complaint. After all, there are easier places to preach Christ than Lebanon!
    “I am ever grateful to the Lord who called me to minister and enabled me to serve Him in Lebanon. He truly provided spiritually, emotionally, and physically for my family’s every need.”
  5. It is Applicable—In America we have many excuses for not telling everyone we meet about the One that has changed our hearts. When you read of the circumstances in which Mr. Feghaly preached the Gospel, every excuse will pale in comparison. We have not been touched by unending war on our home soil. We have not faced persecution or even extreme opposition of our faith. Yet in the midst of a hostile, war-torn region, the Gospel went forward. I found myself thinking, “If he can do it there, I can do it here!”

Forward in the Face of Fear will be release on April 11, 2016. You can purchase your print or digital copy at Striving Together Publications.

Prayer: Getting Things Done

Posted on by josiahkagin

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Everyone has a To-Do list. For some of us, it is kept on a smart device or on sticky notes, while for others it is kept in the head. No matter where you house your list, you are very mindful of all the things you must get done. Let me ask you a question. Do you consider a prayer meeting as an opportunity to get things done? What is prayer all about to you?

Many times when we talk about prayer meetings we think of something that is mechanical and merely a religious routine. We pray because we are expected to and if we don’t we will feel bad. Yet, a prayer meeting is, in reality, an opportunity for believers to come to God with things that need to get done. Prayer meetings can be quite productive. Many people view them as passive. They should be viewed and conducted as anything but passive. John 14:13–14 says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Notice in the verse that we are told to ask so that things may be done. Prayer meetings are about getting things done—specifically getting God’s will done on earth.

At our church we are looking forward to three weeks of Cottage Prayer Meetings in preparation for Easter and Revival. As you prepare for Easter, take time to call for and participate in prayer meetings so that God’s will can get done in our churches and cities.

Why I Still Believe in Door-to-Door

Posted on by josiahkagin

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There are few methods of evangelism that I enjoy more than door-to-door evangelism! I love getting out, meeting new people, taking time to hear their story and then offering them hope in Jesus Christ. I have had people stop me in the local store remembering me stopping by their door and have an opportunity to continue the conversation. While there are some who would not use this method, I want to share with you some reasons that I still believe that door-to-door evangelism is a method we should employ in our churches today.

  1. Biblical Method—This ought to be the basis of any method that we employ in our church ministries. Throughout the book of Acts we find that the early church and its leaders were active in teaching the Gospel by two methods. They taught it publicly and from house to house. Acts 5:42 “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:20 “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,” I believe that this Biblical method is time honored and very practicable today!
  2. Measurable Method—We have been commissioned by Jesus to preach the Gospel. Acts 1:8 tells us that we are to be His witnesses in our own cities and throughout the whole world. We can witness on street corners, at parades and other public events, but none of those are measurable. They do not allow us to know that we have touched the whole city with the message of the Gospel. I believe in using all kinds of methods, but nothing allows us to measure progress like door-to-door.

    At Grace Baptist Church we measure our progress with a map system. We have a book of maps in a three ring binder. Members check out a map that with a highlighted street. They take the Outreach Cards that are in use at that time and go out in teams of two knocking on the doors. They turn in the map once they have completed it. The street is then marked as accomplish on our large progress map which is displayed off our lobby.

  3. Personal Method—Businesses covet word of mouth advertising. Personal endorsements of a product or business are extremely powerful. I believe this is one of the reasons that God told us to go and verbally share Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). He created us and knows that we respond to the witness or testimonials of others.
  4. Involving Method—Ephesians 4:12 tells us that every believer is a minister. Acts 1:8 tells us that we are all witnesses. I believe that every Christian should be actively involved in sharing Jesus Christ in their community. I believe the church should organize, equip and encourage believers to be obedient to the Great Commission. Door-to-door soulwinning provides opportunity for everyone to be involved.

    Recently I shared an outreach vision with our church call Target 45429. It is our goal to knock each door in this area three times before moving on to other parts of our city. There is a large opportunity for many to be involved. Furthermore, there are some who legitimately cannot get out there on the sidewalks for health reasons. I shared with them that we need people to come meet at church while soulwinning is in progress and pray that God will empower those out knocking doors. We also need babysitters so that younger families can be involved. These are additional and important ways for believers to be involved.

  5. Proven Method—I can think of people right now in our church that have be reached in that past several years by door-to-door. I was recently on a ministry trip with our teens and my wife had the opportunity to lead  lady to Jesus at the door. She has been attending her church and has even brought a guest. Maybe you can think of a story of someone in your church reached through door-to-door.

Don’t give up on this awesome method! Get a map of your city, divide it up and determine to knock on every door in your city. You will be amazed how God will bless your desire and faithfulness in the harvest.

How to Pray for Missionaries

Posted on by josiahkagin

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This past Sunday evening I was blessed to have the Weber family present their ministry to Mongolia. I was touched by their sincerity and unity as a family. During his presentation he gave us four ways to pray for them. These points are worthwhile in praying for missionaries in general.

  1. Falsehoods—pray for those who have believed the falsehoods of religion. Fifty percent of Mongolians are Buddhists. Forty percent claim no religion at all. The rest nominally claim Christianity. Pray that the truth of God’s Word will break through the error liberating these souls through its truth.
  2. Fruit—pray that the Mongolians will respond and follow Jesus. This would be the fruit of souls.
  3. Future—the future of any nation or even church is the children. Pray that God will draw the children to Himself. Pray that they would understand the Gospel and receive it.
  4. Favor—every missionary, whether at home or abroad, needs favor in the eyes of the people. They need to earn trust as the outsiders. Pray that God will give them creativity and open doors as they seek to build relationships from which they can share the gospel.

 

You can find out more information about the Webers at their website.