Spreading a Passion...

Great Spurgeon!

2012-02-24T07:50:00.002-08:00

Had the privilege of reading this this morning in my time with Jesus. Very challenging, convicting and encouraging stuff from CH Spurgeon:

Hear So as to Be Heard
"If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

Note well that we must hear Jesus speak if we expect Him to hear us speak. If we have no ear for Christ, He will have no ear for us. In proportion as we hear we shall be heard.

Moreover, what is heard must remain, must live in us, and must abide in our character as a force and a power. We must receive the truths which Jesus taught, the precepts which He issued, and the movements of His Spirit within us; or we shall have no power at the Mercy Seat.

Suppose our LORD's words to be received and to abide in us, what a boundless field of privilege is opened up to us! We are to have our will in prayer, because we have already surrendered our will to the LORD's command. Thus are Elijahs trained to handle the keys of heaven and lock or loose the clouds. One such man is worth a thousand common Christians. Do we humbly desire to be intercessors for the church and the world, and like Luther to be able to have what we will of the LORD? Then we must bow our ear to the voice of the Well-beloved, treasure up His words, and carefully obey them. He has need to "hearken diligently" who would pray effectually.

South Africa Photos

2012-02-23T13:25:00.005-08:00

Many of you have asked to see my photos from South Africa and so I've posted some of my favorites from the trip. Hope you enjoy :)

p.s. The photos are not in specific order...

Me & Drake Blogging...it's very intense.

Baby lions!

"The Lion will lay down with the...Tiger?"

Me & DJ playing with baby tigers

Baby tiger and lion at the SAME TIME! I should be a circus master :)

Louie & Drake

Louie & Meredith (baby lion came from behind and clawed Louie's back during second photo...it was great)

Drake & Meredith with the baby lions

Sunday lunch with the fam

Wednesday night Bible Study partners! (Please not Louie's maturity in first photo)

Looking down a mining shaft over 2 miles deep!

Friends Reunited! (yes we're weird, but notice I'm trying to smile nice in the second picture and Louie can't stop being himself)

Kamahelo and Meredith going 1v1 (O'Tool family don't be alarmed, this is not a form of South-African dating)

The Meaning of Marriage

2012-02-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

I read a SWEET book about marriage on my flight home from South Africa! The book is titled "The Meaning of Marriage" by Tim Keller. Keller is the lead pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. He's been called the C.S. Lewis of our generation and possesses a brilliant mind. This book was a FANTASTIC READ for a Christian at any stage of their life and I would HIGHLY recommend this work to those seeking to grow in the context of their marriage.

I've listed some of my favorite quotes from the book below. I hope you enjoy them as well:

"I'm tired of listening to sentimental talks on marriage...Marriage is glorious but hard. It's a burning joy and strength, and yet it is also blood, sweat and tears, humbling defeats and exhausting victories."

"We never know whom we marry; we just think we do. Or even if we first marry the right person, just give it a while and he or she will change. For marriage, being the enormous thing it is means we are not the same person after we have entered it. The primary problem is...learning how to love and care for the stranger to whom you find yourself married" - Keller quoting Duke ethics professor Stanley Haurwas

"Do for your spouse what God did for you in Jesus, and the rest will follow."

"Husbands and wives must serve each other, must 'give themselves up' for each other. That does not destroy the exercise of authority within a human relationship, but it does radically transform it."

"Self-centeredness is a havoc-wreaking problem in many marriages, and it is the ever-present enemy in every marriage."

"Some will ask, 'If I put the happiness of my spouse ahead of my own needs --- then what do I get out of it?' The answer is --- happiness."

"A marriage relationship unavoidably entails self-denial, even in the most mundane day-to-day living."

"Only you have complete access to your own selfishness, and only you have complete responsibility for it...If two spouses each say, 'I'm going to treat my self-centeredness as the main problem in the marriage,' you have the prospect of a truly great marriage."

"Amazed joy at the sacrifice and love of Christ is the motivation for all the New Testament calls to defer, love and serve."

"To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything."

"Only if you commit yourself to loving in action, day in and day out, even when your feelings and circumstances are in flux, can you truly be a free individual and not a pawn of outside forces."

"The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he 'likes' them: The Christian, trying to treat everyone kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on --- including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning" - Keller quoting C.S. Lewis

"In his redemptive work, Jesus is both Friend and Lover, and this is to be a model for spouses in marriage. Husband and wife are to be both lovers and friends to one-another as Jesus is to us."

"What keeps the marriage going is your commitment to your spouse's holiness"

"Jesus died not because we were lovely, but to make us lovely. He died, Paul says, to 'make us holy.' Paradoxically, this means Paul is urging spouses to help make their mates love Jesus more than them."

"Marriage...has the power to set the course of your whole life. It has that power because it was instituted by God. And because it has that unequalled power, it must have an unequalled, supreme priority."

"The merged life of marriage brings you into the closest, most inescapable contact with another person possible. And that means not only that you see each other close up, but that you are forced to deal with the flaws and sins of one another."

"Give your spouse the right to talk to you about what is wrong with you"

"Learn the primary languages of your spouse and send love over those channels, not over the channels you prefer for yourself."

"We need to feel so loved by our partners that when they criticize us, we have the security to admit our faults."

"The Bible says don't unite with someone physically unless you are also willing to unite with that person emotionally, personally, socially, economically and legally."

"Since the Bible confines sex to marriage, we should not be surprised to find that various passages instruct married couples to enjoy sex and to do so frequently"

"Unless your marital relationship is in a good condition, sex doesn't work. So be very careful to look beneath the surface. A lack of 'sexual compatibility' might not really be a lack of love making skill at all. It may be a sign of deeper problems in the relationship. It is often the case that, if those problems are addressed, the sexual intimacy improves."

South Africa - Heading Home!

2012-02-15T14:33:00.001-08:00

Hey Peeps! This is my last entry 'till I'm back in the States :)

Hospitality
I haven't talked about Louie and Amber's hospitality yet, and as my trip is winding down, I feel compelled to talk-up my good friends here in South Africa. Since I arrived, Louie & Amber have gone out of their way to take care of me in the form of meals, entertainment, ministry opportunities, transportation, laundry, company, etc. Louie is one of my best friends who has shown me what the true definition of a servant is during my stay. He has served Christ & others in powerful ways and I have seen his gift of mercy to those under his leadership. I have also appreciated the way he has served me, led me, challenged me, and encouraged me spiritually over the last 2 weeks. His passion for James 1:27 and showing Jesus' mercy to orphans is so evident in his life and as God is willing, I'm sure He has more wonderful things in store for his ministry here in Welkom!

Me & Louie

Refreshed!
After two weeks of actively serving and doing ministry alongside of Louie & Amber, I truly feel refreshed in my spirit as I head back to the States. The change of pace between pastoring a church and working at an orphanage has been a welcome change for me and I felt like I was ministered to by the Lord way more than I ministered to others. Even though I served physically and have been busy with ministry here in South Africa, I sense God's refreshing work in my spirit. I'm reminded of Proverbs 11:25 which says, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed"

Opportunities
There's an expression we have at Living Waters Fellowship coined by Dave Newhouse that is simply called P.O.P. which stands for the Power Of Prayer. Well as I leave South Africa tomorrow, I know the prayers of many have opened up doors for me to share the Gospel with others:

#1 - I was invited to speak to a group of students at the local Anglican high-school on Tuesday. Over 35 students turned out as I shared the Gospel & my testimony from John 5:24. At the end of the talk, I could sense the Spirit moving so as we closed in prayer I asked if there were any students that weren't sure where they were going to spend eternity...over 12 students raised their hands and they all stayed after the class to talk with me about salvation in Christ. It was an awesome working of God's Spirit on this group of teens!

#2 - Louie and I went to play basketball again with the guys we had played with last Thursday. After the games were done, we called all the guys together and Louie & I shared the Gospel with them. There were a few guys who definitely had soft hearts to the message of Jesus and Louie is going to follow-up with those guys. Pray for a guy named Mpoh in particular who was soft to us and the message of forgiveness in Jesus.

The Village Kids
The Village kids have, of course, been amazing and a joy to be around. I had the privilege of leading devotions last night for the group and our time was filled with many laughs, stories, and of course God's Word! I am going to miss them all and will look forward to reading updates on Louie's blog in the future. The future is BRIGHT at the Village because of the hope Jesus is giving these kids through His Gospel!

My South Africa Parents
As I've been in South Africa, I have been embraced and been adopted by my "South African parents" Trish and Lawrence. They are a super-sweet couple who know Louie & Amber, the RHI staff, and attend the same church as the O'Tools. Since the moment I was introduced to this godly couple, they have been a super-big encouragement to my spirit. Trish is a John Piper fan and loves to discuss theology which, of course, is right up my alley! Trish's other half, Lawrence, is a godly man who doesn't say a bunch, but when he does speak, I listen. As a couple, they have warmed my spirit and encouraged my soul many times over the last two weeks. I thank God for them and will miss them much as I head back to the States.

Me with "Pops" Lawrence and Trish

Excited to go Home!
As much as I will be sad to leave South Africa, my heart is excited to return home to Danielle, Marie & Tabitha! I have missed my girls SO much and can't wait to see their faces and give them huge hugs & kisses when I return to Des Moines. I am also excited to re-engage with other family, friends, and of course, my church family at Living Waters Fellowship! The Lord has shown me that He has so much more to do on the South Side of Des Moines and surrounding communities...this trip has re-ignited my passion to see Jesus exalted in the hearts and lives of all people. I know that as Jesus is willing, many more lives will be changed by His grace!

That's It! I'm scheduled to arrive back in Des Moines on Friday afternoon at 1:15pm God-willing. Hope to see many of you soon.

Signing Off in South Africa,

Josh
Acts 20:24

South Africa - Part #5

2012-02-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the POWER of GOD unto salvation, to everyone that BELIEVES, to the Jew 1st and also to the Greek."

Wow! It's been a busy last 3 days and I have lots to update you on as the Lord Jesus has been moving in some great ways here in South Africa. I've tried to summarize all my experiences below by topic...hopefully it's easy to follow :)

Mugg & Bean
On Friday afternoon, Louie dropped me off at a coffee shop in Welkom called Mugg and Bean so I could finish studying for Sunday's message. They seated me at a table (they seat you like they do at a restaurant) and I had a great time studying. During that time, a lady named Florence was seated next to me and we struck up a conversation. Florence was in here late 40's or early 50's and was stopping for a coffee in-between business appointments. I asked her a series of questions regarding her occupation, education, upbringing, and of course, whether or not she grew up churched :) Well, Jesus guided the conversation beautifully and for about 1 hour, I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with her and invited her to come hear me preach at Welkom Baptist that Sunday. She said she would strongly consider coming and was thankful for what I shared with her from the Bible. It was an awesome opportunity! Shortly after that, the waiter who was serving me approached me regarding my discussion with Florence. The waiters name was KG (which, as an american basketball fan, immediately caused me to think of Kevin Garnett) and he was very interested to hear my testimony of salvation. KG was a believer and as I shared my story of salvation, we both discovered that we had been saved in 1999, which is pretty crazy as KG is 29 years old and I am 30! What amazing providence. KG was also a native of Welkom and though he had a clear testimony of faith, he confessed very openly and humbly some areas of struggle in his life. I was able to open up the Word with KG and the Holy Spirit really gave us a great time of encouragement around the Gospel and the truth of God's Word. So all this to say, it was a great afternoon of study and as I would see later, God was priming my heart for Sunday's preaching.

Lion Park
On Saturday afternoon, we went with Louie, Amber, Meredith, Drake, DJ & Sam to a Lion Park about 1 hour North-East of Welkom. I was blown away by the sights we were able to see at this park as there were over 250 lions on site. Additionally we were able to see tigers, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars and some other really cool animals. As one who has only known the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines and the Omaha Zoo in Nebraska, I was overwhelmed at seeing these beautiful animals in their natural habitat and seeing so many of them in one place. Being so close to the Lions was also cool because for the majority of the time we were separated from the animals by only a thin wire fence. Definitely a great experience!

Oh Yes, I forgot to mention that at the end of the tour we were able to get in the pens with baby tigers and lions and play around with them a little bit. They are a ton of fun and cute to look at...but the thing is, is that even at a young age, they have sharp claws and are very quick :) I was a little bummed I couldn't get the Tiger to look at the camera!

DJ & Sam
The two guys in the picture below are DJ and Sam. Louie personally led both of these young men to Christ 4 years ago and has been discipling them since. Both of the guys came up for the weekend and we had an awesome time hanging with them and encouraging them in their walk with Jesus. Being the competitors we are, we also played some board games together...All I have to say is that I am the current Blokus champion until I come back to RHI which will probably be at least a couple years so I have bragging rights until then! :) In all seriousness, both of these guys are GREAT young men who are growing in their walk with the Lord. They are engaged in university studies in Bloemfontain which is about 1 hour from Welkom and have great plans to serve Jesus with their lives. If your reading this, please pray for DJ and Sam to be raised up and established in South Africa to serve Jesus in Welkom.

Preaching
Had a great time preaching the Word at Welkom Baptist Church on Sunday! Preaching that morning has been and probably will be the highlight of the trip for me. As I arrived at the church, I was approached by a young man named Tumi, who asked me if I had been studying at Mugg & Bean on Friday. The following conversation took place...not joking:

Me: "Yes Tumi, I did study there Friday, I'm sorry if I didn't see you"
Tumi: "Did you happen to talk to a lady there about Jesus?"
Me: "Yep, I talked to a gal named Florence there for about an hour. Why?"
Tumi: "Your not going to believe this, but Florence is my mom!"
Me: "Florence is your mom! No way dude!!!"
Tumi: "Yeah, God's providence! It was so cool as I don't know if my mom is a believer"
Me: "I cannot believe this, this is crazy! It was awesome to share the Gospel with her and I think God has some awesome plans for this morning"

To preach the Gospel on a different continent was great, but to know that the Gospel is just as powerful in South Africa as it is in America was the greatest reality to me. Jesus Christ is alive and well in His church and is saving people all over the world and in every tribe, tongue and nation! It was such a joy to see God's Spirit at work in my heart and the peoples' as well. The church was very gracious, attentive and encouraging before, during and after the service. In regards to my text and topic, when I arrived in Johannesburg, I was compelled to preach on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 which is a strong message on fleeing sexual immorality. To say the least there was no backing down and the Lord honored his Gospel in some great ways. fact, a young man named Mike was moved by the Word and asked if I could come speak to his college student group on Tuesday. I agreed and am looking forward to speaking the Word to a group of 25 tomorrow afternoon. Please pray for me and for the Gospel to go out clearly and powerfully!

Quads
This blog entry is getting way too long. I'll summarize this section by saying we (Brian Niehoff, Louie and I) rode four wheelers or "quads" for a 3 hours on Sunday afternoon and had a GREAT TIME! :)

Gospel Opportunities
Below are the witnessing opportunities we've had in the last 3 days. God is opening some great doors for the Gospel. Louie has even commented that our opportunities to share the Gospel have been exciting and refreshing to his soul as well. I'm encouraged by all that Christ is doing...please pray for these names as you have opportunity:

Florence
Joyce, Gladness and 8 Thabong children
Ignus - This was a unbelievable opportunity we had just this afternoon. Ignus is a big rugby player and a guy who's heart the Lord melted this afternoon as Louie and I were able to share the Gospel with him. We're following up with him tomorrow and I think he is on the verge of getting saved. So please pray!

Stretch Run

Only 3 days left before I leave to return home to Des Moines. My heart is overflowing with gratitude to Jesus for the refreshment he is bringing to me in His Gospel. As I have had the opportunity to share the Word with people in South Africa, God has re-focused my heart to what is most important in life and ministry, which is a vehement focus on Jesus Christ and Him crucified and the power that is in the Gospel message. There is no joy like the joy of knowing Jesus and sharing him with others.

Louie & Amber
I am planning to blog maybe once or twice more before I leave for America and in one of those blogs I will write about Louie and Amber O'Tool, my hosts. They have been awesome hosts and I'm super-thankful for them which I hope to express by typed expression soon.

South Africa - Part #4

2012-02-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

My Buddy Drake:

7 days into my South Africa trip, Louie & Amber's son Drake and I have become great buddies. In fact as I'm writing this post, Drake is curled up in a blanket on my lap. I just asked him if we were buddies and he said, "yep, we're buddies" Since I can't cuddle with my girls for another week, Drake is filling in my cuddle time as we speak. As you can see from the pictures below, Drake is always happy, energetic, and growing in the Lord. I say growing in the Lord because of Drake's awesome taste in sports hats! For any O'Tool family member or Nebraska fan reading right now, please know that my prayers have begun for Drake to continue in the good Hawkeye confession he made the other night. In all seriousness, he is a great kid and I have super-enjoyed hanging with Drake every day.

Basketball:
Much to my delight, we got to go play basketball this evening after we got done working on Louie's house. We drove to the eastern edge of Welkom and met about 10 local university students for some friendly games of hoops. After some warm-up drills, Louie's team beat ours 15-11 and it really wasn't that close...as you can see Louie sat out of the game to take some photos and even then, we couldn't come back :) We were able to hang out with the guys after the games and had some good conversations with all of them. I told them I will be preaching this Sunday and all the guys were surprised that Louie and I would take a personal interest in them and their lives. Pray for those guys to come hear the Word on Sunday. Whether they attend or not on Sunday, we are going to go back and play with them again this next Tuesday and Louie and I have decided that we will take the opportunity on Tuesday to share Christ with them if the Lord opens the door...Praying for open doors!

Other Recent Highlights:
1 - Work on Louie's house continues to move forward. I finished grouting their entry room yesterday and then Louie & I made some really good progress on his sewer plumbing in the backyard (aka I hold stuff for Louie while he does the work!). We also got all the electrical outlet boxes installed and the wood pieces for his door frames cut today...so overall a good couple days of productivity, but much more to be done.

2 - We had an awesome Bible Study last night! Louie & Amber's friends Patti, Trisha & Lawrence came over at 6pm and we had the privilege of studying God's Word 'till 9pm. It was an awesome time and the conversation flowed from passage to passage beautifully. The Holy Spirit was definitely at work in all of our hearts and I believe the Gospel was lifted up in some great ways! Louie and I stayed up after the study 'till about 11:45p continuing the conversation which was also a sweet and encouraging experience.

3 - The Village Kids are becoming nearer and dearer to my heart every day. The Lord has blessed me with more interaction with them that I enjoy very much. They have struggles just like everyone else, but I can tell they are so starved for Jesus-centered attention and relationships. The awesome thing is that I also see that Restoring Hope is and will be that long-term solution for each child meeting Jesus through salvation and walking with Jesus in discipleship! Praise the Lord!

4 - After we played hoops today, we drove through Thabong, which is a huge township right next to Welkom (the population size of Des Moines in the geographic size of Ankeny). As we drove through there were rocks, trash and burnt tires all in the middle of the street we were driving on as police lined the street in various spots. I'm not sure what the riot was about, but people were out in droves talking and interacting with one-another. I asked Louie, "how many of these people do you think know Jesus in a personal way?" After some thought, Louie said he thought there's about 5% of Thabong that confess Christ and are continuing with Jesus in a personal way. I of course feel a burden tonight as I think of all the people in Thabong, Welkom, Des Moines and throughout the world that need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Paul said the Gospel is "the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16) and my heart burns to know the power of that verse tonight and share it with others here in SA and when I get back home!

O.K., I shouldn't write a book (too late) but I am thanking God for this trip and for all that Christ has in store for the last 7 days I'm here. I miss everyone back home in Iowa and to all my LWF family I just want to give you a shout out and tell you that I miss you all look forward to seeing you all soon!

Josh
Acts 20:24

South Africa - Part #3

2012-02-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so sore!

I got up this (Tuesday) morning at 5am to Skype Danielle and the girls (it was (Monday) 9pm in Iowa) which was great and I super-enjoyed seeing the girls' faces...even if it was just on a screen. After the call, Louie and I headed out to his future house at the RHI campus which is still under construction. We arrived at 6am with the goal of pouring the front entry sidewalk. With a ton of work, sweat and perseverance, I'm happy to say we did accomplish our mission this evening a little after 6pm! Praise the Lord! To tell you the truth, I am sore in parts of my body that I didn't know existed 12 hours ago :) but Louis gave me a compliment by saying he thought I "earned my keep" today. You know, sometimes you just need to hear a confirming word from the person leading you as I know I'm not a great help with construction projects and can sometimes get in the way of progress. I'll just say it's not my spiritual gift! :) The Lord was very good to us though and I hope that all who walk on that sidewalk into Louie & Amber's house in the future will be influenced by the Gospel in great ways.

Let's see what else has happened in THE LAST COUPLE DAYS?

Here are a few highlights:

- We had devotions tonight with all the kids and the house parents. Louie did a great job leading and I got to chime in with some verses and Gospel truths for the kids as well. Louie asked me if I would like to lead the kids' devotions next week which, of course I am all about.

- I'm getting better at the kids' names and am growing to love each one of them already! Kamahelo, Polina, Monica, Loreto, Tumi, Revival and Polisa, are the ones I can remember right off the top of my head and my goal is to have them down by heart by the end of this week. The sweetest times of the trip so far have been pouring Jesus' love and word into them and I keep hoping and praying Christ will have a significant impact in their hearts.

- Amber, Louie's wife, was extremely awesome to us today. Because of the nature of today's job, to say we were somewhat hungry would be quite an understatement, however, Amber was ready for us and served us a couple great meals! She also did extremely well at dealing with our stinky, dirty selves as we arrived this evening for showers. Besides taking care of us big kids, Amber home-schools' their two children throughout the day, so imagine combining the incredible job of homeschooling and being ready care for two adult men, and you have Amber O'Tool...Superhero! The two kids Meredith (5) and Drake (3) are awesome to hang with as well and are a TON of FUN! I act as a human jungle-gym for them more often than not and have really grown to love them as well. They are almost the same ages as my own Marie and Tabitha they remind me to miss the girls and save up some extra hugs and kisses for them when I come back home!

- I confirmed with Welkom Baptist Church (Louie & Amber's church) that I am scheduled to preach this coming Sunday, February 12th. I am so stoked to bring the Word to Christ's body here in Welkom. This will be the first time I've ever preached out of country or in a different culture so I would super-appreciate your prayers if you are reading this for my preparation and preaching this week! I'll be speaking from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 which is also what Andy Bittle will be preaching on at Living Waters Fellowship in the states so that is cool as well.

- I could write a ton more, but I won't for your sakes :) Listed below are some new words I've learned since my last entry:

-- "Phone" = Call, Call someone on your cell-phone (ex. Can you phone Mary for me?)

-- "Fetch" = Get something for someone (I think we say this to our dogs and pets, but they say it to people all the time)

-- "Now, Now" = eventually

-- "Rubbish" = Trash

Before I sign off for the night, I just wanted to say that I love and miss everyone back in the States. I still try to pray regularly for family, friends and my church family at Living Waters and special peeps that the Lord brings to my mind during the day! Have a great night and Gospel blessings on all of you!

South Africa - Part #2

2012-02-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Saturday night at 9:45pm here. I have been in South Africa for about 27 hours and feel like the Lord has given me a good start! Glory to His name!

I met Louie & Amber at the Johannesburg airport around 5:45p and we took off for Welkom. My first experience in South Africa involved Louie stopping for something to eat at a....wait for it...McDonalds! Nothing like a little American comfort to start the trip off though I didn't eat anything there :)

We had a spirited conversation for 3 hours as we travelled to Welkom. Our conversation ranged from catching up, to how our ministries are going, to theological topics which included lordship salvation vs. easy believism...it's always good to know you can dive right into great topics of conversation with good friends. Louie did almost put me to sleep once as he turned a short story into a mini sermon --- preaching to your friends after they get off a 17 hour flight is never a good idea :)

We arrived and stayed up late swapping different memories and stories from our college years together. Once again, Louie's wife Amber remembers why it is a good thing we don't have the opportunity to get together very often...that poor girl had to listen to some stories I'm sure she would prefer not to know and others she had hoped to forget!

Friday morning, I woke up and ran some errands with Louis, one of which was going to "The Village" at Restoring Hope and meeting all the kids. It was a joy to meet them and also name overload for the jet-lag guy! African names are much "fuller" and by-in-large, more beautiful than American names so as I listened to all their names, I was hoping and praying I could pick up enough for memorization later. They are precious kids for sure and I am going to work hard at memorizing and knowing all the kids' names as soon as I can. I marvel at how God not only knows all of our names on the earth, but that he knows us intimately and formed us in His image (Psalm 139:13-16)...Amazing!

After we went for a swim in the pool at "The Village" we went to some friends of Louie and Ambers who live in a town about 30 minutes away. Our hosts names were Charl and Louise and they had two kids, Jennifer and Kyle. They were super-gracious people and we had a ton of fun interacting with them as they taught us (a.k.a. me) some basics of South African culture and how to have good fellowship together. So some new words I learned tonight:

Tomato Sauce = Ketchup
Braii = All day meal party
Privacy (i = sick) = Privacy (i = fine)
Pudding = Any kind of dessert
Boer = White South African Farmer

I learned tons more but that will suffice for this post! :) It was also a blessing to smoke Louis in pool (billiards) two straight games! I felt so bad for him that I "let" him win the last one :) We're both very competitive so we have a good time when we compete.

Well, that's it for tonight. Louie and I are going to stay up late to talk and we have church tomorrow morning. Great start to what I'm praying will be an awesome week! I miss everyone at home, especially my girls who I just got done skyping...they looked cute enough to break through the screen and hug!

Josh
Acts 20:24

South Africa - Part #1

2012-02-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

So, I'm heading to South Africa tomorrow morning! Wow. It hasn't really hit me yet and probably won't until my jet-plane leaves the runway in Des Moines. I have several things on my mind as I'm typing tonight as I think about my trip:

1 - I love my girls. Though the trip will be fun and exciting, Ieaving my three girls for two weeks will be a tough thing. I'm sure I will get lonely and will miss them like crazy. What gives me solace is knowing how industrious my wife is and how busy she will be when I'm gone, as well as the fact that she grew up on the farm and is very mentally tough :) We'll skype as much as possible, but I'll still miss them a ton.

2 - I hope I have time to blog. I'm sure there will be so much to take in and experience that I want to get things recorded while they are fresh on my mind. I'm looking forward to what Jesus is going to be actively doing and allowing me to experience and I want to testify/relay that to you in the freshest way possible.

3 - I'm looking forward to seeing my old friend - Louis O'Tool and I met when I transferred from Grandview College to Faith Baptist Bible college in 2001. Louie was on the hoops team with me and was really the first guy to be-friend me in an intimate and caring way. I'll never forget our conversation in the hallway of a Microtel in Owatonna, Minnesota where Louie asked me to share my salvation story with him and what led me to Faith. His love for Jesus and the Gospel have always inspired me to be a better Christian and better Pastor. I haven't seen Louie in a long time and I can't wait to hang out again, serve together, laugh together, and stay up late talking about Jesus and what He is doing in our lives.

3 - I want to see Africa with my own eyes - Africa, for the most part, always carries a third world classification in my mind. I know I am probably wrong in so many of my assumptions about SA and I want my corn-fed, Midwestern, Iowa mind to see all that God is actively doing in an area that is so far away from where I live my daily life.

4 - I'm afraid I'm going to get skin cancer. February is "Summer Time" in Welkom so I'm leaving Iowa (which is having a super-tame winter) and will step off the plane to 95-100 temperatures every day. There are no air conditioners in South Africa and I am a "sweater" so we'll see how that works out :) Have I mentioned yet that I am the whitest person on the face of the planet? I need SPF 10000 in order to not get absolutely blistered by the sun, so working and being outside for 10-12 hours a day will be an interesting experiment.

I could keep going, but I'm going to quit for the night. I hope to be blogging as the Lord provides means and opportunity. Special shout out to Dave Newhouse for letting me borrow a digital camera to take photos on the trip. Also a shout out to my church Living Waters Fellowship for being so stinking generous with gifts for the kids at the orphanage. I praise God for you!

I hope to blog again in a day or two from South Africa God-willing! Good night everyone!

The Music Man

2012-01-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

So I'm really into musicals. Ever since I was a little kid, I've watched and appreciated musicals. Yes, they are corny! Yes, they are over the top! And yes, I mock most of them now that I'm older, but they are still AWESOME! My three brothers and I were huge fans of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" growing up and it still has to rank as my favorite musical of all-time. However, making huge leaps of popularity in the Daggett home lately is a musical titled "The Music Man"

Written by Meredith Wilson (originally from Mason City) the Music Man was a Broadway hit in the 1950's and the 1962 motion picture starring Robert Preston is a MUST WATCH! My daughters Marie & Tabitha have been obsessed with the movie lately and can be found walking around our home singing broken lines to the "The Wells Fargo Wagon", "You Got Trouble" and "76 Trombones"!!

So in honor of their recent obsession with the Music Man, I have posted some youtube videos of these classic songs. I hope all you musical fans out there enjoy!

Spurgeon Gems!

2012-01-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

As I've posted before, I am slowly working my way through Charles Haddon Spurgeon's classic "Lectures to my Students" and am loving every minute I get to soak in! Here are some powerful exerpts on PREACHING that have been particular blessings to my soul. I hope they bless you as well!

"Sermons should have real teaching in them, and their doctrine should be solid, substantial and abundant"

"Rest assured that the most fervid revivalism will wear itself out in mere smoke, if it be not maintained by the fuel of teaching"

"Sound information upon scriptural subjects your hearers crave for, and must have"

"...a doctrine may be very important, but an exaggerated estimate of it may be fatal to an harmonious and complete ministry. Do not make minor doctrines main points."

"Brethren, first and above all things, keep to the plain evangelical doctrines; whatever else you do or do not preach, be sure incessantly to bring forth the soul-saving truth of Christ and him crucified"

"...do not overload a sermon with too much matter. All truth is not to be compromised in one discourse. Sermons are not to be bodies of divinity. There is such a thing as having too much to say, and saying it till hearers are sent home loathing rather than longing."

"Some men think in smoke and preach in a cloud"

"Of all I would wish to say this is the sum; my brethren, preach CHRIST, always and evermore. He is the whole gospel. His person, offices, and work must be our one great, all-comprehending theme."

"If with the zeal of Methodists we can preach the doctrine of Puritans a great future is before us. The fire of Wesley, and the fuel of Whitfield, will cause a burning which shall set the forests of error on fire, and warm the very soul of this cold earth."

"O that Christ crucified were the universal burden of men of God"

"Blessed is that ministry of which CHRIST IS ALL."

Dude Perfect!

2012-01-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

In celebration of basketball as my favorite sport, I'd like to share a video from a group of guys called "Dude Perfect"...these guys always make me shake my head and smile. Amazing Shots!

Faith's Checkbook

2012-01-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here's some more Spurgeon for you! It was very challenging and encouraging so I thought I'd pass it along. I highlighted the parts that were most impacting to me:

A Wonderful Guarantee
"I will strengthen thee" (Isaiah 41:10).
When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought and less than we need. But let not our heart sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent; that strength He can communicate to us; and His promise is that He will do so. He will be the food of our souls and the health of our hearts; and thus He will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a man. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.

Do we not remember seasons of labor and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us, We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour what they shall speak, My own weakness makes me shrink, but God's promise makes me brave. LORD, strengthen me "according to thy word."

Spurgeon Gems!

2012-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a book titled "Lectures to my Students" written by my favorite preacher and author Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon lived from 1834-1892 and was powerfully converted to Christianity at the age of 16. I was saved at 17 so I feel a very small connection there with Charles...in fact I like to imagine we would have been friends had we been contemporaries :) His pulpit ministry was greatly blessed by the Lord and from week to week Spurgeon would preach to thousands in London and people continually being converted throughout the city! His "Lectures" book is a work written for pastors to help train them and grow them in righteousness. This book is filled with awesome insights and great pieces of wisdom. It's always good to read old dead guys because they bring a healthy perspective and depth to our souls today. Here's a few quotes that I thought were particularly moving:

"A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God" - Robert Murray McCheyne

"Our weakest-minded, most timid, most carnal, and most ill-balanced men are not suitable candidates for the pulpit"

"When a preacher of righteousness has stood in the way of sinners, he should never again open his lips in the great congregation until his repentance is as notorious as his sin"

"No man preaches his sermon well to others if he doth not first preach it to his own heart" - John Owen

"It is a horrible thing to be an inconsistent minister."

"The man of God should imitate his Master in this; he should be mighty both in the word of his doctrine and in the deed of his example, and mightiest, if possible, in the second"

"The life of the preacher should be a magnet to draw men to Christ, and it is sad indeed when it keeps them from him. Sanctity in ministers is a loud call to sinners to repent, and when allied with holy cheerfulness it becomes wondrously attractive."

"How are they sent of God who bring no men to God? Prophets whose words are powerless, sowers whose seed all withers, fishers who take no fish, soldiers who give no wounds - are these God's men? Surely it were better to be a mud-raker, or a chimney-sweep, than to stand in the ministry as an utterly-barren tree."

There are tons more I could share, but that should give you an opportunity to glean a little wisdom from a man God used many years ago. Lord, please rise up more preachers like Spurgeon in your church today!

Josh
Acts 20:24

Letter from Birmingham Jail

2011-12-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a book called "Bloodlines" by John Piper regarding the role of the Gospel and race. Super Good read so far! In the introduction, Piper quotes Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 letter that King penned from a Birmingham jail-cell after being arrested for a peaceful demonstration just a few days before. As I read, I was gripped by King's words, written so long ago, that seem to be particularly prophetic to the modern day church and specifically to Living Waters Fellowship where I pastor:

"There was a time when the church was very powerful - in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that transformed the mores of society...But the judgment of God is upon the church (today) as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose it's authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the 20th century." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Amazingly insightful, convicting, and powerful words from Dr. King. 39 years later, how much greater is the call for the true Christian church to embrace this same kind of sacrificial diversity! It's been said that the most segregated day of the week in America is Sunday when people go to church. What a tragedy! We should weep over this pressing truth as 2011 winds to a close. If we would hear God's Word, we would see that there is coming a day when we will be a very diversified, multi-cultural, and multi-ethnic church in heaven:

And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. - Revelation 5:9

What would stop us from embracing the Gospel in such a way now? If we are honest, it is only our selfish pride, sinful hearts, and false pre-conceived notions that wage war against the Spirit's work in us. Yes, it is this spiritual war (Galatians 6) that Jesus means to win in us that would open the door to beautiful ethnic diversity being experienced by the Church of Jesus Christ today. Oh, may Living Waters Fellowship in Des Moines and may the church of Jesus Christ as a whole learn to see the Gospel break apart such deadening and divisive chains!

-Josh
Acts 20:24

2011-12-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for all the video posts lately, but I HAVE to post the Tim Tebow video I talked about yesterday in my message. This is a phenomenal example of a man who is sold out to Christ in every conceivable situation. Tebow has been a "Unexpected Good News Story" in the NFL this season and one that is bringing glory to Jesus in some really cool ways.

Hope you enjoy the video. The parts that make me smile the most is when He sings...

2011-12-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Editing the Website right now...here's one of the video links that we're posting on the Gospel page. It is a sweet presentation of the Gospel! Hope you BELIEVE the Gospel and ENJOY this presentation of the power of God unto salvation!!! :)

The Digital Story of the Nativity...

2011-12-07T12:37:00.001-08:00

I received an e-mail this morning from a guy in our church, linking me to the nativity video below. It was absolutely classic and a lot of fun to watch! Hope you enjoy :)

What can make me feel this way?...My Girls!

2011-11-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Love my girls! The Lord has blessed me way more than I deserve!!

Danielle w/some Living Waters girlfriends

The Fam at Fall Fest 2011

The cutest girls in all of Halloweendom

Tabby with her awesome friend Hannah! Love that face Tabbs!

How He Loves!

2011-10-31T05:01:00.000-07:00

Great Video unpacking the never-stopping Gospel love of God for His people.

Being a Man...Loving the Word

2011-10-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've been plowing through a lot Old Testament narrative lately in my personal time with Jesus, specifically 1 and 2 Samuel as well as 1 Kings. Well, this morning I read 1 Kings chapters 1 and 2...great stuff! King David is now an old man and near his death, and after living such an amazing life as a man after God's own heart, it is kind of sad for me to see this man so weak and frail. Time is respecter of no man and David was no exception! Like him, we will all experience the awesome reality of growing old and personally experiencing death (Hebrews 9:27). Anyways, I'm getting off topic :)

Just before David passes away, he calls his son and future king, Solomon, to his bedside to give him a final charge before taking over Israel's throne. From his bed, David said the following:

"Be strong, and shown yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn..."

Wow! What an awesome challenge for the young man Solomon and for the men of God of this generation! Here's a few applications I'm taking withe me for my own life this morning from this text:

1 - Being a Man of God and loving God's Word are intimately connected together

I cannot be a man of God if I don't love the Word and take it's commandments seriously. So many times, I want to be a man of God without loving the Word. So many times I interact with guys in our church that want to have the title of Man of God, but don't want to spend some serious time in the Word of God, meditating on it's promises and obeying it's commands. See the inconsistency there? A family, a church, a community, a society cannot move forward with the blessing of God until men get serious about the God who made them and the Word God gave them to love and follow.

2 - God loves to bless His Word and people who love His Word

There is always the unblushing promises of the Lord meant for those who love His Word. Now I'm NOT saying God is promising to give you all the blessings you want in your life or is promising to make you healthy, wealthy or wise. If that is your definition of blessing, than Jesus was a very "unblessed" man :) What I'm talking about is that there is a promise of amazing spiritual blessing when we are in the Word of God and loving the commandments! This blessing of the Word is ultimately fulfilled in the Cross of Christ which delivers the Holy Spirit to us as He comes IN us and grants us his amazing fruits! (Galatians 5)

So for all the dudes reading this blog:

1 - Would you consider yourself a Man of God?
2 - Would you consider yourself a Man of the Word?
3 - Has it dawned on you that your family is depending on you to be a Man of God BY being a Man of the Word?Lord Jesus, have mercy on me and my fellow men to be what you've called us to be in the Gospel!

Josh
Acts 20:24

Can I get a WITNESS?!?!

2011-10-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

(This picture has nothing to do with the post content...I just thought it was cool)

"He said to them, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." - Acts 1:7,8

I love these verses in Acts 1 given by Jesus to His disciples just before he ascended into heaven. We are celebrating these verses at our Fall Fest at Living Waters tomorrow which I'm totally jacked about!! Here's a few, uninspired observations regarding these verses:

1 - It's not for us to KNOW the moment Jesus comes back - it seems to me that everyone gets all geeky and weird when the topic of end-times comes up. I mean, end-times charts and crazy predictions (May 21st ring a bell?) start flying out of the hearts, minds and mouth of well-meaning people. Can't we just agree that it's not our role to know? Do we have to be that proud to exalt ourselves and our opinions about end-times meanwhile we don't seem to be that concerned that our neighbor doesn't know Jesus and needs to hear the message of salvation from someone. I think we've determined it's easier to interact with conspiracy theory end-time dates, than it is to invest our sweat, tears and time in people who don't yet know Jesus personally.

2 - God the Father is in control - again, on the surface, this seems to be a pretty simple and clear concept, yet one we really have trouble putting into practice in our lives. Can we agree that God is completely unlike us and worthy to be running the universe? His holiness and power give Him an authority to do whatever He deems best and use whatever timing He wants; our job is to trust in Him that He is working all of this out for His glory. Why must we be so proud, so anxious, so worried about what we're in control of? Why do we allow sinful pride to rule our hearts instead of the power of the written Word?

3 - We're HIS witnesses - someone asked me this question a while ago and it's stuck with me. The question is this: Have you considered that you are a witness of someone all the time? We're all witnesses, either to our selfish selves and our glory or Jesus our Savior and His glory. When we repent of our pride and sin and become a Christian, we are "officially" not our own, bought with the price of Jesus' blood, empowered and commissioned to be His witnesses wherever we are. So what kind of witness are we? Are we His witnesses? We shouldn't run from the fact that this is our calling as Christians. Don't run from the fact that our lives are passing by at lightning fast rates and we'll have to give an account of the people we've reached out to with the Gospel. If the Gospel is as good as the Word says it is (Romans 1:16) and we've shared in the blessings of being forgiven by Jesus, we have a stewardship to share. We're His!

Spurgeon Gem!

2011-10-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

Great Stuff from C.H. Spurgeon. Worth a Read!!

The Mighty Magnet
"And I, if l be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me" (John 12:32).
Come, ye workers, be encouraged. You fear that you cannot draw a congregation. Try the preaching of a crucified, risen, and ascended Savior; for this is the greatest "draw" that was ever yet manifested among men. What drew you to Christ but Christ? What draws you to Him now but His own blessed self? If you have been drawn to religion by anything else, you will soon be drawn away from it; but Jesus has held you and will hold you even to the end. Why, then, doubt His power to draw other? Go with the name of Jesus to those who have hitherto been stubborn and see if it does not draw them. No sort of man is beyond this drawing power. Old and young, rich and poor, ignorant and leaned, depraved or amiable--all men shall feel the attractive force. Jesus is the one magnet. Let us not think of any other. Music will not draw to Jesus, neither will eloquence, logic, ceremonial, or noise. Jesus Himself must draw men to Himself; and Jesus is quite equal to the work in every case. Be not tempted by the quackeries of the day; but as workers for the LORD work in His own way, and draw with the LORD's own cords. Draw to Christ, and draw by Christ, for then Christ will draw by you.

If you don't subscribe to Faith's Checkbook, I would suggest that you begin! :)

Josh

Acts 20:24

Gospel Stethoscope

2011-09-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to pass along a great Gospel video involving a stethoscope of all things. It will all make sense at the end...trust me :)

Josh
Acts 20:24

You can't preach a BETTER Gospel!

2011-09-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

My spiritual hero is a guy named Charles Haddon Spurgeon. One of the greatest preachers to ever live and a man who influenced thousands of people with the Good News of Jesus. Even today Spurgeon, though dead, is still speaking and pastoring many through his books and publications. One of my favorite stories of Spurgeon is below. Hope you enjoy the nuggett :)

Spurgeon’s grandfather James was a preacher, and was preaching one morning when Charles arrived at the chapel a little late. James stopped his sermon and said, ‘Here comes my grandson. He can preach the gospel better than I can, but you cannot preach a better gospel, can you, Charles?’

Praise God that there are people who can preach the Gospel better than I can, but an even bigger praise to know that there is no way anyone can preach a better Gospel than what has been revealed in Scripture. Paul, said it best when he said in Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

A-Men for a great Gospel!

Josh
Acts 20:24

A Gospel Primer for Christians

2011-09-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to pass along a resource that ROCKS THE HOUSE spiritually! I had a friend give me this book as a gift a little over a week ago and I have read it 2wice already and am on my third journey as we speak :) I like this book so much that I gushed over it in my sermon on Sunday morning (Sunday's Message) and can't wait to buy copies to give out to others.

The Book is titled "A Gospel Primer for Christians" by Milton Vincent. In the book, Vincent very simply and yet, very powerfully lays out the Gospel: how to preach it to yourself on a daily basis and the benefits that are available to a Christian on through the Cross of Jesus.

That's it for now. Amazing Resource. I hope you can pick one up soon :)

Josh
Acts 20:24

Limitless

2011-09-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

On our recent family vacation to Branson, Missouri, Danielle & I took in an captivating movie called "Limitless". Limitless starred Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro and is based on a 2001 novel titled "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn. The basic theme of the film was Cooper (Eddie Morra) discovers a drug called NZT-48 which allows him to use 100% (instead of the typical 20%) of his brain capacity for a window of time.

While taking this wonder-drug, Morra almost immediately discovers that he can make a TON of money by manipulating the stock market using his brains incredible power to analyze and capitalize on economic trends much quicker than the market is actually moving. The only down-side to NZT-48 is that when a person runs out of it, their body deteriorates very quickly, to the point of almost immediate death. So, the drug has short-term payoff that is huge, but also possesses a long-term cost that is devastating and fatal.

Seeing the massive risk-reward reality to NZT-48, Morra while on the drug, decides to use his vast knowledge to mass-produce the drug exclusively for himself, which is how the movie ends, with Morra running for president of the United States, and by all appearances, sailing into the sunset with 100% brain capacity at his fingertips for the rest of his life, living out the fantasy of a person he normally never could be.

This movie was fascinating on a lot of levels and after watching I have several spiritual thoughts that haven't left my head and heart:

1 - Like Morra, sin is so powerful to us. So powerful that when we can see a drug/addiction/sin that in the long term can kill us, yet because of the short-term gain of personal glory & self adulation, we can choose the addiction over what our conscience tells us is morally wrong. The beauty of the Gospel is that Jesus allows the Christian to forsake the temporary pleasures of sin to enjoy the long term satisfaction of salvation & blessing in the Word. Hebrews 11:25.

2 - Like Morra, we don't fear God & have a love-affair with our sin. In our desire for fullness (joy/happiness/satisfaction) that can only ultimately come from God, we go to the wrong source of selfish pride and are only found wanting more of what can never truly satisfy. The beauty of the Gospel is that in Jesus, God brings us to the only thing that can satisfy us...Himself! 1 Peter 3:18.

3 - Like Morra, we want to be God not worship God. Because of this reality, we choose what is right in our own eyes which will bring about our spiritual, physical and eternal death. Proverbs 14:12. The beauty of the Gospel is that when Jesus finds us he turns our affections after Him to fear him & love His Cross. Out of that abundance of joy, we choose his ways.

4 - Like Morra, we are a bunch of fakers. In our desire to exalt self we feel like we must conform to the image of what the world tells us to be and when we get to the end of our quest, we are a shadow of our real selves. That's the power and beauty of the Gospel is that Jesus sets believers free from being fakers. John 8:32.

--- I could write a ton more but the 3 of you that read this blog quit reading 4 paragraphs ago :) Sorry for the book, but when I get these theological moorings I have to get them out of my system...ahhhhhh....that feels better!

Josh
Acts 20:24

Sometimes you HAVE TO LAUGH!

2011-08-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Whenever I feel life is a little too heavy, I watch funny videos and just laugh! This video is of a Ball State sportscaster who experiences one of the all-time worst fails ever recorded on video! Can't say I don't relate on some levels with this guy with some of the sermons I've preached in the past :) Anyways, Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no

- Josh

Great Verse! - John 15:16

2011-08-12T05:45:00.001-07:00

Just read this verse in John 15 this morning in my devotions:

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit --- fruit that will last."

Unbelievable Verse & some awesome take-away's for me this morning:

1 - I didn't choose to be saved --- As much as I want to believe I chose Jesus, I didn't. The truth of this verse is that Jesus chose me to be saved on July 6th, 1999. I wasn't pursuing Him, I didn't want anything to do with Jesus or Christianity as I was nauseated with my religious upbringing and in love with my sin. In His grace (Ephesians 2:8,9) He loved me by choosing me to have my eyes opened to His death on the Cross for my sins. Amazing Grace!!

2 - Jesus' goal in salvation is a changed life --- Jesus' goal in saving me is that I would bear spiritual fruit that would result in my life actually changing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 are attitudinal in nature so Christ is out to change my mind & heart 1st, then the actions will follow. So, Christ's goal for me is tangible, observable change, but not the manufactured change we often see in most churches; Jesus' change is brought about by the Holy Spirit that lasts for the long haul.

Questions for you readers (all 2 of you!)

1 - Have you reflected on the truth that Jesus chose you to be saved?
2 - In what ways has Jesus tangibly changed your life as your mind & heart have been transformed by Holy Spirit?

Josh
Acts 20:24

Billy Graham in Quotes

2011-08-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

So I just finished this book titled "Billy Graham in Quotes" (http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Graham-Quotes-Franklin/dp/0849946492/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312489952&sr=1-1) and thought it was a good book, but I was honestly expecting more. I took it with me on our men's wilderness trip a couple weeks ago expecting to finish it on the trip, but that never happened :)

I think I would have finished it had it been a normal Christian Living book, but it's format is structured more as a reference book, giving Billy's best quotes on various subjects. So this book is kind of like going to Classic Frozen Custard (on SE 14th street in Des Moines --- amazing place!) where you get to pick your favorite flavor of custard.

So, to give you an example of how this book read, if you were struggling with lust and you need a little 'bit of Billy's thoughts on the subject, here's what you might read, "In the face of legalized pornography, the conscience of America seems to be paralyzed. More serious than our fakery in art, literature and pictures is the collapse of our moral standards and the blunting of our capacity as a nation for righteous indignation."

As you might guess, I was not enthralled with this book, but I did find it very helpful in the area of reference, especially as one who speaks publicly on a weekly basis. Billy Graham is no doubt one of the most influential Christians in our nations history. His words contain great wisdom and are worthy to read only if they point people to the Word of God. In fact, Billy said something similar when he said, "I learned the importance of the Bible and came to believe with all my heart in it's full inspiration It became a sword in my hand to break open the hearts of men, to direct them to the Lord Jesus Christ."

Well said, Billy, well said.

Josh
Acts 20:24

Thankful

2011-07-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful for the opportunity God has given me to be a part of a great missions organization called ABWE (association of baptists for world evangelism...it's kind of like desmoineshelpwanted.com --- "long name, amazing results"). Anyways, I'm super-grateful for the encouragement the men & women associated with ABWE have been to my soul. I serve there as an advisory board member (a.k.a. I'm a young guy in a room full of old guys) and am still wondering why I've been invited to be out there with these great servants of Jesus.

Seriously, every time I've gone out there to Pennsylvania, my ministry tank has been on empty and every time, without fail, God has used these people to encourage & strengthen me to keep serving Jesus. It is so encouraging and overwhelming to see what God is doing in our world through the Gospel...Jesus, please allow me to encourage others the way I have been encouraged the last 3 days!

Josh
Acts 20:24

Fighting...

2011-07-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life by which you were called and about which you made the good confession..."

When I became a Christian 12 years ago (July 6th, 1999) it was the the best day of my life and still is! I have had some amazing life moments since then, moments such as marrying Danielle, holding my daughters in my arms at their births, buying a house in a community I love, being a part of a two growing & thriving church plants...I've been very blessed. But with all these experiences, none of them compares to the day my sins were forgiven by Jesus. I'll never forget the depth of gratitude I felt. I'll never forget the grace that flooded my soul & mind. I'll never forget the full scale reality of Jesus Christ coming into my heart and making me a Christian. My life was simply turned upside down by the new birth (please read John 3 if you don't know what I'm talking about) and I wonder if that has happened to you? Have you been born again?

Anyways, as I reflect on my conversion, I can't help but try to reconcile it with the thousands of experiences of struggle, anxiety, discouragement, disillusionment, anger, & sin that I've had since my salvation. No-one could have prepared me 12 years ago for the FIGHT that I was entering into! :) I didn't realize the rest of my life would be a spiritual cage match against principalities, and powers, and spiritual forces of darkness in heavenly places.

I didn't realize that I would get punched in the mouth so many times by Sin, Satan & Self. I didn't realize I would see people in such broken places and broken scenarios. I didn't realize that I would be forced to run to Jesus again & again in weakness, relying on His strength to carry me through life's harshest realities.

Christ has been so faithful to me over the years in His Word. How powerful the Scriptures are! I've been strengthening my hand on 1 Timothy 6:12 lately and though the FIGHT of faith is tough, the Scripture is very clear that the FIGHT of faith IS GOOD! Paul said to fight the GOOD fight! How awesome is that! What a joy to know that when you or I fight sin, we are fighting on the winning team, the good side & the righteous way! I praise God that Christ saved me to fight against Sin, Satan & Self! May I always keep fighting with all my might 'till I see Jesus face to face and oh how I want to hear the words, "Well Done!"

Josh
Acts 20:24

Never Again!

2011-07-05T10:41:00.001-07:00

I will never eat Casey's Pizza again! Seriously, hold me to it...never again!

We were wrapping up a fantastic weekend in South-West Iowa with close friends & family when we ordered in Casey's Pizza for supper. Now for those of you who are unaware, the distinguishing mark of Casey's Pizza is the massive amounts of grease & cheese that comes standard on every pie they make. Casey's pizzas taste fantastic and are amazing going down...but these pizza's have the potential for great destruction later!

Did I tell you I am a passionate guy?!?! I can't do anything half-hearted :) So eating pizza is no exception. I was super-hungry all weekend as I was constantly burning calories skiing, tubing, playing catch, playing with the kids, etc. So needless to say, I purposely ate a few too many pieces of that delicious pizza. BIG MISTAKE!

I was super-tired on the way home so Danielle drove (she is most amazing wife ever!) - when we arrived home, I woke up and felt this huge rock in my stomach...yes, it was the Pizza. I was up all night, as miserable as I've ever been. We'll just say after hours of agony & pain, the pizza did make it's exit from my body and I am feeling a little better today as I'm writing this though still very weak.

As I'm recovering from this horrific pizza experience, let me just say that my sinful pride is the worst thing ever. Proverbs 26:11 says "As a dog returns to his vomit, so does a fool to his folly" Amazingly this is not the 1st experience I've had with Casey's Pizza. Just over a year ago, this same scenario happened to me as we traveled out to the Omaha Zoo. In my pride, I ate too much Casey's Pizza and again, had a similar experience as last night. Jesus forgive me for thinking that I can get away with whatever I want!! My wife was right on when she said I needed to maybe just eat in "moderation" - I totally receive her counsel, but for right now, if I never see a Casey's pizza again, I'll be a happy man.

p.s. Huge shout out to Lora Dowling! Di-Gize Oil really works!!! :)

Josh
Acts 20:24

A New Blog! Like the World needs any thoughts from me :)

2011-06-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

K. So first things first, I never thought I would be blogging. Seriously, who even reads these things? :) Blogging is going to be hard work I think. I'm going to have to keep up with it and take time to type stuff (something I don't normally like to do...I don't like to stop to do much of anything as I have ADD)

My goal in blogging is really quite simple...to spread a passion for the glory of God. I was a 17 year old religious hypocrite when I first woke up to the reality of Jesus Christ; honestly, he has simply changed my life! I wasn't looking for Him, but He was certainly looking for me and the reality of His life & death on the Cross has become to me, the most powerful, life-changing truth I have ever known.

So, I'll be posting lots of different things on this blog that may include more or less of what is listed below:

1 - Books I'm reading and their value or lack thereof
2 - Verses of Scripture that are making impacts on my life
3 - My wife, my daughters & my extended family
4 - Ministry experiences and theological issues that I'm working through
5 - Funny things that make me laugh

Anyways, that is it for now. If you're following the blog...what are you thinking! :) Just kidding :) I don't believe I have a ton to offer anyone, but I am thankful to share my experiences with you. Later Alligators.

- Josh