537. Josiah Gallegos shares his personal testimony April 23, 2024

[00:00:06] Welcome to Wisdom Today. My name is Bill Kelley and I'll be your host. In this podcast, we will be exploring the book of Ron and Prayer.

[00:00:15] Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. I pray that you give them ears to hear and a heart to receive everything you have in store for them today.

[00:00:27] I ask this in Jesus' name, amen. This is Proverbs 23 beginning in verse 1.

[00:00:35] When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.

[00:00:47] Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. Do not overwork to be rich because of your own understanding. Cease.

[00:00:59] Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings. They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

[00:01:10] Do not eat the bread of a miser, nor desire his delicacies. For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

[00:01:21] Eat and drink, he says to you, but his heart is not with you. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up and waste your pleasant words.

[00:01:33] Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. Do not remove the ancient landmark, nor enter the fields of the fatherless.

[00:01:47] For there Redeemer is mighty, he will plead their cause against you. Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

[00:02:00] Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod and deliver his soul from hell.

[00:02:14] My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will rejoice. Indeed I myself. Yes, my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak right things.

[00:02:30] Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day. For surely there is a hereafter and your hope will not be cut off.

[00:02:45] Hear my son and be wise, and guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with wine-bibbers or with gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

[00:03:06] Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and do not sell it. All so wisdom and instruction and understanding.

[00:03:21] The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice.

[00:03:37] My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways, for a harlot is a deep pit, and a seductress is a narrow well. She also lies in wait as for a victim, and increases the unfaithful among men.

[00:03:59] Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contensions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine, do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around.

[00:04:29] Smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying,

[00:04:55] They have struck me, but I was not hurt. They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake that I may seek another drink?

[00:05:07] Friends, I have a special guest today. I have a fellow second year Carousel Bible College student with me, Josiah Gallegos. And Josiah, I really appreciate you coming on. Thanks for taking the time.

[00:05:21] Well, thank you, Bill. I am very blessed to be here. It's an opportunity that I didn't think would come that quickly, but I'm glad to be here.

[00:05:34] Well, I'm glad to hear that. Today we just read Proverb 23 and there's a number of directions that we could go in this. If you would please select a verse that spoke to you today that you'd like to share with the audience.

[00:05:50] Yes, so in Proverbs 23 7 it says for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. And I've really experienced this in my life. God has been teaching me that I am a king and he's been showing me in my heart what that looks like, applying that every day in my life.

[00:06:08] Walking like a king talking like a king and speaking like king. So this really speaks to me because this is this is what he's just been impressing upon my heart for the past year. And first he started outwardly with that.

[00:06:26] And then but he's been working more inwardly to obviously it all starts inwardly, but he's allowed me and had me start showing it outwardly so people can see. But there was a process going on the inside. And so that's just really exciting.

[00:06:41] Well, it's really good Josiah. You know one of the reasons I wanted to have you on is because you're a young man. You know you're 20 years old and yet I've known you for almost a year and a half now at Keras Bible College. But if you would Josiah talk a little bit about your early childhood and the fondest memories you have of growing up.

[00:07:00] Yes sir. So my childhood I got saved when I was about six years old and the way it happened, the pastor what he did is he said if anyone wants to come up and receive Jesus as a Lord and Savior go up and I did that and I didn't have any condemnation or anything.

[00:07:20] I just want to receive Jesus in my heart. I grew up in a Christian home for most of my life, well all my life pretty much. And so I've been raised up in the ways that God since I was little but at six years old I committed my life to Jesus.

[00:07:35] And then after that I did it over and over again whenever they had an altar call because I just enjoyed it. Yes, I want to receive Jesus more and more and more. And then eventually I found out one time is just enough.

[00:07:52] And I also say another fond memory I have of my childhood is just spending time with my family doing those sorts of fun things. We used to go to theme parks and not only that but we walk around this pond at a library that was very close to us.

[00:08:10] We called it the duck pond because there were so many ducks and it was just very peaceful and we would enjoy each other. And so with that it's very important to remember your childhood because there are a lot of things that God has done in your childhood.

[00:08:30] And one of the things I can remember he did for me is that when I was 11 years old I received the baptism of Holy Spirit and it wasn't instant. I prayed the prayer church and I asked for the Holy Spirit but five minutes away from my house I start speaking in tongues.

[00:08:47] And that's when I really feel like my journey with the Lord really started.

[00:08:54] Wow, that's good. And you know if you would Josiah when we say that sinner's prayer many people don't understand what we're actually doing.

[00:09:07] And we ask Jesus to come into our heart and many people say that prayer and they're not even sure exactly what that means. When did you come to the realization of exactly what giving your heart to Jesus truly looks like?

[00:09:26] Well let's see. Giving my heart to Jesus. When I came to the realization of what that was I think I was probably, that's probably about before I turned 18 is when I started realizing what that looked like and giving your heart to Jesus is surrounding your will to him, your future to him, your thoughts and your desires.

[00:09:54] Pretty much everything that you are because for so long when I was a teenager I went through a rough time and that was self-inflicted on me.

[00:10:05] And I wasn't following Jesus, I wasn't following his plan for my life even though I knew what he had promised me and it was great.

[00:10:13] I just didn't have confidence in following it because I believed that everything that I had done in the past disqualified me.

[00:10:24] Josiah if you would share with the audience what is it that really felt inside?

[00:10:33] I don't really feel worthy. Jesus really isn't that interested in me. What was it that was haunting you and making you feel that you were unworthy?

[00:10:46] It was condemnation. It was condemnation that of sins I committed growing up in the church. I kind of had this workspace relationship with the Lord and because of it I believed that in order, I knew he loved me but for me to hear him or walk the path he had for me

[00:11:12] I had to undo things for him in order for my life to get back on track.

[00:11:19] Josiah I'm going to share a scripture you mentioned the word condemnation and I'm going to go to Paul's letter to the Romans in chapter 8.

[00:11:28] And verse 1 says,

[00:11:30] There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.

[00:11:42] For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

[00:11:53] Now Josiah it seems to me like you're kind of living under the law when you make that comment. When did you come to the realization that it's only by grace that we can truly get into really that real relationship that we all want to have in Jesus?

[00:12:15] I would say that it started when I attended Carus Bible College in my first year. I became an ultra perfectionist.

[00:12:27] I actually would time when I would get to school and if I didn't get right on time, I would have kind of a bad day. And that sounds ridiculous but because of that workspace mindset with my relationship with the Lord it really tarnished many areas of my life.

[00:12:48] And that realization came when he just started blessing me even when I didn't deserve it. He blessed me with, he paid my tuition off for first year actually and used my grandparents of all people who do it.

[00:13:03] Even though like I said I lied but I also stole from my grandparents when I was younger because I was a fool.

[00:13:11] Now Josiah if you would kind of go through that and what were you thinking when you stole from your grandparents?

[00:13:22] I was thinking about myself. I didn't care what they thought. I just wanted to do what I wanted to do and what I stole from them was, this sounds ridiculous but it was internet.

[00:13:33] So when you're out in the country internet is very scarce and in order to get high speed internet you have to pay for it and there's a certain time on when you can use the internet.

[00:13:47] And so when I was younger I really enjoyed playing games online and I was living with my grandparents for four months when we first moved here to Colorado and I was getting bored but that is an excuse for stealing from them.

[00:14:04] But I was getting bored and I wanted to play my games and so I did that.

[00:14:08] Wow, you know I think you're very fortunate Josiah when I sit there and listen to what your testimony is and you're looking at yourself that you weren't worthy and really the things that you did are very menial.

[00:14:29] But lying is not something that's really menial. Lying if you look at Proverbs 6 is one of the seven things that are an abomination to God and that is something Josiah that simply cannot be tolerated.

[00:14:46] And I've mentioned this a number of times but I know some of you call this, you know, well it's just a little white lie and a lot of you have gotten to the point where you think it's okay to stretch the truth a little bit or just not give all the details.

[00:15:06] And Josiah that's a lie as well. We need to be totally transparent, we need to be perfectly clear and we can't hide the truth just to benefit us. So have you learned that lesson and if you did what did you learn from that?

[00:15:26] Yes, so I have to say that lying is very deadly. Lying can not only destroy you physically but inwardly because it starts making your mind vain.

[00:15:45] The vain thoughts, vain imaginations, that's what started happening to me. The more I lied the more that my heart became hardened toward the things that God had for me.

[00:15:57] Josiah that's really good. I'm going to go to Proverbs 18-21 and this isn't specifically talking about lying but it's talking about the importance of our words.

[00:16:08] In Proverbs 18-21 it says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

[00:16:19] In this particular verse of Proverbs Solomon is telling us how detrimental it is when we speak basically foolishly and if we say things out of our mouth that are not edifying, that don't build people up and that we can, you know, we really can hurt people with our words.

[00:16:42] Did you come to that realization that lying can be that destructive in our lives?

[00:16:50] Yes, I did. And like I said with the vain imaginations it also started seeping into my conversations with people that vanity and death and life are in the power of the tongue and that is so true.

[00:17:05] The more that my mind became vain, the more that my words became vain as well. The more that there's more death in my words. I remember in 2020 actually I was very, very angry at one point and I usually don't burst out in anger but I am a very political person

[00:17:27] and I was reading some things that were angering me because of the injustice and eyes exploded and what came out of my mind but my mouth was not God but it was the vanity of my mind.

[00:17:43] And with that I had to be reigned in. Thankfully my mother was there a stop and correct me because if she hadn't I would have kept on going and I started realizing at that point that I need to be careful what I say because it will affect me.

[00:18:04] It will go forward into my future and that's one thing God has been teaching me is to decree and declare. I believe it's Job chapter 28 talks about how you declare a thing and it will be established.

[00:18:34] And Romans 8 6 says to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Josiah I know you're very familiar with that verse but if you would share with the audience what that verse means to you?

[00:19:04] I think that goes against everything that God is going against the nature of God. So what has also been teaching me is to speak life and to imagine when we talk about meditation all the time in the Bible it talks about to think on the things of the Lord to meditate on his word day and night.

[00:19:29] And meditation is not only just thinking about it but it's imagining it and God has given me a very vivid imagination and so on the ways that he speaks to me is through that.

[00:19:43] And there are times where I'm just by myself and I imagine the promises of God and when it comes to being spiritually minded it's imagining the promises of God. It's imagining him with you. It's imagining his goodness coming to you and you just knowing him and seeing that as a reality.

[00:20:04] Well Josiah I'm going to go to scripture again. I'm going to go to 1 Peter because there are so many good scriptures in Peter. A lot of people don't know that they're from Peter. I don't think Peter really gets the credit for his two letters.

[00:20:19] But we're going to go to chapter 5 of 1 Peter and it says likewise you younger people. And I'm choosing this because you are a younger person. It says submit yourselves to your elders. Yes all of you be submissive to one another.

[00:20:40] So now we're not talking just about younger people. We're talking Josiah that all of us if we are Christians coming across as Christians we need to humble ourselves in front of each other.

[00:20:56] We can't think that we are highly exalted because that's going to come down and that'll be our downfall. But what I really like what it says after this and it says and be clothed with humility.

[00:21:11] To me I reminded of Ephesians chapter 6 when God tells us put on the armor of God. Here Josiah Peter is telling us put on humility. Put it on. And in other words you have to put it on or else we're not going to walk that way.

[00:21:34] Josiah when I think of you I think of a person who has humbled themselves. I think that's why you're here at Carus Bible College. God has called you here. How do you feel about humility and do you feel you walk in humility?

[00:21:53] Yes sir. So to answer that question with humility I try to walk in humility as much as I can but sometimes I just don't believe the promises of God and that's because I'm still renewing my mind.

[00:22:13] Sometimes I still walk in that vanity of my imagination to be specific. So when it comes to humility, humility for me is just believing who God says you are and that isn't prior.

[00:22:29] So for instance like I was saying earlier God said that I'm a king and so I believe that. But that doesn't mean I think I'm better than everyone. That means he told me I'm a king, I'm his son then I'm going to believe that.

[00:22:43] But when it comes to other things humbling myself, humility is also walking in what he told you to do. And that is something that I am learning to walk out more and more because yes I want to obey the Lord but the things he asked me to do they're just completely uncomfortable to me.

[00:23:07] So with that I, he's actually been giving me tests here and there of obedience and obviously it isn't oh if you don't do it you're bad but he's been giving me opportunities to walk in obedience.

[00:23:22] And I've been doing that even if my mind is telling me this is a stupid idea you should not do this. I do it anyway and now I may have procrastinated a couple times but God was still faithful and he knew what I'd do it and every single time I did it I was blessed internally to be specific.

[00:23:45] Well that's so good and Josiah I'm for those of you listening and if you have ever had an issue with pride if that is something that you deal with I'm going to continue on in 1 Peter chapter 5 and it says for God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble.

[00:24:05] But I like what he says after this. He says therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. In other words Josiah he is telling us if we will get rid of our pride and if we will learn to walk in humility he is going to recognize us in front of people

[00:24:32] and then we will be recognized and we will be promoted. Is that something you are interested in Josiah? Yes and actually what he's been teaching me is that pride isn't thinking that you're better than everyone else but it's also belittling yourself in a way that will be letting yourself anyway is not godly.

[00:25:00] That's so pride because it's exalting something that isn't of God higher than God and God doesn't appreciate that. And when it comes to humbling myself under the mighty hand of God I have to do that.

[00:25:16] I'm going on a mission trip to Germany in 3 days and I'm going to have a lot of opportunities to minister to people but I'll be honest sometimes I just don't want to but he's going to tell me go ahead and do it.

[00:25:32] I'm going to have to obey even though my mind is thinking this is going to fail and even thinking that you're going to fail is being prideful because you are placing it above what God has told you to do.

[00:25:46] Anything that is above what God has told you to do is not of him and if he exalts itself against him it is pride especially if you believe it.

[00:25:56] Well that's so good and since we're in 1 Peter 5 I'm going to go on and it says casting all your care upon him for he cares for you be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

[00:26:20] And for those of you listening Satan is going to come after you and if you allow him to he will eat your lunch but friends if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior he has no power over you.

[00:26:38] You can eat his lunch tell him who you are humble yourself before the mighty hand of God and you are over him he is under your feet Josiah if you would what drew you to Charis Bible College.

[00:26:58] What drew me Charis Bible College well actually I'm going to try and make a long story very quick. My grandparents introduced my family to Andrew Wamek and growing up I was homeschooled so my parents decided that it will be a great idea for us to watch Andrew from school

[00:27:19] and I absolutely hated that but a couple years later I encountered something I hadn't before and it was interesting to say the least. I woke up one morning and there are many spots my back and I had no idea what they were

[00:27:37] and this occurred for a couple days and my parents told me go listen to the new homeschool that came out on the Charis website and so I did that and listening to that homeschool I got a revelation of by the stripes of Jesus I am healed and at 10 years old I received that

[00:28:00] and because of it the next day those spots were gone and that's when I started embracing the message the truth that Andrew was giving to us on the gospel truth broadcast and then in July of 2014 we came here for the summer family Bible conference

[00:28:21] and that's when my life really started to change I met the instructors and everything and actually told Paul Milgan the CEO of the school at the time that I'd become in business school when I was over

[00:28:34] well as of three days ago that's what actually happened but anyway continuing I went to summer family Bible conference and there my life was changed

[00:28:46] I got started speaking to my heart and changing me in a way that was exciting me and there at Charis Bible college when they only had the barn built

[00:28:59] I had a desire to come to school at 11 years old and in 2000 and 21 that's that seven year desire was filled it was absolutely amazing how God did it.

[00:29:13] Wow that's so good and Josiah you know as a 19 year old last year when you came what I'd like for you to do is share the importance of hearing the word of God and absolutely being infiltrated with it

[00:29:30] four hours a day five days a week how impactful was that and how did that change your life.

[00:29:39] Yes so I am someone who pays attention in class quite a bit but one thing God has been teaching me is that you can stare at the instructors all you want but if you take

[00:29:54] a look at the way you keep on putting pressure on yourself you're not going to receive anything in first year I didn't put a lot of pressure myself I just allowed everything to flow and that's when God started speaking to me he started

[00:30:06] to give me the power of reawakening desires in my heart that had been lost for a long time because I wasn't following him and the more I received the word with gladness and the more I just started writing down what he was quickening to me

[00:30:19] the more that he was able to move in my life and because of that God started sending me on a journey that I mean I can't go back from I just refuse to even if I see that nothing is perfect right now

[00:30:39] I'm going to see it happen because I know God is good but I would encourage everyone the word of God is what will change your life but not only just listening to it but meditating on it

[00:30:50] meditating on it was the biggest thing for me we in first year were we were required to read the Bible throughout the entire school year and so that's what I did

[00:31:05] and that in itself was absolutely amazing because people talk about how the Old Testament was all about God's wrath and there was no love of God in the Old Testament

[00:31:16] that is a complete lie I read in some of those harsh books like Jeremiah in Ezekiel how God loved Israel but not only that I believe it was in Ezekiel 33

[00:31:29] it talks about how God didn't want anyone to perish even before Jesus came he didn't want people to die he didn't want to punish people

[00:31:38] he wanted them to come to the knowledge of him and I thought that was absolutely amazing because growing up in religious churches they tell you otherwise

[00:31:47] and they kind of give off these two perspectives of there's this wrath from this God full of wrath in the Old Testament

[00:31:56] but there was this God of love in the New Testament he comes through Jesus that's not true God has been the same since the beginning of time

[00:32:04] and I just see that through the word you need to read the word of God for yourself in order to find the truth

[00:32:11] people can give it to you yes but you truly will not find the truth until you find it for yourself

[00:32:19] that's really good and you know in the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8 like you said it says Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever

[00:32:30] and Josiah also it says that God is not a respecter of persons you know so what he'll do for one he'll do for another

[00:32:38] but Josiah you know you've really really grown and I know when we first met last year in January

[00:32:44] we took first semester online so you know we came in January and you are already here and you know I like the fact that you're a lot like me

[00:32:52] you get dressed up every day you just look serious you look like you're very very involved

[00:33:00] you're really serious about this education and what there is to learn here from Keras and just I truly believe you're going to get out of Keras what you put into it

[00:33:10] so how important is that to you and after hearing classes and after doing that did you were you diligent in going home

[00:33:20] and practicing the verses that we went over and what we were learning in class

[00:33:26] yes now I won't say in all cases but I try to in most cases with that though life can get very distracting and I can get very distracted real easily

[00:33:40] but whenever I have a moment I definitely just try to sit down and just think about what was discussed at school

[00:33:50] one of the things about me is I'm a very hyper focused individual so I can only focus on one thing at a time

[00:33:59] and so when there are two things facing me I have to focus on one or the other because of that I have to intentionally make time to sit down

[00:34:11] and just be quiet and think or read the word otherwise everything else is going to take me away from it

[00:34:19] when it comes to just sitting in class too I had to keep my mind focused because there are a lot of instances in class

[00:34:31] to where everything was trying to distract me internally because the enemy was trying to keep God's word from me

[00:34:40] and he would use any avenue like people that were coming to my mind or negativity about the future

[00:34:47] because I do have negative thoughts about the future but I just try to not speak them out because that's when you start giving them powers

[00:34:55] when it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and so instead what I would do is when I start having these negative thoughts

[00:35:02] I start combating them with what God has promised me and the promises in his word

[00:35:07] Wow that's really good you know you have a lot of wisdom for someone 20 years old Josiah

[00:35:13] you know first year is basically foundational let's go on to second year we're getting ready to finish second year

[00:35:21] and second year you begin to apply the information we've been given and we have what are called IAG's

[00:35:30] so if you would share with the audience what IAG's are and how they stretched you this year

[00:35:37] Yes so IAG's they basically stand for interactive groups

[00:35:41] in these groups you are required to speak in front of a group of at least 13 to 16 people I believe

[00:35:50] that's what it was for me and with IAG's I was really stretched in a way that sometimes I wasn't confident

[00:35:59] in the messages God has given me for instance you probably heard me just reciting it over and over

[00:36:07] the God said I'm a king that is one of the main messages that he has placed inside of me for the body

[00:36:12] because a lot of believers don't see themselves as a royalty God says they are

[00:36:18] and the moment I started speaking that message out because I actually was kind of ashamed of it

[00:36:22] I thought it was just something for me and not for everyone else

[00:36:27] and I really didn't want to tell anyone else because I thought they would think it was kind of silly

[00:36:32] but God turned that on its head completely

[00:36:37] when I started laying this message and I can give you verses for where he says we are kings

[00:36:43] in priests that's Revelation 1, 5 and 6 but now that I have more about that and maybe I could get into that

[00:36:51] and with this message he gave me I started speaking it and afterward people in my group were going

[00:36:59] wow that was amazing I hadn't seen it that way I hadn't considered being royalty that way

[00:37:09] or seeing myself as royalty and actually couple days later I spoke to one of my members my IAG

[00:37:17] and she told me that she shared my message with a friend she knew

[00:37:23] and that message was confirmation for her friend and for me I was kind of shocked because I was going

[00:37:29] okay well I believed that put this in my heart and I gave it my all I gave it with everything that he has instilled in me

[00:37:38] and I was going okay whatever happens happens and because of that I got blessed

[00:37:44] I got blessed for obeying what God had put in my heart

[00:37:48] and not only that with IAG's you're required to have a sermon outline as well

[00:37:56] and that would have been great for me a couple years ago but it isn't now because with paper and outlines

[00:38:04] I kind of keep it in this box I don't get out of it because I have my focus completely on one

[00:38:11] what's on that paper instead of what's in my mind and that came with perfectionism too

[00:38:18] was just focusing on what's in front of you and what's also just written in front of you as well

[00:38:28] because of that I really cannot read from an outline otherwise it's gonna completely mess me up

[00:38:36] most of the time I just have to speak what he's put in my heart and what I've been reading

[00:38:43] otherwise it's gonna be a very short message and so with IAG's I would say that the biggest stretching point for me was

[00:38:52] learning that the messages that got a place in my heart they were actually a value to the body

[00:38:59] wow that's really good and we're gonna go back to the verse I shared earlier Josiah because it says

[00:39:05] if you are led by the Spirit and this is exactly what you're talking about

[00:39:11] when you're looking at an outline it's hard to be led by the Spirit because you're being led

[00:39:17] by that piece of paper and the words on it so I'm glad that you brought that up

[00:39:23] and I'm gonna tell anyone that right now still feels a little bit inadequate

[00:39:29] and you've received Jesus as your Lord and Savior you consider yourself a Christian

[00:39:35] you go to church every week and yet you're still hesitant to share the love of God

[00:39:42] and share the word of God with people

[00:39:45] the Holy Spirit will bring all things to your remembrance

[00:39:50] that's what it tells us in John's Gospel and if you pay attention and if you're meditating on the word

[00:39:57] and reading it on a regular basis he'll bring things to your memory and he will lead you

[00:40:03] and he will guide you in every situation and he'll just make your way prosperous

[00:40:10] Josiah you're getting ready as you mentioned to go to Germany in three days

[00:40:15] if you would tell us about what are you most excited about

[00:40:20] because I truly believe Josiah what your expectations are is what's going to actually happen

[00:40:27] so what are your expectations for your trip and give us a little bit of information

[00:40:32] Yes sir so what I am expecting for Germany is for God to move in ways I haven't seen before in my life

[00:40:42] not only that but I'm also expecting to see the words that he's put in my mouth

[00:40:49] touch people who I really have nothing in common with cultural wise or language wise

[00:40:57] and because of that I'm just really excited I'm also really excited to see how he's going to touch people's lives

[00:41:03] there's something as menial some people would think as a skit

[00:41:08] for our mission trip we are required to do a skit for street evangelism

[00:41:15] which is what we'll be doing most of the time there in Germany

[00:41:18] and I really believe that the skit is going to touch people

[00:41:21] because the skit is about things that people go through on a regular basis

[00:41:27] but not only that I am expecting to see God demonstrate his love toward me in a way I haven't seen before

[00:41:36] Well that's so good and I'm glad that your expectations are high

[00:41:41] Josiah if your expectations are high then God will raise up what actually happens in that trip for you

[00:41:51] You know you're finishing second year and I know you mentioned going to third year so if you would just share on your heart

[00:42:01] what God has been speaking to you and what you're looking forward to in third year

[00:42:07] what I am looking forward to in third year is first off I'm going to business school

[00:42:14] and with that he's actually having started business right now which is quite funny to someone like me

[00:42:22] because I don't consider myself qualified to start a business at the age of 20

[00:42:29] he kind of went doesn't matter this has to be done and you won't do it

[00:42:38] I went well I guess I do have a choice but I also know I'm probably going to regret it if I don't go through with it right now

[00:42:46] and so business school is going to help equip me for that business more and more because I do need training

[00:42:54] I have seen a business get started up because of my parents they own a business and so I've seen them go through good times and hard times

[00:43:05] so I do know what how much work it will take to sustain a business

[00:43:13] but the most important thing about that he's been teaching me is that this is a partnership

[00:43:18] this isn't just me going to some council all the time this is me and the Lord working together to build a business that he has instituted

[00:43:28] because I didn't want to start a business until probably about a year or two from now

[00:43:33] and with that he has also just been quickening to me do not despise how young you are

[00:43:43] I don't think I have that much wisdom or that much to give and he kind of quickened to me in my heart

[00:43:54] but nope you do I'm going okay whatever you say because I don't feel like that

[00:44:02] but feelings don't matter when it comes out it matters what God says

[00:44:06] God says you're qualified you're qualified and that is what I have been learning and that's what he's been teaching me

[00:44:13] and I'm excited to go to third year business school because I know that God is going to start doing more things as I walk in what he has called me to do

[00:44:22] well before we move on I do want to go to first Timothy 4 verse 12 because it says I like the new living translation Josiah says

[00:44:34] do not let anyone think less of you because you were young be an example to all believers in what you say in the way you live in your love your faith and your purity

[00:44:50] and Josiah I'm going to speak that verse over you because I believe that verse is specifically talking to you

[00:44:59] and I believe you can live and walk in that verse for the rest of your life

[00:45:04] walk in that love that verse is just powerful I would like for you to make a record of that verse and memorize it and live your life by that

[00:45:14] but Josiah if you would what I'd like for you to do is just share two or three minutes with anyone listening today who has yet to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour

[00:45:25] if you would just share with them how God has changed your life and how living life knowing Jesus is much more impactful and a better way to go than not having him in your life

[00:45:41] Yes sir. Well I would first say that living life with Jesus is peace and that's one thing that he's been teaching me is that his peace that surpasses all understanding is what's going to get me through every aspect of life

[00:46:02] especially when everything inside of me is panicking but not only that the way that God has changed my life as I hear shown me his love even when I did not deserve it

[00:46:14] even when I wasn't following him he still showed his love but not only that he protected my life quite a few times

[00:46:24] I should have died in a car accident I should have drowned I should have been killed in a car accident again and again and again

[00:46:33] but not only that the way that Jesus has changed my life is that he has built me he's changed me into a different person because even though I received Jesus

[00:46:54] walking with him is a completely different thing walking with Jesus the more you spend time with someone the more they rub off of you it's that principle

[00:47:03] and when that started happening I started realizing that I became more passionate about the things that he had instilled in my heart when I was little

[00:47:14] but not only that he was instilling inside of me his identity the identity that he gave me before time again he said in Psalms 139 that he knew me in my mother's womb

[00:47:30] and not only that but in Jeremiah it talks about how he knew what I was going to do he ordained me for me he ordained me a king

[00:47:38] but we'll get to that another time and so with that I just encourage you if you don't you aren't satisfied with your life except Jesus

[00:47:52] because he is the only thing that will satisfy you that is one thing that I've also learned throughout my entire life is that the natural things the natural pleasures of life

[00:48:05] they can only satisfy you for time relationships entertainments just being by yourself whatever it is that satisfy you it's only going to do it for a time

[00:48:18] and once that time once it goes away you really can't get it back and you're gonna want more but Jesus he can satisfy you in every single aspect of your life

[00:48:28] but not only that his peace is one thing that every single person on earth desires whether they want to admit it or not because if you don't have peace you are a very unstable person unfortunately

[00:48:44] and so I just encourage you again receive Jesus because he loves you and like I've been saying even when I didn't deserve it he showed his love toward me

[00:49:00] for instance I was talking about how I stole internet from my grandparents well they were the ones to call me in 2021 and say we want to pay for your first year

[00:49:13] and that shocked me I didn't expect that but my grandparents they're one of the greatest examples the guys giving me of how he demonstrates his love for people even when they don't deserve it

[00:49:26] and I'm telling you he wants to show that toward you in this moment right now and I believe he can

[00:49:33] well that's so good so I'm gonna ask you one more favor there may be people who do not have Jesus in their life what I'd like for you to do is lead them in a prayer ushering them into the kingdom of heaven

[00:49:46] yes sir all right well first off what I would encourage you to just repeat with me is Jesus I am sorry for my sins but not only that I'm sorry for not believing in you

[00:50:01] but I want to know you Jesus I want to know you more than anything else in this world I want to know the greatness of your love the vastness of your power and the depth of your heart

[00:50:17] I want to know who you made me to be for foundations the earth's relate and only that Jesus I just want to walk with you every single day and I believe in Jesus I believe that you died for me you died in your rose game you are the son of God

[00:50:36] and that you came down to serve because you loved us and you wanted us to be with you for all time and I thank you Jesus that you have saved me you've delivered me from death and I also thank you Jesus that because I have accepted in my heart that I'm going to be with you forever

[00:50:56] but not only that I can be with you right now I don't have to wait till eternity I can do it right now I could talk to you like the normal person just walk you with you for the rest of the day it's my life

[00:51:07] thank you Josiah you've been such a blessing and I know the audience has been blessed friends if there's anyone listening today and you repeated that prayer that Josiah just said

[00:51:19] I ask that you reach out to me on my Facebook page Bill Kelly KELL EY and if you have any specific questions about anything that was discussed on today's podcast please reach out to me on messenger

[00:51:34] now may the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace friends please join me again tomorrow as we further explore wisdom today