VL - Issue 18 - November 2015

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A WORK IN PROGRESS | from page 17_______________________________________ He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. Philippians 1:6 NKJV ceased and the tears began to dry, I felt refreshed, and for the first time in a long time, my mind was clear. I thought, God must have shown up, all right! I knew exactly where I needed to go. I left that parking lot and headed straight to the home of a Christian friend who directed one of the largest rehabilitation centers in Los Angeles County. Normally I would’ve had to wait months to get in, but three days later, I walked into a new life. Unlike so many who think that thirty days will cure your habit, I stayed in rehab for two and a half years. God used many loving new friends and Twelve Steps to heal me of my addictions. Getting rid of the booze and drugs, however, was just the beginning. Now that the symptoms were controlled, I had to identify what triggered them. There were a number of things that could have set them off. Shame…a lack of self-worth…a huge need for people’s acceptance and approval…just to name a few. But far deeper than the psychological reasons, there existed a great spiritual vacuum—an emptiness that only God could fill. I needed to be filled with His Spirit. I was trying to stop my flesh with the flesh itself, and what I lacked was divine power. It wouldn’t be easy, but I needed to surrender every area of my life to God. All my junk was gone And I was on my own, Lookin’ for a place to be… The local rehab said They would give me a stab To get back to reality. (From the song “Detox Blues” by Kenny Munds.) And so there I was, a person clean and sober with scars left by my addictions and failed marriages… one who had turned and run from God. How could He still love me? How could He ever use me? In 1998, I was invited to sing at a prison. Reluctantly, I agreed to go. I knew from the moment I saw the faces of those prisoners that this was my calling. This is what God would use me for—to share my experience with people just like me. Men and women who struggle with loving and forgiving themselves, who are tormented by their past and desperately need hope. And by bringing God’s love and forgiveness to them, I might learn to receive it myself. It hasn’t been an easy journey. I’m constantly striving to look at myself through the eyes of God, the One who loves me unconditionally and who has not only forgiven my sins but forgotten them as well! His greatest commands are to love Him with all our heart and mind and to love others as ourselves (Luke 10:27). I’m learning it’s impossible to fully love God and properly love people unless we love ourselves. And in order to love and forgive ourselves, we must accept God’s love and forgiveness. And that’s been hard for me. I grasp it intellectually, but I’ve had a hard time transferring that head knowledge to my heart. Satan, the accuser, constantly reminds me of my past… and my natural reaction is to start beating myself up all over again. I’m definitely a work in progress. But though I continue to struggle with insecurities, doubts, and fears, I rely on the promise in Philippians 1:6 that says, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (nkjv). And by the grace of God and through His strength, I’m making progress. I’m a work in progress, all the plans are made. I’m a work in progress, the foundation’s laid. I’m a work in progress, can’t you see? He’ll be faithful to complete His work in me. (From the song “Work in Progress” by Kenny Munds.) A few years ago, I was ordained as a staff pastor by a church in Phoenix, Arizona. The pastor there decided to ordain me for my volunteer work with his jail and prison ministry. I marveled at what he had to endure as a pastor and didn’t exactly consider being ordained as one a reward. But I was confident I would never be a real pastor anyway. Well, God must have a sense of humor. To my surprise, He led a friend of mine to offer me a pastoral position in a quaint and beautiful little town in north Florida called Honey Lake. No one had to tell me I wasn’t qualified. I could provide a whole list of why my being a pastor was not a good idea. But as the saying goes, God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. It’s definitely stressful at times, but God is training me. He has His stubborn mule corralled again, but there’s still more of my pride left to break. It’s hard to make amends to those I’ve wounded— namely, my son. I’ve found that forgiveness from <strong>18</strong> www.kojministries.org
OPENING FOR GOD Kenny Munds Christy Prowant Photography I was lead vocalist for Brush Arbor when Johnny Cash invited us to open his shows on a five-day tour through California. I’ll never forget that week and the moments behind stage when the man himself and his wife, June Carter, sat and chatted with us. Just being around this legend was a fascinating experience. Because of that week, I often hear people say, “So, you knew Johnny Cash?” And I look ’em right in the eye and reply, “I didn’t even know his dog’s name.” Yes. I met Johnny Cash, but I never got to know him. He was just an acquaintance. After our tour, I never saw him again in person. Similarly, throughout much of my troubled life, Jesus was just an acquaintance. I knew of Him. I met Him once at the altar, spoke to Him on occasion—usually to ask for something—but I never took the time to get to know Him in an intimate, personal way. The world is good at luring us away from God and into its pleasures. I took its bait. All those years, I imagine God was patiently standing by, just waiting for me to invite Him into my life. Unfortunately, it took hitting rock bottom before I allowed God access to my heart and mind. But when I did—wow! God showed up in amazing ways, revealing His heart to me and teaching me so much about Himself. God is no longer merely my acquaintance. We’re friends…and we’re close. I even know His dog’s name. It’s Savvy. God gave me Savvy years ago to be my little companion, my blessing! Being around a country music legend like Johnny Cash was a great experience. But being with the Creator of the universe is more than an experience; it’s beyond comprehension! And to think, I get to open for Him… I am in awe. V A WORK IN PROGRESS | from page <strong>18</strong>_______________________________________ friends and family is not as easy to obtain as God’s forgiveness. They may forgive, but unlike God, they don’t forget. Still, I will continue to be as loving as I can and keep trying. And you know what? That’s all God is looking for—a heart that’s willing to keep loving and trying. As I keep doing these two things, I know God will take this work in progress and change me into the very image of Himself, one step at a time. And He’ll do the same for you. V www.kojministries.org 19
Page 1 and 2: REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL H
Page 4 and 5: FROM THE PUBLISHER An Invasion of L
Page 6 and 7: REFRESH YOUR SOUL A Wardrobe Change
Page 8 and 9: Watermelon on the Rocks by Kristi O
Page 10 and 11: Choose to Live by Todd Ingersoll I
Page 12 and 13: The Train Ticket by Becky Coursen B
Page 14 and 15: FAST AND FURIOUS by Linda Cubbedge
Page 16 and 17: A WORK IN PROGRESS by Kenny Munds M
Page 20 and 21: BURYING FOX by George Beasely THE M
Page 22 and 23: Under the Hat by It wasn’t the fi
Page 24 and 25: Unbroken Donkey by Carey Morford I
Page 26 and 27: MINISTRY NEWS UPDATE FROM KOJ MINIS
Page 28 and 29: MINISTRY NEWS UPDATE FROM IN HIS WA
Page 30 and 31: God Made a Way by Calvin M. Greetin
Page 32: GIVE FREEDOM Victorious Living PO B

VL - Issue 18 - November 2015

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