All posts by Doug Joseph

See a rich-text bio page (with pics) at: https://www.dougjoseph.net/about/ Doug and LaDonna Joseph recently celebrated 25 wonderful years of marriage, and they have four awesome kids. Rev. Joseph is an ordained minister in the United Pentecostal Church International (since 2003), and pastor of Christian Apostolic Church (since 2002). In 2004, the Josephs led CAC to establish Apostolic Christian Academy (K-12 Christian school). Rev. Joseph served on the board of directors of the WV Missions Department (part of the North American Missions Division), as secretary-treasurer from 2004-2012 and as director/chairman from 2012-2013. His term as director was shortened due to having been elected in 2013 to serve as a district presbyter (for Section 1, WV UPCI), but not before he led the district to an all-time record missions offering in the 2012 “Christmas For Christ” annual fund drive. Previously, Rev. Joseph was creative director for the North American Missions Division (formerly known as General Home Missions Division), at the United Pentecostal Church International headquarters in St. Louis, MO, where the Josephs were blessed by the friendship and mentorship of Rev. and Mrs. Jack & Elsy Cunningham. Rev. Joseph helped launch the UPCI’s national Men’s Ministry, and was editor for the Apostolic Man magazine. He oversaw the creation of Ready To Be Free, a sweeping evangelism thrust. Before that, the Josephs served on pastoral staff of North Charleston Apostolic Church (WV), blessed by the leadership of Pastor Billy & Shirley Cole. LaDonna Joseph is a great wife and mom. She is CAC’s first lady, general secretary, school principal, and minister of music. She has served on the board of directors of WV UPCI’s Ladies Ministry. She has also served as the pianist for WV’s All-State Choir. The Josephs helped the Coles to publish their memoirs, entitled “The Life and Ministry of Billy and Shirley Cole” (available at www.amazon.com and www.BillyColeBook.com). Rev. Joseph is also author of “New Immortal” (2009/2013), “Tesseract” (2010/2013), “The Last Bye” (2011/2013), and coauthor of “The Book of Salvation” (2010). All are available wherever great books are sold, including amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorstock.com. LaDonna is a native of West Virginia. Doug hails from Shreveport, LA, and is an adopted, honorary West Virginian. Pastor Joseph’s blog is at dougjoseph.net.
Ministry, Miracles, Praise Reports

Zach Sandy: killed by lightning; now alive and well!

Press release: July 13, 2012
For immediate release.

Zach-miracle-52-family-prayer-with-zach

Parkersburg, WV – On Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 18-year-old Zachary Sandy was struck by lightning and was without pulse or breath for somewhere between 20 to 40 minutes.

The lightning strike happened on a baseball field in Parkersburg, WV that was being used by a church-sponsored youth camp. Several others who were on the ballfield were also knocked down by the lightning, but other than Sandy, none was seriously injured. The blast literally shook the ground. Pastor Tisdale, local to the area, was among those knocked down. His wife was also impacted by the blast. Their son, a young preacher named Caleb Tisdale, was taken to his knees by the strike. Along with others, the young Tisdale, who knows CPR, rushed to Zach, who was laid out and stiff as a board. Tisdale said that smoke was literally coming from Sandy’s mouth and body; an image he said he will never forget. Sandy’s shirt showed burn marks and smelled like it had come from a furnace. The lightning had blown holes in the young man’s tennis shoes as the electricity exited his body. The hair on the back of his head was singed and burned where the lightning entered his body. He had broad, red, track marks and second-degree burns caused by the lightning having traveled through his body. His cell phone was fried, its screen shattered, a cover blown off, and some buttons partially melted. Immediately both prayer and CPR were implemented.

Sandy was not breathing, and he had no pulse. Tisdale performed CPR on his friend until being relieved by paramedics, who arrived about 15 minutes later. It was not until sometime after Sandy was loaded into the ambulance and was on his way to Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in Parkersburg that he finally displayed a faint pulse. By the time he arrived there, he had been intubated (put on a breathing machine). He had a stable heart rate. There was talk of airlifting him to either WVU Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV or the West Penn Hospital Burn Center in Pittsburgh, PA. However, a helicopter could not be procured at the time. So, he was taken by ground to Morgantown. There a crowd of family, church members, and other friends had gathered, and an impromptu prayer meeting was held. Sandy was flown from there to West Penn Hospital Burn Center.

Within hours, prayer support had been registered from over 30 states and two foreign countries. The very next day, the tube and breathing machine were removed, and Sandy spoke, drank, ate, and walked. The following day, doctors reported that all neurological tests had come back normal, and that as soon as Sandy’s muscle enzymes returned to normal, he could be discharged and sent home. Both family, church, and friends agree that there is no other explanation but a miracle. At the Christian Apostolic Church in Clarksburg, WV, Sandy’s pastor, Rev. Doug Joseph, stated, “Thus far, each and every prayer has been answered. At first we were cautioned that he might suffer brain damage from being under CPR for so long without a pulse. Everyone prayed and the Lord answered. Then we were cautioned that his kidneys might not work properly or that other internal organs could be damaged. Again the Lord heard prayers. We were warned that burns caused by lightning strikes almost always grow worse over time before they get better. His burns did the exact opposite. We’re all elated and thankful for the great touch of God bestowed on this precious young man.”

In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family encourages donations to the Zachary Sandy Medical Fund to help cover medical expenses. Donations can be submitted via mail, online, or in person. Details are available at: http://cac.wvupci.com/zach/

—-

For more info, contact:
Pastor Doug Joseph
Christian Apostolic Church (UPCI)
Clarksburg, WV
(304) 629-1196

Note: Photos, updates, links, etc at http://cac.wvupci.com/zach/

Culture War, Theology

Forever Fighting Bad Guys (or Eternity with the Good Guys)

Our most beloved stories focus on times of crisis. Humans may say and think that we long for peace, but as a species we secretly think such times would be too boring. We are drawn to drama, to the aid of the underdog. Something deep inside elicits exciting existence — times of horror haunting us, of evil evolving in our midst, and of crisis crushing us unless we can vanquish the demons and go from victims to victors.

This is perhaps why some scoff at the Bible’s promise of eternal life. Some supposedly wizened teachers’ words betray an obtuse opinion that God never made any cosmoses prior to or after our own — except, they happily confess, His endless maintenance of a dull, fabled home of harp-strumming angels floating on cumulus clouds. How boring.

Yet the Holy Scriptures paint a different picture: war in the heavens, fought amongst angelic species predating us, and who (like humans) have broad capacity for choice, even to rebel against God. The prospect of counting epochs like days and millennia like hours, as we develop continually through aiding young, unique, future species, is enthralling to this whispering warrior, who is quite certain that Eternity with the Good Guys will be far more exciting than even our grandest imagination can grasp.

War-in-the-heavens
“War in the heavens”

One academic type has argued that it is proof of our evolution that we have grown from caring about family to village, from village to caring about state, and from state to feeling patriotic about nation. He argued that the next step in our evolution is to care about our global populace. Listen: It is neither evolution nor good when the expediency of the masses overrules the conviction of conscience of the individual or minority. Finally, in the end, it will be maturity, not evolution, that truly takes us even further than caring about all humans and creatures globally, onward to caring for new species God has not even created yet. There will be battles against evil. Wars against tyrants. Epic excitement. Crisis. Are you up for it?

Books

There’s still time to get it by Christmas

The Last Bye, front cover, 500x762
The Last Bye, front cover

There is to be a book signing in the foyer of Christian Apostolic Church (Clarksburg, WV) on Sunday, December 18, 2011 (before and after the services). Available copies will be on hand.

Order your paperback copies online at either Amazon or AuthorStock. (Note: To have your shipped copy signed by the author, order from AuthorStock and mention so in a note during payment or via email.)

For those who desire an ebook, the Kindle version is available as well. In addition to Kindle devices, the ebook can be read on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Blackberry — via a free Kindle application.

If you loved “The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis, then you are sure to enjoy Doug Joseph’s “The Last Bye.” Instead of “The Horse and His Boy,” this novel is more like “The Flying Dinosaur and His Boy.” This fun, exciting, and heart-warming tale is a stand-alone read. Yet it is also the much-anticipated conclusion to the amazing, uplifting story arc that began with Tess and Daniel in “New Immortal” and “Tesseract” (Books I & II). In this thrilling episode, everything hinges on their alienated-yet-adventurous son, P’erry. While growing up on a distant moon-world, called Sset, P’erry suffers heartache, makes friends, discovers the Tirra (great flying creatures), has breath-taking adventures, and achieves phenomenal, crucial accomplishments for the people of his world. “The Last Bye” is the final book in the “Millennial Teleport Trilogy.”

Purchase the book now in Paperback or Kindle.

Visit my Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/dougjoseph

Check out my writing: Books I, II, & III of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy

Books-123-of-the-millennial-te

Book One: New Immortal — Prophecy. Sci-fi. Adventure.
Book Two: Tesseract — Sci-fi. Adventure. Romance. From a Christian perspective.
Book Three: The Last Bye — If you loved ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ you’ll love this!

Read free samples of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy on Amazon.com

Writing & Publishing Tips

Tips for new authors (Q&A)

Recently a new writer sent me the following:

I am writing a book called “The Mirror of Deadly Reflections: Is that God or Me?” I started in October 2010, and I am about 70% done now. About 6 months ago I was told that I might want to think about getting a book presentation together in order to possibly gain support for editing expenses.

This brings me to my reason for writing. Someone told me that you might have some wisdom for me and give me intelligent direction on going about creating a book presentation. They said that you had written books in the past, and are highly successful in writing. I am nervous to even think of doing such a thing, and that is why they suggested that I talk to you.

I have no idea what a book presentation even consists of. Can you give me some ground rules for creating a presentation on a new book? Is there anything that I need to stay clear of saying or suggesting? The presentation will be used both on the internet and by mail, with the possibility of in person (Lord help me) if the need arose.

Thank you for your time and have a blessed day,

I answered with the following:

Writing your book tends to make you an expert on your subject. Publishing your book tends to help you be seen as such. Imagine that after you are published, someone wants to interview you on radio or TV. What would you want to take with you when you go? That is what you put into your book presentation. Or imagine that you are going to do a book signing at a bookstore, and you are to be given 10, 20, or 30 minutes to speak. What would you want to take with you when you go? That is what you put into your book presentation.

The world of publishing has changed dramatically, and it is still changing. Three technologies have changed the whole game.

  1. “Print On Demand” (aka POD) — There is now no need for anyone (neither a publishing company nor a self-publishing author) to front thousands of dollars for a long print run. A book on a hard drive can be turned into a paperback on demand with the printing cost per book being the same for 1, 10, 100, or 1000 copies.
  2. The Internet — has begun a sweeping change that is taking the power base from the big, traditional publishers and spreading it out over the masses. The amount of power held by any single publisher is lessened as it is diluted across many. Amazon is not a publisher; it is a market place. Barnes and Noble is trying to follow suit. (B&N seems to always be the runner up, always late in catching up to Amazon.)
  3. eBooks — have changed the degree of need for ink and paper, and that change is still shaking out. Kindle is Amazon’s dominant force here. B&N tries to catch up with Nook.

In the old days you, as a writer, would self-promote (aka self-publish) your book to a small audience of big, traditional publishers. They would close doors, and maybe, perhaps, you might get one to open a door. Often, that one would cause you to sign away some or much of your rights in exchange for editing, designing, printing, and (some) promoting. Too often they would then tell you, the author, that the success of your book depends on your own personal promotion of your book.

If their ability to promote is not sufficient, then is all they are otherwise offering worth signing away rights and a large part of what should be your royalties? They offer a sense of legitimacy, an air of professionalism, and skills of editing, designing, and printing.

The days of authors needing their sense of legitimacy are fading. Whether or not you are professional does not depend on them. The skills of editing and designing can be hired very affordably, without signing away rights or royalties. The up-front cost of printing has all but dissipated.

For all these reasons and more, I choose to self publish first, and then offer my finished product to a big, traditional publisher. Such has gotten my writing into their catalogs, on their websites, and even in some of their promotions. Self publishing through CreateSpace.com also automatically gets my writing up for sale on Amazon.com. (Amazon owns CreateSpace.)

I also sell to my friends, family, and acquaintances through a website called AuthorStock.com — a site I founded for myself and other Christian authors. I can take orders, get the full amount directly, and do my own shipping, while not having any middle-man take a cut. It also lets me sign my books before shipping them, if that is desired. Pre-signing a book for a distant friend is not feasible if they order through Amazon (because Amazon does the shipping). They would have to ship the book to you from Amazon, and then you would have to mail it to them — double shipping.

To see actual bookstores powered by AuthorStock.com, visit either of the following:

If you can provide an edited, laid-out book interior as a PDF, and a cover design (wrap-around) as a PDF (you can even use templates from the CreateSpace web site) then you can print a book with CreateSpace for NO upfront costs.

Hope this helps.

Books

The Last Bye – new novel by Doug Joseph

If you loved “The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C.S. Lewis, then you are sure to enjoy D. Joseph’s “The Last Bye.” Instead of “The Horse and His Boy,” this novel is more like “The Flying Dinosaur and His Boy.” This fun, exciting, and heart-warming tale is a stand-alone read. Yet it is also the much-anticipated conclusion to the amazing, uplifting story arc that began with Tess and Daniel in “New Immortal” and “Tesseract” (Books I & II). In this thrilling episode, everything hinges on their alienated-yet-adventurous son, P’erry. While growing up on a distant moon-world, called Sset, P’erry suffers heartache, makes friends, discovers the Tirra (great flying creatures), has breath-taking adventures, and achieves phenomenal, crucial accomplishments for the people of his world. “The Last Bye” is the final book in the “Millennial Teleport Trilogy.”

Purchase the book now in Paperback or Kindle.

Check out all of my novels: Books I, II, & III of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy

Books-123-of-the-millennial-te

Book One: New Immortal — Prophecy. Sci-fi. Adventure.
Book Two: Tesseract — Sci-fi. Adventure. Romance. From a Christian perspective.
Book Three: The Last Bye — If you loved ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ you’ll love this!
Read free samples of the Millennial Teleport Trilogy on Amazon.com or on AuthorStock.com

General

Word of the Day

Zeitgeist

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Zeitgeist (disambiguation).
Look up zeitgeist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Zeitgeist (German pronunciation: [ˈtsaɪtɡaɪst] ( listen)) is “the spirit of the times” or “the spirit of the age.” [1] Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and/or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.

The term is a loanword from German Zeit – “time” (cognate with English “tide” and “time”) and Geist – “spirit” (cognate with English “ghost”).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist

Ministry, Theology

The King Who Sees (a reminder from the altar)

There is something so powerful about the way God’s presence puts everything in proper perspective when we approach Him openly and honestly. Bowed before His glory, no petty rationalization, biased justification, defensive argument, or attempted distraction can be offered. What’s the use of such antics when one is beholden to the King Who Sees your heart’s deepest crevices?

“Have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3b).

The way up is down. The death of the carnal is the end of the curse. When we lay our carnality on the altar, He helps us to mortify the sinful nature’s deeds (Romans 8:13).

Don’t try to hide that which cannot be hidden from Him. Don’t waste life’s days refusing to acknowledge or confront the innermost defects and problems resulting from unwise choices. We are all casualties of the curse. Yet when, through humble repentance before Him, we divest ourselves of carnal aspects that harbor the curse, we see Him work a change that overpowers the curse and delivers us from “the body of this death.”

If you have not offered yourself before Him in this way—or perhaps you have, yet not for a while—then don’t delay. Mere moments of true openness before Him does more than could ever be accomplished by going through “religious” motions. The stench of flesh is not that which ascends while the carnal nature is burning on the altar. A thousand times no. The true stench of flesh is that odor of sin, pride, and self-will, that foulness that oozes from our pores as we attempt life on our own, without trusting Him by building an altar and laying ourselves upon it. Cry out with Paul, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10).

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13).

Technology

iPhone 4s is very cool, but…

My rant earlier today about the so-called reputable sources being not so reputable, is now vindicated. Apple finally announced, not the iPhone 5, but just the iPhone 4s. Speaking of which, the iPhone 4s is very cool, but it’s not what the iPhone 5 has been touted to become. We still need a changeable battery and the freedom to insert our own (affordable) storage medium, like a micro SD, for example. Can you say, “Milk it for all it’s worth?” Oh well. It is what it is. Now off the store to go buy one. 🙂

Technology

iPhone 5 Release!

We have it from reputable sources that…

All the other reputable sources are disreputable. The “company” (aka Apple, Inc.) are masters of buzz, and part of their wizardry is in getting all these people/sites/news outlets to quoting “sources” that don’t know what they’re talking about, most times without even using quotes, sometimes without using names (or, when they do, not names that have “Apple, Inc.” in them or even remotely connected to them), and without using any concrete details. Anyhoo,

We have it from reputable sources that…

Today, October 4, 2011, Apple may or may not unveil the iPhone 5, and it may or may not have a tear-drop form factor, and it may or may not be available within two to three weeks after the maybe/maybe not unveiling today.

Sorry for the rant. Went online to see if today’s Apple event had already taken place, and if so, what the report was. I found nothing but wild speculation. I finally thought, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” Well, actually I thought, “I am about as qualified to speculate as any of these so-called sources,” and I decided to post a rant. I feel better. Thank you for reading. Click comment to vent your own rant. Or just to make me feel better. Or just because you can.

We “less-than-three” you Tim/Tom Cook! Or whatever your name is. <3

Technology

I’ve seen the Mac’s future

OS X Snow Leopard was all the rage until Apple released OS X Lion a few days ago. Ever wonder what Apple will use for code names for its new OS X releases once all the big cat names are used up? I’ve seen the future, and it isn’t pretty. On the bright side, the company’s brag lines for the release will tout that holographic interface elements [will] allow you to tap, swipe, and scroll your way through your apps using fluid Mid-Air gestures that make everything you do feel more natural and direct. Also, full-room apps [will] allow you to compute no matter where you are enjoying your Mac. I could tell you more, but then I’d have to go forward in time and stay there, so I would not be killed in this present timeline. 🙂 I’m already in danger. The meerkats are coming for me.