Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Give All The Glory To God!

Influence, platform, followers, celebrity, popularity, and more are some of the many things people strive for in many church and individual circles today.

They are all kind of buzz terms that really don't account for much, (especially if you have the wrong focus.) in the long run in regards to truly building God's kingdom and making sure He's known.

Some who may have began with good intentions trying to point people to Christ, have ended up trying to build their little kingdoms and followings so they are well known instead of turning the focus on The One they are supposedly trying to represent.

Sadly, they convince themselves that it's the same thing... But it's not! They give into popularity and celebrity status which is a far cry from where they first began.

Then you have people like a well known rapper bringing in the numbers by the thousands for his so called "Sunday Service" which essentially is worship of the certain rapper instead of worshiping Jesus and pointing people to Him!
Whether it's "celebrity preachers" or well known music artists, down to common everyday Christians like you and I, we have to guard against seeking after fame for the sake of fame. We also have guard against allowing people to in essence worship us when Jesus is the one Who we all should be worshiping.

My friend, make sure you... Build His kingdom and not your own.
Communicate His platform. (AKA The Great Commission)
Worry about His influence as He works through you and not your own.
Worry about building His followers and not your own.
He must increase and you and I must decrease.

No matter how popular you may become, no matter how many followers you have, no matter what... Don't let people worship you. Instead, point them to Jesus in all you do because it's all about Him and not about you an I!

All glory, honor, and praise belongs to Him! 

Your Brother and Servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Thinking about Thanksgiving...in the day-to-day


Read: Colossians 3:15-17, Colossians 4:2, Psalm 7:17, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 57:9, Psalm 69:30, Psalm 118:29, Romans 14:6, 1 Corinthians 15:57

Everyday, we have so much to be thankful for and we need to pause and reflect more on this fact.


First and foremost as believers we are thankful to God our Father in Heaven. We should be thankful for His great love in which He sent His Son to die on our behalf providing the way of salvation! 

With this, we are thankful for Jesus Christ and for His Spirit - the Holy Spirit actively working in our lives. We can be thankful for even the gift of life itself. 

Every breath that you and I take is truly a gift from God. There are so many seemingly mundane things we could thank Him for. So many things that we could make an infinite list in thanksgiving to God about, if we put ourselves to the task of making such a list. 

It really comes down to the attitude of our hearts and whether or not we choose to thank God and see His hand in every "little" and "big" aspect of our lives.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Experiencing Peace Now and Later


Read, Study and Pray through: John 14:27

I wonder sometimes if we think of peace incompletely. 

It seems we only reserve it for sometimes as if we can only have or experience it on a very limited basis. 

Or, maybe that we'll only be able to experience the peace of Jesus when He returns...because He is the Prince of Peace. So, it's only for the future and not for now?

What if we didn't reserve wishes of peace for only when someone dies?  Don't get me wrong, it's important to pay our respects and wish someone the normal may you "Rest In Peace".  But, what if we can rest in peace each day as we lay down to rest? 

Is this possible or is it too weighty to consider? 

Monday, September 15, 2014

Be Still...and Know!

(Sunset over Tillamook Bay (Photo By Randolph Koch 2014)


 ...“Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.
 
                             -Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Be…Still…

I’ve been thinking a lot about this passage and I’ve come to realize these are two simple but very profound words that communicate volumes!

With the activities of life and hurried fast paced lives we often live, we don’t do the “Be Still” principle very well.

Think about it, when was the last time you and I just allowed ourselves to even physically…BE STILL?

I bet if you’re ever able to get yourself to a place in your schedule where you could be still, it felt very foreign to you for a bit or you felt like you should be doing something because by all means it’s all about “our strength” or “pulling ourselves up by the boot straps”?! We we’re supposed to be self-reliant and not need anyone’s help, right? 

Well, that may be what the world around us tells us but that way of operating doesn’t hold water to what God tells us we need to do. 

Being still requires faith. Being still requires trust. Being still requires hope. 

…A Faith that… God has you covered no matter what. 

…A Trust that… He is God and He already has a plan in the works to meet you where you are according to His perfect will. 

…A Hope that… His plan will be fulfilled in His perfect timing. 

Ultimately being still is more than just being physically still as it involved our mind, soul, spirit and body. 

When we take time to be still, we allow ourselves a few moment of time to collect ourselves and realign our focus back on God who will be exalted – especially when we operate how He instructs us to because His ways are higher than our ways and life typically works out better for us (not necessarily easier) in the long run if we do things His way. 

Other translations use the words “Cease Striving” and it is the same idea that we need to stop and be still. Cease trying to work to make things happen on our own strength. Cease trying to figure everything out on our own. Cease trying to be master and commander or our lives when we can’t do it all alone. No, we need to Be Still and know that He is God and…well…we are not!

The “Knowing” is the second and more important part because, if we can first off get ourselves to regularly “Be Still”, then we can rest in the “and know” part knowing wholeheartedly that He is God…He has everything under control. We need to again, know He is God and we are not.

It’s not that we are to shirk our responsibilities and be completely idle siting somewhere singing the proverbial “Kumbaya”  or think we should “let go and let God" (because this statement tends to not take into account some of our personal responsibility but we are to cast/give all of our anxieties to Him and leave them there. See 1 Peter 5:7)  because there are real things we need to do and own but it’s the reality that we need to completely rest in, be still in... Him. At the same time, we think sometimes that we’ve got it together and in the waiting we try to force God’s hand with pushing our agenda with the absence of His blessing…and in the process we will not get anywhere.

Being still is also a time seeking Him so in this sense, that is an action we can and should take in the process as we can pray, study and seek Him with everything that is within us.

We cannot clearly hear from Him amidst the chaos that sometimes surrounds us (or that we allow to surround us)…we need to sometimes physically escape just to be still before Him.

Once you and I get into the regular habit of being still, it will become more like breathing…it will become more natural and a part of our day-to-day walk and journey. 

So…
Are you going through a hard time… Be Still…and know…

Are you facing a financial crisis… Be Still…and know…

Are you going through a health crisis…Be Still…and know…

Are you having an identity or self-worth crisis… Be Still…and know…

Are you unclear on what direction you’re to head… Be Still…and know…

No matter what you’re facing today, be still, cease striving to do it on your own and seek Him because you know He is God. He will be exalted through your life as you are a part of the nations and He will be exalted throughout the earth.  

A prayer for you and I:

Heavenly Father, Help us to be still…and know. Help us to hold every anxious thought captive. Help us to be better at building “be still” time with you so that we may hear your voice through our times with you through prayer and your Word and through the proclamation of the Word through our local church gatherings. Help us to fight back the chaos in our life that comes our way or that we allow to be a part of it. Help us to live wholeheartedly for you walking in the truth that You alone are our strength and have it all together! Let us be your ambassadors and may we help exalt and make your name great among the nations. In Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.  

Be blessed friends…by being still...and knowing He is God...

In His Love and for His Glory,
rlk

Friday, January 10, 2014

Our Development



"God does not relish our sufferings, but He delights in our development." -Max Lucado

In times of trial and struggle I've come to believe that we can either view these times up as either "Here go again" times or "Here we GROW again times".

God's Word teaches us that trials, hard times, struggles, etc are not without purpose and through these hard times He is and always has been at work. (See Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:28 & 1 Peter 5:10 for some examples) You are not alone in your battle, The Lord is with you and your family in Christ is with you as well..that is if you don't distance yourself from God and cut off the people around you during these times!

Going forward, even though we can all attest to how difficult it is when we're in the thick of the battle, however, let us purpose to see these times a growth or "Here we GROW again time" where God is at work in your life for His Glory and your good! Amen!?

You will make it through whatever you're facing today!

Blessings in Christ,
rlk


Thursday, January 31, 2013

How to Study God


How you view, study and think about God matters!

Why? Because how you view God is essential to how you view everything else in life including yourself!


If you have a right or wrong view of God it will positively or negatively impact your life and your thinking pretty much about everything.


Here’s a brief and creative video on “How to Study God”


Something great to think about as you study God’s Word, as you listen to messages each week at church, on the radio, internet, an as you think about and walk with Him each day!


Bottom Line - Your View of God / Theology really matters!

Check this out!:
 
DugDownDeep_Carnahan.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.