What are you allowing to consume or become an idol to you?

My Friend,

What have you allowed to consume or become and idol to you? What have you allowed to get in the way of your relationship with The Lord or become more important than God? 

 

Money, riches, fame, health, and more can consume people or become a "god" in their lives. If we're not careful, we can all fall prey to empty pursuits and idol worship.  

 

It also doesn't help that many "teachers" and "preachers" encourage the flock they are entrusted with serving to seek after riches and in the process, they lose sight of the One who is their true provider and source of eternal riches.

 

We are commanded to have no other "gods" in place of the One True God, and whether we realize it or not, the pursuit of money, riches, success, health, and more, can become our "god". 

It's not bad to have or be blessed with riches but you can't let it or anything else consume you. Especially, don’t allow yourself to love money or anything more than God!

 

Take time to read, study, and take to heart 1 Timothy 6:10, Matthew 22:37, Matthew 6:21,  Matthew 19:24, and Exodus 20:3 for starters. 

 

Don't love money or anything else more than God and make sure you don't have any other "gods" in your life other than Him, The One True God! 

 

God deserves all of you, not just part. So, love Him, seek Him, and serve Him with all your heart, soul, and mind!  

 

You're in my prayers.

Your brother and servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

 

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New Free Scripture Phone Wallpaper Image

Hello Friend,

I'm excited to share a new scripture image I put together from Psalm 121:12 to share with you for your use as a phone wallpaper image if you'd like. You can download and use the image without change for your personal phone wallpaper.

I hope you are encouraged by this scripture reminder as you remember where your help comes from!

Please take time to read, study, and take to heart, Psalm 121:1-2 for starters.

Also, I've included the previous wallpaper image I created from Psalm 27:1 in case you missed it.

Both background images are compliments of someone from the A Shepherd's Heart community who anonymously contributed them for our projects.

Thank you for your contribution of these beautiful background images! They are a perfect backdrop of these scriptures!

You're in my Prayers!

Your Brother and Servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

Connect with A Shepherd's Heart: https://linktr.ee/ashepherdsheart (Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube, Website, YouVersion, Telegram, and More).

 

Please help us reach and help people for God's Kingdom and Glory! Any spare change would be a blessing!

Personal Fundraiser: https://www.givesendgo.com/ashepherdsheart

Venmo: ashepherdsheart

CashApp: $ashepherdsheart

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Taste And See That The Lord Is Good!

My Friend,

I want to encourage you today that The Lord is good.

Please listen to this brief message and be lifted up. Please pass it on to others who may be encouraged by this too.

https://youtu.be/zm2iDCMdNxU

Take time to read, study, and take to heart, Psalm 34:8. You are in my prayers.

Your brother and servant in Christ, Randolph Koch

Connect with A Shepherd's Heart: https://linktr.ee/ashepherdsheart (Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube, Website, YouVersion, Telegram, and More). Please help us reach and help people for God's Kingdom and Glory! Any spare change would be a blessing! 🙏🏼 Personal Fundraiser: https://www.givesendgo.com/ashepherdsheart Venmo: ashepherdsheart CashApp: $ashepherdsheart

April 2022 Memory Verses.

My Friend,

For our April scripture memorization, I've suggested 3 verses.

Here are the memory verses: Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 20:28, Romans 6:23.

As always, I've suggested the ESV version which is the version I use most often, however, if you have another good word for word translation you enjoy, feel free to memorize it in that version. It's completely up to you.

You'll notice that following the verses is a list of some basic themes/topics.

I've included those suggestions as I learned many years ago that having at least one theme or topic in mind when you memorize scripture helps you store them in memory and as you have conversations with others in the future, I can guarantee that as those themes/topics come up, the scripture you've memorized will also come to mind and you may share encouragement from God's Word or re-encourage yourself!

May you continue to abide in God's Word through reading, studying, memorization and living it out as vital keys to our growth.

Have fun with scripture Memorization! Don't stress about it! And, as always, be in The Word and stay in The Word!

You're in my prayers and please reach out if you need any tips.
Your Brother and Servant in Christ,
Randolph Koch
 
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No Past Is Too Dark For The Love And Forgiveness Of Christ.

My Friend,

Everyone has a past and if we're honest, everyone has regrets too. The truth is that we've all missed the mark and fallen short of the glory of God. (Read Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23)

Hear me when I share that nothing you've experienced, no matter what sins you've committed, no matter what, there's nothing that can keep you from the love and the forgiveness of Christ! (Read Romans 8:38-39)

Yes, I know the schemes of the evil one (and possibly others) whose aim is to try and convince you that Jesus' sacrifice isn't enough. That His grace and love isn't enough. That He is not enough, but...satan is a liar!

No matter how dark you think your past and present is - allow Jesus to shine His light upon the darkness by receiving His free gifted of salvation.

Allow your history become HIStory which will then be about His redemption of you, your new life in Him, and then your eternity with Him!

Thanks be to God that He gave His Son Jesus to die in your place as the perfect and complete sacrifice! He is the only way! (Read John 14:6)

Don't allow your past hinder you anymore and instead repent of and confess your sins, believe in faith Jesus died for you and rose again in victory over death and sin, and receive in faith Jesus as your Savior through His free gift of salvation. (Read: Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9-10, 13, 1 John 2:2, John 10:15, and Ephesians 2:8-9)

Put your faith fully in Him and leave your past, present, and future with Him.

You're in my prayers.

Your brother and servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

Connect with A Shepherd's Heart: https://linktr.ee/ashepherdsheart (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Website, YouVersion, Telegram, and More).

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_

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The Importance of Making His Name Great

Read: John 21:15-25, John 3:30

God calls Pastors/Elders/Shepherds to seek to be faithful shepherds of The Flock...He does not call the same to seek after fame and celebrity status. Popularity may happen but staying grounded and faithful in the calling God has placed on your life as a Pastor/Elder/Shepherd and grounded in His Word is vital.

My observation of many of today's "Modern" church "leaders" is that they often get this wrong and it flows down to everything they do from communicating and teaching God's Word on down to the flock that they are to shepherd...wrong attitudes and motives. They simply seem to have this backwards! 

We Call It Good Friday...Because it was for Our Good!

Read: Matthew 26:36-28:15, Mark 14:32-16:14, Luke 22:39-24:53, and John 18-21:14.

It was the darkest day of all time. The day Jesus Christ the Savior was crucified. Humanly speaking, there was nothing good about that day. Everything went south in a hurry! The Gospels recount for us the physical and verbal abuse that was inflicted on Jesus and that He bore on our behalf. The shouts of, “crucify Him, crucify Him,” The blows to His body by the whips and rods, The suffering of carrying the cross on the road to Golgotha. The nails driven into his wrists and feet, the anguish as He hung on the cross with a sign above Him mockingly stating who He was, yet with no crime committed, He was crucified.

The vinegar given to Him to drink instead of water when He was thirsty, Then His last words and last breathe- it was finished. Simply unfathomable what He endured! Yet, because of the Father's divine plan of redemption, Jesus, long before He would come to earth in the humble form of man, God chose to send Him as the payment for our sins and the way of salvation. The scriptures also state in the prophetic books of the Old Testament that the Father was pleased to crush Him. This was because He loves us so much He wanted to do everything possible for us to see the folly of our ways and that Jesus is, and came as - the Savior. Jesus is the only plan of Salvation for us from the heart of God. There is no other way we can earn or work our way to heaven. Because of sin we aren’t worthy of God’s forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ we are worthy- only because of His death on the cross.

A Prayer For More Passion for Christ as we remember the Passion of Christ - Monday, March 21, 2016

Read: Luke 22:39-46, John 19, Luke 23:34 and Luke 9:23

Heavenly Father, 

As we enter "Passion Week", please help us to have more passion for Christ and live more passionately as we follow Christ. 

Father, we so often reserve our awe, wonder and reverence for all You've done for us through Jesus, for different times of year, but, I ask that You help us to live in the awe, wonder and reverence day-to-day as we seek to make Your name great. 

May we live for Your Kingdom and glory all the more as we recall His ultimate sacrifice. 

Help us to remember the events leading up to Him taking the cross on our behalf. May this keep us sober at all times and never take Your love, grace, truth and sacrifice for granted. 

As we remember how He was betrayed, please help us to never betray You or the people You bring into our paths. 

As we remember His prayer in the garden in anticipation of what He was soon to take on for us, even to the point where He sweat blood, helps us to pray fervently at all times for Your Will, Your Heart, Your Kingdom, Your People, Your Glory and Your plan. 

Help us to toil, sweat, and sacrifice it all if You ask it of us. 

As Jesus asked while nailed to the cross, "Father Forgive them as they no not what they do", help us to readily forgive others for even the most trivial things they do to us. 

Help us to willingly take up our cross daily and follow Jesus as He willingly took the cross for mankind. 

Help us to live fully for You!

Again, Father, I ask that You help us by Your Spirit to have more Passion for Christ as we reflect on The Passion of Christ this week and beyond. 

In Jesus Name I praise You and Thank You, Amen. 

rlk

Share this with someone this week: "It's important that we live passionately for Christ beyond Passion Week!" 

Whom will you serve?!

Whom will you serve today? Pray and then check out this Powerful song/video: 

 Joshua 24:15

Be Blessed and a blessing!

Stop Remembering What God Has Forgotten!

We all we all sin. But because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and payment that satisfied God’s wrath by His death on the cross! He died for our sins and then He rose from the grave, every one of our sins past present or future has been paid in full through what He did for you and I!

Don’t let shame and guilt keep you from walking in God's love and forgiveness daily!

Isaiah 43:25 (NIV) says, "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

Since God has removed your sin from His memory – He doesn’t hold your sin against you any longer if you’ve received His gift of salvation!

If you have receive His salvation then isn’t it time you do the same and move forward with God fully embraced by His love and mercy? He wants to use you and He loves you with a perfect and unconditional love.

Don’t allow your past or the evil one’s influence cripple you any longer and let God’s love wash over you!

Now, today, if you're actively and willfully sinning....STOP! Repent from your sin and move forward in the same before mentioned truth!

He doesn't want you to live a defeated or crippled life anymore do the past or present sin because He already won victory over sin on the cross so let's start living and walking in His truth!

Something to think about today and if you’re struggling with letting go of the past, letting go of the sins you’ve already been forgiven for, let me encourage you to seek Him about this as He can and will help you move forward! 

So, STOP remembering what God has forgiven and forgotten! Make this your prayer today!

In Christ,

rlk

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

Growing Closer to God

It's time for a healthy dose of self-evaluation and planning...

Here's a quote I saw recently and wanted to share it with you: "Everyday, do something that will lead you closer to God." -Unknown

So the question and the challenge is this, what are you going to do today and planning on doing tomorrow and each day going forward to grow closer to God?

Any relationship takes work and especially your relationship with God takes commitment an investment of time for it to grow!

My prayer for you and I is that we'll keep seeking The Lord and seeking to grow in our relationship with Him each day finding at least that 1 thing that will allow you to grow still more for His Glory and your good!

Here are some Helpful Keys for growing in your relationship with God:

1- Regularly get into and stay in His Word - Study His Word!

2- Seek Him through prayer! - Communicate with Him!

3- Serve Him!

4- Live a Spirit-filled and Spirit-Led life for by taking God's Word and actively living it out!

Have a great week ahead and may you actively seek Him will all of your heart, soul, mind and strength!

Blessings,
rlk

Roots Grow Down Deep

Here's something for you to meditate on today: "Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him!" -Unknown

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." -Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)

May your roots, your foundation be firmly planted in Jesus!

Blessings,

rlk