You Were Created And Set Free To Serve!

I recall hearing Pastor Greg Laurie say the following:
"God looks at us and says, “I know what you can be. You don’t know it yet, but I know. I know what I can make you into. You’ll be a mighty man of God. You’ll be a mighty woman of God.” -Greg Laurie

Friend, You are His workmanship and He has uniquely created you with a specific purpose, will, and plan for you in mind. Through His free gift of salvation you've been set free from the bondage of sin and have been given a new life in Christ.

He did this because He loves you with a perfect and eternal love!

Pause for a moment and let these truths sink in.

This speaks volumes to me because He not only saved us but thought exactly what He created us to do according to His purpose, will, and plan! We're unique in Him and made by and for Him! We are set apart by and for Him!

With this in mind, have you considered that you can and should freely serve Him and that you've been called to do so?

We don't serve to somehow "continue to earn our salvation" rather, we serve out of love for Him and thanksgiving for all He's done for us.

Please note that serving isn't just for "The professionals" as in the paid and volunteer pastors and staff...no..serving is for ALL of us!

So, what's holding you back from serving the Lord?

Let's pray for one another that we get off of our seats and really live to be His Hands and Feet for His kingdom and glory!

Please read and study Ephesians 2:10 (ESV),James 2:14-18 (ESV), and 1 Samuel 12:24 (ESV) for encouragement from God's Word and then walk in the work He's call you to do.

Your Brother and Servant In Christ, 

Randolph Koch

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

Your Children and Their Choices Don't Define You.

A Little Disclaimer: I've had a draft of this article/encouragement sitting in my queue to finish 
for months and I thought now is a good time to finally finish it with the season I'm currently in. :-)

As my wife and I move into the next phase of life with all of our 5 children being young adults now, I've been reflecting on all the child raising years. 

I've noted my own strengths, weaknesses, successes, and mistakes and yet despite all my short comings and even the good things I've done, I see that my adult children are making good decisions. They are owning their faith and relationship with The Lord and working toward their adult goals. I have no doubt that they will do well with God has their guide and I will continue to pray for them and be a line of counsel as they make their way. 

My aim in this article is to briefly touch on several parent related topics with hopes that you may find encouragement no matter the season you're in and no matter the actions your children choose. May you have a glimpse of God's grace and a renewed hope in The Lord as you continue your journey. 

Is God's Love 'Reckless'? (Having a high and right view of God and His Word.)

Is God's Love 'Reckless'?
(Having a high and right view of God and His Word.)

As a followers of Christ, worshiping The Lord through how we live our lives as well as through song is an important aspect of our relationship with Him. He is worthy of our praise!

In everything we do it's vital that we have a right Biblically accurate view of God. It's important that we think and communicate about Him in an honoring way in all we do. 

In other words, we need to have a high and right view of God and His Word. 

Live Life On Purpose!

 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds"

Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

Friend,

I wanted to simply take a moment and remind you that you should never underestimate the impact you have in and on the lives of others whether in "big" or "small" ways. You never know how God will use you in someone's life! God does want to use you! 

Wouldn't it be incredible if someone looked at you and said, "Because of your impact on my life, because of God working in and through you, I didn't give up!"...and "Because of your influence in my life, I now want to life on purpose for His Kingdom and Glory too!"!? 

You probably already are helping or have helped people not give up but you don't know it because they haven't told you yet! 

Keep pressing forward! You can inspire others! You can, do, and are making a difference in this world! 

Let's help each other not give up! Let's help each other live life on purpose for His Kingdom and Glory!

Let's be an inspiration to those around us as we just may be the one on a given day that helps them...not give up and helps them live life on purpose!  It only take a spark, and you might just be the spark God wants to use to impact others. 

THANK YOU...to those who have helped me...Not Give Up! 

THANK YOU...to those who have helped me live life on purpose! 

God wants us to live life on purpose/with purpose for Him...so do it day-by-day!

You're Brother and Servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

The Great I AM Is With You!

Read Exodus 3:13-15, Mark 8:29, and Matthew 16:15

In Holiness and Great Power God spoke these words about Who He IS... "I AM WHO I Am.". (Exodus 3:13-15)

God is the Great I AM that generations have worshiped and revered! He is The One true God Who is beyond time and space. He’s always been…He has no beginning and no end. He simply...IS!

Flash forward to the New Testament where Jesus stated He was the I AM and Jesus asked on multiple occasions, "Who do you say that I Am?" (Mark 8:29 and Matthew 16:15)

This question is vital to you and I as Who He His and how we view Him should collide with and change our world view including our sense of identity as our identity ought to be ground in The Great I AM!

You and I need to also understand that Jesus is the same I AM being fully God Who chose to come in the flesh to dwell among us. 

No matter what you're facing right now, pause for a moment and remember that if you're in Christ, You walk with The Great I AM...and, He is with you always!  

Your Brother and Servant In Christ,

Randolph Koch

Wait On The Lord...No Really...Wait On The Lord.

Read Isaiah 40:31 ESV and Matthew 6:33-34.

Waiting. This isn't something most of us in our day and age or very good at especially when we want something now.  

In comparison, we will wait in a long line for hours for the latest piece of technology, a concert, or movie...yet, we'll continually check our watches or phones for the time if the pastor's message goes longer than 30 minutes during what is the extent of many people's mostly once-a-week spiritual activity. 

We also often get impatient when we drive, are pulling out of the church parking lot, standing in the grocery store check-out line, or at the local department of motor vehicles...ok...maybe that list is just about me as I know "no one else" struggles with waiting patiently.  Or, maybe that list is what I've heard "a friend" experiences. ;-) 

We also get impatient when our plans or next purchase of one thing or another doesn't move along as fast as we want...and many times that gets us in trouble. Why? Because we often don't include God in our plans or purchases and we forge ahead sometimes foolishly toward something that wasn't God's plan for us and yet...we wonder why our plans are meeting resistance or fail?!

It becomes clear that He didn't want that plan for us and we can't expect Him to bless what is not His Will...and if it's related to a foolish purchase, we can't expect Him to bless us if we go into debt for something we really didn't need.

Faithfulness In A Quiet Season.

Psalms 31:21‭-‬24 ESV

"Blessed be the Lord , for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. Love the Lord , all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!"

Do you feel a separation from God like the text says the psalmist felt while saying "I am cut off from your sight"? I encourage you to look where you put your trust and control. If it is in yourself and your own abilities this could be the reason for the disconnect. It says " He abundantly repays the one who acts in pride." It can be a form of pride for us to think we can control our way back to hearing Him.

Take hope though! If you are truly seeking the Lord in everything and there is still a disconnect, it could be God putting you in a place to learn something to be revealed later. That could be deeper reliance on Him, Contentment in Him, and many other things.

Whatever He has you in this season for remember He is faithful! His timing is amazing, God will show you His power in ways that you couldn't imagine. Do you know why? Because He is God and we cannot plan His ways.

His Truth, Grace, Power, and Character stay consistent. All we can do is "Be strong, and let your heart take courage" as we wait in hope and excitement of His great plan. The biggest thing to understand is that God can be silent for a season, but He is still there!

It is crazy to me how He works! He can stay silent so we His children can turn back to Him stronger and more at peace than ever, knowing He is in control! So "Love the Lord , all you his saints!" Because "The Lord preserves the faithful". What a peace we can find in Him.

I pray you all have a blessed day and week, may we hold our thoughts captive to God's word and be faithful so He can show His loving character and plan. Lord, thank you for your wondrously steadfast love.

Stay Steady,

Noah Koch

We're blessed to introduce Noah Koch as a new guest contributor to A Shepherd's Heart. He hails from the Pacific Northwest in the USA where he actively and passionately lives life on purpose for The Lord. He's very creative and talented as a communicator, photographer, musician, and writer. He has a true servant's heart. We prayerfully look forward to further guest posts from Noah in the future!

God Is Always On Time.

When you're in a season of trial and growth, sometimes it can be easy to slip into doubt mode. You may have even prayed and prayed and God seems "Silent" or you're wondering "Where is He?", or, "When it God going to show up?"

Let me encourage you to not listen to those voices because based on God's Word and even your own past experiences, you know God is always on time - no matter what! 

The negative voices you hear and the dialogue that goes on in your head during these seasons is a product of doubt and not a product of faith. Hold on to faith and reject all the negative voices of doubt...including the whispers of the enemy or other people.

God always shows up in His perfect timing so don't spend anymore time worrying and shift your faith into "high gear" as you know God is your rock always.

Read the following passages and be encouraged: 2 Peter 3:8-9, 1 Peter 5:6-8, James 4:13-17, Psalm 23:4, Matthew 6:25-34, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 5: 1-5, and Isaiah 41:10.

Your Brother and Servant In Christ,

Randolph Koch

Your Words Matter

Do you find yourself speaking negative or defeating words to yourself or others? Do you speak words that often tear down? 

Let me ask you: 
#1 Whose are you? 
#2 What does the scripture say about our words and what kind of words we should speak? #3 In Christ, Are you a victim or a victor? 
#4 Would you rather speak or receive life giving words or the opposite?
 
I pray God helps us speak words that are acceptable to Him and as much as possible, brings life to the hearers...including ourselves.

Here are some of the many scriptures about our words and how they truly matter.
Psalm 19:14, Colossians 4:6, 1 Peter 3:10, Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 15:4, Matthew 15:11, Proverbs 21:23, Proverbs 26:20, Psalm 34:13, Psalm 141:3, Titus 3:1-2, Proverbs 17:27-28, James 1:19-26

Lets work hard at choosing our words wisely as our words truly matter. May we strive to speak words that build up and don't tear down. Lets speak words of life! 

Your Brother and Servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

September 11, 2001 - May We Never Forget!

I remember getting ready for work on the morning of September 11, 2001 and I received a call from my mom telling me to turn the TV on as there was an accident involving The World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. 

As I, like many, watched everything unfold in disbelief, we soon learned it was no accident as shortly after the first plane crashed into one tower, a second plane crashed into the second tower. We then heard about The Pentagon and another plane that crashed as a total of 4 planes were hijacked in a coordinated effort to destroy life using the planes as weapons.

Needless to say it was very difficult to work that day knowing what had transpired or was transpiring. I remember seeing the images of First Responders courageously running into the buildings to climb flight after flight of stairs running toward danger to try to stop the raging fires that resulted from the planes crashing. I also remember the images of people covered in dust, some bleeding from injuries running for their lives as as the towers eventually came crashing down succumbing to the fire that weakened what once held the towers strong and towering over the landscape. We all watched in horror and disbelief as the towers fell. The images are ingrained in my memory including the following days and weeks as coverage of the search and rescue efforts took place at the site where the towers once stood. It was heart wrenching to watch and read about and the memories still bring emotions to the surface at times because of the great tragedy we witness.

Some are of the opinion that we should just forget about it and move on while there are others who vacillate on one conspiracy theory or another and still others are pointing fingers at this or that person.

As for me, I would challenge us to never forget what took place on this horrible day in history. We should never let our guards down and no matter what country we live in, the potential for evil acts such as this still exist so we ought not take life, including the people in it, for granted. We should dwell on it in an unhealthy way but, let's never forget, and in the process of remembering, let us especially honor the memories of those who lost their lives, and may we love our neighbors as much as possible and stand ready to protect others as needed lest we forget and great evil is allowed to repeat itself.

Sincerely,

Randolph Koch

Let your light shine before all mankind!

On a recent family vacation, we were blessed with the use of a friends house situated by a beautiful lake.

Out of the reach of the light pollution from the city lights, typically on a clear night the sky comes alive with the milky way and other constellations visible in a brilliant display of God's creation.

On this trip it just so happened to coincide with a Super Full Moon and because of the additional brightness of the moon, the stars weren't visible as they normally would be out there. It was still a beautiful sight to behold and over the course of the days we vacationed there, the moon shone brightly each night and the reflection off of the water was incredible!

As I gazed at the brilliance of God's handiwork I was reminded of the simple fact that when we look at the moon and see how brightly it reflects the sun, you realize again that the moon wouldn't shine at all without the sun.

Likewise as a follower of Christ, we should strive to reflect The Son brightly in all we do! He is the reason why you and I shine at all!

So my friend...shine brightly for Him because of Him as He is our light and hope and in turn, we can shine His light and hope to an often dark world.

Read Matthew 5:14‭-‬16 ESV and then shine out His light before all mankind!

Blessings in Christ, 
Your Brother and Servant, 

Randolph Koch

Please consider helping this ministry through prayer and other ways! Find out more here:  https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/help-a.html

Also, here are a few ideas of how I can serve you: 
https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/ministry-service-offerings.html

Having a Kingdom Perspective

Read: Matthew 13:24-52, Matthew 20:1-16; Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 25:1-13, Hebrews 12:28, Matthew 7:21,  Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2-4, Luke 12:29-32,  Colossians 3:1-4  

Of all the topics in the Word of God that Jesus taught about, He had more to say about the topic of The Kingdom than pretty much any other topic. If it was as important to Him to teach so often about it then it ought to be important to us as well! 

The Kingdom is mentioned and taught about many times throughout the Gospels as well as other parts of the New Testament. 

The kingdom of God is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven and Jesus taught that we should have a Kingdom perspective and keep The Kingdom in mind in all we do.

There is so much one could teach about The Kingdom that one post can only scratch the surface on such a big topic

So what is The Kingdom and What is a kingdom perspective and How do you and I keep a kingdom perspective? 

The aim of this communication is to briefly touch on these topics in order to wet your appetite for your further study about this.

It's "Time To Make The Donuts."

Read: Genesis 2:15, James 2:14-18, Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 1:9-10, Matthew 5:16, 1 Timothy 6:17-18, Titus 2:6-8, Titus 3:14, and Galatians 6:9 

From the very beginning, God created mankind with a specific purpose and work to do just like we see in Genesis 2:15.

The 3 Part Test of a Prophet

Read: Deuteronomy 18:20-22, 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, Ezekiel 13:9, Matthew 24:24, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 1 Timothy 4:1-10, Acts 20:28-30, 1 John 4:1-6, Matthew 7:15-20, 1 Peter 5:8, Hebrews 13:9

It's been my observation that there are many gifts such as the gift of prophecy and speaking in tongues that aren't handled or expressed Biblically today and we need to be careful to take in any teaching that doesn't align with God's Word. 

It's seems that specifically with the gift of prophecy, that it is often only thought by some to be the foretelling of future events but it is also and more often than the previous - it is the proclamation of God's truth from His Word. 

It's Not "Hammer Time": Being mindful of your words and actions.

Read: Proverbs 10:11, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 15:4. Proverbs  16:24, Proverbs 18:21, 1 Corinthians 13.

God has given us many tools and also wants to produce the fruit of The Spirit in and through us. Sometimes people forget that things like harshness, anger, etc are not part of the fruit of The Spirit. 

Furthermore, the scripture reminds us that Love is patient, love is kind...(See 1 Corinthians 13) but sometimes others in our lives or even ourselves lack these very things in relation to others. I'm also reminded of Proverbs 16:24 "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." 

As always, our words can bring life or death to the hearer. Our words are more powerful than we realize because those words whether good or bad, stay with the hearer and sometimes much longer than they should when we speak unkind words. This is why I've shared in the past that the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me," while a nice sentiment, it's not really true because words do hurt and it takes more time mentally and emotionally to heal from words spoken to us. 

While there are times where we need to be more firm in our communication, we need to remember that even in being firm with others who have wronged us, or who need correction, or that we disagree with, we need to season that with grace so we can represent The Lord more effectively. 

Lay ALL of Your Burdens Down!

Read: Matthew 11:28 or 1 Peter 5:7

We read passages like Matthew 11:28 or 1 Peter 5:7 where we're instructed about laying our burdens, anxieties and more, down and then we seem to forget about it or say, "that's nice" and then go about "our" business. 

Then, we run into an issue, trial or something that weighs us down and sometimes instead of turning directly to The Lord Who is our strength, we try to carry the burdens on our own. How's that working out for you and I? Not very good...speaking on behalf of "a friend" of course. :-)

It's like we take scripture sometimes as if it's a passing phrase like a well meaning greeting card or something but it's much more than this as it's the very Word of God!

We are not to nor were we ever supposed to carry our burdens on our own. We cannot handle the vast weight nor should we because that's not our job...Jesus is our strength and can carry them all...it's no wonder He instructs us to give all our burdens to Him!?

So, the question is...will you and I continue to be miserable, stressed out and more trying to carry too heavy a load or will you and I listen to The Savior's word of grace, truth and love and actually lay ALL of our burdens down?

I pray that we lay ALL of them Down not just some of them Down, in Jesus name, amen.

Lay ALL of your burdens down friend! 

Blessings in Christ,
Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

P.S. Do you have a friend who is struggling under the weight of burdens? Encourage them to lay their burdens down...give them all to Jesus! Please pass on this encouragement to someone today! 

Merry Christmas From A Shepherd's Heart!

Hello and Merry Christmas!

I pray that your Christmas celebration is filled with the joy and hope found in Christ!

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and most of all for allowing me the privilege of serving you this year!

This Christmas I'm looking forward to the blessing of spending time with family and friends celebrating the Birth of Jesus!

As we all celebrate, I'm reminded of this great truth from Roy Lessin: 

God Sent Us A Saviour
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness,
so God sent us a Saviour.
-Roy Lessin

It's so encouraging to be reminded that God, in His wisdom and divine plan, knew exactly what we needed and loved us so much that He sent Jesus because we needed Him, The Savior! 

Jesus came from heaven to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified on the cruel cross for mankind, rose from the dead winning victory over death and now is seated in heaven!

May we never forget the deep truths of Christmas as well as the truths beyond the manger!

As you celebrate, here's a little Christmas gift from me to you, I wanted to share again a recording of the Luke account of The Birth of Jesus again from Luke 2:1-35: https://soundcloud.com/user-335546274/the-birth-of-jesus-luke-21-35

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

Please share this imaged with the above encouragement with others! 

Choosing To Live Significantly

Read: John 15:5, John 15:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 3:12, Philippians 4:13

On some level, we all want to be significant. We want to feel valued which in and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as we don't pursue it or live it out in an unhealthy way.

With this, we can often struggle with feeling insignificant or unworthy, and more. You may struggle with feeling insignificant at times as well. You are not alone...the world is full of people searching for significance and struggling with the very same things.

Unfortunately, some confuse significance with fame or popularity which it is not. They identify their worth by what they do or accomplish. In addition, some want to seek fame …the next viral video or YouTube. Some feed on how many “likes” or followers they receive on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Some will also try to bring you down and make you feel that you aren’t important, worthy or worth something…but as for you...hold onto God's truth and don't believe the lies spoken to you or that you speak to yourself!

Reformation Day

Happy Reformation Day! 

During the 16th century a period in Church History known as The Protestant Reformation took place which we remember and celebrate today as Reformation Day. 

Martin Luther and other reformers, were convicted that the church had departed from many of the core teachings of Christianity which should be grounded in the Word of God and this was the catalyst for their actions to work to try and correct this. 

They came to this reality because sadly, they saw that the core teachings of God's Word was at times in stark contrast to what they saw the church teaching in that period of time. 

Because of this, The Reformers worked to realign Christianity to The Word of God.

Through this period of time five key phrases which helped summarize their convictions about the core teachings of Christianity surfaced. These are also known as the Five Solas as they were latin phrases. 

The Five Solas are:

Sola Scriptura: “Scripture alone” - God's Word alone is our highest authority.

Sola Fide: “faith alone” - Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Sola Gratia: “grace alone” - We are saved by the grace of God alone.

Solus Christus: “Christ alone” - Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.  

Soli Deo Gloria: “to the glory of God alone” - We are to live for the glory of God alone.

It was with great cost, (some of The Reformers gave their lives during this time due the great opposition they faced) that we as follower's of Christ can enjoy studying God's Word and being instructed from God's Word in our Church meeting place as part of the body of Christ. 

I encourage you to study this important time within Church History and do your part to re-calibrate your faith daily to the core teachings of God's Word and live them out!

Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria!

May God do a reformation in us through His continued transforming work renewing us heart, mind and soul!

In Christ Alone,

rlk

 

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