Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!


“For God so loved the world that He gave is One and Only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not parish but have eternal life.” ~John 3:16

Hello,

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On this day dedicated to love, I wanted to pause for a moment to remember why we love in the first place.

We love because God first loved us and laid down his life for us!

On this theme, I’m sharing a passage from 1 John 4:7 – 1 John 5:5 regarding love (the other “Love” passage besides Corinthians) as well as some history and a narrative of “St. Valentine”. There are varying stories or opinions on who Valentine was but I thought that none-the-less I’d post a somewhat historical synopsis as well as a narrative as if Valentine was sharing his story himself. I say “somewhat historical” because I don’t really know if everything is factual or not however, it’s still good to have some understanding of where the “holiday” started.

I hope you have a great weekend and that you send a “Love Note” to God – a prayer of thanksgiving and devotion for His great love for you.

I also hope you’re surrounded by those who you love you!

Please see the below.

In His Strong Love,
rlk

1 John 4:7 – 1 John 5:5
1JN 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1JN 4:13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1JN 4:19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1JN 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Valentine's Day History

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine.

Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a social gathering or a ball.

In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800's and now the date is very commercialised. The town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14. The spirit of good continues as valentines are sent out with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine cards at school.

St. Valentine's Story

Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.

Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!

Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.

I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.

One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Lord is on your side! Encouragement during tough economic times.

The following is similar to a note I shared with a group of Christians in the workplace that I minister to/with and I thought I should share it with you as it is a universal message especially during these tough economic times!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I wanted to post a brief note of encouragement - specifically to you who are concerned about the tough economic times or are facing layoffs.

We live in unsettling times - this we all know but we also know that although the times may change God does not change and we can trust Him and come to Him with confidence!

I’m reminded of the following passage from the Psalms:
"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" ~ Psalm 118:6 (ESV)
The Lord is on your side! Do not be afraid! Stand confident in who you are in Him and in His provision for you!

I know this isn’t easy to do but ask the Holy Spirit to help you and reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ for encouragement, prayer, and to share your burdens with.

I’d like to ask you to remember to be faithful to pray and here are a few areas or prayers that came to mind:

  1. Pray for our leadership. For wisdom as they make tough decisions.
  2. Pray for our co-workers and ourselves that we wouldn’t worry as these things are out of our control.
  3. Pray that we as believers would trust in the Lord completely and be all the more wise with our finances and through what we do and say as well.
  4. Pray that we wouldn’t waiver in doing good and in doing what we are supposed to do in all areas of our lives.
  5. Pray that as many jobs can be retained as possible and for those of us that will be a part of any future layoffs that God would provide the next position rapidly.


In closing, let me encourage you again to hold fast to your faith and don’t lose hope. Don’t let these times get you down or provide an opportunity for the evil one to temp you to lose faith in God and in His provision for you.

If you need prayer or anything else, let me or others know. Know that I’m in prayer for you now and going forward.

In His Strong Love,
Your Servant and Brother,

rlk

Monday, February 09, 2009

Celestin Musekura's Story

The below brief video tells the story of Dr. Celestin Musekura , and his ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation in Africa as he endured much loss as part of the Rwandan Genocide.

I've had the privilege of hearing Dr. Musekura speak at my home church and have been blessed, encouraged and challenged by what he shared.

We have much to learn from his journey and his love and forgiveness and we should seek to do the same day-to-day.

Although it's brief, (and a promo for a seminary) I believe it still gives us a lot to think about.

I'd like to encourage and challenge you to do a study on forgiveness in the scriptures and then work hard, with the Holy Spirit's help to learn how to forgive others.

If your reading this and you're not a Christian I'm sure you realize that love and forgiveness is a powerful and needful thing! I hope that you also glean from this message and if you don't know the Lord that you seek His ultimate love and forgiveness as well - today!

In order to hear this message clearly, you'll want to scroll down on the right side of this blog to where it says Tunes and press pause on the music that plays on this site.



Questions to Consider:
Ask yourself....
-Who do I need to forgive today?
-How can I practice love and forgiveness right now and day-to-day?
-What do I need to forgive myself for?

Blessings in Christ,

rlk

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

On the Senior Pastor’s Level of Involvement in the Worship Ministry



I came across the below video regarding the Sr. Pastor, (Or sometimes called Lead Pastor today) involvement on Pastor James MacDonalds blog called "Straight Up" which is a ministry to pastors.

I appreciated what he shared and wanted to share it with you.

Worship is so much more than just music, (although music is important) as we have the opportunity to worship the Lord with our lives each day and during our weekly services, we are able to worship Him in spirit and truth through song, the proclamation of The Word of God, and more.

Watch this short video and then feel free to post your thoughts on worship here by leaving a comment.

Let's pray that all of the body of Christ, The people as well as the churches within it will evaluate our worship and take a full balanced approach to this essential part of our walk with God!

As always, you'll want to pause the music via the right navigation bar where it says Tunes so you can hear the audio properly.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Free Downloadable 2009 Calendar!

Wanted to let you know that the 2009 RLK Ministries calendar is available to you for free download!

Please go to: http://www.rlkministries.org/Downloads.html and you'll find the entire 2009 calendar or 4 individual 3 month files available for download. This calendar is in PDF format.

  • Please feel free to share this information with others who you believe might enjoy having this calendar.
Any photos that were not selected for this years calendar will potentially be used for future projects this next year.

A special thanks goes out to everyone who participated in the photo contest! The photos that you submitted were excellent!

God Bless, and Happy New Year!!

In Christ,

Randolph Koch

Friday, December 05, 2008

Lord, Give Me Your Eyes!


As we're at the beginning of this Christmas Season I've been drawn to the fact once again that there are a lot of hurting people in this world and there is an awesome opportunity for them to experience real peace this Christmas.

God can and will use us this Christmas time to minister to all those in and out of relationship with Jesus.

May we be beacons shining His light and love for the world around us, which by the way, is His world whether they reject Him or not.

May God give us His eyes to see the hurting and hopeless, and may He give us His eyes to see the needs even within the lives of other believers - which we often fail to see!

We can either cast judgment on or disregard them or we can reach out with the Hope that only they can find in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

This could simply start by providing a meal for someone in need or any number of things to help those in the community He's placed you in! Through that relationship you will then be able minister and love on them unconditional and plant seeds that will one day result in them coming to a relationship with Him. Take a look sometime at Matthew 25:34-40 regarding how God sees serving others! Or, check out Philippians 2:3 to see what God says about putting others before ourselves!

Here's a song that has recently come to mind in which the chorus is more like a prayer that God would give us His eyes. You can either play it in the below window or if it doesn't work you can use this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEfIcMqAzvs

Please note: in order to hear the audio without interruption, you may need to pause the music that plays on this blog by scrolling down the right navigation and finding the music player and clicking on pause.

Listen to the chorus' lyrics and may we make it our daily prayer that He would, "give us His eyes!" At a minimum, this will help you make this Christmas and going forward all the more special as you serve and put others first. This will also have an impact for eternity!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

RLK Ministries Update for November 2008

Hello,

The following is an update that I sent to friends of my ministry via e-mail.

Thought whoever stops by might be interested in an update regarding the many facets of my personal ministry.

Thanks,

rlk
*******************************************************************************************************

November 18, 2008


Dear Friends of RLK Ministries,

Greetings in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Hope this message finds you well!

It has been a while since I last communicated with you so I wanted to provide you with an update regarding many facets of the ministry.

First off, during this Thanksgiving time I wanted to express my deep gratitude for the privilege of serving the Lord and you! Since coming to know the Lord it's been an adventure and through the inception of this ministry in 1997, it's been continuation of an adventure, journey, and dream and I look forward to further opportunities to humbly serve and shepherd where He leads.

I know that it's a very tough economic time for everyone at this time and my family is right there with you! We can pray and lift each other up during this and every season of our lives and isn't it a true privilege to do so for His glory!

I always hesitate to share areas of prayer and financial need especially during this season of turmoil however just like any ministry large or small there are areas of need that I'd appreciate your prayer covering for!

With this in mind here are a few areas of update I wanted to share with you:

The Devotional Starters:

I'd appreciate your prayers, I've taken a hiatus from writing over the last year but I've sensed that it's time pick up "the pen" again and restart the Devotional Starters. Pray that I can lock time out each month to write at least once a month or more.

I'm also looking at possibly changing them a bit - seeking to be even more concise with what I'm lead to write through studying and sharing His Word. I'll have a few devotions to write and then I'll circle back and finally complete the CHARACTER series some of you remember I had started up but did not completed.

Computer Update:

One of the resource areas we've struggled with besides finances is the lack of an adequate laptop PC. It's hard to maintain the web site, write, or simply manage the ministry without one.

I'm happy to share that I've been blessed with the use of a newer pretty well equipped Laptop PC with a 17 inch screen for a few months for my ministry and personal activities. This is thanks to a friend from church who doesn't need it for a few months and offered me the use of it. Pray that by February, (which is when I'll have to return the laptop) that God will help us secure a new one of like kind.

Now that I have the PC as of a little over a week ago, I am in need of specific software and wanted to let all my ministry friends know of the needs in case this is something you might have and would be willing to give:

Here's what I need in order of importance with insight to how it will be utilized:

1. MS Office 2000 or newer with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, FrontPage and Publisher (Used is fine as long as it comes with a license of course) I'm also considering an evaluation of the free open source suite called Open Office. This may work out and if it does it will provide a MS Office compatible alternative for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. This will not replace a need for FrontPage or Publisher as Open Office doesn't come with an alternative. I'll keep you posted. I'll have use of the software, (MS Office 2007) for a few months which is on this PC but after the PC is returned, I'll need to acquire another licensed copy.

Use: This software would be used for writing, document creation, presentation creation, cost tracking, web site maintenance and more.

2. Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate (For graphics projects) http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1155872554948#versionTabview=tab1&tabview=tab0

Use: This would be used for graphic projects such as editing photos for scripture wallpaper creation, web elements, editing graphics for presentations and more.

3. Swishmax http://www.swishzone.com

Use: This is a Flash like authoring tool that would be used for web and other project enhancements such as online evangelism tools as well as encouragement tools.


Web Site:

I'm in the process of re-vamping the ministry web site, if you know any web designers that have any dynamic FrontPage compatible templates let me know as the site requires a much needed refresh soon. With the site revamp we'll also look to add further tools and resources as well as links to useful information.

Prayers:

Besides prayers for the above, I would appreciate your prayers as God is helping me / having me re-evaluate and re-focus what He wants us to do in helping meeting the spiritual and physical needs in people's lives. I'm sure I'll have more to share in the months to come as this becomes even clearer.

Part of this I sense will definitely bring an even greater focus on meeting physical needs, (I.E. providing Thanksgiving meals as well as other practical ongoing assistance) in addition to the spiritual needs in striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus and enabling others to do the same.

Secondly, I'm having to find some type of part-time work to help supplement my day job as well as put other things in place to better take care of the family God has blessed me with. Pray that I can find something that will be flexible and provide the right income at the right time. Possibly even something ministry focused through this ministry or other related ministry activities. I may also begin offering wedding and vow renewal services in the future.

Please Note: To be clear I wanted to mention that no income has ever been drawn from any of the funds given to this ministry over the years as the funds always go to help others or provide for specific ministry supplies/resources.

Thank you for your prayers for all of the resources and other items shared in this update!

The Prayer Chain:

Wanted to remind you that we still have a prayer chain! It's underutilized and I'd love to see it grow in those who subscribe to pray for the needs as well as those who share prayer requests. For the sake of administration and clarity, the only thing I ask is that when sending a request that the prayer request is as clear and concise as possible so the prayer need is heard and can be prayed over. The details can also be included but the prayer request(s) need to be clear as the main priority.

If you'd like to subscribe to be a part of the RLK Prayer Chain please send a blank mail to the following address: rlkprayerchain-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you have prayer needs, please send them to one of the two following addresses: rlkmin@msn.com or prayer@rlkministries.org.

Supporting RLK Ministries:

From time-to-time I'm asked how can someone support the RLK Ministries, besides prayer which is vital, here are a few ways to support financially.

1. Online Giving:

If you're lead to support RLK Ministries financially please go to: http://www.rlkministries.org/Support.htm and click on the PayPal Donate Button. Note: you do not need a PayPal account to use this service and All major Debit or Credit Cards are accepted. (This is also subject to a PayPal processing fee that is deducted for each donation in order to provide the service. This fee isn't applied to you rather to the funds that are donated)

OR:

2. Donation Deposit:

You can make a deposit at any Washington Mutual bank for RLK Ministries, just e-mail me if you would like to do so and I'll give you the account number.

If you have a specific area you want the donation to go towards - you can make note of that through either financial method.


We always appreciate your prayers and any financial support as we seek to help meet the growing spiritual and physical needs in the lives of others.

Thank you for your time! It's a privilege to serve the Lord and you! Please don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or need anything! Also, feel free to let me know how you're doing as I'd love to hear from you from time to time.

In closing, until we communicate next, may God bless you as you continue to seek Him and love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength!

Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch
RLK Ministries

Personal Blog: http://ashepherdsheart.blogspot.com
Web: www.rlkministries.org

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

An American Military Tribute - Veterans Day 2008



Dear Veterans,

On this Veterans Day words cannot express the gratitude I have for the sacrifices you have made for God and country!

I also recognize the great sacrifice your loved ones have made when you were gone, most likely often, when you were out protecting our country fighting for our freedom!

I also think of the numerous soldiers who have lost their lives in battle and the families that have been left behind to mourn their loss.

Simple words cannot truly express the gratitude I have for every military personnel past, present, and future!

Thank you for sacrifice! I pray that we never take you for granted!

The following is an American Military Tribute through a song named Unknown by David Harsh.

Please take a few moments to view and listen to this great tribute!

Note: You may need to pause the music/tunes on this blog by scrolling down the right hand side until you see the Tunes/Music Player and press pause so you can hear the introduction and music without interruption.

Sincerely,

Randolph Koch

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

3 Things a Son needs to hear from his Father


A few years ago I was blessed to participated in a class called The Quest for Authentic Manhood - which I highly recommend.

There were three things Robert Lewis suggests a son needs to hear from His Father. These three things as well as many more have stuck with me and I work to try and communicate these things to the sons God has blessed me with!

3 Things a Son needs to hear from his Father:

I Love You..
I am Proud of you.
You are Good at...

This list is just a starter list - but it is a great start! Furthermore if you look at the relationship of God the Father and God the Son in the New Testament, you'll see that God the Father expressed these same things to His Son Jesus, (God the Son) as suggested in the above list! (Check out the Gospels like the Gospel of Matthew for examples)

I share this list because it's important and in the context of the class the focus was on fathers and sons relationships and fathers doing significant things to bless their sons.

Now, I would also add that dads should express these things to their daughters as well and moms should also express these things to there daughters and sons.

The more parents who reinforce these things and affirm and build-up their children the better!

So, take this list and start implementing it now, keep adding to the list, and never forget these three!

My kids are still young and I've done this in writing and verbally but it's also important to mention that if your children are grown-up and off into adulthood, it's never too late to start blessing your children! Take time now to communicate to them in person and or in writing, (or both!) these things! You will bless them and whether they'd admit it or not, your sons, your children hunger for your love, support, and belief in them. If you can do this in person that would be best and following it up with a written note would be awesome!

In closing, I'd love to hear your stories about how you shared this with your children and their response. Please come back to this blog and leave a comment so you can bless others by your example and experience.

God Bless as you Seek Him!

rlk

Monday, October 13, 2008

Sharing the Word with the free RefTagger tool



From time to time I'm blessed to be a recipient of great information regarding new technology that has been created by brilliant minds.

I was introduced to one such tool in the past few days, through one of the pastor's blogs from my home church, which is a tool called RefTagger.

This is a free tool that you can added to your web site or blog that will essentially share the Word in a window for any scripture you've references.

For instance, when I type John 3:16 you should see a link that if you hover over it, you'll see the verse pop up in the version of my choice which is the NASB (New American Standard Bible). This is a great tool for sharing the Word as it delivers the Scripture right here and right now whereas I used to have to link each reference to another site such as BibleGateway.com. That is still an option but this would take you to another site in order to read the passage or reference. The other great option is that you have several major versions of the Bible to choose from so you can use your favorite version, if available, on your site or blog!

Going forward, when I share something with scripture this will be an added feature you can look for and benefit from.

Spread to the word about this tool to others who you think might want to add this tool to their site or blog.

Again, here's the link for more information: http://www.logos.com/reftagger

If you use it make sure to thank them and drop me a line when you can as I'd love to see how you utilize it yourself!

Blessings,

rlk

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Stock Market Down 777

During this time of great economic unrest I wanted to post a simple note of encouragement to you to remember WHO is in control. You and I need to be active in our finances and be sure that we are conservative in our saving, spending, and investments - especially right now.

In relation to this I also wanted to share something in response to a friend’s great question regarding the significance of the stock market losing 777 points yesterday in relations to the number 7 in prophecy, especially in relation to the prophecy about the break down of nations.

I thought you might have the same question or something similar so here are my brief thoughts on this.

Please note, I’m no expert on prophecy so this is again only my opinion but I hope that you’ll be encouraged in some way.


“You are correct, the number 7 is significant and is used many times especially with significance in The Book of Revelation.”

“In a nut shell: My opinion would be that on one hand, yes, A. it could be a prophesy coming to pass before us or it could be, B. God is reminding us that He’s in control and to keep our eyes on Him during these tumultuous times and at all times.”

“I lean more toward B. but will not discount A. either because God is God and I am not!”

“His economy is bigger than ours and on one hand, it’s no wonder our country, who no longer makes honoring God like our founding fathers did, a priority anymore, is having economic woes. Yet, we still know WHO’s in control.”

“Take courage, stand firm, and be/stay ready.”

Friend,

God is in control and rest assured that He will make a way through this and in fact He already has a solution in mind and has had one long before these recent events!

Congress is not going to solve the problems our economy has but we all will inevitably bear this burden but again, we are not alone. God most High knows what is going on and will make a way whether this country likes it or not.

Don't forget to pray and don't stop praying for the United States of America, especially during this time.

Don’t forget to get into the Word and study it for yourself.

Continue to actively pray on the Full Armor Of God each day.

Do not be afraid because He alone is with you always.

God Bless,

RLK

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Music Creativity RE: David Harsh

I've posted an entry or two in the past about a friend and gifted minister of music, David Harsh, and I've been looking for a few videos to share/showcase a glimpse of his gifting and creativity through guitar, vocals, etc.

As I've share before, David is a servant/ singer/songwriter/ musician. He does concerts, workshops, speaking, leads worship, and more! After checking out the following links for videos and other information, as well as the embedded video below, let me encourage you to share this information with your church or camp. He'd be a great servant to bring to your church / community to share the Love of Christ through song!! He also has a great sense of humor!

Here are the links:

Videos:
http://www.davidharsh.com/videos.html

More audio:
http://www.myspace.com/davidharsh

Here's the video: (You'll probably want to pause the music that plays in the background so you can hear the audio in this video properly. Just scroll down to right side of the screen and see the "Tunes" area where you can click on the pause button. Then you can play the video embedded below.)




God Bless,

rlk

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Balancing Life – Thoughts on the “Balancing Act” of Life

Let me ask you, is your life balanced well? If you sat down and took an inventory of the activities you’re involved with, does it seem like you’re involved in too much, not enough, or things are just great and everything is balanced with your home, work, ministry, relationships, etc? Are you feeling exhausted or invigorated by your activities? We all have multiple areas and activities in life that we all have to manage and balance and seek the Holy Spirit’s help to spotlight areas that are out of balance because each area needs to have proper priority so you can live your life to the fullest for Him as a blessing to all those He’s places in your life.

The above questions are important questions to ask yourself from time to time and seek God about.

Personally I’ve been seeking God on many things related to this as I’ve sense for some time now that, (without going into too many personal details here) my life isn’t as balanced as it should be. Some weeks I spend close to as much time serving in ministry as I do through work and then my relationships suffer because of it because I’m not home or available and physically and spiritually I’ve become exhausted at times.


I’m someone who tends to give more than 110% to almost everything God places before me and I started asking myself some tough questions as things were brought to my attention by The Lord as I was seeking Him. During this effort I was blessed to go to a weekend retreat just a few weeks ago now. Over that weekend I sought God on these things and heard from Him clearly regarding some changes I need to make in my life – changes that He wanted and wants me to change. Changes that will ultimately allow me to by His grace, de-stress, unburden, and balance my life better so I can serve Him more effectively and I can care for and build up my wife, children and other relationships more! He also showed me that I’ll also be able to focus and do even better in the ministries He has me involved with if I do things His way and He also reminded me of the equally important area of life which is investing more into the lives of my wife, kids and other relationships!

One of the tough things he showed me is that I needed to resign from one of the ministries and teams at church that I’m very passionate about. God showed me that I’ve done all He wants me to do with it and just that one ministry will free up more time as some weeks I was spending upward toward 15+ hours a week, (which included meetings and tasks that needed to be accomplished) on top of everything else. It was very tough to resign but once I did, I was at peace about it because I knew God directed my path and I wasn’t feeling regret or over analyzing things like I always do!

You see, I don’t easily stop serving as God has passionately wired me to serve and shepherd wherever He’s placed me. So, If it was up to me, I'd still be continuing to knock myself out trying to do everything and serve all but this is a season for me to take a step back and seek more direction and concentrate on all the aspects of the life He's blessed me with, again, I'm seeking His guidance to balance things out better.

I'm not sure if everyone understands but When God "hits you over the head with a hammer" to get your attention, you/I need to be obedient to listen. :-)

One side note, in the above example I was somewhat surprised that only two people even wondered or asked, “is everything alright?”, (not that I was trying to make a statement by stepping down) since I was a part of this team since the beginning. You just never know what people are thinking or what assumptions people make but the one thing I’ve learn in observation over the years is that if you’re concerned about someone, you just need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and simply ask them. :=) I digress I suppose…

I’m sure in the coming week/months; He will reveal more work He wants me to do in order to balance life out so I can more effectively live for and serve Him! I’m also sure that as I continue to seek Him He’ll give me even more clarity regarding the areas where He wants to serve where I’ll grow and serve Him more effectively!

I share all this as a practical example of something we as believer’s need to consider and seek the Lord on. We cannot keep going at 100 mph all the time because the more we do so, the more out of balance our lives become and the less we'll tend to hear and see His direction for our lives! Why? Because our vision tends to become foggy sometimes as we're too busy serving Him to step back and hear and see Him! Or another way to put it is that we become too busy in the activities of serving Him and living life that we aren't stepping back and being nourished by Him which is very important for obvious reasons.

If you’re reading this and you happen to not be a Christian, in a practical sense you should also consider balancing your life out as well. Let me also encourage you to investigate for yourself what a relationship with God is all about - What does it mean to be a Christian? For more information to help you in your investigation - you might find this entry titled “Journey of Grace” helpful. At the bottom of the article you’ll find some useful resource links as well.

As I bring this entry to a close, (I might write more on this topic at a later date) I wanted to share an article that provide additional thoughts and tips on this topic of Balancing the Christian life which has some helpful tips and will encourage you to start seeking the Lord on the state of your life, whether it’s balanced or not.

Please scroll down to read the article.

For Additional Thoughts and Reflection please also see the below resources on your way to the article:

I found a good blog entry recently that has additional thoughts on balancing life by a director at Dallas Theological Seminary the entry is title, “Balancing Life & the Christian Life.”

Also for a great book on Balancing the Christian life check out “Balancing The Christian Life” by Charles Ryrie. Some versions come with a study guide as well which will help you dig a little deeper through each chapter. This is a text that I had to read and study in Bible College.

_____________________________________________________________

Balance Your Life Well

Whitney Hopler
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Bill Butterworth's book, On the Fly Guide to Balancing Work and Life, (Waterbrook Press, 2006).

Stress, frustration, exhaustion, and guilt are the symptoms of a life out of balance. You’ll feel them if your work eclipses your relationships. You want to be successful at everything in your life, but too often, you run out of time and energy trying to do it all.

The key is realizing that life isn’t a sprint – it’s a marathon. If you balance your life at the right steady pace, you can achieve long-term fulfillment.

Here’s how you can balance your life well:

Pursue endurance. Stop rushing through life as if it were a sprint instead of a marathon. Don’t burn yourself out. Pray for the patience you need to approach situations with endurance. Ask God to give you His eternal perspective on the various aspects of your life.

Get rid of the “hazies.” Don’t let hazy thinking cause you to lose sight of your long-term goals. Think and pray about what’s most important, and establish priorities. Then make all your decisions with those priorities in mind. Remember that you only have so much time and energy; use it well. Focus just on what choices are best for you to avoid being distracted by the many other good choices you have available. Regularly remind yourself of your priorities, and build your schedule around activities that will most help you fulfill those priorities. Study how you usually spend your time, and notice how you’re currently balancing your attention between tasks and relationships. Frequently stop to consider whether or not you’re living your life in a way that would cause you no regrets if you were to die unexpectedly.

Ask yourself these questions to check your priorities: “What is my mission in life?”, “Why do I do this kind of work?”, “Where is my focus these days?”, “What are my long-term goals?”, “What are the important things in life to me?”, “Who are the three people to whom I am closest?”, “Are my relationships characterized more by giving or by getting?”, “Are my relationships characterized by love?”, “Who would I like to get to know better in the next six months?”, “To whom am I accountable?”, “Do I set aside a regular time and place for reflection?”, “What does quietness look like in my life?”, “What is the most common roadblock that keeps me from a regular time of quietness?”, “How might keeping a journal help me to achieve more balance?” and “What qualities would I most like to possess?”.

Get rid of the “lazies.” Ask God to help you develop the self-discipline you need to bring your life into the right balance. Realize that you will have to make some sacrifices to achieve a healthy balance in your life; be willing to do so. Know that you should eliminate one activity from your schedule for every new activity to which you commit. Be creative about how you can cut down on your work hours to free up more time for your relationships. Consider shifting your work hours to times that conflict less with your family’s schedule, eliminating distractions that decrease your productivity during work hours, delegating certain tasks to others, and other solutions that will free up time for you. Be patient while working to achieve your career goals; acknowledge that it will take some time to earn a promotion, start a business, etc., and don’t burn yourself out while you work toward those goals. Don’t let your job become the dominant influence in your life, crowding out everything else that’s also important. Instead, be proactive and intentional about planning your life well.

Ask yourself these questions: “Will the thing that is causing imbalance in my life really matter 10 years from now?”, “Is it possible for me to do fewer unimportant things at work and outside the office?”, “Can I accomplish my goals and be flexible at the same time?”, “Can I replace ‘either/or’ thinking with ‘both/and’ solutions?”, “Can I work smarter as opposed to harder?” , “Can I pencil in time to reflect on my life on a regular basis?” , “What issues in life and on the job should I plan for so I can stick to my priorities?”, “How can I become more flexible?”, “How can planning help me understand what is really important?”, “How can I include time-sensitive matters in my planning?”, “Do I have a strategy to deal with urgent matters without forgetting about the important things?”, “Can planning help me anticipate problems before they arise?”, “How can focusing help me cut down my time spent doing things that don’t matter?”, “Can I commit to the practice of not adding anything more to my schedule without first taking something else away?”, “Can I begin to think in terms of what must be done versus what might need doing?”, “How good am I at delegating tasks instead of postponing them?”, “How can I avoid traps like excess paperwork or the interruptions of the phone, fax, or pager?”, “Do I need to plan fun in my life, or does it just happen for me?”, “What are the methods I have used in the past for recharging my physical and emotional batteries?” and “How can I overlap the concept of fun with the concept of connecting to other people?”.

Get rid of the “crazies.” Don’t allow your life to run out of control. Learn to say “no” or “not right now” to requests for your time and energy that don’t reflect your current priorities. Think of the people (your spouse, each of your kids, each of your friends, etc.) and things (your job, your volunteer activities, your church, your gym, etc.) that demand your time in terms of laps you run around a track. Then prioritize those laps into levels of importance, and consider what changes you should make to how you spend your time. Pace yourself so you include significant time in your life for both learning and leisure, as well as labor.

As you consider learning in your life, ask yourself: “What class would be enjoyable and enriching for me to take?”, “What is the last book I read, and when did I read it?”, “What book would I enjoy reading?”, “What is the biggest hurdle to overcome regarding learning, and how can I get over it?”, “What form of learning do I only dream about, and how can I make that dream a reality?”. As you consider leisure in your life, ask yourself: “What is my favorite form of leisure?”, “How can I incorporate leisure into my routine?”, “How can my fun activities even benefit me at work?”, “Am I getting enough exercise?”, “Am I eating healthy?”, “Am I getting enough sleep?” and “How can I better mix business and pleasure?”. As you consider labor in your life, ask yourself: “How can I be more efficient at work?”, “What would make my work more significant?”, “How can I refocus my job so that it helps me achieve my life’s goals?”, “How do I prioritize?” and “How can I learn to focus on the most important clients and customers I have, while still getting all my work done?”.

Stay on track. Remember that balancing your life isn’t just a one-time event; it’s a process that needs your constant attention. Stay connected to God through prayer each day and rely on His strength to help you keep your life in the right balance as your circumstances change.

Adapted from On the Fly Guide to Balancing Work and Life, copyright 2006 by Bill Butterworth. Published by WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc., Colorado Springs, Co., www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook/.

Bill Butterworth blends humor, storytelling, wisdom, and practical advice, which has made him a popular speaker throughout North America. Bill speaks frequently for corporate clients that include American Express, Ford, Disney, Bank of America, and Chrysler. A highly regarded author, Bill has written books on topics ranging from sports to psychology and self-help issues. He has been a columnist, editor, and scriptwriter. Bill lives with his wife, Kathi, in Newport Beach, California.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

FIREPROOF

Hello,

I've taken a few weeks off from writing as life has been crazy busy but I wanted to get back to it by sharing info about an important movie that is coming out this month called FIREPROOF.

It's from the creators of Facing the Giants and I've inserted a widget below so you can view the movie trailer and other information and help spread the word!

For those who are married - whether your marriage is going very well or you're going through a tough season, I want to encourage you to see this movie and encourage others to do the same.

Check out the information and you'll see what I mean and then help spread the word and get as many people, especially married couples, even those who have started the divorce process, to go see this movie!!

I'll be praying that God will use this movie as a tool to strengthen and rebuild marriages and ultimately bring Glory to Him.

If you have problems hearing the audio through the widget, you may need to pause the audio on the playlist Tunes which is on the right side of your screen toward the bottom of the side bar.

All the best!

Your Brother and Servant,

rlk


Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Unforgiveness

If you’re a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ, then you’ve experienced the power of forgiveness first hand. Because of your own experience it has become typically easier for you to forgive others when they’ve done you wrong, right? :-) Ok, so maybe it’s not so easy sometimes but since God is helping us grow in the grace and knowledge of Him this is a very needful area that we need to work hard on and allow the Holy Spirit to direct our paths.

You see, unforgiveness has a lot of negative impact on people such as: it steals our joy and even more important it also is contrary to the teachings of The Word of God. It also cheapens the sacrifice He made for you and I when it comes down to it. He first loved and forgave you so in turn you and I need to really work on forgiving others. Now, this doesn’t me we need to “jump back into the snake pit” as they say because sometimes trust takes time but it does mean we are to forgive those, yes even those who “bite” us.

I wanted to share the below devotion with you that is a powerful reminder of unforgiveness and forgiveness.

But before I do, let me share some parting words: I can only imagine the hurt and pain you’ve been through at the hands of others whom you loved and trusted, let me encourage you to forgive them because even if the relationship isn’t back to 100%, you need to begin to heal from the wounds and if you can’t forgive, you won’t totally heal until you do nor can you fully honor God in your life until you do. Seek God, pray hard and give it some thought and God will help see you through!


Your Brother,
rlk


_______________________________________

Unforgiveness
By Pastor James MacDonald


"Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors . . . For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14-16


We're on one topic today and we're not getting off it till I'm sure you get it.

Nothing will cut a swath of devastation across your soul like unforgiveness. It is the absolute opposite of the life God calls you to live.

I know someone has hurt you and I'm sincerely sorry for that but you don't have to prove you were right.

You don't have to demonstrate the superiority of anything.
You've got to let it go.


Matthew 6:14-15 says, "If you don't forgive, my Father
won't forgive you."


Living in unforgiveness is a barren, tortured existence. Even those of us who have experienced God's love and forgiveness need to be reminded about what we have received. It's so easy to slide into a self-centered mess of unforgiveness.

Contrary to what some might think, unforgiveness isn't private. People will seethe in silence, insisting, This is just between me and him. But that's not true. It's also destructive to innocent people around you. How many people in your life have suffered because of an unforgiveness issue in your heart that has absolutely nothing to do with them? It seeps into the tone of all your conversations. It leaks out in your impertinence and impatience, your short temper and rashness. People who you love, who have done nothing wrong, suffer because of the unforgiveness that you're holding over someone else.

Unforgiveness is sin. It will eat away at your being until you choose the crisis and commit to the process of forgiveness. But that can all change.

This could be an awesome day--you have the choice to change. You have the chance to choose. I wonder if heaven is leaning over you and wondering what choice you are going to make. Your destiny depends on it.

To clarify, you are not saved by forgiving, but forgiving is what saved people do. This is one of the litmus tests for reality. Making the choice to forgive is one of the things that prove you truly belong to God.

Father, it must grieve Your heart even more than ours to live in such a dark world where people say things and do things that wound so deeply. But by Your grace I can forgive. I can simply release the pain to You and let it go. I choose by an act of my will to trust You and Your Word. I'm not going to hold it over the person who hurt me anymore when I have to see him or talk to him. I'm not going to go over it in my mind anymore. I want to handle it as You would. I want to be a forgiving person.

Forgive me for my pride, my anger, and the pointed comments that reveal the woundedness in my heart. Cover me with Your love. Let Your grace displace all that is ugly and angry and unforgiving in me. By Your grace, I choose to forgive.
In His name. Amen.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A Journey of Grace



A Journey of Grace
By Randolph Koch

A few years ago my family and I spent a week at Nehalem Bay National Park on the Oregon Coast. We camped in a Yurt for almost a week and participated in an Outdoor school with a great group of people/families through a home school group we belong to. 


There was a pioneer theme during the week where the kids learned great information about the pioneers as well as made pioneer crafts and played pioneer/old fashioned games. There was also a daily chapel service where we took a look into the full armor of God. It was a great time all around! There was also a reoccurring theme through the week about grace, God’s grace and during that week as well as when I drove the family home, my mind drifted back to my personal journey of grace – the testimony of how I gratefully came to know Jesus Christ as my savior just two months after I graduated from High School when I was 19 years old. 


Everyone who has come to faith has their own story and in this post I wanted to share a brief glimpse into my journey of Grace, or rather my Journey toward God’s Amazing Grace. I’m hoping that something in this post will be of encouragement to you in your own journey right now as God can heal all your wounds as well – if you’ll allow Him in to do so. I also hope that for those who know or are getting to know me that this will help you get to know me a little better as well.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” ~Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
My journey began when I was a young child. I was first introduced to the things of God, who Jesus is, etc in the kindergarten and Sunday school at the church my family attended at the time. I remember those times very fondly as I enjoyed the lessons and music but did not truly know what I needed to do to really receive salvation and know God personally.

When I was just about six year old, my world seemingly came to a crashing halt as my siblings and I learned that my parents were getting divorced. I remember how confusing this was at that age because I had no Idea what this meant and at that time period it wasn’t very common but none-the-less it was happening and through the events of that divorce and the following years it began to shape who I am today. 


Once the divorce was in process my mom received custody of my siblings and I. Then unfortunately due to different family issues we were kicked out of the home my parents were renting from family members and at the time my mom as I recall was only working part-time and some how God saw us through.


About a year or so later, my mom remarried and life became a bit more stable for my siblings and I although relationships were strained at times as we all adjusted into a blended family. 


Visitations began with my biological dad about every-other-weekend and then after time it was once a month, and then from about 10 on it was a rare occurrence at all. A few years after he and my mom divorced he remarried and started a new family and they had 4 children of their own. Looking back now as an adult, after the visitations stopped it’s clear that not having my dad in my life took a toll on me because of his absence but also because of the emotional and physical scars that were created over the years from an early age on - which I will not go into detail here. 


I remember asking my mom many times as I grew up, “why doesn’t dad love me?” and she’d always, being a good mom that she is, say, “your dad loves you” but even though she said it, by his actions I knew it wasn’t so - even to this day. 


As a side note: I tried to have a relationship with my biological dad at various times over the years but it was clear each time that relationships cannot survive on a one-way effort and unfortunately he eventually told my siblings and I at one point to just move on with our lives. So it has seemed that we not only lost our dad but our siblings as well because we couldn’t fully have a relationship with them, (although I’ve always wanted to) because he wanted us to move on. I’m not sure what my siblings have been thinking over the years or what they’ve been told but, I can say that we, (my older brother and sister and I) never abandoned them and up to my early twenties, I made efforts to have relationships with them. I still have hope that one day, they will make efforts themselves as adults, if they want to, so we can have a relationship again. This additional loss has been hard because I’ve always wanted to have a good relationship with them, because I do love them, but life apparently doesn’t work out as we expect sometimes despite our efforts. 

Back to my journey…

When I was in Jr. High I was invited to attend church with a friend and for a while I did but even then I thought I was a Christian and that was because I thought by being “a good person” and doing “good” things that I would go to heaven because of what I had done and I’d learn later that this wasn’t the case.

I grew up with very low self esteem and I didn’t feel very worthy of love or friendship and as a matter of fact, I really didn’t know what love, true unconditional love was. I grew up feeling inferior a lot and I still struggle at times today with these same things and don’t process rejection very well either due to my life experiences although as an adult I’ve grown a lot in this area with God’s Help! I also bottled a lot of things up inside back then and didn’t share my thoughts, struggles, or feelings with anyone, which wasn’t and isn’t a wise thing to do. Why? Because it just made and makes things worse for me because of a long time battle with depression. Because of these things I probably made some mistakes in relationships, I think I had ruined some because of the “baggage” I was carrying around and still regret those things very much! 

Many that knew me back then, through Jr. High and High School never knew that I struggled with depression, low self-esteem or anything because I became very skillful at masking what was really happening inside me. I felt empty, hopeless and internally was in despair and my depression became so bad at one point during High School that I started thinking about and planning on how to end my life on many occasions. I actually went as far as starting to go forward with the plans but each time something, (I’d learn later on that it wasn’t a something but literally a Someone) stopped me from doing such a foolish thing! During this time of depression I quietly started seeing the school physiologist and it was then that my mom learned about my struggle because they called her. Everyone cared about was going on but unfortunately I didn’t fully come out of this darkness which largely I believe was influenced by my biological dads rejection of myself and my siblings. It also had to do with my own thoughts and skewed self-image and self-worth as well so I owned a lot of the darkness I went through because of my own destructive thoughts and actions. 

During the remaining years of high school things started to change for me as I began to have a longing in my life that nothing or no one could satisfy. Then towards the end of my Jr. Year in high school I began to work at a Ross Dress for Less store. It was there that God brought some new friends into my life and one in particular started sharing with me about the things of God. I began to attend church with him from time to time and he continued to share truths about the scriptures. 

Then my friend invited me out one night to grab a bite to eat and to further share with me about faith in Christ. I was nervous for some reason, maybe because I already thought I was a Christian, but it turned out to be a night that changed everything for me because I began a new life that summer night in August of 1989.

At one point that evening as we ate dinner at a Shari’s restaurant in Beaverton, Oregon, my friend shared with me simply about how God loved me and sent is son Jesus Christ to die in my place as the ultimate sacrifice for my sin and that if I repented, (repentance simply means to confess and turned away from your sin) that He would forgive me and that I would then be able to have a personal relationship with the Lord. He drew out a line diagram on a napkin that explained all of this in a few short minutes with verses. 

As he came to the end of what he shared it was like a “light bulb” went on in my head because everything just clicked and I knew at that moment what he shared was true – the answer to my hearts longing. He asked me if I would like to receive Christ myself and I said yes! Then we prayed and from that night on I began an adventure of faith which completed my initial Journey (As God had been drawing me to Himself all along) to or of faith as I received His salvation through faith and by His Grace and there was nothing I could do to earn salvation or a way to heaven myself!
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” ~Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
Flash forward to today, I’ve been through a lot even in my Christian walk but I’m still walking in this new adventure and journey and growing in grace, truth, and understanding and learning more and more how amazing God’s grace and love is! I’m no longer trying to perform a certain way to earn favor with God and I certainly try not to do it with people either because with God, I know He will always love me and will never forsake me unlike how people have done in the past. (See Hebrews 13:5) I already have His favor because of what Christ did, (He sacrificed Himself for all mankind) and continues to do in my life, (Helps me grow through His Holy Spirit’s Guidance and He intercedes for me to the Father) and furthermore I know He’s my heavenly Father and that ministers to me a lot because He said in His Word that I’m adopted as His son and I’ll be a part of His family forever and “you can take that to the bank!” as they say! 

I’m so thankful that through all the past circumstances, depression, suicidal tendencies, etc, that I’m here today to experience all the joys and pains of life because each day is a new opportunity to learn and grow more than the day before as I can learn from each circumstance and ultimately I can hopefully bring more Glory to God! Yes, all those things have shaped me, for better or worse, into who I am today but God has the final word on my life and is continually shaping and molding me into who He wants me to become as His child as He helps me grow still more in the grace and knowledge of Him!

Another great thing I’ve discovered about my life with God is that I can now see, rather, I’m learning to see myself through God’s eyes. I now can see my worth through who I am in Christ instead of basing all of these things on mine or the world’s skewed/imperfect point-of-view. Now, even in the craziness of life I can also experience the true peace that comes from God and I can, just as I did in August of 1989, walk in newness of life with a greater purpose and plan for everything that I’ll do going forward.
“And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB)
His Grace is sufficient and His Grace is amazing! 

What about your journey? Maybe you can share your Journey of Grace by leaving a comment on this post for others to see and be encouraged by!?

If you’d like to explore faith yourself, here are some links that you should check out.


The Bridge to Life: https://www.navigators.org/resource/the-bridge-to-life/

Who do you think that I am?: https://www.gty.org/library/Articles/A335

Steps to Peace With God: http://www.billygraham.org/assets/media/specialsections/touchonelife/Printer-FriendlyStepstoPeacewithGod.pdf

Or feel free to contact me as well via the e-Mail address in my "About Page"

Thanks for stopping by!

God Bless,
Randolph Koch

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

Here's a cool video/song from Mark Schultz that will help us all the more get our minds around the 4th of July from Independence day in 1776 to today where brave men and women continue to fight for our freedom and have in many world wars and conflicts around the world.

No matter what country you live in, as a Christian you can thank God for your own Independence Day where He broke the chains of sin in your life when you came to know Him as your Savior for the first time. Since that day, your Independence day, you now celebrate your Dependence on Him as well and each day you can celebrate and thank Him for all these things as you seek Him!

Click on the following video or link to see and listen to this song:
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=665ce8623e36bd4e3c7c