Good coming from Bad

Hello All, I share with you first of all today this scripture from Romans 8:28. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose." A passage that at times has baffled many of us, including myself. A friend just finds out that they have Cancer and somehow we who call ourselves Christians are to understand that God will work for good amidst a situation like this. It takes a lot of Faith!
    Now a real life story. On Thursday, November 1st my little brother calls me to tell me that our Mom is having Surgery on Friday for she fell and broke her hip. She needs a hip replacement. To complicate maters mom has Fibromyalgia and is in early stage Dementia. To ccomplicate matters even more I had not talked to my Mom or step dad Phil for almost two years. Like some of you out there, I too live with a fractured family. Yes, I'm a Christian and a Pastor and I wish it were not this way, but this is a reality in my life and many of yours! 
    That same Thursday I called my step father with anxiousness to inquire about mom not knowing if he would take my call. Phil took my call and asked me and my Church to be in prayer for them. Ice broken, thank you God! In the weeks past Phil and I have spoken often and earlier this week I was able to finally talk to my mom with simple, "I Love yous" and "I miss yous" exchanged. Down the road I plan to visit them in Missouri.
     I wish it had not taken my mom breaking her hip to begin the healing process between us. But God has once again worked for the good amidst the physical pain my mom now deals with, not to mention Phil having to play nursemaid to her as he cares for her lovingly. A long way to go yet in re-building our relationships, but ice now broken.
   I share this with you today for I now that there are many of you out there reading this that are living amidst broken families of all kinds. You ache and you hurt over the anguish you feel. I write this to you who have families that experience little of this brokenness, that you wouldl truly cherish that! And that you would be in prayer for countless families that you know who wish their family was more like yours. Folks there is hope! And it comes in person called Jesus!  Never give up hope and always trust in Him.
     Your Brother in Christ, Rick Koch Dutchtown Church          
 

Rushing into Christmas

     Every year about this time I get this wild hair up my nose and I need to get on my soapbox and get this off of my chest! I know that this is a cliche, but it seems to me that the Christmas Season gets promoted earlier and earlier with each new year. Now I would not have any problem with this if the "True" reason we have Christmas got promoted earlier, that being the birth of Jesus. That would be great! But once again our stores have toy lands open earlier and earlier. Christmas music is now being played in many of the larger Box stores and I saw Christmas decorations up at a few homes before it was even Halloween! Slow down! It's not that I have anything against Christmas, I love it! I love to go shopping, I really do! I like putting up Christmas decorations or at least watching Beckie put them up. And I love Christmas music. But why does it have to come at the expense of Thanksgiving? A time of the year to pause and reflect on the goodness of God. Here at Dutchtown we have this time each week in worship to share about our blessings from the past week, to bless God with our praise. Yet as time goes by our sharing gets less and less. How is that if God is a glorious God, and He is. No instead it is simply a reflection upon us and our lack of thanksgiving to Him. Unfortunately this is happening all around our great country. We want and we want some more, but we often times fail to stop and give thanks. The Word of God tells us to Bless Him first and then He will bless our land. It's high time we get this right before it is too late! This Thanksgiving Season, take time out to tell God "Thank You" over and over again. He is worthy! Your brother in Christ Rick Koch      

VOTE

  I know that I am not supposed to talk about Politics from the pulpit as a Pastor or too share why you should vote for a certain candidate. So I will not do that! Instead a little story to tell you. An acquaintance of mine asked me the other day why am I going to the trouble of voting in the Presidential election come tomorrow seeing as I am going to vote for the Republican candidate. Because it's a "No Brainer" that the Democratic Candidate is going to win the state and it's Electoral delegates. Well for one, I never have liked the Electoral College, but more importantly voting is a "Right" that I am given in our great nation. A "Right" that many other nations wish they had, but do not. I get to vote without harassment or anyone looking over my shoulder. As a matter of fact, let's say you decide not to vote for whatever bad excuse you come up with. If you later on begin to engage me in conversation about the woes of our nation, I WILL turn a deaf ear towards you for you gave up that right to complain when you decided voting wasn't worth your time! Voting is just one way that we as Christians and Christ's Church can try to further God's Word in our nation. So come Tuesday, get out and exercise this precious right that you have. And never, ever let someone tell you that your vote does not count! Your Brother in Christ, Pastor Rick Koch  

"The Agony of Defeat"

   As I grew up we did not have scads of sports TV stations like we have today. In the Summer we had one baseball game a week on a Saturday afternoon and on Sunday, one game that was shown as well. But we did have on ABC "The Wide World of Sports". This station showed a wide variety of different sports each Saturday and Sunday afternoon's. This show is best known for these words that were a part of it's slogan, "We will bring to you the Thrill of victory and the Agony of Defeat"!  In the 20 plus years of living here in Milledgeville I have seen hundreds of different athletic events that our Jr. & Senior High school atheletes have participated in. I have enjoyed along with these athlete's and their parents, "The joy of victory". But I also have been there in those agonizing times of defeat. Times when our Dutchtown youth  have sustained an injury and were told that their season was over. Times when our athletes have worked so hard , but seen little time on the field or floor. Times when they suffered one loss after another, yet still clung to hope. Times when they fell just short of moving on to the next round, the next meet, the next game by just seconds, yards or one point. But our youth are resilient! They pick themselves back after each agonizing heartache and they move on in life.
     You and I do not do as well as they do when we have to face the "Agony of Defeat" time and time again. But that is why we Christ gave us His Church! A Place, a People, who have been through it just like us! And a people who are there for us when we are in the grip of yet another defeat! I don't know how people without Christ and the Church do it?  But this I do know, I am so thankful that you and I do have the Church to be there with us, to help celebrate our victories and to lift us up as we encounter defeats! So go forth today and build up those around you facing a defeat. Go forth and Be Christ's Church!
     Your Brother in Christ, Pastor Rick Koch

I Whine a Lot!

  Just this past Sunday I was teaching the kids at church about "Being Thankful". I used the scripture from I Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be Cheerful no matter what; pray all the time, thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Jesus Christ to Live."   The kids got the point and when the story was over most of them said ,"Thank You" for the sucker they got afterwards. Mission accompished!
     Yet here I sit today, weary and tired, not all that Cheerful. As I am writing this my head is bobbing like that little ceramic doggie in the back of the car, with his head bouncing to & fro with every bump in the road you hit. Yet in the midst of my yawning and whining I know that faith is revitalizing those around me, praying my way through this funk and continuing to Thank God, WHY! Because this is how he wants me to live!
   Sometimes we all need a little Slap upsides the head by the Holy Spirit to get us going again. So if you're in a similar place today or find yourself in one tomorrow, I will pray that the Holy Spirit will give you a little Love Tap upside your noggin' to remind you how to live as well. Man, if I get to many more of these Love Taps from Christ, I'm gonna need to see my Chiropractor! Your Brother in Christ, Rick Koch  

"Chance Meetings"

    Last week My wife, Beckie and I spent four days in Door County, Wisconsin. We came to see the color that we had heard so much about and we were NOT disappointed! As we turned down each new road that we had never been on before, there lying ahead of us was just one more breathe taking vista of God's Creation! But what I really want to share with you mostly today about our trip is this story. It was now Tuesday evening and our stomachs began to tell us that it was time to eat once again. WE did a lot of eating last week. As Beckie and I were walking down the stairway in our Inn, just before we walked out of the doors I glanced to my left into the welcoming foyer of our old English Inn. I then turned my head back and said, "Nay", but then turned one more time to my left and off in a corner of the foyer resting were Steve & Karen Bazzell, from Milledgeville. Friends of ours who lived only six or seven houses down the street! Come to find out, they have been coming to Door County for 19 years in a row now and staying at this same place! In the next few days we had severall visits with the Bazzells, shaking our heads each time at this "Chance Meeting" that had taken place.
    When I think back on this "Chance Meeting" I am saddened about how many Christians I know that hope that they get to have that "Chance Meeting" with Christ when their time on this earth is up or if Jesus comes back before then. But the scriptures are firm when thay tell us that we CAN know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our place in heaven is secure. This is what Romans 10:12 says, "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved!" It does not say "Maybe" or "If you do all the right things", it says EVERYONE! Your meeting Christ in Heaven will not be a Chance Meeting. If you have received Him as your Lord and Savior, your there! No if, ands or buts about it!
   Now go out and live your faith, not trying to earn something, but live it in the Joy of knowing your place in heaven is secure! Your Brother in Christ! Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown Church   

Octoberfest

       Hre in the mid-west one of the big times of the year for our small communities is our Octoberfest's! Celebrations where the aroma of Brats and an assortment of German sausages can fill the air for miles around. A time when Beer tents crop up, places for those of you who choose to, can get a draft or two of your favorite fall ale. Celebrations proclaiming the changing of the season and the bounty God has blessed us with.
     In a similar way we in the Church celebrate our own Oktoberfest as well, but we call it Holy Communion. Communion is the celebration of Christ's supper. We eat unleavened bread, a simple feast, but one filled with symbolism and hope! You see this bread represents the body of Jesus, God's only Son. When we eat of this bread we are to be reminded of His body that taught the masses, healed the hurting, went to the Cross and their died for you and I. When we drink that little sip of juice we are to be reminded that it is a symbol of His blood spilt on or behalf. His blood which washes away our sins and  ushers you and I into the presence of His love.
     So you see this really is an Oktoberfest of a sort! A Celebration of Christ. This coming Sunday is World Communion Sunday. Go to Church somewhere and Celebrate with Christians around the world this Lord's Supper, Communion, our God given Oktoberfest!
     Love you all! Your brother in Christ Pastor Rick Koch  Dutchtown Church