pro·voke/prəˈvōk/

Having balance can make a marriage, a job, children, and a ministry more effective! In the last few months it has been very difficult for me to do this. I have two beautiful children that have needs, wants, and training. I have an  incredible wife who needs my time as well (its hers anyway). According to 1Corinthians 7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. I have a church to shepherd and I have many relationships around the country to keep current. As I struggle and learn in this area, I am reminded of a few Bible truths..

The Bible says in Proverbs 11:1  A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.  

If we get out of balance, we are bound to fall, and we become ineffective for Christ!  I want to share  a few things God has been teaching me when it comes to the matter of balance.

 1. Fear God more than man. Lets face it. You and I cannot please everyone! I learned very quickly in Bible college this is true. I was out to please everyone and found out quickly that not every one likes Cody Kuehl. What a bummer! I came across a phrase I learned to live by, “God-pleasers will please the right people!” You will find your life out of balance when trying to please men. When meeting God’s expectations for your life you will find great balance in the priorities of your life! I strive to say NO when needed! This is VERY difficult for me, but very necessary.

2. Prioritize your calendar. I have given myself 7 priorities in life and they are as follows: God, Shonda (wife), Children, Church, Friends, Health and Finances. I have to place them on a daily calendar or they will become out of balance. Living by a calendar helps me to say “no” to the things that are good and prioritize the ones that are best. When I sit down and prioritize my schedule I find great relief and balance.

3. Break off your to-do’s in bite size pieces. You ever wake up in the morning, and before you can even scrape the sleep from your eyes…you realize something horrible, and terrifying… A major project is due that morning! You throw yourself out of bed saying “OH NO!!” Ever been there? Or am I the only one?  Taking care of our to-do’s can become a daunting task. We can easily get overwhelmed with our responsibilities and give up on it all. I must write down all of my tasks for the week and break them up through out the week. I have to remind myself not to wait until the last minute to get to my projects. It’s less stressful taking little bites at a time, than trying to cram the whole thing down my throat at once!  This will greatly increase balance in life.

4. Understand the tightrope principle. We are all walking on a tightrope (life) and we’re holding a balance bar (priorities). While walking on our tightrope we adjust our weight and balance bar to stay upright and balanced. When falling to one side we adjust our bar (priorities) to stay balanced on the tightrope  (life). You and I have to understand that adjusting back and forth is normal. There are seasons in life when we get out of balance quickly. The boss has us working overtime, the church is running a VBS or Open House, the kids have 3 soccer games this week etc… When you see your life getting out of balance, recognize  it and quickly make adjustments. If I miss a family day one week I will take two days the next week.

I am in no way perfect in these areas, but I do desire to please God with my life. I pray God will continuously grow me in balance.

 

 

 

It has not even been a week yet since we found out our 4 year old Katie Kuehl has cancer! She has been through a 7 hour surgery to remove a tumor the size of a cantaloupe! (Yeah, the thing was 2.2 lbs.) She begins chemotherapy on Thursday to eradicate any lingering cancer cells.

This will be one of many trials we will face as a family! The question I ask myself many times is, “How do we respond Biblically?” I have been praying and studying this matter out for the last 5 days and here is what the Lord has taught us so far.

We can respond ….

1. With Fear... When I heard the word “cancer” from my wife with tears in her eyes and it was our child, the first feeling I had was FEAR! I understand that fear is a natural instinct given by God. So the question is, why do we have it if God does not want us to fear?  We were given fear in order to reverence and respect our creator.  ”1Samual 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” When going through a trial, the last thing we think is “how great things He has done for us”. Can I remind you that with God nothing is out of His control! Fear is dispelled by trusting in His ultimate plan!  ”Psalms 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” God is not grieved if we have fear he is grieved when fear has us. When you are afraid the Bible says TRUST IN CHRIST! We were talking with our Oncologist/Hematologist who has seen the worst and the best in life. She is in-tune with many theologians and scientists, who for decades cannot grasp the mysteries of life. I asked her, “How does your work affect your faith”? She said something very profound yet very simple. She said “I have accepted that a mystery can remain a mystery”. What she was saying was, “I trust God’s creation and plan although I do not fully understand”.

• Fear grips and holds us back from moving forward.  Job said in Job 4:14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Job remained faithful and recieved more in the end than in the beginning! 
• Fear reveals our lack of faith in God. Matthew 14:30 But when he (Peter) saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
• Fear becomes our controlling spirit instead of the Holy Spirit!2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2. With Fire… Or anger! When I think of a fire I think of it’s consuming affects. It does not care who it burns and who it destroys. An interesting truth about a wild fire is that when it’s out of control, firefighters use fire to destroy itself. Ultimately a fire is self consuming and self destructive. It also sustains it’s power by burning others! I know this about people who allow anger to overcome them during trials, “They destroy themselves and others”.  Anger soon turns to bitterness, which is a miserable place to be. As one person put it, “bitterness is the poison we drink hoping others will die”. I have the propensity to become angry at God, but why should I allow that to destroy me and my family! Anger does not help the situation it only fuels the fire for more anger, bitterness, and fear! Anger is a choice we make! God looks at every situation with love and His plan in mind. We have to remember that God does not view life the same way we do.  Psalms 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. We can only understand His righteous and holy works if He allows us to. Until then I have to remember that He is the Potter and I am the clay, when anger overcomes me I become unusable day by day!

• Anger will destroy me and others  Genesis 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
• Anger is foolish  Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
• Anger reveals a lack of self control  Proverbs 16:32 ¶ He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

3. By Faith… Having a relationship with the One I do not see has become more real than the ones I can touch. Hebrews 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Someone once asked “When your all by yourself  and the distractions are all gone, who am I?” I am proud to say that I have a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He was there at those times I felt all alone. He became my strength and high tower. There were times I felt like I was drowning and His presence lifted me out, Psalms 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. I can honestly say that I found that Rock and climbed to the top were I found fresh air and an inward renewing! I can see from the top of that mountain all the wonders of God, and most of all.. His presence! I am overwhelmed by God’s precious people and by God’s powerful hand! If the Rock was not there I would still be drowning in fear and anger with no help for miles to see.

• Faith comes by the Word of God Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
• Faith reveals your love for God Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
• Faith gives you what the world  cannot  Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
• Faith gives you strength and soundness through your trial Peter said in Acts 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong (Emphasis lame man), whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

I believe that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to HIS purpose. God has a wonderful plan. If we are to be the soft clay he expects us to be… then we should be okay when a little pressure is applied in life. In the end He is trying to mold a family into a master piece!

I don’t think a Sunday  goes by where I  feel like I just killed the fatted calf with my message! In fact, I often feel like I AM the fatted calf! I feel slaughtered by the doubts, strong holds and in-capabilities a spiritual leader encounters on a weekly basis. With all the demands of ministry, I often find myself falling short (at least in my mind) of helping everyone take their next spiritual step. Communicating God’s truth is a humbling endeavor, and the most sacred, highest call anyone can consider. Just yesterday at the beginning of service I noticed how full our auditorium was and could not wait to share God’s Word.  Everything was ready, the sermon, power-point, song service, specials, video. I mean, I had great plans! Then…….

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you showed up to speak in front of a large crowd and you looked down at the podium only to realize that you forgot your Bible and notes? Then you discover other vital components  missing? lol.  You wake up in a cold sweat thanking God it was only a dream!  Well, last Sunday was not quite that bad, but it was close. The power-point decided not to work, the video could not play, and in the middle of my sermon I trip over my object lesson, and it loudly falls to the ground!..  followed by awkward silence. But the thing that bothers me the most is that I feel that God’s Truth was not communicated and applied as clearly as it should. Does that bother anyone else?.. and do you ever reach a point when you feel like you have just “killed the fatted calf?”

Here are my  Five Observations….

1. I can honestly say that anything that is of eternal value is 100% God!
2. When I begin to think it’s me, my ministry is over.
3. I always have room for improvement. Teach-ability is something I never want to lose! When I have arrived God leaves!   
4. God can use anyone under any circumstance as long as they are completely yielded to Him!
5. You cannot take unforeseen circumstances personally, but you can improve what you do have control over!

I am not saying that our services are always a circus act (depending on who you ask). By the grace of God many lives have been transformed and I am looking forward to being a part of the many others that will be as well. What I am saying is that everything done in ministry is for God’s glory, and not my own. So if God wants to make a fool out of His servant, in order for Him to be glorified…I am honored.

There is nothing more enjoyable than witnessing a Christian “Walking in Truth”. John expressed this “greater joy” in III John 4, when a man he personally led to Christ (Gaius) was simply doing what the Bible says. 

The Bible may be full of a bunch of do’s and don’ts. But let me remind you that do’s and don’ts do not equal bondage and suffering, but rather freedom and joy! Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? You see, we either serve Sin or serve the Savior. I like this quote, “There are two choices on the  shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self”. Christ’s Truths have been proven and are always righteous, my feelings and preferences have failed me too many times! I don’t know about you but I want to serve Christ and place all my trust in His Truths! What about you?

I preached our theme verse  on Sunday January 1st 2012.

Text: III John 4

I. A Determination (Walk) 

1Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.          

            A. It is a Choice

            B. It is a Chore

2Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not  to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

            C. it is a Custom – Habit!

II. A Direction (In)

Note: You can walk, but walk in the wrong direction!

           A. Directed in Christ 

Hebrews 12:1 ¶ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud      of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,    and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith!

            B. Directed in the Commandments

Psalms 119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.

Psalms 119:172 ¶ My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness. They are  proven.

III. A Destination (Truth)

            A. The Rewards

            Note: Notice Gaius had a prosperous soul!

Psalms 112:1 ¶ Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that  delighteth greatly in his commandments.

            B. The Reality

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh  unto the Father, but by me. Gospel! 

I pray that 2012 will be a year of much fruit and Christians “Walking in Truth”.