Merry Christmas

There will be a short break in the devotionals.  We will begin posting them again January 2nd.  We hope you all have a very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS 5

1 Thessolonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

CHRISTMAS MAKES US LOOK FOR THE RETURN OF CHRIST

 When we celebrate Christmas and the humble birth of Christ I can't help but to think of the difference in that first coming and what it will be like when He comes again to take the believers Home with Him.
 As we go about our Christmas activities we need to be aware that the time is right for Him to come again and take us out of this sinful world. He has promised and He will keep that promise. 

Celebrate His birth.  Celebrate His Life.  Remember His death and resurrection but be aware that He is coming again.
 Look up.  Our redemption is drawing nearer than most people think.
Please feel free to contact me by email at
shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know.  Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus.  I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS 4

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead,  

CHRISTMAS MAKES US LOOK AT THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

 I can't celebrate Christmas and the birth Christ without also thinking about the death of our Lord.  I can't picture Him in the manger without picturing Him also on the cross.  

 His birth was the greatest gift man has ever received but it was not paid for until He made the ultimate sacrifice on that cross over thirty years later.

 Still, on a more pleasant note, I can't think about the death of Jesus without knowing in my heart that death could not keep Him.  He was resurrected and is alive.  He is alive now, never to die again.  In His death and resurrection He gained victory over the grave, over death, and over hell for all who will believe in Him.

 He is alive now, and forever more. 

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know.  Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus.  I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS 3

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

CHRISTMAS MAKES US LOOK AT THE LIFE OF CHRIST 

Christmas to me is not just about the birth of Jesus.  It is about His life.  A life when God became flesh and dwelt among men.  He overcame the world by living in the world.
 

Everywhere He went, He did the work of His Heavenly Father, doing miracles and good works and resisting temptation.  Living in this sinful world without being tainted by it.  His was a life of example.  His was a life of teaching others how they might truly live.

 The life of Jesus was a life of light that shone in the darkness of a sinfilled world.  In Him was life!

 Many today wonder what is missing in their life when actually it is life itself that is missing if they don't know Jesus.  Jesus does not just give us life.  He is that life.

 Christmas is not just about the birth of Jesus but about the life He gives us. 

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know.  Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus.  I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS 2

CHRISTMAS MAKES US LOOK AT THE BIRTH OF  CHRIST

 Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, LYING IN A MANGER.  What a joyous announcement it was that the Angels made to the shepherds that night.  They would find Jesus, a newborn lying in a manger.

There was much more than just a baby wrapped in those swaddling clothes.  He was the hope of all sinners.  He was the fulfillment of the law and of the prophets. 

In that manger was the center of all civilization.  Immanuel...God with us.  Jesus the Son of the Living God.  A savior, the fulfillment of God's promises to mankind.

Wrapped in the clothes of a newborn, lying in a lowly manger was the hope and salvation of all who would accept Him and believe in Him.
 

No wonder the Angels rejoiced!

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know.  Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus.  I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS 1

Galatians 4:4
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

CHRISTMAS MAKES US LOOK AT THE PROPHECY OF CHRIST

 Christmas is a very exciting time.  It is busy, even sometimes hectic.  It seems that someone is always complaining about the commercialization of Christmas and they certainly have a valid point.

One great thing about Christmas is that it is a time when everyone has to give some thought to the coming of Christ to be born among men. Many will try to avoid offending people by saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas but even in doing that they are acknowledging that Christmas is about something more than just a holiday.

Christmas is about God fulfilling His promise to send us a Savior.  The birth of Jesus was prophesied hundreds of years before His actual birth.  The holiday we celebrate is the fulfilling of that prophecy that God would come and deliver us from our sin.
 I am so thankful for God's promises, especially the ones that He has already kept.

Please feel free to contact me by email at shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.
If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know.  Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus.  I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

Christmas List 5

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?


It is easy for us to talk about our faith or at least it should be. Sometimes we need to just take a step back and ask ourselves if our works are showing our faith to the world.

Do we pray for the hungry and fail to help feed them? Do we pray for the lost and never take the time to witness? Do we pray for our church but fail to support it and the many ministries of our church? Do we pray for our families and fail to set the proper example before them.

Maybe this year we can give a great gift by putting our faith to work. We can conduct ourselves in such a way that people know that we really believe what we say we believe. Make out your Christmas list for others again and be sure that you are willing to give them what is most important, yourself.

Please feel free to contact me by email at
shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

Christmas List 4

Pr 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Time seems to fly by faster as we get older. When we are young we think we have all the time in the world and will be able to spend more quality time with our families as we get older. If we are not careful before we know it something unexpected happens, the children are all grown up and out of the house.

We can't get that time back to teach them the things we always meant to teach them. We can't go back and share the experiences with them once they are grown and gone. It is important for us to make time for them when they need us most.

No matter what we give them materially it will never be as great a gift as the time we spend training them up to be good Christians and good citizens. Give your whole family the gift of your time and attention. Don't just give it around Christmas but give it all year long.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

Christmas List 3

Ephesians 6:2 HONOUR THY FATHER and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

Sometimes the greatest gifts are not just given during the Christmas season. You can make an effort to give them all year long. There are many ways to honor our parents. Of course we know that we are to treat them with respect, we are to be attentive to them but even when they are not around we should conduct ourselves in a way as not to bring reproach upon them.

I am sure that many of you who are reading these devotionals have parents that are already gone on to be with the Lord. You can still honor them by walking in the Spirit and following Jesus daily.

Sometimes my heart breaks for so many parents who seldom ever see or hear from their children. There are many in retirement homes who seldom get a visit. Maybe it would be a great gift we could give all year if we made a decision not only to honor our own parents but all those that are elderly.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

Christmas List 2

2 Corinthians 8:5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but FIRST GAVE their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

One of the greatest gifts a person can give to his family and loved ones is to give himself to the Lord. When a person is saved it is not only a gift to him from God but to all those who are in his life.

Being saved should make such a difference that everyone around a person should notice a difference. A famous evangelist once said that when a man gets saved even the family dog should notice a difference.

There are people around the world praying for their spouses, their children, their friends and acquaintences and yes even their parents. Their greatest desire is to see them saved. What a wonderful gift it is when someone first gives himself to the Lord.

If you are already saved one of the greatest gifts you can give is to share the plan of salvation with someone who isn't. Salvation is the greatest gift of all. It comes from God and it is guaranteed to last for all eternity.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

Christmas List 1

Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

During this time of year the shops and stores are full of people filling the "wish lists" of their loved ones. Giving gifts at Christmas has been a tradition ever since the wise men followed the star to find Jesus.

Their gifts were very meaningful. The Gold was representative of his royalty as King of Kings. The frankincense was representative of his Deity, Immanuel, God with us. The myrrh was to represent his impending death for our sins.

How meaningful are the gifts that you will be giving this year. I want to use the next few devotionals discussing meaningful gifts that we as believers can give. I hope you receive a blessing from them.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.



THANKSGIVING 4

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God.

Reinforce What You Are Thankful For

Sometimes I sit down and look around me and just make a mental note of all the things I have to be thankful for. Sometimes I am thankful that I didn't get something that I thought I wanted.

If we look at what others have that we don't have it can cause us to be envious and cause us to be unthankful. We need to take a closer look at what God has blessed us with. Sometimes I think it might be wise to make a written list and not just a mental note.

I am most thankful for Jesus and my salvation. That is a gift He gave me even though I am so undeserving of it. If you really think of it, if you know Jesus and have eternal life and forgiveness of your sins, everything else is just a bonus.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

THANKSGIVING 3

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God.

REPLACE WORRY WITH THANKSGIVING

We worry about a lot of things. The Bible tells us that:

Luke 21:26 Men's hearts FAILING THEM FOR FEAR, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

That sounds a lot like worry to me.

We worry about our health and worry is probably the worst thing we can do for our health. We worry about finances while at the same time we fail to do what needs to be done to get them under control. People worry about all sorts of things when the best we can do is to trust God.

This does not mean that we are not to do the things we should do to handle problems. After we have done all we can do we need to turn them over to God and thank him for all he has done for us. When we replace worry with Thanksgiving it relieves a lot of stress from our lives.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.