WEATHERING THE STORMS

Mark 4:36=39 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 

AFTER THE STORM

Hopefully you will be reading this after the storm has passed.  The damage has been done and the winds have subsided.

 

It is time for the clean up.  Sometimes this can be more stressful than the storm itself.  When marriages fall apart it is not easy to rebuild a family.

 

When financial storms hit and we have to start over, sometimes it can take many years to rebuild.

I could use many more examples but I could never cover them all.  Rebuilding is hard and we often have to clean up a lot of debris from the storms before we can even begin.  Only then can we really begin to rebuild after a storm.

 

Remember, if the storms of life have damaged you, and if you have cleaned out the debris and it is time to rebuild, you have to build on the right foundation, Jesus Christ.

 

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.

WEATHERING THE STORMS

Mark 4:36=39 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 

As the storms are forecast on TV we see them categorized.  Hurricanes start as tropical depressions, become tropical storms and then sometimes build to hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 5, with a 5 being the strongest.  They classify tornadoes from F-1 to F-5 and then there are the straight line sustained winds.

 

I sort of understand all this terminology but I also know one other thing, When the hen house blows away, no matter what you call the storm you have still lost your chickens.

 

I have seen reports where psychologist try to categorize the amount of stress on a person through certain stressful situations.  I'm not sure how scientific this is but I do know that to the person going through life's storms, the one they are going through now is the one that matters most.

We all react differently to the storms of life and some are more prepared to face the storms of others.  Whatever the storm you might face just remember that Jesus is the One who can calm the storm.
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.

WEATHERING THE STORMS

Mark 4:36=39 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 

With all the weather satellites now and all the electronic media we are almost always able to prepare for the storms that hit us.  Sadly that is not always true for the emotional and spiritual storms that come our way.

 

While there is no way to predict when the storms in our lives will come, we can be prepared for when they hit us unexpectedly.  We can make sure that we are on board with Jesus.  We can know that we can call on Him during the worst trials and turmoil of our life and He has the ability to say, "Peace, be still."

 

Sometimes we try to ride out the storms of life without calling on Jesus.  Jesus is the only one who can give us real peace when the winds of despair pound us from every side. 

 

Never hesitate to call on Jesus when you are facing an emotional or spiritual storm.

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.

WEATHERING THE STORMS

Mark 4:36=39 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 

As I sit here and write these devotionals our state is preparing for a hurricane.  That is practically all that they have talked about on the news all day and it brings back memories of Hurricane Katrina, exactly 7 years ago.

 

My wife and I sat in our car as it bounced up and down, shook and rattled for six hours.  We were caught out in it and we watched as mighty oak trees were waving like willows.  It was definitely a sight to see.  Believe it or not we were actually calm during the storm.  We knew that we were in God's hands and He was in control.

 

We survived the storm and made it home.  We live in the center of the state, many miles from the coast and we never realized that the devastation of a Hurricane could come as far North as it did.

Just like in life, sometimes the storms catch us by surprise because when they hit it is like nothing we have ever experienced before.

 

We have many storms in our lives but one thing is for sure, Jesus can still control the storms.

 

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.

HEAVENLY PLACES 5

Ephesians 2:6-7 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

 

When Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, He said:
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE in earth, as it is in heaven.

 

Someone once said if we really want to do the will of God we should investigate what is going on in Heaven and try to imitate it down here on Earth.

 

If we study God's Word, the Bible, we will be better able to conform our lives to God's will. Too often we will try to figure out what we want to do and see if we can get on board.  Jesus said that we were to forsake all and follow Him.

 

The most Heavenly position to be in on Earth is the center of God's will.  it is then that Jesus begins to show us the exceeding riches of His grace. 

 

Are you ready to sit in the Heavenly places that you have been raised up to sit in?

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.

HEAVENLY PLACES 4

Ephesians 2:6-7 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

 

When we sit in our place of prayer and pray fervently we are certainly sitting in Heavenly a Heavenly place.  Whether it is alone, with our family, with a prayer partner or a group a time of prayer certainly should be a time of being in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

 

We are invited to come boldly before God's throne of grace and we don't have to go through any mediator other than Jesus Himself.

 

This does not mean that we should go arrogantly. It is still important that we approach God humbly and reverently and acknowledge Him as our Heavenly Father and Creator.

 

The "effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much".  How much more Heavenly can it be than that?

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.

HEAVENLY PLACES 3

Ephesians 2:6-7 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

 

We can sit in Heavenly places while we share the gospel with the lost.  That is not just the job of evangelists, pastors, deacons and others.  It is the job of each person who has been saved by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus said;
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU.

 

While Jesus is preparing a place for us, we are to be telling others of the place He is preparing for all those who believe.  It is a Heavenly command with a Heavenly purpose. 

 

Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

When we are being obedient to this command we are certainly in Heavenly places, after all, when Jesus is with us we are certainly in a Heavenly place.

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.

HEAVENLY PLACES 2

Ephesians 2:6-7 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

I believe when we attend worship services in our church we should be sitting in a Heavenly place. I have had a lot of people tell me that they can worship God as well on the lake or even on their front porch as they can in church. I kind of doubt that they can and I am certain that I can't.

There are too many distractions and the verse above indicates that we should sit with others in these Heavenly places. When we enter into the worship services we should shut out the world from our mind and concentrate on the Majesty of our Creator and the grace and ministry of Jesus Christ. Everything involved in the worship service should try to focus our attention on God.

To often we fail to concentrate on our Heavenly Father and we miss a great opportunity to sit with others in a Heavenly place.

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.

Heavenly Places 1

Ephesians 2:6-7 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

In this modern age we do a lot of sitting. We sit in church, in class, even in the choir. We sit in automobiles, some sit all day at work, and I've enjoyed more than a few hours of my life sitting all day in a boat hoping to catch a fish.

The question is how much time do we spend sitting in the Heavenly places referred to in the verses above. What are these Heavenly places? How do we find our seat in these Heavenly places?

This is only my personal opinion but I believe a Heavenly place is wherever we are in close fellowship with God, serving Him and worshiping Him the way we should be.

I hope you receive a blessing from the next few devotionals.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

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

Focus 5

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

FOCUS ON THE SOLUTION...NOT THE PROBLEM

It seems like we are always being hit by some surprise problem.  Sometimes the problem is so overwhelming that it seems be all that we can focus on.  It could be any number of things.  I know because I have experienced some things that really grabbed my attention.  Maybe it is a bill that you have no idea how you are going to pay.  It could be a disturbing diagnosis from the doctor that really gets your attention.  Problems on the job can literally take over your life.  Family difficulties can cause you not to be able to focus on much else.

We must train our self to focus on the solution and not on the problem.  Focusing on the problem does not bring us any resolution.  It only makes the problem seem bigger.  If we spend our time in prayer and ask God for direction He will show us the solution.  Just think about it, "You have made it through every problem you ever had so far."

Focus on God.  He is the solution.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

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 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.

Focus 4

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

There is a great ministry known by this name and they teach some wonderful principles for the family.  They are able to communicate these principles through many media outlets and hopefully they will do some much needed good.  I am in no way critical of these programs or this ministry, as a matter of fact I think it is great.

There is a problem though when we Focus all of our attention on the family.  I have noticed that many families have so much family time and so many activities that they actually don't have time to spend as a family.  Between baseball, soccer, cheerleading, band, and various other activities it seems that people are living out of their mini-vans and SUV's as much as their homes. After all they don't want their families to miss out on anything.  While again there is nothing wrong with these activities and they are healthy in proper doses, if you lose your focus on what is really important it can do real damage.

What should the focus be?

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the NURTURE AND ADMONITION of the Lord.

You can provide them with the greatest education, the healthiest activities and the greatest social life, but if you neglect their spiritual growth you are focused on the wrong things.

Do you pray with your children?
Do you set the proper example for them?
Do you teach them from the scriptures?
Do you make sure that their commitment to church and spiritual activities are more important than secular ones?

Focus on Jesus and keep your family focused on Him.

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 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.

Focus 3

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, YE SEEK me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Jesus was mildly rebuking the crowd that followed Him.  He knew their motives.  They were following Him because of what He could do for them.

I have heard it said that there were too many people seeking God's hand and not enough people seeking God's face.  I think there is a lot of truth in that.  They want to know God and receive God's blessings without really knowing Him on an intimate basis.  Many want the benefits of being saved without really making a commitment to God.

As we truly get to know God more personally we realize that the closer we conform to His will the more joy we will experience in our life.  Don't focus on the benefits, focus on the Benefactor, our Heavenly Father.

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.

Focus 2

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Many churches are not completely unfocused.  They are just focused on the wrong things.  When we tell others about our ministry we sometimes forget to tell them about the most important thing.  "We are a Christ centered church and we believe the Bible is the Word of God."

If we are to be known as anything it should be that we preach and teach the Bible.

I am a member of a small congregation and we have a wonderful fellowship, great love and respect for one another and if we are not careful that could be what we focus on the most.

Many churches are known for their music, their youth ministries, their senior citizen ministries, benevolence or some other ministry.  These ministries are wonderful and God can be glorified through them but that must be the focus.  They must be Christ centered and the focus must be on bringing glory to God.

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.

Focus 1

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

I heard someone say recently that the church has lost her focus.  When something is unfocused that means that everything is blurred and we truly live in a time when somethings are really kind of fuzzy.  Evil men are calling good evil and evil good and it seems like the only culture that it is permissible to criticize is the culture that believes that the Bible is truly the Word of God.

I have noticed that people who want to engage in any type of sin on a regular basis not only want others to tolerate it but are actually angry if we don't embrace it.  They usually come across as if they believe that if we don't endorse sin, we are being mean.

Many churches are becoming unfocused and are allowing the lines to become blurred between right and wrong.  Sadly this starts with small things and once they are over looked they grow into much larger issues that soon become divisive.

If we are truly to remain focused on the ministry that God has given to us we must remain focused on His Word and accept it as final.

Is your life out of focus because you have neglected your Bible in favor of popular trends and customs?  Spend time getting to know God better.  You will be surprised how focused your life will become.

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.

A NEW CREATURE 5

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

I have a confession to make.  Because I have not understood and only know things in part I really believe I have missed a lot in my life.  When I compare my life to some I don't measure up so bad.  As a matter of fact I look pretty good in comparison to some. When I compare myself to others that I know I feel kind of inferior and know that I should be a much better person and a much stronger Christian.  I feel like I have cheated myself because I have not done my best.

It is even worse when I compare myself to Jesus and to the scriptures.  God's word is filled with promises which I have failed to claim simply because I have failed to strive to be more like Christ.  Lately as I enter the twilight of my years and I look back on my accomplishments I see that if I had been more surrendered to God that I could have been used so much more.  I realize that I can't go back and redo things.  The great thing is that I can still go forward and try to conform to the image of Christ.

God is not through with me.  He is not through with you either because you are still here.  It is never to late to start transforming into the new creature that should be in the image of God.

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.

A NEW CREATURE 4

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Growing into spiritual maturity as a new creature in Christ is not a simple task.  Knowing how to conform to His will can sometimes be unclear to us.  It is as Paul said we are looking into a "glass darkly".  We can see only a shadow of what is really there.

We have a mirror that is perfectly clear and it works two ways.  We have the Word of God, the Bible.  It not only shows us Jesus and His life and His word that we should conform to, but it also shows us the areas in our life we need to work on.

Many people fail to mature as a new creature in Christ because they fail to ever learn what God wants them to become.  He wants you to become more like Christ.  Conform to that image and you will begin to find your potential as a new creature.

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.

A NEW CREATURE 3

IN HIS IMAGE

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Have you ever seen a children as they follow their parents and try to do everything just like they do.  We sort of smile and think in the back of our heads that they will outgrow that soon enough.

Sadly we are right because as a person grows up they begin to reason for themselves and make their own choices which sometimes are vastly different from their parents.  Sometimes the results are an improvement and sometimes not.

In our spiritual life we should strive to be like our Heavenly Father. Unlike in our carnal life we where we grow apart and start to become our own person, we should strive to be more and more like  Christ, as we mature.  The people at the Temple Beautiful took note that Peter and John, "..had been with Jesus."  As we grow and mature in our lives as a new Creation we should strive to be more like Christ.

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.

A NEW CREATURE 2

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

IN HIS IMAGE

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

We sometimes don't like to think of our self as creatures but that is what we are.  We were created by God.  We did not evolve, we did not just happen but we were created by God in His image.

Some may ask if we are created in the image of God, why don't we resemble Him more?  We don't resemble God in our natural state because we have been marred by sin.  That is why we need Jesus.  He comes into our life and we receive the Holy Spirit and He then begins to transform us.  He transforms us so that we become more like Christ.

Are you allowing God to transform your life into someone who more resembles His image.  After all, if you are saved, you are now a new creature.

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.

A NEW CREATURE 1

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Years ago I saw an old science fiction movie entitled "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers".  Some type of seeds or pods were dropped from out of space and they would take over the body of humans.  Their entire personality would change and they would be devoid of emotion and they were out to take over the world.  I knew it was just a movie but I still looked under my bed every night before I went to bed.

Actually when we get saved we should have a complete change.  Jesus comes into our lives and we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and the more we submit and yield to Him the more like Jesus we become.

Maybe we should be more willing to let God have His way with us and change us into the New Creature that He would have us to be.

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.

CHOOSING RIGHT FROM WRONG 4

WILL IT CAUSE OTHERS TO STUMBLE?

(Rom 14:13)  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

If we fail to choose right from wrong it could become a stumbling block for weaker Christians. We must always remember that not only are the lost people watching us but weaker Christians are watching us and we could cause them to stumble if we choose the wrong paths and make the wrong decisions.  We have an obligation to set a good example to both the weaker Christians and to the those who are unsaved.  If we are not setting the proper example we can not expect them to get closer to the Lord by following us.

WILL IT GLORIFY GOD?

(1 Cor 10:31)  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

In closing the easiest way to settle whether you are making the right or wrong choice is to ask yourself this question, "Will what I choose to do glorify God."  If the answer is yes then you are probably making the right choice.  If the answer is no, then you had better re-think your choice.

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.

CHOOSING RIGHT FROM WRONG 3

WILL IT KEEP ME FROM GROWING SPIRITUALLY?

(2 Pet 3:17-18)  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. {18} But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Sin will stunt our spiritual growth. If we harbor sin in our life and refuse to let it go (or fail to wrestle ourselves free from it) our spiritual growth will be hindered.  Many fail to reach spiritual maturity and remain babes in Christ simply because they are in bondage to some sin that they fail to rid themselves of.

This is not uncommon and explains why we have so many who fail to grow in grace.  When we do grow in grace we will experience spiritual fruitfulness and will see results of our witnessing and soul winning.

Even when we are guilty of doctrinal error it will stunt our spiritual growth.  We must study the scriptures and rightly divide the truth from God's word.  It will bring us security, certainty, and most of all clarity.

Sometimes we fail to mature and we don't understand why.  This is why it is important for us to examine ourselves, our beliefs, our actions and our walk with Jesus.

Get rid of the things in your life that hinder your spiritual growth.  It is the right decision to make.

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.

CHOOSING RIGHT FROM WRONG 2

IS THERE A POSSIBILITY IT WILL ENSLAVE ME?

(1 Cor 6:12)  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

We are well aware that many are enslaved by certain sins that either hinder them or keep them completely from being vessels that honor God and are used by Him.  It is not hard to know that many are enslaved by alcohol, drugs, promiscuity, greed and such as that.  Most people would not even argue that these things are a hindrance to their service.

What we fail to notice many times that people can be just as enslaved to pride, gossip, bitterness, anger and even ambition to the point that they never become vessels of honor for God.

If something causes us to focus more on ourselves and our desires than on serving and honoring God we should do our best to bring that under subjection to Him and to His will.

Choosing right from wrong is not always easy but it is what we should do.

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.