Do You Really Know How Much He Loves You?

Eph 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;(19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

How wide is the love of God?  It is wide enough to encompass the whole world and everyone that has ever inhabited or will inhabit it.  How long is His love?  It is an eternal never ending love, not on again and off again but continuous.  How deep is His love?  It is deep enough to reach the vilest sinner in the depths of his sins and rescue him and embrace him with love everlasting. How high is His love?  It reaches to the very Heaven from where He sent His son to pay our sin debt and give us eternal life.

 

When we dwell in Christ we should know that He dwells in us and that His love should flow forth from us to all those around us.

 

It is when we finally get to know the love of God that we getting a glimpse of the majesty of God. There is no way we can every fully comprehend how much God loves us until we receive our glorified bodies because it passes our knowledge.

 

When we begin to comprehend His love we then become filled with the fullness of God.

Email us 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.

Is This All?

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

Several years ago I went to a museum not far from where I live.  I won't mention the name.  I had passed the signs, I had heard of it even before I moved to the area, and I had heard people talking about it.  I went with a group of senior citizens, before I became one I drove the bus.

It took us only about half an hour to see everything they had of interest and even though I didn't say it my thought was "Is this all?".  Needless to say it was a big disappointment to me.  I had expected more.

 

I think many people today are disappointed with life because they expected more.  Shouldn't life be more than the same old mundane tasks every workday and trying to squeeze all the fun out of the weekend.  For some it is a vicious cycle that leaves them asking "Is this all there is?"

 

Even Christians who never strive to get closer to Jesus and to learn more about Him and walk closer to Him find themselves feeling let down.  They are looking for an emotional experience instead of realizing that the depth and abundance of our walk with Jesus depends upon our submitting ourselves to Him.  If when you look at your life and ask "Is that all?", it is time to look at your daily walk with Jesus and let Him take charge of it.

 

Many people who have eternal life never really experience the Joy of the abundant life that we can have in Jesus.

 

Email us atshilohkosciusko@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.

CALLING ON GOD

Jermiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

 

I have to make a confession.  I am an independent person and sometimes when I should ask others for help I am too stubborn to do it.  I don't know if it is pride or that I just don't like to bother anyone but I have been that way just as long as I can remember.

 

Maybe I think that I should be the one helping others.  Sometimes I even feel like I shouldn't be bothering God with my prayer request.  I know I should pray but isn't it much better to thank God for what we already have and to intercede for others than to ask God to help us?

 

In all honesty I am sure I miss a lot of blessings simply because I try to accomplish things on my own instead of calling out to God for the help that I know He can and is willing to give me.

 

Sometimes we are too stubborn and independent for our own good.  God wants us to call on Him and He wants to bless us yet we constantly fail to seek His help and blessings.

 

Email us atshilohkosciusko@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.

DON'T STAGNATE

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

 

In two previous devotionals I wrote about cisterns and how they become stagnant.  When we ask Jesus into our lives we then have the living waters within us.  Did you know that when rivers have no outlet they can also become stagnant. The Dead Sea in the middle east are examples of this. The water just evaporates leaving all the minerals in the water until nothing can grow or live there.

 

We are not really alive in Jesus Christ unless we are letting the rivers of living water flow through us.  We have the rivers of living water because Jesus loves us.  We share the rivers of Living Water when we share that love with others.

 

Sharing that love does not just mean telling people that Jesus loves them.  I read an article yesterday that really brought that point home. It was about being loved and not loving others.  We will stagnate if we don't love others.  We must share the love of Jesus for sure, but we can not do that well until we learn to love others ourselves.  We don't have to know people or particularly care for people to share the love of Jesus.  If we love them the way He loved us we will love them whether they deserve loving or not.  I know I did not deserve His love but He offered it to me anyway.

 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.

HOME SAFE

Matthew 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred SHEEP, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

 

While my kids were growing up I was strict.  They had times to be home and if for some reason they could not make the curfew they had better call and have a very good reason.  If they had not called and were not home, five minutes after curfew I was in the car looking for them.  I only had to do that once for my son and I met him at the end of our street coming in.

 

I know a lot of people are thinking that is really too strict.  My daughter didn't think so.  She had a job in town that she worked some nights until ten.  She would call before she left work and let us know if she was going to be late.  We knew how long it took her to get home.  We lived about as far out in the country as you can get without being on your way back to town somewhere else.

 

One night she was late.  I got in my car and drove up the dark country road and there was her car on the side of the road.  There were no street lights and no lights on in the few houses that were within walking distance.  My daughter was not in the car.  I drove a little way past the car and turned around because there was an intersecting road in the other direction.

 

My heart leaped as I saw her come from that intersecting road walking toward me.  She had been looking for somewhere with lights on so she could call me. (This was before cell phones)  As she got in the car she started telling me how scared she was and that she had heard something growl at her in the dark and then she turned to me and said, "I am so glad I have parents that keep up with where I am.  I would have been scared to death if you had just gone to bed and not worried about me."

 

Even when we don't go astray intentionally we sometimes get sidetracked and stranded in bad places in this life.  I am glad that my Heavenly Father always keeps up with where I am and will always take me home safely.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.

Broken Cisterns 2

Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

 

INTRODUCTION:  Water is a symbol of life, both carnal and eternal. In these verses of scriptures God speaks to Israel and declares that they have forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns.

 

I can remember when people caught their water in cisterns.  They would put gutters around the house and use them to direct the water from the house into the cistern.  It was a big old concrete jug in buried in the ground.

 

Most people did it because they didn't have a choice.  That was the only way they could store water.  The problem is that everything on that roof would wash down into their drinking water.  Anything that happened to climb or crawl in and fell in would stay right there in the water they drank.

 

Most people never thought of the impurities in their water.  It is kind of the same with Spiritual water.  Instead of getting spiritual refreshment directly from the Lord, all some people get is what comes from someone else that has caught something and stored it.  They too have no idea of the impurities that might be in it.

 

It is important for us to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior and go directly to His Word.  He is the living water and if we have Him we will never thirst.

 

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.

Broken Cisterns 1

Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

 

INTRODUCTION:  Water is a symbol of life, both carnal and eternal. In these verses of scriptures God speaks to Israel and declares that they have forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns.

 

The first evil the people committed was forsaking God.  We do that when we question the validity of the Bible.  We do that when we decide we must become tolerant of ideas and cultures that are contrary to His Word.

 

God's Word is eternal and it is not going to change with the styles.  I am afraid people have not only hewn out cisterns but they are broken cisterns.

 

Read tomorrows devotional for a lesson on cisterns.

 

Here is something to consider when we you begin to compromise the Word of God

NOTE:
 We wallow in the mire of mediocrity, muck through the mud of moderation, and our sleepy souls slovenly slop through the superficial sloughs of self satisfaction. And then we wonder why we don't feel as close to God as we should.
 

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.

Getting Even

Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men

 

I have heard a lot of people say "I will get even with them if it is the last thing I do."  Usually it is when someone has hurt them or wronged them in some way.  Holding a grudge or trying to seek vengeance on someone can be very destructive to you.

 

I do believe in trying to get even.  There are a lot of people I would love to get even with but I don't even know who some of them are.  I have been blessed by many people I know and I would like to get even with them.  The only way I know of doing this is by trying to be a blessing to them whenever I get the chance.

 

Many people have been kind to me or have been a great blessing to me in some way and they either did it without me knowing who they were or it might have been a situation where I will never see them again.  The only way I know of to get even with them is by trying to show some act of kindness to someone else in order to pass it on.

 

Wow!  When I think about it I am going to be so busy trying to get even with all the people who have blessed me that I won't have time to worry about the few people who have done me wrong.

I will just leave them to the Lord because I know he can handle things a lot better than I can and I am sure He knows both sides of the story better than I do.

Contact us 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.

OVERCOME THE WORLD

1 John 5:5 Who is he that OVERCOMEth the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

Sometimes a verse will cause you to just stop what you are doing and do some serious evaluation of your Christian walk. That is what this verse did to me.

 

Overcome the world?  How can I overcome the world when I can't even overcome the restless nights sleep I had today.  How can I overcome the world when the news shows me that the world is becoming a dangerous and frightening place.

 

Overcome the world?  I can't even get my checkbook to balance.  My boss is making my life miserable and the government is going broke so fast I can't even depend on them anymore.

 

Overcome the world?  My spouse ignores me and my kids won't mind.  I am on so many committees at church I can't even keep track of when they meet and what they are supposed to be doing.  I feel more like the world is overcoming me.

 

These are just some of the thoughts that people might have when they think about overcoming the world.  All these things seem overwhelming until we realize that none of this will last.  We can only overcome the world when we realize that Jesus' kingdom is eternal and it is not of this world.

 

When we put things in the proper perspective all the problems of the world are not so big when we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

You can email us 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.

You Can't Straighten A Curve

Ecclesiastes 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

I am constantly amazed at the political correctness of the News Media and many special interest groups today.  As I was studying this verse made me think of so many today that want to try to do that which is impossible.

They want every group to respect and accept the actions of every other group.  They want to rationalize every action no matter how harmful or destructive it is.

Each day on a network news program two women (one of which confesses to being a Christian) sit and drink wine and go on and on about how good it is. Most of the network people seem to have some severe problems with alcohol and possibly because of the advertising revenue they seem to promote it.  I personally find it very disturbing since I know how many lives are ruined by beer, wine and liquor.

That is just one instance out of hundreds. They are constantly announcing the pregnancy of some engaged actress...whatever happened to purity until marriage.

Sadly I'm afraid that the rest of society are following the examples they see on the media thinking if everyone else is following this line it must be straight.

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad IS THE WAY, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow IS THE WAY, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

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.

The Emptiness of This Life

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.(3) What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

These verses are sometimes hard for us to really identify with.  How could Solomon, the Wisest, the Wealthiest, the most powerful King in History really say these words.  How could such a man feel that all of these accomplishments were mere vanity. 

If Solomon and all his accomplishments were vanity, then what of our meager contributions to history and mankind.  We have worked hard, learned and been educated, we own our own homes and have multiple vehicles in our driveways.  Surely that means something.  We are living in a time and a culture where even those who are considered in poverty live above the standards of royalty in some countries and some times in History.  Surely this means something.  Or does it?

What will we have when we die?  All our possessions will go to our heirs, at least the parts that don't go to our creditors or the government.  We can take none of it with us.  Jesus said:

Matthew 6:20 But lay up for yourselves TREASURES in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Maybe we should concentrate more on the riches of eternity and less on the vain possessions of this life.  Solomon was pretty wise after all.

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.

BE A PROMOTER

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may EDIFY another.

STRONG'S CONCORDANCE defines the word edify as the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness.

 

 Someone once said that in society there are two types of people, the builders and the wreckers.  That is also true in the Church and the Christian community.  The wreckers are the ones who criticize, complain, and become barriers to those who are trying to accomplish something.

 Wouldn't it be much better to be a builder.  One critical or insulting remark can wreck a persons day, disrupt a meeting, break up a friendship, and alienate people.  It is certainly true that everyone doesn't always do things the way we would like them too.  Without a doubt most of us can stand a lot of improvement.  It is hard to improve something by tearing it down.

 If you are looking for ways to build up yourself and to grow in your Christian life why not start by building up someone else.  Share a blessing with a friend.  Compliment someone who is not expecting one from you.  Let someone know how much you admire something about them.  Encourage someone who is trying something new or difficult.

 You will be surprised how much difference it will make in your own life.  You will be more positive.  You will gain strength from those you strengthen.  You will feel better when you build someone else up.  Let us edify one another. 

 

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.

BE A BLESSING

Ephesians 1:3 BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath BLESSED us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

 

God has truly blessed us with all spiritual blessings as well as many material blessings and we should truly be thankful.  God blesses us in many ways and through many channels.

 

I like the hymn "Channels of Blessings" and we should pray daily for God to make us a channel of  blessings to those we come in contact with.  There have been times that i would pray that God would bless me and He usually does.

 

As I grow older and hopefully a little wiser I have learned that one of the greatest blessings that I receive is being used as a channel of blessings to someone else.  Think about it for a moment, don't you just love the blessing you get from knowing that God has used you to be a blessing to someone else.

 

Now I pray for God you use me to be a blessing to someone else and then I deliberately try to see that He answers that prayer.

 

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.

Exalting God

Nehemiah 6:15-16 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.(16) And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

 

Nehemiah faced much opposition while he was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  None of his enemies wanted him to succeed.  The same is true today for those who are trying to build something for God.  The enemies of the church and believe me there are many will do anything they can to discourage God's people from continuing the work. We are actually at enmity with the world and the world will try to stop the work of God.

 

They pass zoning laws, they try to restrict prayer in school, government and public places.  They try call evil good and good evil and try to paint a picture of those who oppose sin as haters . If we listen to them we could get discouraged but we must remember that God wants us to be victorious.  He is exalted and magnified by the spiritual victories in our lives.

 

God is on our side and when we realize that we can build things for God that really make a difference.

 

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.

Taking out The Garbage

Nehemiah 4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

 

As they prepared to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem they ran into a problem.  There was so much garbage that they couldn't work until they removed it.

 

Sometimes we can come to a point in our lives and decide it is time to mend some things.  Rebuilding relationships, spiritual growth, or fellowship with God can be a task that we need to tackle.  Even when we decide to begin the task of rebuilding our lives it can be a problem if we fail to remove the garbage first.

 

Many people can't begin to rebuild relationships until they remove some of the garbage in their lives.  That might mean destructive habits, destructive sin in their lives, it might be a spirit of unforgiveness or just a plain stubborn attitude.

 

Before you begin to rebuild, make sure you are starting to build on a foundation that is solid, which is Jesus Christ and make sure you remove the rubbish first.

 

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.