DECEPTION 4 Decoys 2

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a ROARING LION, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 

Satan uses all sorts of things to lure people to lifestyles filled with destruction. Just watch the commercials on TV.  People laughing and partying and looking like they are having a great time and all because they chose the right brand of beer.

 

Satan doesn't show the results of those who are killed or kill someone else while drinking and driving.  Satan doesn't show the man in the corner who is spending his paycheck while his family does without at home.  Satan doesn't show you the embarrassing things that people do while under the influence that they can never erase from their lives.

 

Don't let the decoys of the media or "they" lure you into situations that will destroy your life, your good name, or your walk with 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.

DECEPTION 3 Decoys 1

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a ROARING LION, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 

People use all kinds of decoys to lure game into shooting range.  I have seen decoys for doves, ducks, geese, turkeys and even deer.  They look very real and they lure the game into shooting range by making it look safe for them.

 

That seems very much how Satan works.  He makes things that are dangerous look safe and secure to lure people into range for him to destroy.  Society seems to be playing right into his hands by trying to redefine what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

 

We hear about multi culture and new lifestyles so much that we are blinded to the danger of many things.  Many are being lured to their own destruction because they have decided that the dangers God has warned us about are not dangerous at all.

 

The best way to decide whether something is right or wrong is to see what the Bible says about it. Mankind will never be smarter than God.
 

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.

DECEPTION 2 Duck Call

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

 

When someone says reality TV I usually think unreality and sleazy TV but I have been watching a series lately called "Duck Dynasty" and I find it refreshing and entertaining.  They embrace Christian principals and they have been very successful making Duck Calls.

Most of you probably know what a duck call is.  It is intended to sound like a duck so the hunter can lure ducks in close enough to shoot them.  I have heard people who can really blow that duck call to make it sound like a real duck feeding. The poor ducks who are fooled by the duck call usually wind up in someones dressing or wrapped in bacon and cooked on the grill.

 

The world and Satan's crowd are as skilled as the best duck hunter in making things sound real so they can lure unsuspecting people to destruction.

 

1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a ROARING LION, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 

If it is contrary to the Bible, you are being called for destruction.

 

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.

DECEPTION 1

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

 

I have been amazed lately at some of the things I have been hearing that the majority of the people are in favor of (according to the polls).  One thing that amazes me about some of these things is that of all the people I know personally, none of them are for those things.

 

When I listen to the news I no longer listen passively.  I have to listen very closely and try to decide what I think really happened because I know that they are going to spin the stories to make certain points.

 

You might think that I don't have a very high regard for the media.  I confess, you are right.  Sometimes it is not so much as what they say about certain situations but it is what they don't say. In many cases they seem biased against certain view points to the point that they are bashing people who are doing the right thing.

 

I have been more troubled lately about this than I ever have been before.  I was thinking about it today when it dawned on me that God warned us about people being led astray with vain words.

 

I hope you will come back for the devotional tomorrow on this same subject.

 

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.

HE IS ABLE TO KEEP US FROM FALLING

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Sometimes I don't feel as spiritual as I know I should.  Sometimes I don't feel as close to the Lord as I know I should.  There I have confessed, I have said and I have put it on the Internet for the whole world to see if they want to.

 

I know that I don't deserve the blessings that He has given me and only I know what type of person I really am.  I guess that should be a frightening thought but it is really not all that scary.  The reason is that I have not been depending on my feelings, or my actions, or my emotions.

 

I trust completely in Jesus, in His atoning death, in His miraculous resurrection and in His promises.  I trust in His blood to cleanse me from all unrighteousness and know that outside of faith in Him I would have no hope.

 

When I remember Him I have to think of the song, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow."

 

I know that He is able to keep me from falling and someday He will present me faultless before our Heavenly Father.  When I think of this and become thankful I can't help but feel a little closer to Him.

 

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.

HE IS ABLE TO KEEP ALL THAT WE COMMIT TO HIM

2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 

Sometimes when the trials and suffering begin we, unlike Paul, begin to be filled with fear and doubt.  Paul suffered about as much abuse as anyone that I have read about but he never wavered.

Paul was not looking at the now.  He was looking at the forever. He knew that the only really important things were the things he had committed to Christ.  He knew the day would come when he would be rewarded by being united forever with Christ.

 

The same is true for us.  We might lose sight of what is really important but the truth is all the really important things are those that are committed to Him.  They are not the temporary things we think of every day but they are the eternal things that He is able to keep forever

.

This world is temporary for all of us, but the things we commit to Him will last for all eternity.

 

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.

HE IS ABLE TO CHANGE US

Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

 

That is just the way I am.  How many times have you heard or said that, or "That's just the way he or she is."?  We learn to accept people, especially ourselves, as being less than what we ought to be.
God is still able to change lives.  He is still able to help people conform to the image of Christ.

 

So many times we will pray for someone with a serious sin problem and yet we fear that they will never change.  Maybe we are praying more that God will just take away the sin and the problems it cause them (and us) instead of praying that God will transform their lives into a beautiful vessel for His service.

 

Sometimes the process of change is not a pleasant experience.  Sometimes we have to be broken and then be remolded into a different person.  Sometimes we have to hit bottom before we look up and are willing to give all the pieces of our broken lives to the one who can mend them.  We don't want to go through it and we don't want those we pray for to go through a painful transition but we have to realize that God is able to fashion each and everyone, and to subdue all things unto Himself.

 

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.

HE IS ABLE TO DO MORE THAN WE ASK OR THINK

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

 

Most of us think and ask too small.  We go to our Heavenly Father in prayer asking as if we believe He rations our blessings.  When Jesus encountered a blind man and asked him what he really wanted the blind man answered that he wanted to see.  Jesus gave him is sight.

 

I have often thought that today so many would have asked for so much less.  They might have asked for a dog or a cane to help them get around.  They might have asked for someone to help them to take care of themselves.  It took a lot of boldness to ask for his sight but he learned a valuable lesson that we too should learn.  He is able to do even more than we think or ask.

 

Are you a little shy about asking God for what you really need? Sometimes even when we pray for something specific that we really need we do not really expect God to grant it.

 

Believe that God wants to bless us.  He is able to do more than we think or ask.  Increase your faith by increasing your expectations.

 

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.

HE IS ABLE TO SHOW US GRACE

II Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

 

Grace means unmerited (undeserved) favor.  Sometimes we feel that we will not be blessed because we don't deserve to be blessed.  We feel that we can't succeed because we don't deserve to succeed.  The truth is that God is glorified in blessing us.  He receives glory from seeing us succeed.

God did not create all the good things in the world for the devil's crowd.  He does not take pleasure in us failing. 

 

It is true that sometimes we fail because we do things for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way.  Read Hebrews 11 in the Bible.  It is the Hall of Faith that shows how God's grace was sufficient for all those He chose to do His work.

 

It is our job to believe God.  It is our job to do the good works He directs us to do.  He will provide the grace and the power to see those works through.  He is able to help us whether we deserve it or not.

 

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.

HE IS ABLE TO KEEP HIS PROMISES

Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

 

It is an honorable thing for a man to keep his word.  It is especially important for him to keep his promises.  I can remember many times when my children were growing up I could not make certain promises because I knew that I might not be able to keep those promises.  What I could do was tell them I would try.  If for some reason then I could not keep our plans I still needed a very good explanation of why not but at least I did not break a promise to them.

 

The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and the older generation died, (without entering the promised land) simply because they did not believe God could keep His promise.  Joshua and Caleb entered in and received the promises because they trusted God to deliver.

 

Man may fail.  He may not be able to deliver on his promises.  That is not true with God.  Whatever He has promised us in His Word, He is able to deliver.

 

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.

 

  

Time Is Precious

Ephesians 5:15-16 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,(16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

 

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.

 

It seems that the older I get the faster time seems to pass.  I spent years running from the time I got up until after midnight each night and never seeming to have enough time to do everything.  Several heart attacks later I have learned some valuable lessons.  We need to concentrate on the things that are important and we need to use our time wisely.

 

I remember when almost everything was closed on Sunday and a 24 hour business was almost unheard of.  It seems like these days almost everything is geared to a 24 hour 7 day week and still people are running and rushing trying to squeeze everything into their day.

 

Simply put we seem to spend our time doing that which is urgent and we don't seem to spend time doing the things that are really important.

 

What is important?  Only the things we have done out of love for the Lord will last for eternity.
Our kids might forget some of the so called quality time we spend with them but the time we spend teaching them about Jesus will be with them forever.

 

The older I get, the more precious I realize our time really is.  We need to redeem the time and spend it to glorify God.

 

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.

Yes!

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 

 

Can I possibly face the challenges of being a spouse and a parent?
Can I be a Christian witness in the workplace?
Is there any way that I can gain victory over the depression I have been having?
Can I continue to resist temptation in the areas of my life where I am so weak?
Will I be able to focus more on my Bible reading and prayer life?

 

I could continue on with this line of questioning but hopefully you get the idea.  Sometimes we do need to ask ourselves the hard questions.  Sometimes we feel so inadequate that we think we just can't handle things and we certainly can't handle them on our own.

 

I find great comfort in knowing that I don't have to handle them on my own.  There is a power that works in me, the Holy Spirit, who will comfort, strengthen, and guide me in my times of weakness.
He is able to do way above all that we ask or think so the answer to all the questions is yes.

 

Philippians 4:13 I CAN DO ALL THINGS through Christ which strengtheneth me.

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.