SPIRITUAL SEPERATION 1

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

INTRODUCTION: Paul was emphasising the fact that to really be a servant of God he was separated for that ministry.

Today we hear a lot about building bridges. People are always talking about everyone getting together and trying to get along. I have noticed that the Bible speaks a whole lot more about building walls and being seperate than blending in.

I am afraid that we can get so concerned about not offending anyone that we forget that we are to be different. We are supposed to be a peculiar people. We have a different standard to live up to and we are not to compromise that standard.

There are many things that we are to seperate ourselves from if we are to set the proper example for others and keep ourselves unspotted from the world. I will discuss some of those things in 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.


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 an other'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.

LAYING ASIDE MALICE

1st Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Sometimes we read words in the Bible and we just casually pass them by without ever looking at them closely and examining them. The word malice basicly means holding a grudge or wishing someone bad fortune.

When Peter wrote this verse it preceded:

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

Before we can grow spiritually we need to get rid of some things that hinder us. Malice might just be one of the most destructive.

The word malice comes from the same root word as malignant. When we wish ill toward others it is like a cancer to us spiritually just like a malignancy is to the body. It will eat away at our spirituality.

Lay aside any ill feelings you have toward others. You will be pleasantly surprised at how you will begin to grow in grace.

A FULLY FURNISHED ROOM 4

2 Kings 4:9-10 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. (10) Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

ELISHA HAD A STOOL-A PLACE OF LEARNING

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

If our Christian lives are to be fully furnished we need a place of study and we need to spend time in that place. We need to set aside a special time to spend in God's Word and we need to do more than take a casual glance at it.

I was older when I surrendered to preach. I was married with two children and didn't have the opportunity to go to college full time. I did take some night classes at a good seminary and one of the things that was most valuable from those classes was that they taught me how to study.

When you start out behind you have to spend much more time trying to catch up. I listened to tapes of some of the best preachers in America. I read all the books I could afford and could borrow. I wanted to know more about the Bible. Later in my ministry I used less books, and less tapes and spent more time in the Book. I found that the best study on the Bible was the Bible itself. Those other books and tapes were certainly helpful in my early ministry but nothing can replace the teaching of the Holy Spirit directly from the Word of God.

Get in the Word. Study to prepare yourself. A place of study is essential for a fully furnished Christian room.

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 FULLY FURNISHED ROOM 3

2 Kings 4:9-10 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. (10) Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

ELISHA HAD A TABLE- A PLACE OF COMMUNION

What is communion but a close fellowship. I believe many of the problems in our society could be helped if families spent more time around the table talking and sharing their experiences with each other. I can remember some of my favorite times have been spent just sitting around a table sharing coffee and conversation with friends or family.

It would be wonderful if we would spend time in fellowship with our Lord. We should discuss our plans and our activities with Him on a personal basis. Jesus desires to fellowship with us and wants to be an integral part of our lives.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

This verse lets us know that Jesus does not want to be left out of our lives. It is His desire to share in the communion and fellowship with us.

Jesus is knocking. Let him come in and sit at the table of your fully furnished room.


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 FULLY FURNISHED ROOM 2

2 Kings 4:9-10 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. (10) Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

ELISHA HAD A BED... A PLACE TO REST
Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

We truly have a place of rest in Jesus Christ. Sometimes we fret and we worry about the future when all we really need to do is find rest in the assurance that Jesus is in control. He has us safely in His hands and nothing can pry us out.

What do we fear? Death? He has overcome death. Do we fear poverty? We have become joint heirs with Christ. Our Heavenly Father not only owns the cattle of a thousand hills, he owns the hills themselves.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our plans and in building for the future that we forget that the only secure future is in Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, {39} Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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 FULLY FURNISHED ROOM 1

2 Kings 4:9-10 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. (10) Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

Introduction:
As Elisha passed by frequently the Shunamite woman in this story realized that he was a prophet and she was determined to furnish him a room to use when he came by.

The furnishings were certainly meager by today's standards but if you look closely he had the things necessary for a man of God to rest himself and prepare himself to do God's work.

I have been furniture shopping recently. Sometimes I am amazed at how lavishly even us simple folks furnish their homes. We spend a lot of time accumulating stuff. Sometimes it winds up that instead of us having the stuff it has us. We have to dust it, shine it, clean it, vacuum it and it begins to take our time to keep it up.

Elisha's room was fully furnished and I am going to discuss the furnishings in the next few devotionals. I hope you enjoy 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.