HEAVENLY PLACES 4

Ephesians 2:5-6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

A HEAVENLY PLACE IS A PLACE OF FELLOWSHIP

He hath raised us up together. While we can worship and become close to God alone we truly need to have fellowship with other Christians. We need to have others to serve and minister too as well has have others around us to support us and to gain strength from.

Many times I have been struggling with something in my life and honestly sometimes not doing very well with it and then someone would help me with my burden. I could not count the times when going through difficulty that praying with someone or sometimes just an encouraging word from someone would seem to take the burden of the world off my shoulders.

When we talk of church fellowships today we often think of a meal but there is a much stronger and meaningful fellowship. It is knowing we have an eternal relationship with God and with one another and that we are all in this together.

When you are seeking to sit in Heavenly places it is so much nicer not to have to sit alone. Share the experience with your brothers and sisters in 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.

HEAVENLY PLACES 3

Ephesians 2:5-6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

A WORSHIP SERVICE IS A HEAVENLY PLACE

Do you really listen to the words in the songs you sing in church? There are some great messages there and most of the songs we sing can be used with a scripture reference. If it can't then maybe we shouldn't be singing it.

From the very early years of childhood we learn much about God through songs. "Jesus loves me this I know.. For the Bible tells me so"
Uh huh... you want to sing along don't you. Go ahead and if someone ask you what you are doing just look at them and smile and say, "I just decided that I want to sit in Heavenly places today."

Singing is only a part of worship. We should worship during prayer, the offering and yes even during the message. The best definition I have ever heard for worship is... an overflowing adoration. When our hearts are overflowing with love for God then we are worshiping. When we truly worship that is sitting in heavenly places.

When you complain about church services just remember that is a whole lot of what Heaven will be like. Church is just the rehearsal. Of course we will be changed and made perfect and we will surely enjoy it more in our new bodies.

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 2:5-6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

A HEAVENLY PLACE IS A PLACE FOR THE SAVED

"He hath quickened us..." In more modern terms He has made us alive. We were dead in sin and in bondage to it. He has made us free from it's penalty and He wants to protect us from it's power. When we are truly in Heaven we will be free even from it's presence.

I wonder often why people think it is effective to invite lost people to church. Church is a foreign atmosphere to the Lost. They don't understand Who we are praising. They don't understand why we are singing. They don't understand what all of the preaching and excitement is about. They are dead to the surroundings around them and there is nothing really going on to appeal to a lost person. I know you are wondering why a preacher would be saying this. I am saying it because I believe it to be true. The great commission is not the field of dreams. We build big buildings and organizations and "...they will come." We are commanded to go out and get them. That means winning them to Christ and then bringing them to the Church. Once we do that the Holy Spirit will teach them about what we are doing.

We are alive and we seek Fellowship with others who are alive and with the Giver of Life Himself. Don't be surprised if you invite the lost to church and they don't come. The first thing you need to do is tell them how they might have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. He will raise them up to sit in the Heavenly places.

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 2:5-6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

ARE YOU SITTING IN HEAVENLY PLACES

Sometimes we realize that we are sitting in the wrong place and the best thing to do is to just get up and move. Sometimes my wife and I will stop by McDonald's for breakfast or sometimes just coffee. In Kosciusko in the morning you had better beat the crowd or you won't get a good seat. I really don't like it when we have to sit on the East side of the building by the big windows and the sun comes in and nearly blinds you. If another table opens up that is not in the bright sunlight we will get up and move to a better seat. The same is true in many instances. Making the whole experience better can just involve getting up and moving.

Maybe you are sitting in a worldly place and things aren't exactly going the way you would prefer. Maybe you look at the person with a stronger prayer life or deeper devotional life and think, I would like to be where they are.

God intended His best for you. He wants you to have His richest blessings, His greatest gifts, the strongest faith, the sweetest fellowship. Are you content to sit where you are or would you rather get up and move so that you might sit in Heavenly places and enjoy His blessings.

I want to discuss some Heavenly Places in the next few devotionals. I hope you will receive a blessing from this study.


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.

WHEN I SEE THE CROSS

Officer Peter O'Hanlon was patrolling on night duty in
northern England some years ago when he heard a quivering sob.
Turning in the direction that it came from, he saw in the shadows
a little boy sitting on a doorstep. With tears rolling down his
cheeks, the child whimpered, "I'm lost. Take me home." The
policeman began naming street after street, trying to help him
remember where he lived. When that failed, he repeated the names
of the shops and hotels in the area, but all without success.
Then he remembered that in the center of the city was a well-
known church with a large white cross towering high above the
surrounding landscape. He pointed to it and said, "Do you live
anywhere near that?" The boy's face immediately brightened.
"Yes, take me to the cross. I can find my way home from there!"
COPIED

That is the only way to find our way home. We must first go to the cross.

IT WAS ALL HIS FAULT

Just like Annabelle we sometimes want to blame others for things that are our own fault.

FEEDING THE MULTITUDE 5

Mark 6:41-42 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. (42) And they did all eat, and were filled.

AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY
We must remember that God not only owns the "cattle of a thousand hills", He owns the hills themselves. God's supply is always sufficient to take care of any and every need.
Jesus took what they had and made it be enough. There is a great lesson in that. Sometimes we think what we have to give or what we can do for God is not very much.
In our own hands sometimes what we have is very little. In God's hands what we have is a miracle.
God never shortchanges us. God never runs out of blessings. God never says sorry, I just can't do it. He takes what we give Him and uses it to bless others.
God really doesn't just want us to give Him our best. He wants us to give Him our all, no matter how little we think that is.
Just as the multitude was fed without any one going hungry God's grace is sufficient for all who hunger after righteousness. That righteousness can only be found in Christ. Are you ready to share what you have to help feed the hungry multitude. Let God take it and bless it.

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.