Basic Training For Christians 12

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

I was once having coffee with a Christian friend and he made the statement, "I really don't think people still have other gods or worship idols."

This statement sort of through me for a loop.  I wondered how out of touch he was with the real world.  Anything people worship is a false God. I have seen crowds of people pour out their overflowing adoration to celebrities and famous people and even politicians.  They have lifted them up and made Gods of them.

Superstitions, such as Astrology, have elevated even the stars to having power to control people's lives.  When we give those attributes to anything we are elevating them to the position of an Idol.

There is only one true God.  He is the God of the Bible, the Creator of the Universe, The Sustainer of all things.  He is the only One worthy of our worship and our trust.

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.

Basic Training For Christians 11

Exodus 201-2 And God spake all these words, saying,(2) I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

We have been in a series on Basic Training for Christians and I thought it would be good to go back to the very basics...The Ten Commandments. These commandments were given to man for the benefit of man.

If you get right down to the basics all the laws that are beneficial to mankind are rooted in these commandments.  Men make lots of laws but they are not really beneficial unless they agree with God's laws.

It frightens me when our government and our courts actually go completely against the Word of God.  I feel it is presumptuous of anyone to think that they know more than God about what is good for us.

The next few devotionals will really be getting back to the very basics of our relationship with God.  I hope you receive a blessing from 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.

BASIC TRAINING FOR CHRISTIANS 9

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

 A friend of mine once said, "I don't know if I'm just tired or if I'm tired of it."  She was a dear Christian lady who was obviously just tired because I know she is still faithfully serving the Lord.

 Sometimes we do get tired and when we look around and don't see the results from our ministry that we would like to see we just might get close to being "tired of it."

 The truth is that we might not ever see the results of our service to the Lord or we might see them further down the road and look back and realize that our efforts were not in vain.

 Early in my ministry I was discouraged many times by the lack of response to my visiting and witnessing.  In one case there was a man that I talked to many times and he would never ask Jesus to save him.  I eventually moved away feeling that I had spent a lot of time with him and didn't see any results.

 I was asked to preach a sunrise service at a church in the same community some years later.  I looked out into the congregation and saw him sitting there.  The pastor there said that he had been saved and was a very faithful member of their church.  I'm still not sure if my witnessing to him had a thing to do with it.  It doesn't matter.  What matters is that we are to be faithful doing God's work in His way.  It is His job to get results in His time.

Please email me 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.

BASIC TRAINING FOR CHRISTIANS 9

Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

 We live in a world of decay.  Things, rot, rust, and waste away.  We spend many hours and years accumulating stuff.  Stuff that has to be cleaned, cared for, kept up and fixed.  Much of our time is taken up in caring for our stuff.

We are not going to take any of it with us and the parts that don't crumble and tear apart will be left behind and used by others.  That is a fact yet many of us still spend the biggest portion of our time on carnal things.

 Carnal things are things that benefit the flesh or to put it another way, our natural self.  We like to eat, dress well, own things.  If we are honest most of this brings us very little pleasure and even when it does it is a fleeting pleasure that doesn't last very long.

 When we spend our time laying up treasures in Heaven it will bring lasting rewards.  Those things are eternal and the treasures we send before us will be there when we get there.

 Someone once wisely said, "You'll never see a hearse with a U-Haul trailer behind it because you can't take anything with you."

 You can send things ahead though.  You can witness to people and know that you will see them again when you get to heaven.  You can serve Jesus and know that you will be rewarded in when you finally see Him face to face.

Please email me 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.

BASIC TRAINING FOR CHRISTIANS 8

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

 This is a lesson that the whole world needs to learn.  In modern day terms someone might say, "What goes around comes around."

 No farmer is foolish enough to believe that he can plant only corn and expect to reap, beans, potatoes, and tomatoes.  He knows that he can only gather the fruit produced from the seeds he has planted.

 During my ministry I have known many self centered bitter people who could never understand why people didn't treat them better. I have also known many who tried to spread love and cheer everywhere they went.  Guess which ones people didn't avoid.  The people who care about other people and do not think they are the center of the universe usually have people who care deeply about them.

 Sow seeds of kindness, seeds of love, seeds of caring.  When you plant a seed it doesn't just come back as one when harvested. When you plant a seed sometimes it is multiplied hundreds of times.  Be very careful what you sow.

Please email me 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.

BASIC TRAINING FOR CHRISTIANS 7

Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

 We should have a sincere desire to learn the Word of God.  If God's people would develop a sincere hunger for the Word of God we would see a great revival in our homes, our  churches and even in our nation.

 If all one learns about the Bible is what they hear from the pulpit or in Sunday School class they will never grow into the mature Christian that they should be.

 I have had many great teachers in my ministry.  Actually I have learned from many who didn't even claim to be my teachers.  My learning did not come because I have a great aptitude for learning.  What I have learned came mostly when I prayed and asked God to teach me something.

 It is amazing how prayer should go before study.  One should communicate with Him that teaches us in all good things.  Before you study, pray.  Before you listen to a sermon, pray.  Before you go to your Sunday School class, pray.

 I don't mean just bow your head during the public prayer in the services.  I mean you should sincerely ask God to open your heart to receive what He would teach you.

Please email me 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.

BASIC TRAINING FOR CHRISTIANS 6

Ga 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

 All through the New Testament we are taught that we should help bear one anothers burdens yet here we are told that each of us has to bear his own burdens.  This is not contradictory.  We are supposed to help bear one anothers burdens but that doesn't mean we are just to depend on someone else to bear our burdens.

 We each have to pull our own load.  There have been many times that people have asked me to pray for them and I was reluctant because I was pretty sure that they weren't praying for themselves.  Now I usually tell them that I will pray with them about something.  This lets them know that I will be praying but it also makes a point that they should pray too.

 You can't have someone else do your praying, your studying, or your ministering. They will gladly help you but they can not do it for you.  I believe we are certainly supposed to help each other but I also believe we have a responsibility to do our own part.

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.