A Fitting Memorial

Matthew 26:13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

 

This woman had anointed Jesus with oil from an alabaster box.  She had been criticized by the apostles for being wasteful but Jesus said she was anointing Him for His burial.  Her act was an act of faith and an act of worship.

 

The word memorial was used many times in the Old Testament but only three times in the New Testament and twice was referring to this incident.  Of all the people in the New Testament Jesus picked this woman to memorialize, wherever the gospel was preached.  The story stands out so much that most people know about her.

 

What will you be remembered for.  Will you be remembered for your faith and your worship?  I have always joked that on my tombstone I would like for them to write, "He did the best he could with what he had to work with."  After reading this story I sit here wondering if that is enough.  Maybe it would be better if I could be remembered for my faith and my acts of worship of Jesus.

 

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We have compiled an E-book of our devotionals in .pdf format. We will send them to you attached to an email.

Email us atshilohkosciusko@gmail.com \
We welcome 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.

MOMENTS

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

 

This verse tells us that our life is short.  So short as a matter of fact that it seems like it is a mere vapor.  The reality of that hits me more as I grow older and my health deteroriates. It doesn't seem like so long ago that I was starting school. I now get senior citizen discounts without having to ask for them.  It went so quickly.

 

The days, the months and even the years seemed to have gone by so quickly and now I have a lot more memories than I do dreams.  The most precious memories though are not of days, months, or years.  They are of moments.

 

The moment I remember seeing my wife for the first time is indellibly printed on my mind.  The moments that my son and my daughter were born and the first times they looked up and said daddy. Brief moments that mean the world to me.

 

So many times we are so intent on filling our days, planning our months and living out our years that we forget the moments.  The special moments that make us smile.  The ones that make us feel special or sometimes make us laugh at ourselves.  These are what make up the substance of that vapor that is our life.

 

Maybe instead of telling someone to have a great day we should tell them, "I hope your day is filled with special moments."

 

FREE .PDF E-BOOK
We have compiled an E-book of our devotionals in .pdf format. We will send them to you attached to an email.

Email us atshilohkosciusko@gmail.com \
We welcome 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.

IT CAME TO PASS

Genesis 8:6 And IT CAME TO PASS at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

 

Have you ever been through a situation that you thought would never end?  I'm sure that Noah and his family listened to the downpour of the rain that fell on the roof of the Ark and wondered if it would ever stop.  Forty days and Forty nights of rain.  I am sure they felt like they were beginning to mildew.

 

It did stop as we all know.  Noah opened the window and sent forth a raven who and then a dove who brought nothing back.  He then sent fort a dove who brought back an olive branch.  The water was receding.  The flood had come to pass it had not come to stay.

 

That is the same with the things in our life.  Good or bad they come to pass and not to stay. It is all temporary so don't despair, bad times won't last forever, they come to pass.  Don't get too satisfied or become too at ease in the good times either, they too come to pass.

 

The only thing eternal is our relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

FREE .PDF E-BOOK
We have compiled an E-book of our devotionals in .pdf format. We will send them to you attached to an email.

Email us atshilohkosciusko@gmail.com \
We welcome 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 EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! 4

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 

Recently we have been bombarded with news of government shut downs, sequesters, budget cuts, national debt, defaults, and all sorts of scary big words.  The new Affordable? Health Care Act has people worried about their health insurance in the future.  Someone was commenting about it recently and I told them, "I depend on God to take care of me. When He gets through taking care of me here, I believe He will just take me on home with Him and take care of me there."  That is a healthcare plan that will give you comfort.

 

In my life I have been amazed at how God has provided for me.  Thankfully, I never really learned how to worry much.  Instead I have spent my time learning about God and learning to trust Him.

I can not guarantee that I will never go hungry but if I do, it will be for the glory of God. I might not have the latest designer clothes and the fanciest boots or running shoes but I have never been barefoot unless I wanted to be.

 

How dare we worry when our refrigerators are full of food.  How dare we worry with shoes and clothes in our closets.  How dare we worry while we have a roof over our head and a warm shelter to spend the night.  Even if these things are taken away, our God is greater than any adversity we can face and He has a place for us and has promised us that Jesus will come again and take us to it some day.

 

Worry?  Don't even think about it.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God.

FREE .PDF E-BOOK
We have compiled an E-book of our devotionals in .pdf format. We will send them to you attached to an email.

Email us atshilohkosciusko@gmail.com \
We welcome 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 EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! 4

Matthew 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

A high school basketball coach was having a really bad season.  None of the taller boys in school had a desire to play on the team and his entire team was short.  After a really bad loss someone asked him if he felt it was his fault as a coach that they were losing. His answer was, "I'm not sure, but no matter how much I try and how much I coach I can't make them grow one inch."  You can't worry yourself one inch taller either.

 

There are a lot of things you can't worry yourself out of or in to.  You can't worry yourself out of debt. You can not worry yourself into a healthy condition, as a matter of fact, worry is detrimental to your good health.

 

I like the old saying, "Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair, even though it keeps you busy it is not getting you any where."

A lot of time is spent in worrying that could be spent in a much more productive way.  Most of the things we worry about never happen.  The thigs that do happen are going to happen whether we worry about them or not.

 

Instead of worrying why not just focus on trying to fulfill the purpose of God in your life.  Focus on Him and focus your energies on doing His will.  You won't even think about the trivial things you usually worry about when you learn to do this.

FREE .PDF E-BOOK
We have compiled an E-book of our devotionals in .pdf format. We will send them to you attached to an email.

Email us at
shilohkosciusko@gmail.com \
We welcome 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 EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! 3

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

 

Have you ever really observed wildlife and their feeding habits?  They are amazing to watch and it puzzles me how an unbeliever can watch them and not believe in God.

 

Some animals eat only plants, some eat only meat and some will eat almost anything. Sometimes we get in the way of nature by trying to step in and help out and the animals become dependent on us. They forget how to forage for themselves.  Left in their natural state they usually do just fine.

 

As the seasons change and the food supply changes God has given them the built in instincts to follow the seasons and the food supply.  The only way to explain the flights of migratory birds such as ducks and geese is that God gave them the  directions they need to follow to survive.

 

Jesus is not saying that we should not be prudent in taking care of ourselves.  He is telling us that we shouldn't spend time worrying about it.

We should know that God loves us and that everything comes from Him.  Praying is the answer, not worry.  That way we focus on God instead of focusing on ourselves and the problem.

 

 

FREE .PDF E-BOOK
We have compiled an E-book of our devotionals in .pdf format. We will send them to you attached to an email.

Email us atshilohkosciusko@gmail.com \
We welcome 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 EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! 2

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

 

Look at the way God dresses His creatures that live free and wild.

 

God dresses them in clothes that are perfect for them.  Many are dressed in camouflage where they can not be seen easily by predators. Birds are especially beautiful in their colors and are dressed more festive than kings and queens.

 

My wife will be the first to tell you that I have never been one to care about the latest fashions. I sometimes think that I am more the John the Baptist type and would fare just as well draped in animal skins.  I'm sure this wouldn't go over well on Sunday Morning so I still wear my suit and tie to preach. I'm old fashioned enough to do that.

 

I am amazed at how much worry and thought some people put in to what they will wear.  I don't even think about it.  I think God took care of me being dressed when He gave me my wife.  She makes sure I don't look too awful.

 

Our lives would be much better if we would spend as much time working on what is inside of us and our relationship with God, than what we wear.

 

FREE .PDF E-BOOK
We have compiled an E-book of our devotionals in .pdf format. We will send them to you attached to an email.

Email us atshilohkosciusko@gmail.com \
We welcome 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.