GOD'S SUPPLY AND OUR NEED 1

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Introduction:

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Philippi concerning their care of him. He had been writing to them through the book because they were inclined to fall away from salvation by grace and revert back to salvation by works. We often seem to forget that God loves us and His grace supplies all our spiritual needs. God is able to supply our physical needs as well.
The church had provided for the material needs of Paul and Paul realized that it was God providing for him through this church. Sometimes we unrealistically expect God just to give us what we need in some mysterious and miraculous fashion.
God provides for our physical needs through our jobs and businesses. He gives us the physical abilities, the intellect and the opportunity to earn a living. These are things we should be thankful for every day and give thanks to God for them.
As we study these next few devotionals we need to come to an understanding that there is a huge difference between our needs and our wants. May God bless you as you read these devotionals each day.
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.

WHAT WE MUST HAVE 5

WE MUST HAVE LOVE
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. {2} And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. {3} And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
I usually make a practice after I preach of telling my congregation that I love and appreciate them. These are not empty words, I really do love and appreciate them and I have loved and appreciated every congregation God has allowed me to minister to. After I said that one morning a church member told me, "You are the only pastor we ever had that told us he loved us."
I was not only surprised, I was shocked. The ability and the willingness to love people has been one of the greatest gifts that God has given me in the ministry.
I have lacked many things in my ministry. I haven't had the greatest education and this can hinder the minstry. My speaking ability is a little rough around the edges and to be honest there are a lot of mysteries that I don't understand well enough to explain them to others. I have only a little faith (I do have it in a Great God though). So far I haven't bestowed all my goods to feed the poor and I am certainly not in any big hurry to be burned.
Having said all that, the one thing I do have and it has carried me through my entire ministry is a heart full of love for God's people. When I can do nothing else, I can love. Why should this be so hard?I am saved because God loved me in spite of everything and I think he has commmanded us, "Now you go and share this love with a world who needs it."

WHAT WE MUST HAVE 4

WE MUST DO GOOD WORKS
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

If we are going to really be fruitful Christians we must do good works. We can talk about our faith, we can tell others how much we believe the Bible and we can even tell others how much difference Jesus has made in our lives. If we fail to put what we believe into practice we are not going to be good witnesses.

We can talk all we want to about forgiveness but if we go around holding grudges all the time we are not very convincing. We can talk about the Golden Rule and how we really believe it but if we fail to treat others as we wish to be treated no one is going to think we really believe it.

Someone was once talking about the different versions and translations of the Bible. A man remarked, "I like my mother's version the best." When he was asked what that version was, he answred, "She translated the Bible into her everyday activities and she truly lived it."

That, I believe is the definition of faith with works. Translate the Bible into your life, and live it.

WHAT WE MUST HAVE 3

WE MUST HAVE FAITH TO PLEASE GOD

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It is not necessary for us to have a great education to please God. We do not have to have great strength, wealth, or position to please God. What we do have to have is faith.
We must believe that He Is.

He Is God.
He Is All Knowing.
He Is All Powerful.
He is Able to save to the uttermost.

These are just a few examples of He Is. The more we know about God the greater our faith becomes and the more we are able to please Him by trusting Him.
He is a rewarder of those who really want to know Him. He wants to be the center of your life. Faith makes that possible.

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.

THE FEARFUL FOLLOWERS

Matthew 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

So often we are afraid to really trust God. If we can trust Him with our souls can't we trust Him with everything else. Can't we give Him more of our time, our talents, and our substance.
I have known many who were truly talented who would not use their talents regularly because they were afraid. Some could sing beautifully but would hesitate to sing specials because it made them nervous. Whenever they could be persuaded to sing usually you could see that their music helped others to worship and draw closer to God.
Many are afraid to speak out in class or answer a question because they are afraid that they may not know enough. Just to make you feel better you probably know about as much as anyone in the class and if you don't, remember, that is why you are there --- to learn.
Many people will not trust God with their substance. I am not just talking about tithing. I want to make something very clear. God does not need your money. He created everything. We do need to learn to trust God with everything we have. Not just a tenth but it all belongs to Him.
Let us not be fearful but let us be bold and trust God as we follow Him.

FAITH BRINGS SALVATION

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: the gift of God:

Grace is unmerited favor. In simpler terms it means that God loves us because He wants to and not because we deserve it.
I read a story of a preacher who was on his way to visit someone and he was hit in the ear with a very hard snowball. The preacher saw the boy who had hit him and recognized him as one from his Sunday School class. At first he was angry and thought about reporting him to his parents, then he remembered that their last lesson had been about grace.
The boy's birthday was coming up and spring was just around the corner so the preacher stopped by the store and bought the boy a new fishing pole for his birthday and took it to him.
When the boy answered the door the preacher handed him the pole and said, "I know it's a little early but I also know you really wanted a fishing pole for your birthday so I brought you one."
The little boy looked sad and said, "I can't take it preacher. I don't guess you know but it was me that hit you in the ear with that snowball."
The preacher smiled and said, "I knew it was you but I am glad you admitted it. I still want you to have the fishing pole."
"But why would you do that," the boy puzzled, "I deserve to be punished not to be rewarded."
"Remember our lesson on grace this past Sunday?" the preacher asked him.
The boy's face lit up. "I understand it now. Grace is a fishing pole when you reallly deserve to get a whipping."
That is a simple illustration of grace. God's grace is salvation when we really deserve to be punished in Hell. We must have faith that God doesn't want to give us what we deserve but what we will accept from Him. His grace came to us through His Son Jesus.
Have faith and accept the Gift of God.

FAITH MAKES THE BELIEVER CONTENTED

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content.

In the news we hear of celebrities who once had millions being on the verge of bankruptcy. We hear of those who are adored and even worshiped by millions dying from drugs while they live secluded lives on their vast estates. It seems to me that they may be anything but contented. Some people seem never to be able to have enough.
As Paul writes here he says that he has learned to be contented regardless of his circumstances. A person who is grateful for what they have is one of the most contented people in the world.
You have probably heard the quote, "I complained because I had no shoes until I saw a man that had no feet." Most of us in this great country live in luxury compared to a large percentage of the world.We have come to consider luxuries to be necessities.
My air conditioner quit working and it got up to 85 degrees in the house and my wife and I were miserable, and yes we complained about the heat and grumbled because it was hard to sleep. If we think about it comparatively, we are truly spoiled. There are many who don't even have shelter, many who are constantly hot, cold, wet, or hungry and yet we complain and whine when we don't have our luxuries.
We must have faith that God loves us even through difficulties. We have Jesus as Savior and we have a promise of eternal life through faith in Him. What reason could we possibly have not to rejoice in Him and be contented regardless of the circumstances?

BY HIM

Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
This verse puts a lot of things into perspective. There was nothing before God. He has always been. He is. He will always be.
Everything that is, exists because of Him. It should give all of us who belong to Him comfort to know that He is in complete control of all creation.
When you look through a telescope at the great expanse of the universe you know it is His will that holds it all together. When you look through a microscope at all the atoms and molecules that make up everything you know that it is Him that cause it all to work in harmony.
Our God is an Awesome God. Take a minute and meditate on His greatness, His majesty, His Holiness and rejoice in it.

MY LOVE AND A BABY'S LOVE

A Christian man was seriously ill. He became bothered because he did not feel the love in his heart for God that he should have and he spoke of this feeling to a Christian friend. The friend gave him great comfort when he explained," When I go home from here, I expect to take my little baby in my arms, look into her eyes and play with her. As tired as I am, her presence will rest me, because I love her more than anything. She is just a baby and she really loves me little. If my heart were breaking it would not disturb her. If I was in terrible pain she would think nothing of it and would not even stop playing. If I were dead she would soon forget me. Besides this, she has never contributed one cent to our household and is in fact herself a great expense. I am not rich but there is not enough money in the world to buy her. Is it because she loves me, or because I love her? Do I withhold my love from her until she feels this same great love for me? Do I wait for her to do some thing worthy of my love before I extend it?" This illustration of the Love of God for his children caused the tears to roll down the sick man's cheeks as he exclaimed,"Oh I see, it is not my love for God but his love for me that I should think of. And I do love him now more than I have ever loved him before."(Copied)
I am not sure where I got this from but I felt that it was worth sharing with you. The more we realize just how much God really loves us, the more it causes us to return that love.

WHOM HE LOVES

John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

When the sisters of Lazurus went to Jesus they did not
stress the fact that Lazarus loved Jesus but that Jesus
loved Lazurus.
It is important that we love Jesus, because we realize
that He first loved us. It is impossible for us to love
Him the way we should until we first realize how much He
loved us.
Sometimes we try to base our relationship with Jesus on
our own feelings and to be perfectly honest sometimes we
don't feel all that spiritual or full of love. Satan can
use that to cause us to doubt or question our
relationship with God. Our moods change, our situations
change, and our attitude sometimes changes. The level of
our emotions varies from day to day and even from moment
to moment.
The one thing that we can count on is that God does not
change and the love of Jesus for us never wavers. The
more we realize that it is His love for us that saved us,
the more our hearts will overflow with love for Him.