I SAT WHERE THEY SAT

EZEKIEL 3:14-17

Eze 3:14-17 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. (15) Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days. (16) And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (17) Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 

 Ezekiel was bitter and angry, so the Lord sat him in the midst of the people he was to preach too.  He sat where they sat and that caused him not only to have more compassion but to have a sincere desire to warn them.

 It has been my experience that people are very quick to judge and criticize others if they have never been in the same situation themselves.  While it might be true that most of us are where we are in life because of the decisions we made our self.

 There are certainly situations that are completely outside of a persons control and we are quick to have compassion on people who suffer through these.  We usually are a little less understanding of others if we know they are in bad situations because of their own bad decisions.  It is hard to have compassion on them...unless, we have sat where they sat.

 The next few devotionals will deal with sharing our experiences with those who can benefit from them.  People will listen to you more if they realize that you have been there yourself at some time or another.  If they see that you have changed it will give them hope that they too can change.

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.

THINGS TO HELP US GROW 5

BUILD ACCORDING TO GOD'S BLUEPRINT

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

 We need to spend time in the Word getting to know God.  We need to become intimate with Him through study and prayer and get to know His nature.

 It is only through the Bible that we can ever know God's overall plan.  Too often we want to know God's plan for our individual lives when we should study and learn God's plan and get in on it.  When we conform to His will, we will know and understand His will for our lives.

 Know God's purpose for your life by getting to know Him and then conforming to and fulfilling that purpose.

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.

THINGS TO HELP US GROW 4

WE MUST CONCENTRATE ON OUR PURPOSEPhilippians 3:13 14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, {14} I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND

 Many people have a hard time letting go of the past.  Good or bad it is over.  Tomorrow will never get here.  All we have is today to do the work of the Lord.

LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

 Make living for God a priority in your life.  That is exactly what Jesus meant when He said that we were to take up the cross and follow Him daily.  We are supposed to lay down our own life and commit our self to living for His glory.

 LET GOD FULFILL HIS PURPOSE IN YOU
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

 Whether you realize it or not, God has a purpose for your life.  We are not saved by works but we are saved to work for Him.  Have you found your purpose yet?

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.

THINGS TO HELP US GROW 3

WE MUST HAVE A REALIZATION THAT GOD IS ADEQUATE

2 Timothy 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 As sinful and bad as circumstances in this world might seem we need to understand that God is all powerful and there is nothing He can't do and there is no one He can't save.

 God can save the vilest sinner. "The blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin".  Not only can God save the worst sinner He wants to save them.  He is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

 God also can save those who aren't so bad in the sight of the world.  They just need to come to the realization that we have all sinned and need a Savior.

 God saves to the uttermost and He wants us to share that with others.  We grow by sharing Jesus with those we come into contact with.

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.

THINGS TO HELP US GROW 2

WE MUST HAVE A VISION FOR SOULS

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

 When we think of having a vision we often think of our goals for the future.  That is something that we surely should do but there are some other things we need to have a vision of besides our goals.

 We need to have a vision of the awfulness of sin.  Sin has become so common place that we have grown to accept many things that would never have been tolerated even several decades ago.

 Sin is destructive.  It damages the one who sins as well as those who are sinned against.  God did not call sin bad because it was sin.  He called it sin because it was bad and harmful to us.

 No matter how customs, cultures, and times change, sin is still sin and no matter how acceptable it becomes to society we must still have a vision of its awfulness and destructiveness.

 Thankfully those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior have a vision of the remedy for sin.  There is no other remedy than the one found in Jesus.

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.

THINGS TO HELP US GROW 1

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

We should be growing, mentally and spiritually as individuals, families and churches.  In the next few devotionals I will discuss some things that will help us grow if we apply them to our lives.  I hope you receive a blessing from them.

 If we are to really grow in our service to the Lord we have to remember that He is with us every step of the way and there is really nothing that we should fear.

 Sometimes we fail to accomplish things for the Lord because we are afraid to try.  God never asks us to do anything that He will not equip us to do.

 One of the main things we need to do to be victorious in the Lord's work is to trust Him to be with us every step of the way.

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 NEW YEAR 10

TIME
TAKE TIME

John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Take time to Work--It is the price of success.

 Works are not essential to salvation. They are, however, essential to living the abundant life that Jesus promised. 

 As we get started in this New Year I hope you will plan to do good works for the Lord.  It doesn't have to be complicated.  It can be a simple ministry.

 In our church we had a young couple who wanted to start a food ministry for those in need.  We started donating canned goods and other staples to the food ministry and everyone in our small church participates.  Sometimes we have a family that we know is in need and we donate the items to them.  There are times when we don't have anyone specifically and then we donate them to larger ministries who are always in need of more food donations.  Either way it is a ministry that helps someone and we might not even know the extent of what we are doing.

 The young couple who started this ministry had to move away(and we miss them greatly) but the ministry they started has survived even without them.

 Who knows what ministry you could start if you are just willing to do good works.  Isn't it great to know that sometimes you can start good works that continue even after you have gone.

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.