OGRAM Communication Services-April 7

“3)At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4)But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5)he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6)whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7)so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3: 3-7

Having a baby is such a miraculous event. After months of changes, eagerness, excitement, anxiety, you hold in your arms a tiny piece of miracle in the form of a new life. Looking at the baby’s hands, feet, beautiful eyes, one can be amazed at our ability to love someone just because he is who he is. Right then you know, no matter what that child does, says, or thinks your love is never ending.

When I think of my mom, I think of that kind of love. Along the path of our relationship, I have tested, damaged, and pushed the bond that is shared between a mother and a daughter. Even when others called her foolish to help me, she believed in not what I was currently doing, but who God said I would become. It was because of the mercy Christ had shown her, that she was able to show me mercy in the midst of my foolishness.

Titus begins verse 3 saying, “At one time we too were . . .” reminding the believers during their lifetime, they, too, were outside of the will of God. At some point in all of our lives, we were foolish, disobedient, and selfish. Most of us were looking only to get what we can get and do what we wanted to do regardless of the outcome. Some of us lied, manipulated, and abused relationships. Then in verse four, there is a BUT. Even when we were in that place and heading for hell, Jesus loved us anyway. It wasn’t because we were living such wonderful lives and because we deserved to receive such a blessed gift. It was because of His mercy.

There are times when we forget that we weren’t always filled with Holy Spirit and living godly lives. During those moments, many of us become judgmental and harsh toward others we see living a life of sin. It is easy to criticize the young lady that had sex out of marriage now that you are married and are no longer in that place yourself. Don’t forget that there was a God for you then that knocked on the door of your heart, healed you, restored you, and is using you. The same God that did and is doing that for you, can do the same for them. So when you have a chance to minister to those that are still in the places of disobedience, envy, and foolishness, do what Christ did—give kindness and love.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for ever thinking so highly of myself that I forget how far you have bought me. It is because of your grace and mercy that I am able to be here today. I thank you that you thought enough of me to create me with a special plan and purpose. Thank you that you did not let the hand of the enemy devour me while I was in sin. Help me to show your love, kindness, and mercy toward others. In Jesus name, Amen.

The next time you see someone in sin, don’t judge. Instead share with them the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ.

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Devotional for April 14-20, 2008

“1) But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O

Israel

: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3) For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of

Israel

, your Savior; I give

Egypt

for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.” Isaiah 43: 1-3 NIV

Have you ever felt as if you were one step away from losing it all? As if there was a war raging in your mind and in any minute, you might lose? I’ve been there. There have been key moments in my life that I could clearly feel the war of the enemy fighting for my mind. Immediately, I knew to fall on my knees and cry out to my father in heaven. Then there were other moments that are subtle, when I wasn’t even aware there was a battle going on. It was in those battles that I struggled with my own self-worth. I didn’t and couldn’t see that God wanted more for me than the life that I was settling for.

For some of us, it is the subtle fights warring within us that need special care. Maybe you are dealing with lack of self-esteem in which you constantly question why someone would love you or maybe why God called up. Or maybe it is the fear of failing—failing to provide all that you can for your family or meeting the expectations others have of you. Could you be afraid of being alone? So you surround yourself with anyone just so you won’t have to deal with the silence. You allow yourself to be in relationships that are flesh created and not God ordained.

Regardless of that inner battle, our awesome Father provides some comfort and guidance. First, He says to “Fear not”. God knew that we would be inundated with innumerable fears that have carried with us from childhood to adulthood, one relationship to another. He wanted us to know that we don’t have to carry that fear. Then He goes on to say that the reason we don’t have to fear is because He redeemed us, called us, and we belong to Him. God is showing ownership over our lives.

He then goes on to describe that neither raging waters or blazing fires will be able to harm us. Water and fire are too powerful entities when they become out of control. In excess they are able to destroy whatever stands in its way. This is often similar to the battles that we may face within. The enemy may try to tell you that just like your parents are divorced, your marriage won’t last either. In walks suspicion, distrust, and fear, just because we allowed one thought to be planted in our minds. He wants you to believe that serving God is boring and that being in the world is fun and that you may be too young to serve Christ. These are all lies. When we allow ourselves to surrender to Christ, then we are protected by the blood of Christ. We have the authority to speak to those curses and break them in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. So fear not, God is with you.

My God, forgive me for allowing fear to live where your love should be. Cleanse my heart of any impurity or fear. Help me to see me the way you do. Help me to walk in the authority you have already given me and the boldness to speak to the situations in my life. Lord thank you for the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, amen.

Cast your cares upon Christ and let Him give you peace in the midst of your fears.

Devotional for April 21-27, 2008

By Minister Mamie Pack

Don’t Fret

“1)Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2) for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3) Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4) Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5) Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6) He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7) Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8) Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. 9) For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.” Psalm 37: 1-9 NIV

One day my Bishop told me that I have to be willing to pay the cost for what I want. I could have the car, the home, the. . .whatever I want, but I also must be willing to pay the financial, emotional, or time availability cost that is associated with obtaining what I want. It is easy to look at someone else, see what they have and get frustrated that you don’t have it. How come he got the promotion, when I have been praying about it? Why are we still living in an apartment, tithing faithfully, when they have a house and don’t believe in tithing? Without realizing it, we become angered, frustrated, or even jealous that the ungodly has what we, as the believers, don’t have.

In Psalm 37, we are given spiritual guidance in what to do when it appears the evil are prospering and the righteous are suffering. David understood that the prosperity of the wicked will last for a season, but the prosperity in a relationship with Christ is eternal. We are given, by David, a recipe of how to obtain peace when the wicked appear to succeed.

Step One: Fret not—God does not want us to worry or be jealous over what the wicked has and what we don’t have. They may have temporal earthly wealth, but believers are promised eternal riches with our father in heaven.

Step Two: Trust God and do good—Trusting God and doing good go hand in hand. When we trust God, we believe that He is working everything to our good so it is easy to do the good that He requires of us.

Step Three: Praise God anyway—Even though it may appear that you are in a difficult place, praise God anyway, for this pleases Him. In doing so, He promises to give us the desires of our heart that are in line with this His will for our lives.

Step Four: Be committed to Him—Being committed does not mean that we straddle the fence between pleasing people and pleasing Him. Either we are going to serve people or we are going to serve Him.

Step Five: Be still and wait—Just because God has made a promise to us, it will not come to pass according to our time. While we are waiting for God’s will to be done on His time, we need to be still. This may mean being silent as well. Sometimes we allow what we say to be a hindrance to where God is taking us.

Step Six: Stay calm—When we fret over what the wicked have, this will only lead to sin. That sin will then become a barrier between you and God; thus, you have moved out of the will of God.

When we do these things, as believers, we can rest peacefully in the hand of Christ knowing that all things work together for the good of them who love the Lord. We don’t have to look longingly at the wealth or feigned success of the wicked when we are living a life in line with God’s will. Our God is greater than any earthly riches. So I encourage you, don’t fret because God has it all under control.

Our heavenly Father, thank you for being an almighty, all knowing, all seeing God. Please forgive me for the times that I was angry or jealous over the wealth of the wicked. Help me to have a grateful heart for all that you are doing in my life. Guide me so that I may commit my ways to you and that I have the strength to be still. Help me to trust you more today than I did yesterday. Thank you for not giving up on me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Cast your cares upon Christ and let Him give you peace in the midst of your fears.