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Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack
Get involved “1) Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Nehemiah stood. Looking all around him, he surveyed the destruction of Rebuilding They all realized that rebuilding Working with others is not always an easy task, but when we choose to see past people and connect with the vision of Christ, then we are able to do our part. Each person is not called to the same task although we may each be working toward the same vision. Getting involved pleases God. Are you in covenant with the vision at your church? Or are you a distraction, causing division amongst God’s people because you have become easily offended, angered, or feel misunderstood? Do you even know what the vision is? We all can choose to be like those in Nehemiah 3 who worked together toward the vision, or we can choose to be on the outside as a distraction to those who are committed to the vision. Prayer Heavenly, and awesome Father. How many times have I tried to carry a load when you were waiting patiently for me to cast my cares unto you? How often have I pushed away your hand when you wanted to carry me instead of trying to be strong in my own strength? For Lord, I know that my flesh and my heart will fail, but you, oh Lord, never will. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. I choose to put my faith, my trust, my will in your hands believing that you know what is best for me. Help me not to seek to fix situations, but instead surrender all things and people to you. In Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Nehemiah 3: 1-6 Tuesday Nehemiah 3: 7-12 Wednesday Nehemiah Thursday Nehemiah Friday Nehemiah Saturday Jeremiah 30: 18 Sunday Jeremiah 31: 38 Application Find a way to commit yourself to the vision of the church by getting involved. If you don’t know the vision of your church, learn it. About the author: 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. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com
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Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack Open Confessions “13) He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. 14) Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.” Proverbs 28: 13-14 Growing up, being honest was a challenge for me. Actually, that would be putting it nicely. To be plain, I was a liar. I would lie because I didn’t want to hurt another person’s feelings. I would lie because I didn’t want my mom to know the truth about boys I liked at school. I would lie because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. I told one lie, after another lie, after another. After awhile, my lies seemed to become my reality. I would lie even after being caught and was very hesitant to admit my mistakes. Try as I might . . . I would do all that I could to cover my sins from others and, at times, even myself. If I didn’t address it, then maybe I didn’t have to deal with it. I thought denial would somehow fix the problem. Boy was I ever wrong. Covering up wrongdoing, refusing to admit our mistakes, or being in denial does not remove the sin. It exists. As long as we stay in the place of denial, then we are choosing to stay separated from God. Denial is a barrier to repentance. It is damn blocking the forgiveness of Christ which comes only when we go to Him in a repentant state. This is why the enemy works so hard to make us think “What’s the big deal?”, “It’s not as if I hurt anybody”, “They couldn’t handle the truth anyway”. This are all trappings which only lead to us being the ones hurt. David knows about covering sin. He committed adultery with another man’s wife, got her pregnant, and then had her husband killed to cover his sins. Then he ended up marrying the woman, Bethsheba, and the baby died. It wasn’t until David was confronted by the prophet Nathan that he decided to stop concealing his sin and go to God for forgiveness. Even with all of this wrongdoing, God not only forgave him but went on to say that David was a man after his own heart. How awesome is that! Without confession, there can be no forgiveness. If we want Christ to forgive us of our sins, then we need to be willing to confess them whatever they are. Christ is not taken aback by the things we have said, done, or thought. He knows them anyway, but He wants us to bring all of it to Him with a repentant heart. This is why the Psalmist says that those who conceal sin will not prosper. Sin only leads to more sin if we don’t have a repentant heart. But the person who confesses their sins to Christ and turns away from the life of sin will find mercy in the eyes of Christ. Don’t let a hard heart, denial, rebellion or anything else stand in the way of confessing your sins to Christ. Prayer My Lord and Savior, please forgive me of my sins. I pray that you may reveal to me those areas of sin that may be unknown to me so that I may repent and turn away from them. Lord, I do not want anything to separate me from a relationship with you. I am thankful that you are a forgiving God, full of mercy and grace. I pray that I may choose to stop concealing, denying, or rebelling against your word. Help me Lord to choose to live a life of obedience. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Proverbs 28: 13-14 Tuesday Acts Wednesday Psalm 32: 5 Thursday Matthew Friday Romans 10: 9-10 Saturday James Sunday 1 John 1: 9-10 Application In prayer, confess your sins to Christ. About the author: 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. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com
Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack The Gimmees “38) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6: 38 NIV One day while sitting in church as a young Christian, I remember my pastor saying that it is easy to give to someone who is able to give back to you. At that time, I really did not understand the fullness of what that meant. You see, during the Christmas season, many people will be going into stores buying gifts mainly for gift exchanges. They are buying gifts for people who are most likely going to be able to give gifts back to them. As a Christian, giving is a part of our DNA. Christ created us with the ability and desire to give not just to people who could give back to us, but to give to those who are unable to give. Giving is not just about the Christmas season, but rather a way of life for the believer. When we give, it is a direct reflection of the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father. Giving requires us to act voluntarily, willingly, cheerfully, and intentionally. Christ does not make us give to others who are hurting, who are lacking, who are destitute. No! Yet, when we make our hearts available to Him, it is out of the love, the relationship, the grace we have received that we are able to get outside of ourselves and help others. In this verse, Christ gives a simple nugget of wisdom with the Jews which is simply give. When we give, not expecting to receive in return, then Christ shall return it to us in a good measure. When measuring dry goods as corn or wheat, the items were often forcefully trust down, shaken, pressed and then put into a pile to be able to give a good measure of how much was available. By shaking the items together, an individual was able to receive more than what was previously there. It was a process. He further explains to the Jews that the same manner they are dealt with will reflect the manner in which they gave. For those who deal harshly or grudgingly with others then they could expect to receive the same mean, tightfisted behavior. Yet, those who give and forgive willingly and kindly have reason to hope that when they are in need that Christ would rise up others who will have a heart and a readiness to give and help. It is easy to give love to those that love you in return, but what about loving those who have hurt you? It is easier to offer forgiveness to someone asking to be forgiven but what about forgiving those who have not asked? Companies want us to believe that Christmas is about buying and giving that “perfect” give at the most “unbeatable” price. Yet, I challenge each of you to consider giving to someone who cannot give back to you. Help the homeless, the elderly, the widowed, the hurting, the lost. Spend time serving in the community. Create care packages for the military personnel who are overseas. Give as a reflection of the love, mercy, and grace that Christ has given to you. Prayer. My God, thank you for giving the greatest gift, Your life for my sins. You are the ultimate example of how we are to live our lives as givers. Continue to penetrate my heart in those areas that may be hindrances to me being able to give. Forgive me if I harbor any unforgiveness in my heart toward others. Lord, I choose to be a tool used by you to impact the world. I choose to give my time, my talent, my all for serving your kingdom. May I choose to let the Spirit of Christmas last everyday in my heart and in my actions. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Luke Tuesday Romans 2: 4 Wednesday Ephesians Thursday Hebrews Friday Matthew Saturday Proverbs Sunday Mark 4: 24-25 Application This week find some way to give to another person. About the author: 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. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com
Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack Are you living? “11) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” John 5: 11-12 NIV I did not grow up in the church. In most cases, we did not attend church services unless we went to visit my grandmother or attended a family reunion. For most of my life, I found myself wanting, needing, and clinging to others to complete the void that was so deeply within me that I was unable to put into words. Constantly, I struggled to find love, acceptance, even purpose in the approval of others but even then it wasn’t enough. No matter how much I was loved, it wasn’t enough. I didn’t understand. Then, one day in 2002, standing folding towels in the quietness of my bedroom, I heard Him. He was there with me. For so long, I had been trying to create a path for myself, to receive love from others, to just understand that I felt defeated, worn, and loss. There I stood at a crossroad in my life, when I heard Him. Oh so gently, He was there offering me the ultimate gift—Him. He was knocking on the door of my heart, waiting for me to welcome Him into my life as my Lord and Savior. Tears began to trickle down my face, while I clenched the towel to my chest and I began to cry out. He was saying, “Choose me.” Choose life. In that moment, I opened my heart, confessed my sins, and accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and finally began to know what it was like to live. You see, Christ died for each of us not just so that we could grudgingly go from day to day focused on our own desires, living for nothing, dying for nothing but so that we may have eternal life in Him. This life, however, is contingent upon a choice that each of us will have to make—to choose whom we shall serve. Christ is not going to make anyone love Him, serve Him, or be obedient to Him. It is simple. We can choose to have life by believing, confessing, and serving Him or we can choose to not have life by serving ourselves. When John mentions “he who has” or “he who does not have”, he is referring to possession. To have Christ means to have Him present in one’s life, whereas to not have Christ means to reject Him. Each of us will have a moment in our lives when Christ is knocking on the door of our heart. The question will be, will you choose to accept eternal life by accepting the Jesus Christ the Son of God, or will you keep the door close and be dead in sin? Prayer. Oh awesome, almighty Father. I am very thankful for Christ whose blood was shed for my sins. Thank you for knocking on the door of my heart and not giving up on me. Please bless all of those who interceded for me during the time I choose to live my life without you. I pray that others may receive you as their Lord and Savior so that they too may live a life everlasting with you Lord. Use me Lord as a tool to minister to whomever You see fit in the building of your kingdom. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday 1 John Tuesday John Wednesday Mark Thursday John Friday John Saturday John Sunday John 1: 1-5 Application This week, take time to minister to those who are unbelievers about Christ. About the author: 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. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com
Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack A New Way to Resolve “4) In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5) because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1: 4-6 NIV Here we are again! A new year and I have already begun to hear the conversations of people planning out their new year’s resolutions, but for some reason I began to be nudged by this. So, I set out to learn just what a resolution is. For so long, I believe that people have been making New Year’s resolutions without even realizing what it is resolution really means. According to Webster’s dictionary, resolution means to “finding a solution to a problem”, be “something settled”, or the act of “taking away such as doubt or fear”. When Christ came over 2,000 years ago, He came as a solution to the problem of sin that had entered the world. He was a precious gift that God offered to a sinful world so that we all would have not just eternal life but an abundant life. Then again, Jesus offered Himself to be a living sacrifice so that our salvation would be settled. Because of the shedding of His blood, we don’t have to be shaken by unstable economies, sickness, defiant children, doubts or insecurities. His choice to finish what was specifically assigned to Him, opened the door to a relationship with God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit so that we would not be bound to the cares of this world. His obedience took away our sin. With it, we don’t have to walk with our heads in shame, guilt or condemnation. He came so that all of that would be taken away. Ah, yes, Christ is the resolution. Even with that plan in place, God had/has a plan for our lives as well. He has fashioned for each of us certain tasks, relationships, and assignments. The path and purpose for our lives was created before there was an Earth, stars, or a sky. He knew moment of our conception, the tumbles, the tears, and the laughter. He knew the moment we would open our hearts to say “Yes, Lord here I am.” In the world’s system, New Year’s resolutions are our way of trying to fix what we see as being broken; our way of trying to start what we think we need to begin; or our way of holding on to old ways with the excuse of “I’ll let go next year”. But there are no New Year’s resolutions in Christ. Instead there is a plan He created specifically for your life. For me, there are no resolutions this year. Christ already did it all. My part is to do. Do what He assigned specifically to me. I am staying focused and committed to completing those tasks that have been made clear to me. This requires recognizing those distractions, knowing the difference between a good idea and a God idea, and moving in wisdom. We don’t need to wait until a new year to stay the course of the plan God has created for our lives. We can begin today. So I encourage each of you to lay aside your plans and choose to be committed to those relationships, assignments and tasks that God has revealed to you and lay everything else to the side. Choose to let Christ be your resolution. Prayer. My heavenly Father, I cannot thank you enough for choose to resolve my sin when you choose to take my place on the cross. I am thankful for the blood you choose to loose so that I may have life. My life has never been the same since you entered my heart. I am thankful for every door your opened, every door you closed, every life you blessed to cross my path, every moment that was used to your glory. Thank you for choosing me to be a tool to be used to your glory. I make my choice to complete the tasks you have assigned to me. Grant me the wisdom to recognize distractions and the wisdom to know how to handle them. Guide me so that I may be a wise steward over everything and everyone you have assigned to me. Lord I am excited about all you have done and all that you have yet to do in my life. I love you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Philippians 1: 4-6 Tuesday 2 Timothy 4: 6-8 Wednesday John Thursday 2 Corinthians Friday 2 Chronicles Saturday Romans Sunday Philippians Application Write down the relationships, tasks, and assignments that you know Christ has assigned to you. Post it in an area where you are able to see it on regular basis About the author: 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. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com |
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