By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

SCRIPTURE:
"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.' Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured" (Mark 1:40-42, NIV)

Background:
I asked myself what the stigma of leprosy would have done to a person!
This man had leprosy. Leprosy made someone an untouchable and an outcast from society. This man could have been ridiculed and shunned all the days he had leprosy. He could have lost hope because of his bad PAST experiences he may have had. More than likely he would have had such a terrible time because his disease was contagious! Also because people feared coming near anyone with leprosy, as they feared getting it, they created Leper's colonies making lepers feel untouchable. The movie 'Ben Hur' portrays an example and also shows the redemptive side.

Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself what the man did?
The man could have easily been conditioned to accept his defeat in life living in the PAST but he did not. One day he found out about someone who loves others so much and who performs miracles. He took an active step hoping to receive help even with all the fears he may have stored up inside because of his PAST:

1. He came to Jesus with the disease that made him feel like an outcast. (Skin falling off and blisters everywhere)

2. He fell on his knees and begged Jesus, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’

Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself why the leper used the words, ‘If you are willing’!
This tells me that there were many people who were not even willing to be near him. We can infer that he was not sure if Jesus was going to have anything to do with him especially from the PAST bad experiences he may have had. Yet he takes the daring step and says, "If you are willing, you can make me clean"

Observations:
I asked myself what were Jesus’ reactions towards the leper?

1. Jesus was filled with compassion.
2. Jesus reached out his hand.
3. Jesus touched the man.
4. Jesus said, "I am willing"
5. Jesus said, "Be clean"

Point 1: Jesus was filled with compassion.
It is important to remember if Jesus had not left Simon and Andrew's place with his disciples after spending time in prayer, the man would not have had an encounter with Jesus. Jesus already knew there was a leper who needed His help.

Jesus showed his compassion to the man who was sick and who wanted to be clean from his PAST. Jesus did not shun him but goes a step further and exhibits His compassion by the next action He takes which is evident by point 2.

Point 2: Jesus reaches out his hand.
Picture the person with leprosy whose skin was filled with spots and was falling off. No one would even come close to him but now Jesus reached out His hand. This is so significant to me because by reaching out His hand, Jesus started the process of healing the man emotionally and psychologically. Now the man knew even as an outcast to society that He was loved by One person who really mattered. Jesus did not stop there but goes a step further which is evident by point 3.

Point 3: Jesus touched the man.
I believe at that point the man was healed spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, and mentally by the loving Hands of Jesus. By touching the man in his sickness and disease, Jesus was letting him know that he is loved as he is with all the baggage of the PAST. Jesus is letting him know he is valued as a person regardless of his disease. Wow! That is awesome to know! Jesus does not stop there after touching the man but gives him words he wanted to hear. This is evident by point 4.

Point 4: Jesus said, "I am willing"
These are the words the man wanted to hear from Jesus and must have been ecstatic to hear them. Lepers were usually confined to a lepers colony and could not do a lot of things that healthy people were able to do including making a financial living. Now he knew he could be part of society as Jesus helps him with that. This is evident by point 5.

Point 5: Jesus said, "Be clean!"
Immediately, the leprosy left him and he was cured!!! Praise God! Amen! He was instantly healed spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, and mentally from the PAST trauma he faced after a personal encounter with Jesus.

Jesus became the LORD OF THE PAST for that man and helped him move forward. The wounds of yesterday were taken by Jesus and Jesus brought healing because Jesus can do anything.

Implications:
The man with leprosy did not let his PAST come in the way of receiving healing in the present and moving forward. It could have been easy for the man to have dwelled in the past and allowed his negative experiences and thinking to rule his life and given up. He did not but decided to take a risk and it paid off.

It is exciting to know what Jesus did for the leper He can do for us too when we have a personal encounter with Him. He waits for us to come to Him to clean us even from our PAST! Yes, He does! I don't know His timings but I know He loves us and wants the best for us!

Christians are not exempt from the pain of the PAST and Jesus is there to bring healing when we turn everything over to Him. When JESUS becomes the LORD OF THE PAST, moving forward can become easy with His hope, help, and healing because He will also permeate your present and future.

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”- Isaiah 43:16, 18-19

I ask you now dear friend, will you let Jesus be the Lord of your past and move you forward?
Dear friend, Jesus loves you so much and wants to be the Lord of your past and move you forward. No matter what your past looks like, 'he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters' can make a way in the desert areas of your life and streams in areas you see as a wasteland. Yes, He can friend! Jesus healed the wounds of the leper and delivered him from his past.

You don't have leprosy but you may have a stigma of things that happened to you that brings you torment, you maybe feeling yucky on the inside because of past things, you have tried but cannot wash it away because the past sticks like glue to you just as the leper could not wash away his leprosy, you want to forget the past but the past won't let you forget.

But the Good News is you can give up on yourself and give in to the Savior who wants to become the Lord of your past so you don't have to live in the past anymore, no you don't. Whatever happened in 2008 or before, bring it before Jesus. Bring all your pain, guilt, suffering, shortcomings, stigmas before the CROSS OF CHRIST.

Jesus who had COMPASSION on the leper, will also have compassion on you! Jesus who TOUCHED the man to bring restoration in his life, will bring restoration to your life. Jesus who said to the leper, 'I AM WILLING' will say to you 'I am willing' if you are willing to come before Jesus in your pain, suffering, torment, etc as the leper did. Then, as Jesus' touch and words healed the leper and cured him, Jesus can cure you too.

Yes, He can friend, Oh yes He can! Come as you are and find grace in time of need!

Friends, each of you has a PAST otherwise you won’t be in the present. You know the skeletons from your PAST. You know the deep hurts and scars that are hidden deep inside. You know the times of rejection, ridicule, etc you may have faced. Many of you may still be carrying them with you as heavy baggage. It will not go away on its own but you can definitely find healing from your PAST and be set free once you start dealing with what happened and not hesitate to receive the help needed. Jesus wants you to come to Him as you are and He will not turn you away. He wants to clean out your PAST for you just as He made the leper clean. Yes, He does friend! Come as you are!

The man with leprosy was determined to receive help and did not let his PAST stop him nor 'what other people might think of him' and received healing! You do not have to let your PAST stop you from receiving the help the Lord wants to give you right now!

It won't be easy and there could be a lot of inner turmoil and pain but when you pour out your heart to the Lord showing him everything that has caused the wounds and scars you are dealing with and ask Jesus to make you clean as the leper showed himself to Jesus and asked Jesus to make him clean and was healed, so will you be in God's perfect timing.

The leper revealed his past to Jesus what was causing torment! You need to do the same and then leave it in the hands of the Lord Jesus for hope, help, and healing.

When you pray to the Lord, listen to what He has to tell you. Jesus reached out to the man, touched him and spoke to him being willing to make him clean. Jesus wants to reach out to you, touch you in every area of your life, and speak to you.

Whether you have experienced any kind of abuse, a relational break-up, a family-dysfunction, guilt over sins of the past, death in the family, loss of a job, etc because of mistakes of the past, Jesus is willing to reach out to you with His Loving Hands, touch you with his healing love. Take the help He is offering you. He loves you so much.

I don't usually recommend movies during these devotionals but I highly recommend the movie: 'The Sin Eater'

Each of you knows what the Lord may want you to do to deal with what you are facing. Don't let your PAST or what other people will think about you stop you from receiving your healing. Just because you may have had bad experiences in the PAST and they hurt you so badly, don't let that govern your present and future.

One example is relationships. If you have ever experienced a bad-break up, it would be so easy to just give up and not be in a relationship with anyone else fearing you may get hurt all over again. But don't let the other person who broke up with you have a hold on your life preventing you from enjoying life again. Depend on the Lord to send that right person your way. I know He would because He created you, you are special in His sight and He knows that special one out there for you who you can spend the rest of your life with. Even if you have done things in a relationship you were not supposed to do, Jesus is there to forgive you and give you a new start. Yes, He is! Come as you are and receive cleansing for all your sins. Give your PAST to the Lord Jesus and be healed! Be healed and cleaned by the Lord as you turn to Him!

Take the step whatever you are facing with and bring it to the Lord as the man with leprosy did and you will find healing in Jesus' Name! His love can enter everyone now and make them clean. Yes, it can friend! Amen!

No matter who we are whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, male or female, whatever our ethnicity, etc we are all in the same boat when it comes to the deadly virus that is more than a pandemic that started in the PAST. It has invaded all of humanity making us so unclean.  This virus has trapped us and is driven by Satan himself. He wants to take us where he wants to go and where he wants to be which will eventually end up in Hell. Sin started in the PAST and all the problems we face is because of the SIN OF THE PAST which continues to affect humanity.

The leper became an outcast to the people around him because of his PAST condition but Jesus intervened to give Him new life. Now, friend all humanity is an outcast before the Lord because of this deadly virus. You see friend because of sin, we have been an outcast to God because God in His Holiness cannot allow sin to enter into His presence of Heaven.

So, God became the Initiator to save us from this bondage of the PAST since we cannot save ourselves from this sin. As Jesus went to save the leper from his condition, God also sent Jesus to save humanity from its condition of sin.

Jesus Christ went to the cross, shed His precious cleansing blood by dying on the cross for our sin, was buried, and came back to life on the third day to save. Now friend, we have an antidote to clean us of this deadly virus known as sin. The antidote is the precious cleansing blood of Jesus that can wash away all our sin.

However friend, Jesus won't force His antidote for us to take just as Jesus did not force the leper to come to Him. The leper chose to come to Jesus in His un-cleanliness and Jesus took care of the rest. Jesus wants to do the same for us. When Jesus died on the cross, I believe Jesus chose humanity to come to Him.

Now, it is up to you and me friend to turn our lives over to Jesus knowing Salvation is by grace through faith and not of any good works that we can boast.

We can come to Jesus because when Jesus died on the cross, He was making a way for you and I to be clean when we turn to Him. Jesus wants to heal us of all our shortcomings, scars, shame, etc. Yes, He does friend. We can be set free from the PAST by the LORD and now is the time of Salvation.

Friend, you are loved so much and Jesus can redeem whatever you have messed up His way which will be the best way. Come to Jesus as you are knowing He loves you so much and has a plan for your life. You can be clean no matter what you have done! You are never out of His love and never out of His reach. That is amazing to know!

May you receive healing in the Arms of our loving Lord and Savior now and forever who wants you to FORGET THE PAST and lean on to Him in the present of 2008 and into the future of 2009 and on.

Freedom From Your Past (Read Philippians 3:12-21)
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Having trouble with your PAST?
Don't know how long it will last?
It's eating you up like a bomb's blast?
Cause missed opportunities coming to you to haunt,
Making you hurt and daunt.
No way to keep count?
ANSWER AWAITS, you can in life mount. (Matt 11:28-30)
You cant look back (Philippians 3:13-14)
Cause your self-esteem will lack. (John 14:1)
Life ain't over, though you are under attack (Ephesians 6:11)
And on the wrong track. (Isaiah 30:21)
You think though it is too late (Matt 19:26)
Because you have messed up each date( day ) (Psalm 50:15)
May make you, yourself hate. (Isaiah 43:1-4)
That is not your fate. (Romans 8:28)
Christ is the Gate! (John 10:9)
Will deliver you from your broken state. (Luke 4:18-19)
Gotta walk by Faith (Hebrews 11:1)
And upon him wait. (Isaiah 40:31)
Jesus has your best interests in mind. (Romans 8:28)
Depending on Him and His Word, will us remind. (Col 3:16)
Loves you so much, for you died on the pole ( Cross ) (1 Cor 15:3)
Please give him your heart and lets do our role. (Psalm 37:4)
Wonderful to know, each day his Blessings and Mercies are new.
How many situations in the past we blew. (Psa 103:17 & Gal 2:20)

Jesus gives you a promise: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”-(Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV)

"Please Always Savior Trust! (P.A.S.T)"/"Will you let Jesus be the Lord of your P.A.S.T and move you forward?"

Prayer: 
Dear Jesus, you remember everything. You remember the time the man with leprosy came to you and begged you to make him clean. You were filled with so much compassion and you reached out your hand and touched the man who was seen as diseased and you were willing to make him clean and healed him. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank you so much for your love. Lord, you know the wounds and scars each of us face from our past or even the present. You know Lord what it has done to us on the inside and many times on the outside.  Lord when the pain is too much it is so easy to try to forget it by focusing our minds on other things so we do not have to deal with it. That won't help us in the long run. But, I know Lord you can heal each person who is faced with hurts when they come to you.  You can clean us of our sins and make us pure again no matter what we have done or faced with. Oh Lord, we need that cleansing in our lives. There are those right now Lord who need to feel clean but their guilt has a hold on them. Break that guilt Oh Lord and help them to hold on to you. Let them know they are loved and can start over again as you gave the leper new life. Thank you Jesus. Please Jesus reach out to the one who is hurting and touch them with your love and power. Provide them the means to get the healing you want for their lives. Thank you Jesus so much. Please Lord help them not to let their past influence them from getting the help they need. You know how they can receive that help. Please make it clear to them. Thank you so much Jesus. Use your children to bring healing to others within your family and outside your family so one day they can come into your family. Thank you so much Jesus.  Help us Oh God of our Salvation for the glory of your name. Please deliver us and provide us healing for your name's sake. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank you that you not only hear us but answer us! Amen! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

"May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray the prayer below, meaning it in your heart.

Prayer:
God I am a sinner. I am invaded by this deadliest virus. Many times I feel so guilty and yucky inside. I need forgiveness. I am so sorry for my sins. I have not obeyed you with my whole heart! I have gone my own way and done my own things. I still struggle with sin. I need you Jesus in my life so I can receive forgiveness and a new beginning. In the process, I can forgive others as you help me to. Thank you so much Jesus. I accept the antidote you have sent me. I believe Jesus you died for me and your cleansing blood will cleanse me from all my sins. You came back to life to save me. Thank you God I am set free, free from the bondage of sin. Hear my cry Oh Lord. I accept you Jesus into my heart. I make you my Lord and Personal Savior of my life. Thank you Father God for giving me Salvation. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and personal Savior! I can live a life of peace with you on my side. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me! In your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!