Posted on Sat, Dec 14, 2013 at 07:28 a.m. (EST) & 05:58 p.m. (IST), DEC 2013 Edition
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“Favor Allows Victoriously
Our Redeemer! (F.A.V.O.R)”
Ramesh C. Reddy
SCRIPTURE:
APPROACH
QUESTION:
OBSERVATIONS:
1.
“The
angel went to her [Mary].
INTERPRETATION:
The significance is that the angel Gabriel
visited a village girl named Mary not because Mary did something for
the Lord but because of the Lord's favor. This is so awesome to know
that Mary was not just favored but highly favored because of the
Lord's choosing and grace. What is more amazing is that the angel
says that the Lord is with her because of His favor. Thank you
Jesus!
IMPLICATIONS:
The purpose
of today's study was for me to understand the importance of
understanding the Lord's favor can come unexpectedly during His
greeting to us. What is amazing is that those who serve the Lord are
greeted daily by Him when we spend time with Him in His Word. During
that time, we can experience His favor in different areas of our
lives in His timing. Thank you so much Jesus!
The Lord chooses whom He chooses to show His favor. What is awesome
is that I need not do anything to receive His favor because His
favor is based on His loving grace which is something that I could
never earn. His favor can be experienced in my life anytime the Lord
acts on my behalf. It can be experienced in your life too. Thank you
Jesus!
I ask you now dear friend, what does it mean
to experience the F.A.V.O.R of the Lord?
My loving wife Chandraleela and I had
lost our receipts to collect a reimbursement so it was unexpected
when we were told that we would be reimbursed the money without the
receipts close to $500. When that happened, it reminded me of
receiving the favor of the Lord because we did not earn it by
following the necessary paperwork but it still happened. Thank you
Jesus for those you used to make it happen!
But more than that, when I think of experiencing the favor of the
Lord, I am reminded of how the Lord Jesus bought me to be His own.
As far as I can remember, our family generation line has been Hindu
from a line of Reddy's. But, the Lord chose me to be the first male
born child to become His follower on Valentine's Day many years ago.
It was not for anything I did, but because of His grace and mercy. I
am so thrilled to be chosen by the Lord to be His own to serve Him
and be guided by Him. I want my life to reflect the life of a
follower of Christ.
My mommy became the first female
follower of Christ in our family generation life after which I
followed. Later, by God's grace and mercy, our entire family was
chosen by the Lord to be His own. It started with the Lord choosing
a 22-year old female many years ago, who is my precious mommy, to
become His own. When the Lord chose me to become His own, I
was completely healed of my asthma 100%. To this day, I can do stuff
I never could before without medication.
Few years ago when an Indian student found out that I became a
Christian from a Reddy background, he was utterly surprised. I still
remember his words to me, "You are a Reddy and
you are a Christian?" He expected me to be Hindu but I shared
with Him the work of the Lord Jesus in my life when he asked me how,
especially knowing that Christians only comprised of 2% of the
population in India. He was intrigued and surprised hearing my
testimony.
Experiencing the favor of the Lord can come in different shapes and
forms whether it is spiritually, physically, emotionally,
relationally, mentally, financially, etc. But the important thing is
that we will know for sure when we experience the Lord's favor
because it will be unmerited and unearned. Thank you so much Jesus.
One more example I want to share is how the Lord Jesus has blessed
me with such a prayerful, loving, understanding, supportive wife
that I don't deserve. I believe 100% that being married to Chandra
was the favor of the Lord too especially how He brought us together
and the processes that went through it all. Thank you Jesus.
You too can experience the favor of the Lord in His timing for He
says in His Word, 'I know the plans for you
says, the Lord; they are plans for good and not for evil, to give
you a future and a hope!' (Jeremiah 29:11, TLB)
Favor from the Lord will not always be the same but it will come
unexpectedly in His timing so wait upon the Lord and be of good
cheer. Never let your hope die because the Lord's favor is
unexpected and unmerited just as in the case of Mary. Thank you
Jesus.
If you cannot think of a time when you have experienced the favor of
the Lord, I want you to know that it does not have to be that way
always. The Lord Jesus loves you so much that He wants to favor you
with His love and blessings. Yes, He does friend but I am not
talking about a prosperity Gospel of material riches but a Gospel
that transforms and changes lives.
This Christmas season that favor can be there for you and your loved
ones as you turn to the Christ child who is not a child anymore but
the King of kings and Lord of lords. The greatest favor He wants to
shower up you is His Salvation to save you and me from the captivity
of sin and death. He wants to be our Immanuel - God with us.
It starts with Jesus as we realize our own worthlessness before the
Lord and acknowledge our total dependence on Him. So when we are
favored in an area, we do not have to take credit for ourselves but
can know it is because of the Lord's favor especially when it comes
to the Salvation of our souls. Thank you Jesus.
This Christmas season, maybe you can list all the times you have
experienced the favor of the Lord or maybe you feel you have not
yet experienced the favor of the Lord and are in a dry season or time.
Don't despair because He who loves you so much wants to be there for
you to get you through. We cannot go by feelings but by faith. This
is what Joseph did when the angel of the Lord met him though he was
totally confused and troubled what was happening to Mary.
Come as you are friend and lay everything before Jesus Christ who
wants to be your Immanuel - God with us. Thank you Lord
Jesus! Love has come into this world to save! So give your
life to Jesus Christ just as you are and have Him work in your life
now and for eternity, for He will! Praise the Lord!
May you experience the Lord's favor knowing favor allows
victoriously our Redeemer!
"Favor Allows, Victoriously Our Redeemer! (F.A.V.O.R)"/"What
does it mean to experience the favor of the Lord?"
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace,
Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a
life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I
need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround
me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your
presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you
love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek
your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for
your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case.
Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!
(Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)
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.
No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in
and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with
the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend.
You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word
reading Psalms and turning them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you
and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before
moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to
which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be
part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible
believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to
Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who
brings us hope, healing, and help!
No matter who you are, it is not ever too late
to join a Bible-believing church or a college fellowship. I highly
encourage each of you to come to Transformers Small Group on Friday
nights at 7:00 p.m. and Oakland International Fellowship on Sunday
mornings at 9:30 a.m. for prayer, 11:30 a.m. for worship, 10:30 a.m. for
Sunday School, and 12:30 p.m. for fellowship lunch.
May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His love now and
forever! Amen!
Feel free to email
me at
reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com
if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with,
talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is
412-641-9426
"This is my
work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work
within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB) |
ADVENT DEVOTIONALS: "What can G.R.E.E.T.I.N.G.S do for you and others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Dec 07, 13, 6:19 a.m) 2013 DEVOTIONALS: "What are A-Z things you have witnessed that you can give T.H.A.N.K.S.G.I.V.I.N.G to the Lord for?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Thurs, Nov 28, 13, 11:51 a.m.) Mark 8:34: "Why D.E.N.Y youself in the one life you have to live?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Nov 16, 13, 08:13 a.m.) Philippians 4:9: "How do you know your P.E.A.C.E is real?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Oct 19, 13, 08:17 a.m.) Philippians 4:9: "What kind of S.O.L.D.I.E.R will you be?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Oct 12, 13, 11:29 a.m.) Psalm 139:13-18: "Who cares for your B.I.R.T.H.D.A.Y in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Oct 05, 13, 1:00 p.m.) Philippians 4:8: "What is your T.H.I.N.K.I.N.G based on?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, Sept 25, 13, 10:29 a.m.) Philippians 4:6-7: "How do you handle A.N.X.I.E.T.Y in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Sept 21, 13, 08:18 a.m.) Philippians 4:4: "When do you R.E.J.O.I.C.E in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Sept 14, 13, 12:36 p.m.) Philippians 4:5: "What measure of G.E.N.T.L.E.N.E.S.S do you have?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, Sept 09, 13, 12:03 p.m.) Philippians 4:3: "How have you C.A.M.P.A.I.G.N.E.D for Jesus Christ in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Sept 06, 13, 07:17 a.m.) Philippians 4:2: "How do you respond to a P.L.E.A.D in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, Sept 04, 13, 12:00 p.m.) Philippians 4:1: "Where do you S.T.A.N.D on love in your life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Tues, Sept 03, 13, 12:00 p.m.) 1 Thessalonians 1:3: "What does your L.A.B.O.R show in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, Sept 02, 13, 10:04 a.m.) Philippians 3:18-19: "Why shed your T.E.A.R.S for others in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, Aug 21, 13, 08:26 a.m.) Philippians 3:15-17: "Who are what are you willing to P.A.T.T.E.R.N your life after?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, Aug 19, 13, 10:08 a.m.) Philippians 3:12-14:"How can you deal with the P.A.S.T in your life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, Aug 15, 13, 04:21 a.m.) Philippians 3:1-11: "Why for R.E.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N you need the transaction of the cross?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, Aug 14, 13, 05:55 p.m.) Philippians 2:25-30:"When will your H.O.M.E.C.O.M.I.N.G begin?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Tues, Aug 13, 13, 10:39 a.m.) Philiippians 2:20-24: "How can you Q.U.A.L.I.F.Y well in other people's lives?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Fri, Aug 09, 13, 08:38 a.m.) Philippians 2:17-19: "When do you live out your F.A.I.T.H in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Thurs, Aug 08, 13, 03:19 a.m.) Philippians 2:14-16: "What does your B.E.H.A.V.I.O.R do for others in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, Aug 07, 13, 12:03 p.m.) Philippians 2:13: "How do you W.O.R.K out your Salvation?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, Aug 05, 13, 01:33 p.m.) Philippians 2:13: "What path have you taken for S.A.L.V.A.T.I.O.N in your life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, Aug 05, 13, 01:33 p.m.) Philippians 2:12-13: "What is the point of O.B.E.D.I.E.N.C.E in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, Aug 03, 13, 01:28 p.m.) Philippians 2:9-11: "How do you handle the N.A.M.E of Jesus in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Fri, Aug 02, 13, 07:58 a.m.) Philippians 2:8: "What can the C.R.O.S.S do for you in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Thurs, Aug 01, 13, 08:03 a.m.) Philippians 2:5-7:"How do you match Jesus' A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, July 31, 13, 10:50 a.m.) Mark 10:6-9: "What does Jesus want for your M.A.R.R.I.A.G.E in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Tues, July 30, 13, 11:24 a.m.) Philippians 2:3-4: "How do you respond to God's C.O.M.M.A.N.D.S in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, July 29, 13, 09:53 a.m.) Philiippians 2:1-2: "What C.O.N.D.I.T.I.O.N are you in?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, July 27, 13, 11:42 a.m.) Philippians 1:29-30: "How do you handle S.U.F.F.E.R.I.N.G in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Fri, July 26, 13, 10:02 a.m.) Philippians 1:27-28: "How do you C.O.N.D.U.C.T yourself in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Thurs, July 25, 13, 11:17 a.m.) Philippians 1:22-26: "What are your C.H.O.I.C.E.S based on?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, July 24, 13, 09:50 a.m.) Philippians 1:21: "Why D.I.E for Christ?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, July 22, 13, 3:33 p.m.) Philippians 1:21: "Why L.I.V.E your life to be appreciated by others?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Fri, July 19, 13, 10:20 a.m.) Philippians 1:20: "Where do you need to have C.O.U.R.A.G.E in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Thurs, July 18, 13, 05:17 a.m.) Philippians 1:19: "Who should you C.A.L.L often in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, July 17, 13, 09:41 a.m.) Philippians 1:19: "What reason do you have to R.E.J.O.I.C.E in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Tues, July 16, 10:23 a.m.) Philippians 1:15-18: "How are your M.O.T.I.V.E.S in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, July 15, 04:57 a.m.) Philippians 1:12-14:"What have your C.H.A.I.N.S done to others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Thurs, July 11, 10:40 a.m.) Philippians 1:12: How can you A.D.V.A.N.C.E the Gospel?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, July 10, 11:46 a.m.) Philippians 1:9-11: "What is your L.O.V.I.N.G response based on?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, July 07, 03:24 a.m.) Philippians 1:7-8: "How can your A.F.F.E.C.T.I.O.N grow towards others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Thurs, June 27, 10:21 a.m.) Philippians 1:7-8: "Why can you only be saved by G.R.A.C.E alone?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Wed, June 26, 10:42 a.m.) Philippians 1:3-6: "Where are you C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T in?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Tues, June 25, 12:42 p.m.) Philippians 1:3-6: "How can you attain a P.A.R.T.N.E.R.S.H.I.P in the Gospel?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Mon, June 24, 11:22 a.m.) Philippians 1:1-3: "How will others R.E.A.C.T towards God when they remember you?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Sat, June 22, 11:34 a.m.) Philippians 1:1-2: "Why bother to let others T.R.A.I.N you when you are already a leader?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 21, 10:58 a.m.) Philippians 1:1-2: "When do you B.L.E.S.S others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 20, 08:33 a.m.) Philippians 1:1-2: "Who will you be a S.L.A.V.E to in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 19, 1:26 p.m.) Philippians 1:1: "Why should you believe you are H.O.L.Y instead of a sinner?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 17, 11:38 p.m.) Psalm 46:1: "Where do you need R.E.F.U.G.E from?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 14, 08:30 a.m.) Proverbs 14:12: "Why seek God's R.I.G.H.T over our right?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 14, 08:30 a.m.) Psalm 42:5: "Why H.O.P.E and praise the Lord in your distress?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 13, 01:36 p.m.) Psalm 40:1-5: "Where do you need to be L.I.F.T.E.D up in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 13, 01:34 p.m.) Mark 9:28-29: "What can P.R.A.Y.E.R to Jesus do in your friends lives?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 11, 07:53 a.m.) Mark 2:2-5: "What kind of F.R.I.E.N.D will you be thought of as?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 10, 07:03 a.m.) Mark 3:14-15: "Why S.P.E.N.D time with Jesus daily?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 08, 11:07 a.m.) Psalm 34:4: "What can you do with your F.E.A.R.S in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 07, 2013, 8:43 a.m.) Psalm 33:4: "What will you do with F.A.I.T.H in your classes?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 05, 2013, 9:31 a.m.) Mark 1:43-44: "What does your disobedience C.A.U.S.E for others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 03, 2013, 2:57 a.m.) Mark 1:41-42: "What past do you need to be C.L.E.A.N from?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 31, 2013, 10:54 a.m) Proverbs 29:25: "Where will you take a S.T.A.N.D without wavering?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 30, 2013, 07:43 a.m) Matthew 18:21-22:"Why F.O.R.G.I.V.E when it will happen again?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 29 2013, 09:35 a.m) Psalm 27:14:"How do you C.O.P.E with your hurt?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 27, 2013, 11:13 a.m) John 12:24:"Who do you remember physically and spiritually on this M.E.M.O.R.I.A.L day?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 27, 2013, 11:13 a.m) "What has the law P.E.R.M.I.T.T.E.D you to do but it goes against the Lord?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 09, 2013, 6:57 a.m) "Who do you become an A.T.T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N to and why?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 08, 2013, 6:58 a.m) "What has A.N.G.E.R done to your relationships?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 29, 13, 1:28 p.m.) "How can the L.I.G.H.T impact your life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 06, 13, 11:48 a.m.)
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