Approach Question:
What present do you look forward to in 2024?

Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself what did the man with leprosy do and the significance of that?
The man with leprosy does 3 things:

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

3. He begged Jesus, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’

The significance of his actions show that he was not willing to stay in the past  because of his disease but took a proactive step to move forward in the PRESENT. But moving forward was not some self-help new age enlightenment for he knew that only Jesus can give him a new PRESENT. That is why he came to Jesus with all the baggage of his past and fell on his knees. In essence, there is an acknowledgment and  realization here of his condition, that his identity will always remain a leper unless there is outside intervention, so he comes to Jesus. He does not stop there but humbles himself before Jesus by falling on his knees and begging Jesus. This shows complete surrender of himself and his past begging Jesus for a new PRESENT when he said, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’

Observations:
I asked myself what were Jesus’ reactions towards the leper and the significance of each reaction?

I loved Jesus' 5 way reaction 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 and goes there to show His mercy and grace to the man who was sick and who wanted to be clean from his past for a new PRESENT. So, Jesus did not shun him but exhibits mercy and grace towards the man by doing something amazing that would have surprised the crowds 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. Now think about the law that imprisoned the leper to a leper colony. No one would even come close to him but now Jesus reaches 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 even a step further which is evident by point 3.

Point 3: Jesus touched the man.
By touching the man, Jesus continued the process of healing the man 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 and that his identity is not found in being a leper but what the Lord Jesus wants to make him to be in the PRESENT. Jesus is letting him know he is valued as a person regardless of his disease. Wow! That is awesome to know! Jesus could have just said, 'Be clean' but Jesus made it so personal to the man. By touching the man, Jesus was directly getting involved in his life and the baggage the man was carrying as a leper. After being an outcast, if Jesus had just said the words 'Be healed', it would not have had the powerful effect of a personal relationship with Jesus that the man got to have in his interaction with Jesus. 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 a community that he was an outcast of because Jesus is willing to help him with that. This is evident by point 5.

Point 5: Jesus said, "Be clean!"
By saying, 'Be clean', Jesus was healing him of the bondage of his past and giving him a new identity in the PRESENT. He did not have to see himself as a leper anymore but one who is cleaned by the Lord. How amazing! Thank you Jesus!

I asked myself what was the result of Jesus' actions and it's significance!

"Immediately, the leprosy left him and he was cured!!!"

The significance of Jesus' actions is that the man now was instantly healed spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, and mentally from the past trauma he faced after a personal encounter with Jesus. Now, Jesus made something new in his life and gave Him a new identity in the PRESENT. In essence, 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:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
Just As the man with leprosy did not let his past come in the way of receiving healing in the PRESENT and moving forward, I can do the same. But for that to happen, I need to bring myself before the Lord Jesus and give Him my past.  After coming to Him, I need to literally fall on my knees and beg Jesus to give me a new identity from the past that has governed me to the PRESENT that He alone can give me. That means, I need to completely surrender all that I am before the Lord Jesus laying my sin before His feet and asking Him to give me a new PRESENT in Christ. No matter how bad the past may have been like, I don't have to remain and dwell in it, for the Lord wants to do new and exciting things in my life as I wait upon Him. It starts with having a desire to move forward and asking the Lord to be in charge of the move. It is exciting to know that He can do it in my life just as He transformed the lepers life! He can do that for you too friend!

I ask you now dear friend how will your P.R.E.S.E.N.T look like in 2024?
Dear friend, how your PRESENT looks like in 2024 will depend on you giving up your past identity and all its baggage to Jesus and take the PRESENT He blesses you with. It could have been easy for the leper to have given up and taken his identity from his past thinking this is how it is going to be all the time or supposed to be in my life so why bother with a new PRESENT. But he did not and it paid off when he took the risk to come to Jesus, fall on his knees, and beg Jesus to clean him up from where he was to where he wanted to be. He wanted to have a new PRESENT and Jesus gave that to him by His grace and mercy being shown through His loving compassion resulting in the healing of the leper by making him clean. 

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 and give us a new PRESENT. Yes, He does! Clean me Lord Jesus! I don't know His timings but I know He loves us and wants the best for us!

Whether you already believe in Jesus or don't, you are not exempt from the pain of the past. But the Good News is that Jesus is there to bring healing when we turn everything over to Him. His healing will come in His way and in His time. But, it will come. Thank you Jesus.

When Jesus becomes the Lord of the past, moving forward can become easy because He will permeate your PRESENT and future giving you His Hope, His Help, and His healing. Thank you Jesus!

“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

The same Lord who parted the red sea to make ground so the Israelites can escape and the same Lord who healed the leper with His compassionate healing touch and words, wants to be your Jehovah Rophe, the Lord my Healer. He wants to take your past and give you a new PRESENT. It can happen this year of 2024!

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. He can do the same for you.

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 are haunted by; you may have been in perpetual sin over and over that your conscience has become desensitized, etc. Now you cannot wash that past and identity 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 you can 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 2023 or before, bring it before Jesus. Bring all your pain, guilt, suffering, shortcomings, stigmas before the cross of Christ and lay them before Jesus so you can have a new begininng in 2024. Yes, you can friend!

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 on your knees begging 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! He will show you His mercy and grace exhibited by His wonderful compassion to you just as you are. So come to the throne of grace and find help in time of need. He is Mighty to Save!

May you receive healing in the Arms of our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now and forever who wants you to forget the past and find your PRESENT in His precious Arms of Love! He wants to be the Lord of the past and the Lord of your PRESENT 2024.

 "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)

"Present Reveals Eternal Savior's Emancipation Now Today! (P.R.E.S.E.N.T)"How will your P.R.E.S.E.N.T look like in 2024?"

Prayer: 
Dear Jesus, you remember everything. You remember the time the man with leprosy came to you, fell on his knees, 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 by saying the words he needed to hear. 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. Their identity is found in their guilt, pain, brokenness, torment, etc. Please Oh Lord come and break that guilt, brokenness, pain, torment, etc. Please Oh Lord, 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. Help us that we will always find our identity in you. Thank you so much Jesus! Please deliver us and provide us healing for your name's sake. We are sinners in need of a Savior. Our sin has separated us from you and has made us broken and shattered. Only your love and forgiveness can restore us by the cleansing blood you shed on the cross of Calvary and coming back to life on the third day to save us. So, we come to you as we are and ask you to come into our heart and make our heart your home cleansing all the areas of our lives that need your cleansing. Thank you Jesus for being our Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you that you have heard our prayers and answered us. Thank you that we belong to you and can find our PRESENT in you. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!