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“Lord Is Valiantly Emancipating! (L.I.V.E)”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

SCRIPTURE:
“For to me, to LIVE is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

Approach Question:
What is the benefit of your living?

Observations: 
I asked myself what two things do I learn about Paul from here?
1. To LIVE is Christ
2. To die is gain

I asked myself the significance of Paul's response to the Philippians?
I found Paul’s response to be very positive because whatever way he looked at it, he was optimistic that it would turn out for good. It is that much more meaningful when I recalled that Paul wrote these words while chained in prison. Yet, his outlook looked positive. Today I decided to focus on Point 1:

Interpretation:
I asked myself what could 'To LIVE is Christ' mean?
What came to my mind was that living for Paul meant being an imitation of Christ where he was. He saw himself as a slave to Christ and Christ as his Master. He felt that living here on earth, he could be a model of Christ for those that did not know Christ to draw them to Christ. He does not end with living but also talks about dying as is evidenced by the next phrase.

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
The purpose of today's devotional in my life was to show me that living for Christ should be my aim instead of living for the appreciation of others.

HOW GOSPEL GIVES ME TESTIMONY REGARDING L.I.V.E:

It is so awesome that the Lord Jesus gave me “For to me, to LIVE is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) to meditate upon this morning. I praise the Lord for this Scripture which is so applicable. It is amazing  how God can use one verse to make such an impact too.

I am reminded that to LIVE is not to get appreciation from others for what I do or say but for the sake of Christ and to let Him be known and be known by Him, making my living, with Christ and for Christ. Help me Lord Jesus! This means everything I do or say, will not be to expect any rewards from anyone but to show the love of Christ to all Jesus sends my pathway. I can only do that as the Holy Spirit helps me so I am not inclined to want something in return. When I want something back in return my motive for investing in someone or something loses its value because it is not Christ-focused but self-focused in life. Pastor Ed  would always emphasize how important motives are when we do things. That is so true.

Before I even think about wanting others to appreciate me, I need to think about how I have appreciated Christ daily for how much He invests in my life. When I want Christ to be appreciated, I won't have time to be thinking about ways others can appreciate me but on ways to LIVE FOR CHRIST.

If I am living, I may as well LIVE for Christ for He is worthy of my service to Him. Paul who was chained and imprisoned believed in living for Christ.

If Paul could do that, what is stopping me from making my lifestyle reflect Christ?

It is so awesome to know that I can LIVE my life in such a way with the help of the Holy Spirit that people can notice Christ in me. I can be an imitation of Christ here on earth by the way I LIVE if I let the Spirit of the Living God to control me and lead me! Help me Lord Jesus! And I know He will through the POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD, He has given me as a manual to instruct me in life.

I know if I allow the Holy Spirit to guide me and lead me, people will notice a difference in my life and they won’t attribute it to me but to the One that has given me the ability to LIVE this lifestyle. I will be pointing others to Christ by my lifestyle whether I am appreciated or not. That is what I aim for to point others to Christ.

I am reminded of the signature verse, He gave for my life, "But life is worth nothing unless I use it to do the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others about God's mighty goodness and love" (Acts 20:24, TLB)

I need to apply this verse in my life especially when my flesh wants to be appreciated.

On our own strength, ‘to LIVE is Christ’ is not possible apart from the Holy Spirit’s presence and filling. But with the Holy Spirit’s presence in us ‘to LIVE is Christ’ can become a reality for those around us.

I ask you now dear friends, why LIVE your life to be appreciated by others?
Dear friend, we LIVE our LIVEs to be appreciated because we are self-centered beings. In that desire, we may put ourselves in precarious positions because of the desire to be appreciated and noticed. This alone can bring us disappointment and even danger because our motives become self-centered. But, Jesus Christ does not want that for us so He died for us on the Cross of Calvary when we were doomed by sin for eternity. He died shedding His precious blood to ransom us so we can be free from the bondage of sin and death.  He came back to life on the 3rd day to save us that we may declare His praises and be His hands and feet to a world that is broken.

Yes friend, sin and death control us when we do not have Christ in our LIVEs and are not focused on Him but in Christ, we can too declare the glory of the Risen Lord. This can only come through living for Christ as Paul wrote to the Philippians, 'To LIVE is Christ'. Any other way, will only bring disappointment when Christ is not in the equation.

Without our desire to LIVE for Christ, our desire will become self-centered to want to be appreciated for what we are doing for others, etc. Even when we are living for Christ but let our thought processes and actions wander away from doing things with Christ and for Christ, we can be disappointed. When we do things with Christ and for Christ, appreciation may come in its own timing but even if it does not come we can rejoice in the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Friend, Jesus loves you so much and if you were the only one living, Jesus would have still died for you to give you life Everlasting. Jesus does not want you to LIVE your life to want to be appreciated by others. Jesus wants you to LIVE your life as Paul LIVEd, in the joy of the Lord. Jesus offers that to you and me. Jesus wants us to LIVE for Him and others not for ourselves. As the saying goes J.O.Y means Jesus first, others second, and yourself last!

When you feel down and unappreciated, you need to know that you can have Abundant Life more than you can know. What is special about this Abundant Life is not for anything you or I did to deserve this. No, we do not deserve Abundant Life and yet JESUS CHRIST LOVES YOU SO MUCH, that by HIS GRACE ALONE, HE OFFERS YOU ABUNDANT LIFE. Grace itself means something you receive without you deserving it.

Jesus wants to be part of your life and it is all because of His loving grace, you and I can come to Him and be loved. That's so awesome to know! You are never out of His love, never out of His reach.  Whatever life sends our way, we can have the Savior who will help us LIVE for Him and not for ourselves so we can also boldly say, "To LIVE is Christ", Praise the Lord! Come as you are to Jesus and find your life in Him.

LIFE
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Where is this generation headed,
can we say we know ?
Are we doing what is right,
doing what God wants us to do ?

What happened to the beaver ?
Shame to seem him gone,
gone with the wind,
having all his morals and values
dried up like sun-baked clay.

Now are we battered, bruised, and burned
seeing shows depicting immorality causing restlessness
like pain in the back ?

Are we going to a shrink ?
What good will that do ?
It will only shrink our pockets
as our minds get shrunk
like delicate fabric
in improper washing.

What happens to our sanity
as our anxiety rages
like thundering sea waves ?
We want to know answers,
answers to the questions of life.

Do we end up in our self-world
dreading in despair,
despair that brings us to the edge
like an uncontrolled automobile
about to fall off the edge of a cliff.

We have our own hopeless life to LIVE,
life that seems to end in misery.
Where does our hope come from,
hope that can lead us to a blessed life,
life that brings us perfect peace ?

We can only have true contentment,
contentment in our hearts,
only if we find peace,
peace that will end strife
when we come to know the

PRINCE OF PEACE

Who is this Prince of Peace ??

J esus, the Savior of the world.

E verlasting peace comes from knowing him.

S urely goodness and mercy will follow

U nconditionally all the days of our LIVEs

S trengthening us to do what God wants us to do.

Amen!

May you experience the meaning of life through Christ and understand gain of dying in Christ!

"Lord Is Valiantly Emancipating! (L.I.V.E)"/"Why L.I.V.E your life to be appreciated by others?"

Savior!
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Savior saves sinners
Allowing atonement always
Valiantly visiting victimized
Immanuel imparts inspiration
Openly offering ownership
Receiving redeemed readily!

PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, I want to thank you for being our Savior and saving us sinners. You Oh Lord became the atonement for us sinners now and forever. We thank you for valiantly visiting humanity that has been victimized by the infection of sin. We thank you for being our Immanuel who has imparted your inspiration in our LIVEs through your Word and openly offering us ownership into your Kingdom receiving the redeemed readily. We thank you that we are redeemed because of the price you paid for us on the cross and our submission to you as we lay all our sins at the cross and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for your forgiveness of our sins and coming back to life to save us as we acknowledge what you have done for us and believe in our heart that you were raised from the dead and as we confess that you are Lord. Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching me about not focusing on the appreciation of others but doing everything for you Jesus. Thank you for reminding me to LIVE for You is where I find my true joy for the Joy of the Lord is my strength. Help me Lord to remember always to 'LIVE is Christ' that I can be an example in word and deed. In life and death, I pray that you will be the center of our LIVEs so both outcomes can be a gain than a loss as your servant and apostle Paul saw it. Help us to be the fisherman you want us to be by imitating your healthy lifestyle and expecting your mission to be answered through your servants now as we preach and proclaim the Gospel in word and deed through you our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. We pray this in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Amen!

May the Lord Jesus guide you in His love leading you! Amen!

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 by His grace alone!

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)

2013 DEVOTIONALS:

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.)