By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Editors Note: The devotional has a background song called 'You Can Go' which can be heard if you use Internet Explorer.

SCRIPTURE:
“Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge." (Mark 4:1, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself who are the characters involved here?
1. Jesus
2. Crowd
3. People

I asked myself what action involves Jesus?
1. Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.
2. Jesus got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake.

I asked myself what action involves the crowd?
The crowd that gathered around Jesus was so large!

I asked myself what action involves the people?
All the people were along the shore at the water's edge.

Interpretation:
I asked myself the significance of the phrase ‘crowd that gathered around Him was so large’?
Jesus had attracted a huge crowd to gather around Him that there was no space for Jesus to be on land, so Jesus went out into a boat on the lake.  Jesus makes such an impact on people’s lives that they cannot help gather around Jesus.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. The crowd always gathered around Jesus whenever they saw Him because Jesus made an impact in their lives! There is so much I can learn about Jesus but I need to gather around Him and let Him teach me. He is willing to if I am faithful, available, and teachable to the lessons He wants me to learn. In His grace and mercy, even when I am faithless, He is so faithful. That is awesome to know! Crowds gathered around Jesus because of what He has done for people.

As I gathered around Jesus in my Quiet Times, I have seen the Lord work in my life especially when I have been faithless and have gone my own way this past election season. I praise the Lord for bringing me back on the path of proclaiming the Good News and living the Good News. This could not have happened if I had continued to have MISPLACED CONFIDENCE or LACK OF CONFIDENCE. The crowds probably had neither of that at the time so they were willing to hear what Jesus had to say having GOD-FOCUSED CONFIDENCE.

I ask you now dear friend, where do you gather everyday?
Dear friend, we can gather in so many places but not all places we choose to gather are good for the heart, mind, body, and soul. But there is a place that will always be good for us and it is at the feet of Jesus. We can gather at home in our private seclusion to spend time with Jesus as we hear from Him and learn from Him through prayer and His Word. We can gather at small groups in people's homes studying God's Word as a community praying, caring, and sharing with one another.  We can gather at church to let the Lord speak to us through His servants.  Where the crowds gathered impacted their lives and where we gather can impact our lives too. The question is whether the impact is a good impact or a bad impact!

Jesus wants you to gather near Him friend so He can make a good impact in your lives! Yes, He does! No matter what you have done or where you have been, you are never out of His love, never out of His reach. 

Gather around Jesus because at the foot of the cross where there is healing and redemption. Christ came to take away the sin of the world and we can gather at the cross to be forgiven of our sin by His precious cleansing blood. I thank the Lord for the opportunity. He will take us from the bondage of sin and death as we turn to Him for He alone can rescue us. He died for our sin and came back to life to save us. That is exciting to know!

Friend, as you gather around Jesus  especially in His Word, He will direct you and lead you! He has done that for me. When we gather around Jesus, we cannot come with our own agenda for then we will try to mold Scripture into what we want it to fit in. Jesus nor His Word is our genie to do what we ask at our whim.

When we gather around Jesus, we should expect to receive from Him and act on His Word. Please friend let God's Word direct you and lead you. Do not depart from God's Word day and night but meditate on it. This election season, I departed from God's Word and stopped studying His Word,  focusing too much on politics during the last days. I not only hurt myself emotionally, spiritually, and physically but I hurt others in the process. I thank the Lord for His forgiveness and restoration. I thank the Lord for wonderful brothers and sisters who have been on my side even though I took the wrong path to bring me back to my first love.

May you gather around Jesus allowing Him to work in your life. He loves you so much. Seek the Lord He can work in you and through you.

"As we gather, may your Spirit work in us! As we gather, may we glorify your Name, knowing well as our hearts begin to worship, we will be blessed because we came. We will be blessed because we came!" Amen!

"Gather Around Today Hearing Everlasting Redeemer!” (G.A.T.H.E.R)/”Where do you G.A.T.H.E.R everyday?”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much for this time. Thank you for the impact you make in people’s lives that at the sound of your Name people have gathered. When they see you, they gather around you. You are such a positive influence Jesus. I want to be a positive influence for those around me where you place me at. Please help me Jesus. May what I do bring you honor and glory and help me rest in you! Help me to study your Word and meditate on it. Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus for dying for our sin and coming back to life to save us because of your love for us! We are so sorry for our sin and ask you to please forgive us our sin. Cleanse us with your cleansing blood and we will be clean again. Wash us and we will be whiter than snow. Thank you Jesus for the new life you give us. Come into our heart Jesus and make our heart your home. Live in us Jesus and help us to live for you and serve you the rest of the days of our lives. Thank you Jesus! Help us as we live for you and go out into the world to bring you honor and glory by our actions. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard us and answered us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

ANALOGY OF INVITING PEOPLE TO THE GREAT PHYSICIAN:

We are like an ambulance taking sick people to the hospital. People are dying and there is an emergency because of an epidemic virus. The ambulance takes the initiative to go to the place people are dying and bring them to the hospital. They are not dead yet but there is no time to wait. The ambulance needs to get to the hospital for that virus to be treated. The virus has infected the mind, body, and soul spreading rapidly. You and I cannot do anything to heal our friends of this virus except be the AMBULANCE taking them to the HOSPITAL where the GREAT PHYSICIAN waits.

Once at the hospital, there is a GREAT PHYSICIAN that waits. The sick are gathered from all corners of the earth and come to this hospital.  This hospital is called CALVARY OF SALVATION and the EMERGENCY WARD is called GOLGOTHA.

The GREAT PHYSICIAN is not like other doctors who can only treat patients with  physical ailments but this GREAT PHYSICIAN is much more and knows He has to stay 72 HOURS for every dying person there to be healed.

He knows what He has to do! This GREAT PHYSICIAN knew that only His BLOOD can wipe away this epidemic VIRUS, so for you and me He went to the blood transfusion room where people were about to die. There He lay down on the bed  made of wood.

The surgeons walk into the room. They turn this GREAT PHYSICIAN on His back.  Instead of using an IV, a WHIP with sharp glass, etc is used to draw out the BLOOD from the GREAT PHYSICIAN'S back! It does not stop there but to elevate the head on the bed of wood, a CROWN OF THORNS is used which draws more BLOOD.

As the head is elevated, the GREAT PHYSICIAN's hands are stretched wide on the wooden bed. Then the feet are bound together. This is done for the BLOOD transfusion to begin. Instead of using an IV, NAILS and a HAMMER is used. The NAILS are pounded through the hands into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so the BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. The NAILS are pounded through the feet into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so more BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. As the BLOOD continues to flow from the GREAT PHYSICIAN's body, the GREAT PHYSICIAN flat lines. Then the surgeons insert a SPEAR into the heart to make sure all the BLOOD is out. All the BLOOD is out!

Now, the GREAT PHYSICIAN is moved into the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE being guarded by security.

Now the CALVARY OF SALVATION hospital has a BLOOD DONOR whose BLOOD can be used to save everyone there from this EPIDEMIC VIRUS. 

Those dying need to be taken there to receive the BLOOD transfusion that is available. However, the BLOOD will not be forced upon those dying! THE PUREST RED ANTIDOTE is only given to those that are willing to receive the BLOOD TRANSFUSION so they could LIVE.

All that accept the BLOOD are being CLEANSED of this EPIDEMIC VIRUS in their system that is infecting the mind, body, and soul.  This BLOOD goes into the dying person's mind, body, and soul and eats away at the virus cleaning them and making them pure. This VIRUS is known as SIN. The BLOOD is the PRECIOUS CLEANSING BLOOD OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, JESUS CHRIST.

The WOODEN BED is the CROSS OF CHRIST where the dying need to be led too.

72 HOURS LATER, there is a commotion at the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE. THE GREAT PHYSICIAN is not there anymore and the ANGELS that visit tell loved ones who came there, that THE GREAT PHYSICIAN IS ALIVE and will save all that come to Him.

It is true even to this day, for all that come to the HOSPITAL OF CALVARY come to realize that His CLEANSING BLOOD shed on the WOODEN BED (CROSS) will never run out. Anyone infected who wants to be healed of their sickness can accept what Jesus did for them and be covered in His precious CLEANSING BLOOD.

I have done that friend and know that at the foot of the cross where Jesus died shedding His precious cleansing blood for my sin and the sins of the world, I can find forgiveness and grace.

Thanks be to God that Christ's death on the cross was temporary to remove all His precious cleansing blood for our sake but after He was buried, Jesus came back to life to save.

To this day, all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved when they acknowledge what Jesus Christ has done for them and what He can do for them.

Friend, Jesus loves you so much and if you were the only one living on earth, Jesus would have done the same for you. What I shared with you was an analogy but in real life it has happened. Jesus went to the cross for you and me and His precious cleansing blood was shed so you and I could have life. Jesus came back to life 72 hours later and is alive but His blood continues to heal people on every corner of the earth to those that accept Him.

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 this prayer, meaning it in your heart. You can invite the GREAT PHYSICIAN right now as you make this your prayer.

Dear Jesus, thank you for healing the paralytic after forgiving his sins. You set him free to go home. I want to be free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on the cross. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the nails so I could be free. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your Blood to redeem humanity. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus. I want you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in your blood and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation.  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)