By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

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SCRIPTURE:
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins." (Mark 2:21-22, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself what are the words/phrases repeated in these verses?

1. Old  (3)

2. New  (4)

3. Wine (4)

4. Wineskins (3)

Yesterday, I learned Jesus speaking about fasting so the people who questioned Jesus regarding the disciples of John and disciples of the Pharisees  could understand why his disciples did things differently.

Today, I see Jesus explaining the disciples’ actions in terms of two examples: cloth and wineskins

Interpretations:
I asked myself why the above words were repeated?
Usually when words are repeated, there is significance attached to them.

I asked myself what the significance was?
The point that came to my mind was that we cannot mix our old life with our new life. Jesus came to give new life to the people. The disciples of Jesus could understand that but the disciples of John and disciples of Pharisees were still stuck in their old traditions and ways.

Implications:
I saw important implications for our own lives. When we come to Jesus, we are given new life in Christ. This however does not mean, we did not have an old life. Our new life in Christ must be mixed with the new things that Christ offers us. However, if we decide to mix our Christian life with the life we used to live when we were not Christians, there would be a bigger mess.

Once someone becomes a follower of Christ, people have different expectations of them! If the person goes back to their OLD ways, then they are worst of now than they were before because they tasted the Good News and have decided to go back to their old ways.

People will start thinking, he/she is supposed to be a Christian and this is how they are acting. They are supposed to be different and they are not!

Jesus was making a point to the disciples of the Pharisees and disciples of John that his disciples are doing things differently because they have Jesus with them. With Jesus on their side, they are living a new life and it would be disaster to mix the new life with the old life. He was also making the point regarding the act of fasting. Since Jesus was with them they did not have to fast at that moment but a time would come when they would fast. This is exposited more in yesterday's devotional.

I ask you now dear friends, how do you see your life now?
Dear friends, your life may seem good or bad to you. Your life may seem the same old life or a new life. I do not know how you see your life. The way you see your life is dependent on what you emphasize to be important in your life.

However you have perceived your life to be, I have Good News for you. Yes, I do friend! Jesus is His Name and He wants to give you a life with no shame. No matter where you have been or what you have done, a new life in Christ is available for you! You can have a new life in Christ and allow Him to work in your life. He will make the difference and help you through your life.

Jesus will do that for you because He loves you so much and went to the cross to die for you shedding His precious cleansing blood to wash away all your sins no matter how stained they are. Then, Jesus came back to life to save all those that would come to Him. Jesus loves you so much that even when you have messed up as a follower of Christ and gone back to your old ways, Jesus still reaches out to you with His arms open wide for you to come to Him. You are never out of His love; you are never out of His reach. Come to Him as you are.

I know I am excited to have Jesus Christ in my life. There have been times I have messed up badly that would even make me shudder that I call myself a Christian. But you know what, Jesus in His grace and mercy works in my life and lets me know that if I don't follow the Spirit, I will mess up so I need to constantly put on the new self and crucify the old self with His help as I lean on Him. You can do that too! Do not be discouraged when you mess up for our Lord and Savior is there to forgive us and help us through. Yes, He is friend!

Last night, at work I had a bad day with a manager. I should have gotten of work at 11:00 p.m. but did not come home until 1:30 a.m. Even though I felt wronged by the manager, I should have shown Christ's love and forgiveness in that situation but instead I wrote an email how wrong she was and defended myself. Setting the record straight is one thing but I did not act in love because I was upset  what her response created from higher management towards me.

This should have been an ample opportunity to show that my life is governed by Christ through word and deed. I have not seen her since the incident happened last night but today when I go to work this devotional reminded me that I need to show her Christ's love in a powerful way by my actions and results. I need to rest in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Anyone can be nice to those that are nice to them and that does not really show what a follower of Christ touched by His grace and mercy is. But when we are wronged is when we can show love. I failed in this area last night and am so glad what Jesus taught me this morning and reminded me.  I am also so happy that our Lord Jesus is about conviction than condemnation. I read through the 1st Book of Thessalonians too and learned not to pay evil for evil.

"There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus for the power of the life giving Spirit has freed us from the law of sin and death!" (Romans 8:1)

LIFE
By Ramesh 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 know the wonderful new life, Jesus Christ offers you! Amen!

“Lord Instills Faithfully Emancipation (L.I.F.E)!”/How do you see your life now?

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for the new life you offered to the disciples and let the disciples of John and Pharisees see that they were holding on to their old life. Lord, many times it is so easy to go back to the old way of doing things. I know you don’t want that for our life for the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy but you have come to give life in all its fullness giving us abundant life. Help us to take the abundant life you offer us and to hold on to you. I am so sorry for my sin. Please forgive me of my sin. Come into my heart Jesus and make my heart your home. Thank you Jesus we are never out of your love and out of your reach. So right now Jesus, I ask you to live in me Jesus and I pray that I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I want the new life you offer me. Help me Jesus. Thank you for your help. Thank you for dying for our sin and cleansing us with your precious Blood. Wash us and we will be whiter than snow. I thank you Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for the new life you give us! Thank you for hearing us and answering us Jesus! 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.

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)