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“Valiantly Obey Truth Now!
(V.O.T.E)”
By Ramesh
C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard
August 19,
2008
Editors Note: The devotional has a background song which can be heard if you use Internet
Explorer.
SCRIPTURE:
"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples
and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of
me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man
will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy
angels."" (Mark 8:33-38, NIV)
OBSERVATION:
I asked myself what are the first 3 things Jesus did after rebuking
Peter?
Jesus called the crowd to him along with
his disciples and said:
1. If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and
2. If anyone would come after me, he must
take up his cross and
3. If anyone would come after me, he must
follow me.
I decided to look at point three
today.
(To be
continued....)
INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself what is the significance of
Jesus saying, 'he must follow me'?'
Jesus had stated to the crowds and his disciples,
'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and must take up
his cross'. Now Jesus goes a step further and adds to the
conjunctions another prerequiste to come after Jesus. The conjunction
'and' connects the previous commands with 'and
follow me' which itself is dependent on the other two
prerequisites of 'denying himself' and 'taking up his cross'. Here we
see that 'denying self' and 'taking up his cross' alone is not enough if
there is not an 'act of following Jesus'. Jesus wanted the crowds to now
follow Him if they wanted to come after Him.
Follow here is more than a tag
along but an active response to the teachings of Jesus which will be
seen as as fruit in a person's life when they do deny themselves and
take up their cross.
This means following Jesus
means VOTING THE BIBLE. This is crucial this election year because it is
not about what we want the government to do for me, what we want for
ourselves, etc but VOTING THE BIBLE means voting for what God wants by
choosing a candidate that comes close to the teachings of the Word of
God. It is denying ourselves, picking up our cross, and VOTING THE
BIBLE. When we VOTE THE BIBLE, we are following Jesus Christ.
IMPLICATIONS:
I saw important implications for my own life here. If I want to go after
Jesus then I have to even VOTE THE BIBLE actively. I loved Pastor Rick
Warren's Civil Forum broadcasted live for the world to see when he was
interviewing Barack Hussein Obama and John Sydney McCain asking them
identical questions without letting them hear the other candidate.
Later Pastor Rick Warren
commented that if we do not know now who we are voting for after this,
we may never figure out who we vote for. Rick Warren is voting the
Bible.
People should be able to
look at me and say, 'Ramesh is VOTING THE BIBLE'. In essence, that
is saying that I am following the Word of God to follow Jesus. For that
to happen I need to believe 'the Bible is the Word of God' instead of
'Bible becomes the Word of God' or 'Bible contains the Word of God' so I
can valiantly obey Truth now and vote the Bible when I choose a
candidate.
This also means to me that I
cannot compartmentalize my life as a Christian and separate my faith and
politics.
Christian was the name given
to believers of the Way, the Truth, and the Life which is Jesus Christ!
"The
disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." (Acts 11:26b, NIV)
I cannot VOTE THE BIBLE on my
own without the help of Christ because even to be able to follow the
Word of God, I need the help of the Holy Spirit to transform my life and
help me bear fruit. It starts with Christ's work in my life in and
through me as I choose to VOTE THE BIBLE just as Jesus worked in the lives
of the disciples who chose to follow after Jesus.
Since the disciples are
already following Jesus why remind them 'you must
deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me'?
I believe it is to show that
following Jesus is not a one time thing where we tell Jesus, 'Jesus, I
am going to follow you now giving my life to you but the rest of the
days going my own way and doing my own things including voting my
conscience instead of VOTING THE BIBLE.
Following Jesus should
be a daily thing. I must deny myself daily, pick up my cross daily, and
follow Jesus even when it comes to my vote.
I can VOTE THE BIBLE on my
own strength but from the strength Christ gives me to follow Him. I am
so glad that Jesus chose me to come to Him when Jesus decided to deny
Himself, take up His cross, died on the cross shedding His precious
cleansing blood, absorbed all my sin, was buried, and came back to life
on the third day to save so I can VOTE THE BIBLE.
Jesus already provided a way
for me to follow Him when He absorbed all my sin from my wicked heart.
Now when Jesus absorbed all my sin on the cross by sacrificing Himself,
He sacrificed Himself for humanity's sins of the past, present, and
future by making a way for me to come to Him. If it were not for
Christ's death and resurrection, I could not come to Jesus and probably
not VOTE THE BIBLE.
But God in His Holiness knew
that He could not let anyone enter His presence anymore after sin
entered the Garden of Eden through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, so
God in His love for humanity made a way that we can be restored to God.
God sent
His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world so that anyone
who believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (John
3:16, NIV)
Here again 'believe' is an
active belief based on actions instead of a passive belief.
Now, by what Jesus did on the
cross, Jesus chose me to come to Him and chose all humanity to come to
Him.
But I believe even though
Jesus chose humanity to come to Him, Jesus does not force humanity to
accept and choose Him. Jesus wants them to make the decision on their
own to deny themselves, take up their cross, and choose to follow Jesus
to come after Him.
For me that started with
acknowledging what a sinner I have been, confessing all my sin,
repenting of all my sin at the foot of the cross, believing that Jesus
who had no sin became sin for me and absorbed all my sin so I can become
the righteousness of God as long as I take the reddest purest antidote
made by His crucifixion. I did just that asking Jesus Christ to
cleanse me with His precious cleansing blood so that I can be made
whiter than snow.
I am reminded
even though our sins are scarlet red, He can make
us white as wool and even though our sins are crimson red, He can make
us white as freshly fallen snow.
So, I asked Jesus to now come
into my heart and vacuum my heart using His precious cleansing blood as
the heart shampoo to clean out all the yuckiness, dirt, and wickedness
caused by the deadly virus known as sin. I asked Jesus to continue to
live in my heart and make my heart His home so He can be my Savior and
my Lord. I told Jesus that I will live for Him and serve Him the rest of
the days of my life as He helps me. I have to believe Jesus is my
Lord before I can believe He is my Savior.
Sadly, a lot of people believe
in Jesus as their Savior to be saved and are so happy that they are
saved but then their life or churches look like dead mausoleums and
people don't think it is a big deal who they vote for.
When we VOTE THE BIBLE, we
don't vote party lines but on God's line.
When we go our own way,
the Lordship of Christ is missing in our lives.
It is by
grace we are saved through faith and it is not of any good works that we
can boast about.
That is so true that it is
God's loving grace that saves us and many people want to stop at this
verse but if we read on we read,
'We are
God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works'
God saves us not so we can
live our lives however we want to, voting however we want, and then say 'Hi' to God in Heaven
when we die. No, God saves us so we can be restored to a relationship
with Him and restore fallen humanity by drawing them to Jesus by
presenting others the Gospel that convicts and saves.
For us to even be able to do
that, we need to bear good fruit that comes from having a personal deep
relationship with Christ that we love Him so much that our actions
reflect denying ourselves, picking up our own cross, and following
Jesus even when it comes to VOTING THE BIBLE.
This is not an easy thing and
Jesus never promised following Him would be easy but time after time
made it clear to His disciples and the crowds that there is a cost to
following Jesus.
Sadly in this century we want
to forget the cost of following Jesus and just focus on what many like
to do saying, 'I gave my life to Jesus as a child, in high school, in
college, etc so I know I am saved. Now since I am saved by Jesus, now I
can live my life however I want to since I am already going to heaven'
Don't
you see something seriously wrong with this picture?
I do! That is why so many
churches are dead, the divorce rate among those claiming to be
Christians is the same as those claiming to be non-Christians, pastors,
priests, etc involved in scandals, etc.
When we take our focus and our
eyes off Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we put our focus
on Satan. It is one or the other. We cannot focus on both at the same
time.
When we sin, we have focused
on Satan's deception and lies giving into it. When we bear good fruit,
we are focused on Christ and His teachings from the Word of God.
Walk in
the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
It is sad that many people are
watering down the Gospel of Jesus Christ wanting to make so many
converts, filling the pews, etc without focusing on the 'Cost of
following Jesus'
Jesus wants only those that
are willing to pay the cost to follow Him and not those who want to have
one foot inside the things of the Kingdom of God and one foot outside
the things of the Kingdom of God.
What was
Jesus' strongest rebuke to Peter followed by commands to the disciples
and crowds?
"But when
Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind
me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the
things of men. "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples
and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:33-34, NIV)
Being saved from Satan and
saved from the bondage of sin means we have buried our old life and its
fleshly tendencies by denying ourselves, picking up our cross, and
VOTING THE BIBLE.
I ask
you now dear friend, what does your vote show?
Dear friend, our vote shows to follow Jesus Christ should not just mean, 'Oh I believe
in Jesus Christ! I believe that he died for my sins and came back to
life to save me so now I can live my life however I want to doing
whatever I want to and voting for whoever I want to.' Our vote should
show we are VOTING THE BIBLE as Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback church
emphasized with his questions to both candidates in a live Civil Forum!
Friend, believing in Jesus
Christ is a start because we need belief in Christ if we are to follow
Christ and His Word. Without belief in Christ, we cannot follow Christ
because we won't have the Holy Spirit residing in us. But the belief to
follow Christ is more than a passive belief but an active belief.
Some of you may have heard an
example something like this:
A person was walking on a
tightrope above Niagra Falls and came all the way between one side to
the other side. If he had fallen, he would have fallen to his death.
People were amazed how he could do it.
He asked them
'do you believe that I can take you across the
tightrope with me and save you?'
Many people answered, 'Yes, I
do believe you can safely take me with you and save me'. He was glad
that they had faith in him to take them across with him.
So he called to one of the so
called believers to come so he can take the person with him. At that
time, the person refused when he had to act on it and go with the person
on the tightrope. It was easy for the person to say with his words
'Yeah, I believe you can take me with you' but when it came to actions,
the person did not express his faith by his actions. His belief just
became a smokescreen.
Now take one side to be
humanity and the other side to be Heaven. Now imagine the person on the
tightrope is actually Jesus Christ. To reach heaven, we need to go with
Jesus. The tightrope is the bridge and everything below the bridge is
the chasm that makes us fall to our death if not held by Jesus Christ.
Jesus asks people,
'do you believe in me that I can take you to
heaven?'
The people respond with a
resounding 'Yes, I do believe you can take me to heaven because you
became my bridge so I can reach heaven'
Then Jesus says,
'Deny yourself, take up your cross, and come
follow me' but not one person lets Jesus take them on the
tightrope. They said they believed in Jesus and had faith that Jesus
could take them to Heaven but when the time came, they were not willing
to express that faith through actions.
Anyone can say, 'I am a
Christian and believe in Christ' but if it is not expressed by faith
through actions that faith is dead. Jesus' own brother understood
that when he wrote in the Book of James:
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man
claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" (James
2:14, NIV)
"In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But
someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith
without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons
believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that
faith without deeds is useless?" (James 2:17-20, NIV)
"You see that a person is
justified by what he does and not by faith alone." (James 2:24, NIV)
"As the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James
2:26, NIV)
Even Paul in the Book of
Philippians does not want the Philippians to become complacent thinking
they believe in Christ and so are automatically saved unless it is an
active belief.
"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have
always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my
absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for
it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good
purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13, NIV)
The works are a result of God
working in our lives when we focus on Him and Him alone. We cannot focus
on Him unless we believe in Him and have faith to follow Him and His
teachings.
God made a way for us to be saved
and Salvation was not given to any of us because we have been good.
No one is
good not one! All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
All our good
works like filthy rags to the Lord.
How true that is because without
Christ working through our lives, they are not seen as good works by the
Father.
Going back to the tightrope example
as an analogy, Jesus does not expect us to live a victorious abundant
life on our own. No, Jesus wants to carry us and take us with Him. We
need to be willing to go with Jesus knowing He alone can save.
If our Salvation is just based on
good works then anyone could be saved even if they don't know Jesus as
their Lord and Personal Savior. But we know that is not true.
"For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we
are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)
Because we are saved by Christ, we
can do good works. The good works we do now are the result of the Fruit
of the Holy Spirit that God recognizes. They are not filthy rags anymore
because Christ has come into our hearts and cleansed us making us white
as freshly fallen snow.
We cannot compartmentalize our
Christian faith and think it is also ok for us to vote for whoever we
want to in this election. A person's Christian faith should influence
that person even when it comes to a political vote and we should vote on
the Bible.
Following Jesus should reflect
our life adhering to the teachings of Jesus Christ. That does not mean
just opposing abortion and gay marriage because following the Word of
God is more than just opposing those two issues but those two issues are
a start! With those issues we should VOTE THE BIBLE.
From the Book of Genesis
those two issues are addressed right away than any other issue based on
inferences. God knows what He is talking about and wants for humanity.
“So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be
fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis
1:27-28)
God created Adam and Eve and told
them to join together to produce offspring. The joining of man and
woman together became known as marriage. Throughout history marriage has
been defined as between man and a woman until recently in places.
Jesus
replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and
female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be
united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no
longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not
separate." (Mark 10:5a-9, NIV)
It was Adam and Eve who were
married by God and not 'Adam & Steve' or 'Eve & Neve'.
For me actively following Christ
means VOTING THE BIBLE instead of political party. God is totally
against Gay Marriage and throughout Scripture, sexual immorality is
spoken of a lot and addressed in the Old Testament and New Testament.
As a follower of Christ, I cannot
vote for someone who wants to repeal the 'Defense of Marriage Act' and
make Gay Marriage legal across the United States that our Lord Jesus is
AGAINST even if all the other issues make that candidate look ideal.
Morality is #1 for me and this issue is big because it is addressed in
the beginning too.
What other
inference can we draw from this passage?
God blessed
them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the
earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
When the woman gets pregnant, it is
because of God's blessings upon that woman and the man as evidenced by
'God blessed them'. It is the blessing that
begins the chain reaction of producing an offspring when God said,
"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”
'Being
fruitful, increasing in number, and filling the earth and subduing it'
is an act of procreation blessed by the Lord.
But if a husband and wife cannot
procreate due to a medical condition, etc that started coming after sin
entered the world, it is not their fault. If God sees their obedience in
wanting to
"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”,
he will bless the family in different ways whether it is through invitro-fertilization,
adoption, etc.
When a woman wants to have an
abortion, she is basically saying the offspring in her body is a curse
and wants to get rid of it. What God has blessed she has seen as a curse
and wants it removed.
When a political candidate wants to
keep abortion legalized, he is basically saying, 'it is ok to keep
cursing what God has blessed in the womb'
When we support those who want to
get rid of the unborn that God has blessed, we are actually helping them
to see the unborn as
a curse, inconvenience, blob of tissue, etc by not VOTING THE BIBLE but the unborn child is a
blessing not a curse.
"You made all
the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s
womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship
is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in
utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born." (Psalm 139:13-16a,
NLT)
By giving our vote to someone who
supports the legalization of abortion is giving support to 'cursing what
God has blessed'. That is heavy for me as a follower of Christ. To
remove what God has blessed is spitting on the blessing for me.
The beginning of Genesis is against
abortion and for a man & woman to be 'fruitful,
increasing in number, and filling the earth and subduing it'
As a follower of Christ, I cannot
vote for someone who also opposed the 'Born Alive Infant Protection Act'
which basically makes it a crime to let an infant die that comes out
alive due to a botched abortion. One of the candidates has supported
this because he was afraid if he did not, abortion could become illegal.
It does not matter what saint
candidates are in all the other issues if these two core issues
addressed from the beginning in Genesis 1 cannot be adhered to for me. I
hope you join me in VOTING THE BIBLE this election year as a follower of
Christ.
In any area of our lives,
when we take our focus off
Jesus and go our own way, we will sin and when we are sinning, at the
time of sin, we are not following Jesus but following the devil.
Let us have God's Word convict
us who to vote for as a follower of Christ instead of leaning on to our
own understanding whether it has to do with the poor, healthcare, the
war, the economy, energy, climate control, environment, etc.
These are
the issues people cite for voting against a pro-life and anti-gay
marriage candidate. Those issues need to be addressed too but the moral
issue of abortion and gay marriage is paramount.
When we lean on to our own
understanding and decide to vote for a candidate that goes against the
sanctity of life or sanctity of marriage, the Good News is once it is
brought to our attention that we have sinned, if
we confess our sin and repent of it, God is faithful and just to forgive
us and cleanse us of all our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Our God is a God of love and
conviction and not a God of condemnation. It is the devil that condemns
and not Christ. Even when we choose not to VOTE THE BIBLE, the Lord
convicts and not condemns.
"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 power of sin and death!"
(Romans 8:1)
For me the word Christian was a
name given to Jews who decided to follow Christ in the Book of Acts.
Following Christ is an act shown by our actions.
I personally feel when I choose to vote for a pro-choice & advocate of
gay marriage candidate, I am spitting in the face of Jesus Christ
letting Him know what He taught me through His Word means nothing in the
21st century when it comes to politics especially in the area
of abortion and gay marriage.
I believe when we vote for a candidate who supports the holocaust of
the unborn and vote for a candidate who believes it is ok to pollute our
bodies with the sexual immorality of man-man marriage & woman-woman
marriage, we are telling God we know better but we don't. Nations have
been destroyed spiritually and some physically because of the acts of
homosexuality.
"Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead
indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal
sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did
shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they
suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge
God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things
that should never be done."(Romans 1:26a-28, NIV)
"And don’t forget Sodom and
Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality
and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire
and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment." (Jude
1:7, NIV)
"They know
God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die,
yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them,
too." (Romans 1:32, NIV)
That is what some candidates are
doing. They want to repeal the 'Defense of Marriage Act' so man-man can
be married and woman-woman can be married and engage in all the sex they
want throughout the United States.
When I go that path and vote for
them, I am saying to Jesus, you can be part of my life in all areas
except politics. When it comes to politics, let me make my own decision
of the candidate I want regardless of what your Word says Jesus. I don’t
want to do that!
When judgment comes for it will come, I want to be on
the side that opposed these issues by my actions which includes a vote
in November.
Whether you or I are a Christian
is determined by the fruit we bear that God sees in us when we receive
the Holy Spirit in our lives after acknowledging Jesus Christ alone can
save us from our sins. We need to believe Jesus died on the cross to take away all our
sins, shed His precious cleansing blood to give us new life when we turn
to Him, believe in our heart that He came back to life on the third day
to save and confessing with our mouth Jesus is Lord whom we will follow
in word and deed to be
saved. There is an act of confessing our sin and repenting of it.
The confession of Jesus is Lord is paramount because Jesus cannot
just be our Savior to be saved if He is not also our Lord. Jesus has to
be the Master of our lives and govern us in all we do.
There are those who want Jesus to save them and then believe they can
live their life however they want including voting for whoever they want
because they believe they are already saved by Jesus so now they can do
whatever they want but Jesus is against this kind of thinking and
actions.
This is not the Gospel. The Gospel has a cost to following Jesus which
is addressed in Mark 8. The previous devotionals in Mark 8 address these
concepts from different angles:
Mark 8:27-30:
"Who do you say Jesus is P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L.L.Y to you?" (August
06,
08, 9:48 a.m.)
Mark 8:31-33:
"Who are you O.P.E.N with in life?" (August
08,
08, 9:50 a.m.)
Mark 8:31-33:
"Whose L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N theology do you follow in life?" (August
11,
08, 1:40 p.m.)
Mark 8:33-34:
"What do you D.E.N.Y yourself in life?" (Aug
12, 08, 7:38 a.m.)
Also Matthew 7:21-23 puts it well:
“Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a
bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad
tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform
many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away
from me, you evildoers!'“ (Matthew 7:21-23, NIV)
Only God knows whether someone has truly chosen to follow Christ and His
teachings. Anyone can say anything but God knows the heart and our
actions to determine whether we have chosen to follow Christ or chosen
to depart from God’s Word.
Someone told me, “Let's not judge
one's Christian faith based upon a political vote.”
I strongly disagree with that statement!
Let’s take an extreme example and
mellow down the examples to address this even though it may never
happen.
A Satanist is planning to run for the president of the United States and
a Christian decides to cast a political vote for that person.
Is there something wrong with this picture?
For me there is! Because one’s Christian faith is faith in Jesus Christ
and by proxy in His Word.
"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was
with God and the Word was God."
Jesus is referred to as logos meaning the Word.
So by saying, I am of a Christian faith is saying that my faith is in
Jesus Christ and His teachings. His teachings condemn following Satan
and his ways. So someone who says, ‘I love Jesus Christ’, but votes for
a Satanist does not love Jesus Christ.
An Atheist is planning to run for the president of the United States and
a Christian decides to cast a political vote for that person.
Using the same argument, there is definitely something wrong with this
picture if I vote for the Atheist.
In essence, when I do that, I am saying that my Christian faith is
compartmentalized and does not affect who I vote for whether it is a
Satanist or Atheist.
How about a candidate who is pro-choice and for
gay marriage?
My Christian faith should affect whatever I do in life including who I
vote for in politics including choosing a pro-life and sanctity of
marriage candidate. I believe all the other issues will take care of
themselves when moral issues are addressed.
I ask myself, does the person I am voting for
whether they are Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, etc hold to the
teachings of Jesus Christ?
If they do as a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe it is my duty to
vote for the person who holds to the teachings of Jesus Christ
especially in moral areas.
If I think both candidates claim to be Christians but one candidates’
view is in line with Scripture more than the other candidates’ view who
distorts Scripture, then it is my duty to vote for the one candidate who
comes closer to Scriptural values.
What happens if a candidate claims he is Christian
but is pro-choice and for gay marriage and another candidate is not a
Christian but Pro-Life and for the sanctity of marriage?
In that situation, I would not vote at all but we don’t have this
problem in America because this nation was founded on Judeo-Christian
principles and it will be hard for someone to win the presidency who
does not claim to follow Christ.
The bottom line is we need to vote for the lesser of two evils.
Because of my faith in Jesus Christ, I intend to vote for the Bible.
This is the 21st century but I cannot separate my walk with the Lord
Jesus and who I vote for. You may differ. It is between you and the Lord
who you vote for and how you are convicted by the Lord.
‘Having peace about it’ should never be a valid excuse to do something
if that peace contradicts Scripture, for Satan can come as a beam of
light.
I heard a true story about a Christian woman who wanted to divorce her
Christian husband because she was not happy with the marriage anymore.
Based on her selfish reasons, she went to the Lord to pray about it.
After she prayed she came back with the response, ‘The Lord is ok with
me to divorce my husband, because I have a peace about it’
When God speaks or gives us peace, He will not go against His Word. God
is against divorce for what God has joined together let no man separate.
So her peace was not from God.
So when you decide to vote this
election and use 'peace as an excuse', please test that peace with God's
Word and go out in faith.
May you understand and know voting
this election year won't be easy but valiantly obey Truth now!
“If we live,
we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we
live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:8)
"Valiantly
Obey Truth Now!"/"What does your V.O.T.E show?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much that you give us your Word. Your Word
is basic instructions before leaving earth as a follower sang this song.
Oh Lord let us take your Word so seriously that it will impact our vote.
I pray Oh Lord that when it comes to abortion, gay marriage, etc, we
would not compromise our vote, rationalize our vote, etc but vote the
Bible. Your Word is for the sanctity of life and sanctity of marriage so
as your children let us vote the Bible. Father God help us to follow you
the way we live our lives not compartmentalizing our lives separating
our talk with you and our walk in this election. Father God none of us
can change each others minds who to vote for for that is your job Oh
Lord and you to convict lives. Oh Lord, I pray that my brothers and
sisters will see the importance of the sanctity of life and sanctity of
marriage that it does become a paramount issue in their lives to
actively engage in. Help us Oh God for the glory and honor of your name
to follow you. Thanks so much Jesus. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
Jesus has been working in my life
to transform and change me. Jesus will do that for you too no matter
where you are. So, please come to Him as you are and allow Him to work in your
life and transform you. Pray this prayer to the Lord and mean it in your
heart to be saved.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much that you came for hardened hearts to
soften them and transform them. I know Lord you continue to do that in
my life. Thank you Lord I did not choose you first but you chose me when
you came into this world to die for those around you and those that
would be born so their wickedness can be taken away when they turn to
you. You have provided so many ways for people to come to know you as
their Lord and Personal Savior. I thank you Lord for that but you will
not force yourself into our lives unless we open the door of our heart.
You stand at the door and knock and since you are knocking we thank you
that you have chosen us. Now Oh Lord help us to choose you always
knowing you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the
Father except through you. Thank you for working in my life and giving
me an opportunity to come to you. Help me to always remember the price
you paid to set me free and give me new life. You paid it with your own
blood for me so my heart does not have to stay hardened. Oh Lord Jesus,
God of our Salvation please help us so we do not get hardened. We know
when we take our mind of you, it will happen. But we thank you too that
when we came to you, you saved us for eternity and you who began a good
work in us will continue to do that . Thank you that we always have your
blood covering over us. When we go our own way and sin we do that
because we do not focus on you but on ourselves. Thank you when we turn
to you, you forgive us. We give our life to you and ask you to be Lord
and Savior of our lives. Thank you Jesus! Please come into my heart and
make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and
serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you Jesus for being my
Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and
answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!!
Friend, if you have prayed this
prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and
all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may
feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your
new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave
you nor forsake you! Amen!
Spend time in His word and let the Lord
speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of John! You can also check out
the Gospel of Mark which are the devotionals I have been going through.
Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a church
fellowship and a college fellowship you can be part of where you can be
part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the
Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in
Bible Live Eternally!
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 412-720-4579
"This is my
work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work
within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)
Love in Christ,
Ramesh
|
.Click
picture to read my dad's memoriam:
' I AM ' Series
Archives:
What kind of L.I.G.H.T do you follow? (Dec 13,
07, 10:09 a.m.)
Gospel of Mark Archives:
Mark 1:1:
"What does the G.O.S.P.E.L mean to you?" (Jan
15, 08, 1:15 p.m.)
Mark 1:1-4: "How
seriously do you T.E.S.T.I.F.Y about prophesy?" (Jan
12, 08, 11:18 p.m.)
Mark 1:5-8:
"Who do you P.O.I.N.T to?" (Jan 16, 08,
8:48 a.m.)
Mark 1:9:
How will you take a S.T.A.N.D? (Jan 17, 08,
11:21 a.m.)
Mark 1:9-11:
"How is your loving P.R.A.I.S.E?" (Jan 18, 08,
8:53 a.m.)
Mark 1:12-13: "How
do you handle T.E.M.P.T.A.T.I.O.N?" (Jan 19,
08, 12:27 p.m.)
Mark 1:14-15:
How do you handle T.I.M.E given to you? (Jan
21, 08, 1:31 p.m.)
Mark 1:16-18:
"What kind of P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N are you in?" (Jan
26, 08, 10:22 a.m.)
Mark
1:19-20:
"Without having to P.R.O.C.R.A.S.T.I.N.A.T.E, what should you do?"
(Jan 29, 08,
10:44 a.m.)
Mark
1:20-22:
"How do you rate in the B.U.S.I.N.E.S.S of Jesus?" (Jan
30, 08, 11:29 a.m.)
Mark
1:20-22:
"Whose T.E.A.C.H.I.N.G.S do you follow?" (Jan
31, 08, 11:52 a.m.)
Mark
1:23-28:
"What C.A.P.T.I.V.I.T.Y are you facing today?" (Feb
01, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 4:3-20:
"What if Jesus talked F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L?" (Feb
02, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 1:29-31:
"Where do you need H.E.A.L.I.N.G?" (Feb 05,
08, 11:44 a.m.)
Mark 1:32-34:
"Where do you need an A.N.S.W.E.R?" (Feb 06,
08, 11:16 a.m.)
Mark 1:35-39:
"Where do you give your S.O.L.I.T.A.R.Y time to the Lord?" (Feb
07, 08, 11:41 a.m.)
Mark 1:40-42:
"Where do you need to be C.L.E.A.N?" (Feb 09,
08, 11:00 a.m.)
Mark 1:43-45:
"What do your actions C.A.U.S.E?" (Feb 11, 08,
9:23 a.m.)
MARK CHAPTER 2:
Mark 2:1-2:
"What do you do with your P.O.P.U.L.A.R.I.T.Y?" (Feb
12, 08, 9:52 a.m.)
Mark 2:2-5:
"What kind of F.R.I.E.N.D are you?" (Feb
13, 08, 11:49 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
"Where does P.A.R.A.L.Y.S.I.S take hold of you?" (Feb
15, 08, 7:42 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
"What are you thinking in your M.I.N.D?" (Feb
16, 08, 11:08 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
"What do you represent by your A.C.T.I.O.N.S?" (Feb
18, 08, 8:23 a.m.)
Mark 2:13-15:
"Where are you looking for A.C.C.E.P.T.A.N.C.E?" (Feb
19, 08, 11:22 a.m.)
Mark
2:15-17:
"Who do you I.N.V.I.T.E to Jesus?" (Feb 20,
08, 9:57 a.m.)
Mark
2:18-20:
"When do you F.A.S.T?" (Feb 21, 08,
9:32 a.m.)
Mark 2:21-22:
"How do you see your L.I.F.E?" (Feb 22, 08,
9:56 a.m.)
Mark 2:23-28:
"What kind of L.E.A.D.E.R will you be? (Feb
23, 08, 10:46 a.m.)
Mark 2:23-28:
"What does the S.A.B.B.A.T.H mean to you?" (Feb
25, 08, 10:46 a.m.)
CHAPTER 3:
Mark 3:1-6:"Whose
N.E.E.D.S do you meet?" (Feb 26, 08,
9:54 a.m.)
Mark 3:7-8:
"What is your I.M.P.A.C.T?" (Feb 27, 08,
8:17 a.m.)
Mark 3:9-11:
"What S.P.A.C.E do you give yourself?" (Feb
28, 08, 9:38 a.m.)
Mark 3:11-12:
"How do you fight E.V.I.L?" (Feb 29, 08,
9:11 a.m.)
Mark 3:13-16:
"What emphasis do you put on your R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P with Jesus?"
(March 01, 08, 9:29
a.m.)
Mark 3:17-19:
"Where do you have your A.P.P.O.I.N.T.M.E.N.T in?" (March
03, 08, 9:49 a.m.)
Mark 3:20:
"Where do you G.A.T.H.E.R?" (March 04, 08,
12:07 p.m.)
Mark 3:21:
"How are your actions seen by your F.A.M.I.L.Y?" (March
05, 08, 10:24 a.m.)
Mark 3:22-27:
"How do you handle S.L.A.N.D.E.R?" (March 06,
08, 7:57 a.m.)
Mark 3:28-30:
"What is your V.I.E.W of Jesus?" (March 07, 08,
8:18 a.m.)
Mark 3:31-34:
"What do you do with God's Will?" (March 08,
08, 8:45 a.m.)
CHAPTER 4:
Mark 4:1-20:
"What do P.A.R.A.B.L.E.S mean to you?" (March
10, 08, 7:15 a.m.)
Mark 4:1-20:
"What if Jesus talked F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L?" (Feb
02, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 4:1-20:
"Where are you in your W.A.L.K with the Lord?" (March
11, 08, 9:32 a.m.)
Audio:
"Where are you in your W.A.L.K with the Lord?" (March
11, 08, 11:05 a.m.)
Mark 4:21-23:
"What kind of L.A.M.P will you be?" (March 12,
08, 9:40 a.m.)
Audio:
"What do you C.O.N.C.E.A.L?" (March 14, 08,
10:11 a.m.)
"What do you C.O.N.C.E.A.L?" (March 14, 08,
8:52 a.m.)
John 12:12-15:
"How can you B.L.E.S.S the Lord?" (March 17,
08, 1:25 a.m.)
Philippians 2:8:
"What does the C.R.O.S.S mean to you?" (March
20, 08, 1:16 p.m.)
"How do you handle D.O.U.B.T.S?" (March
25, 08, 12:36 p.m.)
Mark 4:24-25:
"What do you do with what you H.E.A.R?" (March
31, 08, 8:39 a.m.)
Mark 4:26-29:
"What do you do with the W.O.R.D of God?" (April
05, 08, 10:18 a.m.)
Mark 4:30-34:
"What do you do with the S.E.E.D?" (April 07, 08,
11:48 a.m.)
Mark 4:35-41:
"What are the S.T.O.R.M.S in your life?" (April 08, 08,
11:52 a.m.)
CHAPTER 5:
Mark 5:1-13:
"Where is your T.O.R.M.E.N.T coming from?" (April 09, 08,
11:50 a.m.)
Mark 5:14-17:
"Where do you need H.E.A.L.I.N.G?" (April 11, 08,
11:46 a.m.)
Mark 5:14-17:
"What do people R.E.P.O.R.T about you?" (April 12, 08,
11:00 a.m.)
Mark 5:18-19:
"What makes you A.F.R.A.I.D of Jesus?" (April 14, 08,
10:40 a.m.)
Mark 5:18-19:
"Will you T.E.L.L others about Jesus?" (April 15, 08,
11:32 a.m.)
Mark 5:20:
"What do you do with your T.E.S.T.I.M.O.N.Y?" (April
16, 08,
12:03 p.m.)
Proverbs 17:4:
"What does G.O.S.S.I.P do to you?" (April 17, 08,
6:52 p.m.)
Exodus 12:5,7,11,13-14:
"How do you know judgment will P.A.S.S.O.V.E.R you?" (April
24, 08,
9:26 a.m.)
Mark 5:21:
"Why will you G.A.T.H.E.R before Jesus?" (April
28, 08,
9:36 a.m.)
Mark 5:22-24:
"What place do you give P.R.A.Y.E.R in your life?" (April
29, 08,
7:51 a.m.)
Mark 5:24b-29:
“Unclean
Now? Christ’s Leading Everyday Always Nurtures! (U.N.C.L.E.A.N)"
(May 05, 08,
10:24 a.m.)
Mark 5:30-34:
“Forever,
Redeemer Everyday Excitingly Delivers Omnipotent Message!(F.R.E.E.D.O.M)”
(May
05, 08,
10:24 a.m.)
Mark 5:35-37:
“Timing Is Messiah’s Involvement Nurturing Graciously!
(T.I.M.I.N.G)”
(May 07, 08, 10:07 a.m.)
Mark 5:35-42:
"What place do you give G.O.D.S W.I.L.L in your life?"
(May 08, 08, 9:33 a.m.)
CHAPTER 6:
Mark 6:1-2:"Where
do you seek W.I.S.D.O.M for your life?"
(May 09, 08, 10:31 a.m.)
Mark 6:2-3:"What do you do with your C.A.L.L.I.N.G in life?"
(May 10, 08, 9:43 a.m.)
Mark 6:2-3:
"Who/Where is your
I.D.E.N.T.I.T.Y found in?"
(May 12, 08, 8:45 a.m.)
Mark 6:4:
"When do you feel
A.C.C.E.P.T.E.D in your life"
(May 13, 08, 8:21 a.m.)
Mark 6:4-6:
"How is your F.A.I.T.H in
the Lord?"
(May 14, 08, 8:01 a.m.)
Mark 6:6-7:"What
do you T.E.A.C.H by your life?"
(May 15, 08, 10:34 a.m.)
Mark 6:6-7:"Who
are you S.E.N.T by?"
(May 16, 08, 6:49 a.m.)
Mark 6:7-11:"Where
are you S.T.A.Y.I.N.G in your life?"
(May 17, 08, 8:38 a.m.)
Mark 6:12-13:
"How is your spiritual
H.E.A.L.T.H in your life?"
(May 20, 08, 7:41 a.m.)
Mark 6:12-14:
"What have people H.E.A.R.D
about Jesus through you?"
(May 21, 08, 8:36 a.m.)
Mark 6:14-16:
"What do you T.H.I.N.K about
Jesus?"
(May 22, 08, 10:02 a.m.)
Mark 6:16-17:
"How do you handle
D.O.U.B.T.S in your life?"
(May 23, 08, 9:05 a.m.)
Mark 6:17-20:
"When do you
S.P.E.A.K out?"
(May 24, 08, 9:32 a.m.)
Philippians 4:9:
"What kind of
S.O.L.D.I.E.R will you be?"
(May 26, 08, 9:55 a.m.)
Mark 6:21-25:
"What has the
T.O.N.G.U.E done in your life?"
(May 27, 08, 8:27 a.m.)
Mark 6:25-29:
"What has P.R.I.D.E
done in your life?"
(May 28, 08, 8:25 a.m.)
Mark 6:30:
"What is your
M.I.S.S.I.O.N you have been called to?"
(May 29, 08, 8:19 a.m.)
Mark 6:31-32:
"Where do you find
R.E.S.T in your life?"
(May 30, 08, 8:04 a.m.)
Mark 6:33-34:
"Who have you made
the S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D of your life?"
(May 31, 08, 8:37 a.m.)
Mark
6:35-44:
"What kind of
B.R.E.A.D do you eat?"
(June 02, 08, 8:34 a.m.)
Mark 6:45:
"Whose C.A.R.E are
you really in?"
(June 03, 08, 9:32 a.m.)
Mark 6:46:
"When do you P.R.A.Y
in your life?"
(June 03, 08, 9:32 a.m.)
Mark 6:46-48b:"What
T.R.O.U.B.L.E are you facing in your life?"
(June 05, 08, 9:53 a.m.)
Mark 6:48-50:
"What is the F.E.A.R
you are facing in life?"
(June 06, 08, 9:23 a.m.)
Mark
6:51-52:
"How have you
H.A.R.D.E.N.E.D your heart?"
(June 07, 08, 9:09 a.m.)
Mark 6:53-54:
"What are you
R.E.C.O.G.N.I.Z.E.D for in your life?"
(June 09, 08, 9:37 a.m.)
Mark 6:55-56:
"Who do you
I.N.T.R.O.D.U.C.E to Jesus in your life?"
(June 10, 08, 10:50 a.m.)
CHAPTER 7:
Mark 7:1-8:
"How do you view
H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.S.Y in your life?"
(June 11, 08, 6:11 a.m.)
Mark 7:1-8:
"How does the Lord
view your W.O.R.S.H.I.P in life?"
(June 12, 08, 9:24 a.m.)
Mark 7:1-8:
"Whose T.E.A.C.H.I.N.G.S
do you follow in life?"
(June 13, 08, 8:12 a.m.)
Mark 7:9-13:
"How do you honor
your P.A.R.E.N.T.S in life?"
(June 14, 08, 9:16 a.m.)
Philippians 4:20-23:
"What
have you done for your F.A.T.H.E.R in life?"
(June 15, 08,
5:40 p.m.)
Mark 7:14-19:
"How do you C.L.E.A.N your life?" (June 17,
08, 9:26 p.m.)
Mark 7:20-23:
"When are you getting a H.E.A.R.T transplant?" (June 18,
08, 7:36 a.m.)
Mark 7:24:
"Why not take the C.R.E.D.I.T offered to you in life?" (June 19,
08, 10:12 a.m.)
Mark 7:25-26:
"How often do you ask Jesus to S.A.V.E your loved ones in life?" (June
20,
08, 9:45 a.m.)
Mark 7:27-30:
"What A.D.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y are you facing in life?" (June
21,
08, 10:38 a.m.)
Mark 7:31-32:"Who do you B.R.I.N.G to Jesus?" (June
23,
08, 9:50 a.m.)
Mark 7:33-34:
"Where do you want the Lord to W.O.R.K in your life?" (June
24,
08, 10:12 a.m.)
Mark 7:35-36:
"What do you need W.E.L.L done in your life?" (June
25, 08, 10:10 a.m.)
CHAPTER 8
Mark 8:1a:"Where do you G.A.T.H.E.R in life?" (June
26, 08, 10:11 a.m.)
Mark 8:1b-3:"Who needs your C.O.M.P.A.S.S.I.O.N this week?" (June
27, 08, 10:16 a.m.)
Mark 8:1b-3:
"What place do you give a R.E.T.R.E.A.T in your life?" (June
30, 08, 10:24 a.m.)
Mark 8:1b-3:
"What do you E.A.T in life?" (July 01, 08, 10:27 a.m.)
Mark 8:1b-3:
"What are you H.U.N.G.R.Y for in life?" (July 02, 08,
10:15 a.m.)
Mark 8:1b-3:
"What D.I.S.T.A.N.C.E will you go to meet Jesus?" (July 03, 08,
10:06 a.m.)
Mark 8:4:
"What do you F.O.R.G.E.T in life?" (July 07,
08, 11:04 a.m.)
Mark 8:4-7:
"How do you handle P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S in your life?" (July 08,
08, 10:14 a.m.)
Mark 8:8a:
"What are you T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L for in your life?" (July 09,
08, 10:05 a.m.)
Mark 8:8b:
"What has being G.E.N.E.R.O.U.S done to you?" (July
12,
08, 9:05 a.m.)
Mark 8:9-10:
"Where has the Lord placed you to C.A.R.E in life?" (July
15,
08, 11:29 a.m.)
Mark 8:9-10:
"Who do you let M.O.L.D your life?" (July
16,
08, 11:19 a.m.)
Mark 8:11-13:
"Who have you T.E.S.T.E.D in life?" (July
21,
08, 11:04 a.m.)
Mark 8:11-13:
"What does J.E.S.U.S mean to you?" (July
22,
08, 10:59 a.m.)
Mark 8:14-15:
"Who do you W.A.S.T.E your time with?" (July
23,
08, 9:49 a.m.).
Mark 8:14-16:
"Where is your F.O.C.U.S in life?" (July
24,
08, 10:12 a.m.)
Mark 8:14-16:
"What is Jesus A.W.A.R.E of in your life?" (July
26,
08, 9:05 a.m.)
Mark 8:16-17:
"What do you M.I.S.S to see in your life?" (July
28,
08, 9:52 a.m.)
Mark 8:16-21:
"When have you H.A.R.D.E.N.E.D your heart?" (July
29,
08, 10:45 a.m.)
Mark 8:16-21:
"What do you fail to S.E.E or H.E.A.R in life?" (July
30,
08, 8:44 a.m.)
Mark 8:16-21:
"What do you R.E.M.E.M.B.E.R in life?" (July
31,
08, 7:53 a.m.)
AUGUST 2008
Mark 8:22-26:
"Who do you B.R.I.N.G to Jesus?" (August 01,
08, 9:07 a.m.)
Mark 8:22-26:
"Whose life are you I.N.V.O.L.V.E.D in?" (August
02,
08, 9:48 a.m.)
Mark 8:22-26:
"Should you take M.E.D.I.C.I.N.E in life?" (August
04,
08, 8:49 a.m.)
Mark 8:22-26:
"What does R.E.S.T.O.R.A.T.I.O.N make you do?" (August
05,
08, 9:43 a.m.)
Mark 8:27-30:
"Who do you say Jesus is P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L.L.Y to you?" (August
06,
08, 9:48 a.m.)
Mark 8:31-33:
"Who are you O.P.E.N with in life?" (August
08,
08, 9:50 a.m.)
Mark 8:31-33:
"Whose L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N theology do you follow in life?" (August
11,
08, 1:40 p.m.)
Mark 8:33-34:
"What do you D.E.N.Y yourself in life?" (Aug
12, 08, 7:38 a.m.)
Mark 8:33-34:
"When have you carried your C.R.O.S.S in life?" (Aug
14, 08, 10:24 a.m.)
Mark 8:33-34:
"What does it mean to F.O.L.L.O.W Jesus Christ?"(Aug
15, 08, 11:32 a.m.)
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