“Miracle
Is Redeemer's Awesome Capability Loving Each! (M.I.R.A.C.L.E)”
Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher
SCRIPTURE:
“After he had considered this,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph
son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew
1:20, NIV)
APPROACH QUESTION:
What is your opinion of miracles?
OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself who are the
characters mentioned in v. 1:20?
1. Joseph, son of David
2. An angel of the Lord
3. Mary
4. Holy Spirit
OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what do I learn about the
Holy Spirit?
1. The Holy Spirit is responsible for
'what is conceived in her
[Mary]'
INTERPRETATIONS:
I asked myself why is it so significant that
the Angel of the Lord lets Joseph know
'what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit'?
In Joseph's mind, Mary's pregnancy was very troubling because
he knew that he was not with her for her to become pregnant. So,
different thoughts were going through his mind in the pain and shock
he was in. It is in this situation that the angel of the Lord
intervenes to assure Joseph that Mary did not do any wrong. On the
contrary, she has been faithful to Joseph in her relationship and is
still the virgin Mary that he fell in love with.
Now, the pregnancy
is a result of the miracle of God's intervention in Mary's life
without her having to do anything but believe in what the Lord was
going to do in her life through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is
the initiation of the Holy Spirit to work in Mary's life for the
miracle of conception without the involvement of Joseph or any other
human being for the conception. The angel of the Lord wants
Joseph to be aware of that without being afraid to take Mary home as
his wife. Also, the angel of the Lord is letting Joseph know that
what is happening in Mary cannot be explained scientifically or
logically for it is a miracle and will be a miracle.
IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself what are the implications for my
own life here and now?
I need to remember when the Lord decides to act in my life or my
loved one's life, everything cannot be explained scientifically or
logically for there are areas of our lives that can only be
explained using the word miracle because it defies human reason. But
more than that, it is because the Holy Spirit decides to intervene
and make a miracle happen just as the Holy Spirit was responsible
for Mary's miraculous conception without any involvement by man.
Therefore, whatever is happening in my life or those around me, I
should never forget the power of the Holy Spirit and what the Holy
Spirit can do if He decides to intervene. Praise the Lord! He has
intervened in my life and He can intervene in your life too this
Christmas season.
I ask you now dear friend, why expect a miracle
in your life this season?
Dear friend, I do not know what you are going through right now. You
maybe in a painful situation, a confusing situation, a
perplexing situation, etc. It maybe related to relationships,
finances, academics, career, health, behavior, etc. From a human
viewpoint, there may not seem to be hope for any change BUT I want
you to know that there is hope for the season and the hope is in the
power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever you are going through, be assured
that the Holy Spirit can intervene if He chooses to, for nothing is
impossible with God. If God could make Mary pregnant through the
power of the Holy Spirit, God can make anything happen if He chooses
to. Rest assured in the power of the Holy Spirit.
I say chooses to because the Lord has his own purposes and timing
that we cannot understand. What I do know is that He loves you and
me very much and wants to always be our
Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Wonderful Counselor.
He wants you to believe that miracles do happen even in this time
and is not limited to 2000 years ago. This Christmas season, the
greatest miracle of all in your life will be when you accept the
Lord Jesus Christ in your life. It will be a miracle because when
you do that, your life will change dramatically and others will
notice the difference. When they cannot explain why you have changed
so much for the good, the arrow can point to the Lord Jesus Christ
and how the Holy Spirit is transforming your life by His grace. When
they cannot explain why you have been healed, the arrow can point to
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life by His lavishing
grace. These are just two examples. The miracle starts with the Holy
Spirit which I have experienced in my life.
Many years ago, I had severe asthma and was even admitted to the ER.
There were times I even felt like I would die. I lived through
that for many years. Slowly, I was learning about Jesus and what He
has done in people's lives through the Bible stories my mommy would
read to me. One day, I was watching the 700 Club and
Pat Robertson was talking about
'accepting Jesus Christ into your life.' I did not know what that
meant so I went and asked my mommy. She took me to my bedroom and
explained to me what it meant and wrote a 'sinners prayer' for me to
pray to ask Jesus Christ into my life. It went something like this
which I believed with all my heart:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I am so sorry for all my sins.
Please forgive me of all my sins. I repent of all my sins. Please
cleanse me with your precious cleansing blood and I will be clean
again. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Thank you for dying
for my sins and coming back to life on the third day to save me.
Please Jesus 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 for coming into my heart and making my heart
your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus so now I can live for
you. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior accepting you
into my heart. Please be my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for
being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus. Thank you that you have
heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
I thought to myself if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and
tomorrow as the Bible says He is, then what He did in those days, He
can even do right now. That means, Jesus can even heal my severe
asthma. So, coming from a Hindu family background, I believed in
Jesus accepting Him into my heart to be my Lord and personal Savior.
When I believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit not only healed me of my
severe asthma but my life was also transformed. I was almost failing
the first 3 quarters of a semester but after accepting Jesus into my
life, I made honor roll the final quarter. Other than being healed
of my asthma completely and being able to do things I could never do
before, I was also so ecstatic that my beloved dad who was a Hindu
at the time would ask my mommy, "Ramesh is so
different, what brought the change in him?" My dad would even
ask me and I got to share about Jesus with my dad. My dad did not
become a Christian right away but I praise the Lord that He gave his
life to the Lord Jesus Christ right before He went to be with the
Lord. This too was a miracle including everything that happened
before that.
You see in October 2007, my dad went into cardiac arrest after
battling renal kidney disease for more than 6 years. On the day he
went into cardiac arrest, my prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ was,
"Lord Jesus, please don't let Satan take my
daddy, for he does not know you yet."
The Lord Jesus heard
our prayers and my dad was able to be resuscitated and spent the
next 70 days in the ICU, etc. During that time, everyday we prayed
for a miracle. The Bible verse that came to my mind was Jesus'
response to Martha when Lazarus had died:
"The
purpose of his illness will not result in death but for the glory of
the Lord." In those 70 days, almost every minute
my mommy was by my dad's side. She would read to him the Psalms and
New Testament everyday from Matthew to Revelation. On Dec 17th right
before he died, my beloved dad gave his life to the Lord Jesus
Christ. In those 70 days we saw miracle after miracle happen. But
the greatest miracle of all is that my beloved dad was called to be
Jesus' very own and resides in Heaven. So, even though my daddy died
physically, spiritually his illness did not result in death but life
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus!
My precious wife Chandraleela's marriage to me is a miracle in
itself including how the Lord Jesus made everything fall in place in
the right time for my precious to be with me in the states after a
painful 1.5 year wait due to visa situation. But more than that,
both of our daughter's birth's were a miracle too. Because of
complications during the pregnancy, a C-section had to be done. When
baby Esther was delivered she had the
umbilical cord wrapped twice around her neck. We praise the Lord
Jesus for a healthy baby Esther that Jesus gave us. She is 6Y2M18D
old today.
When baby Evangeline was born, she had
swallowed so much meconium, did not breather right away, and apgar
score was 0 so she had to be in the NICU.
Pastor Hugo, Heather, Pastor Mike, Jeanne, Calvin, Elise, Edwin,
Marie, and so many others visited her and prayed for her. A
miracle happened in her life too. She is now a healthy 3Y6M19D old
child.
We know if the Lord Jesus wanted to, He could have kept our dad
alive physically and completely heal him but we cannot understand
His ways always. What I do know is through the power of the Holy
Spirit, our family has experienced miracles. Thank you so much
Jesus. You too can experience miracles and the greatest of them all
can be a transformed life from how you were to how you are now when
you allow Jesus to touch your heart.
To be continued....
May you come to experience a miracle this Christmas season knowing
Jesus is the reason for the season.
"Miracle Is Redeemer's Awesome Capability Loving Each!
(M.I.R.A.C.L.E)"/"Why expect a M.I.R.A.C.L.E in your life this
season?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for the miracles you have done
while you physically walked the earth. Thank you for the miracles we
experience even 2000 years later because of the power of the Holy
Spirit that resides in us as we turn to you. In essence, it is you that is residing in
us. Thank you for transformed lives by your grace. Oh Lord, when I
gave my life to you, you transformed my life and others noticed the
difference. Forgive me Oh Lord because through the years, I have
gone my own way many times and caused so many people pain. I am sorry
Lord. Help my life to reflect your presence in me. Thank you Oh
Lord. Help me please to be guided by your Spirit. Thanks so much for
your help. I pray for your miracles in the lives of those who are
suffering and in pain. Come Lord Jesus and intervene in their lives.
Come Lord Jesus and reveal yourself to them, strenghtening them by
the power of the Holy Spirit. Choose them to be your very own Oh
Lord. Thank you for dying for my sin and coming back to life to
save me. I yield my life to you Oh Lord and ask for your help. Thank
you for being my Lord and Personal Savior as I yield to you. Thank you for healing me.
Thank you Lord that you have heard my prayer and answered me. In
Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
Lord Jesus,
You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace,
Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a
life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I
need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround
me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your
presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you
love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek
your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for
your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case.
Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!
(Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)
Pray the
prayer below or use your own words to invite Jesus Christ into your
life and have a personal relationship with Him. Now is the time of
Salvation. Don't wait.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I believe that
Father God sent you to earth for us, to die for our sin on a rugged
cross where your blood was shed to save us! Then you came back to
life and now sit at the right hand of the Father.
Thank you when
I was sick with soul sickness, you purchased me by your blood which
alone can cleanse me of all my sin and make me your child that I can
belong to. It is my sin that separated
me from God and you became the bridge for me to cross over to God
because of what you did on the cross for me. Thank you so much
Jesus. Even when my sin made me so dirty on the inside and attacks
of Satan have wounded me, you did not abandon me but came for me. I
am never out of your love and never out of your reach. Thank you so
much Jesus.
I do believe Father God for all that Jesus did for me. Jesus, I know
you care for me and laid down your life for me on the cross to give
me new life as you shed your blood for me to wash away all my sins.
Your Blood became the transfusion for those of us wounded by Satan.
I accept the transfusion! Your blood heals all the wounded areas to
give us a new life cleansing us of our sin. Thank you so much Jesus.
I want that new life that you offer so I turn
to you now as a sheep that has gone astray and ask for your
forgiveness of all my sins! Wash me in your precious cleansing
blood. Thank you for washing me in your Blood. Please come dwell in
my heart and save me Jesus. Deliver me Oh Good Shepherd! Thank you
for your free gift of grace! I know you can save me when I turn to
you and ask you to be my Lord and Personal Savior. I want you
to stay with me Jesus in my heart and make my heart your home so I
can always have you as my Lord and Personal Savior who will guide my
path. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit and lead me in the
right paths when I go the wrong way so I can be led to green
pastures. I love you Jesus! Thank you for making my heart your home,
for living in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the
rest of the days of my life. I acknowledge you Jesus as my Lord and
Personal Savior believing in my heart that God raised you from the
dead. Thank you for coming back to life to save me. Thank you for
being the Lamb of God. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal
Savior and changing me. Thank you for filling me with the Holy
Spirit and I believe you who began a good work in me will finish it
to completion. I give myself to you, all that I am and ask you to
make something of my life. Thank you Jesus so much. Thank you have
heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
You may have felt something, you may
have not, but the important thing to know is that Jesus Christ is in
your life! Don't just go by feelings.
If you have prayed this prayer and meant
it genuinely in your heart, you made one of the most important
decisions in your life. Please let me know as I would like to send
you a free booklet or give it to you in person, to help you in your
daily walk with the Lord. I have read this booklet more than 20
times.
Feel free to email me at
reddy4hisglory@gmail.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)
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ADVENT DEVOTIONALS:
Matthew 1:20:
"What has a D.R.E.A.M revealed to you?"By
Ramesh C. Reddy
(Dec 17,18, 5:29 a.m.)
PREVIOUS DEVOTIONALS:
A-Z things being thankful to the Lord Jesus
for in Nov 2014 - Nov 2015 By Ramesh
C. Reddy (Nov 24, 2016)
A-Z things being thankful to the Lord Jesus
for in Nov 2014 - Nov 2015 By Ramesh
C. Reddy (Nov 26, 2015)
A-Z things being thankful to the Lord Jesus for
in Nov 2013 - Nov 2014 By Ramesh
C. Reddy (Nov 27, 2014)
A-Z things being thankful to the Lord Jesus for
in Nov 2012 - Nov 2013 By Ramesh
C. Reddy (Nov 28, 2013)
A-Z things being thankful to the Lord Jesus for
in Nov 2011 - Nov 2012 By Ramesh
C. Reddy(Nov 22, 2012)
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(Sept 08, 18, 10:55 a.m.)
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(Aug 06, 18, 10:17 a.m.)
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(Aug 04, 18, 10:35 a.m.)
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(April 19, 18, 10:01 a.m.)
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(March 09, 18, 10:21 a.m.)
Mark 1:12-13:
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life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy
(March 08, 18, 09:57 a.m.)
Mark 1:12-13:
"What determines your G.R.O.W.T.H in the
Lord?"By Ramesh C. Reddy
(March 07, 18, 10:37 a.m.)
Mark 1:10-11:
"Who will you P.R.A.I.S.E publicly today in
life?"
By Ramesh C. Reddy
(March 06, 18,
10:02 a.m.)
Mark 1:9:
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By Ramesh C. Reddy
(March 03, 18, 10:39 a.m.)
Mark 1:4-8:
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(March 03, 18, 10:39 a.m.)
Mark 1:1-4:
"Why bother seriously with P.R.O.P.H.E.C.Y
everyday?" By Ramesh C. Reddy
(Jan 04, 18, 7:19 p.m.)
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