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

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

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

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

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

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

Implications:
I saw important implications for my life in these two points. The purpose of today's devotional in my life was to show me that living for Christ should be my aim instead of living for the appreciation of others.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LIFE
By Ramesh C. Reddy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRINCE OF PEACE

Who is this Prince of Peace ??

J esus, the Savior of the world.

E verlasting peace comes from knowing him.

S urely goodness and mercy will follow

U nconditionally all the days of our LIVEs

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

Amen!

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

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

Savior!
By Ramesh C. Reddy

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

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

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

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turniLOVINGg them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help by His grace alone!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-641-9426

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Express Your View

2011 DEVOTIONALS:

Philippians 1:20: "Where do you need to have C.O.U.R.A.G.E in life?" (June 17, 2011, 3:59 p.m. (IST)) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:19: "Who do you often C.A.L.L in life?" (June 16, 2011, 6:54 p.m. (IST)) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:19: "What reason do you have to R.E.J.O.I.C.E in life?" (June 15, 11, 6:24 p.m.( IST) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:15-18: "How are your M.O.T.I.V.E.S in life?" (June 08, 11, 6:45 a.m.( IST) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:12-14: "What have the C.H.A.I.N.S done to you in your own life?" (June 02, 11, 7:41 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:12: "How can you feel S.P.E.C.I.A.L when things are going so wrong in your life?" (June 01, 11, 9:26 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:9-11: "What is your L.O.V.I.N.G response be based on?" (May 31, 11, 9:01 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

John 12:24: "Why should M.E.M.O.R.I.A.L day not be limited to a Picnic/BBQ Holiday?" (May 30, 11, 7:47 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:8: "Why cannot you be in a loving R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P in life?" (May 28, 11, 12:34 aPm.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:7: "Why cannot you be saved by G.R.A.C.E alone?" (May 27, 11, 9:23 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:6: "Where are you C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T in?" (May 26, 11, 1:03 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:3-5: "How can you attain a P.A.R.T.N.E.R.S.H.I.P in the Gospel?" (May 25, 11, 10:15 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:3: "How will others R.E.A.C.T towards God when they remember you?" (May 24, 11, 10:50 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1-2: "What do you do to B.L.E.S.S others in life?" (May 20, 11, 9:18 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1: "Why bother to let others T.R.A.I.N you when you are already a leader?" (May 19, 11, 10:42 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1: "Why should you believe you are H.O.L.Y instead of being a sinner?" (May 18, 11, 8:31 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1: Who will you be a S.L.A.V.E to in life? (May 17, 11, 7:21 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 2:8: "Why bother with the C.R.O.S.S. when you are living in the 21st century?" (April 23, 11, 1:32 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

2010 DEVOTIONALS:

John 12: "Will you be the offspring of the S.E.E.D cultivated?" (Mon, March 29, 10, 10:09 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

John 12:3: "What costly S.A.C.R.I.F.I.C.E will you make for Jesus remembering His stinky/dirty feet?" (Sat, March 27, 10, 11:06 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Proverbs 23: "What  has  A.L.C.O.H.O.L done to you in life?" (March 20, 10, 9:17 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "What do you do with an I.N.T.E.R.R.U.P.T.I.O.N in life?" (March 13, 10, 11:40 p.m.)

Mark 10:13: "Why S.H.A.R.E Jesus with others in life?" (March 09, 10, 4:59 a.m) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10:13: "Why B.R.I.N.G Doggy Poo to Jesus?" (March 08, 10, 9:01 a.m) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "When have you become an A.D.U.L.T.E.R.E.R in life and what now?" (Feb 24, 10, 9:31 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "Why D.I.V.O.R.C.E the one you marry in life?" (Feb 22, 10, 12:15 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "What do you do with what is P.E.R.M.I.T.T.E.D in your life?" (Feb 20, 10, 10:08 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

1 Corinthians 13: "How will you be someone's V.A.L.E.N.T.I.N.E using 16?" (Feb 13, 10,  12:16 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "Who do you become an A.T.T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N to and why?" (Feb 05, 10, 9:43 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "How can you be a S.A.L.T in someone's life today?" (Feb 04, 10, 11:27 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "What do you help your friends E.S.C.A.P.E from?" (Feb 03, 10, 12:30 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "Why bother with H.E.L.L in life?" (Feb 02, 10, 2:39 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "When are you planning to cut your hand, foot, or eye to escape Hell?"" (Feb 01, 10, 1:41 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

 Mark 9: "Why heed Jesus' W.A.R.N.I.N.G in your life?" (Jan 30, 10, 12:41 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy