Posted on Monday, March 05, 2018 at 12:01 p.m. (EST) & 10:31 p.m. (IST), MARCH 2018 Edition
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“Point
Out Immanuel's Nurturing Truth! (P.O.I.N.T)”
Ramesh C. Reddy
SCRIPTURE:
Observations:
Observations/Interpretations: Points 1&2: Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee to be baptized in the Jordan by John. It is interesting that the Bible mentions that Jesus came all the way from Nazareth to the Jordan to be baptized by John, the Baptist as John prepared the way for Him. Nazareth was at least 70 miles or 3 days walking distance from the Jordan River. This showed me Jesus’ commitment to be baptized. It becomes that much more interesting that John baptizes Jesus when John specifically told the people “And this was his message: ‘After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” (Mark 1:7-8) If anything, people may have expected John to be baptized by Jesus. It did not happen that way.
I asked myself what was
the significance of Jesus’ baptism? “Then Jesus came into Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.” (Matthew 3:13-15, NIV) Jesus did not have to be baptized because He was already perfect but took the long trip and allowed John to baptize Him to set an example to the people of the importance of baptism. Not only that, but Jesus was modeling the importance of humility and commitment. Thank you Lord! It was so cool to read about Jesus’ commitment. Three days is a long trek to take to be baptized and yet Jesus took that trek. He did not allow obstacles to come in the way nor did Jesus have the attitude that He is in control and should be baptizing others rather than being baptized. This also shows Jesus' humility and the stand Jesus takes.
Implications: I love how my loving wife Chandraleela used to get up at 3:00 a.m. to spend time with the Lord Jesus when she had to be at work at from 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. She did not think to herself, 'Ouch, I have to work a 12 hr shift everyday so I need all the sleep I can get'. No on the contrary, she knew how important it is to start her day by spending in prayer to the Lord Jesus and reading/meditating on His Word. It is her commitment and love for the Lord and the stand she has taken for the Lord Jesus that drew me to her in our courting days. My wife and I miss Pastor Hugo Cheng so much because of his love for us and the Indian students he came across. We were so touched through the years because he would always schedule everything around Indian Game Night with the support of his precious wife Heather Cheng so he would not have to miss spending time with the Indian students atleast two times a month. Even though we started at 6:00 pm and did not get home until 11:00 pm at times, Pastor Hugo would always stand with us through the obstacles to show his love for us and the students even when he had to preach on Sunday mornings. Usually people schedule things around family life, church life etc but thanks to Heather, he and Heather made a sacrifice never to miss Game Night with us unless there was an emergency. The only time he missed was when his daughter's flight got delayed. Even then he tried his best to make it. There were days that it was just Pastor Hugo, Chandra, and I but we could see his commitment to the Indian students and us by his actions. Game night would always occur on Saturday's so that was a sacrifice away from his wife and kids but they both made it happen for 3 1/2 years from June 01, 2013 - April 2016 w/o missing any except one. We are thankful to the sacrificial stand both of them have taken for the Indian students. We are also excited for the International church they have decided to start in Maryland with the help of their church there :) It has always been to show the love of Christ consistently to the Indian students and other internationals including us. Thank you Jesus! :) My wife loves the Indian students so much that even when she was in her 9 month of pregnancy, she still cooked all the meals for them because she wanted them to be homemade. Even now, my mommy would start cooking Friday evening until Saturday afternoon for the Saturday game night while both of them prepare different dishes. They took a stand so the students who come not only have homemade Indian dishes to eat but so I or different pastors can share spiritual food with them from the Bible, etc to show the love of Christ to them. When I think about what Jesus did, it reminds me of his servant Evangelist Billy Graham who took a stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be shared with all who would come to listen so He can point them to Christ. Graham did not let obstacles stand in the way but would visit different nations to preach the Gospel so souls can be saved. It was always to point people to Christ, Graham took a stand for the Gospel. I need to take a stand for the Gospel and point people to Jesus without making excuses about obstacles. Help me Jesus! In your life, it may not be to the level of what the later Evangelist Billy Graham has done, Pastor Hugo or Heather have done 2 Saturdays a month to show the love of Christ, what my wife and mom have done to show the love of Christ, what I have done through Pittsburgh Standard, etc but each of us are faced with choices each and every day on doing what is right. We need to go that pathway no matter how hard the obstacles seem depending on the Lord. Graham never let obstacles stop him from preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ till he went to be with the Lord at 99 years of age because he knew Jesus alone could give Eternal Life to a world marred in sin. Graham knew how much Jesus loves them and wanted them to experience the love of Christ. It will not be easy to take a stand many times for issues you believe in that are biblical but taking a stand for Jesus and the Bible is the best thing we can do. Taking a stand for doing right is the best way to go. Spending time with the Lord Jesus is so important for Him to guide and lead us, taking the right stand in life. As March is underway, your faith could be tested and put through the fire. Satan will try to burn you out and make you charred so you cannot stand up for your faith. He could bring all kinds of obstacles into your presence whether it is through professors who speak out against what is biblical, through doubts that creep in, through peer pressure to do things that go against biblical morality, through family life of those that are not followers of Christ, etc. But, you don't have to give in to the negativity that prevails around you. You can overcome and become a beacon of light to those around you as you depend on the Lord Jesus Christ! Yes friend, you can! You can take a stand! Yes, you can! But it starts with Jesus Christ and the principles of His Word revealed through the Gospel! Friend, more than anything, we should take a stand for Jesus Christ in our lives. We all need Jesus in our lives because sin has marred our relationship with God separating us from Him. Now because of this deadly virus known as sin, it will prevent us from taking a stand for righteousness because it is a slave master keeping us in its bondage but thanks be to God that we can be freed through what Jesus did for us. Thank you Jesus! Jesus will help us take a stand for doing what is right when we yield our life over to Him. We can know what Jesus stands for by reading His Word, meditating on it, and following it. Friend, there will be those that tell you that this is the 21st century and the Bible is outdated but it is not friend. The Word of God stands the test of time and is the same when God gave it to His people to share with all those that would be born later such as you and me. It will be easier to take a stand when we believe 'The Bible is the Word of God', instead of believing 'Bible becomes the Word of God' or 'Bible contains the Word of God'. Believing in the other two statements will only make us pick and choose what parts of the Bible we want to follow. We cannot choose which instructions to follow and which instructions to skip when we want to assemble something. No, all the instructions have to be followed in its context. In the same way, God the Author of Life has given us an instruction manual here on earth to follow for our well being. It is the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation for us to follow. We cannot follow the Bible or take a stand on our own without the help of the Holy Spirit. Allow the Lord Jesus to help you to take a stand for Him, for He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, guiding and leading you! Yes, He will! As spring break is underway for many campuses, we all will be faced with making a stand for what we believe is the right thing to do. Let our decision be based on taking a stand for what is biblical in all issues such as sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage, etc. You can let obstacles control you or let the Lord of Heaven and earth help you through the obstacles. It starts with taking a stand for your faith regardless of how tough the journey will be. Friend, the Lord will get you through so don't give up regardless of the days that go by! When you have to take a stand for a particular issue or reason and it glorifies the Lord, may you be given the strength and endurance to come through in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Amen! Ask the Lord Jesus to reign in your life and He will! You maybe asked to take a stand that you alone are supposed to do just as Queen Esther was chosen to free the Jewish people from the evil clutches of Haman. She fasted, prayed, and decided to take a stand against evil even when she knew her life could be at stake. For you, your life may not be at stake, but your career could, your family could, etc. With the Lord's help and your love for the Lord will help you through the obstacles to be committed as you walk and talk with Jesus daily. Thank you Jesus. Come as you are and find help at the throne of grace for all your needs. Praise the Lord!
One day I met a former instructor of
mine who told me something to the effect that these days no one
participated in class like I did. The class had to do with law &
morality. Whether it was concerning abortion, homosexuality, etc, I
always spoke
up against abortion, homosexuality, etc defending morality even if I
was the only student speaking against them because I wanted to take
a stand. My stand was based on Biblical principles. These days we
are so afraid of 'what other people would say or think of us', 'are
we politically correct' etc, even if we are speaking the Truth from Scripture in love. That is
not taking a stand. Let us be BC (Biblically Correct) than PC
(Politically Correct).
Taking a stand does not just have to do with moral issues
but in our daily lives too! What about you friend, are you willing to give up your life for Jesus Christ, your job for Jesus Christ, your sleep time, etc? We cannot on our own without the love of the Lord and His strength permeating in us. As we turn to the Lord, He will give us the strength. May we always put Jesus Christ first taking a stand for Him in our family, in our career, in our academics, job, etc. Whatever the outcome, we would have taken a stand for the Lord of the Universe. Help us Jesus! "Savior’s Truth Apply Now Daily!" (S.T.A.N.D)/”What will you take a S.T.A.N.D for in life?”
Prayer:
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. 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 turning 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!
May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His love now and
forever! Amen! 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) |