By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Editors Note: The devotional has a background song called 'You Can Go' which can be heard if you use Internet Explorer.

SCRIPTURE:
^“Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:31-34, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself what words or phrases are repeated!

Interpretation:
I asked myself what is significant about Jesus' family's actions?
I found it very interesting that Jesus’ mother and brothers do not call Jesus on their own when they arrived. Instead, they sent someone in to call Jesus.

Imagine you are preaching a sermon when your family arrives. Instead of them coming in to call you, they send someone else to call you to them.

How would that make you feel?
They already arrived and were standing outside of where Jesus was. They could have gone in and talked to Jesus but they did not. It is possible that it was so crowded it would have been easier to send someone else!

Jesus was told, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

Observations:
I asked myself what was the response of Jesus?

Jesus’ response was three-fold:

Interpretation:
I asked myself what is the significance of Jesus mentioning only mother, brother, and sister?
Jesus was willing to acknowledge anyone doing the will of God as His brother, sister, and mother but not as father. Jesus knew who His Father was and no one was going to become His Father except Father God. To say someone can be his brother, sister, and mother was ok but not to call anyone Father except Father God.

I asked myself what was Jesus trying to teach the crowd?
What came to my mind is there is more to life than an earthly family. Jesus went as far as to say that anyone who does ‘God’s will’ can be His mother, brother, and sister. That is so cool. I believe Jesus was making a profound statement about the Kingdom of God. Jesus wanted His own family to know the importance of the will of God and His purpose of starting a new family, the church-body of believers.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. It starts with having a desire to do the will of God. This is the most important thing and Jesus emphasized it to the crowds and for His own earthly family.

I ask you now dear friend, what are you doing with God’s will in life?
Dear friend, in this world we live in we can be pulled in all directions. We can even be pulled into the direction our family wants us to go but our family’s desires for us may not be in line with what God’s will is for our life. Jesus wants us to focus on God’s will and makes a promise that we will be his mother, brother, and sister. Jesus wants us to have a GOD-FOCUSED CONFIDENCE.

Don't bury God's will but use it in your life. God's will has the answers to your life and the inheritance you will need. His will is filled with all the things He has given you and wants for you. You just have to seek and you will find.

It will not be possible to do God’s will in our lives when our own mind is leaning on to our own understanding. That is what Jesus’ family was doing. When Jesus did not have time to eat, they went to take charge of Him thinking they knew best. However, they did not! When it comes to our life, we need to seek the Lord more than anything even over our families for God's will to be revealed.

HOWEVER, this does not mean we dishonor our families or ignore them. On the contrary, we have to honor them for this is the will of God but at the same time we need to be obedient to God over man. This means if what our family wants for us is contradictory to what God wants for us, we need to take God’s side. This is not always easy but the Lord will help us get through and one day even our families will come to experience the blessings of God's will. Thank you Jesus.

Having the desire to do God’s will is the first step in doing God’s will. We need to depend on Father God to help us do His will. God’s universal will is that you accept what He did for you because He sent His only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life.

God wants you to accept Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for you and accept that He was raised on the third day to give you Salvation when you turn to Him. To turn to Him and receive the free gift of grace, you need to turn your life over to Him.

Once you do that and have a GOD-FOCUSED CONFIDENCE, doing the will of God becomes much easier. It becomes easier because our mind is already focused on the things of God.

Doing God's will in our lives is being obedient to the teachings of God's Word and allow God's Word to permeate every center of our being that we become transformed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that will reside in us and work in us when we call upon the Name of the Lord and spend time with Jesus daily in prayer, study of God's Word, and being part of a Bible-centered church.

God wants that for you and me friend.  Remember God's will is God-centered and obedient to God's ways. This is not easy. I know I have failed when I have gone my own way but thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, He is always ready to restore.

Jesus has restored me and wants me to use my life to do His will which He will reveal daily to me as I seek Him in prayer, His Word, and through His people. We cannot do God's will apart from Christ so we need Christ in our lives no matter how young or old we are.

It is so exciting to know that Christ can dwell in our hearts and change us from the inside which will reflect His love and transforming power to others on the outside. I have experienced this change recently my friends. True joy comes from knowing Jesus as your Lord and Personal Savior and experiencing His grace and unconditional love.

Yes, we may have gone our own way and done our own things. We may have caused dissension and discord among those around us like I have this election season but God does not abandon His children. One way or other He will bring us back to do His will as we seek Him.

If you feel like you don't know God's will for your life, keep seeking Him and go out in faith. Do the things that God's Word wants you to do and the path will be shown which way you need to go.

You can be in the loving arms of the Savior and you can go now, you can go, living a victorious life for our Lord.

Won’t you do that my friend?
You can do that right now! You do not have to wait!  You can walk in faith. May you have the desire to do God’s will in your life as you allow Jesus to work in you and through you! Amen!

"God’s Own Deliverance’ SAVES! Wonderfully Immanuel Leaves Lesson!" (G.O.D.’S  W.I.L.L)/”What are you doing with God’s will?"

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much for teaching me the importance of doing God’s will. We are so sorry for our sin and repent of our sin. Thank you Lord for loving us so much and dying for our sin! We accept your cleansing blood on the cross shed to save us. We accept the free gift of grace you give us! Thank you that your desire has been to do God’s will and you want us to do the same. Help us please Jesus, for on our own we mess up but with your help we can scale any mountain and do what you want us to do. Forgive us when we are rebellious and go our own way. Help us to always seek you Lord and please bring harmony in our families. Help us to live for you and serve you. Help us to love and honor our families whatever your will is for us. Families that do not understand, help them see your love in their own lives and come to understand why other family members choose to do your will. Thank you so much Jesus. We acknowledge you as our Lord and Personal Savior. Please come into our heart and make our heart your home. Please save us Jesus. Live in us Jesus and please help us and guide us. Thank you Lord even when we mess up and have gone our own way, you in your love rescue us as we seek you. Thank you Jesus for hearing us and answering us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

ANALOGY OF INVITING PEOPLE TO THE GREAT PHYSICIAN:

We are like an ambulance taking sick people to the hospital. People are dying and there is an emergency because of an epidemic virus. The ambulance takes the initiative to go to the place people are dying and bring them to the hospital. They are not dead yet but there is no time to wait. The ambulance needs to get to the hospital for that virus to be treated. The virus has infected the mind, body, and soul spreading rapidly. You and I cannot do anything to heal our friends of this virus except be the AMBULANCE taking them to the HOSPITAL where the GREAT PHYSICIAN waits.

Once at the hospital, there is a GREAT PHYSICIAN that waits. The sick are gathered from all corners of the earth and come to this hospital.  This hospital is called CALVARY OF SALVATION and the EMERGENCY WARD is called GOLGOTHA.

The GREAT PHYSICIAN is not like other doctors who can only treat patients with  physical ailments but this GREAT PHYSICIAN is much more and knows He has to stay 72 HOURS for every dying person there to be healed.

He knows what He has to do! This GREAT PHYSICIAN knew that only His BLOOD can wipe away this epidemic VIRUS, so for you and me He went to the blood transfusion room where people were about to die. There He lay down on the bed  made of wood.

The surgeons walk into the room. They turn this GREAT PHYSICIAN on His back.  Instead of using an IV, a WHIP with sharp glass, etc is used to draw out the BLOOD from the GREAT PHYSICIAN'S back! It does not stop there but to elevate the head on the bed of wood, a CROWN OF THORNS is used which draws more BLOOD.

As the head is elevated, the GREAT PHYSICIAN's hands are stretched wide on the wooden bed. Then the feet are bound together. This is done for the BLOOD transfusion to begin. Instead of using an IV, NAILS and a HAMMER is used. The NAILS are pounded through the hands into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so the BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. The NAILS are pounded through the feet into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so more BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. As the BLOOD continues to flow from the GREAT PHYSICIAN's body, the GREAT PHYSICIAN flat lines. Then the surgeons insert a SPEAR into the heart to make sure all the BLOOD is out. All the BLOOD is out!

Now, the GREAT PHYSICIAN is moved into the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE being guarded by security.

Now the CALVARY OF SALVATION hospital has a BLOOD DONOR whose BLOOD can be used to save everyone there from this EPIDEMIC VIRUS. 

Those dying need to be taken there to receive the BLOOD transfusion that is available. However, the BLOOD will not be forced upon those dying! THE PUREST RED ANTIDOTE is only given to those that are willing to receive the BLOOD TRANSFUSION so they could LIVE.

All that accept the BLOOD are being CLEANSED of this EPIDEMIC VIRUS in their system that is infecting the mind, body, and soul.  This BLOOD goes into the dying person's mind, body, and soul and eats away at the virus cleaning them and making them pure. This VIRUS is known as SIN. The BLOOD is the PRECIOUS CLEANSING BLOOD OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, JESUS CHRIST.

The WOODEN BED is the CROSS OF CHRIST where the dying need to be led too.

72 HOURS LATER, there is a commotion at the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE. THE GREAT PHYSICIAN is not there anymore and the ANGELS that visit tell loved ones who came there, that THE GREAT PHYSICIAN IS ALIVE and will save all that come to Him.

It is true even to this day, for all that come to the HOSPITAL OF CALVARY come to realize that His CLEANSING BLOOD shed on the WOODEN BED (CROSS) will never run out. Anyone infected who wants to be healed of their sickness can accept what Jesus did for them and be covered in His precious CLEANSING BLOOD.

I have done that friend and know that at the foot of the cross where Jesus died shedding His precious cleansing blood for my sin and the sins of the world, I can find forgiveness and grace.

Thanks be to God that Christ's death on the cross was temporary to remove all His precious cleansing blood for our sake but after He was buried, Jesus came back to life to save.

To this day, all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved when they acknowledge what Jesus Christ has done for them and what He can do for them.

Friend, Jesus loves you so much and if you were the only one living on earth, Jesus would have done the same for you. What I shared with you was an analogy but in real life it has happened. Jesus went to the cross for you and me and His precious cleansing blood was shed so you and I could have life. Jesus came back to life 72 hours later and is alive but His blood continues to heal people on every corner of the earth to those that accept Him.

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray this prayer, meaning it in your heart. You can invite the GREAT PHYSICIAN right now as you make this your prayer.

Dear Jesus, thank you for healing the paralytic after forgiving his sins. You set him free to go home. I want to be free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on the cross. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the nails so I could be free. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your Blood to redeem humanity. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus. I want you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in your blood and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation.  In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)