By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Monday, November 17, 2008

Editors Note: The devotional has a background song called 'Let Your Glory Fall' which can be heard if you use Internet Explorer.

SCRIPTURE:
“He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:21-23, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself who Jesus was speaking to?
I learned Jesus was speaking to the disciples and those around Him who had asked the meaning of the parable.

I asked myself what Jesus does now?
Jesus asks them two questions:

 Jesus then makes three declarative statements:

 I decided to focus on the two questions today:

Jesus tells them all this right after telling them about the Parable of the Sower that ends with good soil.

Interpretation:
I asked myself what is the function of a lamp?
The function of a lamp is to give light.

I asked myself what is the function of light?
The function of light is to uncover the darkness.
The function of light is to show a clear pathway.
The function of light is to give direction.

I asked myself what it has to do with the disciples?
Jesus was telling them that they are the lamp and should not be hiding their works but need to let their light shine for all to see that others could see the difference in their lives and give glory to the Lord.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)

This can only happen if their lives bearing good fruit are not hidden from others like a lamp being hidden under a bowl or bed. If that happens, the lamp becomes no good. It needs to be on a stand. Jesus wants the disciples to take a stand.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. Jesus wants me to be a lamp so my light can shine for all to see so that He is glorified in Heaven. Our actions when they are righteous and filled with light bring glory to the Father of Lights who gives us the Light of the World. Jesus is the Light of the World and if we follow Him, we will not be stumbling through the darkness but living Light will flood our path.

I ask you now dear friend what kind of lamp are you?
Dear friend, we can be a bright lamp to give light to those around us whether they are family, friends, or foes. Yes, friend Jesus does not stipulate that light should be given only to certain people. Jesus wants our lamp to be on to give light to those around us.

However, if we are not careful in our Christian walk and move away from the good soil, we can be a lamp that is hidden in the darkness of this world. I have gone that path during the national elections many times but thank the Lord Jesus for His forgiveness and restoration. When a lamp is hidden under a bowl or bed it does not give the light that comes from it being on a stand.

This is an important concept for the disciples and us to think about. We cannot be hiding our light but need to let it glow for all to see that the Lord maybe glorified through our actions.

In other words, I also believe this addresses compartmentalization. We should not be compartmentalizing our Christian life where we come of as Christians with our Christian friends but when we hang out with our pre-Christian friends, our Christian faith or the mention of Jesus does not even come into the picture. It should not be that way. I believe through the Parable of the four soils, Jesus was making this point too!

Jesus is the Light of the world and it should be a honor for us to want others to see Jesus in us. There is a time for everything and God looks at our motives. He wants us to be a glowing lamp as we draw our Light from Him!

We can because Jesus promises it to us as I am reminded of John 8:12:
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12, NIV)

May you rest in the Light of the Lord's favor this day knowing He will be our Light! May we become the best lamp for others as God's Word becomes our lamp! Amen!

We can do that because of the price paid by Jesus for our Salvation. When we were living in darkness with no hope, Christ shined in the darkness and the darkness could not extinguish it.

"To all who received Him, He gave them right to become children of God, children not born of natural descent but by the will of God." (John 1:12, NIV)

So friend you can come to Jesus for He has paid the price to set you free so that you can live a victorious life through Him. That is exciting to know!

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)

“Light Amplifies Messiah’s Presence! (L.A.M.P)”/”What kind of lamp are you?”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much thy Word is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path! Thank you for being so merciful and kind towards us. You deserve all our praise. May we always praise you regardless of our circumstances just because you are Lord! Please Lord forgive us our sins as we have gone our own way many times. We are sorry for the times we have not helped our family and friends with the Gospel because of fear we may hurt their feelings. Forgive us when we do not treat those who we see as enemies with your love. Help us as we depend on you to do the right things. May we live by the principles you have given us and rest on your promises! Help us to be the light you want us to be! And Oh Lord please give us boldness to stand up for you no matter who we are with. Thank you so much Jesus. We thank you for being our Light and Salvation! You are the strength of our life. We believe in you! We believe you are standing in our midst with the power to heal now and the grace to forgive. We rest in you Lord! Thank you for hearing us and answering us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

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)