By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Editors Note: The devotional has a background song  which can be heard if you use Internet Explorer.

SCRIPTURE:
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." (Mark 3:1-3, NIV)

Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. (Mark 3:4, NIV)

 “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” (3:5-6, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself who are all the characters involved?

1. Man
2. Jesus
3. Synagogue attendees
4. Pharisees
5. Herodians

I asked myself what role each of them played?

Character 1: Man

1. A man with a shriveled hand was in the synagogue.
2. The disabled man was requested to stand up in front of everyone.
3. The disabled man was used as an example to ask people a question.
4. The disabled man was commanded to stretch out his hand.
5. The disabled man obeyed and stretched out his hand.
6. The disabled man became a testimony to his complete healing!

Character 2: Jesus

Character 3: Synagogue Attendees

Characters 4 & 5: Pharisees and Herodians

Interpretations:
I decided to focus on what I can learn about the character of Jesus.

Right after Jesus had spoken to the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath and how He is even Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus uses the opportunity at another time to show the Sabbath should be used for good.

Wherever Jesus is, He is very attentive to people's needs. This is evidenced by Jesus noticing the man with the shriveled hand when He went into the synagogue. Once Jesus noticed a need, Jesus acted on it by asking the disabled man to stand in front of the synagogue.

It was the Sabbath but people had a different notion of what people could and could not do on the Sabbath. Jesus used the man as an example to teach them all, that it is good to do good things on the Sabbath such as healing. Jesus was also angry and deeply distressed because the Pharisees were indignant to the needs of the people. Jesus wanted people’s needs to be taken care of.

Application/Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. This passage made me realize how attentive Jesus is to the needs of people. Jesus could have walked right into the synagogue and given His sermon or sat down but instead He notices a need and acts on it. It is a need of a person in the synagogue. This reminded me of the needs in the church. Jesus notices the needs of people in His church. He will act upon them in His good timing. He notices my needs even before I could mention them. That is so awesome to know! I am so excited and my heart leaps into thanksgiving.

This also is a lesson for me that I should be aware of the needs of those around me and act on them. 

I ask you now dear friend, whose needs do you meet in life?
Dear friend, there are so many people out there with needs. Many times we overlook people around us but when we step foot into a place whether it is a workplace, home life, church, synagogue, etc, there are needs around us. We learn from Jesus how attentive He was to a person's need. You and I should do the same and meet the needs of those around us as we experience Jesus meeting our own needs.

The needs of people are not always physical but many times they can be financial, emotional, spiritual, and even psychological. If we come across those who we sense are in need of something and we are able to help, we should take that opportunity remembering how much Jesus loves them, loves us and meets our own needs.

It is awesome to know that Jesus notices your needs when you are at church worshipping, when you are at home, when you are at work, when you are at school, etc. In His timing, He will meet those needs. Yes, He will! I know He will. You can be a testimony to those around you as Jesus meets your needs just as the man with the shriveled hand became a testimony to those around Him. You can use that event in your life to be a springboard to meet other people's needs with the help of the Lord.

One day Jesus even noticed the need of my mom. She had gone out with my dad (who is now in heaven with Jesus) and when my mom came home, her right eye was bothering her because some small object had gone into her right eye and did not come out. She could not use her eyes properly because every time she moved her right eye, there would be a needle like pain because whatever went into the eye was pricking at the eye.

I prayed with my mommy for her healing and reminded the Lord what an awesome Great Physician He has been for us and how He had brought all of us through the years of infancy too. I knew if Jesus said the word from Heaven, “Be Healed”, my mom's eye would be healed.

Hours went by and morning became evening. We knew Jesus had His timing and kept praying and believing for healing. My mom told me the words of Jesus have not reached her eye yet but we believed Jesus could if He chose too. While praying, I felt we should watch the 700 Club program and we did.

We prayed for Jesus' will and the strength to bear the outcome. My mom came back shouting, “Praise the Lord, Ramesh my eye has been healed.”

My mom had gone to take a shower and told me she kept praying and praising the Lord through the pain. The Lord spoke the word and my mommy’s eye was healed. This healing means so much to me now as I have done this devotional time.

Just as Jesus met the need of the man with the shriveled hand and met the need of my mom regarding her eye, He can also meet our needs where we are at. Jesus knows our needs and will meet them in His timing. Depend on Him and do not give up. His ways are not our ways but His ways have a reason behind them for our good.

More than anything, He notices the condition of our soul and wants to heal us. He died to bring you and me into His Eternal Kingdom. He shed His blood for you and me friend. Yes, He did. He came back to life to save us, delivering us from the virus known as sin. He has the antidote but won’t force it upon us. He waits for us to receive the antidote for the virus known as sin so we can be healed and restored to Him. Friend, come as you are and receive the Lord's healing touch in your life.

Won’t you take it my friend?

He knows we need it and offers it to us to give us new life.

May we know that He is all we need and depend on Him forever more! Amen!

"Nurturing Emmanuel Emancipates Daily Souls!"(N.E.E.D.S)/"Whose needs do you meet in life?"

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much for noticing the man with the shriveled hand in the synagogue and healing him on the Sabbath. I thank you how attentive you are to peoples needs including our own. Thank you for healing my mommy. Help us Oh Lord to be attentive to the needs of people around us as we learn from your example. Oh Lord, you know what the needs that people are facing. You know their sorrows and their pain. Come Lord Jesus and please intervene. I thank you Jesus that you do. You did not bring us this far to leave us. You did not build your home in us to move away. Thank you so much Jesus. We know your timing is not ours so help us to keep the faith and be dependent on you. Draw us closer to you and never let us go. Thank you for dying for our sin and coming back to life to save us. We are sorry for our sin and ask you for your healing. Thank you for noticing our sin and going to the cross to pay for our sin so we can be set free. We acknowledge you as our Lord and Personal Savior. Please be our Lord and Personal Savior Jesus. I thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you Jesus you have heard our prayer and answered 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.

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)