Dr. John Reddy

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands

The head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man

Paul cites three specific areas in the Christian household where submission is the will of God:

Wives should submit to their own husbands.
Children should submit to their parents.
Servants should submit to their masters.

The fact that all believers are one in Christ Jesus does not mean that earthly relationships are abolished. We must still respect the various forms of authority and government which God has instituted. Every well-ordered society rests on two supporting pillars—authority and submission. There must be some who exercise authority and some who submit to that rule.

This principle is so basic that it is found even in the Godhead: “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Cor. 11:3.

There must be a head in the home, and there must be obedience to that head. God ordained that the place of headship be give to the man. He indicated this by creating man first, then creating woman for the man. Thus, both in order and purpose of creation, He put man in the place of authority and woman in the place of submission.

Submission never implies inferiority. The Lord Jesus is submissive to God the Father, but in no way is He inferior to Him .Neither is the woman inferior to the man. In many ways she may be superior—in devotedness, in sympathy, in diligence, and in patience. But wives are commanded to submit to their own husbands, as to the Lord. In submitting to the authority of her husband, a wife is submitting to the Lord’s authority. This in itself removes any attitude of reluctance or rebellion.

Nothing could more exalt the role of the wife than comparing it to the role of the church as the Bride of Christ. The church’s submission is the pattern to be followed by the wife.

Husbands are told to love their wives just as Christ also loved the church.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Arise, shine, for your light has come

Living as People of Light

Believers are solemnly warned to have no part in such ungodly behavior. To do so is to dishonor the name of Christ, to wreck other lives, to ruin one’s one testimony, and to invite a torrent of retribution.

The apostle now gives a pithy discourse on darkness and light. The Ephesians were once darkness, but now they are light in the Lord. Paul does not say they were in the darkness, but that they themselves were the personification of darkness. Now through union with the Lord, they have become light.

Paul continued his message--Don't let anyone trick you with foolish talk. God punishes everyone who disobeys him and says foolish things. So don't have anything to do with anyone like that.

So act like people of the light and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, as you try to please the Lord. Don't take part in doing those worthless things that are done in the dark. Instead, show how wrong they are. It is disgusting even to talk about what is done in the dark. But the light will show what these things are really like. Light shows up everything, just as the Scriptures say, "Wake up from your sleep and rise from death[sin]. Then Christ will shine on you."

Act like people with good sense and not like fools. These are evil times, so make every minute count. Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Do Not Worry

Do Not Worry

The problem is not so much what we eat and wear today, but what we shall eat and wear ten, twenty, or thirty years from now. Such worry about the future is sin because it denies the love, wisdom, and power of God. It denies the love of God by implying that He doesn’t care for us. It denies His wisdom by implying that He doesn’t know what He is doing. And it denies His power by implying that He isn’t able to provide for our needs.

This type of worry causes us to devote our finest energies to making sure we will have enough to live on. Then before we know it, our lives have passed, and we have missed the central purpose for which we were made. God did not create us in His image with no higher destiny than that we should consume food. We are here to love, worship, and serve Him and to represent His interests on earth. Our bodies are intended to be our servants, not our masters.

The birds of the air illustrate God’s care for His creatures. They preach to us how unnecessary it is for us to worry. They neither sow nor reap, yet God feeds them. We are of more value than the birds, then we can surely expect God to take care of our needs. But we should not infer from this that we need not work for the supply of our present needs. Paul reminds us: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat”(2 Thes. 3:10).

Worry about the future is not only a dishonor to God—it is also futile. The Lord demonstrates this with a question: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
Next the Lord deals with the unreasonableness of worrying that we will not have enough clothing in the future. The flowers of the field neither toil nor spin, yet their beauty surpasses that of Solomon’s royal garments.

God clothes the grass of the field

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” [Matthew 6:28-30]

Sunday, January 15, 2012

I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones

“A rich man's farm produced a big crop, and he said to himself, "What can I do? I don't have a place large enough to store everything." Later, he said, "Now I know what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. Then I'll say to myself, `You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.' " But God said to him, "You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up? This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.” [Luke 12:16-21]

“You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”

The parable of the rich fool illustrates the fact that possession are not the principal thing in life. Because of an exceptionally good crop, this wealthy farmer was faced with what seemed to him a very distressing problem. He did not know what to do with all the grain. All his barn and silos were crammed to capacity. Then he had a brainstorm. His problem was solved. He decided to pull down his barns and build bigger ones. He could have saved himself the expense and other of this tremendous construction project if had just looked on the needy world around him, and used these possessions to satisfy hunger, both spiritual and physical. As soon as his new barns were built, he planned to retire. Notice his spirit of independence: my barns, my fruits, my goods, my soul. He had the future all planned. He was going to take his ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But when he began to think of time as his, he crashed into God to his eternal ruin. God told him that he would die that very night. The he would lose ownership of all his material possession. They would fall to someone else. We might well ask ourselves the question, “If Christ should come today, whose would all my possessions be?” How much better to use them for God today than to let them fall into the devil’s hands tomorrow! We can lay up treasure in heaven with them now, and thus be rich toward God. Or we can squander them on our flesh, and from the flesh reap corruption.
May be you can ask yourself another question, “If Christ should come today, are you ready to meet Him in the air?”

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3:16]

Saturday, January 14, 2012

“Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

“Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, was especially anxious to see Jesus because he had a twelve year old daughter who was dying. He urgently begged Jesus to go with him quickly. But the multitudes thronged Him, hindering His progress.

Meanwhile a messenger arrived with the news that Jairus’ daughter was dead, and that therefore the Teacher’s services would no longer be needed. There was faith that He could heal, but none that He could raise the dead.

Jesus answered with words of comfort, encouragement, and promise. “Do not be afraid; only believe and she will be made well.”
As soon as He arrived at the home, He went to the room, taking with Him only Peter, James, and John, along with the parents. Everyone was wailing in despair, but Jesus told them to stop because the girl was not dead but sleeping. This caused them to ridicule Him, because they were positive that she was dead. Jesus knew that He is going to raise the dead child. Jesus said to her, “Little girl, arise.” She arose immediately. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

There was faith that He could heal, but none that He could raise the dead. Jairus believed when Jesus said,“Do not be afraid; only believe and she will be made well.”

Dear reader, what about you? How much faith do you have in Jesus? Do you have faith that He died for your sins? Do you have faith that He is going to come again? “According to your faith will it be done to you.” (Matt. 9:29).

Friday, January 13, 2012

"Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me"

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“As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” [Luke 8:42-46]

"Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me"

In the crowd was a timid, yet desperate woman, who had been afflicted with a flow of blood for twelve years. Luke the physician admits that she had spent all her life-savings and her income on physicians without getting any help. Mark in his gospel adds that she actually got worse.

She sensed that there was power in Jesus to heal her, so she eased her way through the crowd to where He was. Stooping down, she touched the border of His garment, the hem or fringe that formed the lower border of a Jew’s robe. Immediately the blood stopped flowing and she was completely cured. She tried to steal away quietly, but her escape was blocked by a question from Jesus, “Who touched Me?” Peter and the other disciples thought that this was a silly question; all kinds of people were shoving, pushing, and touching Him!

But Jesus recognized a touch that was different. As someone has said, “The flesh throngs, but faith touches.” He knew that faith had touched Him, because He sensed an outflow of power—the power to heal the woman. He perceived that power had gone forth from Him. Not, of course, that He was any less powerful than He had been before, but simply that it cost Him something to heal. The woman came trembling before Him and gave an apologetic explanation of why she had touched Him, and a grateful testimony of what had happened. Her public confession was rewarded with a public commendation of her faith by Jesus.

No one ever touches Jesus by faith without His knowing it, and without receiving a blessing. No one ever confesses Him openly without being strengthened in assurance of salvation.

Do you want to touch Him in prayer by faith? Do you want to be healed? Do you touch Him as a Savior, who can give you eternal life?

"Who touched me?"

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” [2 Kings 5:13-14]

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Naaman dipped himself seven times in Jordan

“Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army. The LORD had helped him and his troops defeat their enemies, so the king of Syria respected Naaman very much. Naaman was a brave soldier, but he had leprosy. One day while the Syrian troops were raiding Israel, they captured a girl, and she became a servant of Naaman's wife. Some time later the girl said, "If your husband Naaman would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of his leprosy.” [2 Kings 5:1-3]

"I am sending Naaman to you. Would you cure him of his leprosy?"

When Naaman told the king what the girl had said, the king replied, "Go ahead! I will give you a letter to take to the king of Israel."

Naaman....carried the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "I am sending my servant Naaman to you. Would you cure him of his leprosy?"

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in fear and shouted, "That Syrian king believes I can cure this man of leprosy! Does he think I'm God with power over life and death? He must be trying to pick a fight with me."

As soon as Elisha the prophet heard what had happened, he sent the Israelite king this message: "Why are you so afraid? Send the man to me, so that he will know there is a prophet in Israel." Naaman left with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent someone outside to say to him, "Go wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then you'll be completely cured."

But Naaman stormed off, grumbling, "Why couldn't he come out and talk to me? I thought for sure he would stand in front of me and pray to the LORD his God, then wave his hand over my skin and cure me. What about the Abana River or the Pharpar River? Those rivers in Damascus are just as good as any river in Israel. I could have washed in them and been cured."

But one of Naaman’s servants was brave enough to remind him that he had come for a miracle. Miracles are not about our status or about what we deserve. They are not about elaborate ritual or magical waters. Miracles come from a God who is greater than his creation. The simplicity of Elisha’s instructions is what made them beautiful. They showed Naaman the God of Israel heals, and not rituals, rivers, or prophets.

When we need God to work in our lives, there’s no need for elaborate solutions, only the willingness to see God work in his own way.

Naaman dipped himself in the river Jordan and cured

Naaman dipped himself seven times in Jordan

His servants went over to him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don't you do what he said? Go wash and be cured."

Naaman walked down to the Jordan; he waded out into the water and stooped down in it seven times, just as Elisha had told him. Right away, he was cured, and his skin became as smooth as a child's. [2 Kings 5:13-14]

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands

Instructions for Christian Households