Posted on Sat, April 28, 2012 at 10:41 a.m. (EST) or 8:11 p.m. (IST)  APRIL 2012 Edition

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F.R.I.E.N.D.S are Forever Readily Imparting Encouragement Now Dealing Sacrificially!

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

SCRIPTURE:
"So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:2-5, NIV)

Approach Question:
How far in your actions have you gone to help a friend?

Observations:
I asked myself what was happening as Jesus was preaching the Word to the crowds?

1. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic.
2.
All four of them carried the paralytic.
3.
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd.
4. They made an opening in the roof above Jesus.

5.
They dug through the roof for the sake of their friend.
6.
They lowered the mat, the paralyzed man was lying on.

Observations/Interpretation:

I asked myself what is the significance of each point?

Point 1: Some men came bringing to him a paralytic.

The men decided to serve the paralytic, carry the load of the paralytic, and build the paralytic up by their actions of intervening in his life. They could have been his friends who intervened in his life when he had given up on hope. They knew Jesus alone could bring healing into this man's life so they did not let the crowds who filled the room to full capacity stop them from reaching Jesus. They did not even let the preaching of the Word stop them from bringing their friend to Jesus.

Point 2: The paralytic was carried by four of them.
The four men decided to carry the burden of the paralytic which was his inability to walk by becoming his feet to reach Jesus.

Point 3: They [men] could not get him to Jesus.
I believe even as they held the paralytic, they did not let the obstacles stop them from reaching Jesus.  So they came up with a blueprint of getting where they needed to be.

Point 4: They made an opening in the roof above Jesus.
The first step, they took was making an opening in the roof above Jesus. This is so significant because first of all it is not their house. They came probably to Simon and Andrew’s house and started making an opening in the roof for the sake of the paralytic.

Imagine you are in a packed room and there is no space for anyone else to come in.  Now imagine listening to Jesus preaching the Word to you and then suddenly there is a commotion. You believe it to be coming from the roof. (We need to realize roofs were not the same as we now have in cities.) Something else happens!

Point 5: They dug through it.     
You look up and to your amazement see four people digging through the roof, making dust fill the room, and making an opening. To your bafflement you see a paralytic on a stretcher being lowered down. Most of the roof started to crumble down as onlookers looked ahead. Now there is a huge rectangular hole that is visible. Into that hole, we see something come through.

What would your reaction be?
What would be going through your mind as you witness this happening?

Point 6: They lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.
Now after all the work they went through, they lower the paralytic so Jesus can see him and heal him in front of the crowds. That was a bold step they took.

I asked myself what kind of circumstances do I think the paralytic's friends endured for the sake of their friend to get him to Jesus?

 1. They had to sacrifice their own time to help their friend.
2. They had to bear an inconvenience to help their friend.
3. They had to inconvenience others to help their friend.
4. They had to physically work putting effort to help their friend.
5. They had to give up something they could have been doing to help their friend.
6. They had to utilize their mind to find a creative way to help their friend.
7. They had to endure through tiredness to help their friend.

To be continued....

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
I should sacrifice my own time to help a friend when they are in need without using inconvenience as an excuse to intervene. Even if my actions may inconvenience someone else, I should not be afraid to intervene if it will help a friend in need. There will be times that I should physically put effort to help a friend even if it could very well be draining on my energy. I need to be willing to give up something I could have been doing just so I could help a friend. I have to be willing to use my mind in creative way to help a friend. Through it all, I need to endure through tiredness to help a friend and get them to Jesus. I saw this passage as an example of what true friendship could look like. If I say that I am somebody's friend, I should put myself in a position to be there for them no matter what the obstacles. That is what the four men did for their friend and it paid of. I realized one of the ways I can be a true friend is to pray for my friends intentionally. Help me Lord Jesus!

I ask you now dear friend, how will your friends see your impact in their life?
Dear friend, I don't know about you but I want to be like the 4 friends who helped the paralytic and the 4 friends that helped me years ago while I was serving as a staff volunteer with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF).

That year while serving as their staff worker, I was having such a bad semester because everything that could possibly go wrong at once seemed to go wrong. I had to move and did not want to bother anyone for help because I thought I would be inconveniencing them and using up their time. I also felt as a staff worker, I should be attending to their needs and not them attending to my needs.

I had gone to IVCF small group every Monday night at 8:30 p.m. without missing it.  One Monday, I missed it and my small group was concerned. They knew I must be overwhelmed with all the moving I needed to do that night. As I was making my multiple trips back from Squirrel Hill to Shadyside, I was so shocked and surprised to see some of the students from the small group one-by-one.  

I did not recall ever telling them where I lived but they were on a mission and they found out. They were hiding to surprise me. They cancelled the small group Bible study  on serving just so 4 of the core leaders in that small group could come help me their staff worker. What makes it so special was that it was almost finals week for them but they did not let that stop them from giving their time and effort.

Once they came, they asked me how they could help but since my apartment looked like it was ransacked and a cyclone whirled everything out of place, I did not know where they could start.  Literally, the bedroom, kitchen, and living room were surrounded by things I needed to pack and knew what an inconvenience it could be for them. So, I told them I really appreciate their help but they should go back to campus while I do it on my own but they were not going to leave until my apartment was clean and I had a way to move all the stuff.  Looking at the stuff, they knew that I needed a lot of boxes to pack the stuff so Sara wanted to go back all the way to campus but we found some in storage.

Jonathan Morton, Sara Witmer (at the time), David Black, and Joshua Steck took all the initiative, cleaned, and packed all my stuff for almost 3 hours that night until 11:30 p.m. even when they had school work for the next day and finals were on the horizon!

When my four friends left, my Chinese roommate who was not a Christian came to me and said, "It was really nice of your friends to help you like that".

He wanted to know how I got to know them. I told him that they were from 'InterVarsity Christian Fellowship' of the Pitt chapter.

His reaction was, "No wonder, they seemed really nice and helpful" My friends had left an imprint of their Christian faith with my Chinese roommate without even speaking a word about the Gospel to him at the time.

The next day Josh asked his brother if he could bring his truck, even though he lived outside of Pittsburgh. This was so Josh and David could help me move all my stuff to Squirrel Hill, when his brother came.

Josh even sacrificed his class that day because he knew I had to be at work and they took two trips to help me move and then unload the stuff in Squirrel Hill. In all my life, I had not friends like that who showed so much care. They made a Mission Impossible situation possible.

After 15 years, I am still very touched for what they did for me with the help of Becky McMullen (at the time) who helped them figure out where I lived.

Sometimes what our friends do for us can be such a big deal for us depending on our need. I had a terrible need at the time and they met it.

What is so special is that I did not ask for their help and still they helped me. They basically had to go through what the paralytic's friends had to go through. Instead of the room being packed with people gathered there, my rooms were packed with stuff all over to be cleaned and packed.

I am so thankful and grateful to them even 15 years later. That is how much they made an impact.

You can be a friend like that to someone. It does not have to be with just moving but any area they need help. When you do that you will make a special impact in their life that will have ripple effects.

Ryan Li did that for our family in 2007. When my dad stopped breathing in the hospital, it was around 1:30 a.m. Dec 17, 2007. When I called up Ryan, he immediately came in the middle of the night to give my brother and I a ride. It is so amazing to have friends like that where we can freely ask for help anytime and they are willing to make a sacrifice especially when it is spontaneous.

When I wanted to do Pittsburgh Standard Investigates Jesus Bible study, Brian Hu and David Hwang helped so much. When I was getting ready to go to India, Ralston helped me so much with shopping.

I cannot also forget the time on December 2010 when Pastor Hugo Cheng, Pastor Ed Jiang, Kristen Lippert, Josh Lippert, Edwin Chan, Linda Bucknell of Oakland International Fellowship came to help clean and organize the apartment in the hopes that my loving wife Chandraleela would be there soon from India.

Then again, in December 2011, before going to India to bring my loving wife here after she finally received her visa, some of the brothers and sisters of Transformers small group: David Hwang, Yvonne Hwang, Johannes Kutten, Jomei Liao, Matt Lee, Steve Pirro, and Daniel were so helpful by helping me move tons of boxes to the storage before my wife's arrival.

Later Calvin Chiang, Elise Lee, Kristen Lippert, Josh Lippert, Edwin Chan, Marie Chan, Rodney Fu, Suzanne Fu, Pastor Ed Jiang, Pin Hsi, Matt Lee, Rebecca Mio, Steve Pirro, Vicki Cheng, Cecilia Wang, Pastor Hugo Cheng, Bill Hsu, and Meera gave Chandra and me a housewarming party. We were so touched. The church and the small group helped furnish our living room too!

Every person I mentioned here reminds me of the time and effort they took for us showing us what true friendship is like. I want to be a true friend to others.  This list is not exhaustive but moments that stick out.

All the examples I shared reflect principles that Calvin taught at Transformers last night as we discussed about serving one another, bearing each other's burdens, and building each other up. This is what friendship should be like. You and I can do that for someone the Lord sends our path if we don't allow our own inconveniences, time, effort, etc to get in the way. Especially when we allow the Lord Jesus to work in our lives, it will become a joy to help our friends out.

1. They had to sacrifice their own time to help their friend.
2. They had to bear an inconvenience to help their friend.
3. They had to inconvenience others to help their friend.
4. They had to physically work putting effort to help their friend.
5. They had to give up something they could have been doing to help their friend.
6. They had to utilize their mind to find a creative way to help their friend.
7. They had to endure through tiredness to help their friend.

May you become that kind of friend to someone who needs you! You can become a PLUS friend in someone's life as  my loving wife is to me: She is

Prayerful
Loving
Understanding
Supportively Serving

That is how I want to be for my wife too! Friendship usually develops at home and branches out. That is what I have experienced through the years with my mommy. She is not just a parent but a dear friend. My youngest brother Rohit has also done so much for me and my wife.

Maybe you don't have close friends who you can turn to for help, hope, and healing but I have Good News for you. Regardless of work, life, home life, etc we all can have a Friend who no earthly friend can come close to when it comes to caring for you.

I am talking about Jesus Christ who will never leave you nor forsake you. Our earthly friends are not perfect and they can disappoint us but Jesus Christ will always be there for us to whom we can turn 24-7. We can talk to Jesus wherever we are. He loves you so much friend and will help you be the friend He wants you to be when you turn to Him. He loves you so much!

You can know that you can live this life victoriously when you realize what a friend we have in Jesus who our burdens does bear and for us deeply does care. He will take all our soul sickness and bring His healing into our lives because of His love for us shown through His blood shed for the remission of our sins. Jesus is someone we can always talk to.

We can always know God is right there for us  giving us His Word filled with His promises and guiding us by His Spirit. He is there for you and me friend and you can be excited that you do not have to live this life on your own but have the King of Kings and the Lord of lords to guide you and lead you. Yes, friend! Praise the Lord!

When you experience the Lord's friendship in your own life and what He went through for you, you will have a desire to be a great friend to someone showing them the love of Christ and what true friendship looks like.

May you be a close friend to someone as you yourself experience the depth of God's love in your life.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S are "Forever Readily Imparting Encouragement Now Dealing Sacrificially!"/"How will your F.R.I.E.N.D.S see your impact in life?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus,  thank you so much for the friends you have placed in our lives. Though friends leave the locations they maybe at, their impact can live on forever in our hearts because of their sacrifice, time, effort, etc. Help us Oh Lord to put the needs of our friends before our own time, convenience, effort, etc. We cannot do it on our own and need your help. You can help us be the friend you want us to be. So, please help us Lord. Thank you for using your Word to teach us what true friendship can look like. Thank you for using family and friends in our lives to make an impact. Now Lord as we have been impacted, I pray we can impact others for your honor and glory Oh Lord. Please Lord help and lead us. Thanks so much Jesus. I also pray right now for those who maybe struggling because they have never experienced true friendship. Please Oh Lord be their best friend and show them your love and care so that they can experience true friendship unlike any other. And then Lord, please do send your children their way to help them experience your love in a tangible way. Thank you Lord Jesus. Thank you that you are the greatest friend we can have. Your love for us is unconditional. Thank you again for the friends you do send our path to put a smile on our face. Thank you that you want to be our best friend. We lift our lives to thee.  Come Lord Jesus and fill us with your presence in our hearts today. Make our hearts your home and preach to us Jesus. Please work in our lives and help us to be the friend you want us to be to others. Help us to always intercede for our friends who are here and far away not allowing 'Out of sight, out of mind' to become a reality in our lives. We thank you for covering us with your precious cleansing Blood to atone for our sin and coming back to life to save us. Thank you for wanting to be our Lord and Personal Savior when we turn our lives to you. Please hear our prayers and answer us Oh Lord. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

May the Lord Jesus guide you in His love leading you! Amen! If you have never confessed your sin to the Lord and want to give your life to the Lord for the first time, make this your prayer. Don't wait for some other time. Now is the time of Salvation! The Lord waits for you friend so come as you are to His throne of grace to find help in time of need!

Dear Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me so much and thank you for choosing the cross to die for me. You became the Son of Man and LIVEd here on earth. Then you humbled yourself and became obedient to death-even death on the cross. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You died on the cross so that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your blood as I acknowledge that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being my pathway. So, Jesus I confess all my sins to you and all the ways I have tried to get into Heaven when you already provided the means and the Way. Thank you for all that you have done for me. The cross is the place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and GRACE. Thank you Jesus, it is at the cross where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at the cross. Thank you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at the cross you gave your life for us. I thank you for that and thank you for coming back to life to save us. Thank you Jesus for being there for me! Thank you for loving me. I love you Jesus! Please take me as I am and make my life into something that you will be proud of. I surrender my life to you and need your help to LIVE for you. I am forever grateful for what you have done for me and I can never repay you. I want to LIVE for you and need your help. Help me Jesus please. I thank you Jesus for saving me! Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me. Whatever your will give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Thank you Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior! In Your Name I Pray precious Jesus! Amen!

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! I recommend Oakland International Fellowship with Pastor Hugo Cheng. Our service starts at 9:30 a.m. with Prayer, 10:30 a.m. with Sunday School, 11:30 a.m. with Worship Service, and 12:30 p.m. with lunch fellowship. We are located in the heart of the University community on North Dithridge St.

May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His love now and forever! Amen!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.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)

Express Your View

 

 

 

"How do you handle A.N.X.I.E.T.Y in your life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 27, 12, 7:32 a.m.)

What will C.O.N.C.E.R.N do in a person's life that the Lord has placed near you?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 21, 12, 10:19 a.m.)

"How do you match Jesus' attitude where you are?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 14, 12, 6:58 a.m.)

"Who will you make your S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 13, 12, 7:33 a.m.)

"How can the L.I.G.H.T impact your life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 12, 12, 10:37 a.m.)

"What kind of B.R.E.A.D do you eat to live forever?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 09, 12, 11:21 a.m.)

"Why bother with the C.R.O.S.S when we are living in the 21st century?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 06, 12, 9:05 a.m.)

 

 

 
   
 

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