"Family Attend, Meeting Immanuel's Love Yieldingly!" (F.A.M.I.L.Y)/"What place do you give F.A.M.I.L.Y in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy

Posted on Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 10:01 a.m. (EST) & Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 07:31 p.m. (IST), JULY 2020 Edition

EXPRESSIONS

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�Family Attend, Meeting Immanuel's Love Yieldingly! (F.A.M.I.L.Y)�

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

SCRIPTURE:
"As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them." (Mark 1:29-31, NIV)

Observations/Interpretation:
I asked myself what is the CAPABILITY of Jesus?
1. Jesus was capable of going to the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John after they left the synagogue to have fellowship with them.
2. Jesus was capable of people trusting in Him enough to confide in Him such as when the 4 of them told Jesus about Simon's mother-in-law.
3. Jesus was capable of going to Simon's mother-in-law, taking her by the hand and helping her up.
4. Jesus was capable of healing Simon's mother-in-law who had a fever to the point that she is able to wait on six of them :)

I asked myself what is the COMMITMENT of Jesus?
1. Jesus was committed to having fellowship with 4 of the disciples at the home of Simon and Andrew after they left the synagogue.
2. Jesus was committed to healing Simon's mother-in-law.

I asked myself who is Jesus in the COMPANY of?
1. Jesus is in the company of James, John, Simon, Simon's wife, and Simon's mother-in-law.

Observations/Interpretations:

I asked myself why is it significant that it is mentioned 'As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law' was in bed with a fever?

It is significant because brothers Simon and Andrew are living together even though Simon is married which is evident by 'Simon's mother-in-law' was sick with a fever. This also tells us that Simon's wife was living there too. From the passage alone, we learn that the house was inhabited by Peter, Peter's brother Andrew, Peter's wife, and Peter's mother-in-law. It was an extended family living together. Wow!

Implications:

I saw important implications for my own life here. The emphasis on the importance of family is so great and exciting to know. Jesus spent time in the home of Simon, Simon's brother Andrew, Simon's wife, Simon's mother-in-law who were all living under the same roof.

When I was growing up in India, I was so blessed to be living with my extended family in a mansion when we visited them for so many days with my mommy, daddy, and brothers.

We lived with my mommy's mommy, my mommy's daddy, my mommy's younger brother 1, my mommy's brother 1's wife, my precious cousin, my mommy's younger brother 2, my mommy's uncle, my mommy's daddy's mommy & daddy, It was such a special time to be growing up with so many loved ones under one roof. By the Lord's grace it was an awesome 3 story mansion with many rooms. It was a special time.

Now, as I am married, it is such a blessing when my precious wife Chandraleela our precious daughters Esther (7+), Evangeline (5) and I go to India for vacation, that my mother-in-law, my brother-in-law, my brother-in-law's wife, my sister-in-law 1, her kids and husband, my sister-in-law 2, my sister-in-law 3 all come to live with us until we go back to the states,etc. We love to visit our loved ones places too. It is such a blessing we don't even like to come back to the states. Our daughters Esther and Evangeline have such a good time with their cousins, uncles, and aunts, so do I and my wife with her family.

In states, it is such a blessing for our kids the times my mommy and brother stay with us. It can also be challenging. By the Lord's grace, we are thankful how the Lord Jesus has been helping us. When we are about to move, the first question our kids asked us is 'Can my grandma and uncle come and live with us?'

So, we have had to get a bigger place even though the rent we have to pay starting in Aug 2020 is 100% more than what we pay now. But it is such a blessing for us in so many ways. Whenever my mommy is here, my precious wife Chandraleela and I have had so many date nights :)When my brother is here too, it frees us so much. My youngest brother almost visited his nieces atleast once a month before the COVID-19 driving from another state. My other younger brother comes whenever he can. They get so excited. This reminds me of my mommy's brother who would always visit us in India and get us Five-Star and Gems everytime he came. Thank you Jesus!

It is such a blessing for my children to spend time with my three brothers whenever they can but especially with my mommy. Every time we go to India, I make sure I spend time with my relatives from my mommy and daddy's side but most of all we spend months and months with my wife's family :)

Family is very important to my wife and me on both sides. This passage reminds me of what happens in most Indian families. It can be a blessing for the most part unless there is too much interference from other family members. It also depends on what you are used to when growing up.

But there is more to it for me. What this passage tells me is contradictory to what sadly happens in western culture. Nursing homes become the #1 priority for a lot of families who don't want their mommy or daddy to stay with them because individualism is emphasized more than family community. That is very sad for me. One of the reasons we wanted to take a bigger place is so my mommy never has to live alone by herself but can always have her sons to live with and her grandchildren to live with even though she is okay to live by herself.

It is actually shocking how many parents are sent to nursing homes unless of course only the nursing home is adequate to give the care for a mother or father that their children cannot give. It actually gives me tears when parents are sent away to live on their own with strangers when it is parents that have raised us through the years. Unless of course parents want to be independent living their life, then it is okay. Sadly, that is not always the case. My mommy does not mind living by herself after my daddy went to be with the Lord but we sons want her to live with us whenever she can.

When I see the family structure in Jesus' day, it encourages me so much and excites me. Thank you Jesus! What we have been blessed with is privacy even amidst the living conditions. Thank you Jesus! I don't think our children would have been so extroverted without their interaction with our extended family here or in India :)

I ask you now dear friend, what place do you give your F.A.M.I.L.Y in life?
Dear friend, the place we give our family in life will tell a lot not only about our character but what place we give Jesus in our life. Jesus chided the pharisees for ignoring their own father and mother.

"But you say, �Even if your parents are in need, you may give their support money to the church instead.� And so, by your man-made rule, you nullify the direct command of God to honor and care for your parents." (Matthew 15:5, TLB)

"But anyone who won�t care for his own relatives when they need help, especially those living in his own family, has no right to say he is a Christian. Such a person is worse than the heathen." (1 Timothy 5:8, TLB)

Raising our own family after marriage never means abandoning our mommy and daddy, our siblings, etc. We have to always be there to care for them. This does not always mean they live with us if they are self-sufficient and can take care of themselves. As followers of Christ, family should always be on our mind. This is what I love about my wife because of the emphasis she puts on family even if it is inconvenient many times for us. I was also very touched by my mommy sharing with me how much her daughter-in-law Grace took care of her when she had pneumonia in Maryland while my brothers were working. I knew when my mommy came back here, how well my precious wife would take care of her. Thank you Jesus.

You maybe wondering what about the mother, father, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, etc that you cannot get along with at all?

Then what?

This does not change our responsibility to take care of our family. It can be challenging but the Lord Jesus will be there to help us as we seek Him. Each family situation can be different but it is so important to keep Jesus first and ask Him to guide us and lead us what needs to be done instead of leaning on to our own understanding.

You maybe wondering what about the Bible verse that says, "For from the very first he made man and woman to be joined together permanently in marriage; therefore a man is to leave his father and mother, and he and his wife are united so that they are no longer two, but one. And no man may separate what God has joined together.� (Mark 10:7-9, TLB)

This does not say anything about not caring for loved ones. For me the emphasis here is that after marriage, the Lord Jesus should be given first priority, wife second priority, over father and mother too. So, when I have an important news to tell, I let my wife know before calling or sharing with my mom., etc. Our allegiance should be to our spouse after the Lord. However, honoring and cherishing father and mother should never diminish just because we are married. Sadly that happens a lot and it should not be.

As much as I miss Pastor Hugo Cheng who served 17+ years in Pittsburgh, I was touched by his decision to move to pastor a church in Maryland not only because that is what the Lord wanted him to do but also because he can be close to his family whom he can visit easier compared to living in pgh. That was very touching. I was also so touched by Edwin and Marie leaving Pittsburgh to be closer to their parents in another state.

Let us not ignore our family but serve them in the ways of the Lord. May you know Lord called you to take care of your family too as you love Him and be a beacon of hope to your relatives too if they cannot take care of themselves.

"Family Attend, Meeting Immanuel's Love Yieldingly!" (F.A.M.I.L.Y)/"What place do you give F.A.M.I.L.Y in life?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for teaching us the importance of caring for our own family. Thank you for what I learned from your disciple Simon. Thanks for visiting their home. Help us Oh Lord to love our families dearly and take care of them even as we give you first place, our spouse second place, and so on. Knowing when we love you, we will love our spouse deeper and our family deeper. Thank you Jesus. I pray for those who want to take care of their family but have a difficult time because of baggage from the past. I pray for your healing touch and help. Thanks so much Jesus. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Lord Jesus, You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, Holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called �All in All�)

May the Lord Jesus guide you in His love leading you! 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 by His grace alone!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory@gmail.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

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Philippians 1:9-11: "What is your L.O.V.I.N.G response based on?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 14, 20, 6:51 a.m)

Philippians 1:7-8: "How can your A.F.F.E.C.T.I.O.N grow towards others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 13, 20, 11:00 a.m)

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Philippians 1:3-5: "How can you attain a P.A.R.T.N.E.R.S.H.I.P in the Gospel?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 08, 20, 09:44 a.m)

Philippians 1:3: "How will others R.E.A.C.T towards God when they remember you?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 07, 20, 10:07 a.m)

Philippians 1:2: "When do you B.L.E.S.S others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 06, 20, 11:10 a.m)

Philippians 1:1: "Why bother to let others T.R.A.I.N you when you are already a leader?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 04, 20, 11:55 a.m)

Philippians 1:1: "Why should you believe you are H.O.L.Y instead of a sinner?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 03, 20, 9:53 a.m)

Philippians 1:1: "Who will you be a S.E.R.V.AN.T to in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 02, 20, 6:55 pm)

"What will your P.R.E.S.E.N.T look like in 2020?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (Jan 01, 20, 1:13 pm)

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