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“Friends Reach Instantly Encouraging Never-ending Daily Service! (F.R.I.E.N.D.S)!”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

Editors Note: This devotional was originally sent through email on Thursday, November 06, 1998 at 12:06:41 p.m. to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) students and others who wanted to receive daily devotionals at the University of Pittsburgh while I was serving at IVCF! It is being republished on Pittsburgh Standard today.

SCRIPTURE:

"A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 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)

 Imagine you are in a packed room and there is no space for anyone else to come in. Now imagine listening to Jesus preach 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.) You look up and to your amazement you see the four musketeers (he he :) 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. Jesus was preaching and now he was interrupted but Jesus sees the need at hand and speaks to the paralytic.

This passage thought me so much and I am really excited to share it.

Observation:
Four men help a paralytic person get to Jesus through the obstacles.

Interpretation:
All I can think about is how much agape love they must have had for their friend. They knew that Jesus could heal their friend and they were going to get to Jesus no matter what obstacles they were facing even if it meant facing ridicule as they tried to get through the roof. It was a mighty risk to have taken for their friend just so he could be taken to Jesus for healing.

Application:
I do not know about you but it makes me so happy to realize that there are friends out there that do not mind risking their own lives for their friends. They do not let obstacles, inconveniences, or hindrances stop them from helping their friends. I would like to be that type of friend to other people. When you call someone your friend, I hope you do not let obstacles, inconveniences, hindrances, danger, etc stop you from reaching out to that friend who may need help in anything.

This story applies so well in this situation so I am going to tell it. I feel blessed to have friends like that. Last semester was a bad semester for me because everything that could possibly go wrong at once seemed to go wrong. I had to move and was doing it on my own because I did not want to bother anyone for help.

I would take trips in the bus from Shadyside to Squirrel Hill or walk. I knew my friends were really busy with their classes and decided not to bother them. I went to Bible study every Monday night without missing it. One Monday, I missed it and my small group was concerned. They knew I must be overwhelmed with all the moving. As I was making my multiple trips back from Squirrel Hill to Shadyside, on one trip, I was shocked 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 Bible study just so they could come help me. I still cannot believe it even to this day. I call them the 4 musketeers (Sara Witmer. Jonathan Morton, David Black, and Joshua Steck).

I feel embarrassed to write this part because my apartment was like it was ransacked. You needed to be a track & field athlete figuratively to jump from one place to another because there was stuff everywhere. They asked me how I could help but I did not know where to start so I told them I really appreciate their help but they should go home. They were not going to leave until my apartment was clean and I had a way to move all the stuff. Sara decided that she could go back to campus and bring boxes but we found some in the storage. They took all the initiative, cleaned, and packed all my stuff for almost 3 hours that night even when they had school work for the next day.

My roommate had moved most of his stuff out.  When my four friends left, my roommate who was not 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'.

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.

The next day Josh asked his brother if he could bring his huge vehicle, 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 2 trips to help me move and then unload the stuff in Squirrel Hill. In all my life I have not ever had friends like that. They made a Mission Impossible situation possible. I am still honored to have them as friends *hugs*

Sara Witmer served as President of InterVarsity, worship coordinator, prayer coordinator, outreach coordinator, and small group leader in 1998 with IVCF-Pitt.

Jonathan Morton served as Vice-President of InterVarsity, Large-group coordinator, and Administrative stuff coordinator in 1998 with IVCF-Pitt.

Joshua Steck served on the Worship Team in 1998 with IVCF-Pitt.

David Black served as small group leader, publicity coordinator before 1998 and served as Business Manager in 1998 with IVCF-Pitt.

Sometimes what our friends do for us can be a big deal depending on our need! I hope your friends can count on you for help when they need it. If you call yourself a friend of someone, I hope you can be there to help them no matter the inconvenience just as the four friends helped the paralytic and students from InterVarsity graciously offered unexpected help to me. I do not know many of you personally but I want to offer my help in any area of your life that you need if I am capable. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need help in anything.

"Friends Reach Instantly Encouraging Never-ending Daily Service! (F.R.I.E.N.D.S)/"What kind of F.R.I.E.N.D will you be thought of as?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the greatest friend we can have. Your love for us is unconditional. Thank you for the friends you do send our path to put a smile on our face. Thank you how much you care for us. Thank you for your Word and how it changes people's lives. Thank you Lord that we can follow your example. Please Lord help us to be faithful to you and seek you always. Please help us to lay down our lives for our friends and be there to help them. Thank you so much Lord Jesus. Thank you for the small group you blessed me to be part of last semester and the small group this semester. We lift our lives to you and ask you to take care of us. Thank you so much Jesus! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

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 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

2013 DEVOTIONALS:

Mark 3:14-15: "Why S.P.E.N.D time with Jesus daily?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 08, 11:07 a.m.)

Psalm 34:4: "What can you do with your F.E.A.R.S in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 07, 2013, 8:43 a.m.)

Psalm 33:4: "What will you do with F.A.I.T.H in your classes?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 05, 2013, 9:31 a.m.)

Mark 1:43-44: "What does your disobedience C.A.U.S.E for others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 03, 2013, 2:57 a.m.)

Mark 1:41-42: "What past do you need to be C.L.E.A.N from?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 31, 2013, 10:54 a.m)

Proverbs 29:25: "Where will you take a S.T.A.N.D without wavering?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 30, 2013, 07:43 a.m)

Matthew 18:21-22:"Why F.O.R.G.I.V.E when it will happen again?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 29 2013, 09:35 a.m)

Psalm 27:14:"How do you C.O.P.E with your hurt?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 27, 2013, 11:13 a.m)

John 12:24:"Who do you remember physically and spiritually on this M.E.M.O.R.I.A.L day?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 27, 2013, 11:13 a.m)

"What has the law P.E.R.M.I.T.T.E.D you to do but it goes against the Lord?"  By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 09, 2013, 6:57 a.m)

"Who do you become an A.T.T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N to and why?"  By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 08, 2013, 6:58 a.m)

"What has A.N.G.E.R done to your relationships?"  By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 29, 13, 1:28 p.m.)

"How can the L.I.G.H.T impact your life?"  By Ramesh C. Reddy (April 06, 13, 11:48 a.m.)