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Besides His disciples, we might wonder if Jesus had many friends, many good friends that is. But of course very little was written about Jesus the 30 years before His ministry began. We can easily assume that Jesus the carpenter, as well as Jesus the Messiah, the very Son of God, who lived a perfect life, had numerous friends whom He treated perfectly well. The NT actually mentions three people He was very close to--Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The three were siblings. When we read about those accounts we come away realizing that Jesus was indeed, the Friend that sticks closer than a brother. And when we drill down on the Good News about Jesus, how He saved us from sin, death, and hell, we also know He has reconciled us--turned we, His former enemies, into friends. We humbly rejoice in the astonishing truth that by His sacrifice our Lord has turned enmity into friendship. As for that celestial peace treaty, purchased by His blood, you should also know there's still room for you to sign...

Out of Jesus' many parables, The Good Samaritan is clearly at the top in terms of familiarity and popularity. The lessons that can be gleaned from this illustration are countless and immeasurable. One wonders if the story Jesus tells the inquisitive lawyer was actually a true event. For two thousand years and counting, followers of Jesus have been gleaning from this parable and most readers can find themselves somewhere in each of the story's characters. But perhaps finding Jesus in the story is an even worthier consideration. While we might immediately conclude Jesus is best seen in the parable as the merciful Samaritan, it's fair to say that Jesus far exceeds that generous soul in terms of all He accomplished for fallen mankind. After all, it was we who were the ones cast down and bludgeoned by sin, facing certain death, and bound for hell. But Jesus rescued us by shedding His own blood, dying in our place, and bestowing upon us eternal life. Jesus, in other words, is a Neighbor like no other, not to mention our Savior and our Lord and our God!

Romans 15:1-2 says: "We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." (ESV) Harkening back to Jesus, and throughout the NT, we find numerous admonitions regarding loving our neighbors and caring for one another. Even strangers are included in the mix. To paraphrase what one pastor-author wrote, "We treat others the way we perceive God treating us." It should also be noted that commands and admonitions should never be construed as mere suggestions. Our adoptions into the Family of God came at the expense of Jesus' shed blood on the cross. Therefore to realize our Adopting Father might have expectations as to how His children should behave toward one another should come as no surprise, instead His expectations should be humbly embraced. Our Father, claiming us as His own, makes us brothers & sisters in Christ. Loving and caring for one another gives evidence of WHO we belong to. And what a immense privilege that truly is!

As many commentators have accurately put forth, when the NT Scriptures use the word, "you," that "you" is typically plural. In the southern vernacular, the term "you all" or simply, "y'all," fits the translation even better. That said, even when the word, "you" is in the plural, it's not meant to disregard "you" in the singular. After all, if the verse is meant for "you" as in the plural, it's likely meant for "you" in the singular as well. In other words, each of us personally should find ourselves among the intended audience of the "y'alls" so we individually take to heart what was meant for the wider audience of "all." Nowhere is this more important than those texts that refer to the Good News of Jesus--His sacrifice for our sins, His saving grace, His merciful forgiveness of our sins, and His incredible promise of eternal life! While declared to many, know this truly: Jesus is definitely meant for YOU!

Psalm 84:1-5 & 10 declares: "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing your praise! Selah Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion... For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." (ESV) These lyrics give the impression that the psalmist relished all he was writing about. And he further gives the impression it wasn't the bricks & mortar of that place of worship he was enamored with but rather with The One who manifested His presence there! How might the psalmist's inspired prose translate for us? Where might God's dwelling place be for us in the here and now? And where might it be forevermore?

Hebrews 13:1 says: "Let brotherly love continue." (ESV) Romans 13:8-10 echoes: "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (ESV) "Brotherly love" in the Greek is Philadelphos which can also be rendered, Philadelphia. (Not to be confused with that city in Pennsylvania.) This love refers to the mutual love between children who share the same father. Certainly the greatest symbol of love in the universe is the cross. Two beams: one vertical, the other horizontal. One points to heaven and the other points to others. They remind us of the twofold Great Commandment. But these beams can feel immensely heavy at times. But WHO do we know that bore both of those beams perfectly? Jesus! And how might He help us bear them as well?

In Colossians 3:17 Paul writes: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (ESV) These words, which are in no way a suggestion, imply that the recipients are called to be "doing" something. In the verses that follow, the Apostle gives specific areas as to who-and-what-kind-of "doing" he's referring to. This includes wives and husbands, children and parents, servants and masters. For most of us, the application of what our text calls for won't necessarily come easy. But our doing will please the Lord and will by extension benefit others. Hopefully none of us wake up in the morning and pray, 'Lord, help me do stupid stuff today.' Nor do we pray, 'Lord, help me be lazy and merely benefit myself today.' But it might behoove us to pray, 'Lord, help me to do Your will today and accomplish Your work today and all this for the glory of Your name and the benefit of Your beloved people.' And that sounds like the kind of prayer God will be happy to answer...

Robert & Kimberly have been longtime participants in an incredible ministry called, Calvary Commission. Calvary Commission was founded by Dr. Joe and Charlotte Fauss in 1977 and this gospel-centered work includes prison ministry, world missions, and the Calvary Commission Bible Institute. Many of you have met and rubbed shoulders with some of the Gents from their summer work crew practicums over the past few years where they’ve taken on projects at area churches as well as right here in the Village of Millersport. All these ministries have been immensely fruitful and CC is on the cusp of a half century of serving the Lord and building up His people in this most holy faith. So tomorrow Robert & Kimberly will be ministering to all of us and this indeed is a privilege

In John 12:23-24, we find the words of our Lord: "And Jesus answered them, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.'" (ESV) Then in V-27 Jesus adds: "Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour." (ESV) There's a phrase we see used throughout the NT; first by Jesus as recorded by John and later by Paul & Peter: "Before the foundation of the world." The phrase is more than a prehistoric notion, in essence it’s saying, "before time" or better yet it's referring to, "eternity past." So when Jesus says, "But for this purpose I have come to this hour," the "hour" to which He speaks was foreordained by God way-way prior to creation as we know it! And what was Jesus' purpose--His plan? Mankind's Redemption! The plan was for Jesus to become sin for us that in Him we might become the righteousness of God! (See 2 Cor. 5:21) What love! What sacrifice! What perfect timing!

Colossians 4:2-6 reads as follows: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison--that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (ESV) If we were to summarize Paul's five verses of encouragement, they might shake out with the following three words: Prayer, Care, & Share. PRAYER: Asking God to give you opportunities to be a witness with the right words to say when He opens such a door. CARE: A heart that wants for others what God has granted unto you--grace unto salvation and life forevermore with Him. SHARE: The courage to step out of your respective comfort zones to tell others what Jesus has so amazingly done for you...