Who Are Your Friends?

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Mark 2:4 - “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” 

Two stories about life. One is about this paralyzed man that was painstakingly smuggled to the presence of Jesus. 

He had a very severe health problem, but thank God for his four friends, only four of them, climbed the house, uncovered the roof and let down their sick friend with ropes before Jesus.

What they did was never easy! Only true friends could endure such. He was blessed with true, quality friends. 

The other story is about "a certain man by the pool in Bethesda, who had an infirmity thirty and eight years". He also had a severe health problem. 

On a fateful day our Lord, while passing his way, and knowing the man had been there a long time, asked him, “Wilt thou be made whole?" 

This man’s answer was strange: “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool..." John 5:7 Strange but true. No true friend. No family member. 

When the going was probably good for the man, he had many friends who feasted and jollied with him. But sure enough, when the going got tough, when he became very ill, no friend was around when he needed them most. 

My prayer is that God will bless each of us with true quality friends, and make us good friends onto others as well, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.   

Shalom.