The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Love Your Neighbor As You Would Love Yourself

Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever you spend more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these three, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do likewise.

The most educated and most religious of the three who saw the man that had been beaten and robbed did not stop to help. Why? We were told the priest did not stop in fear of getting soiled. He would have then had to clean up again before attending services and would probably be late. The Levite likewise would have either been late to his destination or it wasn't in his interest to stop and help.

The Samaritan didn't have much in common with the injured man. He was not from the same culture but had compassion towards the individual. The Samaritan began the man's healing process by dressing his wounds and taking him to an inn enlisting and paying others to complete the hurt man's care. It is good to remember that the Samaritan didn't do it all. Some get overwhelmed trying to do it all. God gave the Samaritan a job (transport and payment), the Samaritan gave the inn keeper a job (lodging and care), the inn keeper likely hired another to administer treatment (like a doctor). Noticing that one person doesn't carry the load is important.

Practical Tips About The Good Samaritan

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Salvation Prayer Prayer to be Saved

Salvation Prayer Prayer to be Saved

“For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” Romans 10:13. “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9.

Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me" John 14:6. One way. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. How to do this knowing that good deeds can't save you? Know that faith in Jesus can save you.

"For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

First know that "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. So, everyone is in the same boat. 

Lord God in Jesus name (we pray to God in the name of his son Jesus) I need you because I have fallen short and am a sinner. I am sorry for my sins, I will do my best to sin no more (we all fall short) and know that Only You can take the sin away. I know your son Jesus Christ died in payment of my sin and rose again. 

"If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

I invite You Lord Jesus into my heart to be my Lord and Savior. You are now Saved. Born Again is deeper than this. 

John 3:14-17

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus speaks of Baptism in John 3:5 

5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." Letting the "old you" die off and replace with a walk with Jesus.

Accept the Holy Spirit and give your life to God "letting Jesus take the wheel" through prayer,  reading the Bible, and following through with the instruction found therein.

If you are led to read Jesus words first, choose one of the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. These all tell the timeline of Jesus by different authors. I liked Luke best but each have different inclusions, so read one, then read another until all four are read. Or just read Luke and then Acts to get a bigger picture.

Luke was a Gentile and physician who focused on the reader.

Mark conveyed the power of the messiah Jesus.

Matthew was a tax collector (kind of like the stigma of a pushy salesman today or lower) who focused on historical and prophetic Jesus.

John represented the Spiritual Jesus.

Even though Luke is a favorite there are many verses from the others of great importance. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Proverbs is a listing of evident instruction from the Old Testament.

Keep Looking Up

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10 Ten Commandments Closer 2 Jesus

10 Ten Commandments Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21

1. The First of these is easy to understand. Only the God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, the God of Heaven's Armies, King of King, Lord of Lord's spoken of and by in the Holy Bible is God.

2. The Second commandment is also easy enough to understand meaning don't make any likeness of anything in heaven, on earth, or water that you worship, bow down to, or serve. The first and second are directed toward the individual about how to view the Lord God.

3. The Third means speak properly. Use your words for blessing. Never use the Name of God as a curse to someone, something, or use his name in conjunction with any foulness listed in Colossians 3:8 "But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." Spoken to the individual about the individuals speech.

4. The Fourth reminds us to take a break and remember God. God knows the human weakness of becoming tired. Tired people are apt to make mistakes more often and succumb to temptation much more quickly. Chill out and read the Bible for a while, pray, and reflect. Directed toward the head of house, who then instructs his family and all who live or work in his home.

5. The Fifth is the first of the commandments geared directly towards the Lord's instruction on how to interact with other people. The individual's parents are to be honored because doing so teaches how to also honor our Father in Heaven. Also there are a few other inclusions in doing so stated best in Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” In Ephesians this commandment is tied to also making a promise to living long.

6. The Sixth don't take the gift God gave of life. 2 Peter 3:9 states 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

7. The Seventh is do not commit adultery. A man and woman marry. No other partners of intimacy are taken after this.

8. The Eighth concerns taking without permission anything belonging to another. Fair willing trade is not stealing. Taking without the owners permission is theft. Also dealings of a false nature such as telling a worker they will paid at 2 pm $500 and when 2 pm comes around, the worker is given $200. 

9. The Ninth simply means don't tell lies about others with intent to harm them. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6.

10. The Tenth includes thoughts of severe wanting to the point of getting it in any way despite the consequences. Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” God puts perspective on the motives of individuals, not just the actions but the thoughts behind them. Covet involves a driven craziness. And in Deuteronomy 5:21, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's (goods)

house or fields, nor his male or female slaves, nor his ox or ass, or anything that belongs to him, the coveting the neighbors wife gets put first. A lot to chew on.

Luke 2 For Unto You...

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The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23

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The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23

The traits, characteristics, or gifts of God to an individual are listed as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Everyone has been given all of these, we must use them or lose them so to speak. As people use their muscles, the muscle gets stronger and easier to use in the way it was intended. Likewise, when we use love or self-control, we gain experience in how to do so properly.

"The Donut Man" from the "Donut Repair Club" may have said it best in the song he wrote for the kids to better gain a grasp of the Fruits of the Spirit mentioned in the Holy Bible in Galatians 5:22-23. 

"Oh God is a good farmer

And he wants his fruit to grow

Oh when he looks inside your heart

Will you be able to show that

Love takes care of others

Joy means that God makes me glad

Peace is still and quiet

Patience waits and is not sad

Kindness and Goodness are nice to others

Faithfulness has faith and trust

Gentleness knows how to listen

Self-Control knows how to say no"

Actions indeed again ... God guides us in our actions. He gave us the gifts needed to care for each other, hold our tongues and not speak hurtfully, to wait happily and contented not to be anxious for anything, to listen much more than we speak, to say no, and to believe.

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13.

Ten Commandments and Ice Cream

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Closer 2 Jesus Parable of the Weeds Matthew 13

Parable of the Weeds Matthew 13:24-30, 13:36-43

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 

25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 

26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 

30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed and Yeast is Matthew 13:31-35

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 

38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 

39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 

41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 

42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

There are actually plant seeds that as they grow appear to be wheat but are instead poison to ingest. As the plants mature, the difference shines through in the fruit. The servants were afraid of the mix up but did not have the discernment to choose which was wheat and which was not, only God's angels are able to judge. The Word the Gospel of Jesus is the seed planted into individuals. Those who are rooted as good soil will grow to Christians and spread the Good News of God's love. The difference shines through in the fruit. Fruit is the actions, beliefs, outcomes, heart, and soul of the individual.

Matthew 13 other Parables

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Closer 2 Jesus Fishers of Men Matthew Ezekiel

Matthew 13 Matthew 4 Ezekiel 47

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 

21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind 

48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 

50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 

52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.

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9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that lives, which moves, where ever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river comes. 

10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. 

11 But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 


12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Parable of the Sower

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Closer 2 Jesus James 4:13-17

James 4:13-17

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 

16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 

17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Titus 2:1-8

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10 Commandments and Ice Cream

10 Commandments and Ice Cream

Just another way to understand part of the meaning of one of the Ten Commandments. 

Ten Commandments

You shall have no other gods before Me

You shall make no idols

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain

Keep the Sabbath day holy

Honor your father and mother

You shall not murder

You shall not commit adultery

You shall not steal

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

You shall not covet

The last of the list in fact. Not in the least unimportant but often difficult to fully grasp. Wanting or needing things others have is human nature. To covet is much deeper than want. Dictionary.com offers the definition of covet as to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others. 

Without regard ... let that sink in for a minute. Sometimes when we want too intensely, the whole emotion can turn to this definition of covet. It is a fairly ugly depiction that we might  wish to never emulate. And besides, didn't you really want that ice cream?

Ten Commandments

Stephanie Haile aka Wavecritter God bless =)

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Closer 2 Jesus Inspiration

So I say to you, "ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Luke 11:9-10

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Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

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Proverbs 3:6

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.