Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Oh Friends, another marvellous spring day is in the offing, ever so excellent for sowing the Word of God. And I know that much seed will be planted today, but sadly, too small a percentage will be sown in fertile soil and bring forth good fruit. For as Jesus described in the parable of the sower, some of the seed will fall by the way side, those who don’t respond to the Word; some will fall on stony ground, where it blossoms quickly, but since it has no sure foundation, no strong root, no spiritual reality, it withers in the hot sun. Once tribulation arises, that group quickly rejects the Word. Then there are those described by Today’s Bit; where the seed is sown in decent ground, but the thorns grow up around them and choke them. Unfortunately that applies to many of us my people. We allow ‘the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.’ Those, my Friends, are the defining words of Jesus. If He says it’s so, then it is so. We all have legitimate cares and concerns in our lives, but we let them weigh us down too much, allow them to take priority over the Word. And as He warns: ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ (Luke 21:34) Oh my brethren, that’s a serious warning we should heed; to go easy on the carousing and don’t let the cares of the world weigh us down. We must be attentive to what’s happening around us, else the day of judgement can catch us unawares. ‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.’ (Luke 21:36) Oh Friends, please remember that it’s Jesus we’ll be standing before, come that faithful day. And when He strikes that gavel, announces ‘Court in Session,’ and asks why we let the cares of the world burden us so that we had no time to watch and pray, what will our answer be? I know that some of us are sincerely overwhelmed by earthly cares, but it’s our responsibility as believers to make sufficient time for the Word. And we might be able to mount some small defence on that charge, but on ‘the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things?’ Hn! There’ll be no defence whatsoever on those, for there are too many scriptures that warn us about them. Let’s look at a few, starting in the Old Testament. ‘Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5) We know it’s much easier to blow a fortune than to make one, and have heard all the truth, that a fool and his money are soon parted. Sol also talks about the vanity of riches. ‘There is a sore evil which I have see under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.’ (Eccl.5:13-14) Oh Friends, just reading Sol alone, the wisest and richest man ever, in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, should teach us about the fickle nature of wealth. So when Jesus asks why you didn’t listen to Sol, and you claim he was in the Old Testament, too old timish for you. His retort will be: ‘So what happened to the New Testament? Several people said it, including me, when I talked about the parable of the sower. Also when I said on purpose, ‘How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 18:24-25) Oh, yuh thought I was joking eh? Well for your information, I don’t joke on serious matters. Why yuh think I also said; ‘He that hath ears to hear, let him hear?’ (Mark 4:9) And just supposing you found my words old fashioned too, what happen to Bruh Paul’s famous treatise on the topic eh? Yuh never hear this? ‘And having food and raiment let us therewith be content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows…Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on everlasting life.’ (1 Tim. 6: 8-10, 17-19) Or yuh thought that was a joke too?’ Oh Friends, then we’ll be dumfounded before the Supreme Judge. And when He says; ‘So you didn’t listen to Sol, to Me or to Bruh Paul, but to that fool Lucifer. Well, since you think he’s so wise and great, then you can spend eternity in everlasting darkness with him and the many other imbeciles like him. Bang!’ The gavel raps. ‘Next case.’ Oh my people, we’ll consider it then to be a harsh judgement, but how many times must we be told before we understand, don’t run after the almighty dollar, but after the Almighty God? But if we continually ignore the warning and let money be our idol, our god, then when we’re sentenced to everlasting damnation, we can only blame ourselves. But the good thing Friends, is that we’re alive, so we still have hope. We can still change and be like ‘those are they which are sown on good ground: such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.’ (Mark 4:20) Oh Friends, let’s start preparing, nurturing that soil, our hearts, souls and minds, RIGHT NOW nuh! So that we can be exceedingly fruitful and avoid the scathing condemnation of Jesus on the big day, and hear instead, ‘Welcome, my good and faithful servant!’ Much LOVE!…remember…if yuh doh hear…yuh certainly going to feel…
Oh Friends, another marvellous spring day is in the offing, ever so excellent for sowing the Word of God. And I know that much seed will be planted today, but sadly, too small a percentage will be sown in fertile soil and bring forth good fruit. For as Jesus described in the parable of the sower, some of the seed will fall by the way side, those who don’t respond to the Word; some will fall on stony ground, where it blossoms quickly, but since it has no sure foundation, no strong root, no spiritual reality, it withers in the hot sun. Once tribulation arises, that group quickly rejects the Word. Then there are those described by Today’s Bit; where the seed is sown in decent ground, but the thorns grow up around them and choke them. Unfortunately that applies to many of us my people. We allow ‘the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.’ Those, my Friends, are the defining words of Jesus. If He says it’s so, then it is so. We all have legitimate cares and concerns in our lives, but we let them weigh us down too much, allow them to take priority over the Word. And as He warns: ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ (Luke 21:34) Oh my brethren, that’s a serious warning we should heed; to go easy on the carousing and don’t let the cares of the world weigh us down. We must be attentive to what’s happening around us, else the day of judgement can catch us unawares. ‘Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.’ (Luke 21:36) Oh Friends, please remember that it’s Jesus we’ll be standing before, come that faithful day. And when He strikes that gavel, announces ‘Court in Session,’ and asks why we let the cares of the world burden us so that we had no time to watch and pray, what will our answer be? I know that some of us are sincerely overwhelmed by earthly cares, but it’s our responsibility as believers to make sufficient time for the Word. And we might be able to mount some small defence on that charge, but on ‘the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things?’ Hn! There’ll be no defence whatsoever on those, for there are too many scriptures that warn us about them. Let’s look at a few, starting in the Old Testament. ‘Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5) We know it’s much easier to blow a fortune than to make one, and have heard all the truth, that a fool and his money are soon parted. Sol also talks about the vanity of riches. ‘There is a sore evil which I have see under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.’ (Eccl.5:13-14) Oh Friends, just reading Sol alone, the wisest and richest man ever, in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, should teach us about the fickle nature of wealth. So when Jesus asks why you didn’t listen to Sol, and you claim he was in the Old Testament, too old timish for you. His retort will be: ‘So what happened to the New Testament? Several people said it, including me, when I talked about the parable of the sower. Also when I said on purpose, ‘How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 18:24-25) Oh, yuh thought I was joking eh? Well for your information, I don’t joke on serious matters. Why yuh think I also said; ‘He that hath ears to hear, let him hear?’ (Mark 4:9) And just supposing you found my words old fashioned too, what happen to Bruh Paul’s famous treatise on the topic eh? Yuh never hear this? ‘And having food and raiment let us therewith be content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows…Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on everlasting life.’ (1 Tim. 6: 8-10, 17-19) Or yuh thought that was a joke too?’ Oh Friends, then we’ll be dumfounded before the Supreme Judge. And when He says; ‘So you didn’t listen to Sol, to Me or to Bruh Paul, but to that fool Lucifer. Well, since you think he’s so wise and great, then you can spend eternity in everlasting darkness with him and the many other imbeciles like him. Bang!’ The gavel raps. ‘Next case.’ Oh my people, we’ll consider it then to be a harsh judgement, but how many times must we be told before we understand, don’t run after the almighty dollar, but after the Almighty God? But if we continually ignore the warning and let money be our idol, our god, then when we’re sentenced to everlasting damnation, we can only blame ourselves. But the good thing Friends, is that we’re alive, so we still have hope. We can still change and be like ‘those are they which are sown on good ground: such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.’ (Mark 4:20) Oh Friends, let’s start preparing, nurturing that soil, our hearts, souls and minds, RIGHT NOW nuh! So that we can be exceedingly fruitful and avoid the scathing condemnation of Jesus on the big day, and hear instead, ‘Welcome, my good and faithful servant!’ Much LOVE!…remember…if yuh doh hear…yuh certainly going to feel…
SCRIP-BITS 