1 Timothy 6 - Love of Money

1 Timothy 6 NIV

Seek not the pot of gold at the end of
the rainbow; rather, receive the Tree of Life,
who is Jesus the Christ.

It is not money that is the root of all evil; rather, as Paul puts it, "...the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (vs 10) God has indeed blessed many of the faithful with riches in this world. We are not to disrespect those whom God has so blessed. They are faithful in using their blessings to bless others and to glorify God. They are not arrogantly serving themselves. And, if they are then we might want to discern whether they really serve God or themselves before we listen to them.

We should not so desire wealth in this world that it detracts us from the love of God. There are many false prophets in this world who would tell us that if we just do this or that God will bless us. There are many who would teach that godliness  is a means to gain.

I received one of those letters the other day encouraging me "to plant a seed" and God will make me rich. If you receive letters like this, I encourage you to destroy them immediately. Have nothing to do with these false prophets. Those letters are not being sent to help you get rich. They are being sent so that the senders may prosper even more. It is for their own wealth that they are concerned. They have little knowledge of the true riches of God. They use the name of God for their own glory here in this world. They do not seek the kingdom of God; but, riches in this world which are very temporary.

Money can be used for good purposes by the faithful. But, be careful that your love for it does not trump your love for God who was willing to die for you. The love of money can bring great destruction to a person; to a community; to the world.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 4:1-20 Planting

My first garden, years ago, was a travesty. Well, not totally, a few things grew. But, my cucumbers, which grew to full size were orange. It was just weird. I found there were a couple of problems that I had not considered. First, there was not enough drainage as the garden was at the bottom of a slope and second; the soil was not good for cucumber growth. That was my last year for cucumbers in North Carolina.

For good growth there must be a good start. The ground must be just right to receive the seeds and help them to grow. There must be enough water, but not too much and there must be enough sunlight and, again, not so much that they burn and die.

And, so, we have the parable of the sower. I am always astounded when people tell me their children have never been in a church. They want them to make their own choices of religion when they grow up. I'm thinking this is an excuse given mostly by people in whom the seed has not been placed in fertile ground in the first place, My concern is that if they do not prepare their children to receive the Word as adults, they will be like the path where once the seed has been planted, the birds will eat it up. Or, like the thorny or rocky places where plants do not grow well. There is a chance, a small chance, that they will grow; but, odds are against it.

Like the garden that I planted without much forethought; so parents who do not plan ahead and give their children fertile ground to grow in, the fruit will not be what we hope for. I have known full grown adults who have never been to a worship service - not in their whole lives. And, they are genuinely afraid to enter because they do not know what to expect. I have just never figured out how anyone could think that their children will be able to make a real choice, if the parents do not even begin to teach them what their choices are when they are young.

God's Peace - Pr. J