October 30, 2022
Dear friends, we had the opportunity to attend another meeting on the Feast of the Harvest, where several churches were gathered from South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.
When the Lord Jesus told the parable of the Sower, He Himself explained the meaning of the part where the seed choked the thorns. He says: “That which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”
(Luke 8:14).
Dear brother and sister, how is it with you and me in our own lives? Christians for many centuries were ready to go to church services in the heat and cold, no matter what the weather was like. They were motivated by ardent love and devotion to the Lord. A common cause of a cold fruitless relationship with God is vanity and care. In pursuit of the speedy acquisition of material wealth, people lose not only relations between spouses, parents and children, but also languish under the onslaught of these worries, that they no longer have enough strength to go somewhere.
But the interesting point mentioned by Christ is also the pleasures of life. With financial prosperity, many become obsessed with the idea of relaxation. All life consists of tourism, visiting unusual places, and spending time in the so-called active form of recreation. Thus, the time that could be used for the salvation of souls, fellowship with brothers and sisters, visiting the sick, or obtaining a closer walk with God through Bible reading, fasting and prayer, is choked with thorns called “the pleasures of life.”
Dear soul, life is fleeting. Does my life bear witness to the love of God that desires to save souls? What is your relationship with children? Do you have confidential intimate conversations with them? Is there time for parents? Is there time for personal spiritual growth? Days are evil, but time is precious. Let us use it in such a way as to acquire a wise heart.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father be with us all.
Max Volkov in Christ