People are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. – Mark 4:14 (Mark 4:14-20)

The seed be Skipper’s words, his kingdom message, his good spiel of reconciliation with him.

Some hear Skipper’s words but then Satan flies in like a flock of birds and snatches away Skip’s seed. That black-hearted devil doth this so that those folks will not believe and be saved.

Others hear Skipper’s words but such folks live in rocky places, lead rocky lives. They might come from a rough background and don’t have deep roots in family, community, or strong convictions. When they hear Skipper’s words such folks get all excited and rush out to tell everyone that they heard Skipper’s words and believe. Only thing is, because they ne’er be settled or ‘ave minds that be fixed on tha deep things of Skipper, seed from his words shoot up fast, but as soon as trouble, resistance, or someone challenges them ’bout Skipper’s Code of Conduct, they wither away. They believe fer a little while but they not be nourished with water.

A few more hear Skipper’s words but live in life’s thorny places where worries, wants, and wealth choke tha life out of Skipper’s word. They be rooted in Skip’s word, only they be unfruitful. They grow among tha thorns, looking pretty with blooms and all, but doth not grow any fruit.

Rest hear Skipper’s words and be of good soil. They produce all manner of fruit. Some share Skip’s seed with others and help grow new shoots fer tha Sun. Kin ya think of 30 folks ya wish ter be with ya in Skip’s kingdom? 60? 100?

* Start sowing seed by praying this prayer ever day: “Lord, may ya deal with _____ as severely as necessary ter drive (him/her) ter tha feet of yer Sun, but with as much mercy as possible.”
* Live a life that reflects tha character of Skipper.
* Make it yer task ter remain in his Word.
* Make it yer task ter pray fer Skipper’s Holy Spirit of Truth ter defeat that spirit of tha flesh that lives within ya.
* Make it yer task ter put on tha full armor of Skip.
* Be prepared at all times ter give a reason fer tha hope ya in in Skip and his Sun.
* Finally, end each day by praying fer each of them in yer small plot.

Do this and when tha sickle swings and tha harvest comes ya ‘ill be right pleased with tha fruit of that basket in which ya find yer self.

Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. – Mark 3:29 (Mark 3:23-29)

One day tha Sun entered a house and so many gathered ’round him that he and his disciples be not able ter eat. When tha Sun’s earthly family heard about this, tha Sun’s brothers and mother, probably his sisters too, went ter take charge of him, for they be saying, “Tha lad be out of his mind.” Now think on this a wee little bit: tha Sun’s family walked pert near 3o miles ter take holt of him and bring him back home. That be how crazy they thought him ter be.

Tha teachers of the law from Jerusalem said ’bout tha same thing. “He be possessed by tha devil! By the prince of demons he be driving out demons.”

Tha Sun shot back, “How can the devil drive out the devil? If Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

A good many folks be stumped by what tha Sun means by “blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.” Tha long and short of it be this: If tha Holy Spirit of Truth acts and folks give Satan credit fer tha event, they dishonor Skipper and his Spirit. Of this, they kin never be fergiven — probably on account of that be Satan’s number one desire from tha get go: ter steal Skip’s glory. If folks credit tha devil fer tha work Skipper’s Holy Spirit of Truth done, they ‘ill ne’er be fergiven.  This be tha charge agin those teachers of tha law.

Give credit whar credit be due. Doth not lie ’bout Skipper’s Holy Spirit of Truth. If ya be not sure if a spirit be from Skipper or Satan, keep yer trap shut, make no charge agin it. That be tha safe course ter sail.

And if ya be following tha Holy Spirit of Skipper and folks lay tha charge of “You be out of yer mind!” agin ya, take heart. They said tha same ter tha Sun and he had tha very mind of his father, Skipper.

“If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” – Mark 4:23 (Mark 4:23-25)

One day tha Sun told his followers, “If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” This might be an odd thing ter say ter folks, but a good many ‘ave perfectly good ears and kin not hear tha call of a feller asking fer help, tha sobbing of a mum trying ter care fer her youngins, or Skipper whispering ter ’em, “Psst! Look over yonder!” So busy with thar own thoughts and worries, they be, that thar listening ears be stopped up.

“Consider carefully what you hear,” says tha Sun. Ponder what tha Sun says. Think on it a wee little bit. When ya read Skipper’s Code of Conduct, take it in tha way them who heard Skip’s words tha first time might ‘ave heard it. Take it in fresh and clear.

“With the measure you use (to hear), it will be measured to you,” says tha Sun. “And even more.” Like pert near ever thing else, tha more ya use yer ears tha better they work. Training yer ears ter hear ‘ill mean ya hear more and better. Catch things, ya will, that others miss. A bird chirping, waves lapping, dog yelping. . .  child laughing, feller strumming a tune down tha block, clink of a coin dropping in ter tha cup of a begger. Many a time tha sounds we hear be Skip calling us ter pay attention, turn, and look ter see tha source of folks making such a ruckus.

“Whoever has will be given (hear) more; whoever does not have, even what they have (heard) will be taken from them.” In tha same way using yer ears helps ya ter hear more and better, so keeping ’em shut up ‘ill cause thar muscles ter get weak. In time ya ‘ill be deaf as a cockle conch. 

Tha Sun made it his task ter always be listening and looking about fer them that be seeking him. This ought ter be our task as well: ter keep an ear out fer mates in distress or who be in joy. If ya hear ’em calling out–good or bad, happy or sad–take ’em ter Skip in prayer.

Ya got a pair of ears: use ’em.

One day some fellers who followed tha Sun took him along fer a boat ride. Not far from shore it come up a cloud; a squall rolled down mountains. Waves broke over tha bow, swamping thar vessel. Wind tore at tha sail. None of this mattered ter tha Sun. He slept on a cushion near tha coxswain seat.

“Don’t you care?” tha crew shouted ter tha Sun. “Save us!”

Rousting himself, tha Sun stood, stretched a bit, then called, “Quiet! Be Still!”

Tha waves flattened, wind died. Calm settled over tha lake. Think on this a wee little bit: with it calm and no wind, them fellers would ‘ave ter row thar vessel ‘cross that lake in tha dark. Be fore tha wind done tha work. Now they do tha work.

Also think on this: when tha Sun called, “Quiet! Be Still!” whar he only speaking ter tha wind and waves? Could he not be speaking ter us, telling us ter “Hush up! Settle down!”

“Of what are you afraid?” This be tha Sun’s question ter us. Think ter yer self and list them things ya afeared of, fer tha Sun’s question be but one from a short quiz he gives.

Question two: “Do you still have NO faith?”
Question three: “Do you have A LITTLE faith?”
Question four: “Where and in what is your faith?”

Sometimes tha Sun ‘ill rest with us and not seem ter lift a finger ter help or eyes ter check and see how we be doing. Doth not mean he not care, though. Tha Sun always cares. Only sometimes tha squalls that terrorize us be tha energy tha Sun uses ter get us from one place ter tha next.

When waves break over tha bow, bail.
When wind tears through tha sails, mend.
When tha Sun be napping, learn from him. He not be afeared of squalls and storms. If that be so, put yer faith in tha Sun.

If ya don’ have any faith, get a little. If ya got a little, get a little more. Yer peace ‘ill be found whar yer faith be stored. Store yer faith in tha one who naps on tha coxswain cushion.

“Stretch out your hand.” – Mark 3:5 (Mark 3:1-3)

On time tha Sun strolled in ter tha synagogue and found a feller with a withered hand. Some in tha crowd be looking fer a reason ter accuse tha Sun, so they watched him closely ter see if he would heal tha feller on the Sabbath.

That be tha way of some folks: they always be looking fer a reason ter accuse. Find faults in folks, they do. 

Now thar be nothing wrong with wanting ter do right by Skip and his Code of Conduct, only think on this a wee little bit: In looking fer faults in others are ya seeing past tha good they do? Be ya straining a gnat out of yer coffee but choking on a camel? Skipper gives us discernment ’bout others so we kin pray fer ’em, intercede fer ’em, not find fault with ’em.

Tha Sun said ter tha man with tha withered hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

This be tha Sun’s charge ter all of us. “Stand up in front of me,” tha Sun says ter us, “so I can get a good look at you.”

In anger and deeply distressed in his spirit, tha Sun sees our stubborn hearts, our hard hearts, our withered hearts. He be saying ter us, “Stretch out yer heart!”

Only tha Sun can heal our withered hearts. Why not ask fer that healing ter day?

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. – Mark 2:27 (Mark 2:23-27)

One Sabbath tha Sun be going through grainfields. Whilst his disciples walked about, some picked heads of grain. The Pharisees said ter tha Sun, “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Now thars might be a right fair question, fer as they well knowed, doing any work on that Sabbath be grounds fer death.

While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses (Numbers 15:32-36).

Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest (Exodus 34:21).

So in tha minds of them smart fellers tha Sun’s disciples be “harvesting.”

Only tha Sun didn’ see it that way. He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

Think on this a wee little bit: Did Skipper give us his Code ter see if we could follow rules or fer our own good?

A good many know a great deal ’bout Skip’s Code and some swears they got it all figured out in thar head. Only we need ter know Skipper’s Code as well or better than them who claim ter be experts.

Skipper gives us times of rest fer our sake.
Skipper calls us ter worship him, not worship a set-aside day.
Skipper knowed when he gave us a day of rest that later “Sunday” would be “church day” and them who be running things on “church day” would be working. Ya think Skip meant fer us ter stone such folks after they give a sermon, sung a song, cared fer little tots whilst tha parents worshipped?

Tha Apostle Paul writes: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind (Romans 14:5).

In tha Sun we be free ter enjoy Skipper in all his love and glory. In tha Sun we be free ter care fer ourself and others as Skip leads. But if we be ignorant of Skipper’s Code of Conduct and not know all of it, ever last word, others might cage us in with thar cleverness.

Tha Sun said ter them smart fellers, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

We not be made fer a special day; we be made ter glorify tha Sun and Skipper. Make that yer task and tha rest ‘ill take care of itself, ya may lay ter that.

“How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” – Mark 2:18 (Mark 2:18-22)

John’s disciples fasted.
Tha Pharisees’ disciples fasted.
Tha Sun’s disciples feasted.

Some folks came ter tha Sun and asked, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

Tha Sun answered in a manner similar ter this:

“The groom’s party eats well at the wedding. Wine flows, fancy food is brought out. All eat as much as they like, for the wedding feast is a time for celebrating. Now is such a time. I am the groom. Those who come to me celebrate with me. Only later, after I have gone, will they recall the good times we enjoyed and mourn and fast.”

Seeing as how many still be confused, he explained his coming out party like this:

“I am not a new patch. I am a new robe to be worn. I am not a new patch to be sown onto your old self. If you try, you will make the tear worse, the terror you feel worse. In the same way Adam and Eve needed new garments to cover their nakedness, so you need my new robe. In the same way Adam and Eve tried to cover over their sin with fig leaves, so you try to put a patch over your sin. It will not work. I alone can clothe you in the righteousness you need.

“I am new wine. Your old wineskin can not hold me. I am too fresh, too alive. Your old self cannot contain my Spirit. You need to be born anew. Only then will you be able to preserve my Spirit within you.”

This be tha sort of thing tha Sun said. Not his exact words, mind ya, but a general idea of what he be saying ’bout wine and wineskins, patches and putting on new garments.

Thar be a joyful wedding.
Thar be new wine, tha best ever.
Thar be new garments fer tha wedding party.

And ya be invited. Will ya come and be a part of tha groom’s wedding party?