Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. (Psalm 139: 7-8, NKJV)

I have always been inquisitive about the nature of things, especially about how things work, and how they are made. The search for answers sometimes leads to a look at the insides of stuff, even if it takes a large hammer.
This trait has been passed on to at least some of my children and their children, possibly through example, though I have been instructed to counsel such that, if they desire to disembowel devices, that they do it “at Grandpa’s.”
I remember asking my father, at a tender age, what used to be fastened to some holes in a piece of farm machinery. He commented brusquely, that I ought to know, as I was the one who took it apart. And so it goes.
I must admit that technology has advanced the state of assembly and construction so that there is no longer much to be seen inside of the typical iGadget. A digital watch has no springs or gears. A radio or other electronic device is filled with little dots of stuff that might as well be spatters of pancake batter. In the old fashioned radio, even individual parts could be taken apart. Things glowed, things moved, things excited.
Curiosity. We all have it to some degree, but most seem to subdue the desire for greater knowledge and, without ceremony or inquisitive glance, toss things into the trash. What a waste!
We may deride the philosophers of old who argued about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, but at least they sought answers to subjects beyond our realm. As the Psalmist noted, the nature of God mattered; His domain was infinite and eternal. Heaven and hell (some texts read “Sheol”) were real places, destinations for the soul after this earthly existence.
Granted, there are some things which I don’t wish to experience, and other things beyond my grasp.
The dream-spinners of Hollywood have their own vision of angels and other heavenly beings, but seemingly delight more in the most horrific depictions of evil and satanic behaviors. That is one genre I willingly pass by.
Many beliefs focus on physical attributes of the heavenly realm, such as a better place than this earth, including elaborate gardens, carpets, banquets, cooling drinks, sex, and other bodily comforts. Others may be attracted to visions of gates of pearl, streets of gold, and seas of crystal. Debate is also ongoing about the location of ‘paradise.’
Beliefs in a life different from what humans daily experience have been around for a long time, judging from literature over the ages, and from most religions. Accordingly, ancient Egyptians believed that the unjust were tormented in scorching heat, while those living in accordance with cosmic order and justice rose into the eternal realm of the gods. Greek mythology had the souls of the dead descending to the shadowy underworld of Hades, where they seemed to lead a joyless existence.
Perhaps there is a deeper reality that my human mind is incapable of formulating concepts like heaven that are rooted in the ultimate and entire reality of the cosmos. For many, heaven means being in the presence of the eternally just and merciful God.
I choose to not worry about the physical properties, or the location, but to rely on Jesus’ promise that He has prepared a place for those who call upon His name. (See John 14:2)
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Good Intentions
* Scripture: James wrote, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)
Paul wrote, “ . . . walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10 ) - NKJV

Oh, the mistakes I’ve made! I first learned that I had a special talent for this fine art of mistake making many years ago. There I sat, and all about me was the rapid-fire din of ‘clickety-clickety-clickety.’ I was producing more of a ‘clunk-clunk,’ but it was the mistakes more than the lack of speed that brought me down. It haunts me still.
I will not give up; I will persevere! Besides, I have to chuckle sometimes at the new words that I create as I type. For example, the letter ‘i’ is just one key to the right of the letter ‘u’ on the keyboard. So what if I transpose only one little key? After all, Sinday is almost Sunday, give or take a letter, and one wrong out of six isn’t so bad, now is it? My good intentions should count for something.
Still, good intentions didn’t help me one bit in that long ago typing class. I had to suffer the consequences, regardless. No, there are times when good intentions just don’t cut it.
It hath oft been quoted that the pathway to the ‘nether regions’ is paved with good intentions. So I suppose that I should do as I have done for decades now - back up, correct mistakes like Sinday, and run the trusty ol’ spell-checker on the computer. Spell checkers are not infallible, though. For example, although it caught my ‘Sinday’ typo, I am given spellings of ‘Sidney,‘ ‘Cindy,’ and even ‘cindery’ but not Sunday.
I also know that if I do the same ’i’ for ‘u’ letter substitution and write ‘bit’ when I meant ‘but,’ the spell-checker is perfectly happy. I could let it go at that, bit (but) it will not catch grammatical or contextual errors. Words need to be more than just ‘correct;’ they must have purpose to be useful.
Consider that I could put together a list of words at random, run the spell checker, and find them all correct. To what purpose? There would be no message, no thoughts communicated. It would be like a tree with lots of leaves, good leaves, but no fruit. ( See Mt. 21:18, 19)
Jesus wants us to be more than “good leaves.” He wants us to be “fruitful.” To have a purpose in His Kingdom. To do more than have ‘good intentions’ and merely wave gently in the breezes of life.
Though I have abundant faith in my spell checker, I must go beyond correct spelling alone if I wish to write something of worth and meaning.
So, too, I am called to be more than a “good man,” of correct moral character. That is commendable, but of itself is like leaves on a barren tree. I must bud, bloom, be pollinated by the Gospel, and become fruitful in every good work. I must associate with the Lord, to share in His works, to increase in the knowledge of Him.
July 31, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Ebenezer
* Scripture: Samuel took a stone and set up up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”1 Samuel 7:12, NIV

How do you carry things? Do you use a bag, a sack, or a poke? Many times an object goes by different names, depending upon the location. In some southern and midland areas of the USA, you put things in a poke, including a ‘pig in a poke.’ A picnic in one area might have a hopping good time with sack races, while another would use a bag.
Then, again, a ‘poke’ is a projecting brim on the front of a woman's bonnet, and you might be wearing a ‘poke bonnet.’
In Scotland, men and boys wear a bonnet, a brimless, seamless woolen cap. In other locations, men and boys would say that only women wear a bonnet, a cloth or straw hat tied under the chin. In Britain, you would likely pop the bonnet to check your oil, but Americans call that device the ‘hood’ of their automobiles.
Consider the saying, "Ne'er cast a clout 'til May be out". Clout is from an Old English word for cloth or clothing, and the saying was a reminder not to be too quick to shuck the winter woollies before the chilly days of May were over.
A farmer friend from ‘Down East’ commented that his neighbor used to say that he was "Light on rowen, but we got plenty hay. Ain't nothing wrong with good hay." Rowen is an old-time term for second-cut forage. Those who use the term will call first cutting hay, second cutting rowen. To call something second-cutting hay would be a contradiction in terms. Rowen derives from middle English rewayn, Norman French regain -- to grow or harvest again.
Many of the older church hymns use words or terms that are equally cloaked in unfamiliarity, the kinds of things you skip right over but keep on singing. The second verse of “Come, Thou Font of ev-’ry blessing” (Robert Robinson, John Wyeth) begins with, “Here I raise mine Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’m come;” Unless you are an especially astute Bible scholar, that one flies right over your head.
The author is referring to Samuel’s “Stone of Help,” which he set up “between Mizpah and Shen” to commemorate the Lord’s help . The verse continues,

“Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.”

Consider ways in which you can share the Lord’s help in your life. Set your own ‘Ebenezer’ and rejoice in it.
July 17, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Conclusions
* Scripture: Jesus said, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” Mt. 11:18-19, NKJV

An incident that happened to me while growing up on the farm brought home the full meaning of the maxim “Look before you leap.”
We had a lane, an unpaved path, connecting several fields with the buildings in the farmyard. One low spot was a perennial mud hole, stirred up into a gooey slop from vehicle and livestock traffic. As I rode my bicycle down the lane to fetch the cows in for the evening milking, I noted a pile of gravel that Dad had apparently brought in to fill the mud hole. Wow! A launch pad, just waiting to shoot me into the wild blue yonder.
Peddling furiously, I strove for takeoff speed. Up, up, up, perfect form! From my elevated viewpoint, I now had a full view of my landing point. Alas! Bicycles have neither air brakes nor wings. I quickly understood why Dad had not yet spread the gravel; he had dug a ditch to install a drainage pipe in the wet area, which now lay open before me. The laws of physics and gravity kicked in big time. Bicycle, boy, and bold aspirations of flight reached the lowest common denominator.
A quick survey from the bottom of the ditch determined that the major damage was to my dignity, but my collective wisdom clicked up another notch.
Add this thought to your maxim collection: “If in doubt, check it out.” My pride would not have taken such a tumble, for example, had I simply checked out both sides of that gravel pile.
What does this have to do with the chosen scripture passage? Well, hopefully it will serve to illustrate that leaping to conclusions can result in bad decisions, just like blindly jumping a gravel pile.
Jesus was likening his contemporary generation to children at play, comparing their refusal to join either a mock funeral or a mock marriage in the marketplace to the people’s refusal to accept either John the Baptist or Jesus. Instead, they stood aloof from both, making excuses based on wrong conclusions about them (vss. 16, 17.)
Seen from the proper perspective, neither John nor Jesus were in error. John was following the tenets of the Nazarite vow, as established in the Laws of Moses, and was not to eat nor drink anything from the grapevine. Matthew, Chapter 11, affirms that John’s behavior was consistent with prophecy and scripture, and their conclusions about him illustrated their lack of knowledge.
Likewise, their conclusions about Jesus were in error. Jesus points out that the well have no need of the physician, and that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. (Mt. 9:12, 13)
True wisdom is not found in the “children” who stand aloof, but in those who accept Jesus and John.
Yes, jumping to conclusions is indeed a tricky business.
July 10, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Nourishment
* Scripture: Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Mt. 3:4, NKJV)
Paul wrote, “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it.” (1 Cor. 3:2)

All of God’s creatures require nourishment to sustain life. The types of food and the means of acquiring it are indeed wondrous and varied. Some require specialized diets, such as the koala bear, that eats only eucalyptus leaves. Others will eat almost anything that they can get on the outside of. Human beings are “everything eaters” (omnivores) except for maybe three year olds, who have a very selective diet. Teenagers also have definite preferences, tending toward pizza, burgers, and pop - but mostly whatever is within reach.
Styles of eating also vary a lot, from the dainty “peck like a bird’ of formal society to “tip the bowl and toss it in” characteristic of some cartoon characters. Proper society and manners have well established rules for ‘dining,’ including the order in which foods are served, the utensils to be used, and the manner in which they are to be employed. So you either pick at your chicken portion with a fork, or . . . you grab it with both hands and go at it!
From the largest to the smallest, the fussiest to the slob, all are provided for by God.
God also provides “The Word” that feeds mankind spiritually, as stated by both Jesus and Paul. Neither speaks of how we acquire or consume this spiritual food, though. Obviously, we don’t pick it from a tree, of dig it from the ground - or do we?
A lot of things set me to thinking about God’s Word, comparisons between God’s earthly realm and the heavenly one. This time it happened as I was watching our sheep graze, while I leaned against the truck waiting for the water trough to fill. They don’t just stand and eat; they grab a mouthful here, and another mouthful there, all the time moving across the pasture, choosing among the choicest grasses. So, to graze is to eat small amounts of various foods several times a day.
There is another definition for ‘graze,’ however; to touch lightly in passing.
The livestock guard dog, who lives with the sheep, gets one meal a day, and gulps/gobbles it down, then spends hours digesting her food.

Here is your assignment for the week: think about how you typically receive the Word of God.
A 'grazer' (noun) in the sense of getting small amounts several times a day, choosing among the choicest available writings.
A 'grazer' (verb) passing or missing God’s word unless it smacks you head on.
A 'gulper/gobbler' who loads up and then meditates over time.
The 'child', not yet ready to receive Paul’s solid food.
The “three year old” who mostly says “No!” - somewhere between milk and solid food.
The 'teenager', who devours as much of God’s Word as comes within reach.
And as to the “mealtime” - Formal ‘dining’ (ritualized worship) compared to free structure, perhaps ‘contemporary’ services, or ‘fast food’ style
Have fun thinking! And - bon appetit!.
July 3, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Walking Library
* Scripture: “Seek Wisdom” - Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares, She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words. Proverbs 1:20-21, NKJV

My appetite for reading usually finds some food for thought on a foray into the marketplace. Given the current penchant for wearing apparel displaying advertising and catchy messages, the crowds have become a walking library.
I noted one lady whom I would not have typecast as a consummate house cleaner sporting a shirt with a spider web and the message, “I’m not on the internet, but I visit a lot of web sites when I dust.”
My pick of the day was the school-age boy who proclaimed (probably with some justification), “I thought it was a good idea at the time.”
I can just picture Adam or Eve wearing a shirt like that, turning and looking wistfully back at the Garden. “Seemed like a good idea.”
Let’s see now - I’ll bet I could sell Jonah a shirt that reads, “Have I got a whale of a tale to tell you!”
I think a salt advertisement would be appropriate for Noah, the company that brags, “When it rains, it pours.”
I’d get a shirt with an audio recording tape advertisement for Joshua, the one that shows sound breaking a glass goblet.
Maybe a classy automobile promo would do for Ezekiel, but one of those where wheels are stretched all out of proportion. Take time to read Ezekiel 1:15-21, and think about how you would illustrate the vision of the wheels. You could make a closet full of really ‘way-out’ stuff based on the many visions recorded in the book of Ezekiel.
Can’t you just see Daniel wearing “The Lion King!”? Or maybe he’d opt for a shirt with the words, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” * Analyze Handwriting On YOUR Wall!” (Daniel 5:25)
Just think of the possibilities! There is an entire book full of suggestions - The Bible!
See what you might come up with. What do you think Samson would wear? Jeremiah has a lot of good sayings that could grace a walking sign shirt. There are thirty-one chapters of Proverbs to choose from. Check out Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3; “To everything there is a season.”
Actually, I have seen many good Christian and Biblical themes being worn, which can’t help but increase the awareness of The Message.
Every little bit helps get The Word out. Just the process of * Thinking * about the possibilities will extend and strengthen your knowledge of the Bible.
Give it a try!
June 26, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Jesus said, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good, or to do evil, to save life or destroy it?” Luke 6:9, NIV
Oh! How we struggle to find excuses to do the things We want to do!
There is no question about God’s law concerning the Sabbath:
He told Moses, “Write this down!”

Deuteronomy . . . Chapter 5

* 12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
* 13 Six days thou shalt labor, and do all thy work:
* 14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
* 15 . . . : therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

End of argument! . . .
But, no; people now argue over -
“What is work?”!!!
Some (Like the Pharisees) hold that nearly everything but worship, and those things absolutely necessary to sustain life, are ‘work.’ Even then, you can only walk a limited “sabbath day’s journey.” And, for example, if your ox is in danger of suffocating in a ditch, you may pull him out, and save his life. But you can’t wash him off - that is work! If it is not life-threatning, you can not attend to it on the sabbath.
Scripture: Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?“ (Luke 14:3 NIV)
“No!”, they replied.
And (Jesus) answered them, saying, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? (Luke 14:5)
A-hah!! So some “non-worship “ things can be done on the Sabbath! Jesus said so.
Strange, the things we now consider to take the place of the ox and ditch.....

* Ox in the ditch every Sunday?
* Sell the ox or fill the ditch!

Note that Jesus was talking about compassion, not avoiding worship. So pull that ox (or your neighbor’s car) out of the ditch, and head for church.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another . . . Hebrews 10:25, NIV

Subscribe to Seeds For Thinking as a FREE weekly email.