Seeds For Thinking

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Scripture: Jesus said, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”. (Matthew 22:40, NKJV)

There is an old saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”
I am not sure how the “godliness” part applies to gasoline engines, but I can tell you - from experience - that cleanliness does make a big difference - to go, or not go!
Assuming that the hardware is all in place, and the proper fuel is supplied, there are still two things that have to occur at the right time: The proper fuel to air mixture must be pulled into the cylinder (carburization) and the plug needs to spark at the right time (ignition).
The spark part is easy to check: Grab ahold of the spark plug wire and spin the engine!
Not really!!
Take the plug out and check it - part of the cleanliness routine. Then spin the flywheel and check for a spark at the plug. Got spark? Good; the ignition part is ready to go.
Now, to the fuel part - carburization - a part that can drive you nuts! Not just fuel, but the proper ratio of fuel to air. A speck of dirt, a cloggage in any part of the system, messes up the entire process.
If I have the parts that make up the ignition system, along with the fuel tank and the carburetor, I have an engine, ready to go.
No?
You’re correct! There are valves, cams, pistons, a crank shaft and many other critical parts. So what is the “greatest” part of a working engine?
The Pharisees asked Jesus to tell them what kind of law, of all the laws, is the most important. It is a trap, as verse 35 attests. It is like asking, “What is the most important part of an engine?”
At the very least they're asking him (they think) to choose between moral law and ceremonial law, to declare an ultimate allegiance either to the Pharisees (who would have generally focused on the moral law) or the Saducees (ultimate guardians of the ceremonial law as operators of the temple).
Both parties get caught up in observing a minutia of details and trivia. When to pray; how to pray, what to wear; what to eat; what is considered to be work - etc, etc . . .
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all you are AND your neighbor as yourself. From this all the law and prophets hang."
This is what Jesus was saying in Matthew 22:37.
The first and greatest commandment concerns our relationship toward and with God, and is like the spark of an engine: Sure, we might “fire” only part of the time - not consistent in our relationship to God. Our “timing” might be erratic; we are not in synch with God’s plans for us.
Maybe our devotion becomes “short circuited” by things that draw our attention away from God - things that become our idols, focusing on our wants & desires, not our needs. On worldly things, trinkets & treasures, habits & pleasures. But the bottom line is: either you have a total commitment to God, or you don’t.
So - Love the Lord, your God with all of your being.”
People! Your “Neighbors.” And who is my neighbor? That’s like the carburetor of an engine: lots of small things can mess up the mixture. A common belief limited such neighborly relationships to their friends and companions, and one of their own religion. It was said, "Do not I hate them that hate me?"
Jesus acknowledged that was a common saying, beginning in Matthew 5:43 (part of the Beatitudes, chapts. 5-6-7 of Matthew’s gospel). He said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”
Loving the Lord God with all our being, and extending that love to all of God’s creation, still lacks one import part: Most of us know by heart John 3:16 :
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:17 adds that the people of the world will be saved through Him.

Seeds for Thinking (©) 1996 - 2011 by Leland Hubbell

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

Scripture: “For, dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other.” Galations 5:13, Living Bible
Ah! Freedom: The quality or state of being free. The power to do as one pleases. Freedom from physical restraint, freedom from arbitrary or despotic control.
Yes, but also permission to go freely within specified limits. FREEDOM has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated. (Definitions: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary)
Paul speaks often of freedom, especially freedom from Mosaic law, in his letter to the Romans, and to the Galations. However, Paul points out that freedom in Christ is not total absence of restraint; that is, lacking legal or moral restraints. (See above)
Rather, “having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18)
Some translations use the word “liberty” rather than freedom in Galations 5:13. Liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion, in this case, the restraint of the law and compulsions of the flesh.
I will admit that I have struggled with the concept of freedom from the law, as presented by Paul. After all, shouldn’t we try to keep the Ten Commandments? Aren’t we to obey ‘laws’?
Consider that the Rich Young Ruler had kept all the commandments from his youth, yet lacked the means to obtain eternal life. (Luke 18:18-27) Jesus is telling us, and Paul is affirming, that eternal life is not obtained through works, such as observing traditions, laws, or commandments. That is like earning a prize if you collect so many coupons. It is not that the laws are bad or sinful, it is just that human nature is to “talk the talk but not walk the walk.”
Part of the answer can be found in Jesus’ reply to the Scribes and Pharisees in Mark chapter 7 concerning charges that the disciples were breaking the “laws, i.e. transgressing the traditions of the elders. They were not following the ritual of washing their hands, pitchers and cups in a special way before eating. Is this a sin that will keep them from entering the kingdom of heaven?
Jesus answers that the Scribes and Pharisees are “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men,” quoting Isaiah 29:13, while rejecting the intent of God’s commandments. Many of their traditions were merely “lip service,” not true worship.
Jesus contrasts the commandment “Honor your father and mother” with the practice of making a “gift to God” (Corban) of money that should have gone to the parents, thus making the commandment of no effect. They didn’t ‘break’ the commandment, but they didn’t observe God’s intent of providing for parents, either.
Perhaps Peter had this in mind when he wrote of those who speak great swelling words of emptiness; “While they promise . . . liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption.” (2 Peter 2:18-19)
Peter also wrote that it is the will of God to do good “to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. “ (1 Peter 2:16)
Christ has set us free from “keeping lists” or “check off charts.” We don’t have to “collect coupons” to obtain eternal life. Jesus said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
Salvation is a gift, granted by the Grace of God to all who accept Jesus as the Christ; they shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
“For, dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other.” (Galations 5:13, Living Bible) July 1, 2007

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* Living Lessons
* Scripture: God said, "You shall teach (these words of mine) to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." (Deuteronomy 11:19, NKJV)

School is in session! Don't expect the three R's -reading and 'riting and 'rithmetic - in this school, though. Well, maybe one R, roosting. This is chicken school, and the teacher is our black bantam hen. Scratching and pecking top the list of subjects, coupled with practical information about locating food and water.
One thing is for certain: the chicks are willing students. When she clucks, they come running. Where she leads, they follow, with much enthusiasm. They receive lessons in barnyard etiquette, including which denizens to avoid, and which to simply ignore. They arise when she does, and learn to literally 'go to bed with the chickens.'
I'm not sure that you could call the sounds the chickens make "words" in the truest sense, but they will learn all of the signals and calls in use by the flock. To that extent, they will fulfill the command of Deuteronomy 11:19.
Few of us would want to live the life of a chicken. Their lives are very much in the present. As adults, chickens give no thought to mother or father, nor past and future, beyond remembering where they have previously found food or water and a favorite and safe place to roost.
Is that all there is to life? For birds, perhaps, and I think of the response that Jesus gave concerning the birds of the air (or barnyard) in Matthew 6:28, of God's concern for them, and the greater concern He has for all people. We are created in God's image, and so should live exemplary lives in His image.
We have a history of relationships with God and a heritage which we should hold dear. The nation of Israel was commanded to remember not only all of the things that God had done for them, but also to remember and teach the Commandments. Further, each generation was to teach these things to their children, not just in a formal school setting, but by making each moment a living lesson, a heavenly example.
We, too, should involve our children, and our children's children, in those living lessons of worship and daily devotions. We should not rely solely on someone else to model or teach manners and etiquette, including table grace. We need to demonstrate loving relationships with God and neighbors, by not living for food (posessions) alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
Just something to eat, something to drink, a little entertainment and a place to roost - that's for the birds!
Yes, school is in session. Therefore, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" and diligently teach all people by your example.
August 27, 2006

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* Relationships
* Scripture: James wrote, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8, NKJV

I suppose that if I were to ask people to define the main theme of the Bible, the overwhelming majority would say “God” or “Jesus.” To take nothing from the prominence of The Deity, my response will be “Relationships.” Please allow me to share my reasoning with you.
Suppose that I tell you that a magnificent rock formation forms the focal point of a vast, trackless desert. You may well say, “So?”
I persist; “It is unlike anything you have ever seen. You really should go to see it for yourself.” Yielding slightly, you may ask where it is located. Should I say, “Australia,” you could rightly comment that Australia is not only far away, but is also a very large country.
“OK,” I say. “I’ll show you a map of how to get there,” and talk about distance and direction, all of which will of course be in relation to some point and to where you are at the moment. Relationships.
Conceding that such a trip may not be within reality, I may throw in a picture so that you can see for yourself the wonders that I proclaim. Again, I need to include some references about substance, length, breadth and height, and how it may compare to anything found elsewhere in the world. Relationships.
God is Infinite, All-powerful, All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing. He is known as the “Great I Am.” God “IS!” How do we describe the indescribable? What more to say?
He is the Creator of all that exists; That is a relationship. He wants to be our God, and we are to be His People. That is a relationship.
Think about all that is contained in the Bible. The very commandments proclaim not only God, but the relationship between all things in creation, living and nonliving. Jesus sums up the commandments in Matthew 22:36-40 by stating that a certain relationship should exist between God and ourselves, and between ourselves and our neighbor. The truth of the Parable of the Good Samaritan lies not in who of the three men passing along that Jericho road believes in God, but in who has a Godly relationship with his ‘neighbor.’
Again, it is our relationship to the least of His Children and our response brought about from that relationship that is important, (Mt. 25:31-46).
Suppose that you are sitting in a room which darkens as the daylight ebbs. You are there, the darkness is there, and a light switch is located across the room. To bring illumination (light) into your life, you need to do something about your relationship to that light switch. Get up, move that relationship close enough that you can turn on the power.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
August 14, 2005

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Scripture: “It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them, did not go in, because of their disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:6, NIV)

The arrival of new seed catalogs in January always provides a welcome contrast to the drabness of winter for me. Slowly paging through the illustrations provides a connecting link between the season past, and the season that might be. For a time, the cold and dreary winter weather gives way to memories of planting and harvest, the warmth of a summer day, and anticipation of the new birth of spring.
As I turn to the pages of berry plants, I think of the autumn days when we walked among the raspberries, picking and eating the fruit right from the vines. I am reminded that we have blackberries in the freezer, summer’s bounty suspended in time. I turn to pictures of flowers, glance out the window to the frozen beds, now barren and devoid of all but a few ornamental grasses swaying in the winter wind, and daydream of the days to come when a rainbow of colors will once again grace those places, filling the warm, evening air with their fragrance.
I can not help but smile when I read the claims for giant sized fruit, amazing yields, and infallible varieties of food and flower. In an ideal world or location - perhaps! Unfortunately, my garden is not necessarily ideal. I know from experience that I can not plant just anything and everything and expect to obtain perfect results.
I recall some raspberry plants that I purchased from a local chain store. They grew well, vined and multiplied all over the place. I tended them, weeded, pruned, fertilized - did all the recommended things. I never got any fruit from them, no, not even one berry! So the time came when those plants were dug out, thrown away, and replaced with plants that have since borne much fruit.
Did I hate those plants? No, not really. I had no prejudice against the variety, and nothing compelled me to root them out because I liked something else better. Actually, I wanted them to be a part of my garden, and I cared for them as much, if not more, than the other plants. But in spite of that nurture, they were unproductive. By their lack of fruit, they lost their right to remain in my garden. Had they borne much fruit, as the advertisements claimed that they would, they would be there to this day.
Jesus used the vineyard and orchard to illustrate the realities of the Kingdom of God. In His parables, people are compared to the vines and trees, and God to the husbandman who planted and cares for them. I see nothing that suggests that He is eager to throw out certain ‘varieties’ any more than I am with my garden, nor that favoritism plays any role at all. All are desired, all are cherished and cared for. There is a condition, however, to remain in God’s ‘orchard’ kingdom; no one who turns away from God, or against Him, may remain. It is our individual choice. The “greatest” commandment says it all; “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:29b-30)
One can not be “disobedient”, i.e., to commit murder or theft, bear false witness, or dishonor parents, and fulfill the Greatest Commandment. Either we turn toward God, or we don’t. If we LOVE God with ALL our being, we will be fruitful, and remain in His Rest (see Hebrews Ch. 4 )
January 11, 2004

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Scripture: All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. (Mark 7:9, NKJV)

That was then - This is now!
Thunder, lightning, hail, torrential rain - we had it all at the VBS picnic. We made joking comparisons to the plagues of the Old Testament Exodus, except we could cancel our re-enactment (which we did.) The Hebrew people, of course, were on a forty-year camp-out. Although we could make comparisons, a great gulf of difference exists between our lifestyles and theirs. Still, we share and hold dear that which God ordained for all peoples during their wanderings.
While we readily accept the Ten Commandments, the Biblical account goes on at length with specific applications of those commandments. For example, there is a whole section of Mosaic law concerned with oxen; not many of us can relate to the problems of wandering oxen in our community. But what about wandering pets, or children, that tear up the neighbors flower bed? What are our rights and responsibilties as we travel the pathways of our own day? Who is our neighbor?
As I meditated on the Laws of Moses, it occurred to me that Jesus (and later Church leaders) had to deal with those laws for their own time and peoples. All too often, the people applied the words of the law to their situation, but not the intent of the law. The Bible is very explicit in condeming those who construed the law so as to give some persons legal advantage over others. Jesus was also very critical of those, like the Pharisees, who pressed the word of the law, even if it was in conflict with Gods intent. One example is given in Mark 7:11, where persons could by law of Corban set apart for God anything that could benefit their father or mother. This, Jesus said, conflicted with Gods commandment to honor your father and mother.
All law can be reduced to two standards, as Jesus said: Love toward God, and Love toward each other. The intent of the laws of their day and of ours should be similar - equitable treatment and respect for all persons. That should be the foundation, the basis for all law. 8/3/97

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Scripture: Moses asked, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?" Exodus 3:13, NKJV

If you recall the passage from Exodus where God calls to Moses from the burning bush, God concludes by instructing Moses to tell the people that "I AM sent you."
Later, on the mountain, Moses received the Commandments, beginning with the statement, "I am the Lord your God." These first commandments establish a relationship with God, one based on reverence, worship, and esteem. That includes a proper respect and understanding of HIS NAME.
Suppose that you are responsible for translating the ancient writings into a modern version of the English language. There is no one to speak those ancient words, no one still using those symbols that represent speech.
Now add the complexity that derives from a reluctance of those ancients to even speak or write that most righteous Name, and the the scholar is left searching. The scribes would write the letters YHWH instead of spelling out THE NAME. It is called a Tetragrammaton. From it, we get ‘Yahweh.’
About 300 B.C. the Jews began the custom of pronouncing the name 'adonay' (my Lord or LORD) or 'elohim.' Take the various spellings, run the Hebrew through Latin, and we get 'Jehovah.'
According to one of my references (The New Westminister Dictionary of the Bible) the word comes from a verb which means to befall, to come to pass, happen, become, be ; The name accordingly means "He who happens (upon us), he who befalls (upon us), he who in the absolute sense exists and who manifests his existence and his character." (Ex. 3:13-15) - "I AM."
The dictionary further gives these definitions:
'elohim, God, is the creator, upholder, and moral governor of the universe;
'el Shadday, God almighty, is the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their present strength and future existence;
Yahweh (YHWH) is the God of revelation and grace, dwelling with his people, guiding and delivering them, and receiving their worship.
"Lord" in our Bibles came from Hebrew 'adon,' "Master," or 'adonay; "my master", (i.e., "my Lord.") When you see LORD the original was YHWH.
A name is a very personal thing; it identifies who we are. At least for the time being:

"There's a new name written down in Glory,
"And it's mine, O yes, it's mine!"
(C. Austin Miles)

To him who overcomes will be given a new name, according to Revelation 2:17 and 3:12. That will be an even more special name than the one we use now, because it will be given by THE ONE!
January 8, 2006