Seeds For Thinking

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

* Advent
* Scripture: Paul wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18, NKJV)

Come, Thou long expected Jesus, . . .
Hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart. (C. Wesley)

Longing, anticipation, and expectation, the root of hope, the expectation of future good. Looking back, we find many peoples living in times of trial and suffering, typified by the words of the Lord to Moses at his calling; “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters.” (Exodus 3:7)
It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!
It was such a time, oppressed by brutal rulers, dominated by a foreign empire, that moved the Apostle John to write of a light coming to illuminate the darkness, the ‘True Light,’ “which gives light to every man coming into the world.” (John 1:9) John is only one of many bearing witness to that Light.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . .full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The ‘Incarnation’ - the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ. The coming into being, The Advent. For many Christians, Advent marks the beginning of the church year, the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting.
John makes an important distinction, affirmed by Paul, who wrote that all creation groans for its redemption as we witness the evil that so dominates our world (Rom 8:18-25). The sufferings of oppression and injustice, the systemic evil of the world expressed in evil empires and tyrants “are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.”.
The Word became flesh, that as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. And as children of God, heirs of the glory to come.
While some church traditions focus on penitence during Advent, for others, Advent is celebrated as a time of joy and happiness awaiting the coming of the King.
November 27, 2005

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Scripture: Tenth Commandment:, “You must not burn with desire for another man’s wife, nor envy him for his home, land, servants, oxen, donkeys, nor anything else he owns.“, Deuteronomy 5: 21, The Living Bible
I learned at a very early age that fruit is not good to eat during all stages of development. Especially apples. Little green apples literally turned me green!
It is interesting how we assign a color to many emotions, and to other objects as well. Something that is not fully mature is ‘green,’ as in most fruit. A ‘greenhorn’ is an inexperienced person. The moon is sometimes ‘blue’ - and happens only once in a while, or ‘once in a blue moon.’
If we are too cold, we may turn blue. We can also have the ‘blues’ when we are feeling depressed. A popular song a few years back concerned having “ A blue Christmas without you.”
Scared, we may turn white as a, well, a ghost. Really scared, and even the hairs on your head turn white - overnight! Now that’s scary!
Why is yellow for cowards? A cowardly person “has a yellow streak down their back.”
A black hearted individual is plainly evil.
Rage and anger are red, red hot! The planet Mars is known for its reddish color, and so had the name of the god of war slapped on it. I’ve never known Mars to declare war on anyone, but its color is prejudicial! Prejudice derives from actual colors, too, as in skin, hair, or eyes.
White is associated with heavenly beings in the Bible. Figures robed in white; intense, blinding lights signify the heavenly presence. Doves, the symbol of peace, are colored white. But let’s go back to green. . . . As in “green with envy.”
Was it envy that drove Cain to kill his brother, Abel? The word isn’t used there, but we find that Rachel envied her sister (Genesis 30:1.) Joseph’s brothers envied him, with the result that they sold him into slavery. Peter placed guile, hypocrisies, and envy together (1 Peter 2:1.)
Paul had many things to say about envy, including in his “Love” chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. “Charity (love) envieth not.”
Read Romans 1:18-32; the wrath of God is against all the godlessness and wickedness of men . . . who are “full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.”
1 Timothy 6:4, A teacher of false doctrines “has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind . . .”
Titus 3:3 , “We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
Proverbs: 3:31, “Do not envy a violent man, or choose any of his ways.”
14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
27:4, “Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy (envy).”
We clearly need to pray that we do not fall prey to envy, because ‘envy’ associates with bad companions!
October 13, 2002

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

Scripture: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16, KJV

Some people are endowed with what seems to me to be amazing athletic ability. At one time I could do a cart wheel - sort of - but the ability to do running forward and backward flips in the air were not designed into this body, young or old. Gymnasts and divers perform flips and twists that leave my poor brain reeling just from watching, but what a wonderful exhibition of bodily coordination.
It is tempting sometimes to picture ourselves living a dream based upon athleticism, musicianship, acting ability, or a position of authority. At the very least, we need something, or someone, to inspire us, to raise our ambitions higher, to serve as a role model.
Do I envy those who display those exceptional talents? Admire, yes, envy, no. No dream gone bad here. I seldom find a practical use for gymnastics in my daily activities, except maybe in recovering from tripping over something, so athletic ability is not something that I hanker for. Thankfully, I have found many tasks that match my God-given abilities.
Happy indeed that person who finds a match between the realm of desire and the reality of ability.
I count myself fortunate to have witnessed many young people achieve success in making that match, at times even contributing to the process. What a beautiful thing to watch someone grow and develop, literally ‘taking off’ like a jet plane when the afterburner kicks in.
On the down side, I think we have all known cases where latent ability is cast aside, ignored, or smothered, much as a budding plant is nipped or frozen, and never develops into the flowering stage. It is sad when the will to strive is repressed from within; sadder still is suppression often brought to bear for reasons of prejudice, intolerance, or prideful hurt. I include in this scenario parents who push children in an attempt to fulfill a dream that they were never able to achieve for themselves.
In a sense, the entire world lies before us as a young person, much as a lump of clay lies before the potter. Little by little, we are shaped, guided, and molded, both by external forces and by the internal self. What a fine line between the impossible dream and the achievable inspiration! Consider, also, that sometimes we are the potter, and sometimes the clay.
Like it or not, we all have tremendous responsibilities as role models, as teachers, as guides. Rather than stuff people into pigeon holes, much as we might file letters, we need to open doors, lay out vistas, point to the heights. There are times to teach, and times to learn. There are times to lead, and times to follow. There are times to pray, and times listen. There are times to embrace, and times to let go, for of such is love.
September 4, 2005