Seeds For Thinking

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

Scripture: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52, American King James Version)

The prophets spoke of a period which they called "the last days" (Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1; in Hebrew, "the after days"), as the period in which the Messiah would live and reign. Peter wrote that the resurrection of Christ has brought the faithful
“to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1;4-5)
The Savior expressly said that it was not designed that anyone should know when future events would occur. Thus, prior to His ascension, in answer to an inquiry whether he then would restore the kingdom to Israel, he said Acts 1:7, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power."
Still, question abounded then, as now, concerning the form, the body, that the dead shall have. Paul speaks not of the time of the coming of the last day, but of how it shall take place. He wrote to the Corinthians about the bodies of the living,
“Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” -A mystery, a secret, which could never have been discovered by reason, or the light of nature. And it shall happen “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”
The Greek word used here for "moment" is ATOMOS. This passage is the only place in the Greek New Testament where this word is used. ATOMOS is the word from which is derived from our English word "atom." The Greeks believed that the atom was the smallest particle of matter that existed, therefore it could not be divided, cut, split, or reduced in any way. The translators have taken this to mean that our bodies shall be changed in "an atom of time," that is, in an instant of time so brief that you could not make it any quicker, or reduce the time in any measure.
To further illustrate the quickness of this transformation, Paul uses the expression, “In the twinkling of an eye.” So how fast is that? The eyes can wink, blink and twink, it is said. A wink is a controlled movement of the eye and so it's length of time is indeterminate, but the quickest wink lasts for a half second. A blink is a reflex action of the eye and lasts somewhere between 300 and 400 milliseconds. The twinkling of the eye is caused by an involuntary, very wide dilation in the eye, estimated by some number crunchers to be 1/6,000,000,000th of a second to make a person's eyeball twinkle: This expression means 'very fast' or 'instantaneously'.
Plainly and unquestionably it concerns our change, our transformation into the image of Christ. See 1 Cor. 15:35-50, which precedes the scripture passage. Our change from mortal to immortal, from corruptible to incorruptible is a promise of God that can no more fail or pass away than any other of God's promises. Jesus states the promise in John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Since we are not given to know in advance the day or the hour, we should be ready at all times. Waiting to set our spiritual affairs in order just won’t work. It will be very difficult to make changes during that “twinkling of an eye!”

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

SCRIPTURE: “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words to eternal life.” John 6:67-68, NKJV (John 6:60; 66, 68-69)

A slogan adopted by some school athletic teams proclaims that “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” A challenge entices some people into putting every morsel of heart and soul into the effort to persevere, even though success is questionable and the outcome in doubt. Discipline has its own reward. For some people, anyway.
For others, when the going gets tough, their pathway leads away from the challenges and hard times, as in this passage in John’s Gospel, even if the reward is eternal life. “This is a hard saying,” they complained. (John 6:60) And so many of His disciples went back and walked with him no more. (vs. 66)
I thought of these words, written by Thomas Paine at the beginning of the American Revolution:
“These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
Thomas Paine, “The American Crisis”—Published on 23 December 1776

David, the king-annointed of Israel, also endured some very tough times, hiding in the wilderness while the current reigning king, Saul, sought to kill him. (1 Samuel 23:14) David refused to kill King Saul when an easy opportunity was presented, though some urged him to seek that method of ending the hardship. Saul was yet the Lord’s anointed; the matter would be decided by the Lord’s hand, not David’s. (Samuel 24:10)
It is easy to join a cause amid glitz and glamor, to be part of the popular throng, merrily enjoying the “summer sunshine.” So it is in life in the earthly realm, and many will not view the glorious triumph to be worth the hard conflict. A life that is viewed as pressed down and boxed in can be very unpleasant. Like Paul, we pray for relief from our “thorn in the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)
While there are valid reasons to fly the coop, such as abusive relationships, or undesirable situations, we need to think carefully before joining the “green pasture” crowd - those souls continually searching for something better, always searching, but never finding.
Yet, as Thomas Paine observed, what we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness that gives everything its value. Following Jesus the Savior is not always easy, as many who followed Him discovered. Let us, though, not go away from Him, for, as Peter observed Jesus has the words of eternal life.
May 25, 2008

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

* The Lambs Finally Got It!
* Scripture: Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my lambs;" "Tend my sheep;" "Feed my sheep." (from John 21:15-17)

O Happy Day! The lambs finally got it! They all stayed with the rest of the flock when it came time to move.
We practice a system of grazing that requires frequent moves from one section of the pasture to another. Once we have the portable fences set up for the next paddock, we open the fence and let the sheep move onto fresh grass.
The older sheep know the routine, and stand waiting whenever they see us getting ready. The lambs, though, are so full of life and vigor that they seem to lose track of where mama is and what the rest of the flock is doing.
"Lambie-Lambie-Lambie-SHEEP!" Heads pop up, grazing stops, and the sheep move toward the shepherd. It takes a while for lambs to associate the shepherd's call with a move to a better pasture, though. Running and leaping is such fun that it takes some of them a while to notice that they have been left behind. Then they are apt to panic and try to go through the fence rather than the open gate. They may also turn and run the opposite way, away from safety, away from nourishment.
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs, tend my sheep." What if the Shepherd is willing, but the lambs won't cooperate?
Thinking about this gives me a new appreciation of the task Jesus gave Peter:
I can just imagine Peter praying about it. "Lord, about these sheep of yours: Some never seem to catch on. They don't associate the Good Shepherd's call with a better life ahead. They are having such a good time that they don't gather with the rest of the flock."
"They seem to prefer pleasure and comfort above the Word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Mt. 4:4)
"I call them to come to Your gate in the sheepfold, Lord, but they either do not hear me, or ignore my call. They seem to have no problems hearing the call of the evil one, though. I am not an hireling who leaves the sheep. I would be willing to lay down my life for the sheep, just as you did for all of us. I fear that some of them will be left behind and lost forever."
We, as Christians, find ourselves in Peter's shoes. We are both sheep and shepherds, in the tradition of Matthew Chapter 10.
As sheep, we need to listen to the call of The Good Shepherd.
As shepherds, we need to share with the sheep 'out there' that Jesus is indeed the door, the way to salvation, and lead the lambs to find the pasture of eternal life.
June 18, 2006

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

* Let Go
* Scripture: Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Matthew 19:21-22, NKJV

We are counseled, (and probably have counseled) to “Let go, and let God.” It’s hard, very hard in practice. It’s just not in our common nature to let go of things, including problems that God could handle for us. We refuse to change our habits, even if our well-being is at stake. Something has to grab us, and shake us, until reality sets in.
Since we search for examples to inspire us, I thought maybe this fable from India, “The Farmer and the Money Lender,” might give you something to think about.
The story concerns a poor farmer, who, having lost everything to a money lender, sought the secret to becoming rich. He set out on his quest with three griddlecakes to last him on his journey. A Brahman and a Yogi accepted his offering of a griddlecake, and gave nothing in return. (Compare to the religious men in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:31-32.)
He shared his last cake with a poor man, who gave him a magic conch shell in response to his kindness, with the secret of how to use it to have wishes filled.
The money lender quickly surmised that the farmer’s good fortune was related to the conch shell, so he stole it. He had the shell, but found he lacked the secret of how to blow the horn to gain his wishes. If the money lender kept it, neither would benefit, so he offered the farmer a deal; he would return the magic shell to the farmer, with the agreement that whatever the farmer got from it, the money lender would get double. This arrangement went on for a time, and it preyed upon the farmer’s mind that the money lender always got double. Then, during a very dry season, the farmer wished for a water well, and, lo! there was the well - but the money lender had two new water wells! The farmer brooded and brooded over this, until he had an idea. He blew the conch shell, and wished to be blind in one eye. In a twinkling, the money lender was blind in both of his eyes, and in trying to steer his way between the two wells, fell into one and was drowned. So that is how the farmer got the better of the money lender - but only by losing one of his eyes.
Jesus reminds us that we have to give up some things in order to gain other things, more important things, like eternal life. He also counseled,”If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) Since we are prone to never let go of one thing until we have a firm grip on something else (which may be good advice for daredevil wing walkers) we cling to what we have, rather than let go and step out in faith for the heavenly walk.
This week, think about what you would be willing to give up to assure eternal life.
March 13, 2005

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

SCRIPTURE: “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words to eternal life.” John 6:67-68, NIV (John 6:60; 66, 68-69)

A slogan adopted by some school athletic teams proclaims that “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” A challenge entices some people into putting every morsel of heart and soul into the effort to persevere, even though success is questionable and the outcome in doubt. Discipline has its own reward. For some people, anyway.
For others, when the going gets tough, their pathway leads away from the challenges and hard times, as in this passage in John’s Gospel, even if the reward is eternal life. “This is a hard saying,” they complained. (John 6:60) And so many of His disciples went back and walked with him no more. (vs. 66)
I thought of these words, written by Thomas Paine at the beginning of the American Revolution:
“These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
Thomas Paine, “The American Crisis”—Published on 23 December 1776
David, the king-annointed of Israel, also endured some very tough times, hiding in the wilderness while the current reigning king, Saul, sought to kill him. (1 Samuel 23:14) David refused to kill King Saul when an easy opportunity was presented, though some urged him to seek that method of ending the hardship. Saul was yet the Lord’s anointed; the matter would be decided by the Lord’s hand, not David’s.(Samuel 24:10)
It is easy to join a cause amid glitz and glamour, to be part of the popular throng, merrily enjoying the “summer sunshine.” So it is in life in the earthly realm, and many will not view the glorious triumph to be worth the hard conflict. A life that is viewed as pressed down and boxed in can be very unpleasant. Like Paul, we pray for relief from our “thorn in the flesh.” ( 2 Corinthians 12:1-10)
While there are valid reasons to fly the coop, such as abusive relationships, or undesirable situations, we need to think carefully before joining the “green pasture” crowd - those souls continually searching for something better, always searching, but never finding.
Yet, as Thomas Paine observed, what we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness that gives everything its value. Following Jesus the Savior is not always easy, as many who followed Him discovered. Let us, though, not go away from Him, for, as Peter observed Jesus has the words of eternal life.