Seeds For Thinking

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

* Support Systems
* Scripture: Paul wrote, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:11, NKJV

We do many things without thinking about them. Breathing, for instance. Most of the time I give no thought to breathing at all, but I can control it to a certain extent, like when the doctor says, "Take a deep breath and hold it." Automatic breathing is probably a good thing, considering how often I forget things any more.
Likewise, we seldom give thought to the many people who provide services for us, because we do not personally see them at work. People who operate and maintain the electrical power system, for example, or gas, water, and the "tele' services. We notice when the system goes down, but even then little thought is given to the many people behind the service technicians who come to our neighborhood.
Few people are able to totally sustain their lives without input from others along the way. Our clothing, our food, the tools we use and the companionship we enjoy require us to look beyond ourselves to discover the many relationships that seldom enter our thoughts.
Consider, then, the armor worn by a soldier such as Paul describes in his letter to the Ephesians. Find a picture of a completely equipped soldier if you can, or a knight from the middle ages. You will see that the "whole armor" that Paul recommends is quite complex, made up of many pieces, all held together by laces, belting and straps. It is highly unlikely that the soldier could put on a full suit of armor by himself, let alone possess the skills needed to build it.
There would be several levels of metal workers, from the miner of ore, to the smelter and refiner, and the fabricator of parts. The sword maker was and still is a specialist in the trade. Leather working passes through several stages, as well.
Was the fully armored soldier thinking of all of these people as he moved forward into battle? Probably no more than we think of all the people who have contributed to the spiritual armor with which we should equip ourselves: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the Word of God.
Have we alone equipped ourselves? Are we standing alone? By no means! Praise God, we stand shoulder to shoulder with countless numbers of "Christian Soldiers," following the saints who have preceded us and sacrificed for us. We owe what we have and hold dear to parents, teachers, pastors and preachers, refiners and fabricators of the spiritual armor with which we go forth.
Paul adds, "Praying always with all prayer a supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints -" (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV)
June 4, 2006

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

* Rewrite
* Scripture: This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
John 21:24, NKJV

A young lad was telling his mother about his Sunday School lesson for the day, the story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
"Pharaoh came with his army while Moses was trying to get all of the people into the boats," he said. "The Israelites started shooting with machine guns, so Pharaoh called for the tanks. Moses had his soldiers set out land mines. The tanks tried to go around them and catch the boats, but ran into the sea and drowned. Moses and all the Israelites got away over the Red Sea."
"Is that what your teacher really told you,?" his mother asked.
"Well, no," the boy replied. "But if I told it like the teacher did, you wouldn't believe it either."
Many people have a problem accepting what is written in the Bible. Well, so be it. That is their prerogative. Others, however, are like the boy and the Sunday School lesson about the crossing of the Red Sea. Not satisfied with the way it is written, they rewrite the Bible in their own style, and with the facts changed to seem more plausible by their way of thinking.
Pick a topic, any topic, and you will find skeptics who claim knowledge of "the real truth" that others are conspiring to hide.
Members of "The Flat Earth Society" sincerely believe that the earth is not round at all, but flat, just as you can see. There is a group of people who are convinced that the moon landings were faked, all part of a big conspiracy on the part of NASA to get money.
The so-called "docudrama" is a popular form of entertainment that is based on some event that has a basis in fact, but is embellished far beyond the basic truth. All it takes is some element of mystery, some conspiracy theory, and many people become convinced that the "retelling" is more factual than actual truth.
A popular radio call-in program is based on numerous conspiracy theories, drawing those who are certain they have an elite gift of knowledge that enables them, and them only, to see the "hidden truth."
The disciple John ended his gospel with these words: "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." (John 21:25, NKJV)
Yes, John, many things have indeed been written about Jesus. Unfortunately, many are not truly inspired by God, and can not stand the scrutiny of knowledgeable witnesses.
John recorded Jesus' words (8:31-32) "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Responsible witnesses affirm that John's words are true.
May 21, 2006

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ, and will deceive many.”
Mt. 24:4, 5. NIV

We begin this edition of Fairyland News with a fast-breaking story:
Three mice were observed running into the Hickory-Dickory clock tower. The clock struck one; we do not yet know which one.
A local musician’s son was apprehended earlier today running down the street with a pig under his arm. The pilfered pig turned out to be from Farmer Fred’s herd. The young man, named Tom, was chastised and remanded to the custody of his father, the Town Piper. The pig was reportedly being held for evidence.
An incident at the town well is being investigated on two counts. A young male was treated at the scene for a personal injury to his head after Jack and Jill fell while fetching a pail of water. The accident raises safety concerns to be addressed by the city, while the first aid treatment will be scrutinized by the Medical Board.
The housing shortage is becoming more evident in the city as citizens turn to unconventional structures. Peter the Pumpkin Eater has moved his wife into a pumpkin shell, while one widow has moved her family into a shoe.
On the social scene, Old King Cole has thrown another of his successful and well-attended parties. Everybody who is anybody was there, except for Humpty Dumpty, who is suffering from a devastating fall from the city wall.
The Prince is searching the kingdom this morning for the charming young lady who obviously captivated his heart at the ball, only to depart suddenly at the stroke of midnight, leaving behind a glass slipper. . .

Hopefully, you recognized the nursery rhymes used as the basis of my slightly twisted news report. Perhaps you recited them to yourself. Recognition is one thing; accuracy another. My purpose is to point out that many twist the Gospel - the Good News - with empty claims concerning Jesus and the scriptures.
Jesus warned that many false prophets will appear, with claims no more valid than fairy tales. (Mt. 24:11; see also Rev. 13:11-18)
Peter speaks at length of false teachers in 2 Peter, Chapter 2. Peter states, “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.”
Fairy tales; empty words.
Get the Good News; Read your Bible daily!
September 28, 2003

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

Scripture: John wrote, “I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. John 21:25b, KJV.

I frequently consult a concordance as one of the aids to my study of the Bible. My edition is called an “exhaustive concordance” because it lists all of the words of the King James Bible, and all the passages where the words are found; the main concordance contains 1,218 pages. Additional pages list the occurrence of forty-seven frequently used words such as he, him, and thou. I can compare selected words and phrases used in the King James version with five other popular translations. This rather large book also contains a Hebrew and Chaldee dictionary, used mostly for the Old Testament, and a Greek dictionary for the New Testament.
I can find, for example, that the word translated “spiritual” is used in seven books of the Bible. The word for “Spirit” occurs first in Genesis 1:2, reading, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” There are more than four columns of references to the word spirit, in small print! This is indeed an “exhaustive” reference.
I state all of this not as a matter of bragging, for many people use this or similar concordances, but to illustrate the extent of an attempt - any attempt - to compile a reference to the entire Bible. Yet I am ever mindful of that statement used by John to conclude his Gospel: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” Amen. John 21:25., KJV.
While this concordance may be an “exhaustive” reference to the Bible, the Bible itself is not an “exhaustive” reference to the totality of God, His actions, nor of Jesus’ life and ministry. Such a record is impossible! The Greatness of God spans the universe, having no beginning and no ending; His Story is still being written out, day by day, upon His creation, and in the lives of His creatures.
Yes, John, there have been thousands of books written that were inspired by God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thousands more will be written. I receive messages almost daily expressing and illustrating the wonders of God’s presence in the hearts and minds of His faithful.
So I join the multitudes who share the tidings of Good News found within the pages of the Bible, planting Seeds for Thinking hoping, like the sower of Jesus’ parable in Mt. 13:3-23, that some will sprout in you to become a fruitful crop of Bible study and meditation upon the nourishment found in the Word of God.
June 1, 2003

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

Scripture: Paul wrote, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22b, NIV

Baling wire to the rescue! The ubiquitous fix-it material. Once generally available on most any farm, it still does things the modern urbanized remedy for anything loose - duct tape - can not do. The demise of wire-tied hay bales is a loss to society as a whole. Even though baling twine has many uses, I’ve yet to see livestock chew off the wire fastener holding a gate closed. Neither duct tape or twine will replace a broken exhaust pipe or muffler hanger; wire is a natural! Many people have to resort to the close cousin, the coat hanger.
Thankfully, they do make a good substitute for baling wire - electric fence wire. I always keep rolls of a couple sizes handy. (Also tarp or bungie straps, duct tape, and twine. One must be ready for anything.)
I could go many directions towards life’s philosophies with this lead in.
Be like a piece of baling wire:
Be always available and useful.
Help hold people together when things start falling apart.
Bend yourself to fit the situation.
Well, you get the idea. And it’s not bad advice.
Maybe you can add to it.
Possibly you can think of ways that Jesus fits the idea. Seed for Thinking, right?
Paul had something like this in mind, I think, in his letter to the Corinthians. In essence, he wrote: (1 Cor. 19-22)
I made myself as a slave to everyone.
I became like a Jew to win Jews.
I became like one under the law.
I became like one not under the law.
To the weak I became weak.
I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. (My emphasis)
Why?
“I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings,”said Paul. Everyone benefits!
This comes pretty close to the thought of “bending yourself to fit the situation.”
Many times we come across people who want to bend everyone to fit their ideas. In the process, they alienate many, and convince few. Now I am not talking “situational ethics” here - (do whatever everyone else is doing; it’s OK). Neither is Paul, but he learns what they believe, and uses that knowledge so that by all possible means (he) might save some.
I know of no animal on the farm that I can get to eat by beating them. Nor can you drive people to salvation.
I think Paul is talking about adapting himself (bending) to the situation so that he can lead them gently in the direction he wants them to go. What do you think?
August 4, 2002