Seeds For Thinking

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Seeds For Thinking
by Leland Hubbell

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Scripture: For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. (Hebrews 9:24, NKJV)

Welcome to Fluffy Cloud Heaven! Mess up a little bit in your earthly life, and when you get to heaven you will get:

A rusty old halo, skinny white cloud
Second hand wings full of patches
A rusty old halo, skinny white cloud
Robe that's so wooly it scratches.

This is the heaven often depicted in art, story, film and song. People become angels when they die, complete with wings. They wear a long, white robe, sport a halo, and float around on clouds. Entrance is via Pearly Gates, guarded by St. Peter. He will check his big book of naughty and nice records, and as noted in the song, “A Rusty Old Halo,” reward you accordingly. The rich and stingy have to travel “Coach” class.
However, if;

While you're on earth you should shine like a star
Brighten up the corner wherever you are
Doing each day the best you can do

then you receive “First Class” accommodations. Non-smoking section.
If you really mess up Big Time, then you are sent to the nether regions, “smoking,” of course, with flames and pitchforks. Well, not really a pitchfork, but an ancient weapon called a trident. Think Roman gladiators. Greek gods. Get the point?
When the first Soviet cosmonauts orbited the earth, the Soviets took the opportunity to score a point for atheism by declaring that there was neither God nor heaven to be seen. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man to orbit the earth, apparently never said such words; the phrase originated from Nikita Khrushchev's speech at the plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, where the anti-religious propaganda was discussed. Actually, they affirmed that a “Fluffy Cloud Heaven” doesn’t exist. God’s Eternal Kingdom lies beyond time and eternity, not over the rainbow nor in the clouds.
Author C. S. Lewis states in “Mere Christianity,” “All the scriptural imagery (harps, crowns, gold, etc.) is, of course, a merely symbolical attempt to express the inexpressible. . . . People who take these symbols literally might as well think that when Christ told us to be like doves, He meant that we were to lay eggs.”
(See Matthew 10:16)
What is the true heaven like? According to the scriptures, it will be filled with the glory of God. It will be inhabited by God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, angels, and the Just. There will be peace, joy, rest, and righteousness.
Nothing perishable will exist there. There will be no sorrow, no pain, no weeping or wicked people. People will neither marry, nor give in marriage. Night and death will not exist.
Heaven - God’s Heaven - is a place of everlasting bliss. “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

Seeds for Thinking (©) 1996 - 2010 by Leland Hubbell

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

* Thieves
* Scripture: God spoke; Moses wrote, "Thou shalt not steal." Deuteronomy 5:17

Would you believe it?! He had the audacity to call me a thief. It was my tree, and my fruit. I planted it, I cared for it - so what right did he have to call me a thief? Actually, there was plenty of fruit for both of us. Well, maybe blue jays have a limited vocabulary. As far as that bird was concerned, though, it was his territory, and the Lord put the fruit on it for his benefit as well as mine.
Fair enough. Besides, "Thief" is only our approximation of a a bluejay's call. It might just mean "Hey, good buddy" in bird talk. Thinking about the word 'thief' did make me curious about thieves in the Bible, though.
It is obvious that thievery was not an acceptable practice at least as far back as the Exodus. "Thou shalt not steal!" You can not get more explicit than that, can you? Well, maybe. Let's take a look.
In a sense, all of the other commandments hinge on stealing. The First Commandment, of course, states that "You shall not have any other gods before Me." What does that have to do with theft? By worshipping idols, by having other gods (lower case 'g') you are taking the honor and worship that rightfully belongs only to God! Think about it!
Taking the name of God in vain, misusing that Good Name, corrupting it, robs God of the dignity and respect that His Good Name deserves.
The Lord God Himself rested on the seventh day. Are we so desperate that we will attempt to steal even time that the Lord has set aside? That time is intended to enrich our lives, so are we stealing from both God AND ourselves by taking away the worship and rest we are loosing? Not to mention that 'rest' from work for our son, daughter, male servant, female servant, ox, donkey, cattle or even the stranger "within our gates." They deserve that rest - so said the Lord Himself. Are you stealing from them?
We are to honor our parents. That topic is worthy of many a sermon and writing, yet we hear report after report of abuse of parents and senior citizens. Outright taking of possessions is obvious, but theft of honor and respect is doubly odious. This is the 'commandment with a promise': "that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you."
Adultery is an especially messy business. It involves breaking a pledge given in good trust, often leading to a life time of disillusionment and ill will for innocent victims who have lost one of the most precious gifts of God - the loving family unit. Much is written in the Laws concerning sexual relations: start with Leviticus Chapter 18 for more insight.
Surely coveting is not stealing. Well, by definition, to covet is to "wish for enviously, to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another." At what point do wishes become actions? Inordinate desire (covetness) robs the heart of well-being, possibly leading to "evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false-witness, blasphemies." (Mt. 15:19)
Jesus also said, "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her (covet) has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Mt. 5:28, see Adultery)
Thieves are prominent in Paul's list of unrighteous practices: "nor thieves, nor coveteous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." (See 1 Corinthians Chapter 6)
What hope, then, is there? The Holy Spirit walks along side us, to guide and enable our 'walk.'
We always have the option of repentance, even to the last moment (although that is risky) as evidenced by the thieves at the crucifixion of our Lord. One repented, and was forgiven at that very moment.
And finally, as in sports, the best offense is a good defense: Guard yourselves from the wiles of the devil by worship, prayer, and meditation.
July 2, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com

* Normal
* Scripture: Jesus said, . . ."I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of Truth." John 14:6,7, NIV

I wonder how much of our lives we spend waiting for things to "become normal"? Take the weather, for example. The forecast may call for conditions to be "about normal," or perhaps "above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation."
That's fine, if we know what normal is supposed to be. If we look at the weather over many years of time, certain weather conditions may occur more often than others. The condition we call normal is not absolute; normal may be what we long for, but we can not be assured we will always know what normal is.
If we look back at our lives, and try to choose a period that we could label as "normal," we will realize that a lot of changes occur. Perhaps a more fitting term would be the word "typical." We had a typical childhood; we were typical teenagers. What was normal for those years is vastly different from marriage and childbearing years.
If we contact an illness, we may display symptoms that are normal for that affliction; we would definitely not say we were experiencing normal health, though. Not as we would want it to be.
That is today's "Seed For Thinking." Normal may in part be whatever we wish it to be. If we do not get our desires, our wish, we say things are "not normal."
The Bible is full of many examples where people want a certain condition to exist. "Have our cake, and eat it too." The dilemma - get what we want, but don't change anything. Do we eat the cake, or do we keep the cake uneaten?
Jesus' disciples had somewhat the same dilemma. They wanted Jesus to be with them, forever. That's an understandable feeling. But Jesus knew that the church needed something that would not be available if He stayed with the disciples. John 16:7 relates how Jesus told them that He had to go away, because the Holy Spirit would not come to them unless He went away.
They had all been with Jesus for several years. That was 'normal.' Now Jesus was going to leave them. Jesus observed that they were "filled with grief." (John 16:6)
Jesus was preparing them for a new way of life, and the world for a New Covenant.
His blood was shed for the salvation of all.
Normal ceased to exist;
Normal began on Calvary, and was confirmed at Pentecost.

SPECIAL NOTE: If all we ever do is what we've always done;
All we will ever get is what we've always got!

April 30, 2006

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

Scripture: Paul wrote, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Romans 8:5, NIV

They don’t put them on the front any more. Picture vertical and horizontal hold controls were very necessary on early television receivers, to keep the picture from rolling or flopping on the screen. You probably haven’t noticed; they were a nuisance, anyway.
The circuitry that handles that particular function is still vital to keep your television receiver scanning at the exact same timing as the original TV camera. It is called “synchronization.” Perhaps you have seen a movie where participants in an activity synchronize their watches, to act simultaneously where timing is essential to success. So, too, with television.
The originating picture source sends out synchronizing information, timing pulses, and the receiving unit attempts to “lock on” to that timing information. It is not good enough to be “close.” Early electronic circuitry had problems maintaining exact synchronization; the most common effect was that the picture would roll up or down, with a black bar between parts of the picture. So you got up and adjusted the hold control. (No remote controls, either.)
Most picture displays (and I have to include computers in this) now use a special integrated circuit that has no external hold controls. As long as the picture information is not weak or filled with interference noise, your picture does not flip or flop. Both the original source of information, and your screen display, are operating as one.
Not so the world we live in. Something is out of sync, for sure! Otherwise, people would obey the laws, treat each other with love and respect, and we would have the “picture” God intended for the world. Well, we can’t go around adjusting everyone else’s television or computer, nor can we somehow adjust everyone else’s behavior. We can, however, do something about our own.
That is where personal synchronization comes in. We need to get in step with God. That means we have to “tune in” and “lock on.” Constant prayer keeps us connected. God has provided us with copious information - in the Bible, through worship and ministry, and especially through the Holy Spirit.
Think of the Holy Spirit as a special “integrated” circuit embedded in us. When enabled, we are kept in sync with God. Turn it off (ignore the Spirit, or your Conscience) and it is no wonder your life “picture” rolls and flops around.
Keep your signal path to God open, and interference free. When things get shaky, move closer to The Source.
December 14, 2003

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” John 10:14 NIV
It was a sight any shepherd dreads to see . . . feet sticking up in the air. Among farm livestock, sheep have the unique ability to somehow get on their backs, feet upwards, and are unable to roll over and get up. I hate burying sheep! So I ambled over to this one, hoping the best, and fearing the worst. Lo and behold, the feet are wavering feebly. Maybe I’m in time. Yes! Hasn’t expired yet. Rolled her over, past the bulging sides, full of unborn lambs, and got her to her feet. Rather wobbly, but after a while she shuffled off toward the rest of the flock. Saved this one. Goes by the identifier of #80.
Two days later, #80 was present at my morning check of the barns, with two lambs. A lack of diligence on the part of the shepherds could have resulted in the loss of three sheep. This time, it had a happy ending.
This led me to thinking about the Chief Shepherd, The Door to the Sheepfold. How many times does Jesus find one of His Flock down and out, literally with “feet wavering in the air.” While we may not breathe our last and expire on the spot, we may cross that great divide that separates us from the abode of life and the abode of eternal death in the future - for all eternity.
Once sheep get lodged on their backs, only some force other than their own resources can get them right-side up again. So, too, with people.
I’ve read it, time and again . . . someone deep into dependency and addiction or steeped in sin, credits their salvation to being “rolled over” by the grace of Jesus. That’s what salvation is all about . . . being “rolled over” from sure death into life. Repentance is a turning, but it often - usually- requires an outside force. The Chief Shepherd has a lot of ‘hirelings’ working for Him.

Might we say that God The Creator, Jesus Christ His Son, our Savior, and the Power of the Holy Spirit enables us to be the physical hands and feet of a loving God reaching a world in need.

How will they know unless someone tells them? Sometimes the “word” can be as powerful as the strongest hands or feet. The soul requires a different force to turn it about, and that force is the Word Of/About God, and Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.
Check the Flock often. . . be prepared to do some ‘rolling!’
April 28, 2002

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

Scripture: Paul wrote, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26, NKJV)

One thing has always puzzled me about those folk tales and fables that involve granting of wishes. I’ve never heard of even one smart-alec wise-guy that wishes for a never ending supply of wishes. That would be number one on my wish list. Then, even if I blew a few on stupid things (as typically happens) I would have wishes to spare to get me out of trouble.
Desire without wisdom often leads to disaster. Many things that seem to be a good idea at first glance may bring unintended or unthought-of consequences.
A typical wish expresses the desire to acquire something that we do not have. Many wishes are for wealth. The legendary Phrygian king, Midas, wished for the power to turn everything he touched to gold. It was fun for a while to turn clothing and other objects to gold, but the king gave no thought about eating until his food also turned into uneatable gold. Midas loved his daughter very much, but one touch turned her to gold, cold gold, which is not the same as hugging a living girl. Alas! Poor King Midas.
In most stories, the final wish is used to correct the troubles caused by foolish requests, usually leaving the person a little wiser, but no better off than before the wishes were granted.
One story of this genre, The Fisherman and His Wife, tells how a fisherman catches and then frees a magic flounder, which of course can fulfill wishes. The wife first wishes for a nice cottage to replace the hovel they had been living in.
Tis aptly said that power corrupts, and the wife soon desires a castle, then a kingdom, an empire, and finally to be able to order about the sun and moon. The wish-granting flounder has had enough of the wife’s delusions of grandeur, and returns them to the hovel from which they started.
Pure desire is seldom tempered with wisdom, especially in fables, where the wish recipient has no one to counsel them, no instructions as to responsible wishing.
It is tempting to use prayer the same way wishes are used in fables, but covetness and raw desire should not be the subject of our prayers. Fortunately, the Bible provides a lot of guidance about using prayer. For example, Jesus said to His Disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) For what purpose, for what power, will we sell our soul? (Satan loses one battle - see Matthew 4:1-11)
We also have one power, one resource that I’ve not found in fable, and that is the Holy Spirit. The One who walks alongside us, and makes intercession for us. One who groans for us.
May our prayers ever be, “Not my will, but Thine.”
April 10, 2005