Seeds For Thinking

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

* Scared Speechless
* Scripture: "Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the alter of incense."
Luke 1: 11, NKJV

Few things get your attention as much as someone suddenly appearing beside you when you think you are alone. Talk about an adrenaline spike! Blood pressure probably goes out the top, too. The effect is all the more heightened if you are the only person supposed to be there, such as a night watchman in a locked building. Or a priest serving in the temple at Jerusalem.
Most of the activity that we read about involving the temple in The New Testament took place in a large, open courtyard surrounding the sacred enclosure. This area was open to all, and was called the Court of the Gentiles.
The temple was enclosed with walls defining the Women's Court and the Court of Israel, or Men's Court. The great altar and vessels holding water for the rituals of washing and sacrifice were located in the Court of Priests, at the eastern end of the temple.
The temple proper contained two rooms. The first room, the Holy Place, contained a golden alter for burning incense, a table for showbread, and a lampstand.
It was separated from the Holy of Holies by a veil. It was this veil, dividing the two rooms, that was torn on the day of Christ's crucifixion.
The Holy of Holies was entered only by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, and then only after purification rituals. Still, it must have been an awe inspiring moment for any priest to stand just outside that curtain, knowing that you were representing the entire nation of Israel before the Lord.
Imagine for a moment that you are a priest, and you have finally been chosen by lot to burn incense in the Holy Place. It is possibly a once in a lifetime event for any priest. You arrive at the temple complex, ascending the steps leading to the great court. The temple rises above you, gleaming golden and shining white in the sunlight. You make your way through the throng, conspicuous in your white linen garments and cap. You enter the court of Israel through one of the six sanctuary gates, and proceed to the great altar in the Court of the Priests.
The familiar rituals of preparation and cleansing seem extra special today. This is where you have spent much of your life, serving God and the Nation of Israel, praying, praising, accepting offerings, and ministering in the ritual of sacrifice. Today is different, though, for you will walk up those twelve steps, beneath the portico, and through those enormous, golden doors.
The sound of the multitudes praying in the outer courts behind you recedes as you enter the Holy Place. The curtain veiling the Holy of Holies hangs before you, but you can go no farther.
You are alone, in the presence of God.
The smoke from the burning incense rises slowly in the still air, carrying the prayers of priest and people.
People! You have heard no one enter; no one else is permitted to so much as ascend those steps leading to the only door, but a man is standing there by the altar of incense! In the presence of God, in this Holy Place. . .
Scared speechless? Well, fearful and trembling, anyway. Actually, a holy visitor in this holiest of places announces the beginning of a new age, the coming of the Christ, the Messiah, and you, Zacharias, will be the father of one who will make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Elizabeth, your long-barren wife, will bear you a son, John, the Forerunner of Christ. He will be great in the sight of the Lord.
The angel Gabriel not only delivers these glad tidings, but also takes away your power of speech. You will not be able to speak until the day these things take place.
Centuries have passed since God spoke through the prophets. But now:
"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people."
Luke 1:68, NKJV

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

Scripture: But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:5 -6, NKJV)

I have visited the tomb, but I did not see his body. Still, I believe that he is dead. I not only have the word of many people that it is true, but I have even seen pictures that confirm it. I have never heard anyone that doubted the fact as truth.
I have not been near the tomb of another man, yet is is reported that crowds of people come from all over to visit there also. Those who have been there say that the tomb is empty. I have no reason to believe that it is not so.
Lenin’s tomb in Red Square was closed the day that I was there. Anyway, I doubt that my group of people would have taken the time to wait out the long queue that forms whenever his embalmed body is on public display.
The very location of Christ’s tomb is in question; people visiting either popular site see nothing but an empty sepulcher. That is not surprising; the first visitors to His tomb found it to be empty, and they knew exactly where it was. They also found evidence that He had been entombed there. The linen cloths that had wrapped His body were lying there, empty.
The absence of a body was explained by an angel, a messenger of God. “He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.”
Did people form long lines and visit the tomb in reverence and awe? No, there was no need to do so. The tomb was empty. Scriptural accounts affirm that the real, living Jesus appeared to many witnesses.
Matthew 28:11-15 confirms that the officials knew without a doubt that the tomb was empty, and paid the soldiers well to lie about the resurrection. Every attempt was made to seal and secure the tomb, yet the armed guard was rewarded for dereliction of duty? I think not! They were rewarded as a cover up.
People still try to explain away the missing body, to cast doubt upon the truth of the resurrection. Many grab hold of every conspiracy theory that comes along like a starving man grasping a morsel of food. They look for descendants, they espouse the authenticity of relics in a never-ending quest to discredit the witnesses and those who recorded the Good News.
Saul, The Doubter became Paul, the Great Evangelist and Defender of Jesus as the Christ - for a reason. His beliefs are summed up in 1 Corinthians chapter 15; that Christ died for our sins, that He arose on the third day, according to the scriptural prophecies; He was seen by Peter (Cephas) and by five hundred witnesses at once, and by the apostles.
No, you will not find Jesus by looking in tombs, nor thousands of ossuary boxes.
He is not there, for He is risen!
April 8, 2007

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

* Scared Speechless
* Scripture: "Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the alter of incense."
Luke 1: 11, NKJV

Few things get your attention as much as someone suddenly appearing beside you when you think you are alone. Talk about an adrenaline spike! Blood pressure probably goes out the top, too. The effect is all the more heightened if you are the only person supposed to be there, such as a night watchman in a locked building. Or a priest serving in the temple at Jerusalem.
Most of the activity that we read about involving the temple in The New Testament took place in a large, open courtyard surrounding the sacred enclosure. This area was open to all, and was called the Court of the Gentiles.
The temple was enclosed with walls defining the Women's Court and the Court of Israel, or Men's Court. The great altar and vessels holding water for the rituals of washing and sacrifice were located in the Court of Priests, at the eastern end of the temple.
The temple proper contained two rooms. The first room, the Holy Place, contained a golden alter for burning incense, a table for showbread, and a lampstand.
It was separated from the Holy of Holies by a veil. It was this veil, dividing the two rooms, that was torn on the day of Christ's crucifixion.
The Holy of Holies was entered only by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, and then only after purification rituals. Still, it must have been an awe inspiring moment for any priest to stand just outside that curtain, knowing that you were representing the entire nation of Israel before the Lord.
Imagine for a moment that you are a priest, and you have finally been chosen by lot to burn incense in the Holy Place. It a possibly a once in a lifetime event for any priest. You arrive at the temple complex, ascending the steps leading to the great court. The temple rises above you, gleaming golden and shining white in the sunlight. You make your way through the throng, conspicuous in your white linen garments and cap. You enter the court of Israel through one of the six sanctuary gates, and proceed to the great altar in the Court of the Priests.
The familiar rituals of preparation and cleansing seem extra special today. This is where you have spent much of your life, serving God and the Nation of Israel, praying, praising, accepting offerings, and ministering in the ritual of sacrifice. Today is different, though, for you will walk up those twelve steps, beneath the portico, and through those enormous, golden doors.
The sound of the multitudes praying in the outer courts behind you recedes as you enter the Holy Place. The curtain veiling the Holy of Holies hangs before you, but you can go no farther.
You are alone, in the presence of God.
The smoke from the burning incense rises slowly in the still air, carrying the prayers of priest and people.
People! You have heard no one enter; no one else is permitted to so much as ascend those steps leading to the only door, but a man is standing there by the altar of incense! In the presence of God, in this Holy Place. . .
Scared speechless? Well, fearful and trembling, anyway. Actually, a holy visitor in this holiest of places announces the beginning of a new age, the coming of the Christ, the Messiah, and you, Zacharias, will be the father of one who will make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Elizabeth, your long-barren wife, will bear you a son, John, the Forerunner of Christ. He will be great in the sight of the Lord.
The angel Gabriel not only delivers these glad tidings, but also takes away your power of speech. You will not be able to speak until the day these things take place.
Centuries have passed since God spoke through the prophets. But now:
"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people."
Luke 1:68, NKJV
December 10, 2006

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

* Mama's Wings
* Scripture: Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Mt. 23:37, NKJV

I honestly don't know what possessed her to do what she did. I know for a fact she wasn't taking scripture into account. Actually, I was surprised that anything good came out of her efforts. But there they were - seven baby chicks hatched out on the 3rd of March - well out of the usual season!
There is indeed a time and a season for everything, and that white hen was certainly rushing things a wee bit. Perhaps the un-seasonably warm temperatures during the month of January threw her biological clock off schedule. Never-the-less, she stuck with her task; she stayed the course.
It takes three weeks for eggs to hatch once the hen starts setting (incubating.) She had fifteen eggs under her - I think some of the other hens contributed - but that still means she started laying eggs for her clutch back in January. Eggs can, and do, freeze, and the temperatures during that time period were in the teens and twenties many times. That accounts for the many that didn't hatch.
Spring is a much more appropriate time to start a chicken family. Baby chicks have to be kept warm. Mother hens certainly make every effort to do that, but in the dead of winter? The chicks can't stay under mamma all of the time. They need to come out for both nourishment and water, and water is hard to come by when the prevailing temperatures turn such resources icy solid.
I will say this much for her; that hen was persistent both in season and out; she stayed on those eggs. Now, she covers her brood with her wings, both Biblical expressions. (See 2 Timothy 4:2; Luke 13:34)
I suppose that there might be hens that are poor mothers, but most of our bantams are fiercely protective of their little ones. Move close, and she goes on full alert. Move closer and you will learn that the beak is quite useful for things other than eating!
Would that all 'people' parents were so dedicated. Most are, I know, but doesn't it break your heart when you read the headlines or watch the news about neglect, abuse and violence concerning children?
Then, consider what would happen if the chicks didn't WANT to gather under mama's wings during this cold, frigid weather. What a disappointment for the hen.
Even today, Jesus' lament holds true; "How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."
What a disappointment!
March 12. 2006

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

Scripture: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?” Lam. 2:15b, NIV

Is there a city anywhere in the world that stirs the emotions of so many people who have never been there as much as does Jerusalem?
Jerusalem, the Holy Mountain. The ancient city of Melchizedek in the time of Abraham, and thought to be the location of Mt. Moriah, where Abraham went to offer up his son Isaac (Genesis 22:2). (Islam contends that the son was not Isaac, but Ishmael.)
Jerusalem, Mount Zion, the capital of David’s kingdom by divine appointment (I Kings 15:4).
Jerusalem, fortified by Solomon, location of the temple and center of worship to God for centuries. The chief Levites and High Priest lived in Jerusalem, Israelites directed their prayers there
(I Ch. 9:34; John 18:15; I Ki. 8:38).
Jerusalem, fought over, captured, destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly for four thousand years of recorded history. Major destruction occurred in the times of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and in the 1st century A.D. by the Romans.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing”, Jesus lamented (Matthew 23:37).
Jerusalem, who has known the peoples of the stone age, the bronze and iron ages, the Canaanites, the Israelites, Egyptians, Syrians, Babylonians. A battleground between the Testaments for Greek and Jew, Macedonian and Persian, Maccabee and Hasmonaean. The focal city of the New Testament, where the Jews, the Romans, and Jesus the Christ played key roles during three unforgettable days that forever changed the world. It is not as Jesus’ home town, or even as his birth place that we cherish Jerusalem, but as the location of His Passion, where he was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead.
Already holy to Jews and Christians scattered the world over, yet another people took control of Jerusalem, first the Arabs, and then the Turks, culminating in the building of The Dome of the Rock by the Muslims following the fall of the Roman Empire.
Jerusalem is fought over even today, the eye of the whirl-wind of the middle east.
There are many who say that we are in the latter days, that the outcome is ordained, and perhaps we shall soon see the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God (Rev. 3:12; 21:2).
Has Joel’s prophecy reached the time of fullness? “Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her” (Joel 3:17b) “Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Their bloodguilt which I have not pardoned, I will pardon.”
The Lord dwells in Zion! (Joel 3:20,21)
February 9, 2003

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

Scripture: Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise. Luke 10:36-37. NIV
News of shootings taking place in schools once again remind us that we live in violent times. That should not come to us as a surprise; violence has been with us since Cain slew Abel. Rather, that peace prevailed, rather than violence, would be truly remarkable!
Jesus told many parables that centered on violence. The tenants of the vineyard mistreated the owner’s servants, and killed his son, the heir, in Mt. 21:33-41. Jesus said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword. Mt. 11:35-36 states, “For I have come to turn
a man against his father
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in law --
a man’s enemies will be members
of his own household.”
Jesus was quoting the prophet Micah, in the old testament, which we think was full of violence and killing.
Even the noted prophet and law-giver, Moses, killed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Exodus 2:11-15.
Mt. 14 records the beheading of John the Baptist by King Herod the tetrarch, at the request of the daughter of Herodias. Her mother advised her to ask the king for this favor. The Herod family were exceptionally brutal, family members killing other family members throughout the history of the family.
Jesus mourned, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you . . .” in Mt. 23:37
Again, robbers beat a man, stripped him of his clothes, and left him for dead. A priest, and a Levite, both ‘representatives’ of God in the Temple system, passed him by. A despised Samaritan took pity on the man, and cared for him. Lk. 10:25-37.
Thus, mercy is not excluded. Love is not banished, but made all the more important when it is made evident in time of need. Violence is of Satan; Love is of God. We have a choice. We were not created to be robots, automatons, marionettes pulled by strings, but people who can express free will. At no time can we be more free than to choose love in times of violence and hatred on earth.
March 11, 2001