Seeds For Thinking

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

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/

* Gardens
* Scripture: Paul wrote: So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up." (Gal. 5:9, NRSV)

My garden was really looking good. The temperatures and rainfall were ideal, and the seeds responded by sprouting and growing well. I put a fence around it, just over knee high, using a type of wire that promised to keep rabbits from doing the Peter Cottontail thing.
It turns out that the fence was false security. The deer jumped over it, rabbits went through it, and groundhogs dug under it. Goodbye lettuce, adieu peas, farewell cabbage. Apparently they aren't keen on chowing down on onions and horseradish, leaving those untouched, but that beautiful sweet corn, hip high by the 4th of July, became a disaster zone of bare cobs and broken stalks.
Fences won't stop weeds, of course, so the usual variety of unwanted vegetation made its appearance. That, too, is part of gardening. Thistles made their annual visitation, thanks in part to immigration from the unmowed neighboring field. They are easy to pull, but I actually left some because of the service that they provided. Guardians of the goodies! Yes! Spinach. I did get several meals of spinach, because that was where I let the thistles grow. I'm still pondering that lesson.
In a sense, our entire lives are as a garden. We 'plant' many different things over the course of time. Just as the produce from my vegetable garden is true to the seed that I plant, so are the fruits from my spiritual 'garden' true to my lifestyle.
More of Paul's insight: "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up." (Gal. 5:7-9, NRSV)
Should I expect weeds and animals to respect my long experience as a gardner, and not visit me? Of course not! They simply see my garden, or any garden, as a place to grow, or as a food source. Likewise, my Spiritual garden will be attacked by earthly impulses if given the slightest chance. Works of the flesh!
According to Paul, "the works of the flesh are obvious: Fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these." (Gal. 5:21a)
Will I plant another garden? Certainly! I know now that my simple fence was not adequate to the task. Nor can I be casual about my Spiritual fences, either. Like Paul, I desire to reap at the harvest. I will do what is right.
"The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." (Galations 5:22-23, NRSV)
Grow for it!
August 6, 2006

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/

* Barriers
* Scripture: Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you -- Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (from John 14:27., NKJV)

Talk about the need to play catch-up! There she stood, gazing over the two fences bordering the highway, ears erect, the distance between them rapidly increasing. The other deer had quickly cleared the fences, their white flag tails flashing in the morning light, and were already at the far side of the field. This one still stood, almost looking like one of those yard statues, but I wasn't about to move my car until she crossed the road. All at once, she ducked her head and went through a hole in the fence!
Once hesitant, she was now almost a blur of motion, racing after the others. I couldn't help but give a chuckle of surprise, because I fully expected her to do a follow the leader up OVER the fence.
I guess one lesson learned from this incident is to always expect the unexpected!
Deer are so plentiful in our area, and we have watched them so often, that we just normally expect them to jump fences. I counted as ten deer moved across our fields the previous evening. Up would flash their distinctive white tails, up and over the three or four fences they would go, then follow their well-worn trail into the creek bottoms where they spend their evenings.
My wife and I went out to feed our livestock one evening, and encountered two half-grown deer behind the barn. One was in the fenced lane, and panicked when we appeared. It charged the fence head-on, thrusting its head between the wires. Like a vertical trampoline, the fence bounced the deer back on its haunches. Again and again that deer charged the fence, until I became concerned that it would break its neck. We withdrew into the barn, and the pair slowly made their way along the fence. They must have finally remembered what mama had told them about fences, cleared them easily, and disappeared into the adjoining woods.
Sometimes we, too, panic when we see a barrier separating us from something we very deeply desire. Something blocking the way; a weight pulling us down. We stand, immobilized, anxious, watching our hopes dim in the distance.
When the deer in these illustrations finally realized that they had by nature the answer to the problem that confronted them, they did what God intended, and jumped those barriers!
What a panicky time when we see God seemingly fade into the distance. However, God intended by nature that we should desire Him, and come unto Him. Ask, and you will receive peace and comfort.
March 19, 2006

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

* Heaven
* Scripture: Jesus said, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20, NKJV, NIV

The Sunday School teacher asked her students to raise their hands if they wanted to go to heaven. Instantly, enthusiastic hands shot up and were waving all over the class - all except one boy who was sitting on his hands.
“Don’t you want to go to heaven when you die?,” she asked.
“Oh! When I die, sure,” he replied. “I thought you were getting up a trip right now.”
I think most of us are like that. We want to go to heaven - someday, but not right now.
However, in the words of an old spiritual song;
“Everybody talkin’ ‘bout Heaven ain’t goin’ there.”
Jesus Himself affirms this, saying, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Mt. 6:21, NKJV)
Jesus speaks often of heaven, including the model prayer, which begins,
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” (Mt. 5:9-10, NKJV)
Heaven - the place of everlasting bliss - might more properly be called “paradise” to distinguish the abode of God, Christ, The Holy Spirit, Angels and The Just from the firmament (heavens) containing the sun, moon, stars, planets, and other heavenly objects. Hebrews 1:11 and 2 Peter 3:10
note that the heavens (firmament) will pass away, but the abode of God will endure for eternity. God created the heavens and earth to declare His Glory, Righteousness, and Wisdom. (Ps. 19:1; Ps. 50:6; Prov. 8:27)
The redeemed can look forward to Joy, Rest, Peace, Righteousness, Service, Reward, Inheritance, Glory, and the Authority of God’s Word. (Luke 15:7, 10; Rev. 14:3; Luke 16:19-25; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 7:15; Matt. 5:11, 12; 1 Peter 1:4; Romans 8:17, 18; Ps. 119:89)
Some things are indeed lacking in Paradise. You won’t find Marriage, Death, Flesh and blood, Perishable things, Sorrow, Pain, The Curse, Night, Weeping, and Wicked people, End. (Matt. 22:30; Luke 20:36; 1 Cor. 15:50; 1 Cor. 15:42, 50; Rev. 7:17; Rev. 22:3; Rev. 22:5; Isaiah. 65:19; Rev. 22:15; Matt. 25:46, Rev. 22:5)
The alternative to ‘Paradise’ is not a nice place, described as a place of eternal torment, everlasting fire, punishment, destruction, of Outer Darkness and a Lake of Fire. (See Matt. 25:41, 46; 8:12; 2 Thess1:9 and Rev. 19:20)
So - you need to be certain your name is recorded in heaven. (Luke 10:20) You must be saved, born again, of water and the Spirit. (John 3:3-6, 3:16, 5:24; Acts 16:31)
That’s a lot to read, I know. (I also know many won’t take the time!) Well, add one chapter more, from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15. There will come a day when you will be glad you did, and you, too, can exclaim, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? (1 Cor. 15:55)
June 19, 2005

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

* Spiritual Chemo
* Scripture: Paul wrote, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13, NKJV)

We would not willingly consume poison, yet, sometimes, that is just what the doctor orders. Chemotherapy is indeed poison, balancing that fine line between destroying cancerous cells, and not killing off the healthy ones. We all probably know of someone who is or has been on chemo. It is not a pleasant experience. Hair loss, nausea, and other undesirable side effects come with the treatment.
Why do people submit to this rather drastic form of medication? Because that is the only thing that will free them from the grip of a life-threatening condition - cancer. In order to gain life, we have to put to death that within the body which has the power to bring death
People can suffer from a spiritual life-threatening malady, as well. We call it sin. The side effects can pull us down and make life every bit as miserable as a physical illness, and can sometimes manifest itself in physical ways.
Paul’s letter to the Galations speaks to the conflict between the flesh and the spirit. In 5:17 he states, “For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another.” He then goes on to list the works of both the flesh and the spirit.
A life of contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, and selfish ambitions defines the works of the flesh. Could such a life style pull one down?
Love, peace, kindness, goodness, and self control are some of the fruits of the spirit, uplifting both body and soul. (See Galations 5:16-26)
Consider that the Bible speaks of two deaths. The first death is physical, such as cancer of the body might bring. The second death is pictured in Revelation, 20:14, and it is not a pretty picture. This is the spiritual death, and those not enrolled in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire with Death and Hades. (NKJV)
The physical body may escape death from cancer by putting to death the cancerous cells, the malignancy that infests the flesh.
The spirit must put to death the malignancy that is sin, in order to escape the second death. That “spiritual chemo” may be accomplished by taking Jesus Christ as the ultimate medicine. Paul writes, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11, NKJV)
If you know someone who suffers from cancer of the Spirit, prescribe “Spiritual chemo.” It’s powerful stuff!
May 1, 2005

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

Scripture: Isaiah wrote, “They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4 NIV

In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the guns that had shaken Europe for four years fell silent. An armistice between the central powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey) and the allied powers (British Empire, France, Belgium, Russia, Italy, USA) brought the hostilities of the “Great War” to an end. The final peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, was signed in 1919.
The explosion we now know as World War I began in a tangle of alliances reaching back into the mid 1800’s; the spark was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, while he was visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
The war involved all the great powers of Europe, and extended into Asia and Africa. Troops came from all over the British Commonwealth, from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Sea battles took place in the South Atlantic and the Pacific. The USA also intervened in European affairs for the first time, with more than 100,000 American troops killed helping to guarantee an allied victory.
World War I is also regarded as the first "total war" in which the combatants mobilized all their resources, military, industrial and human, on a scale never before thought possible.
It was known simply as “The Great War,” the war to end all wars. The number of men mobilized by both sides totaled over 65 million. When the fighting was finally over, no-one could tell exactly how many had been killed but historians estimate that up to 10 million men lost their lives on the battlefield - and another 20 million were wounded.
Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. It is a day for remembrance, a time to consider the causes of wars, and rumors of wars.
What became of the student, Gavrilo Princip, who assassinated Duke Ferdinand? He died of tuberculosis on April 28, 1918.
The war resulted in a radical reshaping of the political map of Europe. It spelled the end of the Ottoman and Habsburg empires and was the catalyst for the Russian revolution. It left much of Europe in severe economic hardship, and led to an even greater war, World War II.
In retrospect, The Treaty of Versailles did not bring a lasting peace to the world at all. The breakup of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire nearly a century ago resulted in much of today’s middle eastern conflict.
More now than ever, we need to heed Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.” Mt. 5:9