Seeds For Thinking

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Mt. 5:44
Ezekiel 34:26b - I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. NKJV

There shall be showers of blessing:
O that today day they might fall
Nathan

The occasion of rain is a curious phenomena - Some people want it, some don’t.
Granted, timing plays a large role in how rain is accepted. For some people, rain is an inconvenience, an interruption of life, a spoiler of fun:

“Rain, rain, go away;
Come again some other day.”
Why? “Little Johnnie wants to play.”

On goes the scowls, out come the umbrellas, washed away goes the day.
Rain is a blessing for other people, however: The farmer needing moisture to sprout or sustain crops, people with cisterns, and - assuming that the shower is gentle and warm - children with obliging parents.
Ever notice? Children who have to be dragged into the tub/shower go joyfully and gleefully into the rain. Laughter, giggles, looking for puddles, maybe eyes closed, looking to the heavens. (Perhaps it’s the absence of soap.)

So, some want (and need) rain, and rain will answer their prayers. Others, like Little Johnnie, are praying for sunshine.
Keep in mind the precepts of Matthew 5:45, that God makes the sun shine on the evil and the good. He sends the rain on the just and the unjust. Everybody! No matter what, somebody is going to be unhappy.
Does it grieve you that blessings fall on the evil ones, perhaps those who hate you, or curse you? Are you discouraged to see bad things happen to good people?
There are - and must be - times that we do not readily see blessings in the answer that God gives us. Look closer; there may be blessings falling, blessings sent by God that you are turning away with your scowl and ‘spiritual umbrella.’ Look instead for ways you can collect, as in a spiritual cistern, these showers for times when you can draw upon them as needed. Times when love, blessing, and prayer bring seasons refreshing to your soul, or to another’s.
Jesus, also, prayed for the “cup to pass,” but accepted God’s will.
He exemplified His teachings (Mt. 5:44) and, in so doing, brought salvation to the world.

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

Scripture: “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14, NKJV)

So how was your last flight? No, I don’t mean by commercial carrier. You do use a flying auto, or at least a helicopter, don’t you? After all, we were all supposed to by using them by the 1980’s, or so the prognosticators envisioned in the 1950’s. Thankfully, that didn’t come to pass. We, the people, seem to have enough problems keeping the more conventional vehicles between the lines and out of harm’s way. Imagine what it would be like to have people slip-sliding all over the place.
It works the other way, also. Sure, Dick Tracy had his two-way wrist radio at a time when conventional communication devices were large and bulky. But who could have foreseen the day when so much is done with such small gadgets. We talk, we text, we compute, we multi-task. Our simplest devices contain more computational power in one, small integrated circuit chip than UNIVAC in the mid century past. And takes pictures, too!
We marveled at a phonograph disc that was called an LP (Long Playing) and contained more than a couple of songs. The player was mostly mechanical, bigger than a bread box. Then along came the wire recorder (remember those?) and tape decks - reel to reel. First, audio, then video. I have in my pack-rat stash examples of most of the formats, including 8-tracks, cassettes, CD’s and DVD’s.
My computer has a little age on it, but no way to play the floppy disks in my collection, not even the little 3 1/2 inch jobbies. I once wrote much of my own software, in BASIC, and a few more advanced formats. Haven’t needed that knowledge, lately.
The ubiquitous Sony Walkman has joined the list of the lost. I have an old Apple II computer on the shelf, and a couple of Commodore 64’s, also. Film. Remember film? An old box camera got me a ribbon in the antique department at a fair. There was 16 mm, 8 mm and super 8. I’ve even got film cartridges. Just pop ‘em in and hit ‘play’.
Speaking of “The Way It Was,”I once could (and did) strip down an auto engine, grind the valves, and rebuild it. New spark plugs every - what? - a few thousand miles. Now I am lucky if I can figure out how to raise the hood!
Predicting the future is an ‘iffy’ business! Chances are, we’ll get it wrong. "The best laid plans of mice and men,” etc. 1
We seem to still be in the age of “wars, and rumors of wars.” Jesus said that these things will come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately. ( Matthew 24; Luke 21 His predictions concerning the temple and the city of Jerusalem were fulfilled with the destruction in 70 A.D., by the Romans.
The final end times have not happened. Jesus warned that many would come, with deceit in mind, false prophets, leading souls astray. The war against the Lamb (Revelation 17:14) can not be predicted, nor should it be. John cautions, in his closing comments to Revelation, against adding to or taking away from the words in the book of prophecy, for God shall take away his part from the Book of Life. Further, God will add to (anyone who would attempt to change God’s Word) the plagues that are described by John.
These things are beyond our control; we should leave them in God’s hand. That does not mean that we give up, and do nothing, however.
I have heard it said that to plant a fruit tree is to plan for the future. There is another form of “planting” and pruning for a fruitful life.
James relates that wars and fights come from among us, from our desires, our lusts, our spending of our resources on pleasures. We want to be a friend of the world. Prune these things from your life! Rather, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee. Be humble in the sight of the Lord; He will lift you up. Be patient! Pray for the afflicted, the sick, for one another. (James chapter 4)
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:17,18)

1 No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong with it. The saying is adapted from a line in “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns: “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.”

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

Scripture: Jesus said: The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like all other men - robbers, evil doers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of all I get.” Luke 18:11-12, NIV

In a moment of silliness, I inquired, “Mirror, mirror, in my hand. Who is the most handsome in the land.”
Starting to lay the mirror down, I added, “Well, mirrors talk for Walt Disney.”
And a voice responded, “He pays better than you do!”

(To simplify the following dialogue, ‘L’ will stand for Leland; ‘M’ for Mirror.)

L: What? Oh, so you can talk.

M: Ooops!

L: So answer the question.

M: Do I have to?

L: That’s the rule. I ask “Who is the most handsome guy in the land?,” and you always answer, “You are, O Master.”

M: Ahhh - You know that saying about “pride goeth before a fall.”?

L: Yes.

M: Get ready for a thump!

L: What do you mean?

M: Mirrors can not tell a lie. You are not the most handsome guy.

L: Oh! I’m not, huh? Pray tell, why not.

M: Ugly, ugly, ugly!

L: Well, thanks a lot! You know what happens to smart-aleck mirrors? Now YOU get ready for a thump!
(Raise mirror)
M: I wouldn’t do that if I were you!

L: And why not?

M: Seven years bad luck, you know.

L: Oh! Well, just the same, you deserve a good smashing for what you said. By the way, I see that you have a mirror on both sides. Does that mean you are two-faced?

M: All the better to see the truth.

L: I’ll bet! Well, just for fun, let’s try a second opinion.
(L. Turns mirror over)
Mirror, mirror, in my hand, who is the most handsome guy in the land?

M2: You are right! He IS ugly!

L: OK, OK. Well, if I’m not number 1, number 2 is still not so bad.

M: Uhhh . . . pick another number.

L: TEN?

M: Higher.

L: Higher?

M: More than 70 times 7.

L: Peter used that term in the Bible to mean a number so big it was beyond counting.

M: You got it!

L: Now, really!
OK, I’ll grant that there are probably guys that are more handsome than me. Just tell me who number One is, and I’ll go and congratulate him.

M: Sorry, I can’t give out his name.

L: What you mean is, you don’t know, and don’t want to look foolish.

M: Oh, I know all right, but after that Sleeping Beauty incident, we mirrors are not permitted to tell who it is.

L: Sleeping Beauty?

M: Yeah, my cousin, “Mirror on the Wall,” told that nasty old witch who the most beautiful girl was, and she put her to sleep for a hundred years.

L: Now do I look like the kind of person who would do something just to get even?

M: Well . . .

L: Watch it!

M: Any way, there are not enough princesses these days who are willing to risk kissing guys who are snoring away! Sorry, just can’t risk it.

L: I suppose you are right. But does that happen often? People get mad and get even if they can’t be number One?

M: Oh! All the time! For example, Jesus told about the vain man, praying in the Temple. Now suppose that I told him he wasn’t as perfect as he thought he was, and it was the tax collector who went home justified .

L: And you think he would do something to that other man, the tax collector?

M: Well, jealously can cause big trouble. Think back to Cain and Able, and how Cain was the first murderer. And their parents, Adam and Eve.
Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed that old snake, Satan, and everyone except mirrors has been lying ever since.

L: Sounds to me like you have your own case of “Better than thou.”

M: Well . . . Anyway, us mirrors have been looking at people for thousands of years, and some things never change.

L: Like what?

M: Well, tomorrow I’ll still be a mirror, and . . .

L: And what?

M: And you will still be ugly!

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

Scripture: Luke recorded, "One of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray.'" Luke 11:1, NKJV

Oh! Come on now! The disciples didn't know how to pray?
They were, after all Jewish men, so prayers were a part of their daily lives.
Examples of prayers of confession, petition, thanksgiving, praise, recollection and intercession are found throughout the Testaments. The practice of prayer was also observed in pagan societies.
Morning prayers were a normal ritual, as expressed by the Psalmist, "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." (Ps. 5:1-3)
The psalmist's prayer demonstrates several elements of prayer. My dictionary suggests that to pray is to ask for interposition and judgment, to cry or call out, to seek (the face of) to request, to inquire, (of an oracle) to intercede, to pour out one's heart. To pray is also to ask humbly and earnestly, an act of adoration. John the Baptist taught his disciples a way of praying. The Pharisees made a show of public prayer. The disciples were emersed in a society steeped in prayer and prayers, and of practices both pious and pompus.
For one thing, the Pharisees publicly prayed loudly and long, wearing the prescribed phylacteries (small leather cases that contain four passages of old testament scriptures) one on the forehead, and the other on the left hand. (See Mt. 23:5)
The intended purpose for the phylacteries was to serve as a reminder of what the Lord had done for them by bringing them out of Egypt, and that "the Lord's law may be in your mouth." (Ex. 13:8-10; 16) In essence, these prayers were more "How great I am," rather than, "O LORD, how great Thou art!) Jesus denounced the practice.
Jesus obviously engaged in a type of prayer that differed quite noticeably from the practices in vogue. Rather than rote recitation (routine or repetition carried out mechanically or unthinkingly) Jesus' prayers were a two-way conversation with His Father. Each prayer was fitted to the need and the occasion. Jesus also prayed in the common Aramaic language, rather than the more formal Hebrew.
So, Lord, how do you do this? Teach us to pray like you do, rather than like what we have been seeing and doing.
Think about the "Model Prayer" as a framework, the skeleton for your petitions. Flesh it out; use it as an anchor, a blueprint, a starting point. Pray in a spirit of adoration and reverence. Express your longings for God's kingdom to come, share your joys and sorrows, plead for your needs (not wants.)
Pray in a spirit of forgiveness; to forgive and be forgiven.
Pray in a Spirit of praise. Pray!
January 21, 2007

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

* Rain
* Scripture: Jesus said, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Mt. 5:44
Ezekiel 34:26b - I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. NKJV

There shall be showers of blessing:
O that today day they might fall
Nathan
The occasion of rain is a curious phenomena - Some people want it, some don't.
Granted, timing plays a large role in how rain is accepted. For some people, rain is an inconvenience, an interruption of life, a spoiler of fun:

"Rain, rain, go away;
Come again some other day."
Why?
"Little Johnnie wants to play."

On goes the scowls, out come the umbrellas, washed away goes the day.
Rain is a blessing for other people, however: The farmer needing moisture to sprout or sustain crops, people with cisterns, and - assuming that the shower is gentle and warm - children with obliging parents.
Ever notice? Children who have to be dragged into the tub/shower go joyfully and gleefully into the rain. Laughter, giggles, looking for puddles, maybe eyes closed, looking to the heavens. (Perhaps it's the absence of soap.)
So, some want (and need) rain, and rain will answer their prayers. Others, like Little Johnnie, are praying for sunshine.
Keep in mind the precepts of Matthew 5:45, that God makes the sun shine on the evil and the good He sends the rain on the just and the unjust. Everybody! No matter what, somebody is going to be unhappy.
Does it grieve you that blessings fall on the evil ones, perhaps those who hate you, or curse you? Are you discouraged to see bad things happen to good people?
There are - and must be - times that we do not readily see blessings in the answer that God gives us. Look closer; there may be blessings falling, blessings sent by God that you are turning away with your scowl and 'spiritual umbrella.' Look instead for ways you can collect, as in a spiritual cistern, these showers for times when you can draw upon them as needed. Times when love, blessing, and prayer bring seasons refreshing to your soul, or to another's.
Jesus, also, prayed for the "cup to pass," but accepted God's will.
He exemplified His teachings (Mt. 5:44) and, in so doing, brought salvation to the world.
November 19, 2006

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

* Turn Aside
* Scripture: Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 66, NKJV

Solitary confinement! Now there’s a phrase to send shivers of dread up and down your spine. The thought of being isolated from other people is not pleasant for most of us, especially so if it is enforced isolation. Alone, lonely, lacking companionship. The Great Creator saw that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18) and provided for loving relationships, not only between man and wife, but families, tribes and nations.
Still, there seems to be a place for solitude in the scheme of things, at least in the sense of withdrawing from the din and clamor of worldly distractions that wear down the soul. I find precedent for a certain amount of solitude within the pages of the Bible.
While the Lord can and does speak to people in the midst of many, even to the sending of the Spirit, it is often in the quiet moments that the insight of dreams and visions is visited upon those who wait upon the Lord.
Jacob was in an isolated spot between Beersheba and Haran when God revealed His presence and His plan for Jacob in the dream of the ladder.
Jacob was again alone (Genesis 32:24) when a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. From that day, Jacob and his descendents have been called by the name of “Israel.”
God appeared to Moses in the “back of the desert” (Exodus Ch.3) in the midst of a burning bush. Note that Moses “turned aside” from what he was doing at the moment. That, I think. is the essence of our time with God; we must take time to “turn aside” and see what God wishes to share with us.
So, no, we don’t have to become a hermit, withdrawing from human companionship, nor enter into monastic seclusion. Rather, we should seek those moments of solitude whenever and where ever we can. Sort of like when we take an electronic device out of active service for a time to recharge the batteries.
Jesus often withdrew from the crowds, and even from the company of a few, to pray and talk to God, beginning with the time in the wilderness, prior to beginning His ministry. The devil spoke to Jesus there (so beware!) but even in that confrontation, Jesus was able to afirm the omnipotence of God and tell the devil to “get lost.” Time to think through and sort out priorities.
Again, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus went a short distance from the disciples to pray. Not an actual separate room - just time away from the hustle and hassle of the world.
Cherish that solitary time - just you and the Lord.
May 22, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com

Scripture: Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6, NIV

As I entered the bus for our return trip from Operation Christmas Child, it became apparent that all the seats were either filled, or had items in them, marking them as taken. No, I wasn’t late getting to the bus; I was taking pictures for a video about the trip. As I stood there, waiting for everyone to be seated, some acquaintances became concerned (anxious) that I wasn’t seated.
Did I worry that I would have to stand up all the way home? No, I knew there would be empty seats; the answer as to which seat just wasn’t apparent yet. Nothing to get excited about.
In due time, everyone settled in, and I had a choice of several seats. I took an isle seat across from Marsha and Dorothy.
The incident brings out the point that many people go through life worried and anxious about everything. It is one thing to be aware and informed and to consider future needs, but the Bible cautions against being worried and anxious about things that God will handle.
The Dutton Family sings a song acapella to do a microphone check, “Keep praying till the answer comes.” Good advice; don’t be anxious, keep praying for an answer. Notice I didn’t say “THE” answer of your choice, but an answer. There is a difference! Our ways are not always God’s ways. We need to be alert to see God’s answer, rather than our self-centered concerns. Be willing to go “outside the box” and look at other options.
We say, “Beggars can’t be choosers.” In truth, don’t we often come to God begging? Why, then, should we be so anxious about what we receive?
Many, many solutions to needs and problems are made by those who see beyond the known and accepted (acceptable) way of doing things. Rather than fret and stew about the ‘box’ they are in, the “Mission Impossible,” many open their minds to other possibilities. If the door seems to slam shut in your face, don’t rush forward and pound on the door. You may get nothing other than sore hands. Back off! Look around. Pray for an answer. Look - again I say - LOOK for an answer. God’s answer. God opens other doors.
The Christmas program we saw Friday night began with an illustration of how we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of fulfilling our idea of Christmas; presents, foods, preparations, getting it all just right!
Then “Santa” invited all to witness the real Christmas story, the Birth of Jesus the Christ/Messiah. Many were anxiously longing, awaiting the answer. When it came, they missed it. It wasn’t THEIR answer.
Will God’s answer become your answer? I hope so.
December 8, 2002