Seeds For Thinking

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

* Carts
* Scripture: Jesus said, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Mark 13:22, NKJV

Got the cart before the horse . . . Well, I've heard that saying, and I suppose someone might harness a horse so that it pushes rather than pulls a cart, but such a scenario seems highly unlikely. It is just a way of saying that someone has their priorities reversed.
I can envision someone hitching their horse to the wrong cart, though. Especially if a number of look-alike carts were parked together. Anyone who has wandered a large parking lot trying to locate their automobile among dozens of identical colors and similar models can relate to this one. Many people fasten unique things to their radio antennae to make it easier to spot their car in the multitude.
It is embarrassing to fumble with your key, trying to unlock the door, only to discover that you are trying to enter the wrong car. Ask me!
I still recall, with a chuckle, watching a friend select the wrong car, only he actually entered it. I had stopped at the post office so that he could check his mail, while I waited in my car. He came back out, intently reading a letter, not noticing that another auto had parked beside mine. The reaction - and embarrassment - when he finally looked up and saw me grinning one car over . . . Priceless!
While embarrassing, and probably humorous to the onlooker, such gaffes endanger only the ego.
Jesus, however, was warning about mistaken identification that could have serious consequences! False christs and false prophets are among the most dangerous of scam artists. Many will indeed steal your worldly goods to support their nefarious causes, but the real loss is to the unsuspecting soul - for eternity. Talk about hitching your horse to the wrong cart!
It would certainly be wonderful if there was a door or ignition switch on these spiritual scam artists, just like the keyed locks that keep us from entering and starting the wrong car.
Imagine for a moment that you are wandering that humongous parking lot, looking for that one car among many - except that there are no locks, no keys, and you could just enter any car, turn a switch and drive off. But you don't want just any old car, and you don't want yours stolen.
Wouldn't you be concerned? Sure you would. You would probably do something about it.
But just think about how many people literally leave their souls "unlocked," and select from those false christs and prophets.
So mark your 'soul' with Jesus Christ. He will provide the security key for you.
November 12, 2006

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

Scripture: Jesus said, "I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."
(John 9: 4 NKJV)

Most people are probably familiar with the word 'buckwheat' only when followed by the word 'pancakes.' Buckwheat flour comes from the seeds of a plant (scientifically known as Fagopyrum of the family Polygonaceae) classified as an herb. (1) It has some attributes that gave me something to think about.
Buckwheat is purported to be a soil conditioner, valuable for improving the fertility and friability of poor soils. Honeybees turn the nectar from the blooms into a dark, pungent honey, cherished by some people. A warm weather plant, it is often planted following the harvest of an earlier maturing crop, such as wheat. Enough reasons, I thought, to try growing some.
Buckwheat is not at all like the 'wheat' in its name. It is not a grass, nor a legume, like many other farm-grown plants. The early leaves somewhat resemble those of a bean, the blossoms are similar, but buckwheat 'marches to its own drummer,' so to speak.
I had always heard about the way honeybees 'work' the blossoms of the buckwheat. When my little patch began blooming, I religiously checked every day when I got home from work. Not a bee - nary a one - did I see. Not until the weekend, when a Saturday morning observation revealed a buckwheat patch that literally echoed with busy, buzzing bees. Then, about noon, dead silence!
I went back and re-read the section about buckwheat in my beekeeper's book. Aha! The plant ceases to produce nectar about midday.
Analogy: So what if you have read the Bible; go back and read it again. And again.
And . . .
Analogy: Keep an open mind about people, things, and especially God's Way. Expect the unexpected, something new, something out of the ordinary.
I found another unique characteristic about the buckwheat plant: the seeds do not develop or ripen all at the same time, like many other plants. It continues to bloom and develop seeds throughout its growing season, right up until the autumn killing frosts.
Analogy: If you want to emulate a plant, choose the buckwheat. Hey! - keep on growing, keep on blooming right up until the final 'frost' and harvest. I've seen too many people that are like corn, wheat, or beans: they 'ripen' early, go to 'seed' and then just sit there, waiting for the harvest - (the grim reaper?)
Analogy: Buckwheat has the ability to improve poor soils. May you possess the ability to improve poor souls.
Oh! Think about that schedule the buckwheat plant keeps. Sure, keep the place buzzing part of the day, but cut back and enjoy the sunshine some too!
Be fruitful: Nectar for the bees, flour (and honey) for the famished, and enough seed to keep the kingdom growing. That's buckwheat!

(1) It has "alternate leaves, clusters of apetalous pinkish white flowers, and triangular seeds."
February 25, 2007

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

* Carts
* Scripture: Jesus said, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Mark 13:22, NKJV

Got the cart before the horse . . . Well, I've heard that saying, and I suppose someone might harness a horse so that it pushes rather than pulls a cart, but such a scenario seems highly unlikely. It is just a way of saying that someone has their priorities reversed.
I can envision someone hitching their horse to the wrong cart, though. Especially if a number of look-alike carts were parked together. Anyone who has wandered a large parking lot trying to locate their automobile among dozens of identical colors and similar models can relate to this one. Many people fasten unique things to their radio antennae to make it easier to spot their car in the multitude.
It is embarrassing to fumble with your key, trying to unlock the door, only to discover that you are trying to enter the wrong car. Ask me!
I still recall, with a chuckle, watching a friend select the wrong car, only he actually entered it. I had stopped at the post office so that he could check his mail, while I waited in my car. He came back out, intently reading a letter, not noticing that another auto had parked beside mine. The reaction - and embarrassment - when he finally looked up and saw me grinning one car over . . . Priceless!
While embarrassing, and probably humorous to the onlooker, such gaffes endanger only the ego.
Jesus, however, was warning about mistaken identification that could have serious consequences! False christs and false prophets are among the most dangerous of scam artists. Many will indeed steal your worldly goods to support their nefarious causes, but the real loss is to the unsuspecting soul - for eternity. Talk about hitching your horse to the wrong cart!
It would certainly be wonderful if there was a door or ignition switch on these spiritual scam artists, just like the keyed locks that keep us from entering and starting the wrong car.
Imagine for a moment that you are wandering that humongous parking lot, looking for that one car among many - except that there are no locks, no keys, and you could just enter any car, turn a switch and drive off. But you don't want just any old car, and you don't want yours stolen.
Wouldn't you be concerned? Sure you would. You would probably do something about it.
But just think about how many people literally leave their souls "unlocked," and select from those false christs and prophets.
So mark your 'soul' with Jesus Christ. He will provide the security key for you.
November 12, 2006

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” John 24:44, NIV

Of all the words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these -”It might have been.”

Perhaps the saddest of all events is the death of someone in their youth. Their life has not, and will never be, brought to fruition. One can not help but to speculate what additional years may have wrought. The promises of talents and skills, the contributions to society never realized.
Time may dim but never erase the memories, nor quell the occasional thoughts of “what might have been.” Such are thoughts of a brother who was lost to our family more than a half century ago at age thirteen.
Accidents, violence (including war,) and illness of various sorts take their toll. Grief is an expression of the loss that takes something from our very souls.
For those of us who are truly close to the Easter Passion, knowing the final outcome does not lessen the sadness we feel as we experience the reality of Christ’s arrest, trial, and crucifixion. We read in the Gospels once again of the disciples scattered, the women keeping vigil near the cross, the mockery of the crowds around Golgotha.
How long had it been since Jesus rode into Jerusalem, to the cries of “Hosannah!?” A week? Surely much longer. A ride, and a week, that would see prophecy fulfilled. Yet the people swirling around that city, the events of that week, scarcely gave the past much thought. They were caught up in the present, and the hopes for the future. Jesus was so young, so filled with promise. Many did desire, yes, hope that this was the ONE, the promised Messiah, the Deliverer of promise. Surely those who followed Him to Calvary felt their very souls tear on hearing the crowds revel in their mockery, “You saved others, now save yourself. Aren’t you the Christ?”
Incense and myrrh, spices and perfumes - gifts at his birth, the anointments of last rites. A sword indeed pierced His follower’s souls. (Luke 2:35)
Who cannot but sympathize with those two walking away from the sorrow of Jerusalem toward Emmaus, their faces downcast. On “Good Friday” we join them in sorrowing, “They crucified him.” Our hopes that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel, dashed, ‘What might have been,” in our thoughts.
Because we are EASTER PEOPLE, we know the outcome. We rejoice with those who exclaim,
“Were not our hearts burning within us . . .?”
We rejoice at what is NOT there . . . the tomb is empty!
The saddest words have become these, of John 24:11: “They did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”
So many lost in the sadness of unbelief.

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

* Good and Faithful Servants
* Scripture: "Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters." Proverbs 25:13, NKJV

Farming is an occupation that is critically dependent upon the weather for successful planting, growing and harvest of crops. A few days delay of planting or harvest can make a big difference in yield, or even cause a total loss or failure of the crop.
Field crops, such as grain, need rain after the planting is finished, during the growing season, but wet fields delay planting.
Too much rain during the growing season is bad, and hail, wind, or even drought can destroy the crop at any stage of growth. Timely, moderate rain is essential, and totally beyond control of the farmer.
Probably no stage of growth of any crop - field, orchard, or vineyard - is more critical than at harvest time. The ripe grain can be flattened by wind or hail. Untimely rain, or, heaven forbid! A snow storm at harvest time is a grower's nightmare.
The little verse from Proverbs 25:13 puzzled me for two reasons. First, I can't imagine any farmer happy about snow on a ripe crop, especially standing grain in the field.
Second, the verse is about harvest time in Israel. I know that they do have snow, but I doubted that it happened often in summer, during the harvest season. I had to check this one out.
And I am glad that I did! It opened up a new insight on living in God's kingdom.
I found that it does indeed snow in Israel, usually only in the depths of winter, and even then the snow quickly melts. Harvest time is usually hot, and intensive manual labor in the fields is hard on the workers. Oh! For a cold drink to slake the thirst of one and all. Enter Mount Hermon, which usually has snow even in the summer time. Snow! The ideal cooler for drinks in a hot, arid climate. No ice houses, no refrigeration equipment. Snow from the mountain in the time of harvest to refresh the soul.
Now notice the rest of that verse. It is not about farming or the harvest at all. It is about messengers, good and faithful servants! (See Matthew 25:21.) About faithful friends, leaders, wives and husbands. Pastors and laity. About you and me, servants one and all.
What an insight we gain when we learn the real purpose of that one little verse. God made all things for good, at the right time, in the right place, in the season of need.
Pray that we all come to embody the qualities of that "good and faithful servant" who refreshes the soul of his masters like a drink cooled by snow in the heat of the summer.
July 23, 2006

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

* To See Ourselves
* Scripture: Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?" Matthew 5:13, NKJB

I have yet to see a coin that didn't have two sides. Sides that are different, just like most arguments and opinions.
Both sides of a coin represent the same value; not so with arguments and opinions.
The Scottish poet, Robert Burns, wrote a little verse:
"O would the gift the giver give (gie) us,
To see ourselves as others see us."

It is said that he conceived the ditty while sitting in church behind a lady all decked out in her Sunday finery, complete with a hat with a large feather on it, and watched as a louse crawled up her neck.
Ah! To see ourselves as we truly are - that would indeed be a gift from the Giver above. That's one side of the coin. Not only to see, but to possess the tact and fortitude to handle the truth, whether about ourselves, or about others.
The other side of the coin is truly to be able to see ourselves as we ARE, but NOT as others see us! Perhaps you have been told, as a youth undergoing teasing and name calling, that,

"Sticks and stones may break my (your) bones,
But words will never hurt me."

In all truth, words can cut deeper than any two-edged sword! Words can leave wounds that do not heal over time, as most physical bruises do. Harsh 'put-down' words can be like pouring salt into an open wound.
Think about a plant, any plant, a growing thing. We can readily see what is above ground; the stem, stalk or trunk, and the leaves, reaching up to the beneficial rays of the sun. The health of the plant depends even more critically upon the root system, however, the unseen network through which the plant is nourished. Damage to that system threatens the well-being of the rest of the plant. Salt is good, in the right place, but not on most root systems, the other side of the coin, so to speak.
A person's psyche - soul, self, mind - is like that plant's root system, not visible like the physical body, but ever so vital in the wellness and wholeness of the person. How easily can that psyche be damaged by ridicule and words that cut and rend asunder a person's self image.
We can relate how people went on to achieve great things in spite of criticism to the effect that they were dumb, and would never amount to anything, people like Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein. They are an inspiration, surely, but how many more Edisons and Einsteins would there have been - would there be - had their spark not been quenched by the cold water of ridicule and scorn.
The music and comedy act, The Smothers Brothers, got great milage from the line, "Mother always liked you best." Why? I think because it touches a tender spot with so many people.
We are vulnerable, each one of us, to wounding by words. The remedy is not in retaliation, but in lifting up, encouraging, comforting. We are called to be the 'seasoning' of the earth, not the salt poured into opened wounds. Salt, true, but different sides of the same coin.
This week, try to be the encourager, the enabler, the good 'seasoner' in someone's life. In doing so, you will not only lift up their life, but your own, as well.
April 2, 2006

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