Seeds For Thinking

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

Scripture: Jesus said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30b, NKJV)

What ever did we do for entertainment as we traversed the byways before they developed bumper stickers? Many show the owner’s preference for some place or thing, a red heart indicating “love.” Some announce what the driver would be doing if they were not driving around, perhaps fishing or golfing. Perhaps the real reason they are not indulging in fun stuff is summed up by the little jingle, “I owe, I owe, So off to work I go!”
Ah! Work. That which we do to pay for food and shelter. Hopefully. Better to be able to pay the bills than to have no source of income. Even so, some jobs are a labor of love, and some are just labor. “So off to work we go!”
I have reached that condition in life where I no longer have to go to work. I just wake up, and it is waiting here for me. But that is not all bad. Sure, there are some things that are more dreary than cheery. Tasks that have to be done, like it or not. Like having to dig up and repair a leaky water line to the barn, or pick up rocks from the field we are planting. The type of job that we are glad when it is over. It is finished.
Many jobs I choose to do, willingly, anticipating the end result. Like rejoicing at the first produce from the garden, or admiring a construction project that I have completed. I obviously enjoy writing, else why would I continue to do this?
Again, reaching the completion of the project I can say, “It is finished!” Same words, yet they somehow don’t fully express the emotional difference between the end of the cheery and that of the dreary task. Perhaps, looking at the fruits of my labor on a project that I have chosen as a labor of love, designed, and carried to completion, I might say, “It is accomplished!”
Think about the words from Jesus, hanging on a cross. “Jesus said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
Finish, as in done, ended, over? Finish what? Not His life, for we know from the scriptures that He rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God, the Father. The word used in the Greek text is most often translated as “finished,” but some versions use “accomplish.” Yes, His work, the reason the Word became flesh and lived among us, (John 1:14) was to bring salvation to all people by offering Himself as a single sacrificial offering for sin.
(Hebrews 10:14)
Pontius Pilate claimed to have power to free Jesus, or have Him crucified. Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:10-11)
The crucifixion was indeed brutal, an extreme form of capital punishment, yet necessary to complete the divine plan for salvation. In John 17, vs. 4, Jesus prays to His Father, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished (accomplished) the work which You have given Me to do.”
Does the word matter? Perhaps not. But as you think about the great sacrifice, the single sacrificial offering for sin that brought salvation to all people, rejoice that God’s plan was accomplished. Alleluia!!

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

* Procrastinators Club
* Scripture: "Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up , that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." Luke 9:51, NKJV (See also Mark 8:31-38)

I've been thinking about officially joining the Procrastinators Club - that is, if I can ever get around to it.
I suppose that I have a lot of company, people with a long To-Do list, maybe a Job Jar, things that need to be done, things that lack the glamor and appeal of - say, enjoying a little 'Down-time.' "All work and no play" is not good for us, you know.
We rationalize that the world will not come to an end if we neglect, or put off, cleaning chores, like closets and larger collecting areas. Autos are supposed to be rain-proof, after all, so what if the garage is protecting other more critical stuff. Perfectly made-up beds are just a vanity thing, right? Lots of little chores can always wait for inspiration - and another day.
Then there are those things that we really, really have to do, but dread the very thought of it - the doctor, the dentist. Wee folk may envision the haircutter as nothing short of an executioner, ready to perform an amputation, and behave accordingly. Even older folk sometimes resist such a drastic modification to their countenance.
This latter category definitely includes things for which neglect could bring an end to the world, or at least our participation in it. That little lump, the sore that doesn't seem to heal, a cough that just won't go away could be an indicator of a life-threatening situation. Many people will not face the reality until it is too late! The pain of treatment is thought to be more alarming than the "comfort" of not worrying about it.
Consider, then, the thoughts that Jesus must have had as he faced what lay ahead in Jerusalem. His disciples were duly concerned, reflecting only on the safety of their Master.
Some things indeed have to be done, even though the thought is as alarming as a two year old in the barber's chair. Or a root canal.
In Jesus' case, God's plan could only be completed if Jesus was totally obedient, even unto death.
Sometimes we need to pause and reflect upon the challenges, even if the immediate effect seems to be unbearable or painful.
Then, to set our face toward doing God's will, even as Jesus has done.
March 5, 2006

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

* Good Intentions
* Scripture: James wrote, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)
Paul wrote, “ . . . walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10 ) - NKJV

Oh, the mistakes I’ve made! I first learned that I had a special talent for this fine art of mistake making many years ago. There I sat, and all about me was the rapid-fire din of ‘clickety-clickety-clickety.’ I was producing more of a ‘clunk-clunk,’ but it was the mistakes more than the lack of speed that brought me down. It haunts me still.
I will not give up; I will persevere! Besides, I have to chuckle sometimes at the new words that I create as I type. For example, the letter ‘i’ is just one key to the right of the letter ‘u’ on the keyboard. So what if I transpose only one little key? After all, Sinday is almost Sunday, give or take a letter, and one wrong out of six isn’t so bad, now is it? My good intentions should count for something.
Still, good intentions didn’t help me one bit in that long ago typing class. I had to suffer the consequences, regardless. No, there are times when good intentions just don’t cut it.
It hath oft been quoted that the pathway to the ‘nether regions’ is paved with good intentions. So I suppose that I should do as I have done for decades now - back up, correct mistakes like Sinday, and run the trusty ol’ spell-checker on the computer. Spell checkers are not infallible, though. For example, although it caught my ‘Sinday’ typo, I am given spellings of ‘Sidney,‘ ‘Cindy,’ and even ‘cindery’ but not Sunday.
I also know that if I do the same ’i’ for ‘u’ letter substitution and write ‘bit’ when I meant ‘but,’ the spell-checker is perfectly happy. I could let it go at that, bit (but) it will not catch grammatical or contextual errors. Words need to be more than just ‘correct;’ they must have purpose to be useful.
Consider that I could put together a list of words at random, run the spell checker, and find them all correct. To what purpose? There would be no message, no thoughts communicated. It would be like a tree with lots of leaves, good leaves, but no fruit. ( See Mt. 21:18, 19)
Jesus wants us to be more than “good leaves.” He wants us to be “fruitful.” To have a purpose in His Kingdom. To do more than have ‘good intentions’ and merely wave gently in the breezes of life.
Though I have abundant faith in my spell checker, I must go beyond correct spelling alone if I wish to write something of worth and meaning.
So, too, I am called to be more than a “good man,” of correct moral character. That is commendable, but of itself is like leaves on a barren tree. I must bud, bloom, be pollinated by the Gospel, and become fruitful in every good work. I must associate with the Lord, to share in His works, to increase in the knowledge of Him.
July 31, 2005

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

Scripture: Paul wrote, “The body is a unit, though is is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.” 1 Cor. 12:12, NIV

A doctor who had served his community for many years as a general practitioner was glad when his son decided to also become a doctor. As the son was nearing the completion of med school, he announced that he had decided to specialize, rather than go into general family practice like his father.
“And what are you going to specialize in?,” asked the father.
“The nose,” responded the son.
“Hummp,” snorted the father. “Which nostril?”
We live in an age of specialization. That’s not bad in itself; we need to become as good and knowledgeable as we can in what we do to earn our daily bread. But far too many people specialize to the extent that they ignore much of their God-given potential. Worse, they even compartmentalize God.
For example, they have their ‘work’ compartment, their ‘relaxation and recreation’ compartment, and their ‘Sunday Go-To-Meeting’ compartment.
We are complex beings, as God created us, capable of many things. We are to become complete in Him, in His likeness. We can not disown part of our body, as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 12:15. Yes, Paul was making an allusion to the Church. This is my point: we can apply that same information to all that we do, because it is a basic truth. We should not say, “My job is not church; Jesus is not part of my work.” Nor can we leave God out of our choices for entertainment, our hobbies, or relaxation. Saturday Sinners, and Sunday Saints we ain’t!
On the other hand, I have seen some people who are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. Keep in mind that the two people who walked by the man beaten and left to die along the highway were “religious” people. The Samaritan was the person who said, “This, too, is part of me.” He had compassion on the man, and took time from his tasks, whatever they were, and brought that need into his life.
All that we do should be acceptable to God. Everyday! No walls, no compartments, no specialization. No saying, “That’s a religious thing, a worship thing. I’ll take care of that on Sunday.”
June 22, 2003

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

Scripture: The Psalmist said, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Psalm 122:1 KJV

Two Sundays in a row. Can you believe it? I told Pastor Marsha, only partly in jest, that seven days without church makes one weak. Are we a bunch of wimps, or what? Well, actually, it wasn’t safe to be on the roads.
We live in a time when open roads and freedom to go anywhere, anytime, is cherished by so many as a right, a necessity, even! I read in the newspaper that city folk complain that their side streets are not plowed out as quickly as they like. Never mind that the crews and equipment ran all night and all day, plowing the main thoroughfares, their street wasn’t plowed yet.
Do we need to get to the job, the store, to entertainment that badly? Thankfully, many do think that safety has a greater priority than “being there, no matter what.” The list of closings and cancellations because of severe weather includes only a few profit-oriented businesses, however. Many companies want their employees to be on the job, if at all possible. So off to work we go!
I have often wondered about the mindset of people in days gone by in regard to time away from “the job,” especially in Biblical times, where I read about people taking time to observe week long celebrations, festivals, and longer pilgrimages. We know, for example, that Jesus went to Jerusalem with his parents. Luke tells that the trip was made to observe the Feast of Passover. Jesus was accidentally left behind on the trip; they finally found him “In his Father’s House.” (Lk. 2:41-50)
My thoughts turn to the carpenter’s shop, however. Obviously, Joseph thought that it was more important to go to the House of the Lord than to keep the shop open and working. Luke comments that the family went to Jerusalem for Passover every year (Lk.2:41.) Many others apparently did, also, judging by the crowds mentioned during the triumphal entry, described in Mt. 21.
In Jesus’ day many cities had synagogues, but small villages did not. Remember, they were limited to travel only “a Sabbath day’s journey.” So what did people do between trips to Jerusalem? They still observed the Sabbath; they worshiped at home. Worship was not neglected.
Still, when they had the opportunity they were “glad to go to the house of the Lord.” While it is true that we can worship God in the stillness of our own home, garden, or wherever, the coming together of the faithful is a special occasion. As Paul admonished, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -.” (Hebrews 10:25.)
So pray that it is a rare exception when we are not able to go to the house of the Lord - and whenever we can, Go! And be glad, together!
March 2, 2003

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

Scripture: Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." -Ruth 1:16, NIV
If you could live anywhere in the world you wished, where would you be? Would you opt for a warmer clime, perhaps the southwest, or a romantic tropical isle? A ‘foreign’ country appeals to some, somewhere in Europe, say. Maybe an island that has low taxes. Many, like a snail, hit the road, dragging their house with them. Get bored, just “Head ‘em up, move ‘em out!”
Since most of us at my home church have pretty deep roots where we are, and are still here, we will not likely pack up and trudge off, even if we dream of the “ideal spot” at times. Think, though, of some of the reasons people do relocate.
One of the great “movers and shakers” of society involves that four-letter word - WORK! People go where the jobs are. Another four letter word is LOVE. Marriage is the pollen that produces a new home location. Maybe his family, maybe hers, will determine where a couple will settle. How do people from areas so far apart get together? College, Military service, the above mentioned ‘go where the jobs are’ mixes people around pretty much. Then, there is the old ‘wanderlust,’ the desire to see what’s over the hill, around the bend, down the road, and maybe back again. But maybe not.
My parents grew up, married, and raised a family in central Ohio, but spent more years in California then they did here. In the early 1800’s, some ancestors moved from Connecticut to Bloomfield, Ohio. LAND was the key word.
Lots of it in Ohio Territory at that time. Richard Hubbell left Ribbesford, England, to settle in Connecticut. From there, the family has spread all over the USA and Canada. Still others ended up in places like Australia. Jobs, land, love, curiosity - they all enter into the equation.
Most of us would give careful thought as to language spoken in our ideal spot. It would be pretty isolating where they do not “habla Inglis.” How about religion? Say a totally Roman Catholic country, Greek or Russian Orthodox, or even an Islamic country. Not to mention political systems.
Important considerations. But all those places are “home” to millions of people around the world. Just like us, they have their reasons to put down roots, to live there, and have no thoughts of moving to someplace else.
Now, as to churches, denominations, religions. Bible translations, even. Where is ‘home?’ Probably where our friends are, or family. The local congregation. Mode of worship, conformity to things we believe.
Again, ‘home’ to millions.
Hmmm! Seeds for Thinking
February 10, 2002

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

Scripture: . . . though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials . . .these have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold . . . may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV
The Apostles said, “Increase our faith.” Lk. 17:5
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, I accompanied my children as we participated in walkathons for charity. Twenty-five miles is more than most people walk in our day and age, but we had faith that we could do it, and we did! Why were we so sure that we could? Because they all participated in track competition in school, and I did a lot of walking, and even some running. We had conditioned our bodies through exercise to build up our stamina to go the distance.
It didn’t matter whether people walked, jogged, or ran the walkathon. Each mile completed earned a pledged amount toward charity; naturally, everyone wanted to finish the full twenty-five miles so they could turn in the maximum amount possible.
Many people started with high hopes and good cheer, but soon found that muscles, joints and bones that were not used to such treatment soon grew sore and even cramped. Blisters developed on feet that hadn’t developed protective calluses, or from socks and shoes that were not designed for long walks. Energy lagged; rest stops didn’t bring it back. The sponsors of the walkathon knew all about these things. They provided transportation for those who had to drop out, and return by vehicle.
Those who had prepared well waved as the drop-outs rode by . . . and kept on walking.
Conditioning the body for such extensive exercise requires a lot of long, hard work. Even the attitude, the mind-set, has to be developed as well as muscle and bone. The aches, the pains, the tiredness in the chest proves to be more than many can handle, and they give up.
Do the successful runners not have these problems? Of course they do, but each obstacle becomes a challenge rather than a discouragement. They soon know the euphoria that comes from achieving mastery over the limitations on body and spirit. Their faith grows not because they have no problems, but because they have overcome each and every one that has been thrown at them!
Now think about our spiritual life. Paul compared it to a race. A race not so much for speed, as for endurance. The objective is to finish. Each discouragement we encounter, each prayer that doesn’t seem to be answered OUR WAY, can be overcome for those look to the Master Teacher for the answers. The hard knocks of life can become Faith Builders, rather than Faith Destroyers, for those who wait upon the Lord.
June 10, 2001