January 21, 2010
Tex’s Thought Provokers 007
Everything Old Is Everything New
This one folks will require some very deep thought. At least, it is my hope that you will all take the time to think about it. It is my hope as well that you then go back and read very carefully the first six.
Jesus had a way of telling a story, the stories were many times parables. Am I comparing myself to Jesus? Not now, not ever, not even remotely so. For I am in competition with Paul, he claimed to be chief of sinners. In my heart, I feel that I am in the running for such a claim.
In my writings, I know by now that some of you, if not all, are finding a negative tone. It is far from my intention to be negative. Yet, each time I go to write one of these I ask Jesus for his help. I ask that he guide what I say. Each morning I ask my Lord to walk with me, and be with me though out the day. When the day comes to a close, the last thing I think of is Jesus.
Does this somehow make me better? Not in the least, for everyday, even though he walks with me, I mess up. I ask him for his forgiveness and I keep on keeping on.
Now that I have given a bit of an explanation, again it is my hope that you read this writing very slow and thoughtfully. Then I pray you go back and read the first six, with the same thoughtfulness.
Because you see, there is a message in these writings.
9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life. Ecclesiastes 1:9
Back in the summer of 1991, I was on a bad wildland fire at a place called Mosquito Lake. A fire does not have to be extremely large to do a lot of damage, or to be very dangerous. There is a list of common denominators on tragedy fires or near miss fires. In nearly every situation, the fire where some one lost their life, or some one had a close call, the fire had been small, or a small portion of a larger fire.
This fire was only 800 or so hectares, or, 1977 acres. Believe me, this is not a large fire as far as wildland fires go. There were a lot of serious close calls on this fire, and I know, that the good Lord was with us all, that was what kept us safe. At least I know this now.
It is not the intention of this writing to give an account of the details as they occurred. If anyone is interested, I will gladly sit down sometime over a cup of go-go juice (coffee) and tell you.
I discovered something on this fire though, that I found to be of great interest to me.
The fire burned very rapid and extremely hot in the first few hours. Most of the damage it caused was in those first few hours. By dark of the second day, we had the fire contained. It was far from being out, but it’s spread was being held.
It took us another thirty days or so to call it out. I was there for sixteen of them.
A fire, just as a living thing, goes through stages. It has a birth, it breaths oxygen, eats and consumes fuel, it starts very small, it grows, it reaches maturity, then it wavers and starts to decline, then it dies.
I am not saying that it is a living thing, but it does have a close similarity. And, there have been many times when I thought the thing could think, for it has many times, tried to out flank, or out think me.
My discovery was in the declining stage of this fire on what we call mop up. I had my troops in search mode; we were looking for those small smoldering would be monsters that we call sleepers. They like to hide in the ground, in the very top of trees, in old fallen trees. Any place where they can just hide with the hope that all seekers will leave before finding them, will do nicely. With the hope that once all the fire fighters have left the area, they can spring to life and gain monster status once again. For all fires seek to become monsters.
It was during our march through the black on about day twelve; I noticed some new ground vegetation emerging up through the ashes.
In the days that followed, this new vegetation would attract a host of creatures at the bottom of the food chain. Thus these new creatures would further attract some middle management critters that prey on the lower animals. The new vegetation would further attract some larger mammals that eat the young and tender shoots that were produced. Then even more middle managers would be attracted to these creatures. A brand new cycle of a process of eating and being eaten had been born.
All part of God’s perfect plan. A plan that did not just happen; it is a perfect plan created by the supreme perfect being, God.
Some seeds can lay dormant for hundreds of years before germination takes place. In some cases, fire creates that perfect set of circumstances that produce this rebirth.
Early Indigenous peoples knew this. They would set a fire in a forest that had reached maturity, where very little wildlife lived. They did this so they could then in a year or two move their encampment close to the burned area, which by that time would be teaming with wildlife.
So then, not all fire is bad, and not all fire is good, it is just how we perceive it.
Shakespeare once wrote, “there is nothing completely all good, or completely all bad, it is our mind that makes it so.”
A very dear friend and I had a discussion recently, and I said. “Ya know….there is something that has been troubling me.” He smiled and said lovingly. “With you, I am almost scared to ask…what is it?”
I had been thinking very much about this. I wondered. “In the bible we surely see a lot of miracles… in the old testament…and the new. Folks kept askin fer proof…I wonder, how much more proof did they need ta have? And then….it states a whole bunch of times in the new testament…that them there Pharisees and law makers…and evil leaders such as that there He Rod feller… was scared to do anything ta Jesus…on account they was scared of an uprisin by the people…cause they all knew that the people loved Jesus. What troubles me the most…is…where da ya spose all them there folks followin after Jesus went to…when he needed them ta stick up fer him? I mean…they was thousands from all over the place…an when push come to shove…they up an freed that there Barabbas feller.”
My friend, who seems to like the way I talk, smiled and said. “Well…I wonder about that too…perhaps they were only following Jesus to see what they could get…to use him…and as soon as they seen that the end was near…they wanted to back a winner…or so they thought. But all through out the bible, it shows one example after another of their character. They seemed to be a very fickle people.”
That is when Ecclesiastes jumped into my head. It just so happened that at that time, I was reading that very book of the Old Testament.
9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life. Ecclesiastes 1:9
Now I have been thinking a lot lately, or more than usual. Scary… ain’t it? Anyway, I have been, and I got to thinking over my life and the things I do, my family, the people I know, the things I believe, my work, and I have tried my best to do as Jesus has instructed me too.
I like to watch folks not for bad reasons, but to learn. And I have come to a conclusion about all of us human beings.
16 “What can I say about the people who live today? What are they like? The people today are like children sitting in the marketplace.
One group of children calls to the other group, 17 ‘We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a funeral song, but you were not sad.’ 18 Why do I say people are like that? Because John came, not eating like other people or drinking wine, and people say, ‘He has a demon* inside him.’ 19 The Son of Man* came eating and drinking, and people say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine. He’s a friend of tax collectors* and other sinners.’
But wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.” Matthew 11:16-19
Be dinged if ya do…and be dinged if ya don’t. People are never content and never satisfied.
Words….leave life long scars. Words…..can sometimes hurt more than anything that hurts us. If I break my arm…it hurts….but the pain subsides… at some point. But words…sometimes the hurt never goes away.
It would appear that verse 9 of Ecclesiastes 1 is right. Proving yet again, the word of God is good for all ages.
We talk of unity….unity of what….the church? The church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of the church…no one else. The church building is just that, a building.
12 When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13 If the people in that home welcome you, they are worthy of your peace. May they have the peace you wished for them. But if they don’t welcome you, they are not worthy of your peace. Take back the peace you wished for them. 14 And if the people in a home or a town refuse to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.15 I can assure you that on the judgment day it will be worse for that town than for the people of Sodom* and Gomorrah.* Matthew 10:12-15
Friends…brothers…sisters…people I love… I would never claim to be a profit…I am nothing more than a simple man…. But I know that soon, Ecclesiastes will become relevant.
For as long as I am able, I will continue to write and send these writings to those that want to receive them.
In closing, I will leave you with these.
26 “So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known.”
Matthew 10: 26
2 Everything that is hidden will be shown, and everything that is secret will be made known. 3 What you say in the dark will be told in the light. And what you whisper in a private room will be shouted from the top of the house.” Luke 12:2-3
Do not put off until tomorrow…what you can do today.
I am a better person for knowing each one of you. I love you all. Go with Christ in all that you do.
Until next time.
Tex
Everything Old Is Everything New
This one folks will require some very deep thought. At least, it is my hope that you will all take the time to think about it. It is my hope as well that you then go back and read very carefully the first six.
Jesus had a way of telling a story, the stories were many times parables. Am I comparing myself to Jesus? Not now, not ever, not even remotely so. For I am in competition with Paul, he claimed to be chief of sinners. In my heart, I feel that I am in the running for such a claim.
In my writings, I know by now that some of you, if not all, are finding a negative tone. It is far from my intention to be negative. Yet, each time I go to write one of these I ask Jesus for his help. I ask that he guide what I say. Each morning I ask my Lord to walk with me, and be with me though out the day. When the day comes to a close, the last thing I think of is Jesus.
Does this somehow make me better? Not in the least, for everyday, even though he walks with me, I mess up. I ask him for his forgiveness and I keep on keeping on.
Now that I have given a bit of an explanation, again it is my hope that you read this writing very slow and thoughtfully. Then I pray you go back and read the first six, with the same thoughtfulness.
Because you see, there is a message in these writings.
9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life. Ecclesiastes 1:9
Back in the summer of 1991, I was on a bad wildland fire at a place called Mosquito Lake. A fire does not have to be extremely large to do a lot of damage, or to be very dangerous. There is a list of common denominators on tragedy fires or near miss fires. In nearly every situation, the fire where some one lost their life, or some one had a close call, the fire had been small, or a small portion of a larger fire.
This fire was only 800 or so hectares, or, 1977 acres. Believe me, this is not a large fire as far as wildland fires go. There were a lot of serious close calls on this fire, and I know, that the good Lord was with us all, that was what kept us safe. At least I know this now.
It is not the intention of this writing to give an account of the details as they occurred. If anyone is interested, I will gladly sit down sometime over a cup of go-go juice (coffee) and tell you.
I discovered something on this fire though, that I found to be of great interest to me.
The fire burned very rapid and extremely hot in the first few hours. Most of the damage it caused was in those first few hours. By dark of the second day, we had the fire contained. It was far from being out, but it’s spread was being held.
It took us another thirty days or so to call it out. I was there for sixteen of them.
A fire, just as a living thing, goes through stages. It has a birth, it breaths oxygen, eats and consumes fuel, it starts very small, it grows, it reaches maturity, then it wavers and starts to decline, then it dies.
I am not saying that it is a living thing, but it does have a close similarity. And, there have been many times when I thought the thing could think, for it has many times, tried to out flank, or out think me.
My discovery was in the declining stage of this fire on what we call mop up. I had my troops in search mode; we were looking for those small smoldering would be monsters that we call sleepers. They like to hide in the ground, in the very top of trees, in old fallen trees. Any place where they can just hide with the hope that all seekers will leave before finding them, will do nicely. With the hope that once all the fire fighters have left the area, they can spring to life and gain monster status once again. For all fires seek to become monsters.
It was during our march through the black on about day twelve; I noticed some new ground vegetation emerging up through the ashes.
In the days that followed, this new vegetation would attract a host of creatures at the bottom of the food chain. Thus these new creatures would further attract some middle management critters that prey on the lower animals. The new vegetation would further attract some larger mammals that eat the young and tender shoots that were produced. Then even more middle managers would be attracted to these creatures. A brand new cycle of a process of eating and being eaten had been born.
All part of God’s perfect plan. A plan that did not just happen; it is a perfect plan created by the supreme perfect being, God.
Some seeds can lay dormant for hundreds of years before germination takes place. In some cases, fire creates that perfect set of circumstances that produce this rebirth.
Early Indigenous peoples knew this. They would set a fire in a forest that had reached maturity, where very little wildlife lived. They did this so they could then in a year or two move their encampment close to the burned area, which by that time would be teaming with wildlife.
So then, not all fire is bad, and not all fire is good, it is just how we perceive it.
Shakespeare once wrote, “there is nothing completely all good, or completely all bad, it is our mind that makes it so.”
A very dear friend and I had a discussion recently, and I said. “Ya know….there is something that has been troubling me.” He smiled and said lovingly. “With you, I am almost scared to ask…what is it?”
I had been thinking very much about this. I wondered. “In the bible we surely see a lot of miracles… in the old testament…and the new. Folks kept askin fer proof…I wonder, how much more proof did they need ta have? And then….it states a whole bunch of times in the new testament…that them there Pharisees and law makers…and evil leaders such as that there He Rod feller… was scared to do anything ta Jesus…on account they was scared of an uprisin by the people…cause they all knew that the people loved Jesus. What troubles me the most…is…where da ya spose all them there folks followin after Jesus went to…when he needed them ta stick up fer him? I mean…they was thousands from all over the place…an when push come to shove…they up an freed that there Barabbas feller.”
My friend, who seems to like the way I talk, smiled and said. “Well…I wonder about that too…perhaps they were only following Jesus to see what they could get…to use him…and as soon as they seen that the end was near…they wanted to back a winner…or so they thought. But all through out the bible, it shows one example after another of their character. They seemed to be a very fickle people.”
That is when Ecclesiastes jumped into my head. It just so happened that at that time, I was reading that very book of the Old Testament.
9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life. Ecclesiastes 1:9
Now I have been thinking a lot lately, or more than usual. Scary… ain’t it? Anyway, I have been, and I got to thinking over my life and the things I do, my family, the people I know, the things I believe, my work, and I have tried my best to do as Jesus has instructed me too.
I like to watch folks not for bad reasons, but to learn. And I have come to a conclusion about all of us human beings.
16 “What can I say about the people who live today? What are they like? The people today are like children sitting in the marketplace.
One group of children calls to the other group, 17 ‘We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a funeral song, but you were not sad.’ 18 Why do I say people are like that? Because John came, not eating like other people or drinking wine, and people say, ‘He has a demon* inside him.’ 19 The Son of Man* came eating and drinking, and people say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine. He’s a friend of tax collectors* and other sinners.’
But wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.” Matthew 11:16-19
Be dinged if ya do…and be dinged if ya don’t. People are never content and never satisfied.
Words….leave life long scars. Words…..can sometimes hurt more than anything that hurts us. If I break my arm…it hurts….but the pain subsides… at some point. But words…sometimes the hurt never goes away.
It would appear that verse 9 of Ecclesiastes 1 is right. Proving yet again, the word of God is good for all ages.
We talk of unity….unity of what….the church? The church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of the church…no one else. The church building is just that, a building.
12 When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13 If the people in that home welcome you, they are worthy of your peace. May they have the peace you wished for them. But if they don’t welcome you, they are not worthy of your peace. Take back the peace you wished for them. 14 And if the people in a home or a town refuse to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.15 I can assure you that on the judgment day it will be worse for that town than for the people of Sodom* and Gomorrah.* Matthew 10:12-15
Friends…brothers…sisters…people I love… I would never claim to be a profit…I am nothing more than a simple man…. But I know that soon, Ecclesiastes will become relevant.
For as long as I am able, I will continue to write and send these writings to those that want to receive them.
In closing, I will leave you with these.
26 “So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known.”
Matthew 10: 26
2 Everything that is hidden will be shown, and everything that is secret will be made known. 3 What you say in the dark will be told in the light. And what you whisper in a private room will be shouted from the top of the house.” Luke 12:2-3
Do not put off until tomorrow…what you can do today.
I am a better person for knowing each one of you. I love you all. Go with Christ in all that you do.
Until next time.
Tex
Interesting..........I didn't know there could be a positive thing come from a fire and there you have it.....new growth, new vegetation etc. I like your spin on things. Some things never change. The cycle starts over again. The same can be said of people.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dianne
ReplyDeleteThats what a wildfire is. Sudden death and then rebirth!
Thanks for leaving a comment.
And thanks for reading.
Tex