Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
1 Mar 10
Good evening, special people.
That's right...it's evening. In fact, it's 8:35pm at present. Before I could get this sent off this morning, the power went off. By the time it came on again, I was about to step into my skiis at Timberline. My arm was twisted to join some relatives up from Mississippi on a day of skiing. We really did have a great day there. We hosted the whole gang for supper following and I'm finally free now. I'll launch this, hit the shower, and flop on the bed. I think I'm going to sleep tonight.
I trust I can rise early enough to get the next episode off in good time tomorrow. Have a good night.
Love and prayers.
Dad/Ray
1 March 2010
Passage: Acts 11:1-18
Focus: “Then I remembered what the Lord had said.” Acts 11:16.
Much like a computer, the memory can only recall that which has been previously loaded into it. Normal human bodies have been equipped by the Creator (certainly not by random chance) with five sensory mechanisms that constantly feed data into the memory. Thus you can’t remember an experience you’ve never had, or a concept you’ve never learned. You can’t remember a book you’ve never read, or a movie you’ve never seen. You can’t remember what a guava tastes like if you’ve never eaten one. You can’t remember what bagpipes look or sound like if you’ve never seen or heard one. You can’t remember how to ski if you’ve never skied. You can’t remember what it’s like to jump out of a plane if you’ve never done so. And so on we could go. Just don’t let this simple fact get by you: You can’t remember “what the Lord had said” if you’ve never heard or read what He said.
I hope you will agree that we have made here a pretty strong case for the importance and benefits of reading God’s Word. I also hope you will agree that the general idea of faith in God is a pretty important personal possession. Let’s make sure we connect some simple dots. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Where does this vital faith come from? Romans 10:17 affirms that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Reading, hearing, and even writing down ideas and lessons gleaned from the Word causes our minds to be like a reservoir of Kingdom material with which to build a godly life. Once deposited, the Holy Spirit can call to our remembrance what is needed. That’s essentially what Jesus said in John 14:26: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
So Peter’s testimony in this passage was more than an account of his experience surrounding Cornelius and family. It was a testimony to the practical work and influence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a sincere follower of Christ.
“Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might [remember it, be guided by it, and] not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11. (Brackets are mine.)