Insightful Musings on the sScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

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March 5, 2010
Good morning, special people.
    I bet you thought I was kidding yesterday when I said, "I think I'll go skiing."  Since we still have relatives here from Mississippi, and it would be my last chance to join them on the slopes, and gracious inlaws provided the lift pass, Becki and I both went up and joined them for the afternoon.  It turned out that we also picked up our little grandson, Kaden, 22 months, and took him along.  Lindsay was sick and Thano needed to work.  I actually gave Kaden the time of his life by taking him on a couple runs with me...simply holding him in my arms like a little sack of potatoes.  We had checked first with the ticket desk and the clerk there said she didn't know of any restrictions.  But when we got to the bottom of the Jeff Flood lift, a lady there attached to Kaden's jacket a lift ticket of his own...she said for reasons of liability.  What a blast!  I never would have expected to meet such splendid conditions.  There was some fresh snow, winter-like conditons, awesome views..just great.  Christopher Wilson and I had incredible fun cutting up on the Palmer and Magic Mile runs.
    But the evening contained some sadness and heartache.  When we drove into our driveway, the dogs (3 of them...our son's dog, Max, the neighbor's dog, Bubba, and our dog, Daisy) went into action with their typical greeting.  But Daisy didn't get far.  The sudden burst of activity seemed to cause some kind of a breakdown in her bone/joint structure.  Her left rear leg appears to have broken.  She collapsed in howling pain.  We'll try to have it diagnosed today...and make decisions from there.  We love and have been blessed by Daisy over the years, but the decision will definitely NOT go in the direction of huge vet bills.
    I trust you will know His blessing today.
        Ray

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5 March 2010
Passage: Acts 13:13-52
Focus: “…a message of encouragement for the people...”  Acts 13:15.

            Of course it was no accident that the rulers of the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch said to Paul and Barnabas when they recognized them as visitors, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”  If we can believe that these first missionaries were indeed sent by the Holy Spirit, there is no difficulty believing that this opportunity presenting itself was ordained by God.  Paul was able to respond with the confidence, in so many words, “Do we ever have such a message!!!”  He proceeded to give a concise presentation of the Gospel.  Verse 39 stands out to me as a wonderful and profound MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT: “Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”  The same Spirit that sent these missionaries touched many hungry and responsive souls that day.
            Many of us, by virtue of frequent exposure, have become so accustomed to the Word of God and the basic Gospel message that we lose a measure of our sense of marvel and appreciation for it.  It is too possible for the commonly-heard Gospel to become commonplace.  But let’s be reminded right here and now that we, as believers, are custodians of a tremendous MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT for all people everywhere.  It is a MESSAGE of hope and help, of light and life, of peace and power, of trust and truth, of grace and guidance, of benefit and blessing—absolutely adequate to guarantee God’s presence and pleasure both now and forevermore.  Is that ENCOURAGING or what?! 
            Please be a faithful receiver and transmitter of this Gospel MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT.  To hide or silence it is to promote darkness and discouragement.