Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

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March 15, 2010
    Greetings, dear birds-of-a-feather.
    At least I would like to believe that we are united in our mutual aim to seek God and please Him.  That kind of makes us birds-of-a-feather, doesn't it.  And if we're not that kind of bird, we are likely the other kind.  I wonder if that little saying I heard long ago with a New York accent describes the other kind: "Thoity doity boids, sitting on a coib, eating thoity doity woims and boiping."
    Be blessed today.  And be reminded that you have a very good recipe for blessing in Psalm 1:1-3.
        Love and prayers...and we need prayers too, meeting some heavy challenges today.
            Dad/Ray
 
15 March 2010
Passage: Acts 19:8-41
Focus: “But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.”  Acts 19:9.

            Refusing to believe.  Now there’s a problem—especially when the core issue is essential truth.  It requires tampering with facts, rejecting evidence, and maligning those who do believe.  It is irrational, unreasonable, and controlled by bias and prejudice.  Its outcome is destructive, ugly, and deadly.
            Take note of the consequential affect of refusing to believe as demonstrated by the riot that ensued at Ephesus at the influence of Demetrius.  He was a real gladiator for truth!  NOT!  Quite the opposite!  While he was a heathen Gentile whose belief system and livelihood were heathenism, he was on a par with the Jewish religious elite who also refused to believe.
            Many times I have been taken back by how little it takes to set some people off on a crusade of fury and rioting.  It only helps to confirm for me that the fuel for this kind of fire is not the God-given quality of intelligence toward wisdom by means of objective reasoning.  Rather it is the devil-designed material of foolishness, emotional manipulation, deception, and refusing to believe.
            In the therapy rendered to Thano (our last-born, nick-name for Nathaniel) following his motorcycle accident with head injury, I particularly liked an acrostic that was presented.  It was STAR: Stop.  Think.  Analyze.  Respond.  I think that’s pretty good practical advice for all of us.  Think about it.  At least it can go a long way toward preventing the consequences of refusing to believe essential truth.