Insightful Musings on theScriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Hello, nice people.
The sun is kind of shining, so I’d better make haste to get in some sawmill work before rain kicks in again. Of course, there’s a lot more on the list than that. There is also some pressing sign work to pursue.
Just for the fun of it, I’ll stick on a photo showing Thano about to enter the gentle surf at Pacific City on Wednesday morning. It was indeed beautiful conditions.
He’s still all pumped and excited over the fun experience of being out on the ocean again, catching fish. As you most likely know, that is reminiscent of his childhood in the Central and South Pacific.
Blessings on your day.
Love, Dad/Ray.
At first, these thoughts do not seem to fit together. I would not normally think of stating my reason for requesting the Lord’s guidance “because of my enemies.” But having given it more thought, I can see how valid that connection really is. Through the lens of Biblical revelation, we have to understand that we are all involved in a universal battle with spiritual forces over our eternal destinies (Ephesians 6:10-18)—whether we know it or not—or whether we like it or not. So even if we have a decent relationship with all the people around us, make no mistake about it—YOU AND I HAVE ENEMIES! And to be sure, not all ideologies held by humans are purely of human origin. That means that people who are not necessarily aimed at doing us harm can be the medium of enemy ideas—enemies of God’s righteousness—Whose righteousness we are to be hungering and thirsting for (Matthew 5:6), and seeking above all else (Matthew 6:33). And since we are using Biblical revelation to sniff out and identify our enemies, let’s not overlook Jeremiah 17:9 and the possibility that our most subtle enemy may be the very one we see in the mirror (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). That person, just like everyone else, has to deal with the contamination of a NATURAL SIN NATURE.
This spin fits well with Proverbs 24:1-2—“Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.” Those “wicked men” may not be criminals. They may be very attractive and very nice people—like movie stars or sports heroes. But if or when we are tempted to lust after their God-violating thinking and lifestyles, we are dealing with enemies—enemy attitudes and enemy thoughts. We are wise to be discerning and heed the guidance of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”—and His righteousness.
has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.”