2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67


April 6, 2018
picture of a shed on a trailor ready to haul to Medford

Good morning, dear ones.

I did my little jog. Now I’m puzzled as to why a guy didn’t turn up to have me saw a piece for him.

Obviously, I’ve not been very regular. My last message was on the 1st. Sure been busy. One project nearing completion is a shed needing to be hauled down to Medford. Just for the fun of it, I just went out and took a picture of it. I’ll stick it on with this. I just installed the door yesterday. It just needs a bit more trim work.

Have a blessed day. Ray.

06 April 2018
Mark 4:1-20
Focus: “Consider this…”
Mark 4:3 (The Passion Translation).

An equivalent could be, “OK, class. Put on your thinking caps!” The more I put mine on, the more convinced I become that this is probably the most common cause of failure within the entire human race—that is, simply not taking time and putting forth the effort to carefully thinking things through in terms of cause and affect.

Jesus proceeds to impart His famous allegory of the four kinds of soil. At the outset, I think it’s proper to bear in mind that the problem of non-productivity is not due to faulty seed, but to faulty soil. And the metaphor of four kinds of soil is clearly intended to represent four kinds of hearts. In this regard, this idea is underscored in the footnote under this passage in The Passion Translation. I appreciate the practical insights and commentary of the translator—Dr. Brian Simmons. Let me see if you agree by my quoting here a piece of his footnote following verse 9 which reads, “If you understand this, then you need to respond” (TPT). Here’s his footnote:

"4:9 Or ‘The one with ears to hear should use them.' We usually apply portions of this parable to unbelievers, but Jesus instructs us to apply it to ourselves. The four kinds of soils speak of four kinds of hearts: hard hearts, hollow hearts, half hearts, and whole hearts. With the first soil we see the activity of Satan, the second, that of the flesh, and the third, that of the world. Bearing fruit is never a problem with the seed but with the soil it falls upon.”

Wow! That’s a great 4-point sermon:
  1. HARD HEARTS
  2. HOLLOW HEARTS
  3. HALF HEARTS
  4. WHOLE HEARTS
Think about it!—and ask, “Which one best represents me?”

While wearing my thinking cap this morning, I was inspired again with the parallel between a WHOLE HEART and a WISE HEART (Proverbs 1:7). The affect of a WISE HEART has to be the cause of a proper FEAR OF THE LORD—which I would define as a general motivation to seek God, love God, please God, and desire to know what God says and what He expects of me—or a HEART AFTER GOD. In the absence of that motivation, well—one can just as well flip a coin on everything else.

“When you’re feeling lazy, come and learn a lesson from this tale of the tiny ant.
Yes, all you lazybones, come learn from the example of the ant and enter into wisdom.”
Proverb 6:6 (The Passion Translation)