Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

The creek is rising and rushing along with the heavy warm rains we’re getting. It’s over 50 degrees already this morning. I think my grand nephew and his friend are going to go up skiing again today…but it will likely be raining and the snow will be like mashed potatoes.

Be good. Be blessed. Have a good day.

Love, Dad/Ray

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.