Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

At 11:45am, it’s still morning. But there’s not much left. I’ve been busy in several directions. One urgency was to make a decision on which way to jump in regards to my ailing compressor. After a lot of research and running around, I finally talked to a guy on the phone this morning that knows my compressor inside and out. The repair he directed me to was simple and only took a few minutes. BINGO!...that old machine is running perfect again. I came dangerously close to putting out $200 for a new compressor.

Another problem developed yesterday...this time with Thano’s little Ranger pickup truck. It won’t start. I had to take him to his Safeway shift….and pick him up. We made contact with a mechanic friend this morning. and loaded the truck onto my flatbed trailer using the track hoe, and hauled it in to that shop. He’ll be diagnosing what’s going on today.

Lots of other stuff on the list. Have fun with your list.

Love, Dad/Ray.

You want a prophecy over you? OK, I’ll give you one. “The Lord would have you know that He wants to bless you and keep you unto Eternal Life. He would have you know that He calls you and enables you to do your part in achieving that glorious objective. So do your utmost to avoid contamination with the counsel and thinking of the world, because such thinking only makes it natural for you to join in the ungodly practices of the world. Know that failure to listen decisively to this warning and instruction will lead you to sit down in the seat of those who mock and establish themselves as self-sufficient enemies of God. Instead, be filled with God’s thoughts—His Word. Don’t let it depart out of your mind or mouth. Memorize it and think about it day and night. It will cause you to be like one putting on the very armor of God, empowering you with strength far beyond your own. So come out from among those who are made dull by conformity, those who lean heavily on their own limited understanding and strength. Serve and love your Creator God from the heart. Make it your highest goal to please Him. Understand that this really is the purpose of your very existence. All this will add up to making you more than a conqueror because much greater is His life and Spirit working in you than any other power in the world. It will make you to be like a strong fruitful tree planted beside a continual river that no storm can bring down. Whatever you do will ultimately prosper because whatever you do is aimed at pleasing Him. This is what your God would have you know.”

Whew! Did you catch all that? Are you taking notes? If you would like it to sound more inspired and convincing, I suppose I could edit this message and put it into King James-style English. I could even write it in the first person and lace it with expressions like, “Yea, I say unto thee, my child…”

Stress what things? In the verses just preceding, Paul presents a brief sketch of our Salvation. We all used to be messed up and hopeless. Then God graciously offered a solution that could never be purchased by any “righteous things we have done” (3:5). So, NO, our enlistment for Salvation is not determined by good works, but God forbid that we overlook the fact that we are to carry on from there with good works—doing what is GOOD by the standards of God’s Word. THIS is the main goal and theme that Christian ministry should stress. THIS is the very means by which the Gospel is demonstrated and communicated. There is a whole world out there looking on to see if what we have represents any discernible value for them. THIS theme appears three times in this chapter alone. I’ve already cited one in verse 8. Let’s also quote verses 1 and 14: “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good” (v.1). “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives” (v. 14).

Let’s also take note of the same theme as reflected in verses 11 and 12 of the preceding chapter (even though this is repetitious): “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

Now don’t take me wrong. It is not my intention to mock the genuine exercise of Spirit-inspired utterances, which I believe Paul is referring to in verse 18. But some of the personal prophecy stuff I’ve been around impresses me as being more dangerous than edifying—involving people playing games and posing as anointed oracles of God when, in fact, they are only trying to bring attention to themselves as mediums of spiritual power to reckon with. In some cases it seems to be a form of Christian magic and/or fortune-telling. May I suggest that you don’t really need someone to make some questionable prophecy over you. And if someone does, make sure you scrutinize the message against the Word. You mainly need to receive and digest that resource for yourself. I will make no claim to being particularly inspired. But since my “prophesying” over you above is simply a synopsis of essential every-believer-should-know scriptural principles, I believe it really is an authentic articulation of PROPHECIES ONCE MADE ABOUT YOU.

It comes with an absolute GUARANTEE: Heeding this “prophecy” will prevent “shipwreck” of faith (1:19).