Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Hello, dear ones.

What a wonderful feast we had yesterday! Good fellowship with those with thankful hearts. Lots of football. I’m just thankful that football is not my passion. What a puny short-lived passion that is!...especially if it is allowed to be one’s primary passion. I certainly don’t wish to be arrogant and overly critical with my thoughts…but it is with heart-level sadness to behold those masses of people caught up in the emotion of the moment as though this game was the most important event to ever happen on planet earth. The cameras continually zoom in on incredibly beautiful women and stunning masculinity…but they are powerless to display what God sees…and the eternal destinies represented.

Poof! My course for the day just changed. I was about to say that my nephew, Larry Wilson, with his wife, Karen, would be coming by to pick me up at 8:30am to go up to Mt. Hood for a round of skiing. But Larry just called to say that we’ll have to abandon that plan as Karen is not feeling well this morning. So it’s back to the big list.

May your “black Friday” be filled with Son-light…as you practice His presence.

Love, Dad/Ray.

By carefully examining the context, I am led to understand that the asking Jesus speaks of here is not concerned with asking for stuff. He refuses to be reduced to a celestial “Genie” who will grant all our wishes to feed our selfish self centeredness. Instead it involves asking for understanding and clarification as to the what, why, how, and where of Jesus’ words. Insecurity and fear are the automatic human responses to a setting of crisis out of control. It’s easy, even unavoidable, to find ourselves in such settings. These circumstances do not normally yield joy and peace. Jesus is affirming that, although bad times are coming, the premium qualities of joy and peace are available only in Him. It flows out of relationship with Him—a knowing that He is still in charge.

The last verse in this reading is incredibly wonderful. I’m going to quote it here and stick in some of my own parenthetical comments. “I have told you these things, so that in me (Here’s another good place to quote Colossians 1:27—“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”) you may have peace (Is there any psychological commodity more valuable?). In this world (In this dirty deceptive “dumpster” environment…) you will have trouble. (That’s a promise! Don’t miss this fact!) But take heart! (That’s a command. The KJV says, “Be of good cheer.” Total joy.) I have overcome the world” (“I am not intimidated or controlled by this dirty deceptive “dumpster” environment! I totally transcend it! Remain in me and you can too!”).