Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Hello, dear ones.
I’ll be short—I’m being called to the breakfast table. Then it’s rush, rush, rush. I still have difficulties and decisions to make re: this project. I don’t think I like water-borne stains. Not yet sure how everything will play out.
Blessings on your set of challenges. I don’t think it’s possible to be on planet earth without them.
Love, Dad/Ray.
This capsule of thought prompts me to reiterate some bottom-line basics of our Biblical worldview. You will need to judge the accuracy of my description. Firstly, there are only two kingdoms—the Kingdom of God, and the kingdom of Satan. In short, the first is the Kingdom of light—the other the kingdom of darkness. Due to original sin (the fall), all humans, in general, are affilliates with the kingdom of darkness. Apart from seeking God and His light, the only worldview they have to work with is one of darkness. That darkness has a deceptive quality to it—and why wouldn’t it have, since deception is the highly refined art and craft of the kingdom of darkness?—causing many to think their darkness is normal and very adequate light. They become so comfortable with darkness so as to actually prefer it—actually offended by light (John 3:19. See also John 1:1-13). Even though they were manufactured to be lights that display the glory of God, their activational power switches remain in the OFF position. Herein is the glory of the Biblical Gospel—by decisively seeking first God’s Kingdom of light, He has special ways for turning one’s switch to ON. On the other hand, it’s never full ON while on this side of heaven—that would blow a circuit—so there’s a rheostat quality to the switch.
John bears out these ideas after many years of walking in the light: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie (are deceived) and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7). It’s been proven time and time again in the personal experiences of sincere seekers—Son-shine dispels the darkness of sin.
David was clearly a seeker—and a finder. The light he was given made him see how dismally dark was darkness. His HEART AFTER GOD illuminates before him the things of God—making him to see spiritual realities that darkness totally hides (like blindness)—and he’s inspired with this prayer request: “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (27:4). Without a doubt, the best use of David’s prayer is to make it our own. New Testament revelation offers to turn the light up even brighter, announcing that our own earthen vessels (bodies) are the priority intended dwelling places of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).