Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good afternoon, dear people.

Thano went to work this morning at 8:30am. Andy and his family left about 9am. Kaden and Nicholas joined Becki and me at our Gospel Sing in Woodburn at 10am…and on from there to church. Their mom picked them up about 1:30pm. We just returned from our Gospel Sing at Pheasant Pointe in Molalla. Now, what do we do? Among other things, we plan to visit a senior couple.

Have a great rest of your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Before engaging in a season of missionary work, there were some questions I had to settle in my own heart and mind. One could be phrased like this: What right or motivation do I have to tamper with someone else’s culture and promote a Biblical worldview as though it were superior to their own? Whereas I had personal reason to embrace Biblical authority, it didn’t take much reflection to answer that question. Beginning with the universal world-wide problem of mankind’s NATURAL SIN NATURE, and the Bible’s pronouncement of a universal solution which presents a universal SAVIOR that rescues men from that universal problem and its consequences, how could I not engage? The angelic announcement to the shepherds on the night of the SAVIOR’S birth stated, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be exclusive only to Europeans.” Not! “…that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). I interpret that to mean this message is needed cross-culturally. So the psalmist’s expression is quite consistent with the Biblical Gospel—“make known among the nations what he has done.”

Alzheimer’s Disease and various forms of dementia are some of the saddest of modern ailments. The main kinds of pain and suffering they inflict are cognitive and emotional. When the memory deteriorates to the point that a spouse of fifty years becomes a stranger, and their past experiences together can no longer be reviewed with mutual recall and reflection—oh the heartache! I think it’s reasonable to ascribe a similar kind of pain to the loving Lord when his people, to whom He has espoused Himself, allow themselves to become afflicted with a similar kind of spiritual dementia. Psalm 106 identifies some examples—“When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses…” (105:7). “Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done..” (105:12-13). “They exchanged their Glory (the LORD) for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them…” (105:20-21). Can you believe it? Right there on the heels of beholding so much of the Lord’s miracle power, they were duped by a “bunch of bull!” Sadly—when a person is so afflicted, they will be given to thinking and doing absolutely crazy things.

Make no mistake about it, the NATURAL SIN NATURE contains the built-in viruses of spiritual Alzheimer’s and dementia. Wise believers understand the importance of a daily consumption of Biblical vitamins and nutrients that totally prevent those and other debilitating conditions. But what if a believer forgets that importance?—forget to take their vitamins and nutrients? What if they forget to remember to take measures against forgetting?

“Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD” (107:43).