2007 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67



January 03, 2014

Hello, nice people.

Becki and I managed a walk/jog earlier. But there can be some frustration along the way with this dog. There are times that he’ll run off into the bushes to chase a smell, then lays down his ball somewhere…and forgets. Then, he’ll come dancing up to me in a way that says, “OK…I’m back. Go ahead and throw the ball.” I say, “Well—where is the ball? Get your ball!” Then he says, “Look—if you don’t have the ball, I don’t have a clue where it is!” Phooey! It doesn’t make for good conversation. I have to then lead a search in the brush to look for his stupid ball—which he didn’t pay for—I did!

Have a blessed day.

Love, Dad/Ray.


3 January
Passage: Matthew 3
Focus: "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” Matthew 3:1-2.

Have you noticed that a very common worldview stance of many in our mixed up secular culture (political correctness) is what we might call absolute relativism? Now there’s a paradoxical contradiction! But how can it be otherwise if these people insist that there are no absolutes and all (at least most) matters of moral right and wrong are relative.

The way my little bald head has been enlightened to see things (that’s kind of how I’ve been enlightened to view my enlightenment), there is no single word in the entire Bible that is more absolute than REPENT. There is no amount of human opinion or voting power that can be collected from little cockroach-minded humans that can be stacked up to resist or overrule this fundamental absolute Biblical fact—absolutely EVERY HUMAN BEING IS A SINNER IN DESPERATE NEED OF THE BIBLICAL SAVIOR! A change from one’s natural condition (NATURAL SIN NATURE) is absolutely required! And an essential part of that change is REPENTANCE—which is a turning away from the rule of sin, self, and Satan—turning to God—our only hope for solution and inclusion in “the kingdom of heaven.” So what if this is a narrow and hard line? So what if it sounds too absolute and dogmatic? If this is truly absolute fact—established by absolute Holy Sovereignty—who of us, in their right mind, could hope to circumvent it?!? BEWARE: SIN IS A MIND-ALTERING CONDITION.

Here’s something else to beware of: RELIGION. Perhaps I could define it here as the man-made idea that one can earn or deserve salvation, heaven, and right relationship with Holy God by means of doing good (religious) works. That too can be mind-altering. And it’s a warning implicitly presented in this chapter surrounding the phenomenal revival under the preaching ministry of John the Baptist. Heart-level God-seeking crowds flocked to him. “Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (3:6). But then some of the religious elite showed up to see what in the world this ignorant hick preacher was up to. John was inspired to recognize their proud duplicity and lay aside any social graces he may have had—perhaps on the grounds that this message of required repentance was simply too important. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance(3:7-8). Do you think any of these guys were “confessing their sins?” I don’t think so. Self-righteousness doesn’t have any. Instead, I think their religiosity worked to elevate their arrogance and reduce their sense of sin. So, beware.


“Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice.”
~ Henry Ford, Sr. ~