Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear people.

Becki and I did our WOG (walk/job) up the hill on SHORT FELLOWS ROAD again. Being the short fellow that I am, I felt I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I think I failed to mention that Hondo is no longer here. Monday I finally put an ad on Craigslist for him. Within about 2 hours we had a good match—a family in Battle Ground on 5 acres. They came late that night and picked him up. It’s a little heart rending. We didn’t want to lose him. It’s also sad to allow the contempt of a neighbor to win—all for the sake of keeping peace. So I’ve warned Becki—“Please don’t make the neighbor mad! I don’t want to lose you!” Just kidding.

I think the last verse of the reading is a very important concept for real disciples to embrace. If we spoke the factual truth in some of our prayers, they could go something like this: “Oh Lord, cause me to think right so as to do your will, even though I neglect the programming effect of daily reading and meditating on your Word. And help me to be as healthy and fit in body as though I were diligent in the disciplines of diet and exercise. In fact, help me to glean all the benefits of being disciplined and responsible, even though I’m undisciplined and irresponsible.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 reads this way: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us PURIFY OURSELVES from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” I may have gone to meddling.

Moving right along…here we go with another day. I guess it’s slated to be the hottest day of the year for us here in Oregon—103. I want to do some mill work before it gets that bad.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

What do you think of this kind of fairly-common evangelistic appeal? (…whether it be stated or implied)—“Come to Jesus! He will solve all your problems, give you comfort, health, and success, cause everyone to like you, and make your life easy.” It may sound good up front. And some folk may respond on the basis of that kind of invitation. But in the long run it back-fires because it is not true—it is not compatible with real life or with God’s training plans and purposes. Furthermore, it fails to nurture true discipleship.

The Apostle Paul was definitely a real disciple of Christ. Let’s allow his role modeling as set forth in today’s reading to be a profound reality check—a standard for self-examination: “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Cor. 6:3-10).

It’s pretty clear that Paul was able to control his focus—seeing blessings through the bummers, glory through the glitches, and heaven through the heart-ache.