Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Hello, folks.
It’s night already. Interesting day. Becki joined me in running to Salem this morning for a treadmill stress test with a cardiologist. I think he doesn’t know what to do with me. I have this crazy irregular pulse—but everything else checks out great. It was like he just kind of threw up his arms and said, “Just keep doing what you’re doing! I’ll see you again in 6 months.”
From there we made a dash out to Dallas to pick up a silk screen that I’ll send to Katherine as she wants to print some t-shirts for a kids group at her church. Then we ran to Clackamas where I picked up a piece of Black Locust that I’ll craft into a grave marker for someone requesting one.
I returned home to more work than when I left. The juggling act is getting more intense all the time.
Time for bed. Good night.
Love, Dad/Ray.
Why draw near? I think this passage graphically answers that question. And while I could get carried away with a lot of commentary, I’m choosing to simply quote the entire passage from the Message translation with the hope that it will resonate with your insides.
“So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into ‘the Holy Place.’ Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The ‘curtain’ into God’s presence is his body.
“So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshipping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
”If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: ‘Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing,’ and, ‘God will judge his people.’ Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.
“Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.
‘It won’t be long now, he’s on the way; He’ll show up most any minute. But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; If he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.’But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.”