Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

I’m waiting for the call to the breakfast table. Yup—we’re running late again. I didn’t rise till 6:18am. That’s crazy late for me. But then, my old man naps are stretching out these days too—from a power nap of about 10 minutes to sometimes give-or-take an hour. Oh well. We all know where this is going.

We did a walk/jog up the hill again. The dogs were bummed to see us drive off—especially Dandy who had a ball in his mouth. He was dumb-founded—which comes easy for him.

I desperately need to carry on with some joinery to meet a completion deadline the end of this month—fabricating a 10’x20’ timberframe structure over an exercise swimming tank. I guess this tank that’s about 4’ deep allows this lady to regulate both temperature and pump flow in the tank. She can swim against the current in one place. It’s kind of like riding a rocking horse—lots of movement, but you don’t go anywhere. She does it for therapy. Her ailing joints don’t seem to allow many other forms of exercise.

Just for fun, I’ll stick on a photo I took yesterday of the raging creek behind our house. It would not be a good time to fall in.

Time for breakfast. Blessings.

Love, Dad/Ray.

If the 7 messages to the 7 churches are to be viewed as representative of 7 periods of church history, then this last one addressed to Laodicea is probably most worthy of our attention. I have lots of reason to believe that we are not only passing through the final chapter of the CHURCH AGE, but also the final chapter of human history on this planet.

If this perspective is valid, then the greatest danger facing us today is not an enemy from without, but an enemy from within, one that promotes MEDIOCRITY or LUKEWARMNESS (…although I can’t imagine a time when this would not be a serious danger)—settling for a superficial faith of compromised religious tradition to the neglect of pursuing a passionate personal relationship with the One Who graciously makes Himself available as our SAVIOR and LORD. Listen again to Jesus’ personal appeal for personal fellowship in verse 20: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” To be sure, this relationship invitation is THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME!

The practical fact is that I CANNOT BE OVERCOME BY LUKEWARM MEDIOCRITY WHILE I AM IN HOT PURSUIT OF THE KINGDOM RULE OF GOD—SEEKING HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (Matthew 6:33). I do not need to worry about being COLD—only with COOLING.

With this in mind, here’s some good advice: In order to maintain good overall health, check your temperature regularly.