Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good late afternoon, dear ones.

I did a short version jog early, went to Sunday School, main service, then ran to another church to join in a senior’s potluck lunch and hear one of our college classmates, Ed Smelser, present on Israel. Then we had to run to our Gospel Sing at Pheasant Pointe, after which I finally got in my old man nap. Whew! Now, here I am at this keyboard again. I’m sure you are all excited to read my trivia. You can just pass over it if you wish. But I wouldn’t mind hearing some of your trivia some time. This one-way street can make one a little nervous. Now, we’re off and running again.

Have a great evening.

Love, Dad/Ray.

David is not necessarily claiming blameless perfection—as though he was arrogantly boasting—“Look at how squeaky clean and righteous I am!” I take his expression as a straightforward statement of commitment that should characterize every serious seeker and follower of God—every sincere disciple of Christ. Holiness before the Lord is definitely not accidental. Discipleship is very deliberate. After all, how would we fare in this Christian walk without being careful—without strenuous self-control, self-denial, and setting boundaries for ourselves?

Modern technology can be a sinister deceptive trap that teams up with the residue of the NATURAL SIN NATURE so as to make it incredibly easy to set vile stuff before our eyes. Television, DVD movies, internet, and the like, can subtly combine to militate against clean Christianity. The unavoidable problem is that once vile stuff penetrates the eyes, it also penetrates the heart, contaminating the brain to think, to fantacize, and to prompt related behavior, thereby neutralizing Christian effectiveness. But, so what else is new? This dirty deception has hammered believers since the fall. It’s just that modern technology makes it so much easier to be victimized—kind of like the incrementally boiled frog.

“The lips of the righteous nourish many…” (Proverbs 10:21a). Why? Once again, it’s because righteousness is no accident. It is the direct result of seriously seeking God, membership in His Kingdom, and His righteousness—the practical application of living to please God—thereby qualifying that person to nourish others by promoting the same. “…but fools die for lack of judgment” (Proverbs 10:21b). They suffer the consequence of “the wages of sin” (Romans 6:23). Why? Because they ignore or reject any interest in being “careful to lead a blameless life” before God. They prefer the carelessness lifestyle of living to please themselves and/or the expectations of others. Sad—but that’s the way it is.