2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67



Saturday, Oct 23, 2021

Good morning, Zane.

I need to get out the door in the next few minutes to get set up for milling a pile of logs that have been here for about a year—damaged and partially burnt from that horrific period of wildfires. The owners of these logs actually lost their home—and the lumber we will produce today is destined to replace some of what was burned up.

Blessings on your day. Love and prayers—Tua (Ray)


23 October
2 Timothy 3
Focus: “But you need to be aware…” (2 Timothy 3:1)

The Apostle Paul made this statement to young Timothy nearly 2000 years ago. I can’t say that I fully understand why Paul thought it was so important for Timothy, living in that time zone of history, to understand the spiritual and ideological climate of the end times when those times were yet so far away—unless that description was also relevant to Timothy’s day. Indeed it is/was. For that description of moral and spiritual depravity fits quite well the to-be-expected outcome of the NSN (NATURAL SIN NATURE) when left to itself without restraint.

My own judgment is that Paul nailed it!—insofar as defining conditions, qualities, and mindsets that would prevail in the END TIMES—which I have to believe are NOW. So, things are not FALLING APART as much as they are COMING TOGETHER in harmony and fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Just keep you Biblical-awareness seatbelt fastened!

Without further commentary on my part, I want to simply cite the first 5 verses of this chapter—so that you can judge for yourself whether or not “the shoe fits.”

  1. But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce.
  2. People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungrateful and ungodly.
  3. They will become addicted to hateful and malicious slander.[d] Slaves to their desires, they will be ferocious, belligerent haters of what is good and right
  4. With brutal treachery, they will act without restraint, bigoted and wrapped in clouds of their conceit. They will find their delight in the pleasures of this world more than the pleasures of the loving God.
  5. They may pretend to have a respect for God, but in reality they want nothing to do with God’s power. Stay away from people like these! (2 Timothy 3:1-5, TPT).

“Don’t allow the actions of evil me to cause you to burn with anger.
Instead, burn with unrelenting passion as you worship God in holy awe.”

Proverbs 23:17 (TPT)