2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67



Sat. Nov 6, 2021

Hi, Zane..

I did my old man jog with the dogs. Becki didn’t quite feel up to it—even though she followed through with leading her water aerobics class last evening. While out I had a call from a friend that made me want to hurry back home. He wanted to borrow the fuel tank for my Wood-Mizer sawmill as he had made the error of leaving his tank for his sawmill at a spot a couple hundred miles away. He’ll only use it a couple days. That means I won’t be running the mill today. But I do face an urgent little logging operation that will keep me quite busy for a good deal of today.

Have a blessed day. Tua (Ray)


6 November
John 7:1-24
Focus: “Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” (John 7:4)

I quite agree with the reasoning of Jesus’ brothers—even though their words were tainted with unbelief and sarcasm at the time. If Jesus is truly Who He says He is, and as powerful and important as He claims to be, by all means, He should be presented to the world. Why should the masses be deprived of His blessings and benefits? He should not be kept in some obscure corner, out of view. Jesus’ response to the antagonism of His brothers was that the timing was not quite right. His presentation to the world would come later. Of course, He also knew what His future held, as well as the present murderous intentions of the Jewish leaders, about which His brothers had not a clue.

As we examine the challenge of Jesus’ brothers—“Show yourself to the world”—we have to conclude, at this point, that HE HAS! HE IS! What’s more, it’s important to remember that you and I are parts of His presentation plan! So here’s the bigger-than-$64,000-question: WHAT KIND OF A JESUS CHRIST ARE YOU PRESENTING TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU?.

QUICK REVIEW: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. (John 3:16-18).

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).

“The birth of Christ brought God to man, but it took the cross of Christ to bring man to God.”