2007 picture of Ray SparreInsightful Musings on the New Testament
by
Ray Sparre, NU class of '67

Ray has a wealth of experience as a Husband, Father, Pastor, Missionary, and student of the Word. He believes and practices his faith where the rubber meets the road. You'll find his writings to be practical, insightful, and grounded in a truly Christ-centered world view.

Below are links to a printable daily Bible reading guide which Ray is following, and an archive of all his daily devotional writings for 2010.

|  Daily Reading Guide  |  2010 Devotion Archives  |
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4 June 10
Greetings, Dear Ones.
As I type here at 8:33am, the rain is pounding on the kitchen skylight…and the creek is raging.  This is calling for a bit more effort as I’m trying to make the shift from the older desktop computer to the newer notebook.  Hope I can pull it off OK.  I just had a State Policeman call in here this morning about 6:30am.  He was stopping by to pick up a broken cell phone that I found near the recent crash site that took the life of an 18-year-old boy.  Another boy in the crash is still alive, but barely…apparently still in a coma.  My hunch is that this cell phone belonged to the survivor.  The police investigator was happy to get the phone as the chip inside, if readable, could offer some clues in the investigation.  They still don’t know a lot about the details that led to the crash.  Thano is needing my assistance…and I still want to do a jog…in the rain…under an umbrella.  Lots to do.
           Hang in there, keep seeking God, and be blessed.
           Love, Dad/Ray
 
4 June 2010
Passage: Luke 11:1-13
Focus: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” Luke 13:2.
If I can comprehend the heart attitude of what it is like to be a father, I have a basis for comprehending the heart attitude of Creator God—our Supreme Father.  A healthy well-balanced father has a special level of love and care for his children.  I won’t claim to be perfectly “healthy and well-balanced,” but I sure know something about those attachments and feelings that accompany my own experience as a father. Drawing such a parallel provides us with a huge amount of comfort, confidence, and trust in approaching this Father God.  It gives us a wonderful basis for approaching “the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).  And now that I see more clearly the BIG PICTURE, I can’t seem to find anytime in my entire existence where it is not a time of need—a time where I am absolutely dependent upon Him.
Let’s briefly review the main components of this prayer outline Jesus presented to His disciples.
FATHER—my Sovereign Designer and Source.
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME—He is to be revered as absolutely holy and is worthy of my praise.
YOUR KINGDOM COME—I make it my highest priority to comply with His Kingdom rule in my life.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD—Even the essentials of my physical life are made possible by His design and provision.
FORGIVE US OUR SINS—I need forgiveness for violating His Kingdom rule in my life.
FOR WE ALSO FORGIVE EVERYONE WHO SINS AGAINST US—Oh really?  But here is the Jesus-established standard for receiving forgiveness—being an extension of God’s forgiveness by being a forgiver.
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION—Lord, help me to be a good student who learns by means of wisdom rather than by means of stupid—the result of  yielding to destructive temptations.
 
           “If you don’t learn from your mistakes, there is no sense in making them.”