Insightful 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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11 June 10
            Greetings, dear people.
            I’ve already eaten my lunch.  Becki baked a couple beautiful 14” trout that Ray Wilson caught in a lake near Bend.  Very good.
            If you promise not to tell anyone, I’m going to turn my phone off in a few minutes and grab a little nap before getting one with my huge pile of other work. Of course, I’ll probably do it even if you do tell.  A little 10-minute snooze is what I choose.
            Blessings.
                                                          Love, Dad/Ray
           
 
11 June 2010
Passage: Luke 13:22-35
Focus: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”  Luke 13:24.
            Let’s slice apart this statement by Jesus into four nice little pieces.  They may be little in size, but they’re big in importance.
            MAKE EVERY EFFORT.  Jesus is helping us to understand a vital truth—entering the Kingdom of God is not by accident.  It calls for effort—EVERY EFFORT—decisive, all-out, no-other-objective-matters effort.  Why do you think followers are called DISCIPLES?  Do you see the connection to DISCIPLINE?  Although we are not saved by works, do you think you can make it without focus and commitment and effort?  I don’t think so.  No one is going to accidentally fall into heaven.
            ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR.  Shall we complain to Jesus? “Jesus, don’t you think this word NARROW is a bit…well…NARROW?”  Jesus would probably say, “Very.”  It is so narrow that Peter was inspired to proclaim, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Whew!  That’s NARROW!
            MANY WILL TRY TO ENTER.  I hope you can recognize a distinction between “effort” and “try.”  EFFORT speaks of doing the right thing in the right way.  TRY is futile effort, like doing the right thing in the wrong way. 
            NOT BE ABLE TO.  It is helpful to understand that IF there was any other way for men to measure up to “the glory of God” and make heaven their home than the ONE WAY God graciously offers, even though it be NARROW, Jesus would not have had to come and die as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”  There is absolutely no way I can achieve for myself what Christ achieved for me on the cross.
            So, how many ways are there to Eternal Life?  Let’s count them: ONE.
 
            “Many buy cemetery plots in advance, but do nothing about preparing for a home in heaven.”