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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5 July 10
                Whew!...dear ones.
                I’ve been on the run this morning…including a doctor’s appointment where I submitted to an annual physical.  She says I’m in pretty good shape…for an old guy.  No problems.  Yes—she’s a female doctor.  That helps me understand how women must feel being gone over by male doctors.  Whatever.
                It sure seems like things are being added to my list faster than I can cross them off.  Somewhere along the line, I’m going to have to cross everything off…and go fishing again.
                I need to get out to the shop and fabricate some cedar sign panels for some Salem parks.  So, what are you up to?
                Blessings. Love, Dad/Ray
 
 
5 July 2010
Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1
Focus: “God is just.”  2 Thessalonians 1:6.
                Only three little words, GOD IS JUST, but the message contains a tremendous amount of valuable information and meditation that should serve as a kind of anchor for our faith.  Say it again:  GOD IS JUST.  You and I are entirely right to not only tremble at the thought, but also be extremely grateful and secure.
                I think it could be a good exercise to process this truth by emphasizing its three word parts:
                GOD is just.  It is His nature to be just.  And He has every right to impose that standard upon His creation.  Yet man is unjust, by the spoiling influence of his sin nature.  Isaiah gives a description of the affairs of unregenerate man:  “No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity.  They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil” (Is. 59:4). Can you see, then, why God’s Word is so vitally important?  It is man’s only hope!  Psalm 19 says that “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul…The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.”  Peter declares that by our proper absorption of God’s Word, we can actually “participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world cause by evil desires” (II Peter. 1:4).
                God IS just.  It’s not that God has been just in the historical past, or that He will be in the future.  He IS just right now in spite of how things may appear.  Little ignorant men often accuse God of being unjust, or at least uncaring.  They complain, “If God is fair and just, how can He permit all this corruption and injustice to prevail in the world?  How could a just God allow my teenage daughter to be kidnapped and abused?  How could He tolerate my father being killed by a drunk driver?”  I certainly don’t like what I recently read that “less than 2% of street crimes in New York city are brought to justice.”  Sometimes the world looks like a chaotic mess of injustice.  But we need to back off and reckon that history is HIS STORY…and His story is not finished yet.  He says, “I will repay” (Rom. 12:17-19).  And that’s that!
                God is JUST.  He is entirely JUST as opposed to dishonest, deceitful, partial, or evil.  He can neither sin nor tolerate sin. And in His dealings with His creation nothing gets by Him unnoticed. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13).  We would do well to memorize and meditate on Gal. 6:7-8:  “Do not be deceived:  God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Judgment Day will be the finalization of God’s justice.  You and I are wise to prepare now.
 
                “Never be diverted from the truth by what you would like to believe.”