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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27 Aug 10
            Good morning, dear people.
            Brrr…it’s cold again.  Our thermometer registers about 42.
            Another month has nearly evaporated into history.  Another summer is nearly dissolved.  Another pile of unfinished summer projects remain…surrounded by other piles.  Oh well—piles keep piling when you’re having fun.  I guess that’s another way of saying TIME FLIES.
            Speaking of flies, I need to remember to get another bait refill for our yellow jacket bee trap.  Thank you for reminding me.
            Well…here goes another jog…with 3 dogs.
            Be blessed.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
27 August 2010
Passage: Romans 15:14-33
Focus: “…so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:16.
            Can you imagine a preacher standing before a congregation and beginning his message like this: “My deep desire and objective in speaking with you today is to help you die!?”  Lots of mouths would probably drop open at the initial shock of those words.  But anyone with knowledge of the New Testament and the spiritual realities it presents would soon get the point.  Indeed, the Gospel presents to us the opportunity to die—to become “dead to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11).  And when it is all said and done, it is not only the responsibility of a Gospel preacher to help make us die, it is our own. It is our own personal responsibility to respond decisively to the wonderful opportunity afforded us in the Gospel.  Be reminded of how Paul began chapter 12: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices (all sacrifices die in one way or another…and don’t get up from the altar to carry on with business as usual), holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).
            Let’s review the Focus verse.  Paul presents himself “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering (sacrifice) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”  However we process this expression, let’s not mistake the central theme: GOD WANTS YOU AND ME TO OFFER OURSLEVES TOTALLY TO HIM—SO AS TO BE CHANGED ON THE INSIDE BY THE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF HIS SPIRIT.
            May you die a blessed life-changing death—so that you might REALLY LIVE.
 
            “Because Christ died FOR sin, we can die TO sin.”