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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 31 Aug 10
            Good morning, dear people.
            It’s presently 7:16am.  It’s so chilly that I went out to the wood shed to grab a few more pieces of wood as I had started a fire in our wood stove.  I felt the beginning sprinkle of rain that has been predicted.
            I better get on with it.  Lots coming my way.
            Have a great day.  Blessed.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
31 August 2010
Passage: Galatians 3:1-14
Focus: “Who has bewitched you?”  Galatians 3:1.
            If we agree with Biblical revelation that there are two, and only two, spiritual kingdoms—and that these two are in perpetual conflict and competition over the souls of men, we will not be surprised at the schemes and strategies of evil to obscure or neutralize God’s plan for salvation.  All such strategies are diabolical and in the same camp with witchcraft and black magic. Neutralization (to render ineffective) of the Gospel was the clear objective (at least it was clear to Paul) of the enemy kingdom in regards to the Galatian believers who were converted under Paul’s earlier evangelistic efforts.  The tools of influence being used against their faith are some so-called Jewish Christians who turn up to teach that receiving Christ in faith is not enough—they must also practice all the laws handed down from Moses.  For this reason these teachers were called “Judaizers.”  And for this reason, Paul was very upset.
            You and I will do well to brace ourselves from any similar attacks and influences that would reduce our faith to so many rules.  That is simply the religious treadmill all over again—a lot of superficial activity without accomplishing victory over sin from within.  It’s about as effective as reaching real destinations on a rocking horse, as compared with a real horse—lots of activity and motion, but it doesn’t go anywhere.  You can be sure that Satan is not at all alarmed with this kind of faith.  Indeed, it is one of his favorite objectives.  We are saved (changed on the inside) not because we do righteousness (THIS IS THE LIE), but we do righteousness because we are saved (THIS IS THE TRUTH). To put it another way, who and what you are is not determined by that you do, but what you do is determined by who and what you are.  Paul’s fierce argument is that legalistic bondage to the Law of Moses not only weakens the Gospel, it actually repudiates it.
 
            “If there were no enemies, there would be no battles; if no battles, no victory; if no victory, no Gospel significance and no value to heavenly rewards.”