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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20 Sept 10
            Good morning, dear people.
            Well…how are you today?  Fine, you say?  Almost everybody says that.  So, how are you really?  Wish we had more time to dialogue personally. But I’m under time pressure again…and better keep moving.
            I hope your day goes well…and it will if you “keep your hand in the Hand of the Man who stilled the waters…”
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
20 September 2010
Passage: Colossians 1:1-23
Focus: “…all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17.
            Do you remember the exchange Jesus had with His disciples where He asked them, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13-19)?  They gave a list of speculative answers they had heard from the onlookers.  But then Jesus made it more specific and asked, “Who do you say I am?”  Peter spoke up and gave a great answer—“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
            Now listen up as the Apostle Paul gives his answer to the question WHO IS JESUS?  “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:15-20).
            Did you hear that?!  Do you believe it?  Are you still standing?  If this is true, how can we not fall on our faces in worship?!  This just about melts the insulation off my thinker!
            Get it straight!  The fundamental logical LAW OF NON-CONTRADICTION does not allow us to have it both ways.  That is, either this disclosure is TRUE or it is NOT TRUE.  If it is TRUE, our lives must be impacted and governed by it.  If it is NOT TRUE, then all this Biblical Gospel stuff is the biggest bunch of lying deceptive nonsense that has ever hit the planet!  So which is it?  You decide!
 
            “When Christ is the center of your focus, all else will come into proper perspective.”