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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26 Sept 10
            Good afternoon on this rainy Oregon Sunday.
            Well…I was able to get out of bed, do my basic routine, make a breakfast fruit salad, do my jog, eat breakfast, go to church, help with fixing an exotic tuna fish sandwich lunch, and help put our little grandson, Kaden, down for a nap. I got in a few winks myself.  I hope he wakes up before we go to Pheasant Pointe Assisted Living Center for our Gospel Sing.  If not, I may have to go alone, with Becki staying behind with him.
            May you continually SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
26 September 2010
Passage: Hebrews 1
Focus: “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness…” Hebrews1:9.
            I just read an overview of the book of Hebrews which states that out of all the men mentioned in the New Testament the profile of Apollos would make him qualify as the most likely author of this letter.  Some time ago I read a historical novel that presented Priscilla as the author. Interesting.  Whatever.  I hope we can accept that determining the precise authorship is not as important as discerning the fact that its content is in sound harmony with apostolic revelation and authority.  Anyway, I will proceed to refer to the author as simply “the author.”
            In verses 8 and 9 of the reading the author is inspired to quote from Psalm 45.  “Your throne, O god, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”  It is agreed among Bible scholars that these verses have their best fulfillment in Jesus Christ.  The New Testament presents the Kingdom of Christ as an eternal one.  Jesus clearly loved righteousness and hated wickedness.  He was anointed with the Holy Spirit.  And He was definitely above all other humans insofar as freedom from sin is concerned.
            One practical point impresses me here.  It is not enough to love righteousness—one must also hate wickedness.  That is the mind and attitude of Christ.  “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
            Let me throw you a spin on this that has caused me no small concern over the years.  It’s kind of a delicate and sticky matter with some. But is it not reasonable to suspicion that something is amiss, at least potentially dangerous, in the lives of “believers” who vicariously engage in wickedness via the medium of movies, television, and literature?  Oh, sure—it’s easy to pass it all off as “entertainment,” but since when is wickedness supposed to be entertaining?  Anyway, I encourage you to think it through.  And as you do so, please do not be a typical worldling who shops for a belief system that conforms to their preferred lifestyle.  Instead, be a true follower of Christ who conforms his lifestyle according to his belief system.
 
            “If you do not want the fruit of sin, stay out of the orchard.”