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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29 Oct 10
            Good morning, special ones.
            I even see blue sky through the trees.  It’s a fine-looking day so far.
            After sending this off, I think I’m off on a run to do business errands…including dropping off a bunch of sawmill blades for re-sharpening.
            May He be Lord of your/our day.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
29 October 2010
Passage:  John 3:22-36
Focus:  “The bride belongs to the bridegroom.”  John 3:29
            This character that we know as “John the Baptist” absolutely amazes me.  With no formal training and experience that we know of, the depth of his insights and attitudes appear to me to be clearly God-inspired.  This statement he makes is an example of great maturity and clarity of vision. Some of John’s disciples approach him and say, “Have you noticed that you no longer have a monopoly?  This new guy (Jesus) is now heading up a competitive baptismal campaign!”  I’ve been around Christian ministry enough to know that lots of ministers would have become rather irritated, threatened, and maybe call the new guy a “sheep stealer.”  But John simply states, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom.”
            My brother and a couple close friends stood with me when I was wed to Becki nearly 43 years ago.  She was MY bride.  No one else’s.  My “groomsmen” were invited to participate in the wedding, but had no right to participate in the marriage—if you know what I mean.  In the same way, John recognizes who’s who in this scene as well as the boundaries of each one’s rights and responsibilities.  I think we can be benefitted by a similar view, keeping in mind that Jesus is the Bridegroom of the Church, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, and the Sovereign Lord over us all.  We are mere stewards, representatives, and custodians—not owners.
 
            “Jesus Christ forgave voluntarily; He died vicariously; He arose visibly; and He lives victoriously.”