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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2 Nov 10
            Well…Good morning, special people.
            Yesterday was a rather lengthy presentation with all those scriptures to cruise through.  Today is a shorter production.  So, already in November, I’m giving you the long and the short.  Please smile on the count of 3.  1-2-3. Thank you.
            Daylight is emerging.  I notice that the sky to the east above the hill is quite clear.  I guess I’ll go out and see what it feels like out there and do a jog.
            May your day go well.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
           
 
2 November 2010
Passage: John 5:31-47
Focus: “I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.”  John 5:42.
            The caption over this section in my Bible reads, “Testimonies About Jesus.” This is Jesus speaking to the antagonistic Jewish leaders.  If you follow along in His verbal defense, it is quite clear that He is claiming MESSIAHSHIP in no uncertain terms.  Notice that He cites 5 sources of testimony to support that claim.  Here they are: (1) John the Baptist.  (2) Supernatural miracles.  (3) God the Father.  (4) The Scriptures.  (5) Moses.
            At one point, Jesus cuts through all the fat and exposes the root cause for the torrent of antagonism from these Jewish leaders who really wish to find a way to exterminate Him.  Jesus states, “I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.”  Another way to say that is, “In all your study and learning, through all your background and experience, and in spite of your religious traditions and convincing theology, you have not even made it to square one insofar as God’s priorities are concerned!  You have violated the first and foremost command of the very source of authority that you claim supports you—to truly and completely love God!”
            I’m going to repeat what I believe to be the vital BOTTOM LINE of our relationship with our Sovereign—nothing is more important than A HEART AFTER GOD.  It is that essential disposition of heart and soul that gives life, motivation, and fulfillment to our faith.  And without this foundational condition being set at the base of our living, nothing of Biblical doctrine works right.  All our training, all our church activities, and all our spiritual experiences will not, and cannot, yield proper fruit.  It is a matter of truly loving God in our hearts—A HEART AFTER GOD—the vital catalyst that gives solidity and form to our faith.  Indeed, without it all we have is a blob of religious goo.  Here’s a poetic fact: A blob of religious goo will just not do, or yield any lasting benefit to you!
 
“Love that does not understand the language of sacrifice
is NOT love.”