2007 picture of Ray SparreInsightful 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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13 Nov 10
            Good evening, dear people.
            I kind of ran out of time and didn’t get this sent off this morning before I had to run off to finish up that mill job.  I started at 8am and finished up just after noon.  By the time I left, rain  was falling pretty serious.  Rain has continued to the present.  Anyway, I’m finally following through with this detail of the day.
            When I finished up the milling, I went across the road to Wilhoit Spring County Park.  Interesting place with an interesting history.  I drank some of the carbonated mineral water…took some home.  The caretaker there talked my leg off—so now I need to get another one.  Not really.
            My eyes are starting to cross…so it must be about bed time.
            Good night.  Blessings.  Love, Dad/Ray.
 
13 November 2010
Passage: John 10:22-42
Focus: “…that you may know and understand.”  John 10:38.
            I hope and pray that you know and understand that there are some very important things that God wants you to know and understand.  But please know and understand that He does not intend for you to know and understand everything—nor has He equipped you with that capacity.  I’ve said it before—I’ll say it again—I believe that God’s Word, the Bible, is inspired of God—not just for what it says, but also for what it does NOT say.  It discloses to A HEART AFTER GOD the essentials of what God wants you to know and understand.
            Verse 38 reads this way: “But if I do it (the will and work of the Father), even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I in the Father.”
            Now, please allow me to put the key thoughts of Jesus’ statement into my own words: “Even though you are confused and find it difficult to believe in me at this present time, please pay attention to the fact that I have been the agent of many undeniable miracles.  Allow that fact to settle into your minds with the truth that there can only be two origins of the supernatural—either from God or from Satan.  I promise you that if you are honest and desirous of truth, and if you will begin with at least this plain fact, you will afford a sufficient opening in your mind and spirit so as to allow penetration by the revelation knowledge of the Spirit of God.  If you carefully examine the miracles I do as well as my own life, message, and motives, I guarantee that you will put yourself on a road toward clearly knowing and understanding that I am, in fact, God incarnate.” (Quite honestly, it is at junctures like this in Jesus’ hassle with His adversaries that I wish He would have said something like, “May I suggest that you have a chat with my mother?”  There were important things they simply did not know or understand!)
            I really REALLY believe that if you will carry with you the attitude that says, “Lord, what do you want me to know?”—and will accept His Word as the general embodiment of what He wants you to know, you will set yourself on a course to “know the truth, and the truth will set you  free” (John 8:32).
 
“If truth stands in your way, you’re headed in the wrong direction.”