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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30 Nov 10
            Hello, dear people.
            Yes—here it is rain, rain, rain, but in the mountains it is translated as snow, snow, snow. And in anticipation of that, I did something recently I’ve never done—I yielded to a great deal being offered from Timberline and Ski Bowl and bought an all-season pass.  The fact that they offered a special discount to people over 65, and since I’m still not grown up, it just made for a deal more attractive than ever before.  I test drove the deal for a while on Saturday night.  Good time.
            Lots on the agenda for the day.  That’s normal.  May your day go well…as you make it your priority to please and FOLLOW HIM.
                                                                    Love, Dad/Ray
 
30 November 2010
Passage: John 21
Focus: “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”  John 21:15.
            As we wrap up the Gospel of John, we are also implicitly reviewing the bottom line of our Biblical faith.  I believe that is the real application contained in the questions and statements that Jesus makes to Peter in this chapter. Let me summarize His words into three pertinent and practical standards that Jesus sets for not only Peter—indeed for all of us.  I think it forms a kind of job description that is worth memorizing and remembering. After all, if we don’t really know or remember what we’re supposed to be doing, it sure is easy to yield to feelings or peer pressure—which are very unsafe and unreliable standards to live by.
            LOVE JESUS.  “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  This, of course, is quite consistent with the greatest requirement that God makes of men.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).  This is our vertical priority.
            SERVE OTHERS.  When Peter affirmed his love, Jesus said, “Feed my lambs…take care of my sheep…feed my sheep.”  That spells service.  But understand this: Service cannot take place in proper balance if the second greatest requirement is not heeded—“And the second is like it; ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).  This is our horizontal priority.
            FOLLOW HIM.  After Jesus put the love question to Peter for the third time, and after Peter responded right for the third time, Jesus simply adds, “Follow me” (21:19).  I now believe that fulfilling God’s will for my life is not a result of my coming up with some detailed specific plan for vocation, location, implementation, etc., but is, in fact, the general by-product of the priority to FOLLOW HIM, His words, and example in every aspect of my sojourn.  (Read again Psalm 1:1-3 and Matthew 6:33.)  This is the balancing of the vertical and horizonal.
 
“There is one single fact which we may oppose to all the wit and argument of infidelity— namely that no man ever repented of being a Christian on his death-bed.”  --- Hannah More