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  |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 Dec 10
            Greetings, dear people.
            The way things are shaping up this morning, I think I’ll be able to get in a jog…with only one dog…little Max (Thano’s dog—a mix between Toy Fox Terrier and American Eskimo).  He’s a fun dog.
            If I can find time where the rain and wind is not too heavy today, I believe I’ll be renting a man lift to assist in installing some sign faces in a high sign. Besides that, I face a huge TO DO list.
            Keep surrendering you times to The Timeless One.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
9 December 2010
Passage: Revelation 2:1-17
Focus: “I know your deeds…”  Revelation 2:2.
            I figured out that Santa Claus was a myth with I was 5 years old.  I made waves early in life by declaring my belief to some of my kindergarten classmates.  While I am reasonably tolerant of our nostalgic American traditions, I still hold some simmering contempt for Santa Claus…simply because he’s not real.  He’s a fraud…a fake. He’s not the real deal.  He’s only an empty counterfeit of the real deal—the One Who is presented in our reading.
            While folklore claims that Santa Claus “knows when you are sleeping, and knows when you’re awake, and knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good—for goodness sake!”…Jesus, the All Knowing One, really does know (See Hebrews 4:13).  So why wouldn’t a person want to seek him and partake of His goodness and grace…for goodness sake!
            This claim to omniscience is repeated throughout these letters to the seven churches.  I count 5 times in today’s passage alone.  (1) “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance” (2:2).  (2)  “I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men…” (2:2).  (3)  “I know your afflictions and your poverty…” (2:9).  (4) “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not…” (2:9).  (5)  “I know where you live…” (2:13).
            Of course there is value in exploring what exactly it is that Jesus knows about these symbolic churches, but there is also great value in simply knowing that HE KNOWS.  Coming to think of it, omniscience (knowing all) is really a very appropriate for The One Who is the Alpha and Omega—the Beginning and the End.  How could it be otherwise?
 
“Fear the man who fears not God.”