Insightful Musings on the New Testamentby
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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17 Dec 10
Good morning, special people.
It’s pretty cold out there this morning. Our thermometer says 31 degrees.
We were involved in a couple gatherings yesterday—a Christmas lunch hosted by Wilsons (Becki’s sister and brother-in-law) along with some of their old friends, and then a missionary reception in Salem where it was great to reconnect with old friends from that arena and meet some new ones. We sure are blessed with a big family of faith and fellowship.
Brr. The fire in the woodstove was about out, so I just went out to the wood shed in my slippers (of course I had more on than that) and gathered an arm load of wood to get the fire going again. And sure enough—with more daylight, the view out the front side of our place reveals a landscape that is white with frost.
I better keep moving. May your day go well.
Love, Dad/Ray
17 December 2010
Passage: Revelation 9
Focus: “…still they did not repent…” Revelation 9:20.
I want to take a moment to offer some comments on how I am choosing to approach these readings in Revelation. I don’t have much confidence in my ability to get all the bits and pieces of John’s visions put together so as to form a perfect picture of clarity and understanding—making me to know exactly how things will play out in real and practical terms. Even John did not grasp all he saw. I have to believe that the cryptic style is intentional by the ultimate Author. I’ll leave the technical detail stuff to those who are more technical than I am. So I am reading more devotionally (for inspiration and practical application) than precisely. And I believe this approach is supported and encouraged by the BLESSING PROMISE given at the beginning of the book. “Blessed is the one who reads (understanding is not required) the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
Reading through chapter 9 makes me feel like I’ve just watched one of those wild spectacular digitally-animated super-power monster movies. End-time events will stack up to be stranger than fiction—at least as strange as.
Something equally strange is how the main-stream of human society at that time, who would witness the devastation of the plagues described, “still did not repent”—especially when they know the source and cause. It strikes me as absolute insanity. Someone has coined the quip that “Liberalism is a mental disorder.” I’m inclined to agree. But unrepentant sin also produces a mental and spiritual disorder that is simply mind-boggling. In fact, it’s just plain stupid! What a perversion of human intelligence and our freedom of choice! The tragedy of it all is that it is SO unnecessary! All they have to do is submit to the One Who is clearly Sovereign—as well as Gracious. Indeed, UNREPENTANT SIN IS STUPID! I believe that this fundamental fact is as important to carry in my worldview file as anything else.
“Two things never measure up to their advertising claims—the circus, and sin.”