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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21 Dec 10
Greetings in the morning, special ones.
Already our day is blessed with chaos. Little Kaden was picked up at 8am to spend the day here with Thano and us. I took him on a jog on my shoulders. Although he didn’t stay on my shoulders all that time—he had to do some jogging too.
For whatever it’s worth, maybe I’ll mention a little note that I wrote in the margin of my Bible this morning as I read in Revelation 13. Next to verse 9 which says, “He who has an ear, let him hear,” I wrote, “He who has a brain, let him think.” What do you think? Is that a valid marginal note?
Lots to deal with today. Better get on with it. Be blessed as you get on with yours.
Love, Dad/Ray
21 December 2010
Passage: Revelation 13:1-10
Focus: “He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.” Revelation 13:7.
The “he” of this statement is, of course, “the antichrist” who is here called “the beast”—scheduled to arise on the international scene to wield world-wide power and control. (I sure see a lot of evidence that the world is ripening for his emergence.) The phrase to which I want to give further attention is “was given.” It is repeated 3 times in this paragraph (vv. 5, 7). Question: Given by whom? I believe the answer is in layers. I would peel them away like this: (1) Political power. That would mean that his position and opportunity for gaining such control was actually granted to him via the popular votes of the people. Understand that corrupt people naturally vote in corrupt leaders. (2) Diabolical power. Behind the political scenery are evil spiritual forces. Verse 2 says that “the dragon (Satan) gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.” Verse 4 says that “men worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast.” (3) Divine power. Behind the realm of spiritual darkness is the transcendent and sovereign power and will of God. His will WILL be done. The Almighty is the real source of all lesser “mighties.” My reading today in Proverbs 21 gives support for this: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases”(v.1). And consider again verse 30: “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.”
I don’t have to wonder who the ultimate winners are—or what side I want to be on. And it doesn’t really matter how things play out—whether or not we are to be snatched out of here by a secret rapture before all this horrific persecution breaks out—the end of verse 10 still remains a requirement for all believers everywhere in all time—“This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.”
“Men fail oftener from want of perseverance than from want of talent.” -- William Cobbett