Insightful Musings on the Scripturesby
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 has followed, and an archive of all his daily devotional writings for 2010 and 2011.
| Sparre Home Page | Daily Reading Guide | 2011 Devotion Archives | 2010 Devotion Archives |
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14 June 11
Good morning, dear ones.
Here we go on another adventure! Some adventure, however, I’d rather avoid…like the one Becki announced yesterday when she returned from seeing her doctor…that she had scheduled us both for colonoscopies. Yippie! She said they just look things over and check for polyps. Phooey! I told her last night that I like my polyps.
A big list is before me…and I think I hear sounds of little boys who are arriving for their Tuesday and Wednesday parenting time with Thano. To be sure, he only does a portion of the parenting.
Blessings on your day. Love, Dad/Ray.
14 June 2011
Psalm 43
Focus: “Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.” Psalm 43:1.
Becki informed me last evening that Harold Camping had a stroke. I don’t know if I’ve ever been happy about someone having a stroke, but I confess that in this case I was. Now don’t take me wrong—I don’t wish evil or eternal harm upon him, but leaning to my own limited understanding, I sure wish he would stop spewing his distorted eschatology that I judge has fueled huge amounts of indifference to the Gospel and contempt for those who represent it. I reason that his loud cries of, “Wolf! Wolf!” when there is no sign of a wolf actually influences people to conclude that there is no such wolf. Like the rebuke from the prophet Nathan, who confronted David with his sin, I believe that Camping has unwittingly “caused the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme” (2 Samuel 12:14).
I cannot imagine a sadder form of irony than to be a bearer of the cure for all men’s needs, but then present that cure in a way that repels rather than attracts those in need. On the other hand, I have to recognize that there is an inherent antagonism to God and His offer of Salvation on the part of those who choose to live by the default settings of their sin nature and wish to justify their rejection of God and His truth.
Amidst this mounting hostile environment, do you find yourself doing any groaning? Is there any cry from within that says, “Vindicate us, O God, and plead the cause you have given us before a nation that has lost its way. Deliver us from evil.” You know what?—He will—in His time—the specific time known only to Him. Sooner or later “every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
As a Biblical backdrop for your groaning, may I suggest you review Romans 8. What a dynamic presentation of Biblical beauty, balance, and benefit! Let me cite verses 18 through 26: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
May we continue to grow and groan.
“Many who are well prepared for a rainy day are not prepared for eternity.”