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 June 10
            Good morning, dear ones.
            It’s hard to believe we’re at the tail ending of June already.  I don’t even have a garden started yet.  I won’t do a big one…just a little one.  Maybe I can get it in on Saturday.  Too much to do.
            May you be blessed, encouraged, and inspired.  I know one thing—living without those ingredients really isn’t much fun.
                                                          Love, Dad, Ray
 
30 June 2010
Passage: Luke 24:36-53
Focus: “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”  Luke 24:45.
            Here is another principle of the Kingdom that is worth remembering: UNLESS JESUS, BY MEANS OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT, LENDS SPECIAL INFLUENCE SO AS TO OPEN MY MIND TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES, I’M NEVER GOING TO GET IT.  I can read and read and read, but NEVER GET IT!  Without this special divine touch, the Bible is just a bunch of black print on white paper.  It’s like reading someone else’s mail.  It just doesn’t make sense.  And even with this touch of His Spirit, there is no guarantee that I will get it all at once.  Look at Jesus’ own disciples.  The fact is, it is a constant ongoing revelation—an unfolding adventure in glory.
            I want to quote from 2 Corinthians 3:16-18: “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord (activates A HEART AFTER GOD), the veil (non-understanding, confusion) is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (freedom from sin, self, and satan—freedom to know things not otherwise known).  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory (from one glorious revelation after another), which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
            For anyone not thus activated, this doesn’t make a lick of sense.  I may as well be talking Martian.  But anyone so activated will find their insides resonating with the words of Jesus in John 8:31-32: “If you hold to my teaching (with A HEART AFTER GOD), you are really my disciples (as opposed to Christian religionists).  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
 
            “We cannot really be for something we don’t understand.”