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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8 Oct 10
Good morning, special people.
Since waking about 3am, I’m a little more able to be on top of my
routine schedule. So I’m able to launch this at 6:15am this time.
I’ll take off when we have some daylight to finish up a mill job…and
tax my old body again. I’m just thankful that it’s still holding up.
Hopefully the rain, that is predicted, will hold off until I get out of
there. It would not be pleasant to have that setting heavily rained
on. We’d have a muddy mess.
May your day contain encouragement to your vital faith.
Love, Dad/Ray
8 October 2010
Passage: Hebrews 11:1-16
Focus: “…what is seen is not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3.
I
have a pretty good hunch that our transition from time to eternity will
carry with it some incredible revelations that we never could have
dreamed of. But for the time being, I think it is quite proper for us
to dream, wonder, and contemplate some of the content of those
revelations before we get there. This verse alone opens up a massive
can of questions, wonder, and marvel at the magnitude, wisdom, and
omnipotence of Creator God. Think of it. “By faith we understand that
the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not
made out of what was visible” (11:3).
Hang for a moment
on that word “visible.” God is invisible. The Bible defines Him as
Spirit. If without Him there was not anything made that was made (John
1:3), does it not follow that everything is made out of God? A
narrow-minded physicist would likely object and pass such an idea off
as a bunch of #+@!! He might point out that “we are quite aware that
all things are composed of atoms that are arranged in different
configurations so as to determine the nature and quality of matter.” I
know I’ve talked about this kind of thing before, but I think it is
worth repeating—and it just makes a lot of sense to me that if we can
recognize God as Author of the MICROCOSM (infinitely small, invisible),
it’s easy to embrace Him as Author of the MACROCOSM (infinitely big,
visible). I would like to say, “Dear Mr. Physicist: How well do you
really see atoms? And if you could see them clearly, can you tell me
what in the world makes them stick together? What makes those little
protons, neutrons, and electrons obit around the nucleus? Why is there
even movement? What are those protons and their relatives made from?
And do you think you could ever create even one atom?—out of nothing?
Anyway, it seems to me that all you know are some characteristics of
atoms rather than what really makes them exist.”
“For by
him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all
things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and
in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). “For in him we
live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
Before I
depart let me draw your attention to verse 13. It encompasses the 7
names of role models that have been mentioned so far in this “Faith
Hall of Fame” (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah).
“All these people were still living by faith when they died.” I choose
to accept this standard as my personal priority job description—like
them to continue living by faith—for die I certainly will!
“Nature is but a name for an EFFECT whose CAUSE is God.”