2007 picture of Ray SparreInsightful 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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16 Nov 10
           
Good morning, dear people.
            Whew! Even though I rose at 4:45am, the morning has taken off with such a burst of demanding activity that I didn’t get my whole routine done.  Oh well.  I’m going with the flow.  And speaking of flow, that creek is sure doing it! There was a lot of rain in the night.
            I have a very big log on my mill that needs to be cut right away.  Better get.
                        Blessings. Make sure you smell good.  Love.  Dad/Ray
 
16 November 2010
Passage: John 12:1-19
Focus: “And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”  John 12:3.
           
There was more than one sense of smell going on in that house that day.  A good question to raise is this: Who’s sense of smell is most important? To the senses of Jesus, this deed performed by Mary where she broke the container of very fragrant and costly perfume, rubbing it all over Jesus’ feet, then wiping the residue with her hair, was a very acceptable, pleasing, and aromatic thing to do.  (I would guess that people were following Mary around for a good week after this incident—getting into the path of the fragrance she was emitting everywhere she went.)  But to the senses of Judas, who loved money and the stuff it can win, the whole deal stunk! There you have it, folks—this is a concise commentary on the conflict that still rages between members of the two kingdoms (i.e., the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan—there’s only two, you know).  Each one stinks to the other.
            I just checked the concordance and counted 39 times in the Old Testament where sacrifices are described as being a “sweet savour” (KJV) or “pleasing aroma” (NIV) unto the Lord.  That has to be significant.  I’ll let Exodus 29:18 be representative: “Then burn the entire ram on the altar.  It is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, and offering made to the LORD by fire.”
            Consider also these odor-significant passages:
            Ephesians 5:1-2.  “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
            Philippians 4:18-19.  “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.  And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
            2 Corinthians 2:14-16.  “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.   For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task?”
            Please understand that, while you may not have a year’s wages worth of perfume to offer to the Lord, you most definitely have something to offer.  Any sacrifice of praise or service offered to the Lord from A HEART AFTER GOD emits to Him fragrant aroma.  Read Romans 12:1 from that perspective: “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing (pleasing aroma) to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
            I dare you to get out there and raise a big stink—and a “pleasing aroma” to the Lord.
 
“The perfect gift for someone who has everything — a burglar alarm.”