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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21 Nov 10
            Greetings, dear special people.
            The frost is definitely on the pumpkin…and everything else outside.  We’ve already heard of some bad accidents due to icy roads.  That was a warning we gave to Thano before he headed off to work at Safeway already this morning. I guess I’ll go out in a few minutes and see what it’s like to jog in the cold.  I’m nearly ready…already wearing my quilted bibs even as I type.  I put them on while Becki gave my entry below a proof-reading…a routine we try to follow every morning.
            Hang in there folks.  There’s a great day comin’.  Blessings.
                        Love, Dad/Ray
 
21 November 2010
Passage: John 15:1-17
Focus: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you...”  John 15:11.
            As a kid, I found myself excited about a lot of things—particularly action and adventure.  It was almost hopeless for me to sleep well before a big day full of those ingredients.  For example, at the age of 14, I remember twisting my worried mother’s arm so hard that she finally granted permission for me to rent a “skin diving” dry suit for the first time so I could go spearfishing with a friend in the cold waters of Puget Sound.  Wow!—that was 52 years ago!  And I’ve engaged in that kind of thing ever since.  (At what point is a person supposed to grow up?)  I remember the same kind of excitement before a big day of skiing, or climbing a mountain, or hunting with my grandfather, or a camping trip, or…
            And since early childhood I’ve heard these words and themes of Jesus, even memorizing key passages from the Gospel of John.  But I’ve never known them to inspire a greater sense of excitement and adventure than what I am sensing right now.  (Maybe that’s a sign of growing up?)  In some ways, it’s like being a kid again—on the verge of new adventure.  And I’m wondering if this sense of excitement can be equated with the JOY that Jesus talks about here and presents as VERY IMPORTANT.  “I have told you this so that my JOY (excitement) may be in you and that your JOY may be complete.”  Think about it.
            However we cut it, I believe this JOY (sense of excitement and adventure) affords some wonderful benefits to the believer.  It will provide some strong motivation to REMAIN in Him.  “REMAIN in me, and I will REMAIN in you” (v. 4).  It will prevent the undesirable condition of UNFRUITFULNESS.  “If a man remains in me and I in him HE WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT; apart from me you can do nothing” (v. 5).  It accompanies and allows the wonderful quality of PEACE.  “PEACE I leave with you; my PEACE I give you” (14:27).  Then, in the same verse, Jesus adds a clear command that defeats our greatest threat to PEACE—WORRY and FEAR.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  Think about it.  At some wonderful point (via death or “rapture”) Jesus is going to take us with Him to some wonderful point.  “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (14:3). Wow!  Are you excited yet?  The adventure goes on.
 
“In the eyes of the practicing believer, JOY is wanting what you get.”