A Year of Grace

365 Days of Grace From God's Word

Followers Change Things

Matthew 7:22 – On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. (NLT) 

I sometimes find Jesus’ teachings striking not for what he says, but who he says it too.  Consider this passage, Jesus is not telling us that all those heathen sinners out there better straighten up, he’s telling us that all those folks who claim to know Jesus better straighten up.  Yes, this passage is just for all us good church folk!

This passage begins with Jesus telling us that not everyone who claims to know Jesus really know him. There is a big difference in knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus.  James tells us we may say that we have faith because we believe in God, then he tells us that even the demons believe (James 2:19).  Believing in Jesus is not the same as faith in Jesus.  Faith in Jesus changes things about us.  Faith in Jesus changes the world through us.

Jesus then tells us the parable of the house built on the solid foundation and the house built on the sand.  Those Christians who follow Jesus’ teaching are on the solid foundation, while those Christians who don’t follow Jesus’ teachings are on the sand.  The interesting thing about these verses is the word we translate as follow or obey.  The Greek word is ποιέω, which literally means to produce something, or to bear fruit. The word that we translate as foolish (μωρός), was also the word for godless.

If we follow Jesus’ teachings, we will be producing fruit. Likewise, if we know of Jesus but do not have the faith to follow Jesus’ teachings, we are godless!  A powerful and challenging teaching.

Today, let us inspect some fruit!  Let us ask ourselves what are we producing? Let us strive to be more than a believer in Jesus, and endeavor to have the faith to truly change what needs to be changed.

Posted by Ramón Torres

Specks and Logs

Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. (NLT)

In today’s passage we have a couple of well known sayings of Jesus, but many have found it difficult to understand why verse six would come immediately following the first five verses.  Some feel that they seemingly contradict one another.  The first five verses speak of the danger of judging others, while verse six implies that a judgment must be made!  If we are not to waste what is holy on the unholy, as verse six tells us, then we must make a judgment as to what is holy and unholy. 

There are two schools of thought about why these seemingly contradictory verses are included together.  First, some claim that the Gospel writer was simply writing down the collected sayings of Jesus, and not necessarily putting them in any order.  If this is so, then we would have a very difficult time understanding the context of anything written in the Gospel.

The second thought concerning these verses is that Jesus was talking about the interaction of his followers with people in general.  There was no need to be telling people about how sinful and wrong they were when his followers had issues of their own (verses 1-5), and there was no need to waste their time trying to convince anyone of anything if they were not receptive to listen (verse 6). 

This is good advice for Christians today. Christians are becoming known for what they are against instead of the Good News.  There is no need for us to go around telling others, and in particular telling non-believers, how sinful they are when we have our own issues with which to deal.  Additionally, there is no need for Christians to endlessly argue with non-believers about Jesus if they are not receptive to the message.  There are some things – and people – that we must leave up to God.  When we have done our part, we move on, trusting that God may send someone else to that person. 

Today, let’s refrain from being too critical of others.  Also, let us remember that Jesus said that the harvest fields are ready (Matthew 9:37), there are plenty of people who are willing to listen to the Good News, so let’s share the Good News with those who will listen.

Posted by Ramón Torres

Above All Else

Matthew 6:25 – “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (NLT)

As you have grown as a disciple of Jesus Christ, what things have changed in your life?  Just as important as that question is, we must also ask ourselves what things have not changed in our lives?  These are questions that we all need to ask ourselves.  The answer to these questions can act as a fair indicator of the strength of our faith. 

Many Christians do, indeed, work hard at changing their lives for the better, yet many of those same Christians remain set on accumulating material possessions.  They work hard (not bad in and of itself) to have bigger homes, fancier cars, the best clothes.  Many even feel that to achieve these worldly things equals success. 

We should consider the question that Jesus asks when he spoke of our daily worries about these things: “Why do you have so little faith?”  Jesus then tells us that these kind of worries are what dominate the thoughts of unbelievers!  Faith in Jesus Christ is more than trusting in eternal life, it is trusting for life here and now.  Faith in Jesus should bring us to a place where we can let go of our worries about material things.  While it is not wrong to want to better our lives, we have to ask ourselves at what cost?

Today, let our thoughts be thoughts of rejoicing over our blessings, and not about what we do not already have.  Instead of worrying about what we might purchase, let us seek the Kingdom of God above all else. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Our Hearts Desires

Matthew 6:19 – “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (NLT)

Recently, television shows that depict the lives of compulsive hoarders have become popular.  The reasons for compulsive hoarding are many: fear of throwing something away that may be useful in the future; emotional attachment to things; and even perfectionism have been listed as possible reasons.  In reality, we all are hoarders on some level.  We all accumulate a certain amount of ‘stuff’.  Our attics or basements often contain boxes filled with items we never think about, yet we save them for years.  We like our stuff, and we hang onto it!

If we are honest with ourselves, what we hang onto will not make much of a difference when our lives are over.  My wife, Lisa, and I used to attend estate auctions, trying to find a bargain or two. Many of those estate auctions were held by children whose parents had passed away.  It was sad to see what appeared to be the sum of someone’s life auctioned off for a fraction of the value that the owner had placed on their ‘stuff’.

I don’t think that Jesus objects to our possessing objects of sentimental value, but I do think we should all ask ourselves: what do we value most?  Consider verse twenty-one: “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”  Jesus did not say, where the desire of your heart is, there will be your treasure.  Many Christians would say that they desire the things of God, but their treasures tell a different story.  Our hearts (emotions) trick us into believing that some things are of great importance to us, but in reality they are not.  Our treasures do not follow our hearts, our hearts follow our treasure.

So, what are we to make of this verse?  We must understand that as Christians we must discipline ourselves – for that is what a disciple does!  We must discipline ourselves so that we treasure the things of God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These are the things of God that we should treasure, for these are the very things that the Spirit of God can and should produce in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).  If we treasure these things, then our hearts will desire the things of God.  If these are not the things that we treasure, then as Jesus says in verse twenty-three above, the light we have is actually darkness.

Today, let us discipline ourselves to treasure the things of God, and we will notice that our hearts will desire these very things! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Kingdom Now

Matthew 6:7 – “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NLT)

Keep it simple – that’s what Jesus teaches us about prayer.  While this prayer seems simple enough, we should note that these simple words contain powerful petitions.  Consider asking that God’s will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.  We have often prayed this, but we should consider what we are asking!  In heaven there is no sin, no anger, no grudges held, no prejudices.  When we pray this simple prayer, we are asking that our lives be radically changed!  When we pray for God’s will here on earth, we are in essence asking that we have the strength to lay every selfish desire that we have aside, and instead humbly serve others.  We might worry about a worship service going a few minutes over an hour, yet will we be quick to leave worship in heaven?  We put conditions on our love for others, but no such conditions exist in heaven.  What radical words this simple prayer contains. 

Verse fourteen presents a huge challenge for many – if we refuse to forgive others, then God will not forgive us.  However, if we are truly seeking to live kingdom life now, then we will forgive.  If we refuse to forgive, then whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer, and ask for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, we are either lying or ignorant of what we ask!

God’s kingdom now is radical, and God wants us to live radical lives now.  Today, let’s live radically.  Today, let us allow someone to see the difference that God can make in the world by seeing the difference that God has made in us!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Stay Focused

Psalm 30:1 – I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.
You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you restored my health.
3 You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.
You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
Praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

6 When I was prosperous, I said,
“Nothing can stop me now!”
7 Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.
Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

8 I cried out to you, O Lord.
I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,
9 “What will you gain if I die,
if I sink into the grave?
Can my dust praise you?
Can it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.
Help me, O Lord.”

11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

In this passage we can find parallels between David’s prayer and our relationship with God.  Verse one leads us to believe that David had been in distress, nearly overwhelmed by his enemies.  I doubt that any of us have been out battling Philistines, but I believe that we can relate to this feeling! There are times in our lives when it seems as if the world is closing in on us.  We are told in verses two and three that when David cried out to God, God rescued him. When we are faithful and cry out to God, God is there.  We may not recognize it at first, but like David in verse four, we can come to a place where can praise God for bringing us through our trials.  

In verse six, David admits that there was a time when he believed that he had achieved his success on his own.  He felt good about what he had accomplished.  He forgot the one who gave him life, and gave him the gifts to achieve success.  Here is a danger we must watch out for – thinking that we are self made.  God is the one who gives us our abilities.  When we are successful, we can be satisfied with our hard work, but we must not forget the one who has given us our abilities to work hard.  David recognizes in verse seven that it was God who gave him success, but he also admits that he felt secure as a mountain!  In other words, he lost his focus on God and felt it was all his own doing that brought him his success. 

Then in verse seven, David admits that he was shattered when God turned away.  I believe it was David who turned away, having found satisfaction in himself and not in the Lord.  How often we find it difficult to keep nurturing our relationship with God when all is well.  We forget who it is that has guided us along the path that brought us success.  James tells us:  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17 NIV).  Our successes in life, and what we have achieved, are gifts from God.  When we lose focus on the giver, we sometimes lose the gifts! 

In verses eight through ten, David recognizes his mistake, and cries out once again to God.  Having returned to God, David says that his mourning has turned into joyful dancing.  God wants us to dance!  God wants us to enjoy life, and even to enjoy our successes in life, but God wants us to maintain focus on the one who has made our success possible. 

Today and every day, let us be quick to praise God (verse 12), so that we will never lose focus on the giver of all good and perfect gifts!   

Posted by Ramón Torres

Looking Forward to What Lies Ahead

It’s almost here!  A new year full of possibility and opportunity.  Twelve months.  Fifty-two weeks.  Three hundred and sixty five days.  Eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty hours.  Well, you get the picture.  We have a strange relationship with each new year.  We all feel compelled to make some changes in our lives, which is not a bad thing, yet we are often held back by our failures from the past.  Sometimes we make a resolution to change, but since we failed at making significant changes in the past, we figure there is no use in trying again.

If this depicts your struggle with resolutions, I would ask you to reflect upon the following Scripture verse: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:13) It’s important to note that Paul does not simply say to look forward to achieving the goal, but to first forget the past.  To press forward, we must let go of the things from the past that hold us back from moving forward.  That does not mean that we cannot learn from the past, but we should not dwell on the past.  We cannot let the past paralyze us with guilt or fear.  

Jesus said: “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)  When we focus on our past, we begin to believe that what we have been is what we will always be.  The Bible promises us that with God the opposite is true!  Indeed, consider 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

I would encourage you to make resolutions that would glorify God.  That could mean reading your Bible more, but it could mean many things: improving a relationship; furthering your education; taking control of health issues; and the list could go on and on.  My point is this, as Christians we should always seek to glorify God.  Indeed, we are told in 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

So, make plans to improve yourself, and look forward to it!

Happy New Year!

Posted by Ramón Torres

A Quiet Place

I love this time of year!  There is nothing about the month of December that I don’t like.  I enjoy all of the Christmas preparations.  I love giving presents.  I love spending extra time with family and friends.  However, while it is certainly, “the most wonderful time of the year,” the truth is that with all the extra things that happen, it can also be the busiest time of the year.  Even though we have our catchphrases like, “Jesus is the reason for the season,” and “Keep Christ in Christmas,” the busyness of the season creeps into our lives.  We love Christmastime, but sometimes we lose focus. 

There is a story in the Gospel of Mark of the apostles doing many great things.  They return to Jesus and report to him of the great things being done (Mark 6:30).  The busyness of the Apostles was certainly a good thing.  They had driven out demons, and healed many sick people (Mark 6:13).  What I find interesting is the response that Jesus gives to the Apostles for their work: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)   

During this busy time of year, packed with one thing after another to do, one place after another to go, we would do well to spend some time with Jesus in a quiet place.  The rest would do us all some good.  Whatever wonderful things are happening in your lives this December, take some time to rest.  Let’s not get so wrapped up in celebrating the birth of Jesus on the 25th that we forget to celebrate the presence of Jesus this day.  Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him (Psalm 37:7). 

Merry Christmas!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Common Ground

1 Corinthians 9:19 – Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (NLT)

If we claim to be a Christian, then we need to recognize that we are a witness.  We may be a good witness, we may be a bad witness, but we are a witness!  We need to be aware of this fact because our challenge is to reach out and make connections to the unchurched in our culture, and we must do this without becoming influenced by the culture. 

Paul, the great evangelist, was faced with this very same challenge, as well.  Paul was willing to make great changes in his daily life in an effort to find some common ground with those who did not know Jesus.  Consider what this must have meant.  When he was with Jews he kept all of the Jewish laws, he ate their foods, he dressed in what was customary, he observed all of their religious rituals.  When he was with the Gentiles, he ate their foods, dressed as was their custom.  Imagine how challenging this was for a man who grew up doing everything he could do in an effort to not be like the Gentiles!

Notice what Paul says in verse twenty-two: “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ.”  Paul was not writing about their lack of physical strength, he was writing about their lack of spiritual understanding.  Yet Paul, the great Christian theologian, spoke to them on their level, becoming weak like those that he sought to reach. 

This passage offers us some insight on how to reach the unchurched.  We cannot put demands upon the unchurched and expect them to come running to the Church, or to Jesus!  Like Jesus, and like Paul, we must meet the people where they are.  We don’t have to condone all behaviors, but we do not need to condemn or belittle anyone, either.  We can’t expect the weak (as Paul used the term) to understand the need for salvation, so it would probably be best if we didn’t walk up to them and ask them if they were saved!  With all people, our challenge is to find some common ground, for common ground is where all productive communication begins. 

Today, let us seek some common ground with someone who does not know Jesus.  Let’s not condemn, but rather let’s share what we know about love and grace. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Our Actions Matter

1 Corinthians 8:1 – Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.

4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. 5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.

7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble. (NLT) 

Take a verse out of its context and you can make the Bible say about anything you want!  Consider the following: “I will never eat meat again as long as I live.” This is a direct quote from the Bible, so eating meat must be a bad thing, right?  Not at all, but we have much to learn from this passage. 

Many people in the Corinthian Church were converts from various pagan religions.  The pagans, like the Jews, would bring an animal to their priest to be sacrificed.  Following the sacrifice, the pagan priests (Jewish priests, as well) would then be free to either use the meat to feed their families, or to sell it in the marketplace.  This is how many of the priests made a living.  In Corinth, the recently pagan Christians were troubled: was it wrong to be eating meat bought in the market that was once part of a pagan ritual?

Paul reassures them that the meat was just meat.  The gods that the meat had been offered to were not gods at all, so they were free to eat the meat.  Paul then states in verse nine: “But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.”  Paul was not saying that Christians need to give up meat, but he was saying that if it caused someone to stumble in their Christian journey, then he would gladly give meat up forever! 

Are there behaviors that are perfectly fine in and of themselves, but may cause someone to stumble?  Will a glass of wine with a meal cause a weaker Christian, who is prone to alcoholism, stumble?  Will listening to certain types of music, without regard to the lyrics, cause another to think that glorifying such behavior is what Christians are about?  We do not need to live life fearfully analyzing our every move, but as Christians we should be sensitive to how our actions may be understood by others. 

Remembering that we are, indeed, our brothers and sisters keeper, today let us strive to be a little more mindful of how our actions may be perceived. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

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