Month: October 2023

Philippians 4:10 – How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. ¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. ¹⁴ Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

¹⁵ As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. (NLT)

When I read this passage, I decided to do a little test.  I typed ‘Secret of Success’ into Google search.  Two things about that search were very interesting. First, it gave me 15,100,000 results.  Second, by page five of the results I had yet to come across anything Christian in nature, although I did see plenty of websites wanting people to send in their money in order to find out the secret of success!

Did you know that Christian have the secret to success?  Could it be so secret that even many Christians don’t know it?  Paul states in verse 12: “I have learned the secret of living in every situation.” Every situation? Really? Could Paul mean that he knows the secret of living through a broken marriage?  Could he mean the secret of living through the loss of a loved one? Does this really mean the secret of living through days in which it would appear that no one really cares for you?  Yes, for these situations and every other, Paul has the secret!

Paul’s secret is there in verse thirteen: “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”  What does it really mean to do things through Christ?  Does it mean that we can do anything?  Can we run a three minute mile?  After all, Paul does say everything!  To understand what Paul means by ‘everything’ we must understand it within the context of this letter.

Let us remember the most important context of this letter – Paul was imprisoned.  The ‘everything’ of verse thirteen is being content no matter what one’s circumstance.  Paul learned the secret of being content even in prison.  I’m not sure how you would define success, but I believe that being happy is successful, and I believe that God does want us to experience happiness.  Paul learned the secret to contentment, and it was through his relationship with God through Jesus.   

If we back up just a few verses in this letter, Paul writes about how one can experience God’s peace, which brings contentment.  He wrote: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Today, let’s not worry, but instead pray.  Let’s tell God what we need, not what we want.  Let’s live today thanking God for all God has done for us, and we, like Paul, will learn to be content no matter what this day brings.  

Posted by Ramón Torres

Ephesians 6:10 – A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we^[are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (NLT)

All or nothing – that’s just how many things work in life!  For example, if two people want to be married, they will have to be totally committed to one another for the rest of their lives.  Anything less will be harmful to the marriage.  In essence, it will have to be all or nothing.  Giving all will ensure a stable marriage, while anything less will ensure a rocky road.

If we want to live the abundant life that Jesus has promised us (John 10:10), it’s all or nothing, as well.  That’s what this passage of scripture says to me.  This is a familiar passage, and many Christians are well versed with God’s Amor.  However, many Christians are not aware that when it comes to the protection of God’s armor, one must put on every single piece – or one might as well not wear any of it at all. 

Consider verse thirteen: “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil”. We must put on every piece of God’s armor!  We can’t pick and choose what part we will wear.  There are Christians who go to worship on Sunday to ‘fill up’ for the week, but by Wednesday (or Monday) they find themselves losing the battle with evil once again.  We must put on every piece of the armor, and we must put it on every day!

Notice something else about verse thirteen: “Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”  The armor of God does not prevent spiritual battles.  Spiritual battles are coming!  To be able to stand after the battle, we have to be all in before the battle.

Today, let us be all in!  Let us seek every weapon that God provides so that when the battle does come, we will make it through victoriously. 

Posed by Ramón Torres

James 3:13 – If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. ¹⁵ For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. ¹⁶ For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ¹⁸ And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (NLT)

I still remember the very first sermon I ever preached.  The title of that sermon: Is Your Faith Practical?  Faith is not meant to be cherished as we might a family heirloom.  Faith is not something we put in a showcase to admire from a distance, or put away in a box in the attic.  Faith is meant to be lived out moment by moment throughout our lives.  James was a man who believed in a practical faith!

Do you understand God’s way?  Then prove it, James writes!  Christianity is not merely knowing about God. Christianity is not even about merely believing in God.  Consider what James says in 2:19 – “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.  Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”  Christianity is about having a relationship with God through Jesus that is evidenced in the way that we live. 

Likewise, true wisdom is not quoting the famous philosophers.  It is, however, knowing how God desires us to live, and then living it!  If our life is characterized by disorder, then we really only know about God, and have not proven that we seek God in our hearts.  True wisdom, for a Christian, is loving peace, being gentle in speech and action, and even yielding to others!  True wisdom, for a Christian, is evidenced by our good deeds. 

When we find ourselves failing in these areas, it’s time to ‘go back to school’ and seek wisdom from the one and true source of all wisdom.  The wise thing for each of us to do would be to go to that source daily!

Today let us endeavor to live peacefully, showing others the wisdom of God by being a humble servant.

Posted by Ramón Torres

Romans 8:26 – And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT) 

This week we have a lengthy passage.  For the sake of study, we could divide it into two passages, but I believe that it is important to read this passage as one section.  If we were dividing this passage, the first part would be about the Holy Spirit.  The second part would be Paul’s beautiful words about how nothing can separate us from God’s love. 

Sometimes, during the hectic moments of our daily lives, we may feel that certain circumstances have come between us and God’s loving presence.  The first part of this passage, however, gives us the remedy for this feeling.  That remedy is the Holy Spirit, which is the spiritual presence of God.  We’re told in verse twenty-six that God’s Spirit is there to help us when we are weak. The Holy Spirit prays for us, and seeks to keep us in line with God’s will (verse 27).   

When Paul asks the question – what can we say about this – his answer is fully given in verse thirty-eight: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”  The Holy Spirit is the reason why nothing can separate us from the Love of God.  We may find ourselves filled with fears for today and worries about tomorrow (verse 38), but God’s loving presence is still there.  We may even feel as if the very powers of hell are descending upon us (verse 38), but even then, God’s loving presence abides with us.

This week, no matter what troubles life may bring our way, let us live confidently knowing that we are never separated from God’s loving presence.  That really is good stuff! 

Posted by Ramón Torres