Month: December 2024

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

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 25^th 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

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

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

1 Corinthians 6:12 – You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. ¹³ You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. ¹⁴ And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

¹⁵ Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” ¹⁷ But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

¹⁸ Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (NLT)

Have you ever known someone who professes to be a Christian, yet their life tells a different story?  Such was the case with a number of the Christians who lived in Corinth.  Some of them claimed that since they were saved through their faith, then they could live as they desired. (Surely, we don’t have Christians like that anymore!)  Their argument was that since they were free in Christ, they could do anything.  Paul responds in verse twelve, and even quotes their argument: “even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.” 

Paul uses the word slave many times in his letters, even calling himself a slave of Jesus (Romans 1:1).  In Romans, Paul makes the argument that everyone is a slave to something, it is our fallen/sinful human nature.  We are either slaves to sin, or a slave of God.  Romans 6:16 – “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” His argument in this passage with the Corinthians was that they had become a slave to sexual sins.

Some Corinthians claimed that since sexual relations were a natural human function, then any sexual relations were justified.  They compared the naturalness of sexual activity to that of the natural act of eating.  If our bodies were made to eat food, then it was justified to eat food, therefore they claimed they were justified to have sexual relations as they desired.  Paul responds with the following: “You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.”

Paul goes on to share that sexual relations were for a higher purpose than procreation, or even recreation.  The Word of God maintains that sexual relations are a gift from God to bring us into a close spiritual relationship with another.  He writes: “Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” ¹⁷ But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.”

Just as we have a spiritual relationship with God through Jesus, sexual relations allow us to nurture a deeper, spiritual relationship with another.  Therefore, we cannot engage in sexual activity casually.  In this passage he mentions ‘with a prostitute’, for that was the argument that the Corinthians were using.  We can substitute ‘anyone other than one’s spouse’ to receive the full meaning of the text.

Sexual relations are not inherently bad, indeed, God commands us to have sexual relations! (Genesis 1:28).  Just as any gift from God can be misused, sexual relations are wrong when engaged in casually.  Paul tells us to run from sexual sin, for no other sin affects us as sexual sin does.

We should celebrate the gifts God has given, but let us use all those gifts in the manner in which God intended them to be used.  We were made to glorify God in all things, today, let us glorify God in all we do and say.

Posted by Ramón Torres