Month: March 2025

1 Corinthians 12:1 – Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. ² You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. ³ So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. ⁶ God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

⁷ A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. ⁸ To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. ⁹ The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. ¹⁰ He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. ¹¹ It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. (NLT)

As we look at this passage, we must recall that the major problem that the Church in Corinth was facing was divisions amongst the members.  They had divided because of education, economic status, and because of thw Christian leaders whom they followed.  As we discover here in chapter twelve, they were also dividing because of spiritual gifts.  The section that is begun here continues through Chapter fourteen.

Verses one through three seem strange to our modern ears.  What was going on in those worship services?  They were quite different from what we are familiar with, to be sure!  Most of the Corinthian Christians had been pagans before converting, and in the pagan rituals many worshippers would be moved into a state of spiritual ecstasy.  This is what Paul is referring to in verse two when he says that they were ‘swept along’ in their worship.  Who would have been saying that ‘Jesus be cursed?’  We really cannot say, but Paul makes it clear that such speech is not from God, and it was certainly not the Spirit of God that put those words in anyone’s mouth.

I find it interesting that in verses four through six, Paul uses the words Spirit, Lord, and God interchangeably.  While we do not find the word ‘Trinity’ in the New Testament, we can clearly see the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.  God the Spirit is the source of spiritual gifts.  With these spiritual gifts we serve Jesus, our Lord.  God works differently in each of us, but it is the same God, even though we are different.

We should note that the list of spiritual gifts mentioned in this passage is not an exhaustive list.  There are other passages that give us other gifts.  The gifts that Paul mentions in these verses were the gifts that the Christians in Corinth were using to divide themselves.  Paul will go into further detail later in this chapter about the purpose of spiritual gifts, but for today suffice it to say that since it is the same God who gives different people differing gifts, then God does not want these differing gifts to divide God’s people.

In our own churches we all have people with differing gifts and interests.  Some are gifted to work with the homeless, while others are gifted to work with foreign mission projects.  Some are gifted to work with children, while others with music.  Sadly, even within what appears to be healthy churches there are divisions amongst Christians because of their differing interests.

Today, let us recognize that we are all part of one Body – the Church.  Let us celebrate our differing gifts and interests, which are given to us so that we may work together for the good of the Church.  

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 9:1 – Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. ² Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

³ But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”

⁴ Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? ⁶ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

⁷ And the man jumped up and went home! ⁸ Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority. (NLT) 

Many years ago there was a Mel Brooks comedy by the name of High Anxiety.  My sister and I would often quote a line from that movie in a joking way.  We would say, “There are a lot of sick people in the world.  Sick, sick people.”  Indeed, there are a lot of sick people in the world, in fact, we’re all sick!  We all suffer from a sickness in our souls called sin.

While on this earth, Jesus cared for people in many ways.  He taught about God and grace, he fed multitudes, and he healed.  Ultimately, Jesus came to heal, but it wasn’t physical healing that was his top priority, it was the healing we all need from sin sickness.  The ancient Jews were well aware that sin prevented them from enjoying a close relationship with God, therefore when Jesus encountered this suffering man, he granted him what his soul needed most, forgiveness.  The religious teachers did not believe that Jesus was of God, and they accused him of blasphemy.  Knowing their thoughts, Jesus basically says, “All right, if that’s not what you want I’ll go ahead and cure his physical infirmities.”

In verse nine the people praise God for Jesus, but I’m not sure as to exactly why they were praising God.  Were they praising God for the healing of physical infirmity, or for the forgiveness of sins?  I do believe that miraculous healings occur, and have witnessed it myself, but I think this text begs us to question ourselves: Are we be more willing to praise God for physical healing than we are the forgiveness of our sins?  Everyone who was healed of physical infirmities in the Bible has long since died of other causes.  Likewise, all who are healed physically in our time will also one day die a physical death.  There is a healing, however, that enables us to live eternally with God.  This is why we worship.  This is why we praise God. 

Today, let us take some time to praise God for the miraculous gift of the healing of our souls.  That’s not just Good Stuff, that’s God Stuff!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 8:28 – When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

³⁰ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³ Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (NIV)

While the gospel writer doesn’t mention it, I’m sure it must have been a dark and stormy night, or at least a heavy fog laid over the graveyard! We have some real drama in this passage, so let’s dive into it.  We have demon possessed men coming out from the tombs.  This sets up a battle between evil and good.  Jews would never hang around a graveyard.  The dead, and the graves that held them, were unclean.  Right from the start we have some unclean and possessed people confronting Jesus.

Next, there was a large herd of pigs – more uncleanliness for the Jews.  The demons immediately recognize the power of Jesus.  They recognize his ultimate authority.  Knowing that they stand no chance against the power of God, they ask Jesus to send them into the herd of pigs, which Jesus does.  The pigs then run off a cliff and drown in the water.  Everything that was evil in this passage is destroyed by just a word from Jesus. 

This story tells us two important things.  First, we learn that no one needs to remain under the power of evil.  With just a word, Jesus can send anything and everything that is evil running!  We live our lives battling sin, and the power to overcome is not within us.  Jesus, however, has that power, and Jesus is quick to share that power with us.  We need only seek Jesus.   

Secondly, let us note that the entire town went out to meet Jesus, pleading with him to leave.  Yes, their livelihood was destroyed, but that is not the point for us.  The point for us is that there will be opposition to the things of God.  If we think that we can live for Jesus without opposition, we are mistaken!  We will be opposed by evil when we stand for Jesus.  We must be always ready to call on Jesus to help us in our weakness.

Today, let us seek from Jesus the power to overcome sin.  Then, let us seek even more of Jesus when evil stands in our way. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Luke 7:36 – One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. ³⁷ When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. ³⁸ Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.   ³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.   ⁴¹ Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. ⁴² But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”   ⁴³ Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. ⁴⁴ Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

⁴⁷ “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” ⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”   ⁴⁹ The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”  ⁵⁰ And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (NLT)

Scandalous behavior!  Yes, that’s what we have in this passage, downright scandalous behavior – at least in the eyes of one of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.  While there have been many theories, we really don’t know who this woman was, or even what her sins were.  I’m glad we don’t, for then we would be tempted to act scandalously ourselves and judge her.  As the story reads, all we know is that she was immoral.  In the context of that day, this could have referred to a host of sins. 

What we do know is that she came to wash and anoint the feet of Jesus.  This seems strange to our modern sensibilities, but in ancient times it was common for a slave to wash the feet of a traveler when they entered into a home.  This woman offered to Jesus the most menial of duties, and she offered freely.  Simon, the religious leader, took exception to her actions and spoke to Jesus about her behavior.  The answer Jesus gives challenges me:  “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

This begs the question – just how much have we been forgiven?  The answer, of course, is much!  We have been offered forgiveness for all the sins we have ever committed, and for all the sins we will ever commit.  Should we not show much love to Jesus for our forgiveness?  How do we show our love for Jesus?  Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25:40 that when we show our love to anyone, we show love to Jesus – “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Today, let us show our love for Jesus by showing our love to all!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Luke 7:11 – Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. ¹² A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. ¹⁴ Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” ¹⁵ Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” ¹⁷ And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside. (NLT)

In this passage Jesus is entering the village of Nain, while at the same time a funeral procession is leaving the village.  The Jews always buried their dead outside of the town limits.  We are told that the young man that had died was the widow’s only son.  In those days, a woman’s best chance of survival was to have a husband or a grown son who could provide for her.  There were no employment opportunities for women, and no pensions or social security.  Without a son or a husband, this woman was in a bad way, and this is why Jesus was moved with compassion when he saw her. While a compassionate Jesus is a great picture for us to hold dear, what I find striking is what Jesus says to the deceased: “Young man, I tell you, get up.”

In many ways this speaks to the relationship that we have with Jesus.  Consider what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 6:11 – “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  And in 2 Corinthians 3:6 – “The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”

If we truly want to follow Jesus, we must die to the world, and live for Christ.  However, we don’t die to the world to simply remain dead, we die to the world to be truly alive!  We die to the world to receive the Spirit of the new covenant.  When we die to the world, Jesus says, “I tell you, get up!”  Having life in Christ is a call to action.  It is a call to live as Jesus lived.  It is a call to love as Jesus loved.

Today, let us get up and live!

Posted by Ramón Torres