Month: March 2026

Revelation 1:9 – I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. ¹⁰ It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. ¹¹ It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

¹² When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. ¹³ And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. (NLT)

This week we continue in Revelation, Chapter one.  John was writing to Christians who were suffering hardships, and John shares that he, too, was suffering.  John was exiled to Patmos. During the early years of the persecution of Christians, being exiled was a common punishment. In verse ten we might get a glimpse of why he was exiled.  John states that he was worshiping on the Lord’s Day. This is one of the earliest written records of Christians worshiping on a Sunday, as opposed to the traditional Jewish Sabbath.  Of course, we know that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday, and that certainly was a factor for Christians worshiping on Sunday, but there is another reason. 

In much of the Roman Empire, the first day of the week was called the Emperor’s Day, and it was a day in which people would worship the Emperor. In direct response to Emperor worship, many Christians decided to worship Jesus on that day.  I believe that there is a great spiritual lesson in this for us.  Do we refuse to join others in the worship the things of the world, or even the people of the world?  I’m not saying that being a fan of something or someone is wrong, but the line between admiration and worship can sometimes be rather blurry.

In verses twelve through sixteen there is much imagery that seems strange to us.  While it is not my point here to go into an explanation of each, I do want to share that each of these images was taken from the Old Testament, which was the Bible for John.  The lesson for us in this is that when John has a vision – a revelation – in came to him in scenes from Scripture.  Perhaps, the best way for us to prepare ourselves for a revelation of God’s truth is to study the revelation that God has already given to us – the Bible. 

Today, let us worship Jesus above all else, and let us stay grounded in God’s Word.  Who knows, God may have a powerful vision for you! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Revelation 1:1 – This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, ² who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.   ³ God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

⁴ This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia.

Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; ⁵ and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.  All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. ⁶ He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

⁷ Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
And everyone will see him—
even those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the world
will mourn for him.
Yes! Amen!

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” (NLT)

Today’s reading comes from the Book of Revelation.  To our modern ears and our modern way of thinking about the world, this book is difficult to understand, but there are tremendous truths to uncover.  Christians should study this book just as they would any other book of the Bible.  What many fail to understand is that throughout this book it is Jesus Christ himself that reveals the message to John.  It is Jesus who is quoted in verse eight of this passage.  Ignoring this book is to ignore Jesus!  While this book has been interpreted by many to be about some future events, it is timeless, and has spoken to every generation since it was written, and it should speak to us, as well.

In these opening verses of this book, verses five and six speak volumes.  It is Jesus who has freed us from the power of sin.  We know the result of sin, but we also know the result of Jesus’ death in our place: the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).  Verse five above speaks of this: “All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.”

Being freed from our sins is paramount in our relationship with Jesus, but we must never forget what our responsibility is as those who have been freed from sin’s power.  We are told what this responsibility is in verses six:  “He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father.” Priests, or pastors, are people who should be seen and heard.  Priests and pastors should be people of influence.  All Christians should be seen and heard.  All Christians should be proclaiming the power and glory of God.  All Christians should be people of influence.

Today, let us consider what people see in us, and what they hear from us.  Let us consider the influence we may have on others. As we are told to do in verse six, let us give Jesus the glory forever, and ever!  Amen!   

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 40:1 – I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
³ He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.

⁴ Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
⁵ O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.

⁶ You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand^[a]—
you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
⁷ Then I said, “Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
⁸ I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart.”

⁹ I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
¹⁰ I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness. (NLT)

In this psalm we have a wonderful picture of what the Lord can do for those who wait Patiently on the Lord. Then we see what our response should be when we receive an answered prayer.  In verses 1-3, the psalmist declares what the Lord has done: lifted him out of the pit; set his feet on solid ground; steadied his walk; gave him a new song in his heart. As great as that was, the psalmist was determined that others would come to notice what the Lord has done: “Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord” (verse 3).

We, too, should be determined that others should take notice of what God has done for us.  How do we make sure that others take notice?  The answer is given in verses nine and ten.  The psalmist spoke up and told others what the Lord had done.  In verse ten he states that he has not kept the good news to himself. We have the fullness of the Good News that the ancient Jews never had, so we should be even more determined to share. We cannot keep God’s Good News hidden. It has not been given to us to keep to ourselves, but rather it was given to us to share with others.  2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us: “God is making his appeal through us.”  God is making an appeal to all people, and we are the means by which all people can come to know of God’s grace. 

Today, let us be as the psalmist.  Let us talk about God’s saving power and unfailing love (verse 10).

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 22:15 – Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. ¹⁶ They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. ¹⁷ Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

¹⁸ But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, ²⁰ he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied.  “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”   ²² His reply amazed them, and they went away. (NLT)

American Christians have held this passage up as the call to support the government. I would say that this is rather easy for Americans to do when we live in a democracy, but would we have told people living under Hitler’s rule to support the government? This passage speaks to something far more powerful than paying taxes (and there are other passages in which Jesus speaks of, and pays, taxes).

The power of this passage is found in verse twenty-one: “give to God what belongs to God.”  We should consider what it is that belongs to God?  As Christians, we are taught that all of life belongs to God: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him” (Psalm 24:1).  The Apostle Paul tells us: “You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

If we believe the Bible to be the Word of God, then the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:21 should radically shape our entire lives. All that we do, all that we say, should be offered up to God. It’s not just our praise and worship that we offer to God, but our daily lives.

Today, let’s live as if everything we do – our words, our time, everything – is being given to God. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 22:1 – Jesus also told them other parables. He said, ² “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. ³ When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!

⁴ “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ ⁵ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. ⁶ Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.

⁷ “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. ⁸ And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. ⁹ Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ ¹⁰ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ¹² ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. ¹³ Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (NLT)

In today’s passage we have the parable of the great feast. In rabbinic teaching, God is often compared to a king, and clearly God is represented by the king in this parable. Notice that the king/God has prepared a great wedding feast for his son. We might want to note that in Revelation 19:7, the Church is referred to as the bride of Christ: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him.  For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself”.

So, here we have a king/God preparing a wedding banquet for his son/Jesus.  And the Church is the bride of the king’s/God’s son. The king/God first invited those who appeared to be the obvious guests, and this would have been those who were known as the people of God.  Those invited, however, did not attend the wedding. They failed to attend not because they were doing anything bad. We are told that they returned to their farms and businesses. In other words, they were just busy with their lives. To reject a king’s invitation is a strong insult, but let us ask ourselves: what invitations from our king have we passed by? Do we become so busy with life that we neglect our King’s invitations? 

In verse eleven, a man showed up at the banquet and was not properly dressed. Who attends a wedding reception not properly dressed? This was no wedding crasher, this man believed he had a right to be present, but he was not properly prepared to attend. Are we properly prepared? Have we gone about our lives giving the things of God our attention only when we can ‘make the time?” If so, then we most likely are not properly prepared for the things of God. 

Once again, this parable is cautionary reading for those who would call themselves the people of God. Today, let us be attentive to the things of God so that we are always prepared and do not miss any invitation from our king. 

Posted by Ramón Torres