Category: Uncategorized (Page 20 of 26)

John 4:19 – “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (NIV)

Today’s reading comes from the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman that he met at a well in Sychar. It’s a great story, with much truth to be found, however, we will focus on just one small part.  The verse I would like to focus on is verse twenty-three: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

Did you ever think of God as seeking worshipers? Does God really need us to worship God, will God benefit from our worship?  I don’t believe that God benefits from our worship, but I still believe God seeks worshipers, and in particular, worshipers who worship in Spirit and truth.  If not for God’s own benefit, then why does God seek worshipers?  God seeks worshipers because God loves us, and worship benefits the one worshiping.

How does worship benefit us?  Worshiping God strengthens our minds and puts a right spirit/attitude within us.  Worshiping God drives away fear and allows faith to grow in its place.  Worshiping God reminds us of what our true and proper priorities should be.  Worshiping God allows us to feel God’s presence and strengthens us for life. 

Therefore, we should worship continually.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 tells us: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.” 

Let us not quench the Spirit!  Worship God today!  Worship in Spirit and truth, and may you be blessed as you feel the presence of God!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Isaiah 46:1 – Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low;
their idols are borne by beasts of burden.
The images that are carried about are burdensome,
a burden for the weary.
² They stoop and bow down together;
unable to rescue the burden,
they themselves go off into captivity.

³ “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,
and have carried since you were born.
⁴ Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

⁵ “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
⁶ Some pour out gold from their bags
and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god,
and they bow down and worship it.
⁷ They lift it to their shoulders and carry it;
they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
From that spot it cannot move.
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;
it cannot save them from their troubles. (NIV)

In today’s reading we find God speaking to the Jews who were in exile in Babylon.  In verse one, we are told that Bel and Nebo stoop low.  Bel is Baal, one of the chief gods of Babylon.  Nebo was also a chief god, and was known by several names, including Nebuchadnezzar.  We are told that these idols were being carried away.  This would refer to King Cyrus’ army.  The idols would have been made of gold and would have been valuable to the new government.  In verses three and four, God reminds them that God alone is their maker and sustainer throughout their entire lives.  Unlike an idol that could be carried away, God would never abandon them.

We are told in verse six that some poured out gold and silver to make an idol.  This was referring to the Jews, not the Babylonians.  Many of the Jews adopted the worship of the Babylonian and freely participated in their religious practices.  I believe that this speaks to us in our modern world, as well.  What idols do we create?  What do we worship more than God?  Do we adopt the practices of unbelievers with whom we live in our own land? 

These are questions that we can only answer for ourselves, but they are questions we must address.  We should continually examine our lives so that we don’t drift from the One who has cared for us ‘since we were born’ (verse 3).  Only God can save us from our troubles (verse 7).

As we pray this day, let us examine our lives.  Let us put God before everything else, and trust God for God’s continuous care and guidance. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Acts 7:51 – “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him — ⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

⁵⁴ When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him.

Today’s reading is the martyrdom of Stephen. Stephen is stoned to death after preaching the Gospel.  Throughout history, many people have not only rejected God’s truth, but they also reject the messenger who brings God’s truth.  Even today, Christians are martyred for preaching the truth.  We don’t think about this often, but the fact is that it is believed that worldwide as many as 90,000 Christians per year die for their belief in Jesus.  This is a staggering statistic! 

In our country, many Christians are hesitant to just invite someone to church for fear of being rejected.  How sad it is to think that across the globe thousands are dying for their faith, and many Christians in our country won’t even live for their faith.

Some may not know this about me, but I am where I am today because somebody invited me to church.  When I was a young man, my wife and I (and our two children) were not attending church.  I was a Park Ranger, and one high school senior, who liked to hunt and fish, would always ask me if I wanted to go to church with him.  He never pressured me, and we struck up a friendship.  Eventually we attended his church, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

I urge you to live out your faith this day.  You will encounter many people today who don’t have a relationship with Jesus.  If you nurture a relationship with them, you just might become the influence that they need to move towards Jesus.  Let’s live out our faith! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Ephesians 5:8 – you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

Ephesians is one of my favorite books of the Bible.  I love its challenging call to live differently than the world.  This has been an emphasis of mine as a pastor and as a preacher.  I suppose pastors – like all people – have certain things that they emphasize.  Some pastors emphasize missions, others salvation, while others focus on evangelism.  All of these are vital to the Christian life, but my emphasis has always leaned toward our call to live in ways radically different than the world.  No one can discount the unmeasurable worth of salvation, but grace is not cheap, and we must not lessen its value by ignoring the biblical call to holy living (sanctification).

In this passage, Paul reminds us that we are to be light to the world.  Jesus told his followers the same in Matthew 5:14.  Paul gives us an imperative in verse eight: “Live as children of light.”  We must give careful consideration to our actions.  Our words and our behaviors should be a witness to the light that lives within.  Verse fifteen tells us to be very careful in how we live.  In the Greek, the word we translate as ‘careful’ literally meant to be accurate.  As we seek to live holy lives, we must be sure to be accurate – we must ‘hit the mark’.

Today, let us examine our walk and our witness.  Are we hitting the mark?  Does our life accurately depict the life of a disciple of Jesus? 

Posted by Ramón Torres

John 10:1 – “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (NIV)

For a number of years, a Church that I pastored was involved with a mission in Mexico.  This particular mission involved reaching out to a small community in the northern Mexico desert.  We called it a desert, but those who lived there called it home.  To look at the land, we at first did not believe that anything could live there, as there were only small shrubs, and very little water.  It looked like a hard place to live. 

As we became more and more involved with the people of the community, we began to see shepherds leading large flocks of goats into town. After a few days, in which some of the goats would be sold, they headed back out of town, and into the desert.  This truly aroused our curiosity!  How could anything live out in that desert?  We learned that quite a bit lived in the desert, including wolves that would prey upon the goats.  The shepherds were experts at leading their goats.  They knew where the water was, and where they could find vegetation.  The really good shepherds were able to keep the wolves at bay, and would always safely bring their goats back.  I asked a shepherd how he kept his goats safe, and he replied, “I never really sleep, and I always watch my flock.”

Jesus is our good shepherd.  We are always under the watchful eye of our Lord, and it’s a good thing because sometimes our world is a hard place to live!  Oh, sure we have more than enough food and water, but sin is always ready to devour us.  Our shepherd protects us from sins power.  Our shepherd has laid down his life for us, so that we might live.

Today, as we begin our week, let’s take a moment to celebrate our Good Shepherd. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Luke 22:31 – “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. ³² But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” ³⁴ But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” (NLT)

Mistakes, bad judgment, or just doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons – we’ve all been there.  Take heart, the greats of our faith have been there, too!  In today’s reading, Peter (Simon) is being told by Jesus that he will deny Jesus three times.  We are all familiar with the story of Peter’s denial.  We are familiar with our own mistakes, and even with our own denials of Jesus.  What is important for us is what Jesus told Peter in verse thirty-two:  “So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”  

Jesus was matter of fact with Peter – “you will deny me.”  He was also matter of fact about what Peter should do when he came to repent of his behavior.  He was to use the experience to strengthen others.  It’s been said that good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.  We should recognize our mistakes and bad judgment for what they are – opportunities to learn and grow, and opportunities to teach and strengthen others, as well.

We know that Peter did, indeed, go on to become a great leader of the early Christian faith.  He wrote two letters in the New Testament that bear his name.  Many biblical scholars also believe that he had a large part in the writing of the Gospel of Mark.  Peter’s influence over the centuries has been profound.  If we were to judge him on his early repeated denial of Jesus alone, we would not hold him in very high regard.  God, however, redeemed Peter.  God redeems us, and our actions, as well.

Today, let us learn from Jesus’ words to Peter.  Let us learn from our mistakes and use those experiences to strengthen others. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Luke 10:38 – As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (NIV)

I must confess that as a pastor tasked with the challenge of providing meaningful worship services twice a Sunday every week, that I can certainly identify with Martha.  When we have worship services I am easily distracted by many things.  I want to make sure the lighting is just right, all the microphones are on, the sound is good, and the list goes on.  In fact, I used to make notes during the service of every little thing that I thought needed to be mentioned to the staff.  I was missing an opportunity to experience Jesus through worship.  My wife put a stop to that practice, and I am thankful!  I must admit, I have enjoyed getting caught up in worship instead of being preoccupied with all of the preparations for worship.

Anyone who involves themselves in ministry runs this same risk.  Ministry is serving the Lord by serving others.  Martha had the opportunity to serve Jesus, and she missed the most important part – experiencing Jesus.  Serving Jesus is important, and we are all called to serve, but we must be careful.  We cannot get so preoccupied with serving that we miss the one we serve!

I encourage you not to make the same mistake.  Serve God with all your heart but remember to take time to experience God. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 25:1 – “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ ¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ ¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (NIV)

In 1985 I was a Park Ranger in the backcountry of Baxter State Park in northern Maine. Several times a month, as part of my duties, I would hike up Mount Katahdin.  Mount Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and is also the highest point in the State of Maine.  It’s a rugged hike, and its peak is well above the timberline, exposed to the elements.  I set out for a routine hike up the mountain on September 2, 1985 (I remember the date because it was my birthday).  When I left my base camp, it was 58 degrees, not too cool at all for that time of year in northern Maine.  By the time I reached the peak of Mount Katahdin it was in the mid thirties, and the wind was blowing hard!  I was no greenhorn – I had hiked that mountain over twenty times before, but I had left without anything but a light windbreaker. I found myself in a bad situation.  My body temperature began to drop, and I knew I was in trouble.  Fortunately, I was able to make it down below the timberline and found shelter from the wind until I warmed up enough to continue back to camp.  I was trained in backcountry travel, yet I made what could have been a fatal flaw – I failed to prepare.

In the parable we have today from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that we must be spiritually prepared.  When it comes to Christianity, we may know all the right things, but head knowledge won’t do a thing for us.  I knew enough about wilderness hiking to know that I should have brought warmer clothing, but I failed to prepare.  My head knowledge did little for me that day. 

In our spiritual lives, we must apply what we know.  John Wesley often spoke of faith that is practical – that is, our faith in Jesus Christ must be put into practice.  If we believe that Jesus is the Savior, then we must put into practice the things that he taught.

Today, let us not get caught unprepared – not even for a minute.  Today, let’s put our faith into practice. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Ephesians 2:1 – As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

If there were nine or ten verses from outside of the Gospels that I would want to share with someone who was unsure of the plan of salvation, these would be the verses!  Indeed, these ten verses contain the message of the Bible in its most condensed version.

Verses one through three tells us of our fallen sinful nature.  The influence of the evil one is great, and when we follow our sinful thoughts and desires, we are separated from God.  Indeed, we are dead in our sins, eternally separated from the giver of life.  God, however, has great love for us (verse 4), and God has given us – through Jesus – the opportunity to have life, even though our sin brings death (verse 5).  Just as Jesus was raised from the dead and brought into God’s glory, we will one day be able to share in that glory, as well (verse 6-7).

Verses eight and nine are particularly important to me, for I grew up trying to earn God’s favor, living life not knowing whether I was good enough to receive eternal life.  Eternal life is a gift.  It is not earned!  No one earns a gift, if we did it would be a wage and not a gift.  Verse eight makes it clear to all Christians that salvation is the free gift of God, and verse nine makes it clear that no one can earn this gift by being good enough (works).

What, then, is the result of good works?  Verse ten tells us that God has created us for good works, not to earn salvation, but to point others towards God.  We are God’s handiwork.  I love that word – handiwork!  A beautiful piece of woodwork (handiwork) created by a skilled craftsman exists to give witness to the skill of the craftsman.  Likewise, verse ten tells us that as God’s handiwork, we exist to give witness to the love of our craftsman – God!

Salvation is free, but we exist to point others to God as we glorify God through our life.  Let’s do our best this day to point others in the right direction!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 100 – Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
²     Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
³ Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation. (NIV) 

It’s going to be a great week!  There’s nothing like a Monday morning, so full of hope and expectation!  What? Is this not the way you tackle the new work week?  (To be honest, my work week begins on Sunday, but the point is the same) Do you not great each new day as if it holds the promise of great things?  We should.  We should begin each day fully aware to the potential that the day holds.  Each day is a gift from God.  Each day is an opportunity to not only draw closer to God, but to draw others closer to God.

This type of attitude can only happen within us when we live a life of praise.  We went to church over the weekend and celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but if we are to live resurrection lives, then we are to worship everyday!  Each new day should begin with a shout to the Lord!  Each new day should begin by singing songs of joy that acknowledge that we belong to God.

Verse five tells us that God’s love is everlasting.  Our troubles in this life, and our troubles even this day, will not last, but God’s love will last.  It’s Monday, but whatever this day and this week hold in store for you, live each moment knowing that God holds an eternity in store for you.  An eternity!  That, my friends, is Good Stuff! 

Posted by Ramón Torres