Revelation 2:8 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

⁹ “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. ¹⁰ Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
¹¹ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. (NLT) 

In this passage, Jesus speaks to the church in Smyrna.  Smyrna was an interesting city in that while it had a large pagan population, it also had a large Jewish population.  A number of these Jews became Christians, but many others did not follow Christ.  The Christians in Smyrna were facing opposition from several fronts.  Jesus makes it clear that whatever is opposing the Church – which is the Body of Christ at work in the world – is of Satan.  The opposition that they were facing was of Satan, and any opposition that we face as we follow Christ is from Satan, as well.

Jesus says that some will be thrown into prison for ten days.  Jewish writers (and John was a Jewish Christian) would often use ten to mean a short period of time, and when we read this we probably think that ten days is not so bad.  We must understand, however, that in those days, if one was in prison for a short period of time, it was probably because a sentence had already been passed, and they would soon be executed.  This is why Jesus calls for them to be faithful even when facing death.  Jesus tells them that if they were faithful they would soon wear the crown of life.  There were several words for crown in the Greek, and this crown was one signifying joy, the type of crown worn at a banquet.  The lesson for us is that while we may never achieve the things we desire in this life, thanks be to Jesus, we can still be victorious and experience true joy at God’s great banquet!

The ‘second death’ spoke of in verse eleven is the judgment that all must receive.  The Christians in Smyrna were told that if they were strong, and did not deny Jesus, then Jesus would not deny them at the time of judgment.  While, in this country, we do not face the persecution that these early Christians faced, we, too, must not deny Jesus.  Once again we are reminded that confessing with our mouth is great, but the proof of our faith is lived out daily in the ‘real world’. 

Today, let us be strong against that which would oppose our Christian walk.  Let us remain faithful, knowing that any trouble we face now is fleeting, and that the crown of life awaits us in our heavenly home. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Revelation 2:1 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

² “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. ³ You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
⁴ “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! ⁵ Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. ⁶ But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
⁷ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God. (NLT)

I seem to have found my way into the Book of Revelation, so we might as well continue for a while!  At the close of chapter one, we are told that it is the Risen Christ who speaks these words.  This section is written to the church in Ephesus.  Ephesus was a huge city, and like Rome, many roads led to Ephesus.  It was also a major center for the worship of various pagan gods, and was considered a wicked and dangerous place.

In verse one, Jesus says that he holds the seven stars in his right hand, and walks among the gold lampstands.  Lampstands was imagery of that day to signify the churches (think of letting your light shine).  Jesus is writing to seven churches, but seven was also a number that meant completeness.  This letter is for the Church universal.  The word we translate as hold had a stronger meaning in the Greek, it meant to have total control over something.  The Church belongs to Jesus, and the Apostle Paul even called the Church the Body of Christ.

In verses four and five Jesus shares his complaint against the Church in Ephesus.  The phrase is one that means that their first rush of enthusiasm has worn off.  Sadly, this is the case when many come to know Jesus – they are all excited at first, but as time goes on they let their enthusiasm die. With their lack of enthusiasm for Christ came a lack of love and concern for others, as well.  We are all called to love others, but we must nurture our love for Jesus first.  Without love for Jesus, our care and ministry for others will be replaced with a love and enthusiasm for the world.   

In verse six, Jesus says: “You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.” The Nicolaitans were associated with the teachings Balaam, a pagan god.  They were also associated with immoral sexual practices.  It seems as if the Nicolaitans were not willing to be different from the rest of the world. We are called to be different – to act and speak differently.  The difference in our lives should be easily noticed.

In verse seven Jesus promises the tree of life for those who overcome the desires of this world.  Are we saved by our actions?  No, but if Jesus is truly in our heart, then our actions will reflect Jesus.

In light of this ancient and difficult text, let us strive to make every effort to nurture our relationship with Jesus, so that our lives will reflect the one who is merciful and loving.  Let us strive to be noticeably different!   

Posted by Ramón Torres

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

Matthew 21:33 – “Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. ³⁴ At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. ³⁵ But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.   ³⁷ “Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’   ³⁸ “But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ ³⁹ So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.  ⁴⁰ “When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”

⁴¹ The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”  ⁴² Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.  This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’ 

⁴³ I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”   ⁴⁵ When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. ⁴⁶ They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet. (NLT)

As a preacher, I often hear a tongue in cheek remark that I suppose most preachers have heard: “Preacher, I’m sure glad you preached to all those sinners out there!”  While I believe this comment is in jest, sometimes this is the attitude that many good religious folk take. In today’s reading, Jesus tells another parable that clearly speaks against the religious folk of his day. What we must realize is that all of Jesus’ parables directed at the religious folk of his day should be cautionary reading for each of us.

Most Christians would say that they have never rejected Jesus. I would say the same thing, but we must be careful in how we live. Do our daily lives reflect our faith? Do our actions and words while stuck in traffic reflect Christ? When a clerk or waiter seems rude to us, do we reflect the love of Christ in return? Do we forgive? Are we quick to judge? Do we easily get angry? No one is perfect, to be sure, but we should not wear our imperfections as a badge and just ignore our behavior.  In 2 Peter 3, we are told: “make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight” (2 Peter 3:14).

We are saved through our faith in Jesus, but let us not use that as an excuse not to make every effort to live and act as much as we can as Christ. Today, let us make every effort to produce proper fruit (verse 43), and reflect the stone that the builders rejected (verse 42). 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 21:23 – When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”   ²⁴ “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. ²⁵ “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John. ²⁶ But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.” ²⁷ So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”  And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁸ “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. ³⁰ Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.   ³¹ “Which of the two obeyed his father?”  They replied, “The first.”  Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. ³² For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins. (NLT)

In this passage the religious leaders have once again confronted Jesus, challenging him and his ministry.  Jesus cleverly answers with a question, which the religious leaders fail (or refuse) to answer.  By now, Jesus was growing tired of the religious leaders and their legalistic ways, so he tells the parable of the two sons.

The parable is clearly pointed at the legalistic religious leaders.  By asking, ‘Which of the two obeyed his father?’, Jesus makes it clear that what truly matters is not saying the right words (as did the religious leaders), but living out the will of God.

This parable is certainly a challenge to all religious people. Do we go to worship on Sunday and sing songs and pray prayers, then live for ourselves the rest of the week?  If so, we are like the brother who told his father that he would work in the vineyard, but did not.  It’s not that singing the songs and praying the prayers are wrong, but our words must be followed up with action. This is what James wrote about in James 2:14 – “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”; 20 “Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”

Today, let us be people who work in the vineyard – living out the will of God! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 20:29 – As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”   ³¹ “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.  But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³² When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”  ³³ “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” ³⁴ Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him. (NLT)

When I was a younger Christian this passage always puzzled me. Here were two blind men, begging for mercy from Jesus.  Jesus asks what I once thought was a strange question:  “What do you want me to do for you?”  Wasn’t it obvious?  Could Jesus not see what they were in need of? 

The answer to both of these questions was – of course!  It was obvious, and Jesus knew what they needed.  Likewise, Jesus knows what we need. To understand why Jesus would ask a question with what appears to be an obvious answer, let us consider the following passage from the Book of James: “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? ² You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. ³ And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” (James 4:1-3). 

Perhaps, we don’t scheme and kill to get what we want, or do we?  I’ve witnessed plenty of relationships destroyed over earthly desires.  I’ve seen families broken and torn apart all in the ‘pursuit of happiness’.  When we read about blind men asking for mercy, we know what they need.  When we ask for mercy, is it as clear?  What do we really need, and what is it we really want Jesus to do for us?

From these verses let us learn two things.  First, we need to evaluate the difference between our desires and our needs. Second, let us be quick to go to God for our needs. The Lord’s Prayer still stands out as a great model for prayer even after two thousand years. Those who know me well know that I am not a prosperity Gospel preacher. I do not believe that God wants us to have bigger houses or bigger cars.  If we get those, praise God, but God is in the daily bread business.

Today is a great time for us to lay aside our myriad of earthly desires so that we can tell God what it is that we need. 

Posted by Ramón Torres