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

Psalm 136:1 – Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.

⁴ Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.
His faithful love endures forever.
⁵ Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.
⁶ Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.
⁷ Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—
His faithful love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to rule the day,
His faithful love endures forever.
⁹ and the moon and stars to rule the night.
His faithful love endures forever. (NLT)

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, a national holiday.  In our country, as in others, the original thanksgiving observances were harvest festivals.  Many pilgrims of Plymouth Colony had already succumbed to disease and starvation.  Indeed, the colony lost 45 of the 102 settlers during their first winter.  Given the circumstance, I imagine that the feeling of thankfulness and gratitude must have been felt deeply by those of Plymouth Colony, for without a harvest many more would most likely have starved.  Very few of us, if any, have or ever will know of extreme hunger, much less starvation.  Living with plenty has a way of moving us away from a spirit of thankfulness, and we begin to take things for granted.

It is good for a nation to pause and give thanks.  Even though our nation experienced rising inflation this year, we still live with plenty.  While it is good for a nation to give thanks, as Christians we should seek to live thankfully every day.  Indeed, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul told them to be careful in how they lived.  He then told them: “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). 

Like those Christians in Ephesus long ago, we should be careful in how we live.  Let us start our days by giving thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 5:13 – “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (NLT)

Today’s passage is part of Jesus’ most famous sermon – his Sermon on the Mount.  When we think of the Sermon on the Mount, we often think of the Beatitudes.  The Sermon on the Mount is much more, and this short passage is quite powerful.  Essentially, this passage is telling us that we should be making difference in the world.  

Jesus tells us something quite profound about ourselves, but first let’s consider what Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world.” I think we can all say Amen to what Jesus says in that verse, but now consider what Jesus tells us in verse fourteen above: “You are the light of the world.”  How can Jesus be the Light of the World and you and I also be the light of the world?  We go back to John 8:12 and look at the entire verse:  “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

We can easily affirm that Jesus is the Light of the world, but as followers of Jesus we have Jesus’ light within us.  We do not receive that light to keep to ourselves, and this is what Jesus shares in the Matthew 5:16.  We have received the Light for the very purpose of letting other people see Jesus in us.  In essence, Jesus is telling us that Christians should be seen and heard.  Our presence should be noticed by the world.  We should be making a difference.  Our good deeds should be seen by all people – not just by a few of the people who know us, but by all!

I find this challenging, and it is a challenge that I know I cannot live up to on my own power.  It is the very presence of Jesus within us that makes this possible.  I often ask church members this question: “How much Jesus do you really want?”

Today, let’s seek the very presence of Jesus in our lives, so that others may know something of Jesus.  You may very well be the only way someone may come to know Jesus.  Challenging?  Of course, but Jesus has called us to be Light, so let’s shine!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 5:43 – “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵ In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. ⁴⁶ If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷ If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. ⁴⁸ But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (NLT)

Hollywood spends a lot of time and money entertaining millions of people with love stories.  Most of these love stories would teach us that we can only become complete as a human when we find our one true love.  Today’s passage teaches us just the opposite, we can only become complete when we truly love others as God loves all. 

In this passage, Jesus speaks about loving all people, not just those who love us.  Then, in verse forty-eight, Jesus says: “you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Almost every English translation out there has the word ‘perfect.’  I’m not a big fan of translating the Greek into ‘perfect.’  First, it confuses many Christians, for we are taught that no one is perfect but Jesus.  Second, I think we miss the richness of the word. 

The Greek word that we translate as ‘perfect’ is τέλειος,{tel’-i-os}.  The word literally means: 1) brought to its end, finished;  2) wanting nothing necessary to completeness.  Loving others unconditionally completes us.  Perhaps, this is human perfection, but it does not mean we live without sin, for we have plenty of Scripture that teaches us otherwise – and we know all too well from our own experiences!

Today, let us love all others.  We don’t have to approve of everyone, or even enjoy their presence, but let us love.  Let us be complete!

Posted by Ramón Torres

Isaiah 43:1 – But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
² When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
³ For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
⁴ Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.

⁵ “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
I will gather you and your children from east and west.
⁶ I will say to the north and south,
‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
from the distant corners of the earth.
⁷ Bring all who claim me as their God,
for I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.’ (NLT)

When we understand that ‘Jacob’ and ‘Israel’ were terms used to address the people of God, we should come to realize that they address us today.  With that understanding, what does this passage tell us today?  It tells us that ultimately, we have nothing to fear, for God has ransomed us (verse 1).  We know that the ransom paid for us was the life of Jesus. 1 Peter 1:18 – “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. ¹⁹ It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. ²⁰ God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.”

What exactly have we been ransomed from?  We have been ransomed from the power of sin.  Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:56 – “For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷ But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Sin separates us from God, a death far more horrible than the loss of our earthly life.  Sometimes we lose our ‘eternal’ perspective on life.  While we all want a comfortable life here and now, the truth is that we were created for something greater than life here and now.  We were created for eternity, and the price for that privilege has been paid.  An existence of no pain and no suffering is promised – but not in this life. 

This passage encourages us not to fear what this life will confront us with, for this life is fleeting.  The Good News is that God will get us through this life.  Notice verse three – we are told that ‘when we go through’, and ‘when we walk through’ no harm will come to us. God does not promise us that difficult times in this life will disappear, but God does promise to be with us, and to bring us through the difficult times.

The greatest promise of this passage – for me – can be found in verse five: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” This is our promise for this day, for all our days to come, and for all eternity.  That is good stuff! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Acts 9:19 – Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. ²⁰ And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”

²¹ All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”

²² Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. ²³ After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. ²⁴ They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. ²⁵ So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.

²⁶ When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! ²⁷ Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

²⁸ So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. ³⁰ When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.

³¹ The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers. (NLT)

In this passage, Saul (Paul) is fresh from his conversion experience on the Damascus road.  Verse twenty tells us that in short time he began preaching that Jesus is the Son of God.  There is nothing like new coverts to Christianity, they are so full of energy!  They want everyone to know about the difference that Jesus has made in their life!  Sadly, many churches do their best to curb the enthusiasm of new converts because their methods of evangelism are too radical for the status quo.  A careful study of the New Testament tells us that this may have been the case with the Church and Paul. 

In verse twenty-six we are told that the believers in Jerusalem did not believe that Paul could have changed so radically.  It was Paul, however, who later wrote, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)  This power that so radically changed the life of Paul is the same power that can change things in our own lives.  Paul, an enemy of the cross, became its greatest crusader.  There may be things in our own lives that we hold onto that go against the cross, yet we have the power to change. 

Let us ask ourselves what is it that we hold onto?  Is it anger, a grudge, prejudice?  Is it refusing to forgive, or refusing to become involved in a causes that God has put onto our heart?  Perhaps it is a behavior or an addiction.  Maybe you think that there is no way that you can overcome, but consider Paul.  No one thought that this great Pharisee whose life work was to destroy the Church could ever become the great evangelist that he became, but he did.  We can, indeed, do everything through Christ. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Well my friends, as I write this post, the hour is late!  I just returned home from a mission trip to a small town in the mountains of Mexico, Ixtepec.  Seven of us from Wesley spent a week with a medical team from both Tennessee and Mexico.  Along with doctors, we served in the pharmacy; washing feet; entertaining children; running back and forth for supplies; and leading worship. 

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12 – The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. (NLT) Paul then goes on to tell us that it takes all kinds of people to make a church – the Body of Christ in the world.  It is interesting to note that the word the New Testament writers used for church was ἐκκλησία.  We get our modern word eclectic from this word. This Greek word literally means: a gathering of people called out from their homes into some public place.  The church is only the church when we get out!

I am proud to serve a church that takes their call to get out and get to work seriously!  Here at Wesley we not only get out to foreign countries, but right here at home!  As I write this there are people from Wesley serving in the food pantry; some are packing supplies for the homeless, and others are preparing sack pack for school children who are facing food scarcity.   

Do all the people who have served with these ministries have the same interests? Do we all have the same gifts?  No, but we all serve the same Lord, and we are all called to serve.  I encourage each of you to serve your church – your ἐκκλησία, in any way that you are able.  The Church is only the Church when we step out of our comfort zones and serve the Lord by serving others.

Today, let’s serve!   

Posted by Ramón Torres