Conversations with Ray Martinez

Josiah was only 8 years old when he became King, after his father's murder. His father had been wicked, as had the Jewish kings and culture for generations before him. Josiah was the grandson of Manasseh, king of Judah, and ascended the throne at age eight after the assassination of his father, Amon, in 641. Great-grandparent: Hezekiah, who, if you remember, ask God to spare his life and granted him an extra 15 years, because of the great work he did for the Lord. When the workers found the lost and forgotten Torah, which was brought to Josiah’s attention and the words were read aloud, Josiah wept, tore his clothes, and grieved deeply for the ways he and his people had turned away from the Lord. There are a number of great encouragements readers can take away from this joyful time in Judah’s history. Listen in today for great lessons about leadership.

I have a few friends and family who have experienced the joy and the struggle of adopting. For some, adoption came at a cost—of finances, time and emotional energy—but for each it has brought great joy. Adoption is a beautiful thing and a powerful picture of who God is. In Ephesians, Paul tells us that adoption was never “Plan B.” God actually had it in mind before He even created the earth! Wow! God’s plan was always for us to know the full range of His mercy and grace as His adopted children. In adopting us, God gives us the very Spirit of His Son and grants us to feel the affections of belonging to the family of God. There is a deep personal and spiritual bond between God our Father and us, His children. God says, tell me personally if you want to accept me, we don’t have to be in the halls of Justice to be legally adopted, but only in the pathway of Christ. Listen in as we take a deeper dive into the Word of God about acceptance and adoption.

Paul’s words to Timothy are equally God’s words to us. He has given each one of us a spirit of “power, love and self-discipline”, or as in some translations, "a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore, we never should respond to circumstances or people in fear, because we have the power of God living within us — the very power that dispels all fear and anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States.  Today, I will share with you three key points for us to remember and learn. John tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18).  Ask God to impart to you more of Christ’s love and to take away any torment you feel—be direct about it.  As you do, fear will lose its grip on you.  Join me today and know how to conquer the fears and anxieties in your life.

Mal 1:2-4 is a great example of God’s love for Israel.  And Edom will never be allowed to build again (Edomites are today’s Petra in Jordan). The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob. Esau became the father of the Edomites and Jacob became the father of the Israelites, and the two nations continued to struggle through most of their history. "Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have HATED, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals." Romans chapter 9 makes it abundantly clear that loving Jacob and hating Esau was entirely related to which of them God chose. Many times we may ask ourselves, why did God choose that person instead of me? Or why was that person promoted instead of me? My qualifications were much better? I have seniority! What matters is his perfect plan? God knew all along how Esau was going to treat his brothers people. God also knows the outcome for your position if you get into the wrong spot. God has your back. God’s plans and unexplained events in our lives are for our own good. We should rely on Jesus for our plans because He is the ultimate source of wisdom and guidance. 

Listen in today for a more in-depth discussion.

Jacob wanted to be obedient to God, and he was. But he knew he had to clean up his own household first. We read in the previous chapter how his two sons slaughtered the men of Shechem, because Shechem had raped their sister. So they took an unlawful revenge. God says vengeance is mine, not yours. Remember when you put your finger at someone you have three more pointed right back at you. To be vigilant, we have to set the revengefulness aside, which means we need to ask God to forgive us of our sins as we forgive others who have sinned against us. That’s a familiar phrase, isn’t it?  Listen in today so we can take a deep dive into being vigilant.

Apostasy is the total rejection of Christianity by a baptized person who, having at one time professed the Christian faith, publicly rejects it. Apostasy is distinguished from heresy, which is limited to the rejection of one or more Christian doctrines by one who maintains an overall adherence to Jesus Christ. The Great Apostasy is a concept within Christianity to describe a perception that mainstream Christian Churches have fallen away from the original faith founded by Jesus and promulgated through his twelve Apostles.  Listen in as we take a deeper dive into questions about the unpardonable sin, and let's ask ourselves about the characteristics of apostasy.

Today, we talk about how to discover yourself.  Why are you here today?  What's your purpose in life?  If we change the way we look at things, the things we look at will change.  Are you willing to change?  Listen in as we probe some deeper thoughts to this discussion.

Today's story is really a sad one, but life lessons are taken away from Absalom's ego, and hatred, along with David's carelessness of not being a dad to Absalom.  The story of Absalom's rebellion against his father, King David, is told in the Second Book of Samuel (chapters 14 to 18). The handsome Absalom is distinguished by his extraordinarily abundant hair, which is thought to symbolise his pride (2 Sam. 14:26). Absalom was the third son of King David.  The first recorded event defining Absalom’s life also involved his sister Tamar and half-brother Amnon. During the festivities, in the presence of David’s other sons, Absalom had his servants kill Amnon in cold blood. As Absalom was riding under some trees trying to get away from David's men, his long hair became entangled in the branches, and he was unhorsed.  General Joab found Absalom suspended in mid-air and killed him there. You will want to listen in to know the horrific story with life lessons.

My mother, Gloria Ager, passed on to heaven on January 31, 2023 at 11:48AM.  She is one of the candles in my life that God gave me to enjoy and share about her love for people and her family.  I hope you can listen in for a few minutes to hear more about her legacy.  For 92 years, she lived a great life of discipline.