Conversations with Ray Martinez

The Bible offers profound wisdom on the topic of investments, emphasizing principles of stewardship, diversification, patience, and ethical use of resources rather than mere accumulation of wealth. Listen in and we will dive into what God wants us to do with our investments, and how to invest.

“Resilience is the ability to adapt, recover, and grow stronger in the face of adversity, challenges, or setbacks, often involving mental, emotional, or spiritual toughness to bounce back from difficulties.” In the Bible, resilience is closely tied to themes of perseverance, endurance, and steadfast faith in God during trials.  Listen in as we take a deeper dive into resilience.

No matter what we’re facing today, we can trust that God holds our future—both on earth and in heaven—in His mighty hands. Perhaps then we can sleep in peace more easily. What worries keep you awake at night?  How can you learn to surrender them to God and hold on to His promises? Let’s keep in mind that Peter “was sleeping” the “night before Herod was to bring him to trial” (Acts 12:6).  Listen in for more insight on how to get a good nights rest in the Lord.

The Bible teaches that Satan was created in perfection and given a prominent position in heaven (Ezekiel 28:11–15).  He was “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (verse 12). God appointed him the highest-ranking angel. From his place of great privilege, Satan led possibly one third of heaven’s angels in a rebellion against God. Listen in as we take a deep dive into, how did angels sin if heaven is sinless?

Psalm 35 is a powerful psalm attributed to David, often classified as an imprecatory psalm (one that calls on God to judge or defeat enemies).  It vividly expresses pleas for divine intervention against unjust opposition, making it highly relevant to spiritual struggles—those internal and external battles involving temptation, oppression, fear, demonic influences, or persecution that believers face. Listen in as we take a deep dive into being a prayer warrior.

Tradition says that Francis of Assisi created the very first Christmas nativity scene in AD 1223 after a trip to the Holy Land and Christ’s birthplace. So began a new tradition that took root in many Western countries. Yes, Saint Nicholas was a real historical person, and he is one of the key historical roots of the modern Christmas figure Santa Claus. Who was the real St. Nicholas? Listen in as we unravel this mystery.

This is one of the strangest and most sobering stories in the Old Testament. God sends a young prophet (he is unnamed in the text; often called “the man of God from Judah”) to Bethel to prophesy against King Jeroboam’s false altar. An old prophet who lives in Bethel hears about it, catches up with the young prophet, and lies to him, saying, “An angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (v. 18 — the text explicitly says the old prophet was lying). There are consequences. Listen in on how we obey God's voice only.

We don’t know who wrote Psalm 118, and it is not attributed to David in the Bible itself. It is an anonymous psalm, most likely composed several hundred years after David lived.

It is a declaration of praise and gratitude, recognizing that every day is a gift from God and an opportunity to rejoice, regardless of circumstances. Let's take a deeper dive into the full meaning of this great verse.

The Bible does not address healthcare directly and of course says nothing about socialized medicine or other political issues related to modern healthcare. But the Bible is definitely pro-health and encourages us to take care of our bodies. Our bodies are creations of God and, for the believer, temples of the Holy Spirit.

Listen in for bodily living for Christ.

The Bible teaches that our eternal future will not be as disembodied spirits floating in some ethereal heaven, but as fully physical human beings with resurrected bodies, living on a renewed, physical New Earth.  Jesus Himself, after His resurrection, had a real, tangible body—He walked with His disciples on the road to Emmaus, spoke with them behind locked doors, invited Thomas to touch His wounds, and even ate broiled fish and honeycomb in their presence. 

Listen in as we explore more about our heavenly bodies.