Daily Manna Weekend: Recent Episodes
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This program features the preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Torres of Christian Community Church in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. He is known for his careful, verse by verse examination of the whole Scripture and loves to show how from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible truly is one book with one central figure - Jesus. "Daily Manna Weekend" is presented by The Rock Radio Network, a bilingual Bible teaching network centered in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We can be heard on our two live online streams and on WBMJ (AM-1190) San Juan Metro, WIVV (AM-1370) Vieques/VI, and WCGB (AM-1060) Juana Díaz/Ponce.
Pastor Paul continues a new series looking at the book of First John. Last week he looked at some of the background information of the book. To whom it was addressed, what the world of their day looked like, what challenges they faced. Today Pastor Paul continues with that discussion, showing us the similarities between the believers then and now. Just as with the believers that the Apostle was writing to, Christians today are being pressured to give up their convictions as Christians to live like the world around them.
In this impactful book of the New Testament, we see the Apostle writing a letter to people who were under attack, not from persecution, but from affluence. They were being pressured to give up their convictions as Christians to live like the world around them. We had not planned it this way, but as things begin to normalize in Puerto Rico after Hurricane María, what better time to remind ourselves to serve Christ first in good times as well as bad?
As Christians, we have to ask ourselves whether we really believe that the Bible is the written Word of God. In this message started last week, Pastor Paul continues with his series of preaching related to the historical and verbal accuracy of the Bible. Though its truths to not depend on these things, it’s always good to support our faith against attacks of the enemy and our own doubts by learning the facts of the matter. Well listen to this encouraging program, as Pastor Paul explains why we can have confidence not only in the truths, but also the inerrant accuracy, of our Bible.
As Christians, we have to ask ourselves whether we really believe that the Bible is the written Word of God. In this message started last week, Pastor Paul continues with his series of preaching related to the historical and verbal accuracy of the Bible. Though its truths to not depend on these things, it’s always good to support our faith against attacks of the enemy and our own doubts by learning the facts of the matter. Well listen to this encouraging program, as Pastor Paul explains why we can have confidence not only in the truths, but also the inerrant accuracy, of our Bible.
Last week Pastor Paul began a message about praise. He showed us what true praise is, and how we can implement it in our daily lives. Now today, he shows us how we can praise the Lord as a body. Whether we’re talking about your family, your local church, or even a larger event where thousands of believers get together, we see the example of Nehemiah who led the entire nation of Israel in praise to the Lord at the end of the wall building project. As we finish our study of Ezra and Nehemiah today, we will see how God was honored and how the people set the groundwork for a national revival and recommitment to the Lord. It’s a step we must take today.
What does real praise look like? Is it just about nice music, or is it something more? In this message from Nehemiah chapter 11, Pastor Paul tells us that many of us are on the right track, but praise is more than something we do in church. Praising the Lord is how we live, how we act, how we share His love with others.
What do you do when you come to a long list of names in the Bible? Are you tempted just to jump over it? Don’t! After all, 2 Timothy 3 tells us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” This “all scripture” includes even the genealogies. So if you haven’t seen God’s truth in them, you haven’t been looking! In today’s message from Nehemiah chapter 11, Pastor Paul shows us how the names of the people who moved back in to Jerusalem tell a story about God’s faithfulness—and the coming of Christ.
How much would you be willing to sacrifice personally to see God’s will moved forward? Would you take it upon yourself to move into a broken-down city with no security and begin the hard task of rebuilding it? In this message from Nehemiah chapter 11, Pastor Paul discusses the heroes who did just that, moving their families and everything they owned into the once-destroyed city of Jerusalem. It takes vision to see that God is with a work!
There is a lot of confusion out there about God’s demands for holiness. On the one hand, we have people who seem to think that we need to purchase a ticket to Heaven by doing lots of good works. On the other extreme, we have people who claim to be Christians but live lives of sin and license, claiming that none of the moral rules of the Bible apply to them. And then somewhere in the middle, there is honest debate. Where is the line between holiness and self-righteousness? In this message from Nehemiah chapter 10, Pastor Paul talks about these important questions.
They say that holiness is like a virus: It spreads by contact. When we determine to live devoted to God and His standards, those around us are encouraged to do the same. In this message from Nehemiah, we see how the man of God lived his testimony, and how the people of the land were impacted to desire holiness as well. As always, it is all about Jesus Christ, either in the Old Testament or the new.
When you finish a big project that the Lord has called you to, the first question you should ask is, “What next?” Many times, right when a big emotional high has been reached or a big campaign for God’s Kingdom has been accomplished, the temptation is to relax and give in to sin. In this message from Nehemiah chapter 7, Pastor Paul shows us how Nehemiah intervened right as the project of the wall building ended, to prevent this from happening and to keep the people of Israel living lives of holiness.
As Nehemiah and his people celebrate the end of the wall building project, their success is a strong witness to the people around who also needed to know their God.
When someone claims to speak in the name of the Lord, how do we know if they are speaking the truth? In today’s message from Nehemiah chapter 6, we see that prophets with confusing messages are nothing new. In fact, Nehemiah was faced with trying to make sense of a disturbing vision from a man whom he trusted and respected! So how could he know if God was warning him or if this person was making it all up?
The Enemy’s target is anyone who will live in obedience to Christ. And he knows that if he can take a leader in ministry or government who openly claims to be a believer and cause them to fall into sin, he will be able to discourage those who follow them. In today’s message from Nehemiah chapter 6, we see Satan trying this time-worn tactic on Nehemiah. This great leader will be faced with a tremendous test of his courage. What will happen to the all-important work of building the wall in Jerusalem if he fails these tests?
What does real repentance look like? In this message from Ezra chapter 5, Pastor Paul shows us that a repentant heart learns to give back.
When Nehemiah discovered the dirty tricks that the rich and influential of the land were using to take advantage of the poor and needy, he became righteously angry.
When it comes to a great work, from rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem to a church in our modern times, unity is key. But what unites us? Pastor Paul argues that it’s a clear and unified understanding of the Word of God. Unless we’re all on the same page as to what we believe, we have no hope of building something together. So how to we build that consensus?
The work to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall is well underway, and Nehemiah knows that the Enemy won’t take this lying down. So how can he defend the city when every able-bodied person is already engaged in building the wall?
Did you know that the layout of the gates of Jerusalem was a clear story of the coming Messiah and they point directly to Jesus Christ? Did you know that the only gate that was not destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar stands to this day - and it's the one the Bible prophecies that Jesus will ride through when He returns? Pastor Paul teaches from Nehemiah 3.
Doors let things in and also keep things out. It’s important to have good doors so that we and those we love can come in and out safely, but also keep out those that want to hurt or cause damage to us and our possessions. This lesson is also true in the spiritual sense. In today’s message from Nehemiah chapter 3, we see the team that the leader put together begin the arduous work of building the wall. It’s striking to note that Nehemiah put the men of the city to work on the parts of the wall that were closest to their homes. Why? What spiritual application can we take from this?
God will use whatever we allow Him to have of our lives. In the case of Nehemiah, he was the trusted adviser and cup-bearer to the King. So when it came time for him to step in and save his people, he was uniquely placed to bring their plight to the attention of the king.
Pastor Paul Torres starts a brand new series on the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a Jewish man, part of the Diaspora after the destruction of Jerusalem under King Nebuchadnezzar, who served in the court of the king of Persia in Susa. When some of his compatriots from Judah showed up in Susa, he asked after the welfare of the people and the land. What he would discover would break his heart—and fill him with resolve to get involved.
Our sin and rebellion will inevitably bring pain. As we end the book of Ezra, we see the priest launch an investigation into the reports of foreign wives and carefully make a case-by-case determination as to which marriages had to be dissolved. For those women with a heart like Ruth who were willing to convert to the Lord, there was mercy. Families were restored and holiness was maintained. But still, the consequences would linger, leading to a probable attack on Jerusalem in which the walls were burned with fire. And enter Nehemiah.
Sometimes our sin leaves us with no good options and hearts are broken. Today as we enter into the final chapter of the book of Ezra, we’re immediately greeted with an uncomfortable story. As the people of Israel repent of their sins, they are faced with a hard decision: What do we do about these foreign wives and our children with them? Ezra says, “divorce them and send them away.” Wait a minute—is the Bible advocating divorce here? Isn’t this a harsh judgment on innocent people? Is this a contradiction from the rest of the Bible? Here’s Pastor Paul.
We must commit ourselves to turning away from the sin that got us into trouble. We can't repent and then keep going back to the same thing again and again! In this message from Ezra chapter 10, Pastor Paul Torres asks us to consider whether we really mean it when we repent, and asks us how we can influence our nations for good if we ourselves keep repeating the same cycle of sin.
What happens to your sin after you repent of it? Does it simply float away like a balloon and disappear into space? Not at all! Just as with the mortgage on a house that is repossessed or the credit card debt of a person who dies, your sin is debt that must be paid by somebody. And it is paid when Jesus Christ accepts responsibility for it. In this message from Ezra chapter 10, Pastor Paul looks at the two sides of repentance—and forgiveness.
Is grace a New Testament concept? Is it true that the God of the Old Testament was angry and wrathful, but the God of the New Testament is full of mercy and love? Pastor Paul says, “No!” When we look through the Scriptures, we see that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And when you know what to look for, you see that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the one today, which means that He was just as full of love and mercy then as He is now. But God’s mercy and grace should not be an excuse to sin, it should be a reason for us to live in holiness and repentance. In this message continued from last week from the book of Ezra, we see the priest recounting God’s many acts of love and mercy, calling himself and the people of Israel to repentance.
One of the most powerful tools in our spiritual toolkit is that of intercessory prayer. When Ezra got to work confronting the spiritual apathy and sin of his nation, he turned to the Lord to intercede for his people, following the example of great men and women of God down the ages.
Continuing from last week, Pastor Paul Torres considers the call to action from Ezra chapter 9, where tears and weeping at the sin of Israel is replaced with a determination to fix the problem.
When you see sin in your own life, your family, your church, or your community, what is the proper response? In this message from Ezra chapter 9, Pastor Paul Torres asks us to consider whether or not sin truly bothers us.
Continuing with his message from last week, Pastor Paul Torres considers the characters in the genealogies of Ezra chapter 8 and how the Holy Spirit inspired their inclusion in a book written years before Christ to highlight Him.
You may not think that you could find a message about Jesus' coming in Ezra, and even less in a long, dry list of genealogies. But guess what? You can! Be encouraged with this message about God's faithfulness.
Continuing from last week, Pastor Paul Torres continues examining the Feasts of the Lord that Ezra the priest reestablished in the land and shows us how they apply to the life and ministry of Christ.
When the priest Ezra joined the people of God who had returned from captivity, one of the first steps he took was to reestablish the observance of the Feasts of the Lord in Israel. These feasts and celebrations held more than ritual significance—they were part and parcel of what made God’s people a separate people, holy unto the Lord. In today’s message, we start looking at some of these Feasts of the Lord and their significance for us today.
Just as with the people of Israel, God has not called us to be His people simply so we can feel good about ourselves. What is our role in showing Him to the world?
As King Darius replies with a stern note, the very enemies of God who had opposed the rebuilding of the Temple of in Jerusalem for years now wind up footing the entire bill for the project.
Discouragement is a normal part of life. But is it supposed to be part of the Christian life too? Can God use setbacks and defeats as part of His plan? It’s a message that many people do not want to hear in our soft times, but Pastor Paul tells us that sometimes, victory is not good for us because God needs to work on things in our character that prevent us from serving Him correctly. In this message continued from last week, he shows us how the people who returned from Babylonian captivity had to pass through a time of great testing so that God’s purposes could be fulfilled.
Just as in the days of the Old Testament, we live in a time with many competing gods, philosophies, and religions. So how do we publicly identify which God we serve?
Pastor Paul Torres urges us to examine our own selves to confirm our core beliefs before the emergencies that will test our souls inevitably come.
In this special one-hour message, Pastor Paul Torres unveils the true evil behind the pretty face of Halloween and tells us not to get involved.
They say that 90% of life is just about showing up. When the people of God came back from captivity in Babylonia, they immediately ran into intense opposition from enemies in the land who did not want them to rebuild anything, including the Temple. But God and even the King of Babylon had given them permission to do so. Yet after years of opposition, many gave up and started working on their own houses and lives. So when we keep showing up and we keep getting defeated, at what point is it okay to quit? In this message from Ezra chapter 5, Pastor Paul tells us that in order to know what to do first, we have to decide on our priorities. And interestingly enough, the church is not our first priority.
Some Christians think that if we obey God’s will in our lives, everything will go smoothly. Doors will just open and people will line up to help us. While that may be true in some cases, it’s not necessarily a sign of God’s favor. In fact, opposition to our plans might be a sign that we’re on the right track—because the Enemy will raise a fight. And God will use that opposition to make us stronger, more determined, and more dependent on Him. In today’s message, we’re continuing to look at the story of the return of God’s people from Babylon, and the first steps they took to rebuild. The Enemy wanted nothing of them in the land, and he immediately raised a storm of opposition to try to thwart their plans to rebuild the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. So how do we know if opposition is coming from the Enemy, or from God?
When the people of God returned to the land, they received some unwelcome offers of help from the people who had been moved there. Why didn't they just accept the offer graciously?
Entering into a study of Ezra chapter 3, we see how the people of God prioritized building the altar of God and reestablishing the worship of the LORD over practical matters - and what that means for us today.
Pastor Paul continues examining the background of the return to the land in the book of Nehemiah.
In Romans 15:4 it says that “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Now, there are some passages in the Scripture that may seem arcane or a bit dry. Today in “Daily Manna Weekend” we are looking at one of those passages in the book of Ezra. What do all these lists of names mean? Why are they in the Bible? Yet as with all of Scripture, when we dig into the list, startling truths begin to emerge. We see that once again, there are no accidents in Scripture. God has a specific reason for every person, and every name in these genealogies proves His miraculous providence, control of history, and prophetic power
There were many different roles to fill in Israel, from gatekeeper to Temple servant and many more. When these people went into captivity, they continued in their roles because the gifts and calling of God are without changing. And when they returned to the land, they continued right along with those God-called roles.
Like a master author, the Lord always creates a strong lead and a supporting cast of characters in the stories He writes. This was true of the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah. In this first of a two-part series, Pastor Paul examines each of the characters that we are introduced to in the first chapter of Ezra.
Pastor Paul Torres continues with a message from last week, looking at the background of the story between the time that the nation of Judah went into captivity and when the LORD “stirred up” the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia, to send God’s people home. But no one should have been surprised. After all, Pastor Paul shows us how God always tells “the end from the beginning.” It’s part of His character. God always has a plan, and since He is sovereign, it will always come to pass. And for those who will listen, He will reveal His plans just to prove that.
Down the ages, many have questioned how a loving God can use evil people to judge those who are more righteous than they are, such as when He used the Babylonians to judge Judah. We also question what our role as Christians is when the Bible talks about discipline in the church. What are we to make of all this? In this message from Ezra, Pastor Paul takes a look at these questions and more.
Pastor Paul Torres continues with part two of an introductory message into the book of Ezra. Last week, Pastor Paul laid the groundwork for this important study by reviewing the history of the people of Israel from Abraham through the captivity. This week, Pastor Paul continues digging deeper into the national disaster that very nearly destroyed Israel. Pastor Paul tells us that the enemy has two main tactics to attack God’s people: Either he tries to annihilate them, or he tries to assimilate them. The second tactic nearly worked with Israel before the captivity. As they became curious about the immoral gods and goddesses of the nations around them, they fell into gross immorality. In this message, Pastor Paul shows us some of the stomach-twisting evil they participated in, and makes a connection to our tendency to love the world today.
Pastor Paul Torres begins a study of the book of Ezra by taking a look at the events from the time of Abraham to the fall of Judah that made it so necessary for the people of God to experience a spiritual renewal.
For those who are thinking about giving their lives to Christ, they must know some of the fine print. Serving the Lord is a joy and guarantees eternal life, but things on this earth may get hard as the Christian faces attacks from the devil and the world. But what happens if we reject His mercy and turn away from the world?
Pastor Paul Torres talks about how God put the Gospel into nature itself from the very beginning of Genesis, leaving us with no excuse if we reject His love.
While the adults projected their views of who the Messiah would be onto Jesus Christ and quickly became disillusioned and angry when He did not fit their template, the children saw Him as God and worshiped Him in joyful faith.
Pastor Paul starts a series on the last week of Jesus' life by examining the events of His entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. He asks us to consider an important question: Are we so busy looking for something that we are missing God's best for us?
Pastor Paul continues his examination of Aaron's blessing from Numbers chapter 6, with a special studio conversation in the middle of the message about blessing our children.
Pastor Paul shows us how Aaron's blessing from Numbers 6 ("The Lord bless you and keep you, etc.) is a model for blessing today. God wants us to be a blessing to others!
Pastor Paul continues examining the way that fasting and prayer are important in the life of a Christian by showing us how we can use it to honor God, strengthen our prayer life, and follow the example of heroes of the faith like Elijah and even Jesus Himself.
Pastor Paul teaches us what it means to fast, why we fast, and how fasting influenced many of the heroes of the faith in both the Old and New Testaments.