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Free Podcast Downloads The Pastor’s Call:  Hello and welcome back to PVN; before we go on with today's topic, “Jesus is the Bread of Life”, I want to tell you about new material available on my website; The Pastor’s Call.” This eight-part series is produced by World MAP. Let me quote the lead into the series. “The Pastor’s Call is an incredible teaching about one’s ‘call to ministry’. Dr. Vic Torres explains Who calls you, the challenges involved, understanding what the “work of ministry” truly is and isn’t, how essential the Holy Spirit is, and the goal and true purpose for those that are being called to be in ministry.” I hope you will take a look at it.

The Gospel is the “Good News” that has the potential to change a life and change a person’s eternal destination. When we talk about the Gospel, we are talking about Jesus and what He has done and continues to do in the life of a Believer. When we share, teach, or preach about Jesus, our focus should be on the Kingdom, the Cross, the Blood, and the Name of Jesus. There is power and authority in these terms that identify Jesus Christ. Today we will be looking at another Gospel term, “The Lamb of God”!

Free Podcast Downloads Over the last several posts I have been making a distinction between the Gospel (salvation) and Christianity (discipleship). The Gospel is about what Jesus has done; Christianity is the response of a born-again believer to what Jesus has done. The message of the Gospel is what turns a heart towards the Lord! Trying to preach or teach how to live as a Christian to people who have not been converted or born-again simply makes people religious and dutiful, but not born-again. Remember, Jesus said in John 14, “no one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus also told Nicodemus, in John 3, that one must be born-again to see and enter the Kingdom of God! As born-again Christians, our responsibility is to first “know Jesus and then make Him known!”

Free Podcast Downloads As we look at the issue of the blood of Jesus, we must be sure that we are not talking about traditions and practices found in many church denominations. In my last post, we looked at the Cross as a reality and also a symbol of God’s great love for us. It is so amazing that the Lord would give His beloved Son to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  In the same way, the blood of Jesus is also a reality and a symbol of something that many Christians miss and that is the New Covenant. Jesus said in Matthew 26:28, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” As believers and followers of Jesus, we are graced by a New Covenant purchased through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Free Podcast Downloads 135 The Gospel: The Cross! Over the years I've observed that many confuse the Gospel with the Christian lifestyle. While both Gospel and Christian lifestyles are important you must accept the Gospel before you can live a genuine Christian lifestyle. You see, it is the power of the Gospel that produces the Christian lifestyle and not the other way around.

Free Podcast Downloads 1. The Kingdom It is such an important truth that Jesus tells us to: “… seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 2. What is the Kingdom? “The Kingdom of God is the realm where Jesus Christ reigns as King and God’s authority is supreme. This Kingdom exists here and now in the lives and hearts of the redeemed, as well as in its fullness in the future.”

Free Podcast Downloads As you know, the Apostle Paul suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, and yet he never lost his focus on his commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. He determined in his heart not to allow the circumstances of life to define who he was and his relationship with the Lord. Listen to what Paul says in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The upward call is the perfect plan of God for your life, Paul recognized that at times life would be difficult, but he decided to never waver.

Free Podcast Downloads The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to leave the past behind and make new decisions for the future. The most important decision one can make is to make a new commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you’ve strayed or walked away from God, there is no better time than now to re-dedicate or re-commit to your relationship with Jesus. 

Free Podcast Downloads 1 The title of this message is “Celebrate your salvation!” The thrust of the message is that when one is saved or born-again, the issue of sin has been dealt with. Sin is no longer an issue as it deals with salvation for a Christian. However, Christian or not, sin always has consequences.

Free Podcast Downloads Many years ago, I started a Christian publication, a newsletter, called "The Christian Crier," which announced upcoming Christian events in my region. As a result, I became somewhat well known in the area because of the publication.  One time I was at a meeting of Christian men and women, and during break-time, I was talking with a group of people. Now picture this, we were all wearing name tags identifying who we were. One of them heard that I was from a town called Hopewell Junction, and he responded by saying, “Do you know a friend of mine his name is Vic Torres he does the Christian Crier newsletter." What struck me was that I did not know him, and yet he said I was his friend. I was so embarrassed for him that I put my hand over my name tag so that he wouldn't realize who I was. You see, he knew of me, but I did not know him! He may have known about me, but we had no relationship. As Christians, we often ask, "Do you know Jesus?" when in fact, a more important question should be, “does Jesus know you?”