Bishop Talks

05/31/2026

05/01/2026

From weakness to witness that’s the journey of formation.” Bishop, RAYMOND RIVERA.

Today at 7 PM (Bishop Talk – Live), I’ll continue Part Two on Spiritual Formation: The Challenge of the Church Today.

When you look at the disciples before the Resurrection and before Pentecost, you see a very human picture. They struggled. They misunderstood Jesus. At times they were driven by ambition, competing for position, unsure of their calling, unable to carry the authority they were being prepared for.

Their formation was real—but it was incomplete.

I’ve seen that pattern in my own journey and over decades of ministry. As a young leader, I watched gifted people begin well, but without deep formation and the lived power of the resurrection and the Holy Spirit, many drifted. Some were pulled by the pressures of the world, others by ego, distraction, or influences that weakened their walk. But when Christ truly formed them—when the Word took root and the Spirit empowered their lives—you could see the difference. They became steady, grounded, and consistent in their faith.

Then something happened with the disciples.

Through the power of the resurrected Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit, those same men were transformed. They became witnesses, missionaries, instruments of revival. Their lives carried depth, clarity, and purpose. They grew into the calling they could not yet fully understand.

That journey still speaks to us.

Many believers begin in one place—but God is not finished. If we submit to His process, He forms us, matures us, and brings us into a deeper expression of His purpose.

Today, we will talk about that journey—and the call for the Church today to move toward mature, Christ-centered, holistic formation.

Join me live at 7 PM.

03/08/2026

40 Days of Lent — Liberty to the Captives: Our Call to Minister in a Captive World
Good morning. Welcome to Day 19 of our 40-day journey.

Day Nineteen: Freedom Loosens Its Grip

Primary Scripture: Matthew 6:19–21
Companion Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
Companion Scripture (key lines): “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly… God loves a cheerful giver… God is able to make all grace abound…”

Theological Reflection

Captive order trains the human heart to clutch—to hoard, to fear loss, to measure security by what we can control. That’s why Jesus speaks so plainly: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…” He isn’t condemning work or provision. He’s confronting misplaced trust. A heart can be imprisoned not only by suffering, but also by anxiety, greed, and the illusion of control.

Paul reinforces this in the companion text: generosity is not just financial—it’s spiritual. God forms a people with open hands, because open hands come from a trusting heart. Holistic liberation is not only what God brings us out of—it’s what God builds within us: faith, compassion, and the ability to bless others without fear.

Spiritual Application

Day 19 asks: What am I holding too tightly?
Sometimes it’s money. Sometimes it’s control. Sometimes it’s “my way.” Sometimes it’s fear of not having enough. Captivity whispers, “Protect yourself first.” The Kingdom teaches, “Trust God—and practice open-handed living.”

Ask yourself:
• Where has fear been shaping my decisions?
• What am I protecting so tightly that it is stealing my peace?
• What would generosity look like for me right now—financially, relationally, emotionally?

Call to Action

Take one concrete step toward open-handed freedom today:
1. Give something—even small—toward a real need.
2. Share something—time, encouragement, help, or presence—with someone who needs it.
3. Pray: “Lord, free my heart from fear. Teach me to trust You. Make my hands open again.”

Captivity tightens the grip.
Freedom loosens it.
And an open-handed life becomes a quiet testimony of the Kingdom.

For a deeper dive into these themes, you can find my Amazon bestseller Liberty to the Captives: Our Call to Minister in a Captive World.

02/20/2026

40 Days of Lent — Liberty to the Captives: Our Call to Minister in a Captive World

Day Three: When God Calls Your Name: Bishop, Raymond Rivera

Primary Scripture: Exodus 3:1–12
Companion Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

Theological Reflection
Moses is not in a sanctuary when God interrupts his life. He’s in the ordinary—working, surviving, moving through another day—when the bush burns and does not burn out. That’s a message all by itself: God’s presence is not limited to religious space. God can set holy fire in the middle of routine, and when God calls you, the call is never just “personal.” It’s always connected to somebody else’s bo***ge.

God doesn’t begin by giving Moses a title. God begins by calling his name—“Moses, Moses.” Captive order tries to rename us by our failures, our past, our fears, or our fatigue. But God calls a name, not a label. Then the Lord says something that still shakes the earth: “I have surely seen… I have heard… I know… and I have come down to deliver.” That is not the voice of a distant God. That is the voice of the Liberator.

And then comes the holy tension: “I have come down… therefore, I am sending you.” God’s liberation is often released through human obedience. Moses hesitates, like most of us do—“Who am I?” But God answers with the only assurance that can sustain a deliverer: “I will be with you.” That’s the foundation of all ministry in a captive world—presence. Not just our presence with people, but God’s presence with us.

That’s why the companion scripture matters. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 teaches that God comforts us in our trouble so we can comfort others. In other words, your wilderness, your pain, your setbacks, your losses—if surrendered to God—can become part of your calling. God does not waste suffering. God redeems it and turns it into ministry.

Spiritual Application
Some of us are waiting to feel “ready,” but God is calling us to be available. Captivity keeps people silent by convincing them they have nothing to offer. But God’s pattern is the opposite: He often chooses the hesitant, the wounded, the overlooked—so it’s clear the power is His.

Ask yourself today:
• Where is God calling my name again—and I keep ignoring it?
• Who around me is crying out, and I’ve gotten used to the sound?
• What pain has God comforted me through that I can now use to strengthen someone else?

Lent is not just about giving something up. It’s about letting God wake something up—courage, compassion, obedience, clarity.

Call to Action
Do one simple act of response today:
1. Take 10 minutes in quiet prayer and say: “Lord, here I am. Speak.”
2. Text or call one person who is carrying a heavy load. Don’t preach—comfort them.
3. Write down the one “Pharaoh” God is putting on your heart (a bo***ge, injustice, addiction, fear, or family struggle). Then take one step—a meeting, a call, an act of advocacy, a gift, an invitation—something concrete.

God is still calling names in captive spaces.
And when God calls you, it’s not to impress people—it’s to participate in liberation.

12/29/2025

Join us for The Bishop Talks: Three Kings New Year’s Epiphany Service as we gather to seek God’s guidance, direction, and renewal for the year ahead.

📅 January 4
⏰ 3:00 PM
📍 14 W. 170th Street, Bronx, NY

This powerful Epiphany service will bring together congregations from across the Bronx for prayer, worship, special music, and a timely “Bishop Talks” message by Presiding Bishop Dr. Raymond Rivera—calling us to walk into the New Year with faith, clarity, and purpose.

🙏 Come expecting encouragement.
🤝 Come ready for fellowship.
🌟 Come prepared for new beginnings.

🎟 Register here:
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/.../three-kings-new-years...

Bring a friend and let’s step into the New Year together—rooted in faith and filled with hope.

12/03/2025

DAY 3 – Waiting with Honest Lament

Scripture focus: Psalm 13; Romans 8:22–25

Are you tired of pretending everything is “fine”?

Advent is for people who are still waiting, still hurting, and still daring to hope. Today’s devotional talks about lament as faith, not failure—bringing real pain to a real God.

👉 Read Day 4 Tomorrow.

More on faith in a captive world:

This inspiring book is for any and all Christians who want to learn how to bring hope and redemption to their communities – for those who are ready to step beyond their comfort zone, leave the status quo behind, and take up Christ’s call to minister within a world crying out for freedom only God...

11/27/2025

Friday I’ll be speaking on a theme that has marked my 60 years of ministry: “Sovereignty and Fatalism Are Not Synonymous – A Biblical Perspective.” Too many of our people have been taught to bless what God never willed and to call captivity “God’s plan.”

Join me this Friday at 7 PM as we open Scripture and our lived experience to reclaim a God who is truly sovereign and still honors human agency, responsibility, and hope.

Mark your calendar now and invite a friend to hear this Bishop’s Talk at 7 PM Friday.