ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Loving God of families and individuals, pour out grace and peace on this dear reader in whatever challenges she or he may face today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

A day or so ago I heard the tailend of a Steven Curtis Chapman song that said, "All I want for Christmas is a family." Without knowing the full song or singer, it reminded me of what I heard after a recent memorial service we had here in our church. Someone said, "I don't know how anyone can survive in this world without a church family." Wow. If you think about it, this is our chance as a church to promote the love of Christ as can be shared only through a church family. As we hear about declining church membership numbers and the closing of churches, those who want their churches to "make it" and stay afloat need to think and pray seriously about evangelistic efforts that reach out with that idea: To join a church should be to enter into a relationship with God and God's family. God offers us love and forgiveness for all we've done and we should offer love, prayers, support and strength to each other as we face the challenges of life.

The comment about church family reminded me of how folks will begin sharing of calls, cards, food, visits and gifts to those who have either lost or gained a loved one. A church family will rejoice and be there if invited to baptisms, weddings, graduations, confirmations, special recognitions, etc. of daily life. How can we not share that with others? Would it be that difficult to share our church family experience by just saying, "You know, I come from a very special extended family that I call my church family. Would you believe what they did?" And God will take it from there, giving you the words to "evangelize" in Christ's name to the hurts and needs of the world. Of course you then put yourself in perhaps a new role: new family member and you have to do your part to do all that is needed for families during times of crisis and need.

The success of the "Come Home for Christmas" campaign of some churches is because of the number of folks who don't have a "home" to speak of, be it their own family or a place where they can feel at home. Remember, Christmas isn't over yet! Use this time to share your home with someone, your church home.

PRAYER: Loving God of Christmas and home, help me to understand my role in sharing my church family and church home with someone during this time of holiday spirit. As we wind down from the Christmas Day experiences and as we prepare for the New Year, help me to share words that may inspire someone to join me in worship and become a part of my church home. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

THIS SPECIAL NIGHT

Lord of Holies, may this special day be a blessed one in the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

The sadness of this special night is often overlooked by many. We rush, much like the school children who portray the wise men and shepherds who, after being told to walk slowly, forget all about the instructions and rush to the altar to place their gifts or to stand by the manger scene, right to the birth. It was a long, dusty, difficult journey for that young couple. If we are to believe the scenes we've seen, Joseph walked the entire journey and Mary, fully pregnant, rode on the donkey feeling every single bump and jolt on that long ride to Bethlehem. There were no rest stops like the ones we know today. There were no convenience stores with easy on, easy on access. It was walk, walk, walk. Once there they looked for room at the inn and the Bible tells us there was none. Mary and Joseph had to stay in the stable of one who lent it to them. I don't like driving to a hotel or motel late after driving on a trip and finding out there is no room at all. Some years ago before I knew what South by Southwest was in Austin, we drove into Austin looking for a room. SXSW is a long, weekend music and cinematic festival. It's held in March and usually there are NO rooms to be found from Georgetown to San Marcos. We didn't know. We had been riding in a comfortable car, the girls were cranky as was Dad, but there were no rooms to be found in any place. Thank God for a cancellation at what was then the last hotel in South Austin. We paid a pretty price for the room but we had a bed and a place to shower and refresh ourselves. Joseph and Mary had no such luxury.

We can imagine it was a painful long way down off that donkey for a very pregnant woman. And we don't know exactly how long it took for Jesus to make his arrival that night, but it did happen. The stress and tiredness from that journey didn't end with finding a stable, the delivery and arrival of Jesus made for an interesting night. I tend to believe that once the baby was born and they saw his face and were thankful for his birth the night went smoother.

This Christmas Eve, many find themselves worn out from the stresses of daily life. The bumps and jolts of work and family may have some at wit's end, but I think once we remember what tonight is all about and we see that baby's face, it's all worth it. The smile of the Christ child brought hope for a better tomorrow and we should receive that as ours tonight.

PRAYER: Loving Father, bless the needs in my life today. May I seek to see You above all else that I have experienced and faced. May I see the smile that is Yours reflected in the birth that we celebrate tonight. Let me be Yours now and forever, in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

TONIGHT GO TO THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE! IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHURCH HOME AND LIVE IN THE HARLINGEN AREA, we invite you to our services. At our downtown campus we have a 4:30 and 7:00 pm service, the latter with candlelight and communion. At 9 pm at our Valley Praise location we will have a contemporary worship and tamale fellowship. We hope to see you there!

LUKE'S STORY OF GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY!

God of power and might, we praise You for all You have done, are doing, and will do in our lives and in the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus our Lord we pray, amen.

Luke's story about Jesus' birth is found in these verses from Luke 2: 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In chapter one of his gospel Luke shares the foretelling that came before Mary became pregnant and in chapter two shares the above account. Please keep in mind that Luke is a Gentile, a physician, well-trained and educated, who wants the whole world to know of Jesus and His universal appeal to all humanity. He shows what God did and what was shared with him from interviews and visits with eyewitnesses. The Roman government had a census and Joseph and Mary complied with going to Bethlehem to be counted and while there the baby was born. She gave birth in a stable because all the inns were filled with census complying persons. Luke then shares how shepherds were told of this birth by angels and they witnessed a heavenly choir singing God's praises, so they go and see for themselves all this that God had done on their behalf. Notice that shepherds are the most common of workers in those days. Everyone could say as most of us used to in this country about those raised on a farm or ranch, "I was a shepherd or my dad or uncle or grandpa was a shepherd!" And God used them to be the first witnesses of this universal saving act. Read here: 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke shares what this event was all about: "good news of great joy...a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." The fulfillment of that which the Jews and all humanity had awaited for so many years is fulfilled in this humble birth to a poor young woman and her scared husband, in this humble town, to save the world from their sins. It's still a universal message about what God did for us. If you read The Upper Room, the daily devotional from the UMC (www.upperroom.org/devotional) you read how a dying man in Japan is praising God for strength during the last days of his life. Tell me he hasn't experienced "good news of great joy" in knowing his Savior. Do you know Him?

PRAYER: Father, Your message has reached so many from those outside of Bethlehem on that night to those in Japan, and right here in front of this computer screen; may this special time truly be a time when we recognize what you did to share with us "good news of great joy" in bring us our Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

MATTHEW'S CHRISTMAS STORY

God of traveling mercies, be with those of these dear readers who are traveling or have loved ones traveling to be with them during these holy days; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

In Sunday school we talked about the two Nativity stories. Only two of the Gospels have narratives about Jesus' birth. The first is Matthew and in his desire to show his Jewish brothers and sisters that Jesus is indeed the Messiash shares what he knew to be fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He utilitzes "this came about to fulfill the prophecy" or depending on your version of the Bible, something along those lines. He shares Jesus' lineage tracing Him back to Abraham, the father of the faith, and includes some important women in Biblical stories. Read verses 1-17 of chapter one of Matthew and see if you can't spot those ladies.

For today, as we prepare for Christ's birth, let's read the verses from 18 on: 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.

Those in my Sunday school class will laugh at the correct spelling of betrothed as opposed to the one that I scribbled on the board. We talked about the marital state of Joseph and Mary. Most scholars believe that betrothal was a legal marriage state in those days between couples who were usually in an arranged marriage. The man had the right to call off the wedding up to the point of the betrothal. If he did not object for a good, legal reason to stop the marriage then he and the bride would come before the rabbi for this ceremony. The betrothal ceremony gave the woman the man's last name and was considered his wife but would return home with her parents for one year. She was not to have sexual relations with her husband yet. During that year she would be the one with the authority to call off the marriage for a valid reason. If a reason such as infidelity came up, the man could divorce her. In Joseph's case, were he to call off the marriage for her being pregnant with a child not his own, then the danger was that Mary could have been stoned to death for breaking the marriage vows. Thus we read that Joseph desired to "divorce her quietly." God intervenes in the sending of an angelic messenger who tells Joseph that this pregnancy and child was the work of God and he was to still take her as his wife and the child was to be his and was to be named "Jesus." The name Jeshua means "the Lord is salvation," so his purpose is stated in his name and in the message given to Joseph: "he shall save his people from their sins." Joseph did as was told and they had a son whom they named Jesus, knowing that his other name was "Emmanuel, God is with us."

If you were casting a Sunday school played just on Matthew's birth story it would involve fewer kids. You'd need Joseph, Mary, some angels, but you'd only need three kids to play the Three Kings. Matthew knew that for his Jewish brothers and sisters to know this was truly a Jewish story about a new Jewish king there had to be royalty involved. Other sources call them "magi" or learned men from the East, but we don't know for certain. What Matthew does record is that they came bearing some powerful and symbolic gifts: Gold, given as a present to a king. Frankincense, long confusing for most, but drop the "frank" and you get what it really is, incense. Incense given to the high priest of God. And myrrh, strong smelling ointment used for the preparation of bodies for burial. Symbolic of this man, son of God, King of kings, our High Priest, who would offer his body as our sacrifice and whose body would be buried. Three days later He would rise from the dead.

Christmas is a celebration of God's love. The gifts should be for God. I doubt most of us remember that or even think of that as we battle crowds at the mall or at the stores. But God gave us the gift in Jesus. May we receive Him again as the One who came to save us from our sins.

PRAYER: God of gifts, I thank You again for Jesus, my gift, my Lord and my Savior. May I be mindful of what You did through Him just for me. Grant me a holy season to thank and praise You for all You have done, are doing, and will do on my behalf. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

---------------PRAYER REQUESTS: Our sister from FUMC-Harlingen, Rita Tanberg is still in the hospital and yesterday was not a good day for her. Rita undergoes dialysis and the shunt in her arm could not work because the veins clogging. A temporary shunt was placed near her neck and doctors were to decide on putting one on her thigh. This is not a very comfortable experience and Rita needs our prayers. Please be in prayer as mentioned above for loved ones on the highways to visit family and friends. Three of our daughters travel today with their families to be with us in Harlingen. One travels tomorrow. Our Christmas celebration will be early and we pray God's mercy on your loved ones and may your Christmas celebrations be filled with His love!

ENTHUSIASTICALLY: MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS

God of all days and seasons, may this special season of Advent as it winds down, prepare this dear reader for the joy and wonder of Christmas; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text today is from Ephesians 1:3-14: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 5 He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he lavished upon us. 9 For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

How many times do we pray, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven?" Probably most of us at least once a week. For some of you, I know possibly more, some even pray it daily. It's an awesome prayer of faith and it is the prayer taught us by Jesus. It was His prayer. That phrase talks about the unity that should be here on earth with the heavenly things. In today's passage, verse 10 speaks of God's purpose being "to unite all things in him, things in heven and things on earth." We know Heaven to be a perfect place for it is truly the place of God. We know that earth, because of us, is far from perfect. But we should also know and should also declare that earth, too, is the place of God. And the place of God begins in our hearts. One of my favorite Christmas hymns I learned in Spanish, "Tu Dejaste Tu Trono." It's based on the English hymn, "Room for Thee." In having compared the two hymns, the refrain in Spanish is a bit different but the message is the same: Christ found no room at the inn, but may He find room in our hearts this Christmas season. His coming did indeed fulfill all promises and accomplished all things that God desired for the earth. May we live for the praise of God's glory, being thankful for the good news of salvation and living in such a way that our lives are praise to Him!

PRAYER: Loving God, may I indeed have room for Thee in my heart today and all days. May I stop long enough each day to say a simple prayer that removes the clutter of my heart so that You might come in and give me peace, love, and joy. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GO EAT PEACHES AND CREAM or GO ENTHUSIASTICALLY PROCLAIM CHRIST?

Lord of comfort and peace, pour out Your blessings on the needs of this dear reader in anything he or she may be facing; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

We finished the first letter of the four-letter set of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. For many, hidden is the word used when trying to find them or to remember which order they appear in our Bible, someone came up with "Go, Eat Peaches and Cream" as a way to remember them. Funny how that has helped through the years. Another one that came in handy, as I'm about to go into deep sleep, Nellie, still excited about learning handbells asked if I remembered the notes of the scale and out of nowhere I said, "Every Good Boy Does Fine!" Snore. She said, "Yes, that's those are the two last ones I couldn't remember!" That's the last thing I remember from last night. However, I thought about that "reminder" about eating and thought, let's make it more relevant and powerful to the needs of the Church: Go Enthusiastically Proclaim Christ! And such will be our saying as we get to letter number two, Ephesians!

Our text comes from Galatians 1:1-2: 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This letter is considered to be the first of four prison letters written by the Apostle while imprisoned in Rome. At his own expense he rented a home near the Praetorian Guard barracks. The PGs were an elite guard force of the Roman army and some of what he writes in his letters is influenced by what he saw from his closeness to that guard. In this letter he begins by identifying himself and his work. While we may have said, I am Paul, glad to meet you or hope this finds you well; he says, "I am Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." No doubt about Who called him and to what. An apostle, we have said, is one who like a disciple, learns from his or her Master, but an apostle goes and does and lives what she or he is taught. Paul learned the Gospel and lived it and taught it to others. Paul then addresses the reader as "saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus." Here's another one of those words we tend to shy away from. In my years of seminary at Perkins, we had an awesome traveling choir. I regret not having sung in that choir for in those days, it was a two-bus sized company of singers. What always made me chuckle was that one bus was for "saints" and the other for "sinners." What it really meant was that those who preferred a nonsmoking environment would ride in the saints bus, and those who did smoke would ride on the sinners' bus. Now, the size of the seminarians population is smaller, and to have a bus where one could smoke is unheard of and not a pleasant thought to most. But the word "saint" was one Paul used to identify those who had died to sin and risen to Christ. In other words, any person who loved the Lord and lived the life of a believer was a saint. It was not one who had been elected, after three miracles, to that status in the Roman Catholic Church as being a saint. It was and is, a position of extreme responsibility. To be called and to live as a saint does not give you the first place in line at fellowship dinners. Truly a saint would be one who helps serve or stand towards the back of the line. But Paul know his audience and addresses his letter to those who know and love the Lord.

Paul then shares a blessing or affirmation of their lives at the beginning of the letter. "Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." The One who could share that is God. The gift of undeserved love andmercy, which is grace, and peace, that which sees that all of our needs and wellbeing is taken care of, which is the true biblical blessing of "peace," is desired by Paul to those who would hear and receive the words of this letter. So, sender, Giver, and receiver are all mentioned in these two short verses.

So, are you a saint? Are you living a faithful life? Are you sharing your blessings or affirmation of life in abundance with others? If so, you're helping the cause of Christ. Rise above the feelings of fear or misery or doubt and live a life that shines the light of the Lord. You'll make a world of difference.

PRAYER: Loving God, may I be a saint today. May my life be a faithful reflection of all You have done in my life. May my word and actions be blessings and affirmations of the good of life to others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GO! LIVE THE RELATIONSHIP LIFE THAT GOD INTENDED!

Lord God of all great things, make great the faith of this dear reader in the challenges he or she may be facing; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text today is from Galatians 6:11-18. With this we conclude our study of GO: Galatians! 11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. 17 Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Ah, dear reader, enjoy the last days of the handwritten letters. I have to confess that I love getting letter or notes not having to do with business. And I have to confess that I just don't get that excited about letters that I have to forward on to others. If my scanner in my office worked I could scan the letter and add it as an attachment to the persons who need to have copies. They have to receive the email, open and download the attachment and then either store it on their computer or print out a hard copy. Just the language used above would have confused poor St. Paul! "Forward? Scanner? Attachment? Email? Download? Store? Computer? Well, you get the idea. Paul sent a handwritten letter to the Galatians. It is believed that most of the letters he wrote someone wrote for him. He dictated the letters and then signed them. (Gone are the days of Dictaphones!) But at the conclusion of this letter, which he may have personally handwritten or just closed it out with these words of today's text, we're not sure, but he does make a strong point of his being involved in their lives and souls.

His emphasis on the subject of circumcision would have in today's letters been underlined or stressed in bold face letters; he writes in big letters (Some of you dear readers, understand LARGE PRINT, no?). He wants them to know that he's excited and in person might have been close to, if not, actually, YELLING! Paul is saying, circumcision for spiritual reasons, is not necesary to be a Christian. Those folks stressing it to you just want to be able to say, "You should see what work we've been doing in the lives (and bodies) of those new believers! They're not just Christians, they're circumcised Jews!" Paul says that is just not needed. If you want to see what "works" have blessed you, just look to the body of our Lord, Jesus Christ. All His wounds and scars are there because of His great love for you. If anyone or anything died, Paul says, it was the attraction of the world to my life, and I myself have died to the world. He's talking about his new spiritual perspective on worldly things. He also says that he himself bore "the marks of Jesus" referring to the scars he received from stonings, beatings, and other persecutions because of his new faith. And we complain when the sermon goes too long or someone sits in our pew!

Paul's letter can be summed up by saying GO! Go and live like someone who belongs to Christ Jesus because we do! It's all about relationship with God and not religious observations held because of faith or tradition in God. May our lives show Whose we are in such amazing ways that they too will want to come and belong to God.

PRAYER: God, I've waited long enough. Today shall be the day when I finally get the courage to invite my coworker to my church. I will tell him or her about the upcoming Christmas Eve service and how attending those really make me feel at home. It may be that this person has wandered away from You long enough without a home and without knowing Your love. May You give me the words and the wisdom to share that which may just share eternal life with them. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GO: WRAP YOURSELF AS A GIFT OF FAITH!

God of Vision, Meaning and Purpose, may those gifts be this dear reader's today in all they may face; in Christ Jesus' precious name I pray, amen.

Our reading for today comes from Galatians 6:6-10: 6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. 7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

You probably had a lot of teachers in the word. If you've been a member of a church for a while you had probably heard many a sermon from many a preacher. If you've been a Sunday school class member, you've probably had a lot of teachers teaching your class. If you have attended seminary you have had many a professor teaching you about God's word. And if you were the product of Christian parents, your first lessons about God and God's word more than likely started in your home. What have you given back to those teachers? And I'm not talking about shiny red apples that you have placed on the desk (man am I dating myself!). How have you lived your life that shows that what you were taught found in you good soil?

Paul is encouraging the readers to live a life that shows that we are Spirit-led. Everyday in every way, we have at least two option: Listen to the Spirit or listen to your own desires. And as we all know of the two there is only one good option and that is God's option. Yesterday on the radio I heard the announcers talk about people being "good eggs" and one of them said, "C. S. Lewis said we could not be a 'good egg' forever, we must either hatch or rot." And that's true about the believer, if you "hatch" to the Spirit you will reap the fullness of life here and eternal life then; if you don't "hatch" you will "rot." What a choice! Yet, so many choose rotting over hatching.

The greatest gift you can ever give to one of your teachers in the faith is to live a life of faith. So, start wrapping yourself with the Spirit of God and let Him guide you today and all days!

PRAYER: Giver of all good gifts, I thank You for the gift of faith. I thank You also for those who shared the faith with me. May my life today be a gift of all those instructional gifts I received from those teachers. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

GO: RESTORE THOSE WHO NEED RESTORING

Lord of life, grant rich blessings upon the needs of this dear reader today and all days; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today comes from Galatians 6:1-5: 1 My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads.

How much love do you have for your brothers and sisters in the faith? And how do you show that love? I ask because apparently, it's been a trend of "believers" to not help brothers/sisters in trouble; it seems like we like to talk about or condemn others before we offer assistance of a positive nature. Paul encourages a loving response shared in a "spirit of gentleness." And that response he mentions is to "restore" that person. Many times our temptation is not to restore but to chastise and cast out; and that's not the Christian response in most cases. Paul reminds us that we ourselves are tempted and could just as easily be tempted into a spirit of judgment and condemnation, knowing full well that perhaps we've traveled down that path as well. For the clergy, it is recommended that we form peer accountablility groups where we can meet weekly or regularly to share with each other our burdens and cares. And in those groups we should hold ourselves up in a honest light to see just where we are and where we need to be. The laity also can and should have those. Those who have gone on a Walk to Emmaus or similiar retreats, know there are what are known as Fourth Day groups where basically we can ask those type of questions. The results have been positive blessings in the lives of those who regularly share with others.

The Bible continues to be the mirror we should use to see how we "look." Paul provides a lot of the "lists" of where we are and where we need to be. Remember the last chapter in this letter he lists there the "fruits of the Spirit" as those things that postive for our lives. Let's re-read that above passage in Eugene Peterson's The Message version of the Bible:

1 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. 2 Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. 3 If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. 4 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. 5 Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

PRAYER: Loving and merciful God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Many are the times I have fallen into that category of not wanting to restore my brothers or sisters. Grant me a heart like Jesus' so that I may love more. Grant me also the mind of Christ so that I might have the wisdom I need to bless others. I ask this in His precious Name, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

GO: LIVE FREELY AND UNEXPECTEDLY!

God of power and mercy, bless this dear reader today in all that she or he faces; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today comes from Galatians 5:13-26: 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

There is a crazy group of guys and one gal from San Antonio, Texas, that have their own television show on, I believe, is the Travel Channel. The show is called "Ghost Lab." Outfitted with all sorts of electronic equipment, computers, recorders, big screen monitors and tvs, the ghost lab is really a trailer this crew pulls behind it. Their mission is to prove scientifically the existence of the paranormal. And so, they travel to different places rumored to be haunted and try to record voices, or images that otherwise might not be captured by the human eye. The most recent episode took them to Alcatraz, the most famous prison in America. Spending three nights there they wanted to record anything that others have said they have experienced. Of those imprisoned on that island prison, Robert "The Bird Man" Stroud, was perhaps the most evil of them all. His ghost is suppoed to haunt Alcatraz. To get paranormal reactions these guys talk to the darkness in hopes of getting a response from the unseen. In a line that stayed with me was one they spoke to Stroud's jail cell. "Take a look out that window and see the freedom that you'll never have. It was bad enough to not have it while you were alive and now you're imprisoned here for eternity."

Paul's message was that of Jesus, freedom is ours. Christ gives us the freedom to rise above the expected or the norm of everyday life. If you look at the two distinct lists, most are imprisoned by what Paul calls "the things of the flesh:" fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these." How can one break away from these "everyday" things? Only by the power of Christ's Holy Spirit. Compare it to the things that come freely to us through Christ: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no better way to live. The first list is a list of chains. The second list is a list of rich blessings that are contagious and positive to others. The other night I was holding my new grandson, Caleb Eradio, and I saw his first smile and it came as I called him, "Liam Carlos," the name of my other grandson! The boy smiled and I thought, "He's thinking, my grandpa is sure old, he can't get us straight yet!" Nothing more contagious than a smile nor love nor joy nor peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It will bring a world of good to you and to those with whom you share these precious things.

PRAYER: Dear God, I thank You for my freedom. I am free to choose how I will live my life and given the choice, I'd rather live free. May Your Holy Spirit guide me to the freedom that comes from You and may my life radiate the fruit of Your Spirit with others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GO: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Gracious and Loving God of life, pour out Your comfort on those who mourn, and be with the needs of this dear reader; In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text today is from Galatians 5:13-15 :13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Someone once wrote and I've shared this before, and not as any endorsement of the corner bar: "There is more fellowship and less fighting at the corner bar than there is in most churches." Well, that would be true on several levels, but let's just address the spiritual one. The church is a spiritual organization. It deals with life and death decisions, eternal ones. And when the church is open to the leading of God's Holy Spirit, we also become aware that the enemy of God wants nothing better than to disrupt and destroy the work of God. Such was the case in Galatia and such may be the case in your church. Paul urges the believer to rise above that. As people of freedom because of God's saving acts in Jesus Christ, we have the power to choose that which is best for the good of Christ and harmony and understanding and love were the best options in any setting, especially the church. Paul even uses the law to remind them of what Christ said as well, "Love your neighbor as yourself." In other words, think and act just beyond your own self-interests and desires, love someone in the same positive way you should be loving yourself. If you love yourself, you feed yourself. Why not feed others? If you love yourself, you clothe yourself, why not clothe others? If you love yourself you provide for your cleaning and care, and why can't you do that for others? If we chose to care and feed and clothe and visit only among ourselves, the result will be not only the destruction of others but ourselves as well.

Look beyond "me" today. Love beyond "me" today. Love each other in positive, uplifting, constructive ways.

PRAYER: God of love, help me to see beyond myself today and to love others in the way that I know I should be loving myself. Give me the eyes of faith and love to see the needs of those hurting and hungry around me. Help me to respond in ways that Christ Jesus would. I ask this in His precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Needs: A dear family in our church, Mark and Jan Fliegel lost their 23 yr old son, Tim, yesterday morning. The cause of death is not known. Tim was in Abilene visiting friends and died around 3 a.m. His body was taken to Ft. Worth where an autopsy was performed. Please be in prayer for Mark, Jan, Lucy, and Conrad as they travel to Ft. Worth for a viewing of the body. Plans right now call for a memorial service to be done on Saturday, Dec. 19th at 2 p.m. at First UMC-Harlingen. Lucy is a senior at Centenary College in Shreveport, La, and Cameron is in middle school. Also please be in prayer for Sydney Broyles undergoing surgery today. Surgery is also scheduled for Johnny Means, and an appointment in Houston for John Topp has opened up this Friday. Also, a dear friend, The Rev. Tommy Hays in on his way to Pakistan to preach a series of evangelistic sermons and we need to cover him in prayer. This is an environment isn't open to the Christian message, but with your prayers and the power of the Holy Spirit, may God's message and light fall on fertile ground.

GO: RUN THE RACE!

Lord of goodness and grace, pour out Your blessings upon this dear reader's life; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Our reading for today comes from Galatians 5:1-12: 1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. 4 You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love. 7 You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? 8 Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. 10 I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. 11 But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!

Ouch! Today's text is a bit painful to consider. Paul was very graphic in stressing his passion about Jesus and the Law. He who was once a Pharisee, married to the law, now is married to Christ. Paul knew the law and he knew that to enter into a covenant with the law, males had to be circumcised, and thus the argument that he is presenting today: You do not have to be circumcised to be a believer in Christ Jesus. The other faction, a Jewish faction, did believe that to be a Christian one had to first become a "good Jew" and thus enter into all that was required of Jews and for men that included circumcision. Paul sees this as a "oke of slavery," a mark that is not required. Paul's interpretation of Christ's message was all about freedom. He understood that all it had taken was for one person to speak against grace and the freedom found in it to "leaven the whole batch." (v. 9). That one person spoke to another and that one to another and before they knew it there was a division that was saying that the Christian church as they understood it, needed for Christians to be Jews.

What rules do you keep about being a Christian? Do you have a set of strong beliefs about what constitutes a Christian and what does not? Do you try to enforce these by speaking against those who do not keep them? Are you serving Christ's Church or severing it? All it takes is one person to share his or her "belief" and before you know it the cause of Christ has become their cause and serves no one or nothing. Paul would tell us, help others run as they run best! It's not the shoes or the strides, it's the forward movement that counts! All it takes is for one Nike runner to say to a New Balance runner, you're running wrong and then the fight begins. Help one another run the race set before us. Encourage others to join in the running. Let us all run towards the prize!

PRAYER: Loving God of the Race, help me to run as Christ Jesus taught me, but while I run, help me encourage others to keep running and to invite others to join the race. I ask forgiveness for the times I have tried to impose my thoughts and feelings on others and while trying to do good I may have harmed some. I pray all this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GO: LIVE AS CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH

God of mercy and joy, pour out Your blessings on the needs of this dear reader in all that s/he may face; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Today's text comes from Galatians 4:12 Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. 13 You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; 14 though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What has become of the goodwill you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them. 18 It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. 21 Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. 23 One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. 24 Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Ha'gar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. 25 Now Ha'gar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written, "Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children, burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs; for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the children of the one who is married." 28 Now you, my friends, are children of the promise, like Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the scripture say? "Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman." 31 So then, friends, we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.

When Paul became an evangelist he knew that his mission field would include those whom he had been taught to hate. Paul, being a Pharisee, did not like many, except those who held firmly to the Law. When we first met him, his fulltime job was helping kill Christians. Then Christ came into his life and changed his heart. He not only when from hating Christians, he started making them! And not only Jewish Christians but those who were, in his previous mind, "unclean." His method then was to enter into a city, preach in a synagogue for as long as they would let him, and then move with those who had heard and believed, to a house setting where a church would start. Once the church was in a home, others who had nor desired anything to do with the synagogue, would come in and join in as believers. Once the church became established, Paul moved away. We're almost sure that the move was never an easy one; Paul must have felt some sadness and worry about what would happen to those believers he had made, and most of the New Testament comes as a result of things not going so well in those places where he preached and started a movement as well as those places where he longed to go and preach. What has happened here in Galatia is that some of the believers are now feeling a pull from the Jews to return to their roots. The believers are struggling to decide whether they will be Christians or Jews or some combination of the two. Paul writes to instruct them to stay as Christians, who live under grace not law. Paul also knew that it would be difficult to completely change everyone's mind, but he pressed on.

In this passage Paul reminds them that he came and completely identified with them and now they should completely identify with him. He reminds them that during his visit with them he was ill, and speculations on his illness are too numerous to decide for sure what his ailment was (some have said if he had all the illnesses attributed to him, he was indeed one very sick man), yet the illness did not stop his preaching nor their listening to him. And Paul states again that he is there to share with them the truth about Jesus and grace. He tries then to convince them that by spiritual birth they are heirs to "the promise" not the confines of the law. Those who believe in Jesus are children of the Most High not slaves.

Is your Monday the same as yesterday? Do you identify with those at work as you do with those at church? Is there a fellowship in your midst and are you one of the "seasonings" that flavor the conversation and the mood of the work place? Are you free to live as a child of God or are you under the "law" to keep church at church and work at work? And the same could be asked of our home life. Do we live together in our families as children of God or do we set and follow rigid laws that hinder full growth in Christ Jesus?

PRAYER: Loving God, I celebrate being Your child, with all the right and privileges thereof. I pray that I would recognize the good I could be doing right now right where I am. Help me to shine brightly the light of love that first shone in my heart when I needed it most. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Loving God, Giver of all good gifts, we praise You and thank You for this precious baby that joins our family, Caleb Eradio Garcia. Bless and strengthen him and continue to bring healing to his Mommy and presence with his Daddy.

Dear friends, here's our newest boy! Caleb Eradio Garcia, made his entry into the world last night at about 7:27 p.m. He weighed in at 7lbs 8 oz and was 20.5 inches long. We're thankful to the Lord for his birth. Our daughter, Nellie, had to undergo a C-section after a long delivery. Grandma and I were awake for most of the time from 5 a.m. on Wednesday through almost 11 p.m. last night. We had a couple of catnaps on those oh-so-cozy hospital chairs during that time, but we're trying to catch up with much needed rest today.

For those of you who follow us on Facebook thank you for your prayers and comments. For those of you who knew of our need for this delivery we also thank you for your prayers. It was a nail-biter all the way. God is good!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Grandpa Eradio Valverde

GO: LIVING AS HEIRS TO THE GREATEST RICHES IN THE WORLD

God of hope, pour out a generous double portion of hope upon the challenges this dear reader may be facing; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text this morning comes from Galatians 4:1-11: 1 My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; 2 but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. 3 So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. 9 Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? 10 You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years. 11 I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.

Paul is appealing to his readers in Galatia that since we have a choice and since we have been exposed to the truth about God's awesome love and power, how can we, in good conscience, turn back to something as foolish as living as we did before we knew the saving power of Jesus and trying to be controlled by law rather than grace? One of the richest, if not the richest men in the world is Bill Gates. Many have been the times several have said, "Would Bill and Melinda Gates adopt me? Please??" Can you imagine being heir to the Gates money? Well, stop, because Bill and his wife, Melinda, are busy giving it away for good. Yes, I know that your needs and mine, are good needs too. But the idea of knowing that we're in line to see our bank balance get a few zeros behind the current numbers would be an awesome idea. Well, dear friend, the good and better news is that through our adoption in the Spirit, we are no longer "slaves" to the way we used to live, now we are children of God and as children, heirs of the Most High.

Our call today is to not be like the believers of Galatia. They didn't know a great thing when they received it. They left it to follow a more ritualist and prohibitive style of life. We don't have to. We are children and heirs of the Most High for a better way of living now and our hope is in the promise of a better life yet to come. We should live like that, as an example to others who have not yet heard or not yet received all that God offers.

PRAYER: Loving God, make me more aware of all that is mine through Jesus Christ. Give me hope, joy, peace, love in the places in my life where now I find hopelessness, sadness, discomfort and anxiety and indifference. And help me live my life in a way that is an example and invitation to others to come to this life as well. I ask this in Jesus Christ's precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

GO: SEE BEYOND THE COLORS OF OUR T-SHIRTS

God of comfort and peace, shelter this dear reader during the challenges that may come their way; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text today comes from Galatians 3:10-29:10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law." 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for "The one who is righteous will live by faith." 12 But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, "Whoever does the works of the law will live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person's will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, "And to offsprings," as of many; but it says, "And to your offspring," that is, to one person, who is Christ. 17 My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. 20 Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. 21 Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. 22 But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

This past Saturday my wife's family had a reunion. All of the descendants of Florentino & Isidra Garza Zamora got together on a small ranch outside of Mission, Texas. I believe there were over one hundred people there. All from seven children. My mother-in-law, Maria Luisa Zamora Rosales was one of the daughters. Of the seven, only the second youngest survives and she was there. We call her Tía Fay. Every family wore a colored t-shirt, ours were red and the reds outnumbered all the rest. What made the day more special for Nellie was that a man who is related, though not a direct descendent of this group, was invited and he came. He was a nephew of Florentino and had been with him the last week of Florentino's life. In fact the day the two returned from some work they had been doing, Isidra made the boy bathe so she could wash his clothes. Florentino went out on his own on his horse and was killed by a family member who mistook him for another man that he wanted dead. What a connection to history in the Garza Zamora family this man was.

Paul reminds the readers of this letter that we are all connected to Abraham. That in and of itself is a wonderful connection, but it comes towards the end of this passage in which Paul again says, we live under grace not the law. Christ paid the price of this "curse" as Paul calls those who try to meet every letter of the law, and as a result we "are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." (vv. 28-29). The differences between people, whether we wear red shirts, yellow, black, maroon or white shirts does not matter to God, we are all one. If ever the world needed to hear and receive a message, it is now. Through Christ Jesus we are united and made equal in the eyes of God and we should also see that in our own lives. While we wore shirts at that reunion it was fun to see who were from "Grandma Vicha" but it was also neat to see all who were a part of our family. Isn't it the same to be part of God's family through Christ?

PRAYER: God of all colors and people, unite me today with all. I confess I at times notice the colors of the shirts and seek to know who is wearing my color; take me above and beyond that to see that in Christ Jesus and through Your power, we are one. I pray this prayer in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde