A SPIRITUAL INSTINCT

God of great comfort, pour out comfort and healing on the lives and memories of those who have lost loved ones during war; bless and protect them as only You can; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text for today, on this Memorial Day: Matthew 5: 38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

Jesus' main message was about life and the fullness thereof. And so to read these words we have to keep that in mind. Moses gave the people of God the law of controlled retaliation or revenge. The former way was to go and completely annihilate the one who had caused you harm. And the members of his/her family as well. Moses said, if in the midst of a battle or fight you lose a tooth, the most you can demand from that person is a tooth. Not his or her death. And the same for the loss of an eye. Jesus tells us to take it even further: If someone strikes us on our right cheek, turn the other as well. To battle this other person might bring us more harm than a sore cheek and sore ego. And for those of His day who knew the law of the Roman soldiers, to be tapped by the flat of a soldier's spear to carry his pack for a mile meant you had to do it or the spear would be turned and you would get killed for disobeying that soldier's order. From this comes all those sayings about going the "extra mile," or "second mile" giving.

It's not easy. We just watched a commercial for the upcoming remake of Karate Kid and we talked about high school bullies. I said no one had given me any trouble in high school and Nellie reminded me of a kid I had thrown over the fence. I replied, "He never bothered me again." He had come swinging at me to fight me and I just picked him up and threw him. Fight over. No more problems. Like I said, it's not easy. But it's the way of a better life as shared with us by Jesus. With Jesus' help and guidance we can live a life that shows the world that there is indeed, a better way to live.

PRAYER: Loving and merciful God, forgive me those times I have not turned the other cheek or have been the first one to strike. Help me rise above animal instincts to the spiritual instincts that can be mine with Your presence abiding in me. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

CROSS MY HEART AND... YOU KNOW. I SWEAR!

Loving God of the new day, shine brightly on the needs and life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

I remember well having to "swear to God and cross my heart!" as a child and youth. Even then I had my doubts that my friends or classmates truly believed me. I can't for the life of me remember what it was we were even talking about. Yet, it seems to be a carryover from a LONG time ago if Jesus had to address it. Here are His words:

33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be "Yes, Yes' or "No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

As you can see, Jesus refers to this practice being from "ancient times," so you know we humans have had a credibility problem from way back. Can we say it's in our nature? What a nature we have then! Jesus says that this is not a good practice neither is that of involving God in our daily dealings where we should be men and women of our word. Jesus had heard them all: I swear by heaven! I swear by the earth! I swear by Jerusalem, the Holy City! I swear by my head! I swear on my mother's grave! And on and on. Jesus says, if you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no. If you take it beyond you're inviting Satan to have a part in what should be a truthful transaction.

What will you say today to be believed? How about yes when you mean yes, and no when you mean no?

PRAYER: Loving God, I confess that many have been the times when I wanted to be believed that I involved the sacred when I know I had no business. Let me today be as Christ said, that I should be a person of my word and say what I mean. Let me be a person of the truth. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

NOT EVEN ON THE TABLE!

Loving God, all things come from you and for that we are thankful; let all good things come to this dear reader's life and needs; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

I have so many pictures, knick-knacks, and things. I am blessed. In talking with a colleague he and I remembered our younger days in ministry with so little to call our own. He came to this country with just a backpack. I went off to college with all my earthly belongings in the trunk of our old Chevrolet. When Nellie and I combined our things and moved from Mission to Dallas, we had to rent the smallest U-Haul trailer and pulled it as it carried all our earthly possessions. Now we await an 18-wheeler to come and take our things to Corpus Christi.

Our text is from Matthew 5: 31 "It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Marriage has been a wonderful blessing to me. It is having having been married to Nellie for 32 years that we have accumulated so much. We have pictures that we now have retired just to boxes because we have walls that we need to cover with our grandkids and more current pictures of our daughters. Even in our disagreements as all couples may have, divorce has never really been on the table, as one church member said recently. It's not an option. We made a commitment to each other on that Saturday and for better, for worse, richer or pooer, in sickness or in health, we're in it for the long haul. Yes, some days are longer than others; some days just end too quickly. Jesus is saying how sacred marriage is and how committed we are called to be when we take marriage vows. He knew the history of Israel and how easy it was during the time of Moses to just throw your wife's things out on the lawn, so to speak, and that meant the end of the marriage. Moses had to institute a written divorce decree to show to a woman, who may have wondered, what does this mean all my stuff on the lawn? Spring cleaning? An airing out of the dirty?

No matter what sort of your relationship you're in, give it your all and give it to God. May God be blessed by all your words, thoughts and actions. May your home reflect a dwelling place of the Lord Jesus.

PRAYER: God of love and marriage, strengthen my home and those in it. Help me to be a person of commitment and love to all, but especially to the one to whom I have given my life to share all things. Bless all marriages and all homes. Be with those who may find it necessary for life and wellbeing, to divorce and move on. Bless especially the children who get caught in the middle. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

O BE CAREFUL LITTLE EYS WHAT YOU SEE!

Blessed Lord, take the hand of this dear reader and guide them as they face the challenges of this day; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

What a great little song for little folks most of us learned some years ago: "O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above, is looking down with love, O be careful little eyes what you see." I didn't quite understand it then, but I do now. It's based (or could be) on Matthew 5:

27 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

Okay, so the Sunday school/Vacation Bible School teacher may not have been talking about adultery, but here's the thing: Jesus knew how our vision works. Our eyes see an image, it gets sent to the brain and the brain interprets it and we have a thought about that image or take an action based on the image. And it also gets sent to our hearts. The human brain is amazing as it constantly learns and receives and processes so many things. It was not too long ago, on the bargain table of a big mall bookstore there was a little book on sale that I should have bought, but I read long enough to learn about the logo of a shipping company that we see pretty often, if not every day that has an arrow in it. FedEx in between the E and the x formed the logo in such a way that there is an arrow there. The author of the book said something to the effect that once you see it you will always see it. And he was right. I can't now not see on of those trucks and not see the arrow.

What do you see when you see something attractive? What sort of processes have your trained your brain to see? Jesus talked about the power of thoughts in our dealings with lust. If our brains are programmed to see lust when we see someone desireable, we're in trouble already before we even do anything about that lust. The seriousness for Jesus is that we reduce people to objects. What God created as good creation we have made into desired things. The rest of the passage is saying for us to control our thoughts and our actions. We are not too take it literally about plucking out our eyes or cutting off our hands, but we are to control them.

PRAYER: Gracious God of all beauty, help my eyes and my brain to see as Jesus would. It is easy to see things in the wrong way, but with Your help I can be blessed and see Your blessings. I ask forgiveness for those times I have failed You and I ask that I no long tread that path. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

LISTEN CLOSELY

God of the morning, noontime, afternoons, evenings, and night, bless and protect the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text is from 1 Samuel 3: 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever." 15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." 17 Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him." 19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

God continues to speak to us even today. God calls, invites, and sometimes it seems demands, our service. Sometimes though, we do not want to listen or share what we know God is sharing. In today's passage, the boy Samuel, given at a very young age into the service of God, heard God call him. Three times the boy was called by God and three times the boy knew only to go and see what Eli, the prophet of God, wanted. It was on that third time that Eli realized it was God calling this boy and told him what to say. On the fourth call, Samuel answered and asked God to speak. What God shared was not what Samuel wanted to hear and so, that night did not sleep. Samuel feared the response of Eli for the message had come against him and his sons. Yet, God had tried speaking to Eli about it and Eli did what he could yet it was not enough. The sons were terrible and even after hearing God's warning through their father, did nothing about it.

God calls us to faithfulness. Our faithfulness leads us to a better way to live. Our faithfulness shares with others the response that is sometimes seen as the unexpected in a world that expects and many times demands the usual. Our previous devotions on the Sermon on the Mount speak of that unexpectedness. The call of the world sometimes drowns out God's call. It is our job to speak to the Lord, and like the boy Samuel to say, "Lord, I am listening."

In the roar of today with so many competing voices for our attention and faithfulness, listen closely to the voice of God. It may not be as loud or as attractive as you would like, but it is the voice of holiness and purity that will refresh and renew your life.

PRAYER: Loving God, help me to listen to You today. I hear so much and am attracted to so many things, but today let me focus and center only on You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

GO! COME, FOLLOW ME - YOUR CHOICE!

Amazing God of perfect peace, share Your peace in the needs and life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our refrigerator is empty. Not on in the inside; we still have food! But on the outside. On the door. The magnets, pictures, drawings are gone. The first time I noticed it I told Nellie that I thought I was at a hotel or someone else's home. As we watch television at night I will glance to my right to see the time, and the clock is gone. Yes, we are packing. Perhaps not at a pace we would like or even need, but we're taking our blessings and putting them into boxes. We are also deciding, and this time a little more seriously than before, to discard some things that we just do not need. We do this every time, you see, but this time we mean business. Some of you as has our upcoming, new thrift store, has received some books that we have hauled around from time to time, that we decided, we read them once or these aren't even ours, they're our daughters'. And yes, sweet wife, I do NEED my large collection of LPs.

The Lord said, " And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19:29). The packing is coming as a result of my having said yes to Him almost forty years ago, to follow Him and to serve Him. I chuckle when I think of Nellie and I talking about marriage and I promised her that if she married me she would probably live in most of Texas and some parts of New Mexico. And off to Dallas we went, then a little over a year later, back to the Valley, then another move within the Valley, one to San Antonio, then back to her home church where we stayed eleven years. Then to San Antonio, San Marcos, and then back to the Valley.

Jesus' words are true. In every single place of ministry I have been richly and wonderfully blessed. Every place I have met a new brother and sister. In every single place I have met new fathers and mothers. And yes, even fields of different sorts. And yes this number is in the hundreds. All for the sake of Jesus' Name and purpose.

Dear sisters and brothers, where is God calling you and why are you resisting? Do you not take Him at His word and faithfulness? Ours is a faith of constant movement. From Abram to John the Beloved, God has said, Go! or Come with me! Our wanting to stay where we are, either in our spiritual life or walk with Him or even to places to which God is calling, results in more doubts and challenges. You may even notice the excitement gone (not that we were called to excitement, but my definition of life in abundance has a lot to do with excitement!). Accept God's invitation to go or come, and see what wonderful things can be yours!

PRAYER: God of the fullness of life, I pray that I might say Yes to Your invitation to either go or come. I pray that You help me rise above my doubts and fears, to that level where I know I am doing what it is You would have me do. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

KILLER ANGER

God of rain and sunshine, pour out Your blessings upon the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today is from Matthew 5: 21 "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not murder'; and "whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, "You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Jesus sure knew how to make things tough for us, didn't He? Who hasn't been angry at a brother or sister? But have you remembered to reflect on Jesus' words about the "murder" that goes into anger? Jesus' interpretation is correct. We as humans sometimes take our anger to extremes and while we may not literally kill someone, we do wish them dead or think them dead or treat them as if they had already died. That kind of anger is not worth it. Jesus' message was all about reconcilation and restoration. His primary purpose was to call people back to God into a right relationship and once that is established, our call is to deal with each other in a loving, grace-filled, forgiving way.

If you've been angry at someone, did you "kill" them? I pray that it's not too late to make a prayerful attempt at reconcilation. Jesus says our worship is not good if we are not right with others. Let's be right with each other, then ourselves, then with God.

PRAYER: Loving God help me to be a person of love today. Help me to remember that I am to affirm life even in my relationships. Let anger not get me to that point where I "kill" those whom are precious to me. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precioud and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

SALT AND LIGHT

Amazing God of great gifts, pour out Your grace on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Here is our text for today: Matthew 5: 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Difference makers. To know Jesus Christ in a personal way and to follow Him daily is to be a difference maker. And does the world ever need us! Salt and light are positive images that Jesus uses to show believers how important it is to be positive about life. The illustration of being salt brings to mind flavor and how important it is to transform the bland into the tasty. In the same way, our lives can add positive flavor to the bland. The other uses of salt also apply to life situations: Insultation and preservation. How can your life do those things? And light? We know plenty of people who are walking in darkness, who cannot see the path of Christ because they are lost. A Christian, who is a difference maker will shine Christ's light to all.

PRAYER: Loving God, allow me to be salt and light for You in this world that needs You. Help my thoughts, words and actions reflect the positive and fullness of life. I ask this in Christ Jesus' powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

LOYALTY OVER A LIVING?

Amazing God, amaze this dear reader in their needs and challenges today in a way that glories You; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here's our text for today: Matthew 5: 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

William Barclay wrote what are perhaps the best commentaries on the New Testament called The Daily Study Bible. They've been republished and a company even paid others to do the Old Testament in his style. But to better understand some passages I like to see what he wrote about, and today's text was no exception. Listen to three areas that being a Christian in the first era might bring suffering: 1) In your work. Barclay asks if a stone mason would want to work on a temple being built to a pagan god? Do you choose a living over loyalty? 2) Being a Christian might disrupt your social life. If your next-door neighbors were pagans, as was the case in the first century for many believers, they might invite you to a feast with this invitation: "I invite you to dine with me at the table of our Lord Serapis." Serapis was one the gods most commonly worshiped during that time. Could/Should a Christian feast at a table set for a pagain god? 3) Being a Christian might disrupt your home life. We've seen this even in our era. One person loves the Lord and to be in worship; the other does not and may even mock his/her spouse for their devotion.

What would you do? To answer that, ask yourself, what did Christ do for me?

PRAYER: Loving God, in many ways we are so free to do as we want, we forget You. And for many of us, sometimes it seems easier to forget You than run the risk of ridicule or scorn for the sake of You. Forgive me those times and let me choose loyalty and faithfulness over any other thing. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PEACE, PEACE, WONDERFUL PEACE

God of truth, allow this dear reader to speak Your truth in whatever situations they may find themselves today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

If you grew up with a sibling, you probably needed the presence of the UN Peace Keeping forces, right? No matter how much you loved each other, you did not always agree on things nor did you "play well." I lived it. I saw my daughters live it. Now, Nelie and I are seeing our grandchildren live it. The two oldest live close enough that our granddaughter, Sarita, calls her cousin Liam, "my brother," and it's good and bad. Whenever they've been in nursery during church, reports come back that if someone takes a toy away from Sarita, it is Liam who will march after the offender, remove the toy and return it back to his "sister." Then there are those times when Liam is the offender or even Sarita is the offender. And I won't get into domestic "discussions." Peace, as we discussed sometime ago, is not simply the absence of conflict. Peace is the desire for a presence of complete wellbeing with someone else. To say to someone, "peace" is to bless their lives with that desire.

Jesus meant that we should be those types of people, wishing and working for each other's wellbeing. My favorite verse from John, is, besides 3:16, John 10:10 where Jesus explains His purpose, "I have come that you may have life and that in abundance." That is peace. And God blesses those who work and wish for that by giving them an influence that some would say is Godlike and thus our being known as the children of God. That is our text for today: 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Think about your options for today in all situations, and then choose the one that will bless you as a child of God and bless the others as those for whom you wish complete wellbeing.

PRAYER: God of peace, let me be known as one who desires the complete wellbeing of others. May I wish and work for the ones who lack peace, so that they may be blessed. I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

DO OTHERS SEE GOD IN ME?

God of infinite knowledge, bless the needs of this reader in all they face today; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Matthew 5:8 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Jesus sets the bar high. Jesus knows our hearts and how easily they can become filled with the wrong things. Yet Jesus knew that whatever we put in our minds sets the heart. And wherever our hearts lead us determines our daily life. Jesus is saying that those who set their heart on pure things will do God-things. Those who, like Paul said, "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil 4:8). Determine in your own heart today that you will seek that which blesses God and others, and others will see God in you!

Think on things that are true: God loves you, God is with you, you can serve others. Think on the honorable, that which very few do anymore, but you can, showing honor and seeking to do the honorable thing in all things. Think about what is just, seek to be one known for showing justice. And the rest of the list continues, seek to do that which makes your heart pure and the blessings will flow.

PRAYER: Loving God, help my heart seek what is Yours in my life today. Let others see You in me as I seek to be pure in heart. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

ME? SHOW MERCY?

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen

Here is our text for today: Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Beside the theme of love, the theme of being merciful is central to our belief as Christians. We know that God loves us and that God forgives us and shows us mercy. In the same way, God makes it clear that we too, are to be merciful towards others. In parables, Jesus spoke of the need to show mercy for we have been shown mercy. The one that should come to mind is that of the man forgiven a large financial debt when he could have easily been sent to prison. As that man is leaving the presence of the man who forgave him he runs into one who owes him a small amount of money and then deals with him as he himself should have been dealt. Jesus said it went worse with the one shown the most mercy. Read the entire story at Matthew 18:23-45. What makes it worse is that the man shown mercy who refused to show mercy, was arrested and tortured until he paid his debt.

You and I have been forgiven a great debt. God has taken our sin away. Why can't we show mercy towards someone who has sinned against us?

PRAYER: Loving God, let me show mercy so that I may continue to receive Your mercy. Thank you for loving me enough to forgive me. In the same way, let me show mercy. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

YOU HUNGRY?

God of unmeasurable strength, strengthen the will of this dear reader in all they face today; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Our text for today is Matthew 5: 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

I thank God that most of our children, to our knowledge, have known hunger. If you have ever felt hunger you know it's not a good feeling. If our stomachs could think and talk, what a racket would be going on, besides the grumbling it naturally makes! What makes it worse for those who are hungry and have no immediate recourse or resources from which to eat, the psychological pain is unbearable. I've shared how one day I had no money and no food. My scholarship check from the UM's Board of Global Ministries that was making my seminary education possible had not arrived. I was not hungry but I was worried. Yes, I could have gone about 30 days without eating and that would have been great for my waistline, but mentally, I had a nagging thought in the back of my head, what am I going to eat for lunch? I have nothing! There was no seminary cafeteria, and I didn't have a meal plan at the undergraduate part of the university, but I still needed to go to my class. I cannot remember what class it was nor what was talked about that day, what has stayed with me to this day was a dear friend, Bud Rousset, who was in my class and without warning came and said, "Hey, come have lunch with me! I don't have much, but I want to invite you! I have two eggs, two pieces of whole grain bread, some natural peanut butter and some milk; we'll have a feast!" And feast we did, in the goodness of God moving through the goodness of my friend.

Jesus knew that His audience that day knew hunger and they also knew thirst; not great things to know, but when He adds the dimension of being hungry and thirsty for righteousness they knew immediately of what He spoke. Theirs was a situation politically where they did not know righteousness; no justice, no mercy, no freedom. To hunger and thrist for righteousness was a daily thing, and to hear that they would be satisfied was a welcome message.

God meets us on the road with just what we need if we're open and looking. If you're hungering and thristing for the right things in your life, if you turn to and trust in God, God will provide!

PRAYER: Loving God, I humble myself before You, asking that the hunger and thrist for my life for the things that are right and good for You be done in my life, with Your help. I pray this in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS Dear friends, sorry for the delay in this coming your way. Yesterday Nellie and I arose at 4 and hit the road by 5 to attend a luncheon meeting in San Antonio. As soon as that meeting was over we visited Cokesbury and returned home by 8. Yawn! Please be in prayer for the Helen Hicks family as today at 3 they'll gather for a worshipful time of remembrance and thanksgiving for her life.

HAPPY CINCO BYE BYE OH!

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today is Matthew 5:5: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Happy and full is the life of the one who can control their anger, their instincts, passions; who can surrender to the will of God and be driven by God to do good among others. This is what I believe this beatitude is saying. I should add that anger is sometimes needed and good, especially among the ills and injustices done in the world. The key word in this passage is the word meek. The true word in Greek is praus, which is a middle ground between passiveness and over reaction. Jesus knew that sometimes we have to control our anger and other times we cannot just sit there and say nothing. The best way to know is to stay connected and open to the leading of God, and we'll know.

What in your life needs to be faced with true meekness? Your way in the world will be much better if you allow God to guide you there.

PRAYER: Loving God, share with me that which I need so that I might be truly Yours. Help me to understand meekness in my life in all that I face. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

PS. Our dear sister in Christ, Helen Hicks, died yesterday. A funeral service will be held for her this Friday at 3 p.m. in our church. A private committal service will precede this celebation. A reception will be held immediately afterward. Please keep the Hicks family in your prayers.

And yes, Happy Cinco de Mayo! Our granddaughter was excited when she said yesterday that her little church preschool in Austin was going to celebrate, "Cinco Buhbye-oh!"

THE BEGINNING WITH THE END IN SIGHT

Amazing God of love, bring forth abundant blessings on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today is from Matthew 5: 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Jesus knew that everyone faces loss at some point in their life. Jesus knew that in His audience that day, all there had lost a loved one to death. The average human expectancy for life was 47 years, which is awfully young. And that meant that everyone there had probably already lost their parents, and that is a difficult loss to face. Jesus knew that mourning was a terrible thing. Some time later He himself would face the loss of a dear friend giving us the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept." (John 11:35). Jesus also knows that all Christians mourn alongside others when they face loss or face hardship. Any person who loves God must love their brothers and sisters and out of that love comes the mourning of empathy and sympathy. As was mentioned yesterday, Jesus says that ours is the blessing of the fullness of life even in mourning and that comfort is ours.

The beginning with the end in sight, such is the Kingdom of Heaven. At our lowest and our saddest, God is with us and God is identifying with us. And when God is present, God does not deny anything from us, even that whichwe need the most, our comfort.

What are you hurting from today? What ills and sorrows have you seen or experienced in your life? Do you know that God is with you and is offering you comfort? Receive it!

PRAYER: Loving God of mercy and peace, comfort me when I need it the most. You, Lord, know the pain and sadness of loss and we turn to You during those times to receive from You that which we need. Receive this prayer of faith that I lift up in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

A BOLDER LIFE: ARE YOU MOUNTAIN GROWN?

Gracious God of love and mercy, empower this dear reader with Your strength to do Your will in the needs of his/her life; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text for today: Matthew 5: 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Are you mountain grown? Can you say you have your roots in the mountain? Mountain grown people, spiritually speaking, are those who know and live the principles and promises taught by Jesus from His famous Sermon on the Mount. We're calling it A Bolder Life. Those who know what Jesus meant and expects, live their lives in what the world will perceive as a bolder life. This week we'll look at that section known as The Beatitudes. Robert Schuller wrote a book called, "The Be Attitudes," in which he said that the person who follows these will have a more positive attitude towards being and towards life. There is some truth to that and we'll explore that this week.

The starting point is the one where we all find ourselves at one time or another and that is being "poor in spirit." We have all felt discouragement, rejection, hurt, anger, loss, sadness, helpless, and even hopeless. Regardless of the cause, we found ourselves in a poor place spiritually speaking. It's a sad place to be because many think, "This is as low as I can go." And while it may be true, it is not a place where we stay or live. Jesus catches our attention by saying it is a blessing to be spiritually poor. Huh? What Jesus is saying is that we need to realize that any low place we may find ourselves is not our dwelling place. It may be a "valley stop" between mountain tops. The point is that we are on a journey, steadily, surely, walking, moving from one place to a greater place. Jesus says that our blessing is that we are to receive the "kingdom of heaven." Who doesn't want that? The place where God's will is done (re-say the Lord's Prayer and see what Jesus meant about God's will and plan for our lives!), and people are blessed.

Think about this: No matter how low you think you have gotten, you are not to stay there. Yours is a journey and a journey upward and onward. Claim for your life what Jesus promised, that you and I are journeying towards that place where God is and where God's will is done for your life and mine.

PRAYER: Loving God, Your will be done in my life today. Father, you know that sometimes I find myself in those low places of faith and doubt, and I ask You not leave my side. Take me by the hand and lead me on. Help me to walk steadily, surely away from the low place into Your place. I ask that I might also serve as a guide to someone today, so that they too not stay where they are. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde



Prayer Request for our sister in Christ, Helen Hicks. I visited with her yesterday afternoon after word was shared with family she might not last the hour. I prayed with her and her family and I ask you keep them in your prayers. Death has visited them several times in direct and indirect ways during the last couple of weeks and they need the Lord's strength. Also, First UMC's website has undergone a transformation and our calendar for the month's activities are posted there for your information as are the last three Sundays' sermons by yours truly. You can visit us at www dot fumc dot tv.