This is it! Don't Get Scared Now!

Matthew 28: And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (NRSV)

This is the last day of 2012. I love the line from Home Alone where Kevin tells himself, "This is it. Don't get scared now!" If you've been alive and able to read since 1983, you'll remember how so many were frightened about ushering in 1984, because of the book by the same name. Then in 1999, the scare was bigger and people stockpiled weapons, food, water and thought, "This is it; I'm scared!" And two weeks ago, yawn, some actually thought the world would end. Here we are.

Jesus said it best when He spoke to the Disciples. He gave them a commission to fulfill and the promise that while they were busying doing what He wanted, He would be with them, even to the end of the age. We can ask no better promise for the ushering in of a New Year. What we must also not forget is that we still have a lot of work to do. We have not yet reached all the world. We have not yet reached across the aisle or across the room and certainly not across the street. What are we waiting for? The New Year promises nothing if not new opportunities to serve Jesus like never before.

Happy New Year! Live life in abundance. And, get busy!

PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for Jesus and all that He shared with us. We are mindful of the work still before us and we pray for courage, boldness, wisdom and strength to make disciples of all nations. We also claim the promise that You will be with us each day, even to the end of the age. Thank You. We praise You and love You. In Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day and a Happy New Year! Be smart and be safe!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus and The Family Trip

Luke 2; 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; 43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; 47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." 49 And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. (NRSV)

If Joseph had been my father, he would have walked into Jesus' room and said, "Get ready, pack up, we're goin on a trip." Jesus might have asked, "Where are we going?" Joseph: "Where did I say we were going?" Jesus: "How many days, then?" But he wasn't. This was an annual trip from their hometown to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover. This was the holiest of holidays for them in those days and a trip like this was a big deal. It was a journey traveled mostly on foot, usually with most members of the town or village that could afford to go. It was not an easy journey, but for a boy, it was an adventure. It meant a time of exploring, a time with friends, nights by the fire with the old folks listening to stories, and finally getting a chance to see the Temple again. It was a tourist's dream vacation. The festival celebrated God's action of liberation from slavery in Egypt and freedom for the Jews. It started the Exodus and it was an important day in their history and in their faith. The pilgrims would arrive about a week before the actual festival and would enjoy all that the big city of Jerusalem had to offer. For Jesus what it offered was a time in the Temple with the teachers of the Law. It was this that would get him in trouble with His parents.

The festival was over and the journey home started. The parents assumed that Jesus was with the usual crowd of friends and off they went a day's journey. As they are bedding down for the night, they assume Jesus would come, hungry, to eat with them. No Jesus. The parents look for Him among their relatives and friends. "Is Jesus with you?" No, came back the answer. They thought to return back to Jerusalem. Now, at this point I, and my wife, would be frantic. No child of any parent should go missing. This day without Jesus and the day it must have taken to return back were hectic hours for Mary and Joseph. They searched that first day in Jerusalem for Jesus, then a second, and it wasn't until the third day that they found Jesus in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Verse 47 says, "And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers." I suppose this was enough for Joe and Mary, but Lalo would have taken me outside, and I'll let your imagination guess as to what was next; had I been the missing Jesus... But Joseph and Mary were "astonished," but still Mary asked, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." Part of me says Jesus knew this. But the compassionate side says Jesus was too preoccupied with what was before him that he thought mostly about God and God's teachings. For your modern parents, it's like leaving your child in the Game Stop with a store full of their favorite games. You think they'd be thinking about you??

Jesus replies to Mary, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (v. 49). The trip home continues and verse 52 for me as a child was one I had memorized and treasured as well, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature in favor with both God and men." (King James Version).

I believe Joseph and Mary did their very best in raising Jesus. They were both good teachers of God's Word, but that which they may have not known, Jesus picked up on this trip to Jerusalem with the private audience and lesson he had from the greatest theological minds of His day. He was free to ask that which He would need later as He taught the people as God had taught Him. It was all a part of His preparation for His earthly ministry.

You and I have been taught either in Sunday school or through experience, the teachings and truths about God and God's love. How we use them later in life to bless others or to help ourselves is the big question. We should be committed to learning as much as we can without worry about when or how what we learn will be applied. God's Word will always bless us. It might not be this minute, but the minute will soon arrive and we will know and we will be blessed.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for the teachers we have had in our lives. Thank Your for loving and caring parents who have sought to teach us Your ways. May we seek ways to reach those who have not yet heard nor learned about Your love. We pray especially for children who have not yet darkened the Sunday school door. Help us reach them before it becomes too late. We pray this in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Live in Peace and Purity!

2 Peter 3:8 Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. 9 God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change. 10 But when the Day of God's Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment. 11 Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? 12 Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day - 13 but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness. 14 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. 15 Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, 16 refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don't know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it. 17 But you, friends, are well-warned. Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. 18 Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes! (The Message)

One of the most special times in my pastoral life was leading the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. It is hard to describe, but it comes close to what Peter says is to live in "peace and purity." The photo above shows us at that moment just this week in worship. Our daughter, Nellie, photographed us without our knowing and captured a great shot of Grandma Nellie holding Eliana who was deep in sleep. To hold a candle in the darkness and sing "Silent Night" is a connectional moment. I remember all the past Christmas Eves and all who are now singing in the presence of God. After this service was over I heard my name called and it was a dear friend from my childhood who attends this church and his eyes were like mine, red. He said, "I love Christmas Eve but it gets to me - I remember my Dad and my sister..." Another connectional moment. Peter's basic message in this second letter was to connect with God and to stay connected, regardless of what is all around us or what may be coming. The last ConCafe was written on the 20th, the day before the Mayan calendar ran out and many interpreted this as the End. As far as I know you and I are still here and we're still living. I would pray living more connected than ever before. The world and its temptations still is going strong and we need to be likewise, but strong in the Lord.

Peter outlines biblical measurements as to "a day is like a thousand years" and a reminder that "no one knows the day nor hour," but reminds us that the end will come. His urging is to live in peace and purity. It is so urgent even now to tell people about God that the best way will be to live an inviting life. The Sunday NY Times shared two articles about faith or the lack there of. The main article said that one in five Americans now claims "None" as their religious preference. The second article in the Book Review said that modern books no longer share faith or issues of faith even in novels. The 1950s may have been the last more-or-less sacred decade. There is no question that our present time is a secular time, with the Christian Church no longer have the same influence it once did; all the more reason for those of us who are believers, to live a life that says, "There is a God of love, but whose invitation is to connect in a way that defeats sin and the consequences of sin." Peter says for us to grow as we stand strong in our faith.

PRAYER: Loving God, we pray that we might connect with You in a way that blesses us and others. May our connection be a blessing of strength and inspiration that we might bring about a revival of hearts for the good of humanity. We pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Christ Will Come Again, Stay Strong!

2 Peter 3: 1 My dear friends, this is now the second time I've written to you, both letters reminders to hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention. 2 Keep in mind what the holy prophets said, and the command of our Master and Savior that was passed on by your apostles. 3 First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, 4 they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed." 5 They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. 6 Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. 7 The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics. (The Message)

So, tomorrow may be the end of the world? If you believe that the Mayan Calendar truly has validity and don't take time to read that the Mayans knew that after tomorrow, the calendar starts over. I am not a gambling man nor do I place bets, but if I were, it's a sure bet that the world will not end tomorrow. But it will some day. Peter is addressing a serious challenge to the Christian faith since Jesus' day; "When is Jesus coming back? When will it all end?" Jesus gave clues and hints, but He also plainly said, "No one knows the time nor hour." But within our tradition as we celebrate the Lord's Supper we affirm, "Christ will come again." When? It doesn't matter if we're ready now. Many televangelists and writers have made some serious money predicting and aligning this with that and saying, "this is all part of the End Times," but the question really stays with us: Are you ready now? That's the point of Peter's message in today's passage, stay strong in the faith, and don't be distracted. Live your life as you should in the Lord and face each day with the hope and promise of telling at least one new person about this life we have in Jesus Christ. We have a new and better way to live and we are called to invite new followers into it. And even in the midst of doubters and nonbelievers, we stay strong. Christ will come again and I'm ready now.

Peter reminds us that out of chaos came order, and all through God's word. And it was God's word that brought destruction to those before the Flood. And it will be that the of the world will come through the spoken word of God. We live our lives ready.

To live with fear and doubt is not a way to live. We shortchange no one but ourselves. We miss out on so much if we cower and run from opportunities to speak to the fullness of God. We limit this or that and all in the name of the bad economy or prejudices we hold towards our leaders in our government and/or our churches. And who get harmed the most? Those living in fear. End that today and live a life like Jesus intended, full of life and love and hope in the God who will have the last word on all things.

PRAYER: Amazing God of creation and life, speak to those with fear and doubt in their hearts. Speak a word of truth and peace. Help us to raise our heads above the doom and despair shared by so many, towards the bright hope of a new day lived in God's love. Let me truly be a witness to those who need Jesus. I pray this with faith in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Stay on the Road That Leads to God

2 Peter 2: 13 Their evil will boomerang on them. They're so despicable and addicted to pleasure that they indulge in wild parties, carousing in broad daylight. 14 They're obsessed with adultery, compulsive in sin, seducing every vulnerable soul they come upon. Their specialty is greed, and they're experts at it. Dead souls! 15 They've left the main road and are directionless, having taken the way of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophet who turned profiteer, a connoisseur of evil. 16 But Balaam was stopped in his wayward tracks: A dumb animal spoke in a human voice and prevented the prophet's craziness. 17 There's nothing to these people - they're dried-up fountains, storm-scattered clouds, headed for a black hole in hell. 18 They are loudmouths, full of hot air, but still they're dangerous. Men and women who have recently escaped from a deviant life are most susceptible to their brand of seduction. 19 They promise these newcomers freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for if they're addicted to corruption - and they are - they're enslaved. 20 If they've escaped from the slum of sin by experiencing our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, and then slid back into that same old life again, they're worse than if they had never left. 21 Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back, repudiating the experience and the holy command. 22 They prove the point of the proverbs, "A dog goes back to its own vomit," and, "A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud." (The Message)

This is a continuation of what Peter railed again in yesterday's passage. His anger is not easily hidden. He is angry! Like a parent that teaches a child to do one thing and the child chooses to do another, such was Peter's anger at those who knew better, but now are guided by selfish passion and greed and will stop at nothing to increase their influence and their possessions. If we know The Way that leads to God and life and the fullness of life, why would we choose to deviate from that and serve only ourselves? Peter believed it was better to have not even started on that road if they were just going to get worse than when they were when they first started.

There's an interesting man in one of our churches who suffered a serious medical incident that left him changed. It left him unemployed, broke, and with no possessions, yet in a talk he and I had, he's better off now he told me. He has learned how to say "God bless you" in many languages and seeks to learn more and share more. Materialism and greed are no longer a part of his life. He aims to bless God and God's people. It made me wonder that especially during this time of year when so many focus on stuff and more stuff, do we truly know what matters most in this life? The message on the television and the commercial is to acquire more and more; the truth is to know the love of God matters most.

PRAYER: God of all things, owner of ten thousand cattle and the hills on which they graze, teach my heart about what really matters most. The Gift you shared with the world during this time of year should matter more than anything else. I pray for a spirit of gratitude and sharing in the midst of all who seek to acquire more and appreciate less. This I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Discern the Good not the Bad!

2 Peter 2: 10 God is especially incensed against these "teachers" who live by lust, addicted to a filthy existence. They despise interference from true authority, preferring to indulge in self-rule. Insolent egotists, they don't hesitate to speak evil against the most splendid of creatures. 11 Even angels, their superiors in every way, wouldn't think of throwing their weight around like that, trying to slander others before God. 12 These people are nothing but brute beasts, born in the wild, predators on the prowl. In the very act of bringing down others with their ignorant blasphemies, they themselves will be brought down, losers in the end. (The Message)

We can never lose sight of the spiritual nature of the church. Given all that we do, we cannot forget that we exist to serve God and God's people. Our main function is to worship God. It was something Peter was aware of given all that he saw and experienced. He knew the power of evil and how it comes against the power of God. The church that is not connected to God does not know how savage this evil can be, even within the settings of church life. Among them, Peter knows, are those who come as "teachers" but are not guided by the spiritual but instead by the carnal. Peter, in this version, calls it "lust" and "filthy existence." These so-called teachers refuse to seek the divine and instead prefer to be guided by what serves them best. God is taken out of the equation. Their mission becomes one of speaking against those who seek to serve God and share God's truth with those in need of hearing it. Peter says that even God's angels, whose power exceeds those of mortals, do not use their influence or power to influence anyone. Peter calls the false teachers "beasts, born in the wild, predators on the prowl." But the losers are they; for Peter knows who wins.

God shares with believers a spiritual gift of discernment; that which allows those who seek in prayer and other spiritual disciplines, to learn more about God. God helps us sense when someone is sharing something not of God. Seek to be those who seek and serve God, and you will be among those who "win" against evil in the end. Seek to support and nurture those with whom you work, especially those you know seek to bring honor and glory to God.

PRAYER: God of power and might, mercy and love, speak to my heart as I seek to honor and serve You. Speak wisdom through me and let me put myself aside to seek You and Your ways. Let me not fall for those who seek the disruption of God's unity in the church. I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God's Heart Was The First To Break

Romans 8: 35 Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: 36 They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. 37 None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. 38 I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, 39 high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (The Message)

There are no easy answers for what happened this past week in Newtown, Conn. To gun down innocent children in their classrooms at their school should not happen. But because it did, there is only one place we can turn, and that is to God. Yes, already people ask, "Where was God?" and use this as an excuse for unbelief. Not knowing the depth and power of Scripture, these are those who know not to turn to God's Word for comfort and hope in the face of tragic loss. This is the time of year we read but do not hear the cries of those mothers whose sons were murdered by Herod in his search to find and kill the baby Jesus. (read Matthew 2:16-18). It was precisely for that sort of evil that God intervened in history by sending His only begotten Son. Jesus would die to pay the price of our sinfulness. But before His death taught us a new, different way to live, a fullness and abundance of life (John 10:10).

It was several years ago, that the son of Rev. William Sloan Coffin, then pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, got drunk and drove his car off a pier and drowned. Rev. Coffin shared how at the funeral one of his well-meaning church members said, "It was God's will..." He replied, "No, it was not God's will that my son drink and then drive; but God's heart was the first to break." The search and gift of free will since the creation of time, has both helped and hurt people; it's brought new ways to sustain life as well as new ways to take life away. We, as believers in the Most High God, must live our lives in ways that show Jesus' way to live, and when presented with situations like this join in the mourning but also in the comforting. I'll never forget a conversation I had with a seminary brother who was doing a CPE at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. He was on duty as the ER chaplain when the wife of a minister had come in from a suicide attempt. She died of a self-inflcited gunshot wound. He was the closest to the pastor when told that efforts to save her life had failed. My friend said all he could do was to hug the man and cry with him.

I had never read the above passage in this modern paraphrase and I thought as I was looking it up that I would not like it, but it spoke to me. Paul's words about his belief about life and death are still as true as when he faced his own death; "They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or death...absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." (vss. 36-39). And last night I walked in late to Mr. Don Piper's presentation at First UMC in Corpus Christi. Don is the man who died and spent 90 minutes in heaven (the title of his book). He spoke of seeing those who had brought him to Christ who greeted him at the gate. His grandfather and next-door neighbor were among the first. Don said they were now perfect unlike they had been on earth. His grandpa had lost several fingers on both hands during the war as he built battleships in Beaumont, TX, but in heaven he was perfect. A man with no teeth at the time of his death now had a beautiful smile. Don says he did not want to leave that place and came back to several years of pain in his recovery, but understand now it was to help others who had come through that same sort of suffering.

May our lives be those to whom people can turn and find a ready shoulder and embrace that comforts; may our prayers also bring comfort to those whose lives will never be the same again.

PRAYER: Loving God, Your heart broke on that night when mothers and fathers wept in Ramah. Your heart broke this week after those children and teachers were gunned down. Comfort and be with those mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends and neighbors who are crying uncontrollably because of it. Let us bring comfort where we may. We pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Those Reminders of Disobedience...

2 Peter 2:4 God didn't let the rebel angels off the hook, but jailed them in hell till Judgment Day. 5 Neither did he let the ancient ungodly world off. He wiped it out with a flood, rescuing only eight people - Noah, the sole voice of righteousness, was one of them. 6 God decreed destruction for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. A mound of ashes was all that was left - grim warning to anyone bent on an ungodly life. 7 But that good man Lot, driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued. 8 Surrounded by moral rot day after day after day, that righteous man was in constant torment. 9 So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials. And he knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day. (The Message)

My brother was recently in Jordan and took a picture of what is supposed to be Lot's wife. It is a pillar of salt in an area where there should be no salt or something like that. What it is is a reminder of disobedience. We all have them. The dent on the car, the hole in the wall, the now too-small pants and shirts in the "other " closet, the pain in our hearts of things said that cannot be taken back, all reminders of what we should not have done, said, or been. The passage from today is such a reminder from Peter from scripture of those who disobeyed God. Folks who "had it made" when it came to the things of God, who chose "something else" because they thought they knew more or better for themselves than God. We've all been there and we all have the reminders. But, hear the Good News, verse 9: "So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials." If we seek to be right with God, we're godly. And if we're godly, we have the promise from Apostle/Disciple No. 1 that God knows who to rescue us!

The dent can be fixed as can the wall. We can try to lose weight or donate the clothes to a church or charity that helps those in need; the words cannot be taken back, but we can try to mend the relationships that we may have hurt. God can help us stay us away from future disobedience if we stay close to God.

PRAYER: Loving God, help me mend those reminders of my disobedience. Help me stay on the path so that future rescue will not be needed. I pray this with faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Don't Be Deceived!

2 Peter 2: 1 But there were also lying prophets among the people then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you. They'll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other - biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They've put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction, 2 but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can't tell right from wrong. 3 They're only out for themselves. They'll say anything, anything, that sounds good to exploit you. They won't, of course, get by with it. They'll come to a bad end, for God has never just stood by and let that kind of thing go on. (The Message)

Nothing worse than a church fight. Well, worse is a divided church, where people take sides and the pastor(s) find themselves outnumbered and outgunned by both sides. Peter knew this for he had seen and experienced it within the religious leaders of his day and how they plotted against Jesus and brought Jesus to a mock trial and forced His death. Peter knew that sort of deception and dishonesty would continue even until today. Why does this occur? A dis-connect with God and an unwillingness to dis-connect from ourselves. Those who stay in prayer constantly connect with God. Those who read and prayerfully study the scriptures connect with God. And these are the least likely to fall for those things that are not of God's. They know to seek what God wants, not what they want or what will directly benefit them. They know that God's mission is beyond the four walls of the church and anything set up just to please members fails God.

Are you connected with God? Are you at least seeking that connection? If so, you're on the right path; no one will blindfold you and lead you away!

PRAYER: God of Truth and Light, speak to our hearts as we seek You. Help us to see that which brings honor and glory to You. Don't let us fall for anything, instead let us stand for You. We pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Focus of God's Delight!

2 Peter 1: 16 We weren't, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: 17 Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." 18 We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears. 19 We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard - God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. 20 The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. 21 And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word. (The Message)

The testimony of an eyewitness says, "We were there. We saw it." Peter, an Apostle of Jesus, says, "We were there. What we have shared is true. This is not, as another version says, a "cleverly devised myth" shared with you, this is the Good News. In fact, we were even there when we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears when God spoke and said, "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." This was but a preview of that which is to come, namely Jesus Himself, whom we proclaim will come again. All the scriptures pointed to this and were fulfilled in Jesus. Stay focused on believing and sharing.

When I first read this passage and decided that delight would be the main focus of this passage, I looked for an image on the internet that would be under "delight" in a Google images search. I found a fancy lettering of the word, tons of sweets, cakes, pies, cereal, some drinks. And nothing jumped out at me as truly being a delight. I asked myself, what brings me delight? No question, my children and grandchildren. I put the above picture together as that which says delight. If I get such a thrill out of being with my little ones, then God's got me beat with the delight that Jesus gave/gives God! Jesus has brought me delight in knowing that in Him I can and do find forgiveness. In Him I can and do find hope. Jesus give me delight in knowing that as I journey towards the unknown challenges of the day (a dental appointment today at 8:30), Jesus journeys with me. Jesus has perfect teeth. I'm the one whose hand Jesus will hold! (LOL). In Jesus I find the promises of a life that will never end. And that bring me delight. And that is the message you and I are called to share with those who have not yet heard. We are eyewitnesses of what God can do and God can do it again for them.

Be the delight in God's eyes today by bringing delight to someone else in sharing this story.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless us in what we need to do. Lead us, guide us, give us courage, wisdom, and boldness to share of Your love in a way that bring delight to You. Let us be delight to others we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Stay Alert!

2 Peter 1: 12 Because the stakes are so high, even though you're up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I'm not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. 13 This is the post to which I've been assigned - keeping you alert with frequent reminders - and I'm sticking to it as long as I live. 14 I know that I'm to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me. 15 And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you'll have it for ready reference. (The Message)

The stakes are high. How often have you thought or said that about your faith? I presided over three charge conferences yesterday, all two-plus hours from home. At two I heard hints of "if things don't get better (financially) we might have to close..." I shared with them that in our district there are six (6) possible retirements, and out of 39 charge conferences, only one new candidate for ministry. The stakes are high. Higher still, are the personal stakes of not sharing as we should. Peter took it upon himself to write these words and to urge believers to stay strong and focused on the message of Good News from Jesus Christ. He knew that was his duty and he could say he stayed faithful and would be faithful until his death. And he adds, he knew that his death was coming soon, as the Lord Jesus Christ had made it clear to him. For him to share and encourage was especially urgent.

How is it with your soul? I pray that after time with God each day you can say, "It is well with my soul! I have hope and joy and peace, and I look forward to the day and whatever challenges and opportunities it might bring!" A contagious faith is what we need to share with those who do not know yet about Jesus. A recent study by another denomination shared a startling fact: A lot of people are waiting for someone to invite them to church and into faith. I don't know the reason why if you're hungry you don't find your way to a place that serves food, but some just need that special nudge or invite that may save their lives. If it's well with you soul, tell somebody! Don't wait or blame your pastor for declining numbers! As a baptized believer in Christ Jesus you are a co-pastor in the work of sharing the Good News.

What are you waiting for?

PRAYER: Loving God, let this day be a day when I can share with all that it is well with my soul. May I do so in a way that gets others interested or excited about God's love and the relationship that awaits them as they surrender their lives to God. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Get Out The Construction Paper!

1 Peter 1:5 So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, 6 alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, 7 warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. 8 With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. 9 Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. 10 So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, 11 the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. (The Message)

I love the name construction paper. It reminds me of my childhood when we needed to buy and take to school new construction paper. I can't say that we ever built anything lasting. We did build some paper chains to hang around our classroom, and we did cut out some odd shapes of things meant to be stars, squares, and circles. Many resembled my later years attempts to making flour tortillas resulting in what my mother called "maps." Yet, I loved the name for to me construction implies building and building implies moving and growing. Such is the message in today's passage from Peter. Peter says that we are not to lose one single moment in building on that precious gift given to us by Christ Jesus, faith. All believers when we enter into a relationship with Jesus are given the gift of faith. But faith serves as a foundation on which we are to build that which makes us a more effective and fruitful believer. Look at the list (and we studied this not too long ago in an earlier ConCafe) and see what Peter is recommending. On faith the foundation, we add good character, which means we become people of integrity, people whose yes is yes and no is no. People whose word and handshake mean something. Add to that good character spiritual understanding. Paul called this spiritual understanding, the Mind of Christ, which means to see things from a spiritual perspective not an earthly one. It means we seek to learn more about our Lord through prayer, the study of Scripture, fellowship, worship, small group participation, accountability groups, etc. We cannot become content nor comfortable where we are at the moment; we must seek to grow always. Closely related is alert discipline which is self-control. We have the gift of free will, use it to say no to those things that can deviate us from the course set for us by God! Passionate patience means endurance, or not giving up when things seem to go against us. It means being excited and enthusiastic at all times even when people may think us crazy for "hanging in there" while others give up. Add to our faith the gift of reverent wonder, which means seeing the hand of God at work in all things. Make time to look at flowers, the brilliant colors and awesome design. Study a newborn baby. Stare at creatures at work and at play in nature and tell me that you cannot see the presence and power of God in creation. Add warm friendliness to your faith, because a cold, stuck-up Christian is of no service to anyone except to their own thinking. And lastly, the icing is generous love. Anyone who knows the love of God has to share it. Those who wear the label and jewelry of faith but care nothing for no one but themselves is not a Christian. A self-centered Christian - there's no such thing; yes, there are plenty who may call themselves followers of Christ but care nothing for others. What kingdom are they building up, besides their own?

This is the kind of faith that moves us forward and blesses the work of God in our midst. It is a faith that matures. Last night at a charge conference I was leading, we were talking about prayer and several shared how God had answered their prayers. One woman shared how when her son was little, he had been in trouble at school and that evening when the phone rang she began to pray out loud, "Oh God, please give me th patience and wisdom to deal with this problem..." The little boy ran to the phone, picked it up and yelled, "Not right now, she's talking to God!" and slammed it down. That woman's faith has matured because she knew with Whom to talk about in the good and the bad. Never forget that your past life ended last night at midnight. And if you confessed and turned over your sins to God last night, today you awoke with a clean slate of faith. Make the best of the day with acts that bless God and God's people.

A faith that matures is a faith that moves forward on the road that leads to God's eternal kingdom, inviting people along the way to join the journey.

You ready?

PRAYER: Loving and awesome God, may the words shared by Your servant Peter bless and protect my life and my faith. I want an active, maturing faith that makes disciples and grows the throng of those who love you and seek to follow You. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Tickets, please!

2 Peter 1:1 I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2 Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. 3 Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! 4 We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you - your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust. (The Message)

We begin our study of the Second Letter of Peter, written more as a testimony of a faithful believer. We sometimes do interesting things to get tickets. I took the photo above of some tickets from my life. The top tickets were to a Rolling Stones concert in Houston in 1972 and they cost all of six dollars ($6.00). But it took my dear friend, George S., to spend the night waiting in line to get these tickets. My part of the bargain was that I would drive us to the concert venue. Also slated to appear that night was Stevie Wonder! Imagine getting offered $100 for each ticket, which we were, but we declined. "We" had been through a lot to get these tickets and to see the concert was the purpose of our even having tickets.

You and I have very special tickets, according to this passage by Peter. Tickets to participate in the greatest life that is possible for any human. A life lived in the presence of God through Jesus Christ. An "invitation" to the fullness of life because of what Jesus did for us. Peter knew that grace and peace were ours and that these would deepen daily as we walked and talked with our Lord. He writes, "Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God." This is the best invitation. And this invitation came with tickets. To have tickets means you have full admittance into that event. These cannot be sold to anyone else; who would want to? Our saying Yes to Jesus means we have said No to the things that separate us from Him. Back in the days of my childhood, the only air conditioned place I knew was the movie theater in downtown Kingsville. To have a ticket to the movies also meant entrance into a world free from the South Texas heat. No one would buy a ticket to stand outside and wonder about what movie was showing and what it was about. Yet, many of us live that way when it comes to knowing and experiencing the fullness of God through Jesus Christ.

You have the ticket. Why wait outside?

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for the invitation to come in to You and this wonderful life of faith. Help me and those who make this their prayer, not to stand outside and miss out on the fullness of life that is ours by entering into a relationship with You. Thank You. I pray this prayer of gratitude and invitation, in the name of Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Hang In There!

1 Peter 5: 10 The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ - eternal and glorious plans they are! - will have you put together and on your feet for good. 11 He gets the last word; yes, he does. 12 I'm sending this brief letter to you by Silas, a most dependable brother. I have the highest regard for him. I've written as urgently and accurately as I know how. This is God's generous truth; embrace it with both arms! 13 The church in exile here with me - but not for a moment forgotten by God - wants to be remembered to you. Mark, who is like a son to me, says hello. 14 Give holy embraces all around! Peace to you - to all who walk in Christ's ways. (The Message)

1 Peter 5: 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. 12 Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13 Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (NRSV)

In this day and age it is difficult for most people to write letters. We get hundreds of emails a day, and there is something to be said about checking your mailbox several times a day and finding in there messages from those who matter. But gone, for the most part, of hand-written letters to loved ones is gone. My first year in college was at first a difficult one and letters from my mom and grandmother were very special. These were usually brief recaps of goings on at home and each would contain a dollar or two for my "gum" as both would say. I felt connected through those letters. Peter ends his letter with the passage from today. In it he summarizes what he has tried to share in this first letter, which I sum up in modern terms, "Hang in there." Most people know what that means. I tell that to my pastors after we discuss a challenge or unexpected blow, hang in there. Peter is telling the Church to hang in there. He knew the sufferings of believers and he believes the suffering would be nothing like the coming reward. In fact, in the NRSV he says, "The God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you." That's "hang in there - it's gonna get good!"

Many are the days when we feel we need restoration. It's coming. Many are the days when we feel we need support. It's coming. Many are the days we feel weak and tired. Strength is coming. Many are the days when we feel unsure or shaky about where we are and how we are living. God's going to establish us. It's all coming and today may be the day!

Hang in there! And for good measure, Peter adds that our fellowship should include a "holy kiss" with the knowledge that the peace of Christ is ours. Hang in there.

PRAYER: Loving God, even on those days when we think we are going to be hanged, You call us to hang in there. So be it. May a special blessing of strength, support, restoration and peace be mine and mine to share is what I ask, in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! (Hang in there!)

Eradio Valverde

A Defeated Enemy!

1 Peter 5:6 So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. 7 Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. 8 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. 9 Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. (The Message)

1 Peter 5: 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. (New Revised Standard Version)

We don't like to think in terms of having any enemies. Most of us want to be liked by everyone, and most of us succeed. Yet, some of us find out early, we don't have to say anything or do anything, and there will be those who do not like us. I found this out earlier than I may have wanted, but it was to be a fact of life. In about eight or ninth grade, in my P.E. class, as we were dressing to return to classes, I was taking off my shirt and a guy came by and punched me hard in my stomach. In what I can only explain as a natural reaction, three quick punches to his stomach landed him on the floor with no desire to fight any longer. As a senior in high school, in my after school job as a worker in a drive-in theatre (kids, ask your parents what those were), a co-worker was smarting off to me, and I was ignoring him. He swung at me, I moved back and while his body was in motion with that swing, I grabbed him by the shirt and belt and threw him over some hedges. He landed with no desire to fight.

Now our enemies are worries, anxieties, and fears about what may be or what really is. Our worst enemy may even be ourselves in the perception we have about who we are or who we need to be. Peter, inspired by God, says, "Be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; He'll promote you at the right time." (I have to add that this morning because I am more versed in the New Revised Standard of the Bible, I included that version as well above). I love that we can, according to verse 7, "Cast all (our) anxiety on Him, because He cares for (us)." That takes care of the perceived enemies we face daily, if we trust God. Yet, as believers, we know that the Bible speaks of a spiritual enemy of God, by the name of Satan or the devil. As a child I remember my Mom telling us, "El diablo nunca duerme; the devil never sleeps." Peter knows this from his experience and says as believers we should discipline ourselves, staying alert, "Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour." Our task is to resist, staying strong in our faith, even in the face of persecution and suffering; for in the end it will be God who will be victorious.

What control does your enemy have on you today? Are you resisting or giving in? The devil gives despair; God gives grace. Which would serve you better today?

PRAYER: Loving God of power and might, bless my life with Your grace. Give me hope and victory over despair and worry. Even if I am facing much, I can trust in You in what You offer to me. I cast to You my anxieties, and know that in You I have found and can always find that which blesses my life. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Leading or Following, Do it for God!

1 Peter 5: 1 I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it's like to be a leader, in on Christ's sufferings as well as the coming glory. 2 Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.[ 3 Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way. 4 When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he'll see that you've done it right and commend you lavishly. 5 And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for - God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people. (The Message)

It still awes and amazes me that those who were with Jesus could share those experiences in writing as a help and encouragement to us. St. Peter, writes about knowing what Christ experienced and what it meant for him as a leader under Jesus. There's no doubting Peter's leadership as chief among the disciples. Peter had his life transformed by being around Jesus and by giving his heart to the Lord. Peter's heart was broken several times during the short three year journey as a disciple. He knows what it's like to see people suffer and encourages those who work with other believers and his main encouragement is for us to care for those in our flock. The true shepherd is Jesus, but many of us have oversight over those who look to us for spiritual leadership and guidance. "Tenderly show them the way" we also work with and among them not for our personal gain but for the glory of God. And those of you who are not leaders, but who work with leaders, you should follow faithfully and prayerfully. Leaders are not perfect, but seek to do their best. Pray for your leaders as your leaders are praying for you. Above all, be genuine with one another, not making yourself to be better than you are, but a humble servant and servant leader among all people. God takes delight, Peter say, in those who relate well with others out of love and caring.

PRAYER: Blessed God, may I be faithful in my service to You and to those whom You have entrusted to my care, be it my church members, my family members, my co-workers or employees. And for those with whom I serve, I pray Your blessings of peace and protection in the work they undertake for You. In all things, be glorified; I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God is On The Job!

1 Peter 4:12 Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. 13 Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. 14 If you're abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It's the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. 15 If they're on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that's a different matter. 16 But if it's because you're a Christian, don't give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name! 17 It's judgment time for Christians. We're first in line. If it starts with us, think what it's going to be like for those who refuse God's Message! 18 If good people barely make it, What's in store for the bad? 19 So if you find life difficult because you're doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he's doing, and he'll keep on doing it. (The Message)

God is on the job. I can think of no better thought especially when I go through suffering or pain. If anyone knew suffering and pain it was Jesus. But alongside Him were the twelve who also experienced the pain of doubt and fear as they saw what their Teacher was going through. It would be years later as Peter writes these words that he does so in an encouraging way. "Don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job" because we find life getting really difficult. (v. 12). Peter saw it as a "refining process" which is taking the crude and making it pure and useable. Glory is just around the corner. With so much oil and gas exploration going on in our area, we see the results of new buildings and companies in place where there once were none. And we think of what is being pulled out of the ground as crude oil that must be refined to become the useable fuel for our vehicles. In the same way, our life experiences, however bad or painful, are helping to purify us and make us useable for God's work in reaching and teaching others about God.

Any abuse or suffering that may come our way because of the name Christian, Peter says, God's Holy Spirit is right alongside us helping and blessing us. We should take pride that we, like the disciples did on several occasions, were found worthy of these experiences. We, as Christians, Peter says, are "first in line," but God's Son will stand with us. And you have to love the last verse of this chapter, "So if you find life difficult because you're doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust Him. He knows what he's doing, and He'll keep on doing it." And it is so!

PRAYER: Loving God, you know the life and experiences of this dear reader; bless and protect him or her and help them realize that You are on the job in whatever it is that they may be facing. Guide and strengthen their steps as You are being glorified in their lives. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Wide Awake in Prayer and Service

6 Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus. 7 Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. 8 Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. 9 Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless - cheerfully. 10 Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: 11 if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything - encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! (The Message)

In an earlier, not as common version of our Apostles Creed, there is the part that says, "I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead (hell, some other version says). The question was asked, "What of those who did not hear the Gospel or Good News about Jesus?" The answer, Jesus took care of it. While dead, Jesus visited and preached the good news to those who were dead, and as Peter shares, "they will still get in on the life God has given in Jesus." We can spend days and weeks discussing this point, but what Peter is saying is that is how powerful this Message is, that it even reached those who died before Christ was born. For us the living, Peter continues, that he believes Jesus is coming soon and we must be busy at work reaching those who have not yet heard nor believed in Jesus. I love the phrase, "Stay wide awake in prayer." In other words, work and pray, study and pray, live and pray; never stop praying! But beyond prayer, we are to love each other as if our very lives depended on it. Peter knew the power of love and thus shares, "Love makes up for practically anything." (v. 8) And then a brief list of things we should as believers do, either through our individual efforts or through the ministries of our church: Feed the hungry. House the homeless "cheerfully." Be generous with what God has given you, sharing them with those who need them, denying no one. And I love that Peter adds, "If words, let it be God's words." In other words, our sharing of the good news should be in our actions and the way we live our lives, and if necessary we can use words and if we do need to use word, let them be those God has shared. Our assistance to others should be abundant in love and in the way it meets the needs of those whom we are led to help.

Our lives should reflect the presence of God in our lives. It should be so in all things we do, so that all honor and glory be given to God, not us.

PRAYER: God of love and compassion, may I seek to live a life that radiates Your presence and love in a way that helps bring hope and comfort and the needed things of my neighbors who live in need. May I truly be about sharing what You have shared with me in ways that helps the Message of Your love be spread throughout the world. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

P.S. Prayers for personal matters in our family, and for safe travel for Nellie and I as we fly tomorrow to Chicago for a meeting. Blessings!

Think like Christ!

1 Peter 4: 1 Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. 2 Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want. 3 You've already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it's time to be done with it for good. 4 Of course, your old friends don't understand why you don't join in with the old gang anymore. But you don't have to give an account to them. 5 They're the ones who will be called on the carpet - and before God himself. (The Message)

Jesus identifies with you. The least you can do is identify with Jesus. Peter knew life before Jesus, life with Jesus, and life after Jesus. Peter knew that once he encountered Jesus, his life would never be the same. Peter knew there is nothing we have experienced that Jesus does not know from His own personal experience, so we should think like Him. The main difference is that as we think like Jesus we see the possibility and hope that we did not possess before we had Jesus in our hearts. And if we are suffering or experiencing challenges that we did not expect, Peter says that these can serve to help us learn that we are growing toward Jesus and away from our old sinful life. Peter puts it more bluntly; we no longer get our own way. It is now about Jesus and Jesus having His way. If our pursuits are for the things of God, we will be free from the desires and demands of our old life. Our days now are no longer "God-ignorant," our days now are God-savvy, and should be consumed by pursuing the things of God. Our old days should be over and our days with God should be new days, striving to grow closer to, and more Christ-like. Our old friends may not understand but Peter says that it is alright, because they will be the ones "called on the carpet - and before God himself." (v. 5)

If we spend time with Christ, we will know Him more intimately and we will possess the mind of Christ, a clear way ot thinking, free from despair and filled with hope. No longer troubled with fear and doubt, but filled with the thoughts of possibility and triumph when it seems all is lost. Christ kept His eyes on God and thus His mind was guided and blessed by God. We should do the same.

PRAYER: God of life and fullness of life, grant to me the mind of Christ. I want to have the hope and faith of He who knew and suffered all things for my sake. Give me hope enough to share, and peace enough to endure. I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Remember Your Baptism!

1 Peter 3:18 That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all - was put to death and then made alive - to bring us to God. 19 He went and proclaimed God's salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment 20 because they wouldn't listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact - saved from the water by the water. 21 The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus' resurrection before God with a clear conscience. 22 Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He's standing right alongside God, and what he says goes. (The Message)

Every baptism celebrated in every church carries with it powerful reminders of God's actions throughout history. The water used in baptism is a symbol of Creation, Salvation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Justification, and Sanctification. Peter, in today's text, reminds us of that. For him, Christ's submission to God to die for us all, was the event that brings us all to God. Peter knew that Christ had no sin and should not have to die, and in fact, part of Peter's story was him rebuking, yes, rebuking Jesus for that, and having Jesus call him "Satan" for that thought. (Tell me that wouldn't stay with you had Jesus called you that). It was a lesson learned hard but that impacted Peter for all eternity. Peter reminds us of Noah's faith and his willingness to suffer ridicule from neighbors and strangers as he built his ark, only to have eight people saved in that flood, "saved from the water by the water." (v. 20) And our baptism, Peter reminds us, is not to be washed clean of dirt from our bodies but a presentation before God through Jesus' resurrection, that in faith, we stand before God with a clear conscience. Jesus, Peter says, "has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies." And Jesus is standing right alongside God as our advocate.

This passage comes at the end on this section on suffering for our faith, with baptism a reminder that we carry in us, that seal of God that we have been presented through Jesus before God, and we are marked by faith as belonging to God and belonging to others who have also been baptized. Our mission and goal is to do and live right, so that the message continues and more can come to know about God's love and mercy for all people. Because of Christ's suffering for us, we have had the price paid and we need to continue to tell others about that.

May it be so.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for all that Jesus did out of love for You and for us. May I seek to be like Christ Jesus in all my dealings. May my words, thoughts, and deeds reflect a faith that puts You and Yours first, not me nor my intentions. I seek to please You and You only. Grant me wisdom, strength, and courage; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Living Mud-Free

1 Peter 3: 15 Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. 16 Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. 17 It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. (The Message)

The definition of "clean" varies from person to person and even within ourselves depending on age. To live clean also may mean different things to different people; but Peter says our starting point should be our heart and the attitude we have towards God. No matter what circumstances we may be going through, our hearts should be always praising God. Our lives should reflect that attitude of gratitude towards God and what God has done for us, and if we should be asked why we live the way we do, we should take advantage of any opportunity to give a testimony or witness about our faith. I love this version's verse 16 where Peter says basically, we should live mud-free. "Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick." There were times in this writer's life when I loved all things dirt and mud. Days were spent playing along Tranquitas Creek in Kingsville and I'm thankful for an understanding mom that knew that little boys can and will gete dirty and muddy. And as an adult, clean living allows, as Peter says, for anything to be thrown our way, and even if it's "mud" being thrown about our way of life, it won't stick. I love his line about them "realizing...they're the ones who need a bath." Ours is to push onward towards Christ's leading, not worrying about what may be coming our way, for we will not be punished for doing bad if we lived a life that was good.

Are you living "clean"? If not, Christ Jesus offers the "bath" mentioned above!

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Your presence and for guiding our hearts towards how we should live. Our prayer is to live right and clean before You, with no malice nor harm towards anyone, even those who persecute us for being believers. May we be a living witness of a life lived in love before You; we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS I pray God's blessings be upon you all during this Thanksgiving Weekend. May God's calm and peace be with you if you happen to be standing in line awaiting that perfect deal during the madness of this day!

Job One: Be a Blessing!

1 Peter 3: 9 That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. 10 Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; 11 Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. 12 God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. 13 If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? 14 Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. (The Message)

John Wesley called it three simple rules. Or, maybe we did in summing it up; Do no harm. Do all the good you can. Stay in love with God. The passage for today is part of that inspiration. Our job is to bless. I remember my Dad telling me when he and Mom dropped me off at college, that my job was to study and do the best I could. I accepted and believed that and I did pretty well. God is telling us here, our job is to bless. No retaliation, as hard as that is sometimes for some. No sharp-tongued sarcasm, ouch! "Bless - that's your job, to bless." And the payment? We'll be a blessing and get a blessing! And Peter says if you want to embrace the fullness of life and see our days fill us with good, "Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth." The Christian life is above and thus more difficult than what the world dictates. We're all familiar with the says and quotes about revenge and vengance. God inspires us to do the opposite and live a life that shows a better way to live. Peter knows that those who live a life that is a blessing will never be stopped. Even if we happen to suffer as a result; God will have the last word.

For many this is the week to give thanks and celebrate God's goodness with family and friends. Wouldn't it be wonderful if one of the things others are grateful for, is you? I am!

PRAYER: Loving God, let me be a blessing. Help me to take seriously and joyously my job of blessing others. May I be quick with words that bless and heal rather than harm or hurt. May I seek understanding rather than revenge. May I come to be someone that others, especially You, are thankful for. I ask and pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Advice for Great Relationships!

1 Peter 3: 1 The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated 2 by your life of holy beauty. 3 What matters is not your outer appearance - the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes - 4 but your inner disposition. 5 The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. 6 Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as "my dear husband." You'll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated. 7 The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God's grace, you're equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don't run aground. Suffering for Doing Good 8 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. (The Message)

Why would the Apostle Peter share marriage advice to Christians? The same reason Jesus told believers to "love one another." Even in a setting or in a person from whom you expect better, there is the reality of our humanness coming out and sometimes winning over our beliefs. Peter was married, for we remember that Jesus healed a fever in the body of Peter's mother-in-law; and we know that among those who were married, their three years with Jesus forever changed their lives. In any relationship, but especially among those who have taken and received vows, understanding and cooperation are key. Peter addresses these and even those of husbands who do not yet believe; Peter believed the living of a good, loving life towards your husband would help in his conversion. Peter knew it was all about what is within, that "inner disposition." And an inner disposition posed towards God and receiving and sharing of what God offers changes everything. Husbands, according to Peter, were expected to do the same, with honor being one of the things husbands should show towards their wives. And Peter shares a radical thought, that "in the new life of God's grace, you're equals." (v. 7) As we treat each other as equals our prayers will not "run aground." To sum up, and again, this applies to all relationships:

Be agreeable. Be sympathetic. Be loving. Be compassionate. Be humble.

A recipe for a great relationship!

PRAYER: Loving God of love, may I seek to be the best towards those with whom I am in relationship. For those who are married, dear God, may we be the best spouse we can, and may our lives be a part of the sharing of the Good News with those who have not yet heard nor believed. May my life lived with special people in my life reflect that I am agreeable, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus, Shepherd of our Soul

1 Peter 2:18 You who are servants, be good servants to your masters - not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. 19 What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason. 20 There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. 21 This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. 22 He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss. 23 They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. 24 He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. 25 You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls. (The Message)

The stained glass image above is from my boyhood church, El Buen Pastor UMC in Kingsville, Texas. It is an image of Jesus that calms my soul as it did when I was a boy. Peter shares in this passage, that we are to do the best we can in every situation in which we find ourselves whether we want to be there or not. We may not yet know the purpose for our being where, or suffering what we are, but with Christ in our presence we soon can shine even in the darkest of places. Jesus was no stranger to suffering, neither should we, His servants. Even in the midst of wrongdoing towards us, we should do no wrong against others, knowing that God will make right whatever is wrong. Jesus, Peter reminds us, carried our sins in His body all the way to the Cross and there, our sins were removed, our burdens lifted, and our brokenness made whole. Our wandering as lost sheep ended, and we found our way home to the Good Shepherd, the Shepherd of our souls.

The name of my church in Kingsville is The Good Shepherd. So, the image of the center stained glass window is the image of the Good Shepherd, who is holding a little lamb. Though the dark clouds may be looming in the background, there is still light and Jesus is holding us. The picture also shows the lushness of the area in which the sheep have been led, with still waters behind and a tiny brook near them as well. So it is with and in our lives.

The Shepherd knows your name. He's called you to faithfulness. Listen and obey.

PRAYER: Loving Shepherd, hold me when I need holding, release me when I need to go and do your bidding. Remind me of how much I am loved by You so that I can share that love to those who have not yet heard. As You call me by name, let me listen and obey. I pray this in Thy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Living as Servants of Jesus

1 Peter 1: 1 Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. 12 Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. 13 Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; 14 they are God's emissaries for keeping order. 15 It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. 16 Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. 17 Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. (The Message)

In the aftermath of any election of any year, people play the "what if" and "what will become" game. Sadly, some, out of anger, carry it to the "what can I do about it" game and plan action, however foolish, hateful, or dangerous it may become. I wish I could say it was different this year after this election. If you look at your watch you'll see it's the year 2012 A.D. (Year of our Lord), yet it seems like some want to set the clock back to the 1850s. Almost all Southern States voted along a line and in those states talk has turned exactly to where Peter is saying it should not go. Peter had the view that believers, because of our new life in Christ and relationship with God, belonged to another world, the spiritual realm of God. We are but pilgrims on this earth trying to invite others to join us now so that when the Day comes when we are called, and listen to this word we all use, "home," others would come with us. Yet, just as Peter has urged us not to do, many have become too "cozy" here and because of ego are wasting our souls. We think we are natives here and instead of being examples to those who truly are natives for now, we are living just like them, acting like them and even encouraging them to be unlike those who belong to God. We are called to win people over to God not the other way around. We want the people who celebrate Christ's return to be a numerous group, but it is up to us to invite and win people over to the side of spirit and truth.

Peter believes that good citizens are those who make Jesus proud by their thoughts, words, and actions, among them respecting "the authorities, whatever their level," for Peter also believes, "they are God's emissaries for keeping order." We are called to do good, to serve God, to treat all with dignity and respect, to love our spiritual family, revere God, and respect the government, yes, regardless of how we voted and what we expected.

As US Citizens, we do not have a perfect government, but it is the best around. It works when we allow it to work and it exists to serve a common good, however you define that. It works better when we treat each other as brothers and sisters, not hating each other because of differences real or perceived.

PRAYER: Loving God of our homeland, bless and watch over us while we are on this pilgrim journey. Help us to truly follow Your words through Peter, to do good, to serve God, to treat all with dignity and respect, to love our spiritual family and all people, to hold You in reverence, and even to respect our government. It is not easy, but with Your presence and blessing, it can be done, so be it. We pray in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

JESUS THE CORNERSTONE!

1 Peter 2:4 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. 5 Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. 6 The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I'm setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it. 7 To you who trust him, he's a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone. 8 For the untrusting it's . . . a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted. 9 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you - 10 from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (The Message)

In the foundation of a believer's life, Jesus is the cornerstone. Peter says that Jesus is the "living Stone," and we are to be "building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life." In Jesus, we find life unlike that found in the world. Jesus spoke of an abundant life in John 10:10 where He summed up His life's purpose; "I have come that they may have life and that in abundance." The fullness of life as found in Jesus cannot be compared to any other life. In Christ Jesus we find the perspective of appreciation and gratitude towards all things. In Christ Jesus we find love unlike it is found in any other place, and the deepness of that love makes us unlike those who do not believe, but not for personal glory but for service and example. In Jesus we find a strength that will not shame us. In Jesus we will find a steadiness along life's rocky paths. In Jesus we find purpose for our own lives as we seek to live out a life that looks out for others and to help others. In Jesus we have come "from nothing to something, from being rejected to accepted."

In seminary, in the days before videos and the Internet, we had 16 mm film. You will remember that the guys from the AV department would wheel down a squeaky cart to the classroom and on it was the ancient projector (talk to your parents, kids) and two spools, one loaded with the film, threaded through the projector and onto the empty spool. The projector had a noise unlike any other and I can still hear it. The movie that day was about a boy badly burned in a house fire in which he lost all his family. He was forced to live on the streets of this Latin American country town. People would avoid him and children were scared of him because of the awful scarring on his face. It was a priest who saw him and came to him and held him. The film had no talking, it was all action. The priest leads him by the hand to a large mission outside of the town and the huge wooden doors open as the boy is brought into what we now can see is an orphanage. The children in the orphanage are at first reluctant to approach the boy but when signalled by the priest they all run and hug the boy. We finally get to see the boy's little face as it turns to the camera and we see a smile. That boy's life as capture on that film is the last verse of this passage; you and I have truly been brought from a nothing existence to a full life; from being rejected, unwanted and unseen, to being accepted, loved, and wanted.

In your life and in the life of your worship fellowship, make that the prayer for today, "Lord, send us those nobody else wants or sees, amen."

PRAYER: Loving God of all, thank You for wanting, accepting and loving me. Thank You for taking my life from having little to no meaning to a life filled with meaning and purpose. Thank You also for helping me to do the same with those who may come into my life. May my heart truly pray for You to send to my worship community those whom nobody else wants or sees. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

1 Peter 2: 1-3 So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God. (The Message)

We've gone through it eight times already. Four with our daughters, and four with our grandchildren. Wondering if our babies would know to nurse. And through that miraculous touch that is God at work, all eight have had no problem. And even though we have experienced it so many times, each time is a joy and time for giving thanks to Almighty God for that special blessing that brings needed nourishment to our children. (The baby in the above picture is our latest grandchild, Eliana Beth Garcia of Mission, TX. I love the pose because it says as her mommy described, "Enough with the pictures already - let me sleep!"). Peter as he writes these words has shared some basic instruction to believers; we must learn the proper way to live. We must rid our lives, our thoughts, our deeds, our words that are harmful and hurtful towards others. We must learn an attitude of gratitude for what we have and not envy what others have. We must be genuine and down-to-earth, not putting on airs about our importance or position; we're all the same in the final analysis. Peter adds, We've "had a taste of God." We know what goodness and purity is; why can't we be the same? "As infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness." There are too many "feeders" ready to feed us what is not good nor helpful for us, we must stay with God and feast on God's Word and Truth. The way to a strong future and great maturity lies only in God. God's way provides for wholeness. And there's no better way to be given the broken world in which we live.

We're basically given a menu each day; Talk radio. News channels. Zoo radio. Television. Negativity. Gossip. Complaints. Or, God's Word. Prayer. Devotional time. Positive attitudes towards self and others. Help and service to others. How will you choose? And it doesn't not matter your chronological age, you can mature starting even today!

PRAYER: Living God, I thank You for Your Word and the purity and nourishment found in it. May I nurse deeply on Your love and truth so that I may be a blessing to others. Help me to choose that which helps me mature into fullness as Jesus meant, a life lived in abundance. I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Obedient Children

1 Peter 1:14 Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. 15 As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. 16 God said, "I am holy; you be holy." 17 You call out to God for help and he helps - he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living. 18 It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. 19 He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. 20 And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately - at the end of the ages - become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. (The Message)

This summer I had a chance to visit my brother in Florida. He very happily showed me that he had just bought a new turntable. For those of you too young to know that word, a turntable is what used to also be called a record player. I know, sadly, there are some reading this who do not know what a record is. It is a round, CD (yikes, another dated term?) looking thing made of black vinyl that plays when the needle of the turntable hits the grooves of the record. The turntable does not stand alone, it is connected to an amplifier and the amplifer to speakers. Many will argue that the sound produced by a record beats CD sound or even, or especially MP3 or digital sound. I describe all of this because of the first verse of this passage, Peter says to believers, do not be lazy and just "slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing." Like the record, once the needle is in the groove it spins round and round and plays the same sound found on each groove as was recorded on it originally. Peter says, when we didn't know Christ, we did not know better. But we know better now! Once we entered into a relationship with Jesus we became children of the Most High God, and as such, we have to be obedient to God. God can and will lead obedient children into a new way of life, which Peter describes as "energetic and blazing with holiness." Peter knew that God has asked of us to be holy as God is holy. Being holy does not mean assuming a posture or attitude of being "holier than thou" or looking down our noses towards those we deem as unholy; being holy means being open to and blessed by God, seeking the spiritual things of God over the earthly things that are not of God. Our relationship is thus, we call out to God and God helps us; God is a loving, good Father. But as children we should have an obedience to God. We cannot and should not think we can get by living sloppy, meaning choosing those things that are not good for our relationship with God. For us to be children came with a great price paid by Jesus Christ. The blood that Jesus shed, He shed for us; and it was not an afterthought, it was intentional. God loves us that much.

It is our choice how we live, but I would pray that we would take our relationship with God seriously, and choose the things of God for our lives. It comes through prayer, devotional time, Scripture reading, worship, fasting, making choices that bless us and others.

PRAYER: Loving God, may I bless You with the choices that I make today and all days. I don't want to slip into the grooves of sinful living, instead the spontaneous and wonderful joy of living as You lead me. May I be a blessing to others with the choices I make that help make me holy. I pray a blessing on our nation that we might indeed move forward to doing those things that will bless not only our citizens but the citizens of the world. I pray this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Rolling Up Our Sleeves!

1 Peter 1:10 The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. 11 The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it - that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. 12 All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves - through the Holy Spirit - the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this! 13 So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. (The Message)

Our hall closets are filled with surprises for the little one in our house. Our son-in-law works at a store where he has had great discounts on the gifts that he and our daughter will be sharing with their son. You know that our grandson has no idea of what is there, but if he did, I venture to guess that not one surprise would be left unopened. Peter is reminding us that thousands of years ago, the prophets wondered, What is this message God has asked me to share, all about? They were not privileged to know what we know. Theirs was but a piece of an awesome puzzle that we have seen completed in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit did share with them that this Messiah, the Anointed One of God would experience suffering, then would experience glory. They wanted to know who and when. All they were told, and it was enough for them, was that they were serving God. We, on the other hand, we have heard the complete message, we know the story of Jesus. We are blessed, but what are we doing about it? Peter says, "Angels would have given anything to be in on this!" What we can do is to "roll up (our) sleeves," and put our mind in gear and be completely ready to receive the gift that is coming when Jesus returns.

It's a divine coincidence that today, Nellie and I, and a group of about 30 from our two conferences, will be rolling up our sleeves and taking to the streets of South Corpus Christi to share the news of the coming new church to their area. Groups have gone before us and they have been blessed with divine appointments, prayers offered for people who could not believe that at the right time, God sent them someone to pray for them. One of the most moving stories is that of a couple outside, asked by the new pastor of that church if he and his prayer partner could pray for them. They said Yes, pray for our marriage. They had been discussing divorce and this divine appointment blessed them and their relationship.

Are your sleeves rolled up to share in that which you have received the precious and powerful message of Jesus Christ?

PRAYER: Awesome God, bless us as we seek to bless You and Yours. Help us to not find excuses, but instead to roll up our sleeves to do Your work. We pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS This message comes a little late because we got up early and stood in line to vote. We were about 12 from the front and it took us 40 minutes to vote. If you have not yet voted, please do!