Friday, May 24, 2013

Happy Aldersgate Day!

May 24, 1738

"I felt my heart strangely warmed..." It was 275 years ago today, that John Wesley was invited to a meeting at church. John was an ordained Anglican priest and the last thing he wanted was another church meeting. It hadn't been that long since he had just gotten back from the colony of Georgia where he failed miserably. He came back to England feeling a complete failure. He was just going through the motions of serving God. I'll let him tell the rest of his story:

"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter to nine, while the leader was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Wow. Raised in a parsonage by a loving father and mother; taught the basics of Christianity by mostly his mom. Attended Oxford University, then became his dad's associate pastor, invited back to get a Master's Degree. Joined a religious group that did things in a methodical way. Jeered for the time they spent in prayer, worship, Bible study and helping orphans and widows; they were called "Holy rollers, Bible moths, because they took their Bibles everywhere with them. And the worst name they could think of? "You are a bunch of Methodists!" A name that John liked and adapted for this new group interested in living out the faith they had learned.

But it was not until he stopped to listen to God and the power of God to change hearts and remove sin, that John Wesley truly became a Christian. He needed salvation; that right relationship with God that begins with having our sins removed and our hearts renewed, that he was able to say the words we read above. Read them again. Now he "trusts" Christ "alone for salvation." He received an assurance that his sins, "even mine" he writes, "and saved me from the law of sin and death."

What good came of that? 1) He started preaching outdoors. As unheard of as today. He even preached on the tomb of his father because his father's old church did not want the likes of Wesley preaching this "good news" stuff. 2) He starts an orphanage. And it was needed. 3) He started a Sunday school, literally a school that taught the 3-Rs, since children were required to work and not to attend school. Once that changed, the Methodists kept the idea of a Sunday school to teach about God. Yep. We started Sunday school. 4) He travels over most of England by horseback, preaching every place and every chance given. 5) He preaches outside of coal mines to workers with dirty nails and hair that would not be welcome in the "proper" church. One time two men were so angry of what he was preaching they resolved to kill him by stoning him but stopped when they no longer saw John Wesley's face, but that of an angel. They could not stone an angel. A revival breaks out in England that some scholars credit with preventing a Civil War in England; people actually got along! 6)The Methodist Church is established in America by lay preachers that John sent to preach the gospel to all people, moving westward as the country grows, establishing churches and schools, universities, colleges, and hospitals.

The Methodist Church was a movement. Its members were open to God's Holy Spirit to do uncomfortable, outrageous and courageous things; completely different from the state-supported church that cared little or nothing about reaching outsiders. The state-run church was an institution not a movement.

How are we? Sad to say we resemble more the Church of England than we do the Methodist movement. We have turned inward and care more about our buildings and furnishings. Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday and we celebrated the coming of God's Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost; the question becomes what have we done about it?

May our prayer this special day be that we would become a movement again, caring for our neighbor and that means recognizing all people as our neighbor, and doing what it takes to reach them for God's Kingdom. Could we preach outside again? Could we start Sunday schools in areas outside of our church, like housing projects or poor neighborhoods? Could we live lives that show that we truly love one another?

Happy Aldersgate Day! May your heart be strangely warmed again or for the first time!

Eradio Valverde

Thursday, May 23, 2013

You'll Understand Later

Trust, Learn, and Obey

Understanding comes with maturity

John 16:12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

We have a birthday tradition that has become everyone who wants it; that of buying and breaking a piñata. For those, especially children, who have never had that experience, it is a scary one. The design of the piñata usually catches their attention, but the next step is the frightening one. "You take this stick and you hit it as hard as you can, to break it!" The child must be thinking, "You bought 'My Little Pony,' my favorite cartoon character, the one I love, and you want me to hit her/him as hard as I can, to break him/her?" Pretty much. What the children don't know, and I suppose for some this does not necessarily make it better, that the piñata is filled with candy. Once broken, the kids make a mad dash for it, pushing each other out of the way, fighting each other for Tootsie Rolls. Why did I choose this illustration for today's text? I don't know. It probably makes it as clear as the disciples must have felt as they heard Jesus explain the Holy Spirit to them.

Jesus says that they had a lot yet to learn, but He was not going to share it all at one time. Jesus knew that the more they heard at one time, the more they would forget. But, Jesus says, there will arrive the Holy Spirit, a person in the Godhead (part of the Trinity; Father, Son, Holy Spirit), who will guide you into all the truth, meaning, your education and walk with me will continue in this new fashion. The Holy Spirit will hear from God and will share that which he hears, and reveal and teach you as you journey with me. Jesus adds that the Holy Spirit will glorify Him, because he will teach the disciples in that which the disciples did not know at that point. And Jesus knew that after the crucifixion and resurrection, the questions about Him would increase, and the answers would be needed from Him. The making of new disciples would require being spiritually led by Jesus and it would be done by the Holy Spirit. Christ wanted them to mature in their faith so that they could share that faith with new believers.

Discipleship is never ending. Some of what we encounter on our journey make not make sense or it may seem difficult, yes, we may even have to break some spiritual "piñatas", but once we do, the greater thing, the sweetness of discipleship will be ours. What piñatas you encounter will take many shapes and may be held as sacred or traditional or territorial, but be guided by the Spirit to the newness and the sweetness of faith.

PRAYER: Journey with me, Dear God. Help me mature in my understanding and discipleship. Help me to make new disciples. Guide me through Your Spirit; this I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Formula for Success!

Setting Your Sights on Success

St. Paul explains it from his perspective From Romans 5: 1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

We all have our own definition of success. Some count it by the amount in the bank, wallet, or purse. Others by accumulation of material possessions or goods. Some by the joy received in doing the job they've always wanted. Paul saw success as being in relationship with God. Success is having peace. Peace comes from the knowledge that inner strength will see us through anything. And seeing us through anything will bring us a share of the glory of God. Even in the face of suffering comes that peace. Paul sets out a formula of sorts for this success: First, comes suffering in whatever form it may present itself to us. Moving forward and positively through suffering brings us endurance. Endurance brings us character. Character produces hope, the kind that does not disappoint because God has poured God's love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. At that low point of knowing that our sin had separated us from God, God gave us the news that Jesus died for us, which brought us justification, meaning we have been made right and accepted by God when we were, for all practical purposes, unacceptable. God's love is that amazing that we will are made right when we have been wrong. We have been lifted up when we have fallen down. We've been given a helping hand when we felt we were alone and not able to do anything.

The photo I have shared this morning speaks to my heart of that formula. The young woman is being pinned by the associate dean of the nursing school. The pin she is receiving is recognition that she will be, once all state exams are complete, a registered nurse. That young woman is my daughter, whose faith had allowed her to reach this even while enduring some trying times that would have made others give up. Her faith is strong. She has endurance. She has character. And she possesses a hope that nothing can defeat. And since she has been a child she entered into a relationship with God through Christ. And that, dear friends, is available to all who seek and receive that.

Are you feeling weak and alone? You're not either. Feeling like you have nothing to offer to others? Through Christ's love you can have the character that will bless others, and you will share with a world lost in the darkness of hopelessness, the bright light of God's power to see us all through so many things. And the good news? It is ours for the asking.

PRAYER: LOVING God, speak to my heart. Grant to me that which I need; I seek strength and hope in what I have experienced; and above all I desire the love you offer to us. This I ask in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Wisdom is Ours for the Asking!

If anyone lack wisdom, they should ask...

1 Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: 4 "To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. 22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth— 26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.

Why is making decisions so hard? Not all decisions are hard, but some seem almost impossible. There are some who spend what seem like hours staring in their closets thinking they have nothing to wear; others look around the floor and pick up what they think is the least funky of the "closet" on the floor by the bed. Some ponder whether or not to sign a long term lease on a home or a vehicle. Others worry they are about to make the wrong decision on a life partner. Others worry about the challenges of life that come their way.

Jesus Christ's mission was to share His wisdom with us. This passage from Proverbs speaks of both the Divine wisdom and the wisdom imparted by the second part of the Godhead (John Wesley's Explanatory Notes). Wisdom was present at the creation of the world and Jesus brought God's wisdom to the world. Wisdom is ours for the asking. We also know that as United Methodists that we should rely on Scripture, draw from tradition, reflect on experience, and certainly reason it all out. But firm it all together through prayer and listening.

The best decision is to trust Christ enough to invite Him into our hearts and lives. Then we should follow that with a daily decision to connect with Him so that we may know that which can best bless God and God's people when we face major life-decisions.

If you do not know Jesus as Your personal Lord and Savior, the opportunity to invite Him into your life is always present, why not do it today?

PRAYER: Loving God, may the wisdom of the ages be ours when we seek You and Your Son's guidance and strength. Bless us in the making of all decisions so that we might glorify You. Bless those who are making decisions to follow You as Lord and Savior; and this we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Monday, May 20, 2013

How Awesome is the Lord!

Mornings with God bless your day; may your day be blessed! Psalm 8 tells us why... 1 O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; 4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? 5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

I spent some wonderful time with my six month old granddaughter, Eliana, yesterday morning. She, like all kids her age, is drawn to the iPad and all it offers. She can't yet crawl but while on "tummy time" I put on a video of "He's Got the Whole World in HIs Hands" and the brightness of her smile and her wanting to get closer to the screen made my day. She knew the song and wanted to get a better view of the animated picture of Jesus holding the world. The next video was "Jesus Loves Me" and again the same response. There is no describing the joy of a child who loves music and images and perhaps in her own way, as the psalmist says, "Out of the mouth of babes and infants You have founded a bulwark because of Your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger." There is indeed a bulwark around babes and infants whose parents and guardians guard their lives with prayer and love. The Lord is present indeed.

Look at the child or an infant, look at the clouds, look at the moon and the stars, and you will see "the work of (God's) fingers." And then look at the child again or another person and ask the question that the psalmist asks, "What are human beings that You are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?" He declares, "Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor." We have the control over the works of God's hands, all things are under our control. Indeed, yes, Sovereign God, "how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Live a life that reflects the glory and honor of God present in your life, and what a blessing you will be to others.

PRAYER: May God's light shine brightly on you so that you may shine on those still in darkness. In Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde Eliana and her grandpa Eliana discovering grandpa hadn't shaved yet!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

God's Promises to Us!

Help our faith, O Lord!

John 14:8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. 15"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

In the midst of having announced His death, Jesus still speaks of life. He has spoken to the disciples about His Father's House and how Jesus is preparing a place for them and here comes the question, "How can we be sure?" Philip didn't phrase it quite that way, but he is asking for a little more clarification. He's grieving that Jesus will die and perhaps may be a bit scared about his own death and so the question really asks, How can we be sure? Jesus lovingly answers, I've been with you all this time, you've seen things that you had never seen before and I'm even telling you that if you have seen me you have seen the Father. I make you a promise that "whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son" I will do. "If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it." Then Jesus adds that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments, and then promises the coming of the Advocate, Who will be with us forever. And the Advocate's role will be to teach and remind us of everything that Jesus had shared with us. Then Jesus says, peace is ours. And our hearts should not be troubled.

We're like Philip in all things that scare or frighten us. We're like Philip when we face serious illness or serious challenges in our lives or in our places of work or even in our churches. The word from Jesus is love, peace, and obedience. In the midst of what we face, we have Someone with us. Believe that. That Someone helps us be reminded of all that Jesus has shared with us.

And our hearts? They should not be troubled.

PRAYER: Loving and Mighty God, in the midst of today's challenges, speak a word of peace and hope. Let us see beyond the realm of fear and doubt to the reality of Your presence. May the Holy Spirit truly be at work in us. This we pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

On Fire for God!

The Arrival of the Holy Spirit (Hint: Still with us!)

Hear these words from Acts 2: 1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

You go some place for something, and another thing happens. And yes, it sometimes happens in church. You go to worship, like you usually do, except this time, something happens to you that reminds you that God has something for you to do. Or it may be the first time that you hear/feel God calling you to something like professional ministry. Yikes! What do you do?

This is precisely what happened on that Day of Pentecost. Jerusalem was filled with visitors like the holiday weekend that it was, imagine Houston or Dallas on the day after Thanksgiving. The faithful Jews who could afford it, had traveled there to worship God for the giving of the Law to Moses. Yes, pretty big deal, but God changed it for some there. A violent wind comes and fills the house where the disciples were hiding. And tongues of fire fell on the disciples and they began speaking in other languages. The crowd outside heard this sound, so it must have been loud, and the disciples ran outside and began speaking in this new language (to them) "God's deeds of power." And the list of languages is given there in verses 9-11 and it says they were a) amazed because each heard in their own tongue this declaration about God and b) the men speaking were Galileans. Not knowing what to make of this they said the men must be drunk. You and I have known souls in that condition and the last thing on their mind to say were "God's good deeds." Yet, it gives Peter an opportunity to witness to this action in a sermon where Peter says that God desires a relationship with each of them.

Indeed, even today there are so many who stand in need to hear this invitation, and no one is speaking their language. In other words, they're not relating. They're babbling to them. "Meet in the Narthex or vestibule or sanctuary and we'll fellowship with you!" Huh? ¿Que que?

God wants us to relate in common terms, using words if necessary, to tell of God's love for them. God still pours out His Holy Spirit to give us the words, the courage and the wisdom to give witness to God's great deeds. The question remains, what are we doing about it?

PRAYER: Loving God of all people and all languages, may Your Spirit give me the language I need today and all days, to relate and reach those who need Your love. This I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Stop Babbling!

What's that you say?

Using Language for God's good not ours

From Genesis 11 we find these words: 1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." 5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the Lord said, "Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Language can both connect or divide. Those who know more than one language will usually be fascinated by those who know one they don't know. Those who know just one language sometimes will feel isolated or even threatened to hear the language of another. You may have been in another land and not heard English for days, but when you did you feel relieved and excited that you could communicate with someone. Nellie and I have been blessed when we spoke Spanish to someone who had not heard it in a while and then we received special attention to our needs even beyond what we expected.

This passage from Genesis seeks to explain the why of so many languages. During the time of one language by one people in one place, the thought was to make a name for themselves. And depending on the scholar, some think the building was to reach the heights of God both physically and spiritually. God steps in and introduces new languages and building stopped because they could no longer understand one another. And the one people was scattered all over the face of the earth.

The point of the story in my opinion is that when we stop using our language to praise and worship God and use it only for ourselves, then we're babbling. When we use our language to tear others down and to belittle them, then we're babbling. We should use our language to build others up and to invite them to come to love in Jesus' name in their lives. When we use language to confuse and control, we're babbling and not serving God's purpose.

Stop babbling!

PRAYER: Loving God, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to Thee not only today but all days. May my words be of praise to You and life affirmation to Yours. This I pray in the language I know and in the name of He who brought new tongues to use, Jesus, my Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Monday, May 13, 2013

Caught Up in Spring and in Singing

God is Awesome!

We just have to look around...

Psalm 104:24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season; 28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. 31May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works— 32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. 35b Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!

The above psalm is a hymn. It could be a hymn of spring. It is a hymn of praise to God for God's wonderful creation. The picture is from our backyard from a lemon tree that we bought and water and pray that will produce fruit. As a symbol of things to come, this little tree produced a pretty big lemon right away. There are tiny lemons showing, but this one is there as if to say, "It'll work!"

God works in creation and God works in us. Creation knows to just let God; we're the ones who get caught up trying too hard. Creation knows that when God is ready, God's Spirit creates and renews all things. If you know the Emmaus Retreat prayer, you know it has that line in it, which is my favorite line of that prayer. What does God need to create in you? What does God have to renew in you? Ask. Wait. Trust. But in the meantime, join the singing and the praising that God deserves and receives from all creatures.

PRAYER: Loving God, create and renew in me that which You know I need. Let my voice join those voices already thanking and praising You for all things. In Jesus' precious name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Thursday, May 09, 2013

Ascension of the Lord

There is still work to do!

Today the Christian community celebrates and remembers the Ascension of the Lord back to Heaven. Read these words from Luke 24: 44 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled."45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

Jesus' last instructions? 1) Read the Word. Study it for the Good News of God's love for all people. Remember that all that I endured, it was to please God. 2) You have work to do. Share with all people that their sins can be forgiven in My name. 3) Be my witnesses. Live a life that proclaims your faith in Me. 4) You will not be powerless; God is sending you the Holy Spirit. 5) Never stop worshiping God.

The rest of the passage says that He was carried up into Heaven. The disciples used this as a time of worship and then returned home with great joy and that joy continued in their daily worship of the Lord in the temple.

To me this is how we should live our lives. We should look "up" in the sense of our worshiping and staying connected with God, but we should also look "around" to the needs of our family, friends, neighbors, strangers and even those we can't stand. Tell them that God loves them both with your words and your actions. Be a witness of the great love you've received and is available to all. Worship God with great joy; enter your church with joy and know it's all about God, enjoy those who gather with you to worship, and then leave and return home with joy. Those days you're not in church at least be in love with God, living with great joy.

PRAYER: Loving God, may You be praised for all You do, are doing, and will do in our lives. May we be people of vision that see in all the directions we can to fulfill the needs of Your kingdom. This we pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

The Relationship That Never Ends

God's Promise Runs From Page One On...

Let's read from Revelation 22, selected verses:12 "See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.16 "It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." 17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let everyone who hears say, "Come." And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift..20 The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

This is literally the last page of the Bible. It is amazing to me how much of page one we read on this last page. It begins and ends with the love of God desiring a relationship with you and me. It begins with a tree of life and ends with a tree of life, a symbol of life for everyone who is in that relationship with God. It has Jesus saying, "I am coming soon" with the reward set aside for those who have done my work, and I am Alpha and Omega, the A and Z of all things. Great things will be happening to those who have maintained the relationship with purity seeking to be a witness to others, and then testament to the middle of the Bible where what was said about David's root is shared again, with living waters shared with those receiving the gift. Jesus then says again, "Surely I am coming soon, 'Amen.' And John, the writer says, "Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints (believers). Amen."

On car trips when our girls were little we sang a lot and we would sing together the songs and hymns we knew and they would sing to us the new songs they had learned, and the one that always got me, first laughing and then saying, "Enough!" was the one called, "This is the song that never ends." And it is repeated enough times that between here and there you say, Please let it end now!

Not so with the relationship with Jesus. This is the one to which we say, "Lord, may it never end. I could not live without a relationship with you," and thus the purpose of this passage. The closing page of the Bible reinforces the faith we have that says God is always with us, desiring love, protecting us and walking with us until that time our walk here comes to an end and our life continues in the land where life never ends.

PRAYER: Indeed, come, Lord Jesus, today into my life and the challenges and opportunities that might come. And let your grace bless my life. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Being Set Free!

The Way of Salvation is freedom

Let's read Acts 16:16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." 29 The jaile called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

A funny thing happened on the way to church. Those old enough to remember the old-time television comedians would begin their bits, "A funny thing happened on the way to..." In Paul and Silas' case, nothing funny about their trip to church; they met up with a slave-girl who was demon possessed and who because of this demon present in her life, she made a lot of money for her owners by fortune-telling. Funny how psychic hotlines have lost their popularity at least on tv; but some people always want to know, "What's going to happen tomorrow" or "What's going to happen to me?" I've shared the true story of a new pastor entering a new church and discovering the old pastor had left behind a bill of $600 to psychic hotlines. He was worried about the next church! But this girl's demon knew the Truth: "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." You want or need a better fortune than to know that the One and Only Living, "Most High God" offers to you a way of salvation; a deliverance from sin to life? Paul and Silas' daily (read that again!) trips to church to pray were being interrupted by this girls' outcry against them until finally Paul turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it left her that very moment. Oops, with it went the easy money these slave-owners had been making. They made a citizen's arrest and dragged them to court and charged them with a claim they were disrupting the peace and advocating unlawful behavior as Jews towards Romans. The crowds, who probably had been hearing the spirit's cries about a way of salvation from the Most High God join in in wanting Paul and Silas dealt with. The magistrates ordered Paul and Silas to be stripped and beaten. Verse 23 says they received a severe beating; and on their way to church! A low tire makes many of us just give up and stay home! Paul and Silas didn't get the option of going on to church, they were taken to prison and ordered the jailer to keep them as secure as he could to keep them from escaping.

Paul and Silas were taken to the deepest part of the jail and fastened their feet in stocks; wooden boards with holes cut in them in which your feet were placed and then locked shut. Yet, even in the misery of this jail and even at an hour when most of us are snoring, Paul and Silas are singing praises to God and lifting up prayers. They didn't make it to church and so the church came to them. They were keeping the other prisoners awake with this until an earthquake hit, "so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened." The jailer saw this and decided the best way out of what would be coming to him was to draw his sword and fall on it. Paul yells out that they were all still there. His next actions show that he too was listening to the hymns and prayers and asks what he had to do to be saved. In other words, "I want what you have." I want the peace to sing while chained and shackled. I want the faith to pray while facing an uncertain future. How can I get that?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they said, and you will be saved, you and your household. This they also shared with the household of the jailer. So pleased was he with his new faith that he took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds from the severe beating they had been given; then he and his entire household were baptized without delay. He took them into his house and served them food and rejoicing came to them that he had become a believer in God.

Wow. Even demons know the importance of this relationship with God that some call salvation. Worship important enough to do daily. A faith that was worth the embarrassment of being naked and whipped. A hope in a God that even at midnight while in the most vile conditions allows for singing and praying. And a trust that even when set free by an earthquake to stay in the prison and to save the life of the jailer who would certainly have been executed for this prison break; all speak to me about the importance of knowing, loving, and trusting God like never before. What's sad is the number of excuses we come up with to not do any or most of the above. And oh, what we miss out on, when we put our convenience before our commitment.

PRAYER: Loving God, set me free. Set me to being and doing that which comes from knowing, loving and trusting You. I ask this in the name of He who opens prison doors. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Monday, May 06, 2013

God Is In Control!

God is in Control

Even when we feel down and out!

Psalm 97: 1 The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! 2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side. 4 His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory. 7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him. 8 Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God. 9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. 10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

We have much for which to give thanks for, and much on which to stand on those days when we feel down, defeated, challenged beyond our limits. The psalmist says that the Lord is king! We should say it and live it, too. The psalmist saw God's power in nature and saw it as a call to worship and faith in his own personal life. He knew better than to bow down and trust in idols; for there is only one living God who is worthy of our praise. He closes with words of hope and promise: "The Lord loves those who hate evil; He guards the lives of His faithful; He rescues them from the hand of the wicked. Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to His holy name!"

Now, what were you troubled about?

PRAYER: Lord, we all have those days when we feel down and defeated; we weep tears of sadness and think there is no hope, yet out of that despair we should think of Your last word in our lives and of the power and might You have to rescue and heal. Bless our needs so that we can be a blessing to others. Lift us up this day, we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Friday, May 03, 2013

You Can't Out-Give God!

You Can't Out-give God! The Rest of the Story

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.

Yesterday I shared about the supernatural aspect of God that we either take for granted or ignore or both. We who love and trust God usually talk to God but don't take time to listen. Those who do listen are the ones with the stories; the unexplainable stories, the stories you just label "awesome" or "wow!". The preacher I was listening to was on tv. God has blessed his ministry and he was reminding the congregation of the first building phase of their church. Concrete prices doubled overnight during their construction and their contractor wanted $3.1 million in two weeks or he would walk off the job. The preacher freaked out and told God that he had already asked for what he thought was the maximum amount of this congregation not known for having wealthy people. God told him to go to the people and tell them where they stood. He resisted and he called his mentors. They said the same thing, "Go to the people and be honest with them." While preparing to do this God told him to give his car away during a Saturday night service. What? He thought and prayed about that and made a mental list of those who might be in need of a vehicle on his staff. But God told him the one who would receive the car would come forward during the worship service. The pastor said, "God, no one comes forward during our worship service; it's not built in to our worship style!" God said the man would come forward. During the offering time a man came forward and handed the pastor a $100 bill. The pastor laid it on a table near where he was standing and called the young man back. He reached in his pocket and said, "God told me to give you a car." The guy said, "I don't need a car." Yes, God said you do and this is yours and insisted on him taking it. The pastor said no one could hear this exchange except maybe two or three people seated near him. After the service ended the young man met the pastor off to the side where the young man said he had come to church only because his wife made him. He had argued with her about always going to church and only hearing about the need for money and even said, "God's never given me anything!" But tonight, he said, I felt I needed to give you my last hundred dollars. The pastor said, "Well, you just bought a '96 4 Runner for $100." (The car was practically brand new). The young man was besides himself with what God had done and the pastor was now without a ride home. He got a ride home and spent some time on the phone trying to get a ride to Sunday worship. The staff he thought could get him to church on time could not. The only one was the drummer of the praise band and he said, "But I have to be there early, like 7:30." The preacher admitted he's not an early riser but how else would he get to church. The drummer arrives at 7:15 and is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and excited about church and the pastor is annoyed at the early hour that he has to arrive at the church. Upon arrival someone said, "Pastor, there's a couple who's been waiting for you." It turned out to be a couple from McAllen, TX, who had arrived late to the Saturday service and they arrived in time to see what they thought was the pastor trying to give some car keys to a young man. On their way up to an investors' conference, the wife had said that God had told her to give their brand new van to this pastor they had known some years ago and had heard he was doing quite well. The husband huffed about if I see that he has need for a new car I'll give him the van. Well, he saw that the pastor had given away his car and so he gave him this brand new van. It had things on it the pastor said he did not know existed in vehicles. He used that story in his sermon that morning in worship and one couple came forward and said, "We know you need $3.1 million, but we only have two million we can give right now." That morning they exceeded the need of $3.1 by an additional $2.9 million.

You can't out-give God. But you have to trust Him.

PRAYER: During this time of fear and worry about our economy, dear God, many have given in to a spirit of fear; and that's not what Your Word says is our gift. Our gift is one of love and trust. May it be so. May we be lifted beyond naysaying to yaysaying and praising You for the ways You care for us. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Thursday, May 02, 2013

Make Your Heart a Home for the Holy Spirit!

Make Your Heart a Home Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come to those who love Him. From our passage today of John 14:23-29 come these words: 23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, "I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

As I was dressing for church the other day I watched a local preacher share an incredible story on giving. The story was based on the supernatural power of God and how when we trust God, God does amazing things. It struck me how little most of us speak on supernatural things. We tend to stick to the natural order, the explainable, the things that won't make our "friends" think we're crazy. This preacher did something crazy and God did something even crazier. Yes, he argued with God at first, but then obeyed. We tend to dismiss it as silly thinking coming into our heads and never let them make it to our hearts.

The Holy Spirit is as SUPERNATURAL as you can get. And Jesus promised His coming if we would only love God enough to trust God and keep God's "words" in our hearts. The Holy Spirit would come as Advocate, One who would speak on our behalf, and teach us "everything," and serve to remind us of all we have ever learned about God. And with this coming of the Holy Spirit would come peace. Read that again, God shares His peace, not fear, with us. This is how much God loves us!

PRAYER: Loving God, grant to us Your love, Your peace, and the presence and power of Your Holy Spirit in our lives so that we may do the supernatural things that you want us to do, especially in our giving and receiving. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Visions of LIfe Beyond? Start Right Now, Right Here!

This past Sunday right before I preached I checked my distractions, that is to say I checked FaceBook and saw a posting by my youngest sister who reminded me that on that day, ten years ago, our mother died. My first thought was "Just what I needed to remember right before taking the pulpit and preaching," but then I thought, this is what it's all about! I preach a living God, a God of life, who made death a part of life that brings us ultimate healing from pain and suffering. Yes, I was sad missing my Mom, but I was thankful for the words from God's Word about life eternal.

This passage is precisely about that. There are key images and references in it to what we believe. All things will be made new. God will be our Temple. The glory of God will be the light of a never-ending day. Purity will be present and evil will be forbidden from entering. Those whose names are in the book of life will be allowed in. There will be water of life. The tree of life will be there; its leaves for the healing of the nations. Jesus will sit on the throne and His name shall be on our foreheads. No more night. Life forever and ever.

I preach a God who wants this to start now. The logical place is of course, our lives and it should carry over to our homes, and you might even think it would make it all the way to our places of worship (churches). Yet, there is much to do. We need to look beyond ourselves to God, Who looks beyond the pews and carpets and stained windows to those whose lives are hurting and hungry for knowing what and Who we know. Any other thing that we undertake that does not take this into account is just for naught.

PRAYER: Living God, may we seek You and what You would have us do. This we pray in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

By the way here's today's text: Revelation 21:10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.