Look in the Mirror and say this: I Am Awesome!

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God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight.  You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too - your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful - I can't take it all in! Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God - you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration - what a creation!  You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.  Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.  Your thoughts - how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them!  I couldn't even begin to count them - any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 The Message)

Dear Friend, I pray this finds you well and ready to face the day, or end the day, or to face lunch, depending on when you read this.

Most of us are too old to have been subjected to something my grandkids have had to endure.  And I'm half-teasing about the enduring part of what is known as The Elf on the Shelf.  This mythical creature sees all and knows all - and reports all to the big guy.  No, not Him,  but to Santa Claus.  Jews, not to be left behind had the Mench on a Bench; basically same duties:  watch kids and make sure they behave so that their eight magical days will be wonderful.  I guess we Latinos need El Abuelo en El Suelo (the Grandpa on the floor, thought I might resemble that remark!).  But, as we read the first six verses of today's psalm, we have been and are, under careful and loving watch.  The psalmist knew this and invited it; "God, investigate meh life; get all the facts firsthand."  Then, he shares honestly what he perceives himself to be like.  And he also shares what we should know as well.  God loves us, and watches us; more importantly, God cares and protects us if we invite that from Him.  I love the poetic descriptions he shares about God's ability:  "I'm never out of your sight (parents, you know how important that is; one second out of sight in a crowded place gets one a bit nervous); You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence.  I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too - your reassuring presence, coming and going."  And I love how he sees this as being "too much, too wonderful - I can't take it all in!"  I don't know about you, but this motivates me to more carefully and joyfully live; asking that my every thought, every action, every deed be a reflection of a deep, committed relationship with our Lord.

Here's the second part; the psalmist, not in an obnoxious way, declares himself to be "marvelously made!"  And that holds true for you, dear one, and for me.  That's what I gave you that first assignment, to look in a mirror and claim that for yourself:  You are awesomely made, so say, "I am awesome."  And, this is your second assignment, say that to someone you know and love.  Don't be like the farmer in the old joke, who after being some forty years, his wife said, "Honey, you don't tell me you love me any more."  The man, barely looking up from the paper replied, "I told you forty years ago I loved you, and if I ever change my mind I'll let you know!"  It doesn't work like that.  Try that in 40 years with your spouse and report back!  Words can bless, and we should bless someone with a positive word, like "Did you know you are awesomely made by God?"  Or, whatever is more appropriate in your setting.  Share a word of encouragement.  Seek to lift up someone today.  But, start with you.  Many have the problem of remembering only the negative someone told us a long time ago, and we haven't erased it or forgotten it or have stopped it from influencing us.  For pastors, as an example, 200 people can tell us we preached a great sermon, and one negative one will say, "I've heard better..."  And guess which comment stays with that pastor?  If one member of your family says a good word to you today, let that guide and bless you today.  Ignore the negative and realize where it's coming from and pray for that person.  You be the uplifter!  You be the God-voice today; and again, start with YOU!

PRAYER:  Loving God, I thank You for making this dear reader in an awesome way.  I pray they will feel this as I pray for them, and that that will inspire them to share that same prayer and word with someone who might be in need of it.  Remove the negative thoughts and comments someone has placed there; and fill us with Your grace and love.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Say again, I am Awesome because God made me that way!

Eradio Valverde

Please feel free to forward this to someone who might need this blessing!

PRAYER REQUEST:  Prayers for Forrest Penny as he in hospitalized in Gonzales Hospital  He may leave today, but he is battling cancer and needs our prayers for defeating that dreaded disease.  Pray that he be part of the 3% who do survive this type of cancer.  Prayers for Debbie Robinson, who hopes to be released from her rehabilitation stay and return home this Sunday.  Pray for her strength and mobility to come back in a wonderful way to maneuver around her home.  Pray for one another.  Pray for yourself. Prayers for my bride, Nellie Valverde, who will undergo surgery next Tuesday in San Antonio.  Pray for me as I will be her care-giver.

Even Before You Know God; God Knows You! (And He may be calling, too!)

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Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for ever.’ Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ Eli said, ‘What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.’ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.’ As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord. (1Samuel 2:1-20)

Good day, dear Friend!  May this find you alert, awake, and open to God's voice.  I believe we are guilty of only praying half-way; We speak, but never say, "Okay, Lord, it's YOUR turn."  May we listen, truly listen today to what God may be asking of us.

The story of the prophet Samuel is a most interesting one; son of a woman who begged God to bless her with a child and her promise was that if God shared one with her, she would give him back to God.  And thus we find the boy Samuel "ministering to the Lord under Eli."  Eli's story is another interesting, but sad one.  He was the priest and prophet, but as he grew older and his own sons grew older, the boys took over and misused the office of their father, thus Samuel coming into the picture.

The writer sets the stage by telling us that "the word of the Lord was rare in those days."  And that is not surprising given what was going on in the holy places.  Greed instead of grace was being shown.  Money over mercy; cash over compassion; the personal gain of so-called servants over prophetic warnings.  It took the innocent heart of a boy to be open to what God wanted to do next.  It's during the night while the boy slept in the temple that he heard the voice of God calling.  God calls him by name, "Samuel!  Samuel!"  Note the urgency.  The boy thinks it is Eli calling and runs to say, "Here I am!"  The old man says he did not call.  After the third such occurrence that Eli realizes that God is calling the boy.  He tells him, "Go, lie down; and if He calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."  Notice the posture given the boy about listening to God.  He was to respond in the affirmative and to say that he was God's servant.  Helpful for our prayer lives, don't you think?  We are ready, we are listening, and we are (or should be) God's servants.  The next time it happens, Samuel says that the priest told him, and God speaks to Samuel.

It should be noted that most calls likes this in the Old Testament, were calls for God's people to be in the right relationship with God and with each other.  God desires that even today from us.  We should be attentive to God's loving instruction and direction, especially if we know we are in the wrong or have feelings of doubt about where we are in our spiritual life.  We note that the old prophet heard that word and replied that the Lord should do what seemed good to Him.  Another way of saying, "May God's will be done; not mine."

It does not matter how old or young we are, God still calls.  There is always something yet to do for the good of God and God's people; we should position ourselves as those ready and wiling to do the bidding of the Lord.  May this be reflected in our lives today.

PRAYER:  Loving God, as we pray, we pray for openness to Your leading.  May Your will be done in my life and the lives of those around me.  Show me my role in all this, and let me fulfill it, for I seek to please only You.  Grant me listening ears and a caring heart; for I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be the prophet (God's mouthpiece) people need to hear today!

Eradio Valverde

That Kind of Week Already?

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For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:5-12)

Dear Friend, I truly trust this finds you well.  And blessed, not stressed.  But if you are stressed and feeling that it is one of "those weeks," I pray that today's Bible passage and devotional speak to your heart and spirit in a positive way!

Being a Christian is not easy; and truly it has never been.  But stop to consider the stress and real threat of death that our early Christian brothers and sisters felt during Paul's day.  The idea of a foreign religion that was not in line with emperor worship meant death. And the Romans had entertaining ideas of how to kill those who opposed them.  The Colosseum in Rome served as a key place to display Roman might against the helpless, and many a Christian met their death in that arena.  Yet, the stresses and pressures of our day are no laughing matter for some.  Paul writes in a loving way, that within those of us who have invited Jesus in as Lord and Savior, we have a great treasure.  We hold that treasure in our bodies, which Paul compares to clay jars.  All this, Paul says, to show that it is not us, but God living in us gives us power to endure and persevere.  Then his famous list that I believe describes us, yes even me, and even you, dear one, from time to time:

Affliction, in all forms; okay, but not crushed.  Pereplexity; maybe, but not despair (And if you are in despair, keep reading and keep praying!).  Persecuted; sometimes, but not ever alone!  Struck down (embarrassed or harassed); but not destroyed.

Our baptism showed our spiritual acceptance of Christ's death as our death so that His life might shine through us, even in the midst of the above.  Christ is that constant hope on the horizon that keeps us going ever forward and upward.  Remember that sailors teach that feelings of seasickness can be eased by focusing on the horizon; for us that is Christ with us as our horizon.

 Dear Reader, please remember we are not alone.  Jesus is with us.  We may feel down, but Jesus is our up.  If you feel you're in a  dark place, Jesus is the light and way out!  Remember that the extraordinary power in our lives is God's, who makes all things new!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, You more than anyone know what we face and we place ourselves in Your loving hands.  I ask a special blessing on this dear reader at this very moment, asking that Your extraordinary power shine through Your presence on whatever challenge or obstacle is the affliction in their life.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  You are the flashlight some really need to see today!

Eradio Valverde

What Would You Do?

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One sabbath He was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way His disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to Him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ And He said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then He said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’ Again He entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched Him to see whether He would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then He said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; He was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him.  (Mark 2:23-3:6)

Good day dear Friend!  I pray the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you this day.  I thank the Lord you are starting your work week with a devotional time.  May this be a time of renewal and refreshing, recharging and redirecting.

As Nellie and I have shared with some of you, during our entire time in Israel we never felt unsafe.  People were friendly, helpful, and welcoming.  The only time we experienced a minor incident was on the Sabat or Sabbath.  Our tour bus was traveling near the Orthodox Jew part of Jerusalem and little Jewish boys were throwing trash cans and filled trash bags onto the road.  When they saw our bus the slide an aluminum barricade in front of us.  We stopped, professor Jack Beck got down to remove it and older youths came to help him shaking their heads as if to say, "These kids!"  The boys were holding to their teaching which we read above, of the sacredness of the Sabbath.  To drive a vehicle on the Sabbath is contrary  to their beliefs; and in my opinion, they were "working" by lifting and throwing cans and bags onto the street.   Jesus encountered this on this day.

The first part of the passage deals with hunger.  What do you do when you're hungry?  What do you do when you're hungry and there's no food easily available?  The day was the Sabbath and the Disciples were hungry.  The only food around was the heads of grain in the fields near where they were walking.  To pluck these heads was considered work.  And work was in violation of the Sabbath observation.  Jesus reminds them of their history, when King David and his men were hungry; they ate sacred bread in the house of God, which was a violation of the Law.  The big question:  Do you go hungry or do you feed yourself on the Sabbath?  Jesus'  response was telling:  The sabbath was made for humankind, and not the other way around.  The day was set aside as a holy day of rest, and God understands when we "violate" such to avoid hunger.  

The second part deals with healing on the Sabbath, which is also considered work.  And, dear one, keep in mind these religious men of Jesus' day spent their entire lives defining and redefining what it mean to work.  As an example, the law said that to dot an i was considered work.  And the defining list went on and on.  Jesus sees the need in a man who is in the house of God.  He has a crippled hand; and the religious men watch Jesus carefully because they knew He was a man of wonders, who had performed miracles of healing and they wanted to see if they could become eyewitnesses to such an act.  They were not disappointed.  Jesus begins the healing by asking a question:  "Is it lawful to do good or do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?"  Notice they kept silent.  This angered Jesus.  They knew the answer but did not want to fall into any trap with Jesus.  Jesus is grieved at the hardness of heart in these so-called religious men and says to the man to stretch out his hand and as he did, it was restored.  The religious men ran out of the house of God to conspire with followers of Herod to make plans on how to destroy Jesus.

You may be saying, no such things exist nowadays!  Wrong.  Some places of worship still abide by laws of dress.  If a man comes in with a cap or hat and does not remove it during worship, some churches may ask them to remove it from their heads.  If a woman comes in with what some might consider inappropriate dress, they might ask the woman to leave.  And it wasn't that long ago, men had to wear suits with ties, and women had to wear dresses.  Thank God, most places have changed.  Most.  Not all.  Would you turn a person away from a possible life-changing experience because of the way they were dressed?  Would you deny someone an eternity with God because they did not know, or did not have, the "appropriate" attire?

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, have mercy on us when we or those around us act like the "religious men" of this passage.  Help us to do what is best and right for You and Yours when it comes to situations like those mentioned above.  Forgive us when we silently judge or criticize; free us for joyful obedience to life-giving and life-affirming decisions.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Do the right thing today and all days!

Eradio Valverde

Those Who Said Yes to Jesus: Priscilla

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There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. (Acts 18:2-3)

Happy Friday, Dear Friend!  My prayers are for you to be blessed on this day and tomorrow and so by Sunday, you'll be bursting with joy and blessings as you enter God's House to worship Him!  Whatever is troubling  or worrying you, turn it over to the Lord.  "Come to me, all who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest."

The passage for today introduces us to a Christian Jewish couple.  They were forced out of Rome by Claudius and his anti-Semitic policy.  As the verse says, this couple, like Paul, were tent-makers.  Any vocation of Christian workers not fully supported by the ministry is called a tent-making ministry.  You may find in some small towns, where a pastor will be a teacher in the schools during the week (that's his or her tent-making ministry), and on Sundays, they preach the Gospel.  This is where the term originated.  

Priscilla is known in some circles, as the first presbyter; fully ordained woman to preach the gospel.  She is also known as the silent author of The Letter to the Hebrews, an awesome book, written in an eloquent style that some believe to be the produce of her hand.  Think of the powerful verses that bless our lives from that letter:  Look at 11:1, for example:  "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen."  And let us not forget, 13:8:  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever."

Priscilla is the diminutive of Prisca and it means "worthy or venerable."  We find her formal name mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:19, when Paul asks to "Greet Prisca and Aquila."  In most other references, she is always mentioned as the wife of Aquila; but together they blessed the early Church as well as the ministry of Jesus through Paul.  It is believed she was converted to Christianity in Rome, and even though expelled because of her heritage that only served to strengthen her faith.  She and her husband arrive in Corinth and there they meet Apollos, an eloquent preacher and speaker, but he did not yet know the way of Christ.  He was a follower of John the Baptist and his teachings, and it was Priscilla who instructed him in the knowledge of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, making him a more effective evangelist for the sake of Jesus.

Many have noted that the zeal of Priscilla and her husband, bless many in the knowledge that together they were one in their faith in Jesus.  They worked together for the sake of God's work in Jesus.  Others have noted that they were one in marital bliss.  Their love of Christ fueled their love for one another and made their lives stronger.  They were also one in their secular occupation as tentmakers.  They worked side by side and even allowed Paul in to work with them.  Eventually, they opened their home for other believers starting a house church where the faith was shared with new believers.

Here's our take-away from this amazing woman of faith:  A strong, solid faith in Jesus Christ will see you through any thing, including a forced deportation by a government who opposes and despised you.  A strong, solid shared faith with your spouse blesses them and you, and ultimately those who know you.  A strong, exciting faith in Jesus will allow you to open your home and heart to others in the hope they that too, can come into faith in Jesus Christ.  

We do not know how they died, but Paul knew they stood with him even as he died, citing they "risked their necks" in trying to save him.  But one thing we know, their love for God through Jesus and love of God's people assured them a place in the eternal kingdom of God.

PRAYER:  Loving God, let me where I am right now, serve You.  I should not wait for things to get better or easier, to enter into dedicated, committed service to You and yours.  Anoint me with Your Spirit that I may bring wonderful blessings all around me.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Start blessing God right now with what you have!

Eradio Valverde

Give Unto the Lord!

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  Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. (Psalm 29 King James Version)

May the blessings of the Lord be with you today, dear Friend, is my prayer.  Today's passage is from the Psalms and it is displayed above in the King James Version.  If you compare it to a more modern version, you will see the word "ascribe" as in "ascribe to the Lord" instead of give unto the Lord. I thought it would be better to have a sense of our responsibility towards the Lord in the giving sense, rather than in "attributing" to God. 

As forgiven and blessed people, our hearts should be brimming with gratitude and love towards God.  David's heart seemed to be in that way most of his life.  From his days in the pasture to his day in the palace, he was ON when it came to giving God glory and honor.  And as he reflected on this, he wrote it down.  Consider it a To Do List of gratitude towards God:

(Check all that apply):  Give God glory!  (check?) Give God your strength! (check?) Give God glory to His Name! Give God worship in the beauty of His holiness! Hear God's voice in the waters! Hear God's voice in the thunder! Hear the power in God's voice! Hear the majesty in God's voice! Recognize that God's voice can break cedar trees! Know that God can make those same trees skip like calves! Know that God's voice can divide the flames of fire! Hear as God's voice shakes the wilderness! Know that God's voice brings forth new life! Know that God is present in all things, even floods! Know that the Lord is King for ever! Receive the strength God gives you! Receive the blessings of peace that God will give you!

I don't know about you, but this brings a blessing to my heart about what God has, is, and will do, for you and me.  And that makes my heart glad!

Dear one, may your day reflect these blessings in a way that blesses others!

PRAYER:  Loving God, receive my gratitude and praise.  May this day be a blessing that blesses so many.  Help me in hearing and seeing and saying all that blesses You.  This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be a blessing today!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER UPDATE:  Our brother, Mr. Bill Meadows underwent a successful heart Cath and nothing more was required.  Join Bill and many as we give thanks to God!  Pray for one another.  Pray for yourself that you may be an ever-growing blessings to God and God's work!

Here I Am! Send Me!

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In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne - high, exalted! - and the train of his robes filled the Temple. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew." And they called back and forth one to the other, Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies. His bright glory fills the whole earth. The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. I said, "Doom! It's Doomsday! I'm as good as dead! Every word I've ever spoken is tainted - blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I've looked God in the face! The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!" Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said, "Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out."  And then I heard the voice of the Master: "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" I spoke up, "I'll go. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:1-8 The Message)

Good day dear Friend; I'm sitting here early morning with two of my granddaughters, one of whom, Ada, said, "Today is going to be a beautiful day!"  I replied, "Yes, it is; it will be a beautiful day!"  She of course pointed out that it was dark outside and asked when morning would come.  I said in a few minutes, then the hopeful thing she said.  I pray that it is a beautiful day for you.

This is a powerful passage from the prophet Isaiah.  He shares a vision he had on a sad occasion; the death of a beloved king, King Uzziah.  I still remember clearly my Old Testament professor saying that we as Americans did not have a full understanding of what it is to serve under a monarchy; and all that comes with it.  I think we've bridged that gap a bit with the reaction and reception of the Royal Wedding last Saturday.  I think we're getting the picture, almost.  The death of a beloved king is something we may never fully understand, but the death of JFK and others have impacted our memories.  Yet, even in the mourning that came with that death of King Uzziah, Isaiah was lifted up to the heavens to see God sitting on a throne as He was being worshipped by the angels who attend to His court.  This made the prophet even more afraid of being in God's presence.  His reaction might be ours as well; to find our unclean selves in the presence of the holy God, will make us immediately reconsider who we are and what we've done.  In this version, he thinks to words that he has said, "every word I've ever spoken is tainted- blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate.  And here I've looked God in the face!"  Whoa.  You and I don't need to wait to stand before God to take inventory of our lives and some of the things we have said or done.  We know we're guilty most days, and we stand in need of forgiveness.  Isaiah's mouth was touched with a coal and proclaimed clean - you and I have been touched by God's grace and we've been proclaimed clean too as we confess our sins to the Lord.  

The Lord then shared the need for someone to go and speak truth to all; the prophet replies immediately, after his cleansing and says, "Here I am; send me!" (NRS Version). This reminds me of the hymn we sometimes sing, "I the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame, I will set a feast for them, My hand will save. Finest bread I will provide, till their hearts are satisfied, I will give my life to them, whom shall I send?  Here I am, Lord; is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.  I will go, Lord, if you lead me; I will hold Your people in my heart."  Many a life has been touched and changed because of that song; and many who have said Yes to the Lord as they follow Him into active ministry in all walks of life.

Do you feel you have something that's keeping you from following the Lord?  Here's the good news:  That sin is as good as forgiven the instant you confess and turn it over to Him.  Why carry extra baggage around that Christ died for over 2,000 years ago?  Give it to Him.  And then give yourself to Him.

PRAYER:  Loving God, we confess we stand in need of forgiveness.  Like the prophet we have said or thought words that were not worthy of Your approval.  Forgive us and make us new.  Let us hear clearly Your voice as we seek to be guided by You as we minister and serve among Your people.  Let our lives say, "Here I am, send me!"  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  It will be a beautiful day with you serving the Lord today!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUEST:  We ask for prayers this morning for Mr. Bill Meadows who is undergoing a heart Cath in San Antonio.  We pray that all go well and whatever is troubling Bill be corrected this morning.  Pray for his wife, Cheryl, and all who pray for Bill this morning.  Pray for one another.  And, pray for yourself!

There Are Things to Do & Places to Go!

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So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life.God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.  And we know we are going to get what's coming to us - an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him! (Romans 8:12-17 The Message Version)

Dear Friend, may the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and all days is my prayer for you.  Today's passage is from the Letter to the Romans, but it has been called The Gospel According to Saint Paul, for in it he shares the good news about Jesus to the people in the capital city of world at that time.  Paul's excitement for Jesus never waned, and it is evident as you read through this exciting book.

The Message Version of the Bible is a modern paraphrase edition of the Bible, with phrases and words that bring an extra dimension to God's word.  The title for today's devotional comes from verse 14 and shares Paul's excitement over a Spirit-led life.  Being a reader in the city of Rome was like being one in a city like New York or Las Vegas.  You can go only so many blocks and temptation hits you in the face; it is very easy to please the desires of the flesh in most major cities, or any city or town for that matter; but Paul calls us out of that way of thinking in the first verse:  "We don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent."  Do it yourself makes me blush for I think of that one time out of many, when I took on a fix-it situation at one of our parsonages.  That experiment took about 15 trips back and forth from the hardware store.  I expected them to call me by name each time I returned!  I am not a fix-it-yourself type of guy, nor am I when it comes to spiritual things.  I am powerless and weak, as are you; we need God to come in and do it for us, which He did through Jesus Christ.  He took our old life and crucified it with Him on the cross and gave us a new life. He took our raggedy sins and buried them - ain't no use "grave-tending" as Paul's says.  We have a resurrection life!  "It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike 'What's next, Papa?'"  My dad was one of those type dads.  He never was one to fully or thoroughly explain where we were going; get into the car or pack your suitcase was all we needed to hear, and off we went. Whether it was a Sunday drive or a visit to Walt Disney World the very first summer it was open; we were on an adventure. 

God's Holy Spirit had made those of us who have asked, children of the Most High.  God is our Father and we are His Children by simply asking and believing; then getting busy with the things we need to do and ready for the next places we are to visit.  "What an unbelievable inheritance!"  Paul said.  Hard times will only lead to good; difficult times will be easier to face, knowing and trusting that Jesus is with us.

Are you packed and ready?  Are you excited?  I am!

PRAYER:  Loving Father, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit.  Make me a child of Yours.  Bless me with the excitement that comes from faithful obedience to following you.  Help me do what things you have asked of me; and as the journey continues, "what's next, Papa?"  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  You have an adventure waiting!

Eradio Valverde

Nick at Nite: You Must Be Born Again!

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There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:1-17 King James Version)

Good day, dear Friend!  May this first day of the work week find you well rested, blessed, and ready to go!  (One out of three ain't bad, huh?)  What was the version of the Bible you used when growing up?  Some of you are new to the Bible and that's great!  And you probably know by now the Bible comes in many versions.  If, like me, you grew up in the 50s, your version would have been the King James Bible, in what many call "King James" English; and so for today only, I chose to share today's text in KJV.  This is a well-known passage and it contains many truths which we will try to cover in a single morning's devotional.

The first part of the title comes from a channel my daughters grew up watching.  Nickelodeon after a certain hour would become Nick at Nite.  We even were in a taping of a series called Nickelodeon's GUTS; we were in the audience and we had to yell out, "Guts!" when prompted.  Nellie and I had no clue about the show and I tend to forget what we yelled out.  Or, maybe it was a bad dream...  The "Nick" in this story was an important man named Nicodemus.  He was intrigued and perhaps convicted by what he heard and saw Jesus do.  We know he became a believer in Jesus later, and this meeting with our Lord set the stage for that conversion.  He grants Jesus that He had to be sent by God, "for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."  Correct.  Jesus further says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Whoa!  Nick is thrown for a loop!  "How can a man be born when he is old?"  Jesus explains that one must be born of water and the spirit to understand the things of God.  Nick knew something wasn't happening inside the Temple as should have been happening; the miracles and solid, strong teachings were happening outside, with Jesus.  Thus, the meeting.  

Jesus reveals that God is a Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  And Jesus further shares one of the keystone verses of His ministry: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, what whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And the verse right after that is also key:  "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."  Boom!  The Gospel in two sentences, 49 words in this version.  God's desire is to have a loving, living relationship with everyone for all eternity (a relationship that will not end for any reason!).  And if it took Jesus dying on a cross, that's what God paid.  And condemnation comes from us, not from God.  Many ask, "How can a loving God send people to Hell?"  The answer: God desires relationship, we choose independence and freedom and the condemnation comes from us; we send ourselves to an enteral separation from God.

This passage, dear one, fits in to the celebration the Church had yesterday.  God sent His Holy Spirit to carry on the work of His Son.  The Spirit, as Jesus explains, helps in that new birth; from earthly and carnal, to spiritual and divine; from temporary to eternal understanding of all things.  And with the Spirit, there is no telling where the Spirit will lead us.  In other words, come to faith, then buckle your seat belt, the ride of a lifetime is starting and you're not driving - God is!  

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, bless the life of this dear reader in ways they do not expect. I pray the joy of an adventure come their way in their journey of faithfulness and fruitfulness.  Bless them in overflowing ways that their joy and love would bless everyone, especially those no one else wants or sees.  Thank You, loving Father, for not only seeing us, but loving us and helping us know we matter to You.  We pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Buckle that seat belt and enjoy the ride!  

Eradio Valverde

Those Who Said Yes to Jesus: Thomas

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Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’ (John 11:16)

Dear Friend, Joyous Friday! Here's praying this finds you blessed and praying this will add to your blessings to overflow, that you may bless others.

Some believe this is the first introduction to Thomas. The first three gospels have Thomas in the list of disciples, but it is John's gospel that gives us an introduction to this man. Some scholars believe that Thomas was also known as Judas the Twin, for this is found in Mark 6:3, and some legends hold that Thomas was a brother to Jesus. We can almost rule that out, however, but we know Thomas by the above declaration that he believed in Jesus enough that he was willing to die with Him. He's also a pessimist, for he saw that returning back to be with Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, was a sure-death scenario but he is willing to die. We know that Thomas was easily bewildered; the days of the Upper Room, he is here and there, and absent when he should have been present. It's in John 14 that he declares he does not know the "way" Jesus is referring to, which leads Jesus to declare, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

We know, or we may be, like Thomas, a man who never had an unasked question. And some suggest that that is precisely the way to not having doubt. But, Thomas was and is, called the Doubter, for his absence that day when the Risen Jesus made His appearance, he was not there and declares he would not believe anything unless he saw with his own eyes and touched with his own fingers the wounds of Jesus. His absence may have been his way of mourning the death of Jesus. But, we know he was a man of great faith; when the resurrected Jesus returns and asks Thomas to touch His wounds, Thomas makes one of the greatest declarations in the gospels: "My Lord, and my God." (John 20:26-28).

Legends about Thomas place him in Parthia, an independent kingdom that stretched from the Indus to the Tigris, and from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea. The Romans feared the Parthians! Legend also places Thomas in India. He made a difference in some regions of that country, baptizing many, and even said to have ordained seven priests, and founded two churches (not bad for a doubter!). Another legend has him in China with great success, but ultimately returning to India, where he was murdered by a lance. I have shared that his impact was so strong that some people took the surname Thomas as proof of his influence, notably, Danny Thomas, whose faith led him to start St. Jude's Hospital to work with sick children. His daughter, Marlo Thomas continues her dad's work. I even had a seminary classmate from India whose surname was Thomas.

One of Thomas' prayers has him saying, "I thank Thee, O Lord, in all things, that thou didst die for a little space that I might live for ever in thee, and that Thou hast sold me that by me thou mightest set many free."

One source says of Thomas, "No one was ever less of a 'stained-glass saint' than Thomas. Thomas' first reaction not to do what he was told to do, and not to believe what he was asked to believed." Yet, he lived and died a life of obedience to his faith in Jesus Christ. His greatest discovery was what you and I have made, and if not yet, will make: By ourselves, everything is impossible, but with God, nothing is impossible.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless us in ways that bless others with our faith and actions that speak of Your greatness. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Don't worry about being in stained-glass; be one whose image is in the hearts of those you bless today!

Eradio Valverde

Send Forth Thy Spirit & Renew the Face of the Earth

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O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide,creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. These all look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; may the Lord rejoice in his works— who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:24-34, 35b)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend!  I pray God's rich and wonderful blessings upon you and your day today and all days.  I thank you for your prayers for my dear friend, Rev. Thom Elliott.  Yesterday morning about 11:30 he was called home.  I know he's in Glory and rejoicing with the Lord and those whom he loved and loved him.  It's sad for many of us who loved and appreciated Thom and his sense of humor, serious, deep poetic prayers and thoughts, and his smile.  Thank you, Lord, for sharing people like Thom in our lives.

This is a Pentecost psalm that sums up almost every aspect of life.  It's a psalm of praise, thanking God for all God has made; and for the limited understanding we have about creation even now, but sufficient to say, "God, You are awesome!"  I marveled at how the psalmist wrote about the deep, thinking, "How did he know about the Leviathan if he was not a scuba diver?"  And I answered my own question, duh, I've seen a whale come up for air and disappear as quickly as it appeared; surely the psalmist made a trip or two to the Mediterranean sea!  But, the verses that I love are the ones directly tied to the power of God's Holy Spirit:  "When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground."  Even among the dry bones in a dry desert, as we studied yesterday, God can bring life.  And it is new life.  As winter ended, so did the dryness and brown earth on my drive from home to work; as spring arrived, the dryness was replaced by the lush greenness of new life in the grass, trees, flowers, plants!  Yes, it made me want to sing praises to the Lord.  May we have the spirit and joy of this writer, who desired nothing more than to sing and praise God for God's goodness, dedicating all he did to the glory of God.  May it be the same for you, dear one and me!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, for Your goodness and beauty we are so thankful.  For the renewal of the earth by Your Spirit we are constantly needful.  Bring forth newness of spirit and life in me, and let me have the spirit that sings Your praises always and everywhere; for You are worthy of my praise.  Bless us to be a blessing to others.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Dear Reader, be renewed in your heart in a joyful way today!

Eradio Valverde

Dem Bones!

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The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’  (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Dear Friend; don't you love autocorrect, or Otto Korect as some call it?  I had to type in the title twice and you can guess why.  If you cannot, well, think of the structure that holds water back; something beavers build...  Let me begin with a special prayer request.  My very dear friend and longtime colleague in ministry, The Rev. Thom C. Elliott is near death.  He has been bleeding throughout the night and his nurse says he may be brain dead.  Please pray for his comfort and safe passage from this life to the presence of the Lord.  Please also pray for his children, Eric and Bekah.  Bekah is at Thom's side and Eric is coming this morning with his mother, Kathy.  Rev. Elliott is very special to my life and ministry as he is to Nellie.  We've known Thom for some 38 years.  

The above passage is powerful.  You probably heard it or read it and may have heard a sermon or two about it.  And the title is from an old spiritual from the 1920s.  I'm attaching a kid's video from YouTube below so you can see and hear it.  As ancient as this passage is, the truth and power behind it is still as relevant as it was when the prophet heard it and recorded it from God.  In the midst of death, God can bring life through His Holy Spirit.  And not only bringing bodies back to life, but to raise up an entire army to do what God needs done.  This passage came during a hopeless period in Israel's history.  The only thing being done was to dig up graves for those who were dying.  And this was in the physical and spiritual sense.  But, isn't it like God, to speak a word of hope during the hopeless times?  And as we celebrate the power and presence of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and present today for our Church, can we not preach and share the same thing?  To sum up, we can say, God is not through with us yet.  The resurrected, Spirit-filled and Spirit-led army is needed to battle sin.  The Spirit brings hope and strength and leads us to share that with those who need it the most.  As I said in yesterday's devotional, this is the work of the Church.  We, as the Church, are to be that army, resurrected from despair and doubt, from defeat and desperation, to strength, hope, and victory.  Our message is one that can reach those not yet in relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Think about your personal situation.  Do you feel as if you're walking in a dry desert?  The greenery has faded to brown and died?  You have a thirst that seems you can never quench, and a hunger that needs satisfying?  You look around and you see the bones of failed attempts for life?  This seems like the last chapter of most movies or novels; but it is but the beginning scene of new life as shared by God.  Countless have been the testimonies of those who thought all was lost, but God stepped in, and new life and new purpose and meaning came to those; and this has become their story.  And this can be your story as well.

PRAYER:  Loving God, in the midst of death, bring life.  In the heart of despair, bring hope.  In the dryness of times, bring the floods of Your grace, and raise us up so that we can raise others up.  Father, I pray for Your will to be done in the life of Thom; bring comfort and peace to those who love him.  Receive my thanks for a faithful witness and life dedicated to Your service.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Even in the face of death, hope arises; let it flow over you today!

Eradio Valverde

The Church is Born; For ALL People (No Exceptions)

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When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’ 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. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: “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. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:1-21)

Good day dear Friend!  Praying this finds you well and ready for today and all its opportunities to serve God and to do good for all people!  This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, and the above passage tells why the Church celebrates it; it's the Church's birthday and as we will read, it was meant for ALL people.

Pentecost for the Jews was a feast day.  It was a religious and cultural day.  In their history, it was the day celebrating the receiving of the law by Moses for the people of God.  In a very real way, it was like Thanksgiving and Memorial Day mixed into one.  Those Jews who could afford it, would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate this day in the Temple. The disciples were in the Upper Room perhaps preparing to join other Jews in the Temple when it happened.  It is unexplainable, as most of God's things are; It was compared to the rushing of a forceful wind, gale force and then the appearance of fire, in tongues, that rested on each of the twelve; and the 12 were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues they did not know; those from those countries whose language they were speaking became amazed at what they heard.  The list is there:  Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesoptamians, Judeans, Cappadocians, Pontusians, and Asians; Phyrigians, Pamphylians, Egyptians and Libyans, Romans, Cretans and Arabs.  Notice how the list includes enemies of the Jews?  Though these were Jews so they were friendly towards each other, but you do notice the inclusive way that God chose to involve all.  For each of the disciples in a foreign tongue, spoke about God's great deeds of power.  Those who heard it asked "What does this mean?"  Those who did not understand; and isn't it always the ignorant who choose to turn things around?  The language says, "God has, and is, doing amazing things in our midst!"  and they say, "These guys are drunk on cheap wine!"  Nope.  Peter stands and defends this, "These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning."  (Yep, some of you are thinking, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere!"  Wrong!).  Peter explains it as the fulfillment of prophecy as the prophet Joel had said:  "God will pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh, your sons and daughters shall prophesy; young men will dream dreams.  Slaves, male and female, all will have the Spirit poured out on them and they shall tell of the works of God."  And, don't miss the important part: "Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

How do our churches look like today?  I thank God, some look inclusive, involving all kinds of people.  The strangers are welcomed and made to feel at home.  Some even sing in other languages, without fear of anger or criticism from critics. Someone once said, "God uses whatever it takes, to reach all that He can, and so should the Church!"  Is it music that should be appealing to younger people?  Then start clapping and swaying!  Is it the old, faithful hymns?  Then, fire up the organ and piano!  Is it sermons and messages that speak to the truth of situations and the hearts of people?  Then, preach it, sister/brother!  Does it take open hearts, open to the way God may work in your old church?  Then pray that God open YOUR heart, and then ask for the hearts of others to open as well.  Then, run, go and tell someone of the great things that God is doing in your midst!

PRAYER:  Loving God, as we prepare for this Sunday, open MY heart.  You know better than I, what needs to change and be thrown out; make me receptive to Your moving amongst us, but let it begin with me.  As we celebrate that which happened years ago, as we celebrate Heritage Sunday, remind us that new blank pages are ever before us on which to write something new and great that God wants to do NOW.  Receive this prayer of faith that we lift up in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Open your heart right now to the love of God, then give it away!

Eradio Valverde

Never Alone!

Image from agnusday.org

‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. ‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.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. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15)

Dear Friend, here's trusting you had a great weekend and you're about ready to face the work week filled with God's Holy Spirit.  This coming Sunday is yet another big Sunday in the life of the Church; Pentecost!  May these scriptures prepare us for that celebration, and for the work that Pentecost calls for us to do!

Jesus prepared His disciples for the coming and the work of the Holy Spirit.  In this gospel, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, Advocate.  The Message version has Jesus calling the Holy Spirit, Friend. Both sound good to me; an advocate speaks on your behalf in a positive way, and a friend does as well.  As Jesus was sharing this, He knew His time was coming and there was still much the disciples did not know, and the coming of the Holy Spirit would equip them for the work still needed to be done.  Keep in mind that Jesus also calls the Spirit, "the Spirit of Truth," sent by the Father to continue the testimony about Jesus.  The disciples were to continue their work as witnesses to what they had seen in Jesus, and to continue the work Jesus outlines:  Teach the world the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgement.  In truth, the world still has these three all wrong:  Sin is no big deal, according to the world.  Our pulpits, for the most part, are silent about sin; and judgement is something no one worries about because we're too busy.  Jesus says the biggest sin is the lack of faith in Him.  Righteousness because the world cares more about appearance and success and not about Jesus; and judgement because the one in charge of the world has messed up the first two, but his time is almost over.  The devil has had his day; it's God's turn now.

We are not now, or ever, alone.  We have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit with us.  The Spirit helps us know, if we ask, the truth about all things.  He is ready to instruct and guide those who ask.  He is ready to equip and strengthen us for the work the Lord expects from us.  Together, we must glorify the Lord in ways that bring others to knowing Him.

PRAYER:  Loving God, fill me with your Holy Spirit.  May the Spirit guide me to Thy way and Thy work.  Help me to glorify You in all things that I do, say, and think today.  This I ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great day in the Lord!  Be led by the Holy Spirit!

Eradio Valverde

Those Who Said Yes to Jesus: Salome the Righteous

Image from catholicteen15.blogspot.com

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you."  So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8)

Good day dear Friend, this is the Matinee edition of ConCafe as I was in San Antonio very early this morning for a special breakfast with the mother of my girls; and then she had an early appointment with a foot surgeon who recommends surgery for my bride.  Please keep her in your prayers.  We are praying and reflecting and we will call Monday to schedule it if that's what we believe is best.

An early Happy Mother's Day to the moms in this group.  We thank God for and appreciate and value all women!  And in honor of special women in Jesus' life, this one truly had a special place. There are two Salome's in the Bible, though one is unnamed and we read what she did in Mark 6.  She was basically the dancer of death; at the end of her dance she asked for the head of John the Baptist.  We won't spend more time on her.

Salome was a mother.  In fact, her sons are more well known than her.  We know them as the "sons of Zebedee."  Yes, she was the mother of James and John, and she was the one who believed in her sons' mission so much, she approached Jesus to ask that each of her boys sit on Jesus' right and left.  That gives us a partial insight into her character, but also about her belief in the mission and ministry of Jesus.  She believed Jesus would do something big, and she believed her sons should have a role or part in that.  She becomes a follower of Jesus in her own right.  She sees in Jesus what her sons first saw, and she is counted in the number of the 125 followers Jesus had at the time of His death.  

Some legends make Salome the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, but we are not sure is that is true or not.  But we do know that she and Mary followed Jesus throughout His ministry, become part of the new who discover that the tombs, in deed, empty; eyewitnesses of the Resurrection.

Her name, some have said, comes from the same family as the Hebrew greeting of Shalom and even the Arabic, Salaam.  The word Shalom goes beyond just meaning peace; it means to greet one with shalom means to bless their entire well-being.  And it was in coming to know Jesus, that Salome and her sons came to know true peace through He who is the Prince of Peace. 

It was that peace that gave Salome the strength to offer to be one of the women to properly prepare Jesus' body for burial.  She, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary came, as the text above says, to anoint Jesus; questions about who would roll away the stone for them were answered when they saw the stone already moved.  They encounter "a young man, dressed in a white robe," who shares the news that Jesus has been raised.  Salome joined the others in sharing the good news with others.

PRAYER:  Loving God, share with us the grace, peace, faith and strength of Salome.  Let us be people desiring to advance the cause of Your kingdom with all who will listen.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Give love away to all people!

Eradio Valverde

Get Your Worship On!

Image from keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk

Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo! Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs! God Most High is stunning, astride land and ocean. He crushes hostile people, puts nations at our feet. He set us at the head of the line, prize-winning Jacob, his favorite. Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain, a ram's horn blast at the summit. Sing songs to God, sing out! Sing to our King, sing praise! He's Lord over earth, so sing your best songs to God. God is Lord of godless nations - sovereign, he's King of the mountain. Princes from all over are gathered, people of Abraham's God. The powers of earth are God's - he soars over all. (Psalm 47 The Message)

Happy Thursday, Dear Friend!  I pray it is so for you.  I also pray God's blessings as we study His word for today.  The version of the Bible for today is The Message, a modern paraphrase by Eugene Peterson.  I figured since the title is a bit modern, so should the version be.

The moon out this morning is awesome!  I went with my daughter Carli, for our daily 4 a.m. walk/run.  As we ran I couldn't take my eyes off the moon.  I thought about the ancients and their fascination with it, leading some to believe it was a god.  Then I thought of the wisdom of our forebears who put the Bible together, who knew that while creation is beautiful and awesome; the One who created it all is worthy of our praise.  And as I thought that, and saw the moon, I said, Praise You, Lord!  

Our church is doing a 30-Day Challenge, a sermon series and small group starter by Outreach.com.  The five weeks associated with this program center around a weekly theme.  This week's is Community and how important it is to find, form, or belong to a small group community.  Next week's is on worship.  This psalm is all about worship.  I don't know your tradition(s); but I pray you're open to many ways to praise God.  I love the old hymns, and I love the new worship songs that I hear on the radio and that we sing in our contemporary worship.  I love the King James version of the Bible, for it was the one I was raised on; but I like the Revised Standard as that was my college and seminary Bible for classes.  I love the New Revised Standard Version, and the New International Version; and I love the seemingly hundreds available online.  They are not the object of my worship; God is.  Neither are the songs or hymns; still God.  Neither is the way others dress for church; God still.  My main purpose in being and leading and participating in worship is God. The psalmist loved God. This version has us almost seeing the young king clapping his hands in worship to the Lord.  We can also hear him singing his praises to God; all from his thankful heart.  He loved God so much and saw God in all that he saw that he composed the psalms, which are really poetic lists of the attributes of God.  Do you have a list?

My prayer dear one, is that we begin to praise God right now, right where we are as we read this.  It doesn't have to be out loud, but it should start in your heart as you reflect on God's goodness.  Make a list of the things that are so awesome that you're blessed by them and led by them to praise God again and again.  My list would contain the sight of the moon in its many phases, but it would include those near and dear to me, the awe and wonder of children, especially the ones who bear the title "grand."  It would include my church and pastor and those who make it up.  What does you list contain?

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, I applaud You as part of my praise.  In my heart I am singing (loudly!) the songs that come to me as I want to shout out You deserve all praise.  Yours is the power and the glory, and the kingdom here and the one to come, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Get your worship on!  (That's away from the OFF switch!)

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUEST AND UPDATES:  The Rev. Thom Elliott underwent successful surgery yesterday to correct perforated intestines.  He's in ICU and needs our prayers for recovery.  We received and were blessed by an unexpected praise report from Jerry Fogle, whose doctor has told him the treatments for his cancer are working and at this rate, he may live another ten years!  I visited Bernice Heldarsen and she's recovering well, as is Debbie Robinson, whom I visited yesterday.  Pray for one another; pray for your pastor(s) and your church.  

You Matter! We've Saved a Place for You!

Image from livinglutheran.org

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:15-17, 21-26)

Good day dear friend!  My prayer is that you have been blessed by waking up, and more blessed as you read God's word for today.

Since childhood I have loved music.  I remember my mom buying 45's (Kids, ask you parents what 45's are; they're not guns!) for herself and among her favorites, and mine, was The Rooftop Singers, "Walk Right In."  I remember hearing another song on the radio and asking Mom to buy me the 45 for "This Diamond Ring."  I had no idea what the song was about, but I knew the words and could sing along to it.  I was pleased when she said the singer was the son of Jerry Lewis, one of my favorite comedic actors.  This led to the harder stuff; Beatles and Rolling Stones.  The Beatles' lineup stayed constant and in reality would not have been The Beatles had they swapped out members (Yes, Pete Best was ousted as drummer right as they signed a record deal; but would the Beatles have been The Beatles without Ringo?).  The Stones lost a key member early on through a drowning; and immediately they replaced Brian Jones with Mick Taylor.  Later, Mick decided being a Rolling Stone was no fun and quit the groups.  He was replaced by Ron Wood.  The articles in the day said that Ron would not be entitled to full sharing of the group's earnings from that point on because he had not been an original member.  A couple of years later, they changed their mind and Ronnie was a fully-paid Stone.  The bass player, Bill Wyman married a 15 year old who demanded he quit the group and the gentleman who replaced him is never listed by name on anything...

The Twelve in this passage find themselves short of the required Jewish Twelve.  Judas "turned aside to go to his own place," and the passage says they gathered to replace him.  The number of Jesus' followers, meaning the regular entourage numbered 125; from that group two names were proposed.  What an honor to be among those proposed.  Barsabbas, also known as Justus, and a man named Matthias.  By the casting of lots, Matthias was added to the 12.  We don't know much about either man, but suffice it to know they loved and followed Jesus and their works among the 12 were worthy of their consideration for discipleship membership.

Our question:  Would your lives, actions, words, thoughts, qualify us for consideration among the 11?  Would your name have been proposed as one of the names?  Worry not; your name is already among the followers; more importantly, your name is written in the Book of Life which is what truly counts.  You matter to God, and your faith has saved you a place among all followers.  Please keep in mind this is a place of responsibility not privilege; work is expected from you; sharing the Good News, serving others, giving generously to the work needed among other believers, etc.  But you matter to God.

Our task then is to make this day as a day that makes history for the Lord.  What you say, what you think, what you do; may all these count in favor of growing the number of people who come to faith because of you.

PRAYER:  Loving Father, shower us with Your blessings in ways that bless You and Yours.  Help us to do that which shows we matter to You and that our work is important here on the Earth.  May we write history as we show our love and devotion for You; in Christ Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Tell someone today that they matter to God!

Eradio Valverde

"Bring in the Next Witness"

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If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:9-13)

Dear Friend, the worries from yesterday ended at 12 midnight.  Today is a new day; you're starting your day in God's word; God is with you - Let's conquer the world for His sake!

If you're like me, you dislike getting those pesky notices in the mail announcing, because they're not inviting or asking, that you've been selected to serve on jury duty.  I especially dislike these when I'm brand new to a county/city.  "Where do I go?  Where do I park?  Will I be selected?  What would Liz Lemon do?"  What's even more uncomfortable is being a witness in a court proceeding.  Yes, I've had to do that on more than one occasion.  A divorce with child custody in question are the worst.  You must share testimony that the party who summoned you would benefit from.  In other words, your testimony is important.  In our church, we vowed to support the church not only with our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service, but also with our witness.  It's important that Christ be seen in us as we live our lives for our testimony to Christ doesn't always involve words.

But did you know God is a witness too?  God has given testimony that He shared with His Son, Jesus Christ.  And God's testimony "is greater" than human testimony.  Here is God's testimony:  "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."  Who's going to argue with that?  In fact, we are called to give witness to this cause. I chose the title because in the old Perry Mason show and other dramas, many times those words were the clue that the "next witness" would solve the case once and for all, and the innocent would go free.  Our witness may free those captive to sin; our witness may shine light in the darkness, and bring hope to the hopeless.  It's that important.  

Live a life that gives witness for YOU, Dear one, are the next witness.  Speak lovingly and clearly; share the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

PRAYER:  Loving Father, bless the witness of this dear reader as well as mine.  Give us the words of life and light, love and hope that we may share that which bring abundant life to all.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Raise your right hand: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?  You're the next witness!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUEST:  May we continue our prayers for Rev. Thom Elliott in the hospital in Austin.  Nellie and I visited Thom yesterday. Thom is a retired pastor, a fine gentleman and servant of God, and a dear friend to Nellie and I.  We have known Thom since 1980, almost as long as she and I have been married!  He needs our prayers.  Mr. Dane Sullivan is home and his plan is to be in church on Sunday!  Dane is a man of great faith!  Prayers for his continued recovery!  Pray for one another.  And pray for yourself.  God needs a great witness from you today!

Is Jesus' Joy Complete in You?

Image from agnusday.org

 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:6-19)

Great day, Dear Friend!  I pray this is but the start of many blessings for a great day and a wonderful work week!  

I remember when we were children we sang a lot in my church.  We sang in Kingsville, and sang even more in Houston.  One of my favorites was "I've got the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart?  Where?  Down in my heart!" and it would be repeated until we'd sing the refrain, "And I'm so happy, so very happy; I've got the love of Jesus in my heart (down in my heart), and I'm so happy so very happy; I've got the love of Jesus in my heart."  Some years later, a genius thinker added, "I've got that chicken-eatin' Methodism down in my heart," and all was well with the world!  And the Bible writer says in Nehemiah 8:10: "Do not be grieved for the joy of the LORD is your strength."  In this passage you read above, Jesus is talking to God the Father.  In it, He's revealing a lot to us about what was in His heart at this point of His life.  But it is important to note that Jesus was full of joy; and His desire was for those who believe and follow Him should have their joy complete in Him.  The reason is that Jesus has given us God's word, namely the good news about God's love and desire to be in relationship with God.  We belong to God and God's desire is to sanctify us (make us holy) and bless and protect us from the evil one.  And because of all this, we are sent into the world to bring others in.  

At the close of yesterdays' service a guest to our church looked for me and shared with me her story and the great needs she has in her life.  She explained she was from another city and the UM church there, but the people there have yet to welcome and speak to her; and the pastor would not listen nor help her with her problems.  I share this knowing there is another side to her story and I will not judge my brother in ministry; but do wonder how joyful a church we truly are.  The challenge is to love one another, with no exceptions.  If we are to have our joy complete, then we should share our joy and our love with all people.  I even asked our church during the pastoral prayer to add to their prayer, the one taught us by Rev. Jorge Acevedo of Florida, "Lord, send us those no one wants or sees."  Pray that prayer and let it sink in your heart and soul.  Hard to believe, but there are some who don't want certain people, and even sadder still; some who don't even see certain people.  If we are sanctified people of the Lord, we are to be like Christ, seeing and welcoming all.

PRAYER:  Gracious Heavenly Father, make our joy complete in You by filling us with love, compassion, drive and passion to be truly sanctified follower and servants of Yours.  Open our eyes and hearts to see and welcome all by our actions and words to the Kingdom that welcomes all people, even you and me; we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Share the joy of the Lord with your life and words.

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUEST:  Dear ones, please add to your prayers, the health of The Rev. Thom C. Elliott, who is in ICU in Austin.  Thom has had numerous rough years because of illness; pray for his healing and deliverance from this.  Pray for one another in the name of Jesus our Lord.  Make God's joy complete in your prayers and actions!