Worthy is the Lamb!

Image from freedombikerchurchfayetteville.com

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:11-14)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! I pray this find you well and enjoying the day! I saw on social media yesterday a hilarious post: "Eww, Monday, who invited you??" I pray Tuesday is better received in your life today.

Our passage for today takes us into the future as revealed to John the disciple on a Sunday morning on the Island of Patmos. Exiled for his faith, it was on the day he would normally be in church worshiping God, that God came to visit him and reveal to him the things that were to come. This coming September, Lord willing, yours truly will be on that island with the group going to Greece with me. This is the last week to sign up! May 3rd is when we need to know if you've been guided to join us! (Wow, what a bold move, Pastor!)

The place of the passage is in Heaven. As one would imagine, that sacred and pure place is inhabited by angels, living creatures and the elders. The angels were those beings created by God to be angels, the living creatures are those animals present in glory, and the elders are those who suffered here on earth and died for their faith. The number of those was beyond counting, and all were singing "with full voice" (just like we used to do in many of the churches where I have worshiped and pastored! You may remember when Col. Potter made his appearance on the TV Show MASH, he asked Father Mucahy for a 'good ole Methodist hymn sing.'). I remember fondly the times I have been present at worship in the Asbury School of Theology chapel services. The singing there is without equal, as is the enthusiasm of those who worship. Their song was one that said, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" That hymn is about Jesus, who is the Lamb of God. Jesus was slaughtered in order to receive these necessary things: Power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. The Lamb is now the King and as king has the necessary assets with which to rule and reign. Those in Heaven know this and sing this. We on earth would do good to know those things and make them a part of our praise to God and His Son, Jesus. As the hymn continued, John hears the voices grow because every creation in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, all sang, "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" Worship, praise, submission, and obedience are the repertoire of the faithful; those who know Jesus and love Him are in that choir. And this song was pleasing to the four living creatures around the throne who all said, "Amen!" At the sound of that word, the elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

This is a victory scene being celebrated in the most holy of holy places; the realm of God. I thought back to the Old Testament when it was decided that for humanity's sin, an animal, usually a lamb, would die. "The wages of sin is death." Sin does not go unpunished. For the OT people, sacrifice, which included the slaughter of animals, was the atonement required by God for sin. The New Testament is all about the final sacrifice, that was the Lamb of God. All lambs who died were worthy. The Lamb of God was the most worthy. He died for our sins as an atonement of that broken bridge that existed between humanity and God; and Jesus as High Priest, became the bridge from which the word bridge comes from. That's good news worthy of Easter celebration!

Easter marks the day when Jesus defeated sin and death; marking our God as the God of life not death. If you're a fan of Game of Thrones, this week's episode was a heart-stopping one, where a battle was waged between an army of the living and the army of the dead. The battle was long and as the living tried to kill the dead, many of the living died. The army of the dead was ruled by the Night King and at one point in the battle, the Night King raised back to "life" the dead killed as well as the living killed. The living who were killed were raised as new soldiers for the dead. At the point where I thought I had had enough of the show, the story turn an interesting turn. I hate to spoil the show for those of you wanting to see it, but let me just say it was a bit scary to see the power of the dead and the way they killed the living. I thought, of course, to this book and the struggle involved in the final pages of the Bible, and thus, eternal life for some, eternal death for others. But, we know the ending and Who wins. Yet, to experience that will be an experience for the nonbeliever. It is better to prepare for those coming days now, by entering into a trusting and eternal relationship with Jesus. We want to be on the winning side, don't we? And who sings better? Winners or losers?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray that I might be in relationship with You through Jesus. I want to be on the side who sings the loudest and longest; and a song of victory at that! I ask that I be forgiven of my sins and I be in right with You through Jesus Christ; in Whose name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray Mas!

Eradio Valverde

Here's our t-shirt for the month of May. It's called Pray Más.

https://teespring.com/pray-m-s-pray-more-a-bold#pid=2&cid=2397&sid=front

"I'm Goin' Fishin'!" or "Heeeeere's Jesus!"

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After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.” (John 21:1-19)

After His resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to the disciples and one of those ways is recorded in today's passage. The list of those present is shared as is their desire. Grieving and perhaps a bit disoriented, they choose to go fishing. For most of those in that list, fishing had been the occupation, and they knew that time on the water was a special time to reflect, think, and pray. Well, this trip turned out like my fishing history; all that night on the water they caught nothing. So, add disappointment to the grief. As they headed towards the shore, they see Jesus. Jesus addresses them as "Children," when He states, "You have no fish, have you?" The answer was obvious, no. Jesus said, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." They obeyed and the results were more than they could have possibly imagine. It is at this point they realized the man with the plan was Jesus. All He had suggested was a different approach to what they knew. Things as usual sometimes gets old and stale and dies a sad death. And yes, this applies to the work in the church as well. Sometimes, new "fish" are caught when we try a different approach rather than the stale, "We've always done it this way before." Ouch, that involves change, and some church folks don't like change. I lie. It should be MOST church folks don't like change. But, that's a sermon for another Sunday!

When Peter hears his coworker say, "It is the Lord!" he dresses and jumps into the water and swims to the Lord. He wanted to be the first to be with Jesus, but the disciples who stayed in the boat made it to shore as well. And they discover that Jesus had already started a barbecue and nothing goes better on.a day like that, than grilled fish (Maybe fish tacos, but scholars differ on that point!). Jesus orders some fresh fish and begins to feed the disciples. He gives them bread and then fish. The writer notes that this is the third time they had seen the Risen Christ.

The passage then gets personal and intimate. The swimming disciple is asked by Jesus some personal questions. These questions directed to the only man to have walked on water with Jesus, and the only one of the disciples to jump in the water to swim towards Jesus. "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" Interesting and important question. Do you love me more than the other disciples? In some families, perhaps yours, someone may say, "I love you, " and some may respond with interesting responses. Nellie has a nephew who when she says to him, "I love you, " he responds, "I love you more!" The first time he said that to her she was taken aback with joy. Love is not really a competition, but our responses sometimes add some zest to the conversation. But, this was an honest question by Jesus to Peter. He answers, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Peter meant that. I have no doubt to his honesty in responding yes. But notice what Jesus says, "Feed my lambs." Interesting command. Jesus loves all who need Him and He knows of the care and feeding that is involved in caring for a flock. So, a second time, Jesus asks, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter again says, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." This time Jesus says, "Tend my sheep." The command is not only to feed the sheep, but to tend to them. Talk to them, guide them, nurture them; show that you love them. And these are instructions for all who are baptized members of Christ's Church; we have a responsibility to the full care of one another.

One last time, the third time, Jesus asks again, "Simon son of John do you love me?" This one hurt Peter. And again, Peter answers, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus responds, "Feed my sheep." And adds to it a truth to come, "Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." The writer adds that Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God; which was crucifixion as well, though Peter asked to be crucified upside down. The last command given to Peter by Jesus, "Follow me."

The Risen Christ, offers to Peter, who loves Him, the same invitation that took him away from his fishing life and family life, to a world in need of knowing the truth and love of God. Peter accepted and did his part to grow the kingdom and Church of Christ.

How many of us would have said to Jesus, "Yes, Lord, whatever may come, for Your sake, I will endure and face; I will follow You." Some of us may not see death by martyrdom, but we face something just as tough; to speak to someone who has hurt us or shunned us. It may be to cross the aisle in church to greet those who we do not know (yet) but who have still come to our church and even in clothes that we don't like. And the list could grow, but what is more important is that our love for Christ and all of God's people increase. We should glorify God in all that we do, and live a life that brings honor and hope to those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus.

PRAYER: Loving God, as I pray today, I pray that I might be faithful and fruitful. May I receive the courage that I need to do all that You have outlined for me. Grant me boldness and strength. I pray this in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be one who shines bright the light of the world, Jesus!

Eradio Valverde

Leader and Savior!

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When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:27-32)

Who's the greatest leader you've had in your life? For me, I had two; my dad and my mom. They pretty much taught me all that I know. How to walk, talk, (in two languages, Spanish first), how to behave, how to be polite, and on and on. The list is long, and I am grateful. As leaders, they had my full attention and trust. I would follow them anywhere and do just about anything they asked. And through their leadership and insistence, I attended church religiously until I had my own personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus is my Savior.

As we enjoy Thursday, dear Friend, let's study today's passage. It is interesting that a passage from Acts is the lesson usually reserved for one from the Old Testament. It is an account of what took place in Jerusalem. The disciples, who were arrested and imprisoned and miraculously released, now found themselves before the Sanhedrin questioned by the High Priest, because they had disobeyed the strict orders not to teach in the name of Jesus, and had, according to the high priest, "filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." They feared that preaching about Jesus, especially after His resurrection was only serving to pollute the minds of the people of Jerusalem and might convince them to believe that He had died at the hands of the religious leaders. Hmm.

The apostles answered that they had to obey God rather than human authority; and they also declared that God of their ancestors (Old Testament people) raised Jesus from the dead, and the leaders were the ones who killed Jesus by hanging Him on a tree. Yet, they declared to all, that God exalted Jesus as Leader and Savior, whose gift was repentance of Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

You and I are witnesses to all the great tings that God has done in our lives. In Christ Jesus we have our Leader and Savior. We can and do trust fully in Jesus' leadership. Jesus leads us into life (John 10:10), and He is our Savior, who has taken away our sins. Our calling is to be faithful to God, and to joyfully obey God. As we stressed last week, we do so again this week; we are Easter People. Let's live as such.

PRAYER: Loving God, we confess Jesus as our Leader and Savior. Guide us to faithfulness in our daily lives so that we might also be fruitful. This we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

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

Eradio Valverde

Praise the Lord!

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Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150 New Revised Standard Version)

A good Wednesday to you, dear Friend! I pray this is a wonderful day filled with God's best for you and yours. May the time you spend with God and God's word today be a blessing that goes beyond our comprehension as we interact with God and God's creation! That's my prayer for you!

There is no better way to close the beautiful book of the Psalms than this last psalm. There are 150 psalms which we count as chapters, so this makes this book the one with the most chapters. Let's take a close look at this psalm.

I find myself writing "Praise God," or "Praise the Lord," as a response on Facebook and Instagram, to reports or updates on answered prayers, births, good news, etc. And though I write it often, I mean it. I really want the praise in me to go out to God as a response of my gratitude for what God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives and in the lives of friends and loved ones. Praise is a deliberate response of gratitude to God for which we were made. As David wrote this psalm he was thinking about giving God praise. He was a man of praise. It opens the psalm and then David says we should praise God in God's house, namely the sanctuary or temple in our houses of worship. And we should praise God outside, in all that God has created. God accepts our praise in church as well as in natural settings. We praise God for all He has done (answered prayers), and for the great "surpassing greatness (unexplained blessings). David also believed in using instruments of worship to praise God; trumpet, lyre, harp, tambourine and dance, strings and pipe (flutes, piccolos) - anything that expresses our praise is welcome and allowed. And as an added accent, he writes, "Praise Him with clanging cymbals," and adds, "loud clashing cymbals." (Seems the boy was serious about praising God!). And he concludes with the all-inclusive, "Let everything that breathes, praise the Lord!" And he adds as his finishing touch, "Praise the Lord!" Amen!

Praise should be serious business. It is joyous and happy, but deep down in our heart of hearts, and in our souls, every time we gather for worship, praise should be central in our focus. All of us were made to praise God, and as long as we have breath, we should take advantage of every opportunity to thank and praise God. Stop and think about all the instruments listed. Imagine the music coming from each! The beautiful, but powerful blast from a trumpet; the string instruments, the woodwinds, the tambourine and the impulses that cause us to sway and dance (think your little ones listening to their favorite music, and then think, "that should be me!" And you're on the right path towards praising the Lord!). Then as the melodies are sharing their melodic sounds of praise, the cymbals break through with the crowning touch of this act of worship. Then, you can look around and see all who have been blessed by having made time to praise God. Look inward and see the joy that is yours for knowing that God is being blessed by what you have just offered.

I don't know about you, but such a scene blesses and lifts me and my spirit. It puts all that was causing me worry and anxiousness to be moved to the I Trust God column and checking the box that says, "God is taking care of this for me!" A smile forms on my face and I begin to know that yes, indeed, all is well in the world, even if for a tiny moment.

PRAYER: Loving God, as we close this time of prayer, bring blessing upon blessing to this dear reader. May whatever has them worried or anxious be removed from their thoughts and hearts, and place firmly in Your hands. Lord, You are worthy of our praise, and may praise never end from my lips, thoughts, and actions. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a vessel of praise today!

Eradio Valverde

The new podcast on "How Do You Handle Doubt & Fear" comes out later today on pimplesandwrinkles.org/Media. Come listen and be blessed!

The Firstborn of the Dead; The Alpha & The Omega

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Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Jesus' work continues until the end of time. The last book of the Bible, written on the Island of Patmos, which we on our tour of Greece will see in September, contains today's passage. John wants the world to know of the continuing work of our Lord Jesus. Jesus will forever be the faithful witness of God's work in creation, even death and resurrection, thus the "firstborn of the dead" reference, He Himself says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," the beginning and the end (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet); He who was present at Creation, will be present at the end of all things as we know them, present even for the New Heaven and the New Earth.

He who loves us, loves you, dear Friend, also freed us from our sins by HIs blood, and is working to make us a part of His new kingdom, in which you and I will be priests serving God the Father. And that work can begin now with our words and actions which we should gear to glorify God.

Christ will come again. If you celebrated Holy Communion yesterday, you may have read or heard that in the ritual. It is part of our faith; Jesus will come again. In that I have no doubt. And this passage says that Jesus is coming in the clouds, "every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him." We will join those who can see Him and our joy will join the wails of all the tribes of the Earth.

Easter says, Come, Lord Jesus, come. Come today, stay today. Come tomorrow and bless me to be a blessing.

PRAYER: Loving Father, may this prayer be a part of my affirmation of faith, that Jesus came so that I may have life. May my actions bless others to come to life in You. Help me to see You in others, and may others see You in me. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a ray of hope and love today!

Eradio Valverde

It's Still Easter!

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When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:19-31)

"I do not feel happy sad Easter."  The message from our six year-old as she and her family drove back home to Mission, Texas.  Eliana, we learned, knows how to message us on Messenger, the FaceBook-related message service.  And she knows how to share her feelings.  She and her sister, Adabelle, 3, do not like to leave grandma and grandpa's house.  Ada doesn't hide that she wants to stay with us.  It makes us sad too.  This weekend was wonderful for us in that all our family was with us, and while we were absent from our church, we worshiped together at First Presbyterian Church where I celebrated Communion for our brothers and sisters there.  A couple of lines below that, she wrote, "Waaaaaaaaaaaa.  Not happy Easter sad Easter."

I wonder what Thomas might have texted or messaged had that been available during those days.  "Crew stayed in the UR.  Me?  Had to get out and clear my head.  Whoa!  Dudes are saying that Jesus showed up while I was out!  Bummer.  Have to admit, I don't believe it.  And I said so.  Won't believe it unless I see and touch the marks on Him."  Later, his texts or posts might have reflected what happened while he was back and Jesus showed up.  "SMH!  Still can't believe J is alive!  Man showed me the wounds!  Sick!  But I have to confess I believe now!  I even blurted out My Lord and my God.  Thought I'd get razzed for that, but no.  J is God!"

Easter is all about Resurrection.  It is life in the midst of death.  It was Jesus showing us the power of His words in John 10:10, "I have come that they might have life and that to the fullest."  A person who knows the power of new life knows life in abundance.  Nothing else will do.  Thomas came to that knowledge after admitting he was a bit skeptical about the entire event of that first Easter Sunday.  And it does serve to encourage us even during our times of doubt and despair.  Jesus comes to the place where we are and offers to lead us upward and onward.  Touch your places of doubt but leave away convinced of His truth.  The disciples who were there on Jesus' first visit were blessed to have experienced all of the amazing, unbelievable things Jesus did - enter a locked room in bodily form, seen the wounds of death on Him, and to have Jesus breathe on them with the words, "Receive the Holy Spirit," and with that the authority over sins, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."  Their mission was now clearer.  They weren't sure of even staying alive for fear of the Jews, now they are sure they will be alive and that they had work to do; lots of it.  To preach and spread the message of God's love and mercy to all who would hear it.

Easter is about everyday life.  You and I are Easter people; called to believe in the power of life in Jesus Christ when everyone else may be merely existing.  Come to life in Jesus Christ like never before.  Do not let doubt have any space in your life, but even when you do, face it and defeat it.  May Easter continue in you, dear Friend!

PRAYER:  Loving God, bring life to us as we pray this prayer.  And Lord, while we were celebrating Your resurrection brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka died for their faith.  Comfort those affected by this and bring victory to those taken by hatred and hostilities.  Help us to be strong about our faith as we seek to share love even to those who hate.  Be glorified in us, dear Father, in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

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

Eradio Valverde

He died for you and me...

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Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, "The King of the Jews,' but, "This man said, I am King of the Jews.' " Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it." This was to fulfill what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, "None of his bones shall be broken." And again another passage of scripture says, "They will look on the one whom they have pierced." After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:16-42)

This is the day. The most gruesome atrocity of a day and we call it Good. Good because all that Jesus suffered and experienced, He did it for us. And as we have studied Scripture, we know the meaning and purpose behind each act and the awesome blessing that is ours because of this day. Sins gone? Good! Victory over death? Good! Life that never ends? Good! Indeed, this is Good Friday!

Jesus died for you and me.

PRAYER: Loving God, even with the pain and suffering; the passion of our Lord, we see the why, and we call it Good. Thank You. Thank You, Jesus. In Your name we pray, amen.

This evening at 6 our church holds a Good Friday service. Please find a service near you in which to remember this special day.

O To Be Invited, To Be Chosen, To Participate, To Be Blessed, To Bless!

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Palms at the parade; waved at the King; selected, plucked, used as part of that which glorified God's plan. The kernels of wheat chosen, ground, mixed, shaped, baked; the grapes, fresh once on a vine, selected, picked, stomped, juiced, and used - both of these set on the table later to be used by the hands of He who came to save the world, shared with twelve and more as they heard the words of body and blood, remembrance, sins, forgiveness and praise; vessels of grace and truth, blessed and used to bless.

Come we now this night to that which happened for us:

Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal. Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later." Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet - ever!" Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing." "Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!" Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table. You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it - and live a blessed life.Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him, God's glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified - glory all around! "Children, I am with you for only a short time longer. You are going to look high and low for me. But just as I told the Jews, I'm telling you: 'Where I go, you are not able to come.' "Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples - when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:1-17; 31b-35 The Message)

Love one anther. A new commandment. From the Latin Maundatum giving us Maundy Thursday, for this night Jesus said, "This is how they will know you are my disciples in that you love one another.

Love one another, meaning everyone, no exceptions. Every one.

PRAYER: Lord, let me start with loving You in the ways I should, with all I have, then let me love me in healthy, appropriate ways; then let me love others, every person I see and meet. Let me known as one of Yours. In Thy name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Tonight, most churches will have a Maundy Thursday service. I invite you to find one in which to remember this special night. Our church, First UMC of Gonzales, this evening at 6pm in our Fellowship Hall will have a full supper and a celebration of this special Lord's Supper. Everyone is welcome!

Prayers please, for Nellie and me as we fight off the last of this cold that has really wiped the two of us out. We hope to be ready for Easter! Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

Jesus Wins!

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At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus. They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?" Then they remembered Jesus' words. They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn't believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up. But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that's all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head. (Luke 24:1-12 The Message)

Happy Monday, dear Friend! I trust this finds you and yours doing well. This leaves our home with Nellie and I hopefully on the tail end of a bad cold. We missed worship yesterday because of our cough, congestion and other yucky stuff. Please hold us in your prayers as we want to be well before Easter!

This is the first day of Holy Week. Yesterday Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and by Friday, He was dead. But Sunday, Sunday was Jesus' day - He won over sin and death! Sunday is Resurrection Sunday, that we also call Easter. No better way to start Holy Week than to jump to the good part! The passage for Sunday is today's passage, and it gives us what happened after Jesus' death. We will get right to the passage knowing that this week is full of events that Jesus impacted and I pray impacted us. We will focus on each, but for today we will celebrate a bit early the victory of Jesus' rising from the dead.

Jesus' death occurred on the start of the Sabbath and so proper burial procedures could not be followed. Jewish burial customs were a bit different from ours today, but the necessary precautions were to respect the body while keeping careful attention to not defile oneself for it was considered unclean to touch a corpse. Embalming like we know it today or even how the Egyptians did it, was not an option for them. The customary practice was to place the body into a tomb, usually like a cave, leave the body prepared with spices and let it sit for about a year. After a year, only the bones would be collected and placed in an ossuary, a stone container. This would be buried in the ground. And depending on the resources of the family, some families would have to share ossuaries and tombs. Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb and the disciples, especially the women, believed it would be used for a year until they could collect and place the bones in an ossuary. For now their main concern was to properly spice the body for Jesus' proper burial. This gospel has the entrance stone, which other gospels mention as being quite heavy, as already rolled away so the women were able to walk right in and prepare the body. They wonder what has become of the body, but instantly, "almost out of nowhere," two men surrounded by light make their appearance to the women. They ask the question, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery?" You have to love this version, for it shares Jesus' true nature in the name they say, "the Living One" and of all places, a cemetery, a place for the dead? They remind the women all that Jesus had said would happen, and now those things had come to reality. The women leave to share this news with the disciples, who did not know what to make of what the women were saying. The common consensus was that they did not believe a word of what the women had said, thinking they had made these things up. It makes you wonder how strong a faith the disciples had. Except for Peter, he leapt out of his chair and ran to the tomb. He enters, takes a look around, scratches his head and walks away puzzled. Not the terrific powerful ending one would imagine would accompany such a discovery. But it is an honest approach to our humanity. Though they had been in Jesus' company for three years, some things failed to capture their full attention and comprehension. That happens in life with our struggles and challenges; but we are called to let our faith lead us into victory; yet some times it does not happen as soon as we would like.

Jesus wins. Death could only hold Him for a few hours, the only remnant left were the burial clothes; Jesus' body was now fully alive again. The women were eyewitnesses to an empty tomb and the first to announce the truth - that the tomb could not hold Jesus and heard from angels that Jesus had fulfilled all He had said. Jesus wins.

This story is the fulfillment of all the Bible shares with us. It is the promise of God still with us and helping us overcome all that may come at us. The simple truth is that if Jesus wins, so do we!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as we start this Holy Week, we turn over to You our lives, our cares and our worries. We want the victory of Jesus to be ours as well. Receive us today and always; this we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share your victory in Jesus with someone today!

Eradio Valverde

The Foundational Big Ten

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Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:1-17)

May this be a wonderful Friday for you and yours, dear Friend! My prayer is that this find you well and preparing for a day in which you will honor God.

Our Fridays have been dedicated to several Old Testament stories and we have been witness to Moses and his leadership in serving God, from his interesting birth to his faithful service to God. Last week we saw how God indeed provides. And today we study how God formed a people (or tried to!) from the 40 years. The passage from today you understand to be the Ten Commandments, or the foundational laws on which most of the world's laws are based. Called the Mosaic Law, these ten commandments follow a solid pattern of how we should relate to God and to each other. If you know these by heart, they helped shape you and your decisions and interactions, and helped make you a disciple.

Let's begin. No better way to start than with a reminder. God is giving these laws and He begins with a reminder of what great event He had just done for them. You are no longer in a strange land or under slavery because of me; thus for the first commandment we find: You shall have no other gods before me. God knew the neighborhood and he knew people all around this new land that Israel was coming into had devised gods to serve their purpose. God laughed at those attempts, and more laughter followed as He named the attempts people sometimes make to make gods. Idols they were called, and as much work as you may have put into your fine idol, it was still something your own hands had created. Put those up against the one true God. I should mention that anything or anyone that we put in the place of God becomes our god. The rightful place for our God is on the throne of our heart. God demands this, for these are commandments not suggestions or guidelines. This commandment is so important there's a punishment clause in it; God does not tolerate unfaithfulness when it comes to His worship.

The next commandment is the sacredness of God's name. We as Christians do not take this commandment as seriously as our Jewish brothers and sisters. You may have seen a Jewish writer write God as G-d. His or her respect towards God's name keeps him from even completing the name God. In Hebrew, God's name Yahweh is spelled out YHWH without vowels as well. Again, out of respect for God's sacred name. And even more sadly, is the lack of respect towards God's name when we utter profanely His name as a curse word. Even as old as I am, it still makes me winch to hear someone, without really thinking saying, the terrible cuss word. "The Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses His name.

The fourth commandment is related to a special day of the week. It is the Sabbath Day when God rested after six days of creating the world. It is a day dedicated to rest and worship. Worship was considered a restful practice of remembrance. The day with which we recognize as the sabbath is Saturday. The Spanish word for Saturday is Sabado, which means Sabbath. But, we as Resurrection People celebrate our worship on Sundays.

The above commandments are tied into the relationship and respect we are to have towards God. God has His special place in our hearts and lives. He is God and we are not. He is worthy of our worship and respect. His name is holy and we should treat it as such. And we should set aside a day in which should worship God.

The next commandments are such that we is we follow them we will have the right relationship with our fellow human beings. The first of these is related to our parents. The word used is "honor." During my teenage years I struggled with this commandment because of my thoughts about life versus what I was being told was life. The word that troubled me was "obey." Sometimes a Sunday school teacher would go on about how we should obey our parents. I was still on honor. And this commandment comes with a promise, "so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." I hope you did not have the same trouble as I had with this commandment. I'm glad to say I figured it out in time.

The following commandment is short but powerful: "You shall not murder." The respect of life is very important in all our relationships. We hold life to be sacred and we should treat one another with that respect and sacredness.

"You shall not commit adultery." refers to the proper respect and relationship we should have towards our spouse and respect we should have towards the spouse of other marriages. This commandment addresses the sacredness and seriousness God holds towards marriage and we should as well.

"You shall not steal." Again, a commandment that calls for our respecting those things that are not ours and wanting them so badly we take them as ourselves without proper authority. If all people followed all commandments we would see police departments changing their scope of business. But, we sadly know the reality.

The ninth commandment is on our being honest towards each other, not lying, and being honest with each other.

The tenth commandment is to not have the the desire for things, especially those of others, control our thoughts towards acquiring them. Coveting is that which can overtake our every thought, and God directs that towards spouses, homes, property, and livestock.

One can appreciate the strength of a foundation built on these commandments; proper respect towards God, proper and correct relationships with others. These were the foundational laws on which God would form His people. As they traveled through the desert, God would remind them again and again of Who He was, and Who they were in relation to God. We would do well to follow that as well.

PRAYER: Loving God, may the foundation of my life be built on You. May the commandment shared with Your people be those imprinted on my heart and mind. Grant me the gifts to receive these and live a life that blesses You. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life that blesses others with a stronger foundation.

Eradio Valverde

Jesus Explains What is Next for Him

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And taking the twelve, he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; they will scourge him and kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what was said. (Luke 18: 31-34)

I pray this finds you well and blessed by the Lord, dear Friend. It is midweek and we will look at some events in Jesus' life prior to Palm Sunday. The pressure was mounting and Jesus sensed it in His spirit and in His body. What He was sent to do would not be easy and though being fully God, the fully human part was what was affecting Him. This happens to us as well. We sense what might be next and we seem helpless to do anything about what might happen tomorrow. If we prepare, it becomes easier to respond rather than react. One who reacts is usually caught unaware and fear and excitement gets the best of them and the reaction is not always a positive thing. Jesus was prepared and preparing with each day; He would react in ways the world was not used to.

Jesus has His beloved Twelve; men from His area, chosen for their hearts and for their sincere desire to know God better. Not one of the twelve was perfect, but they sensed they were on the way that would lead to perfection, not in this life, but in the life to come. Thought they had met Him, they did not yet know Him to be the Author of Life. And He who is the author of life knows not death.

His message is simple. He shares truthfully what is coming next. Jesus shares that their next stop is Jerusalem for the final act. All that the prophets had foretold would come to fulfillment in the holy city. He says that He will be delivered over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him, insult Him, and spit on Him. These things were foretold by the ancient men of God who spoke on God's behalf. The prophecies were to be fulfilled and each one held a terrible truth to the average Jew. The first is that no one expects to be betrayed by their own people, and Jesus would experience the betrayal by one of His own trusted disciples. Second, Jesus would be mocked. To be mocked is the exact opposite of being held in high esteem. It is to be degraded, and made to feel lower than an animal; one of no value. All respect and dignity stripped from Him. Jesus said He would be insulted. This is to hear the exact opposite of truth and praise. To be insult is to continue the stripping of human dignity from oneself. An insult is a terrible, hurtful statement meant to hurt, steal, and destroy one's worth. Those of us who have been insulted know the pain and shame that comes with hearing taunts and threats. The ones making the insults are reacting with anger and with little to no thoughts of the harm their vicious words are causing. The next thing Jesus would experience would be to suffer being spit upon by the most unclean people of the world, the Gentiles. This word lumps all who are not Jews, and thus considered a little above animals. A spit is the exact opposite of a kiss. A kiss is a tender, loving expression by the mouth. To hurl one's saliva upon another human is vile. A kiss give life and love to those who receive our kisses. A spit is to throw death upon someone. And the saliva of an unclean person.

You can place yourself in the Disciples' place and you being to realize you would not want to hear the complete description of what was next for your Master. The movies say, "You had me at hello," the disciples may have said, "You lost me when You said You were to be betrayed..." They may not have heard fully that Jesus said that He would be scourged, a brutal whipping by the Romans who had become masters of pain and suffering. Leather strips with metal, sharp, pointy ends attached to a wooden handle would hurt from every contact point of each strip. Leather upon flesh, metal ripping the flesh; all done to prove a point or teach a lesson. The next thing Jesus said is that he would be killed. Here, they probably stopped listening, and may have not even heard that on the third day that He would rise up from the dead. Which is why that verse reads as it does, "But they understood none of these things." The shock and pain was more than they could grasp.

I imagine I would not have slept well, if at all that night, after hearing the One whom we had placed our trust in as Messiah and King, would be taken from us by death. I believe our heroes, the disciples laid down wherever it was they were to sleep that night. The news they had heard was not what they expected, though they had heard hints from Jesus about how it would all end. As happens with us on hearing news from loved ones, we tend to think on other things.

I pray you slept well last night, and that your plans for tonight include a restful night for you as well. But, if something is troubling you or worrying you, this is a moment to turn all things over to Jesus. Jesus, Who experienced the pain and shame of human anger, understands and relates to our needs. He Who out of love suffered even death for us, will grant you and me peace if we would be ask. There is no shame in asking. There is relief and release available to us when we surrender to Jesus.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, it has been difficult to reflect on all that awaited Jesus in the week before what we now call Holy Week. What we have or might be suffering now, pales in comparison, but it is still real. My prayer for this dear reader is the relief and release that they need. I pray for them and their needs, in the Name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Seek and share the peace of Christ with all who need it.

Eradio Valverde

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The Lord's Promise Fulfilled!

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Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass. On that day the Lord their God will save them for they are the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. Yea, how good and how fair it shall be! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens. (Zecharaiah 9:9, 16-17)

A gracious good day be yours, dear Friend! May God's rich blessings be upon you and yours is my prayer.

The Lectionary from where we get the recommended texts for the Christian year, runs in three cycles, A, B, and C. It is a wonderful and marvelous work of scholars who want as much of the Bible covered in preaching throughout the year. One of the weaknesses, in my opinion is the Sunday that we associate as Palm Sunday is also shared with Passion Sunday; meaning those churches that dare not open their sanctuaries for worship during the week for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, can cover the Good Friday verses on this Sunday. So, we have two verses given for the Palm part, and the rest of the verses cover the Passion part. We are blessed in this area, that most of the churches around us have different services to fully commemorate all that we know Jesus endured for our sake. Today's passage comes from the Old Testament book of Zechariah, a prophetic book that mentions the coming king of Israel.

The purpose of the prophesy shared is to bring rejoicing to a hurting people. Their decisions resulted in bad choices and bad consequences. They were thrown into war, many died, and many were carted off as prisoners of war. The black cloud of hopelessness and Godlessness came over the people of Israel. So, to hear the Lord say, "Rejoice greatly," is the shout of great joy that is coming through the Lord's actions. The Lord calls for the people to shout and praise the coming of the Lord's actions. The true king comes to Jerusalem and comes in a form not quite to the world's standards. A king on a donkey? Yet, righteous and victorious? A king in those parts of the world might have chosen an elephant, or a strong horse, or a majestic camel; Yet, the determination and will of a donkey rings loud that the king sent from God comes with a plan and a purpose; greater than the animal who carries Him, the king is king nonetheless.

In 1936, Spain was in the mist of a. bloody war that found brother fighting brother and the country was overrun with Communists. The Communists wanted especially to discredit and torture Catholic priests and those of holy orders. One priest, 34 years old, and only 11 years into his ordination, prayed daily, "Lord have mercy upon me your unworthy servant, I am no more than a mangy donkey, please have pity on me your mangy donkey." On a certain day, this priest found himself being confronted by an Communist assassin, and fearing he was about to meet his end here, a thuggish looking man came between the priest and his assassin and roughed up the assassin, who quickly left. As the priest went to thank this stranger, he heard the thuggish man approach him and hiss into his ear, "Mangy donkey, mangy donkey." The only one who knew his prayers was our Lord and so this thuggish man certainly was his guardian angel. It begs the question again, why a donkey?

Why not a donkey? The king has arrived in His own way and with His own purpose, bringing with Him the salvation of all God's people; guarded and saved like a shepherd does his flock. When we need help and salvation, we do not stop to wonder what sort of vehicle we will accept help from; we accept assistance in whatever form it appears. King Jesus rode into town just for you!

PRAYER: Loving Father, we celebrate Your thoughts and purposes. Though we have been conditioned to judge and process things like the world, we repent of that, and turn our hearts and minds towards You and Your ways. I pray that we might truly celebrate the significance of my king riding on a donkey to save us. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Announce the coming of the Lord with those still waiting!

Eradio Valverde

The Triumphant Parade

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And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Beth′phage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. If any one asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road. As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:28-40)

A very happy and blessed Monday to you, dear Friend! I pray the blessings of the Lord be with you during this work week. Our Lenten Journey comes closer to an end as this coming Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday. Today's lesson is all about that, and I pray it bless and prepare you for worship of the Lord this coming Sunday.

The week for Jesus had been a fruitful one. It found Jesus helping to change the life of a certain man named Zacchaeus, who wanted to see the Lord, and he ended not only meeting Him, but receiving a change into his life because of the need for righteousness to be. a part of his life. Jesus then instructs those who witnessed this about the kingdom of God, and Sunday finds Him fulfilling the OT prophecy of the king entering Jerusalem on a donkey. This plan was well coordinated by God and by the work of the Holy Spirit. All who needed to do and share something were in place and the disciples find that as they ask for certain things, everything had been preplanned and handed to them. The colt was there as Jesus had said, and it was given to them for His use. And the use of the Upper Room was also prepared for use later on in the week. Jesus takes the colt and rides it into Jerusalem. Word spreads about His arrival and crowds gather to proclaim their acceptance of this, they hope, of a coming king, a liberator and new political leader the people so desperately wanted. Palm branches and garments are spread on the street and the acclaim was that worthy of a king; "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" The crowd was ecstatic, but the religious leaders were not. They demand Jesus quiet the crowd, but He answered that if the people were silent the very stones would cry out on His behalf.

This was more than a parade, it was a celebration of hope. For many, the promise of God to restore Israel to its greatness was placed firmly in the political and military aspects of their nation. Under King David and King Solomon, they had achieved world status and their yearn was to return back to those "good ole days." This parade they believed, into the capital city of Jerusalem was declaring "the good ole days are coming back again!" It was like a championship parade of world champs, but they were missing the point of Who was really coming.

From Jesus' view, He was being faithful to God's plan and purpose for His life. From the peoples view, which is our pint of view at times as well, a powerful Sunday experience doesn't necessarily carry us through the entire week if we get easily distracted and un-connected with God. Many a great Sunday service has been thrown off-track by a discussion or disagreement immediately after worship. Want to venture a guess as to who was working "behind/under the scenes?" Sunday was a great day for Jesus and for the hopes of the people. After Sunday, what Jesus did and said threw the people completely off, and their hopes were dashed. They did not realize the need for their spiritual renewal, as sometimes happen to us, and by Friday their shouts of "Hosanna," changed to "Hang Him on the tree!"

We now understand more or less better than the people physically present on the streets of Jerusalem on that day, but our desire should be to know Jesus more and more each day so that we never stray off the path and fall into temptation. Our sincere desire should be to celebrate again on Monday what we celebrated on Sunday. The sermon, the music, the prayers, the glory offered up to the Lord should continue in our spirits; for we are indeed the people called to be the Church away from the building.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, prepare my heart right now to remember and rejoice in what You shared with me yesterday and just right now. I want to worship and glorify You in all things and in all ways. Make my heart sing with joy that which has brought me life and that in the fullest. I need a King and a Savior and I have found Him in You! In His name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a loving subject of the King today in all you say, think, and do!

Eradio Valverde

God Provides!

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The Lord spoke to Moses and said,  "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, "At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'"  (Exodus 16:11-12)

Yes, dear Friend, it is a Saturday edition of ConCafe; I took a day off yesterday from writing.  Here today is another Bible Story You Should Know!

The title says it all.  Amen.  Go home.  But the story logically continues.  God set His people free from bonding in Egypt and then He begins a generational-long formation process of all who would be called God's people.  Forty years.  In what could have been a straight-shot journey of two or three years, God instead begins the formation process.  It's like the old bumper sticker theology that read, "Under Construction:  God's Not Finished With Me Yet."  God was not finished with His people, much in the same way God has not finished with you and me.

The logical first step is for the people to know that God will provide.  You would think that after all those plagues and the showdown with Pharaoh that His people would know; nope, they didn't.  They were very child-like in their faith, and not the innocence of children that Jesus would later speak of; these are the "terrible twos" at their worst!  It was the "Are we there yet?" and "What are we going to eat?"  It was the latter that got God's attention, and God responded, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites." and lays out His plan for feedings His people.  The menu was simple but extravagant; fancy bread in the morning, and meat at night, quail to be exact.  Yes, maybe a diet plan for some.  Just two meals a day.  Eat enough bread just to satisfy your hunger, then as much quail as you like. Protein and carbs. Okay, I'm not recommending that.

It went as God promised.  The next verses in that chapter relate how in the mornings, the people found (v. 14) "When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground."  This was their bread, a cracker-like fine bread that did satisfy their hunger in this bread from Heaven. In verse 31 the bread was described as "The house of Israel called it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." In the verse before 14, "In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp."  This was the meat.  God provided.  The people ate and were not hungry.

Perhaps you have been there.  I certainly have. Usually in the eleventh hour, just in the nick of time; when you think nothing is coming through or that no one cares; there's God.  With the provision you lacked.  God provides.  I believe God works better with us when we have the childlike wonder and awe of asking and receiving with gratitude whatever God provides; not the whining, demanding, yelling attitude of some children.  And the provision may be one scrambled egg and a piece of bread with organic peanut butter, the gracious grateful heart will call it a feast - the stubborn selfish heart will ask, "Is this it?"  God provides.  You should provide the applause and praise.

PRAYER:  Thank You, Loving Father, for always providing just what we need.  You have given me a new day of life, and You have shared with me the provisions I need.  Some of us have full refrigerators and pantries.  For that we are thankful.  Some may need a little more, and so we pray, Lord, provide for them.  And always remind us of our obligation to help be the answer to someone's prayer.  In all things, and in my life, be glorified.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen!

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

Eradio Valverde

A reminder that space is still available for our tour to Greece.  The more I read about Paul and all he did, I get more excited about it.  And if you have questions about this trip, there will be a meeting on Monday, April 8th at 5 pm in the parlor of the office building.  Mr. Michael Sprite will be with us.  He's from Collette Vacations.  No obligation, just come hear his presentation and ask him any and all questions you may have.

A Song of Joy!

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It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God returned Zion's exiles. We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations - "God was wonderful to them!"  God was wonderful to us; we are one happy people.  And now, God, do it again - bring rains to our drought-stricken lives So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. (Psalm 126)

I now wonder if I have been wishing you all a correct happy day!  I went to bed thinking it was Tuesday (which was nice because I didn't have to take out the trash), and I awoke to looking at the Lectionary scriptures and said, that doesn't fit.  We couldn't have done those in two days, today is Thursday!  Yikes!  So, out went the trash (in time!) and now I can say, HAPPY THURSDAY, dear Friend!  Where do those days go?

What's your all-time favorite popular song?  I was tempted to ask, like the "young people," What's your favorite jam, but most of us would think about strawberry, blackberries, grape, or any of the many jams that the gracious ladies of First Church Gonzales have shared with me!  It could be a song that takes you back to a special moment; the time you and yours met, or the day s/he finally said yes!  Or the song that was playing when your first child was born.  Or, just a song that brings you joy as you hear it.

This psalm was the favorite of many an Israelite, for it was a song of victory and remembrance.  It was the reminder of the day those who were taken away as prisoners or those who left because of different reasons, returned.  The sight of the prodigal returning times a thousand is what you can imagine at the sight of so many who had been carried away now returning home!  "We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune."  

Honestly, for those who love the Lord, everyday is a day of victory and rejoicing.  "God was wonderful to us," is something we can say every day.  Today I sent a text to a dear friend and brother in Christ wishing him and his wife a Happy Anniversary; and he immediately responded that today is the day of his last radiation treatment and for now, thank God, his cancer is in remission!  We can only add, in our prayers and praise, "God, do it again," and for those still facing hardships and challenges, "God bring rains to our drought-stricken lives."  And that is our prayer; God will bless you and see you through the bleakness of this day; so that tomorrow you can join the singing of your favorite "jam."  (Okay, that was enough, go make some biscuits and enjoy that type of jam!)

PRAYER:  Loving God, for songs and jams, we are thankful.  We pray for those not yet ready to sing, that You might indeed shower them with grace and love and the remedy and blessing they need.  You have indeed been wonderful to us, and we pray You please do it again!  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be the singer of good songs to bless someone today!

Eradio Valverde

Here  is yesterday's podcast on "Who Needs Older Brothers?"  Click below to hear it.  And share it!

https://www.pimplesandwrinkles.org/media

Custom-Made for Praise!

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Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,  the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. (Isaiah 43:19-21)

Good morning dear Friend!  Praying that God find you and yours enjoying His presence and peace.  As we pray this morning, please include Mrs. Benita del Pozo in your prayers.  She was set to have surgery last night, but the surgery has been postponed until further notice.  Pray for Rev. Isabel Gomez, whose wife Katy, died yesterday morning.  Pray for God's comfort to be with him.  Continued prayers for Mrs. Norma Vera as she recovers in the hospital in Dallas.  Pray for one another.  Pray for yourselves.

God makes a way!  I believe that and so do you, right?  God has made many ways in my life even when it seemed there was NO possible way for anything to be done.  My university and seminary education will always be a reference point of what God can do.  God provided for me a wonderful and beautiful wife in Nellie when I had just about given up.  Your life has its share of stories as well.  Israel the nation would always remember the way God made a way in the sea when certain death seemed the only option.  And God removes and forgets our past sins, and points us towards that which is yet to come; a new thing!

All the good in our lives reminds us that we were custom-made to praise God.  The Message version of the Bible ends this passage with those words:  (v. 21) "the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me."  Let me say a word about custom-made.  A few years ago, my first as a district superintendent, I got a call from a dear friend, The Rev. John Alsbrooks who had a church member who made custom boots and he was planning to retire.  The man had raised twelve children, and not one of them expressed an interest in learning the art and craft of boot-making.  John wanted to present me with a pari of custom boots.  Mr. Alex Andrade made two pairs for me, two for John, and one for a friend who happened to be visiting me that day.  One pair was brown, the other black.  The brown pair were recalled due to faulty leather and I received a new pair whose color is more on the burnt orange side, which caused me some minor problems in some churches that I visited.  I believe you can guess why!  I was promised a pair of maroon boots by a certain church, whose promise remains unfulfilled, so I won't mention Three Rivers UMC by name!  But let me say this about custom-made.  They were made especially and specifically for me.  They are comfortable and my black pair have been around the world with me.  In the very same way, you and I were made, custom-made by God, to join all of creation in praising Him.  Our spirits do not rest until we make time to praise God.

The blessings in our lives, the great stories of triumph and hope that came our way are the lyrics to the praise we should lift up in our prayers, our worship time, in our witness to others.  

PRAYER:  Loving Father, for all You have shared with us, we are thankful.  For the stories of triumph and glory that You shared with us we are blessed.  May we compile these into praise; may our time of prayer, our time of singing, our time of reading and hearing Your word bless You with gratitude and us with the memories and hopes of this wonderful life being in Thy hands.  We pray and we say Thank You, in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be a custom-made witness of the Lord's today!

Eradio Valverde

Our newest ConCafe tee shirt was inspired by yesterday's devotional, I BELONG TO JESUS, and it's available for the next three days at this link below: http://bit.ly/2OGzgDG

This Much I Know; I Belong to Jesus!

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If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.  More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,  if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:4b-14)

May this be a tremendous Tuesday for you, dear Friend!  If ever you needed a good conversation starter, here it is:  I Belong to Jesus!  Say that and just go with the flow of what may come next!  As we pray this morning, I invite you to keep Mrs. Norma Vera in your prayers.  Norma is the widow of one of my childhood pastors, The Rev. Brigido Vera.  He came to Kingsville straight from Cuba.  He was a wonderful man, great preacher and pastor, devoted father and Christian servant.   He died some years ago and now Norma has been in and out of the hospitals in Dallas.  Also, Kenny & Peggy Wheeler, Wendy Allen's brother and sister-in-law, lost all their belongings to floods in Iowa.  Pray also for Mr. Travis Rummage, who injured his hand at work and may lose his thumb.  Prayers for these dear friends and their families.  Pray for one another, pray for yourselves.

The noted Swiss theologian, author, scholar, and professor, Karl Barth, was once asked what he had learned from years of dedicated Christian scholarship and countless tomes on the faith.  He paused only for a minute and said, "Jesus love me.  This I know; for the Bible tells me so."  Bam!  There it is.  The gospel in song, the summary of a lifetime's work, including a 13 volume of Christian Dogmatics.  Paul, in the above passage, in his own way, sums up his life.  He had quite the life before and after his encounter with Christ Jesus; circumcised on the 8th day, a member of the people of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, "a Hebrew born of Hebrews; a Pharisee (noted scholars in the Law), a zealous persecutor of the church, and Christian believer. His summary could be the title of today's devotional (and your conversation starter for today), I belong to Jesus.  New Mexico's own songwriter, Mr. Fernando Ortega wrote a summary of his faith in a song that Nellie and I both love very much, "Give Me Jesus*," where he writes, "You can have this all this world, but give me Jesus."  Paul's life led him to realize that even with all the titles he could have hoped to have, nothing but nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  And while he had breath, he preached Jesus; when it came time to die, he longed to be with Jesus.  

What thing or person do you press on toward?  Have you forgotten all that lies behind your life, and press towards to what lies ahead?  We all should.  Like Paul, we should be driven towards "the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus."  The realization may have not yet come to you, but the car or truck you drive, the home in which you live, the food you eat, may not be what you really want, but in the grand scale of all things, nothing nor no one compares to the treasure that is yours in Christ Jesus.  If you have Jesus you really can't have much more; He's Lord, Savior, King; in Whom you have your future securely tied up.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, in Christ Jesus I have all that I need.  Forgive me those things I have longed for more or for better.  Grant me the faith of those whom were mentioned today that we too, may join in and say, all things considered, this much I know; I belong to Jesus.  May it be so; in His name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Remember to share with someone your conversation starter:  I belong to Jesus!

Love to you all,

Eradio Valverde

*To hear this beautiful song click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjTxnYiTAa8

Judas or Jesus Thoughts?

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Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said,  "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?"  (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)  Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." (John 12:1-8 New Revised Standard)

Happy Monday of Blessings, dear Friend!  I pray this finds you well and enjoying God's rich blessings at work in your life.  I trust you had a wonderful weekend and found time to worship and be blessed by the word of God!  As we pray today, please pray a special prayer for Mrs. Katy Gomez, beloved wife of The Rev. Isabel Gomez of Dallas; a long time friend and colleague of mine.  His wife and fellow co-laborer of his, is now in hospice care having suffered for many years from dementia.  He tried to wake her the other morning but could not; the hospital sent her home under hospice care.  These are trying days for my brother and we pray God's comfort and peace be in their household.  Pray for one another, pray for yourselves. 

Have you ever had a Judas thought?  You know, the kind where you go against your better judgment and you think and say something that falls flat, or worse, goes against God?  Have you ever had a Jesus through?  One that speaks truth about God's plan and purpose for your life, or the life of someone you know?  Which do you suppose is better?

Jesus is attending yet another covered dish meal at the home of friends.  This home should have been named Resurrection House, because the man of the house was the once four days dead, Lazarus, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha.  Jesus had eaten here before and wasn't afraid to return, so the food had to be good.  Jesus had, on one of His visits, to referee a disagreement between the two sisters, for one sat at His feet listening to Him teach, while the other sister had to prepare the meal.  Jesus spoke about what was the greater thing.  This time, that same sister, while her sister served the meal, took a pound of costly perfume and began to anoint Jesus' feet, and wiped the feet with her hair.  Interesting to read that the house was filled with the perfume's fragrance.  It was the smell of a very expensive perfume, but it was also the smell of love. These two owed Jesus their lives and especially that of their brother, who as mentioned above, had been sick, died, buried, and four days later, Jesus raised him from the dead. The stage was set for a memorable evening, but the Judas thought and comment tied to it, could have ruined it.  Judas wonders why this action should even take place?  The better action, says he, is to take that costly perfume and sell it and to give the money to the poor.  Luke adds his editorial opinion, that common to the other 11 disciples, that Judas cared more about money than he did for the poor.  He was the treasurer of the group and as Luke says, "used to steal what was put into it."  The smell of love could have once again taken the stench of family disagreements, but Jesus, once again, makes things right.  "Leave her alone.  She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial."  Again, a reference to His coming death, for we first read it was six days before the Passover, seven until His death.  Then a reference to the poor; "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."  Indeed.  

The poor hold a special place in God's heart, as they should in ours.  But Jesus should have first place in our hearts and lives.  Mary certainly did, as did Martha, and Lazarus.  It would take some time, but the disciples also put Jesus first once they completely realized all that had been Jesus' plan for them and their lives.

What about you?  Are you being guided by Jesus' thoughts or by Judas' thoughts.  Are you seeking to know and understand and follow the "big picture" of God, or have you been sidetracked to see only the smaller Judas picture?  One leads to life, the other does not.

PRAYER:  Loving God, open our minds to see Your presence and guidance in our lives.  May our thoughts be Your thoughts, and drive out those thoughts which become Judas thoughts if we are not careful.  We want to serve You and make You first in our lives.  We pray for Katy and Chapel this morning asking Your will be done.  Send Your comfort and peace to their home.  All these things we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Think thoughts of life and love today and share them with those who might be down the Judas path!

Love to you all,

Eradio Valverde