Our Cornerstone

Image from pinterest.com

Hear Here: https://bit.ly/3dDola5

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. 29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 118:19-29 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Reader. I pray the blessings of Christ the King be with you and yours. I pray calm and peace be traits reigning in your life. This being hunkered down and hanging in can bring stress to family in certain situations. A friend who pastors a church in Montgomery County posted an article about domestic violence going up 35%. We know that sometimes it is easy for tempers to flare, or for a word to be taken wrong, and the results are not ideal. Please pray for patience, peace, and the pace for all that we all are facing.

The Lectionary, which is the Church's recommendation to cover most of the Bible in three years, sometimes limits the texts for Palm Sunday to two; and delegates the rest to Sunday being the Passion of Jesus, which is mainly for those churches that do not traditionally have Maundy Thursday or Good Friday services. Those churches are few and far between in this area. We thank God for the faithful in the area who celebrate those days. Yet we are aware this will be a year that goes down in the history books and the memory banks of our hearts as a very different year. We will still have worship via online, and we will remember the power of God at work in the acts that we know God shared on our behalf.

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week. It was Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where he would experience this welcome, and other events that set up what happened on Friday that we call Good Friday. Its impact and lasting power is that God had foretold the coming of this day through the prophets and psalmist. The first verse of this psalm states, "Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord." Interesting that years before this event even took place, the Son of God is asking for entrance into His beloved city of Jerusalem. It makes me think of the stories we have heard through the years of Jesus asking to be invited into some churches. We may think that funny, but in some cases it may be very true. And the city of Jerusalem was not known for always inviting God into it; and at this very time of Jesus, God was not being openly shared even in His own church. It was, in the fullness of time, that God acted in this way. Such was the need of the day and the people who were hungry and thirsting for God. Think about what the world would be like had God not acted on our behalf. The only church that bears the seed of our faith would be the Jewish Church. The other parts of the world would have Isalm, Buddhism, Hinduism, and several Asian faiths. None of which offer the hope of salvation like ours, or the personal relationship we enjoy with God through Christ Jesus. The world would be a dismal place. Jerusalem would be a different city with its gates still closed to God. Once the gates opened, into them walked the Cornerstone of Faith, Who is Jesus. And this was because of God's action, a "marvelous" work in "our eyes." That day becomes the one to which we say, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Interesting how the psalmist knows to ask, years and years before, for God to save them. And he knows that the one who comes in the name of the Lord is the one they were expecting, and his written words became part of the chant the crowds lifted to Jesus. The words had come true, and through Jesus the world took a turn for the better in a radical way. You and I are the better for it.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, again we are thankful for all You have done on our behalf. The world is a better place because of Your Son Jesus and we pray that it become even better. Use us to share the good news of Your love with others. As we await news of our deliverance from this current crisis, grant us peace and patience. Again we pray for healing for those sick; comfort for those who have lost loved ones. We pray for those hurting from unemployment and hunger; use us to help. And this we pray in He who is our King, King Jesus our God, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share the joy of your voice with a telephone call to someone who's homebound today.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Welcome Your King!

Image from pinterest.com

Hear Here: https://bit.ly/2QUJzX6

1 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately. " 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21:1-11 RSV)

May the blessings of the Lord Jesus, He our King, be upon you, Friend, and yours! I spoke with a dear friend who's serving a church in Indiana. He made my day in sharing that whenever this crisis is over, the very first Sunday that the church can gather, they're just going to have a party, to promote fellowship. The second Sunday they are going to celebrate everything related to Easter and Holy Week. The service will start with everyone coming in with palm branches, they will celebrate Holy Communion for Maundy Thursday, remember Good Friday, and then celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus. That lifted my heart! When it will be, no one knows, but the hope of it finally being over someday should lift our spirits.

This coming Sunday ends our Lenten Journey and begins our Holy Week. The tradition has been around almost as long as the Church. The faithful gather and enter their worship spaces with palm leaves and remember that special day when Our King entered Jerusalem. It was all part of God's plan for His holy city, His beloved Jerusalem. Everything fell into place; from the animals needed for Jesus' ride into the city, to the way the Spirit moved people to receive Him. It was a fulfillment of the prophet Zechariah in chapter 9, verse 9, quoted above, where the "daughter of Zion (a reference to Jerusalem), look, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." The disciples go and find the animals were ready and take them to Jesus, who mounts the donkey and rides towards Jerusalem. A large crowd gathers and reacts like a crowd expecting a king; they spend their cloaks on the ground, others cut branches from the palm trees and spread those on the road. They also began to chant and shout, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest Heaven!" Many shouted who were not even sure of Who Jesus even was. The majority of the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

It would be this same crowd shouting something different on that very Friday. And the chants were not for a king, but a criminal. But for now, we rejoice at the welcome given to our King.

Friend, Jesus is my King, as He is yours if you have given Him that right. He has never failed us, and never will. He is the hope of the world, and He is the light at the end of any man-made or man-created "tunnel." He will provide a way, as that is part of the name He gave Himself in John 14, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." That should speak to our hearts during an uncertain time as this. Jesus is also our peace, and He grants that to us freely and lovingly.

PRAYER: Thank You, Father God, for our King, Jesus. May we invite Him to rule in our lives in mighty ways. Father, lift those who are down. Smile and embrace those who are lonely and missing their families. Boost our energy for times when we have done nothing. May we praise You always. We pray in Jesus' name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Thank your pastor(s) for leading us in worship yesterday through online messages. Send them a handwritten note or an email!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Out of the Depths!

Image from soparkcc.wordpress.com

Hear Here: https://bit.ly/3dwLNWc

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. 8 It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. (Psalm 130)

Happy Containment Day, dear Friend! It's not an official day, but reflects the reality of where we are. Yesterday, our son-in-law, Eric, and our granddaughter Saraí Evangelina, brought us a care package of extra TP and some BBQ pork that Eric made. We kept our distance and waved from afar. As he was saying his goodbye, he said, "Wait! Saraí (our daughter) wants a picture of you all!" And he took a picture and off they went. A few minutes later we received a text from our daughter saying the picture made her cry. I replied that some day (soon, hopefully!) we'll look back and say what interesting times those were. And interesting times indeed; I read where some pets are wondering why their owners are at home so much! One video showed a dog grumbling, in his own way, and walking towards the door as if to say, "Hey, this is the way out!" God grant His peace and patience to us all, and even our pets.

While we are not yet at the point of despair, some can see it from here. Others are being blessed by being home with family. Yet, the danger for many of us is to hit a point that is lower than we are used to being. That's been like the theme of this week's scriptures, and this psalm addresses that very issue, of being down and depressed. We can be down, but God does not want us to feel out. The psalmist was close to feeling at a point where he begins, "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord." Some believe that this was written during the time David was hiding from Saul. You will remember that Saul was the king and David had been anointed as his successor. Saul wanted his son Jonathan to be king after him, but it was not to be. Jonathan and David loved each other and both were okay with the reality of one would become king, the other not. This did not stop Saul from wanting David dead. And who wants to be pursued to the point of death? And so David writes, "Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!" Guess what David was asking for? Deliverance from the pursuit of Saul! Yet, David kept his hope and faith in God, as should we as well. Hope is the fuel of endurance. It is what we need in the midst of this unsettling time of this deadly virus. He adds that his hope is like the night watchman on the city walls who looked forward to the coming of morning because once it arrived, they were off duty and that watchman could got home and get some sleep. And this is repeated twice. Such was his hope.

Friend, David said it best. With God there is never-failing, never-ending love for you and me. And along with that love is another force in play, and that is God's power to redeem. During this time of uncertainty that should give us hope. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Paul repeated that in Romans 8 and we should repeat it daily. We can have our own list of that which tries to separate us, but we end it just like Paul; "(38) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Amen. Add God's power to destroy that which threatens us. Amen, again!

PRAYER: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom, power, and the glory forever and ever, amen.

Many have been praying this prayer at noon everyday during this time. You are welcome to join us. It's a great teaching moment for your little ones.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Bless someone with a prayer just for them.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Them Bones!

Image from biblia.com

Hear Here: https://bit.ly/2xrfdEw

1 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 around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 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." 7 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. 8 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. 9 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." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 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.' 12 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. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 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 NRSV)

A Wonderful Wednesday be yours, dear Friend! May this midweek day be full of blessings and wonderful surprises for you and those who matter to you. May we continue to pray for one another, especially those in need of various things. Some need healing; some need food and shelter; all need to know the love of God is available to them.

If God takes you by the hand, He's going to show you some incredible things. Some may scare the bejeebers out of you, but you'll be safe. Such was the life of a prophet. Prophets, being the mouthpieces of God, sure heard some unbelievable, and sometimes unwanted things; but to serve God was their duty and pleasure. This story could have taken place in a cemetery, where we are taken to a place where there is no life, and where the giving of life seems impossible, yet we await what God may do. This week's lessons have all been more or less the same way. Monday, Jesus was at a real cemetery where He wept for a close friend. Yesterday, Paul spoke of death and life; and how God does lift us out of death's certain path and leads us to the way of life.

Today's lesson begins with a valley full of dry bones. Dry bones symbolize that what was once alive is now very dead. And God asks the prophet, "Mortal, can these bones live?" The prophet gives a good answer, "O Lord God, you know." He was correct; only God can answer that question, and it was an honest response. So God said to the prophet, "Preach the message of life to these bones; share with them the message of God. Use these words, 'I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and cause flesh to come upon you, and cover your skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." Bam. Some Sundays I felt just like that prophet. I'm not naming names, but some Sundays you find dry bones staring back at you as you try to preach a word of life. Yet, like the story, I preached; and I wish I could tell you every Sunday that I felt like that, renewal and revival came. I believe at the very least, a seed was planted.

The prophet preached as instructed. And as he preached, he heard a noise, a rattling of them bones as they came together, bone to bone. Don't you love that old spiritual that speaks of "Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, Now shake dem skeleton bones! The toe bone's connected to the foot bone, The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone, The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone, Now shake dem skeleton bones! The leg bone's connected to the knee bone, The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone, The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone, Now shake dem skeleton bones!...(And I bet this song helps medical students...)

Once the bones were back together, the Lord ordered the prophet to preach to the wind, and the wind from the four corners of the world came to that place of death and brought new life to the valley. It was then that God told Ezekiel, these bones are my children, the people of Israel, who have been claiming to be dead already, and living without hope; here's the sermon you need to take to them: "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 the 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."

This powerful story set the stage for God to once again act on His people's behalf. This was enough for us to see our God is a God of life and hope. The bones were bones of people who had been killed and were resurrected from the lowest point of life, an almost point of no return and the message was made clear to the prophet who had the arduous task of taking it to the people of God who mostly lived as hopeless people because of their own choices.

Friend, Lent is more powerful this year than any other year, as we have seen some people who have given up on many things without having chosen to; our prayers should be that we would pray for this Easter be truly a resurrection event for the whole world, that it can live without this virus and the shortages of essentials that have turned good people into evil hoarders; we pray for their liberation from greed to good. May comfort come to those who have been affected by these times, and may true hope be shared from all pulpits and people.

PRAYER: Loving God, be the God of love that we need, so that we can share love like never before. Our prayers are for an Easter of unexpected new life and resurrected hope. We pray that we may walk with You as we await the celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the grave. This we pray in hope and in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray like never before for this coming Easter!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The latest chapter of Romans is available on my podcast, PimplesAndWrinkles.org under the Media Section.

You're Supernatural!

Image from pexels.com; photo by Jonas Ferlin

Hear Here: https://bit.ly/2QGDxcy

6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. (Romans 8:6-11 NRSV)

A Terrific Tuesday for you, dear Friend! What day is this of self-quarantine? 438? Nah, just kidding, ours has gotten to be fun as we now have our oldest grandson, Liam with us. He's a joy to have, and Nellie gets to be a teacher all over again, as does his aunt, Carli! And yes, I've been asked a couple of questions as well. (Both of my guesses were right!) I trust you're having a good time in whatever you are doing. If you're out and about be sure to take the recommended precautions seriously. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, avoid contact with others, especially the more seasoned citizens we know and love.

As we pray today, please include those who are new to being shut-ins. This is not easy for some, and pure heaven for others. Pray for our schoolchildren who are missing their teachers and friends and their classrooms. Pray harder for those who are not! Pray for teachers as they begin a new way of teaching, while trying to focus on their own children at home. Pray for those who find themselves without an income, and these include hospitality industry folks whose places of business have scaled back or shutdown completely. Pray for our truck drivers; they continue to deliver needed goods, but find that they have difficulty finding places at which to eat. Pray for our health care industry people; doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, nurses assistants, techs, office workers, that God keep them safe and free from exposure to this dreaded virus. And a special prayer for an old friend and colleague, The Rev. Isabel "Chavelo" Gomez, who is in the main Baptist Hospital in Dallas with severe pain that could be gall bladder related. May God bring healing to him. Pray for one another, and a prayer for yourselves.

Dear one, you should be aware that I stress that we are supernatural beings. We, when we surrendered to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, made a transition from the natural world, to the supernatural realm. If you are baptized, if you are a person of prayer, you are connected to the supernatural realm. Prayer only works with our faith in a God of another realm. We can pray out loud with no faith and only those who hear us may try to answer our prayer. Not too long ago, we studied Jesus' encounter with Nick at Nite, when Jesus said we must be "born from above," (Baptists: Born again, just so we're on the same page!) meaning that we have shifted from a carnal perspective to a spiritual one. Paul learned that from Jesus and he stressed it as much as he could, and more so in this letter to the Romans.

The first verse is our foundational verse. "To set the mind on the flesh is death." That should be enough to get our attention. Paul could not be more serious. His theology on life was that the person who sets his/her mind on fleshly or earthly things was on a sure course for death. It would be horrible to not have an alternative, but Paul says, "But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." There it is! Those who strive to be supernatural, or more spiritual, will discover a world of life and peace. The opposite is a life of death and conflict. Honestly, peace's opposite would be war, yet that is what we get, a war within ourselves seeking to do that which we know we should. We want to avoid that and seek peace.

Paul continues "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law - indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Paul was remembering his former life when he thought a dead Christian was the best and only kind of Christian he could tolerate. He realized this was a way of life directed by the flesh. He held anger in his heart and mind, and was guided by it, to arrest and take, in chains, to jail to await trial and possible death sentences for their belief. Not a good way to live, but he didn't know better until his encounter with Jesus, and that story is true for so many modern day people. Guided by human things and desires, until they encounter the life-changing power of Jesus, they will not know a better way to live.

Paul was given a new life in the Spirit, by Jesus Himself. Paul shares, "But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness." What Paul means is that if we belong to Christ and walk with Him, we shall be like Enoch of the Old Testament, whose life was summed up by a child in Sunday school; "Enoch was a man who went for walks with God - and one day he didn't come back." Everyone in this world dies; it's part of the human condition, but those who die in Christ rise again. Death is but a final transition on this earth but it does not affect the Christian like it does those who do not know Christ. You know Jesus, and you are supernatural!

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for the spirit life; fill us again with the Spirit of Jesus. Help us to walk with Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, be guided by Him, and to think like Him. Lift us way above the challenges of this life with the peace that only You can share. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be filled with the Spirit in a way it just flows out of you into someone else!

Receive my prayer of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

I Go to Prepare a Place for You!

Image from calvarychapelrosemead.com

Hear Here: https://bit.ly/2UaLWHd

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." 11 After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." 12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." 17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." 28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. (John 11:1-45 NRSV)

A blessed Monday to you, Friend! Wow! is the only word I can think to use when I think about Sunday worship yesterday. For the first time in our recent history, almost every church was closed, and most of those tried in one way or another, to provide worship through online streaming. Our church, FUMC of Gonzales, videotaped a YouTube video of our pastor, Rev. Dr. Matt Pennington, and two wonderful singers who shared two hymns, with the pastor sharing a meditation. A megachurch from North Carolina was live on YouTube with a praise band and the senior pastor, all of whom maintained a "social" distance from each other; though the pastor asked them to stay onstage with him so that he would not feel lonely as he preached. Our gym had a Saturday night video of exercises we could do at home. We were blessed by our church and the worship experience. The gym, well, not so much. LOL.

I pray this blesses you, as we deal with the uncertainty of these days. God knows that we need it. A trip to the grocery store takes now more than an hour. We needed necessary items and we arrived at the store at 7:30 am, and an hour and a half later we were loading things into our vehicle.

Again, dear friends, we encounter John's need to tell a complete story, and he does, taking 45 verses to tell it. In fairness to the apostle, he wrote it completely out and it was church fathers who divided the story into chapters and verses. It is lengthy, but also like all John writes, very powerful.

Jesus had personal friends whom He loved very much. It was a household of two sisters and their brother. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus was asked to try and stop a squabble between the two sisters in an earlier story, and this one begins with the brother being very sick. The sisters knew of Jesus' power to heal and so word is sent to Him to come. Jesus does not drop everything and runs to Lazarus' side. He waits two days before he starts to respond to their plea. He had a plan. And He tries to explain it to the 12, but it doesn't register with them. They thought this going back would lead to their death and they were alright with that. Jesus spoke about the death of Lazarus as being sleep. What Jesus wanted to do was to expose them to the power of resurrection that He knew they were not quite ready to handle something so supernatural.

Jesus gets scolded by both sisters, yet they hold out on hope that even now Jesus might do something for their brother. "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of Him." And Jesus does say, "Your brother will rise again." And Martha replies with the Sunday school answer she knew in her head, that on the last day at the resurrection, all will rise to face judgment. It's here that Jesus shares one of His signature "I am" promises and truths; "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Martha is asked if she believed this, and she replies she does, and affirms she believes Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God.

As Jesus comes to the tomb of Lazarus, we find what in the King James Version of the Bible, is the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept." It shows how much Jesus identifies with our human condition. Death brings sorrow and sadness, and more so in those days when the Church was not really teaching on it, and the two leading schools of thought were Sadducees, who taught there was no life after death, and the Pharisees who believed in a resurrection in the last day, and others who only believed one could live on in the minds of loved ones and friends. The time was right for what Jesus did next. He orders the tomb opened and Jesus says, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man is now alive and amazes all who saw it. Resurrection had come as a sign of what was to come through a relationship with God; a foretelling of what was to be shared by Jesus; victory over sin and death. The second Adam had shown what was going to come.

As our Lenten Journey continues, we see in this story what is come to the earth on Easter Sunday. Just today our daughter asked if Easter was cancelled by the Pope. I read up on it, and saw where crowds would not be allowed in the usual public spaces for his traditional Easter services. They would have to wait to see and hear his message on television. But the point of Easter is to celebrate what God did through His Son, Jesus. He cancelled the power of sin over our lives. And the power of sin to kill has also been cancelled by Jesus because all who believe will never die. This is hope for us and strength for us to continue to trust in the Lord. This is good news! Precisely what we need to hear especially in the mess we're experiencing.

PRAYER: Loving Father, speak to our hearts with tones of calm and peace; make real the promise of Jesus so that we can continue forward and upward with our lives. Bless the needs of this dear reader, and be with all who need You. We pray in faith in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Reach someone with a prayer, a note, or a call.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

BONUS: A video on hope and encouragement during these difficult times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFqiV5MCLF8

The Lord Leadth Me!

Image from alittleperspective.com

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/2QtcKjN

1 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. 2 You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. 3 True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. 4 Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure 5 You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. 6 Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. (Psalm 23 The Message)

Happy Thursday, my friend!

When you've had a rough day, who do you go to? If you've spent the morning hunting for toilet paper and can't find any, who comforts you? If the lines as the supermarket are long and the aisles are bare of the things you sought, who listens to you? We all will have different answers; when I was a boy, it was both my Mom and Dad. I could share almost anything with my Mom and she would understand. In my Dad I knew that I had security and protection. When I met my darling wife, Nellie, she assumed those responsibilities. For me, this psalm has been the product of the hand of the boy who knew, trusted, and loved God; David the Shepherd King of Israel. We read and studied yesterday, how David was chosen to be the second king of Israel by God. The main reason was that even as a boy, David had a heart for God and God knew that. David had discovered that fighting lions and bears, giants, Philistines, and Jebusites; God would hold him, listen to him and bless him. David's psalm is poetic in sharing the images of what all that means to him as he talks of lush meadows, quiet pools, rest, calm and peace in the paths that are dangerous, and even the meals shared with God are occasions of honor and blessing. David found new strength and new energy in going forward by spending time with God. So should we.

Our journey here may not always be the best, but we know we can look forward to a perfect, never-ending life in the presence and love of our Heavenly Father.

My prayer for you, dear friend, is that you would pause and hear again the words as you know them:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Lord, hear this as our prayer. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Lead someone to the Shepherd today!

Receive my peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

BONUS: The newest pimplesandwrinkles.org is available as we cover chapter 7 of Romans entitled, "It's Hard Being a Believer! https://soundcloud.com/evalverde

The Selection of the Shepherd (Boy) King

Image from newlifenarrabi.wordpress.com

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/2UbttZY

1 The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" 5 He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." 11 Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:1-13 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday, dear Friend! I pray your days have been blessed with peace and patience. I confess that yesterday morning we had to run for provisions at our supermarket and I had very little patience with my fellow shoppers. But, the time passed quickly and we returned back to the safety of our home. I am learning how to sleep in during these days, which is rare for me, but very enjoyable.

The prophet Samuel had an interesting career. His was an interesting life, called as a young boy to replace an inept prophet whose sons were destined to be the new prophets after his death; and Samuel served God well. He was the prophet that had to put up with calls to him that they, the people of God, no longer wanted to live in a theocracy (form of government based on God being the ruler) and wanted to be just like the other nations and have their own human king. Samuel took this very personally, for he stood in place as the voice of God, and the people tired of that. The prophet told God, "They're rejecting me!" yet God told Samuel, it's me they're rejecting, not you." Samuel then became the prophet under Israel's first king, Saul, and developed a close relationship with him. When Saul disobeyed God and was removed, again Samuel felt bad for losing a close friend. And that's how our story begins; God asking the prophet how long he would mourn the removal of Saul. God said that he had to prepare to anoint a new king for Israel. God did not say who the new king would be, but did identify the family. Samuel is afraid because Saul was still sitting on the throne, and if he got wind that a new king was to be anointed, he would kill the prophet. God gives Samuel a way to travel, as God always does, with a heifer and the excuse that he was going to sacrifice unto the Lord.

The elders of Bethlehem greet the prophet with fear, for they knew of his power and his connection with God. They ask if his visit was a peaceful one; yes, replied Samuel. He blesses Jesse the father and invites the whole family to this sacrifice. All of Jesse's sons were present and as they entered, the prophet looked them over and wondered if they were the new king. The eldest son was Eliab, and possessed the looks and build of a king, and Samuel wondered if he, Eliab, was the anointed one of the Lord. God responds with something that still rings true and powerful; "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." That, dear friends, is a sermon unto itself; the truth is that God looks at our heart, not how we think we look. To me, that's powerful. Groom your heart before God, and you'll be blessed and you will be a blessing.

The father calls all his sons, one by one, and each is not the one. God spoke to the prophet and said no to each. Seven of Jesse's sons passed before the prophet, and not one was selected. Samuel had to ask, "Are all these your only sons?" Jesse replies that the youngest was not there, because being the youngest, he had to care for the sheep. Please bring him here. David comes in and Samuel records what he saw. He was ruddy, which means a healthy red color, he had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said to Samuel, "This is the one; rise and anoint him." Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the Holy Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel left back to his home. His job was accomplished.

We know the story of this shepherd boy king and most of his record. He is still considered by historians as Israel's greatest king, responsible for uniting the southern and northern kingdoms, and setting in motion all that would make Israel a major world power of its time in terms of religion, finance, political, and militarily. We will touch on those and other successes and failures later. For now, we celebrate what God did in selecting a young man with a pure heart and the conviction that he could do anything with God on his side. We cannot forget that David is the giant-killer, and the greatest poet and hymn writer of the entire Bible. With God in your heart you can do all things, especially those things God assigns to you to do.

So, dear friend, to the giants in your life, you can get ready to say goodbye to them, because you are about to rid your life of these so-called, perceived giants! To those who say things about your physical appearance, tell them and show them what God told the prophet. If you feel you're not quite where you need to be, ask God and God will groom you and make you be the most beautiful in His sight.

PRAYER: Loving Father, continue to work on us; You know what we need. We want to be filled with faith and confidence in You so that the giants in our lives face their demise; and as we fret about what we see in the mirror, remind us of the way You look on us; make us pure and holy and lovely. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show someone your love through a phone call or a thoughtful note.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Living in the Light!

Image from dustoffthebible.com

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/2UaYf5g

8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:8-14 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend. I pray calm and compassion are reigning in your life and household even in the midst of everything negative this virus has brought with it. The latest recommendation from the government is that groups larger than 10 should not meet until a specified time, some say as long as eight weeks. Again, that is a harsh blow to organizations such as churches and others. I ask you prayerfully consider your support of Christ's ministry to stay constant, using the postal service or online giving to keep the lights on at your church.

And, speaking of lights, what a passage we have before us today! The apostle in writing these words knew what it was to live in darkness and light. His encounter with Jesus left him in physical darkness for a full three-days, but spiritually, those three days were the brightest he had even experienced, for Christ revealed to him many things about His ministry and grace, and what it was Paul was to share with the world. Paul also knew as he traveled what it was to be among people living in spiritual darkness. And oh the joy he must have felt as he saw people delivered from darkness into light. That is what drew me into ministry, as it should be for all who proclaim the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We cannot and should not allow dear ones to continue to journey in a lifetime of darkness. Christ offers light, and those who enter into a relationship with Jesus find their lives transformed into light. And once in the light these new believers want to live as children of the light; seeking what "is good and right and true." Their desire will be to find out what is pleasing to the Lord and do it. Paul lists what to avoid: Unfruitful works of darkness, knowing that most people know what those are. He further states that "everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light." Paul then states a saying that says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." This was sermon fodder as well as a tool with which to address loved ones and share the Good News.

Dear one, if you find your world a little darker than you'd like, flip on the switch that invites Jesus into your heart and welcome the light that Jesus brings. Hear again what the apostle said, "Sleeper, awake! Do not let sin lull you to sleep, because that sleep leads to an eternity of no sleep, but suffering. Your invitation is to rise from the dead, and let Jesus shine His light on you!

PRAYER: Loving God, bless us into the fullness of life and away from the subtle invitations from sin.Help us reach the world for You. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Reach someone for light.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

BONUS: A Good News Walking edition featuring a short "sermon" by one of our own readers from FUMC-Gonzales. May it bless your day! Click here to see and hear: http://bit.ly/2Wlqwsu

One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!

Image from revkevnye.com

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/2xGWk0J

1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, 7 saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." 10 But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" 11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, "Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." 12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" 20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." 25 He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" 28 Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." 30 The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." 34 They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." 38 He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, "We see,' your sin remains. (John 9 NRSV)

Happy Monday, dear Friend. I pray the calm and peace of the Lord Jesus be with you and yours especially in the light of all that is being shared and broadcast minute by minute of this horrible virus. Our faith is in He who made all things and Who holds us in the palm of His hand. I know that many churches were empty while dedicated preachers and musicians shared worship through live-streaming. The truth is, the church buildings were empty, not the Church! We are the Church, and we are filled with God's Holy Spirit. And no one nor no thing can empty us of that divine presence in us!

Okay, the Gospel writer of John was, in some places, a bit long-winded. He did that to us last week in the story of the Samaritan woman and again today in this powerful story. Please don't let the length of this story stop you from enjoying all of what God is trying to share with you through this story. Every part is important. I felt sorry for the sign interpreter where I was to preach yesterday, because she was, rightly so, concerned about the length. I was worried about her hand muscles and all she would have to do for sharing the gospel in that way. She was spared. Let us get back to our story. It's one that perhaps you have read or heard preached. The title for the devotional is my favorite verse in the chapter because it sums up the power of Jesus in that one verse. Let us make our way to it.

One can only imagine the burden in those days for a man born blind. The cause of blindness was not fully understood by anyone and it becomes easy for the disciples to buy into a common misconception that any illness was caused by sin. And the sin, it was thought, was one that could have been done by someone related to the person with the disability. So, the question raised by them to Jesus was, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus tells them that it was neither the man nor the woman who sinned; he adds, "he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him." He also shares that He is the "light of the world," at which point He spits on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, instructing him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. This he does and returns able to see. This causes quite a stir in that small community. Needless to say, no one believes that he is the same one who can now see. They finally ask him and he says, "I am the man." How in the world then can you see? The man explains the simple thing Jesus did, and they want to know where they can find Jesus. These so-called "friends" take the man to the Pharisees, who pounce on the reality that this healing took place on a Sabbath. That was enough for them to say that Jesus could not be from God because He did not respect the keeping of the Sabbath. Some did not buy this; if He is a sinner, how can He do these miracles? The now able to see man is asked who they thought Jesus was, and he simply said, "a prophet." The parents are dragged into the legal dispute as well, being asked if they were sure he was born blind. Their response, "We know this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes." Then the classic, "Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." They knew the Pharisees were ruthless, and they did not want to risk being expelled from the synagogue. The Pharisees demand to know about Jesus; "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." The young man answered, "I do not now whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They demand, again, how did He do this? The man further rebuked them for their lack of faith. (Re-read verses 30-34). The Pharisees drove the man out of the synagogue. Jesus comforts the man by asking if he believes in the Son of Man, and the man asks, "And who is He, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." Jesus replies it is He, and the man believes and worships Him. To the Pharisees he informs him of His purpose and how they remain in their sin.

It becomes easy to lose sight of sin. In this passage the basic message was that Jesus can open the eyes of the blind. The only one in this story who understood most of what was happening was the blind man. He knew for all those years what it meant to be blind. And then, what it meant to encounter Jesus who brought him sight. He then learned what it was like to go from being blind to being fully sighted. He learned that not everyone celebrates miracles that upsets their daily expectations of others. He learned of the hatred and meanness of the Pharisees when they hear of this miracle taking place on a Sabbath. He learns what it means to have your parents afraid for something they had nothing to do with. But, the most important thing he learned is that the same man who gave him sight, gave him life. Do you find yourself somewhere in this story? Which character or situation do you find you're closer to? Are you aware of your sin? John as he wrote this story knew its power and importance and so uses the verses that he shared so that we would not miss out on what Jesus still offers to us.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, this is a serious time in our world. There is fear, uncertainty, panic, and sadness about this mysterious virus. Remind us and lead us to be more cautious and compassionate. May we place our complete trust in You and we pray that You guide those working on a cure or vaccine to be blessed so that that blessing be passed on to those in greatest need. Please bless our families, our friends, our enemies and all who need You now. We pray that we might receive sight to see our faults and sins and to let Jesus remove them from our lives. And it is in His name that we pray, amen.

Friends, the CDC (The Center for Disease Control) last night issued a recommendation that gatherings of more than 50 people not be allowed to meet for the next eight weeks. This directly affects our churches, and thinking practically about it, that's two months that most churches will go without offerings and tithes to be shared. I would lovingly urge you to consider sending your regular tithe and offering by mail to your local church every week or in the manner in which you are accustomed. This still counts as worship on your part and it ensures that our churches will remain financially strong to respond to the many needs it faces during this time.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Love others from a distance, but still show love in powerful ways!

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Celebrate Your Arrival!

Image from facebook.com

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/2W3YGRh

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways." 11 Therefore in my anger I swore, "They shall not enter my rest." (Psalm 95 NRSV)

Good day, Friend. Yesterday, we looked at the trip that Papa Moses took in his huge station wagon with his many Israelite kids, and how unruly they were when they got thirsty. Well, they have "arrived" to their destination and this psalm gets written.

It is a call to celebration because they've arrived. Not just from a trip per se, but a point of reflection where one can finally say, "I've led a bad life and Jesus saved me, and I am thankful to be here." It's personal worship between a grateful individual and his/her God. We have been out of the presence of God, now we must enter His presence with thanksgiving, making all the holy racket we can as a way to let the world know how blessed we are. It's also a time to take stock of all we have done and seen. The psalmist makes a list for himself: God is a great God, and King above all other gods. God is the Creator of all things, from the mountains to the oceans; all belongs to God, along with us. He is worthy of our worship and praise. And we should not ever return back to that period in our lives where we acted like spoiled, thirsty children. We should know that God does not like for us to return back to those places where we found ourselves far from Him. Our having arrived means our need to stay close to God and never wander away.

Life provides many options, and many roads on which to travel. God offers us His loving guidance to help us reach His destinations not ours. C. S. Lewis said, "Hell is filled with people who said, 'My will be done;" while Heaven is filled with those who said and lived, "Thy will be done." It doesn't get much easier to say. We should live surrendered lives in which God can lovingly lead us. We all fit in the station wagon!

PRAYER: Loving Father, may Your grace be upon us as we live each day. We ask forgiveness for those times we've yelled a bit too loudly about our situation and location. Bless us with peace, patience, and the pace to walk closely with You. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Be an encourager of praise!

Receive our blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Listen to the continuing study of Paul's Letter to the Romans at www.pimplesandwrinkles.org.

Are We There Yet??

Image from newlifenarrabri.wordpress.com

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/2IyqhSV

1 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." 5 The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:1-7 NRSV)

Hi Friend. Nellie and I have PhDs in Road Travel with Children. We have logged what has to be a little over a million miles in various vehicles of different sizes, colors, and shapes. The PhD stands for Please Help us Diosito! (which is Spanish for God!). Seriously, we loved every minute and mile of all the trips we have taken with our four wonderful daughters. Our girls were well-behaved, loving towards each other (most days), and open to the challenges of the open road. But we have seen movies and heard stories from others where parents have shared their horror stories that rival the behavior of the people of Israel like we just read. The comments of verse 2 sum up pretty much every road trip by a parent and thirsty kids. This one passage gives us an idea of what we can be capable of doing and saying, many times without us being aware or even if aware, we don't care as long as we get our point across. In fact, "We want water!" is second only to "Are we there yet?" These are cries of frustration and anger and maybe bewilderment. And one can only begin to imagine how Papa Moses felt at having to hear this so often. In fact, we don't have to imagine for long because in the next verse, Moses says, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" Sigh.

The trip from Egypt to Canaan, the promised land, took forty years. It was mostly through desert-like conditions, and many hardships. The trip, had it been taken directly would not have taken forty years; but the purpose of God was to form a people. Several significant spiritual events took place along the journey including the giving of the Law to Moses. Not to mention the miracles of the opening of the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land, and then it filled in on the approaching armies of Pharaoh killing them. The people of God kept forgetting one thing; they were no longer slaves, they were now free men! They no longer had to make bricks in the hot Egyptian sun without straw; what they could not forget was the meals they had enjoyed back in slavery; meat, vegetables, etc. And as they traveled, they had to fully trust God because God provided as they traveled. Food was delivered to them in the morning and evenings; water was found along the way, and yes, there were patches where there was no water, and this was such a place. And again, God provided. Moses was told to strike the rock at Horeb, and water would flow out of it. And if anything in Israel is just as pretty as anything else, is water. There are some regions we saw where the water is plentiful and just awesome looking. As the photo above shows, the water flows just as God said it would, and is still flowing.

"Is the Lord among us or not?" is the name of the place now. What an appropriate name. It's a question kids ask when panicking about food, water, where to go to the restroom, etc. Parents ask that question just as often as kids. Preachers ask that question at the end of worship or at the end of the month; no matter who does the asking, God does the answering; I am here! And usually if it's not in words, it is in the saving actions God takes among us and for us. If you're feeling like that at this reading, this devotional is for you; God has heard your cries and pleas and is at work; God will answer you soon enough.

PRAYER: Loving and patient God, bless all who listen or read this devotional. You better than anyone know what we face and why we ask what we ask; answer us with Your grace and love and bless us. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Help those asking the tough questions!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Peace with God

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/3aLuS05

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

Happy Tuesday, Friend! I pray this finds you well. I would add that on my website pimplesandwrinkles.org, I did a longer lesson on Romans 5. It is the latest episode called Jesus Justifies and you can click here to listen: https://www.pimplesandwrinkles.org/media.

For Paul and all believers in Jesus Christ, the word Justified is an important word. Justification is the complete word and it stands for being made right, as in a relationship. It means also complete acceptance. We saw an old movie in seminary (which makes it even older!) of a Mexican mission that took in orphans. It was run by a priest and the story is simple. A little boy, badly scarred and disfigured by a fire, has heard that this place welcomes all children, houses them and feeds them and he wants to see if they would welcome him in. I should add previous scenes have shown how hard life has been for this little boy, having lost his entire family and found himself now homeless. Doors closed on his face, he had to find food in the worse places and hearing the news of a possible place in which to finally be able to live, he knocks on the mission door. There is fear on his face as he awaits a response. The door finally opens and the fear grows. The look says will they accept me? Have I found a home? The priest, who opened the door, smiles at the little boy and invites him in. The boy steps in and he is hugged by the priest and the boy makes his way into the mission. At first the other children are a bit taken aback by the boy's face but soon all begin to smile back at the boy and greet him with touching his back and hugs. The boy finally smiles a big smile and knows he is home. The point of the movie was this was justification. The self-perceived unwanted are wanted, and I would add, welcomed. Paul knows this and thus his writing to the believers in Rome.

Justification has brought peace to Paul's life. As it should to all believers. And this peace is important for our lives. Nowhere does Paul write that being Christian is without sufferings and so Paul addresses these too. I love the progression chart he outlines about suffering, and he wrote this from experience. He says there is no shame in suffering, in fact, he says he boasts about his sufferings "because suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Then he adds, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly...But God proves His love for us in that while we sill were sinners Christ died for us."

Paul sums up the Good News: God loved us enough to send Jesus. Jesus loves us enough to die for us, and through His blood and body paid the price for our sins. Our alienation from God is no more; the doors once perceived as closed to us, are wide open through which we are easily and eternally reconciled with God. We are saved and safe from all eternal harm and evil.

PRAYER: Awesome God, thank You for the wide open door of Your love for us. We pray for those who don't feel worthy of Your grace that they may know they too are welcome and loved in Your kingdom. Use us to share the news; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share an invitation to justification today!

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Thirsty?

Image from en.abouna.org

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/38DZdMl

5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" 13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." 15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." 17 The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, "I have no husband'; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" 19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." 25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." 26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." 27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" 30 They left the city and were on their way to him. 31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." 33 So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35 Do you not say, "Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36 The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." 39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world." (John 4:5-42 NRSV)

Happy Monday dear Friend! While that may sound like an oxymoron, for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, His presence and peace in our hearts helps us face whatever today, tomorrow and forever may hold, for He holds us! I ask prayers for this old man as this coming Sunday, the 15th of March, I will be preaching at the three worship services at First UMC of Bastrop, Texas, using this text. May God give me the words and the grace as I preach His holy word.

It was about two years ago during this time of year that Nellie and I were in the chapel over Jacob's Well. Tour groups from all over the world crowded in to see this famous well. It has been there thousands of years as it is attributed to Jacob (Genesis 33:18-20). Lines allowed those who wanted a chance to drink from common buckets that were lowered and raised up from the water. We could imagine that that ancient well even today, was holy because our Lord sat by it. There is much to be said about this entire passage. It is a long passage, but it contains an entire important story we must know. The first is that the history of the Jews and the Samaritans is tainted. During the times of Jesus, there was little to no interaction between the two racial groups. Though they shared a somewhat common faith, the racial and historical differences were enough for either group to cross the street in order to avoid the other. That is why we see her asking Jesus, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" Good question. Jesus had asked of her, as she approached to draw water, for a drink. That's another consideration; Jesus would have had to drink from her bucket, which was strictly forbidden by custom and Jewish law. But the interaction shows us that Jesus respected no boundaries or borders. His mission had been to save the world, which means all people. And Jesus' request was not so much for a drink of water as an opening for Him to offer this woman the gift He brought to the world. He says, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." Jesus further explains,"those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." God makes it easy for all to understand that life requires water and bread, and both are used as symbols of the life without end that Jesus offers. Here at this significant well, the Samaritan woman who came to seek water for his thirst encounters He who offers living water.

We soon find that this woman had been looking for the fullness of life in the wrong places. Jesus knew her and her weaknesses in her life. He simply asks her to go and call her husband and return back with him. She replied that she does not have a husband. Jesus counters that she is telling the truth in saying she has no husband, and that she has had five husbands, and the one she had at the present time was not her husband. Jesus gives her credit for telling the truth. The moment is awkward as she is like the proverbial deer in the headlights. She thinks,then changes the subject, and declares Jesus to be a prophet. And that the mountain on which they were standing had special significance to her ancestors, and reminds Jesus that for the Jews, Jerusalem was the place for worship. Jesus again counters with the truth and tells her that the hour was fast approaching when they would not worship the Father neither on the mountain or in Jerusalem. And further, "You worship what you do not know, "for salvation is from the Jews; and the hour is coming, is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

This was a harvest moment. Jesus, as I mentioned above, has crossed a very obvious border that forbade interaction between Jew and Samaritan, but He did it to share the Good News with her. She detects the spiritual nature of Jesus and when He shares her life's weakness she believes Him to be a prophet. Jesus shares the truth of the living water that He could share with her and she's willing to hear more. The disciples arrive, and she returns to her village to share with all there, that she had found a man who told her about all she had ever done. She even asks, "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" The disciples realizing they may have taken a bit longer on their excursion to secure food for Jesus encourage Him to eat and He replies that His food is to do the will of God.

When the Samaritans arrive to where Jesus and the Twelve are, they listen to Him and invite Him to stay with them for two days. And during those two days many came to faith because of what Jesus shared with them about His mission and ministry. And they said, "We know that this is truly the Savior of the world."

While in the Holy Land, we were taken to a Samaritan village where their high priest lives and leads their worship. Sadly, the high priest was away but the assistant priest led us on a tour of their worship space. They have a temple where worship can take place inside, but outside the temple there was a huge pit with iron grills. We were told they still sacrifice animals like Old Testament days, fully cooking the meat as an offering to God, then eating the meat when worship is over. We were also told the total number of Samaritans around the world was only 118. What that number is today I don't know. What we do know is that Jesus had His impact on believers of the area at that time and we trust God to carry on His work on those whose lives impacted others through the ages.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, shine on us Your grace and love. May we see beyond divisions and borders of all kinds, to see opportunities to love as You love, to care as You care. May we truly be ambassadors of love and peace to all. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share the living waters of Jesus with someone who is thirsty!

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

BONUS: A young couple planning their wedding meet at a coffee shop to discuss their wedding cake. They had the perfect cake in mind except the bride wanted a Bible verse to top the cake. They searched the scriptures and settled on 1 John 4:18 that reads, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts off fear." The two were so overwhelmed by the beauty and power of this perfect verse they wept and used the napkin on which they had written it. They took it to the baker and told him to place that verse on the wedding cake. On their wedding day, the ceremony was perfect and beautiful and as they entered the reception the two mothers were crying by the wedding cake. The MOB (Mother of the Bride) yelled, "What were you two thinking? Look at this verse!" The couple walked over and read, "For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband." The poor baker did not see that their tears had erased the 1 from 1 John and so went directly to John 4:18. Happy Monday!!

Surrounded? Think Again!

Image from biblicalwoman.com

Hear Here: http://bit.ly/39r4Tun

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. (Psalm 121 NRSV)

Good day, dear Friend.

This is my second favorite psalm of all of the 150. I have several that are very close to this one, but this was my go-to psalm. As a young pastor, I would read this before prayer at almost all my hospital visits because of its powerful message. Later, as I studied this psalm it was made clear to me that David, to whom we attribute this psalm, more than likely wrote it when at war. David was a warrior king as much as he was a shepherd king. And the image in the first verse is a reference to the hills surrounding his camp being filled with enemy soldiers. That would explain the end of that first verse. To see his camp surrounded by enemy soldiers would make a person ask, "Where will my help come from?" It is a distressful thought. If one is surrounded by enemies, bills, hurts, insults, pain, worry, and the list goes on and on, one could ask oneself, "How will I ever get out of this jam?" Thankfully, David's faith answers it; "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The Creator of all things stands ready to defend the king, God stands ready to defend you. We are talking absolute power. God made all things out of nothing and just with His words; all of that power stands at your side as you face your enemies. "He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." Many a watchman has been known to doze off and may have been a common problem with many an army, but David says, God will never doze off nor start snoring, we can depend on Him.

David continues affirming his faith. "The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night." One, God keeps us. The Lord provides shade. If you've been to the Holy Land you're aware that it is important to have shade from a scorching sun that does strike daily and hard. The moon also provides bright light at certain times and in certain places; God's got you covered and protected! As David closes his psalm he says, "The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore." Such was the faith of the shepherd boy who killed a giant in battle. Strong was the faith of the boy shepherd as he protected his flock from bears and lions. David trusted in God and because of that trust wrote what he wrote: God will keep us from "all evil." God will keep our lives; and as far as our going out and our coming in? God's got us! Right now and forever.

This psalm has blessed many a person in need of such a strong word as it has blessed me, and I pray you as well. Again, we may be surrounded by many "enemies," but our God is stronger, wiser, bolder, and ready to save us from all evil, all harm, and all that may come against us.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as we pray, we pray in faith, the same faith as the Shepherd King, David. We pray with thankful hearts for the faith of David who shared his faith in this beautiful psalm. I pray that those who needed to hear it have heard it and it has blessed their lives. Make us worthy of your blessings. Bless us we pray, in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a bearer of faith to those who lack it.

Receive my blessings of love and faith,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

paypal.me/eradiovalverde