How Honest Are We When We Pray?

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Hear today's devotional read here: https://bit.ly/39GHYfu or you can listen here as well: https://bit.ly/3jRMMmZ

1 Listen while I build my case, God, the most honest prayer you'll ever hear. 2 Show the world I'm innocent - in your heart you know I am. 3 Go ahead, examine me from inside out, surprise me in the middle of the night - You'll find I'm just what I say I am. My words don't run loose. 4 I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. I'm trying to get your way, your Word's way. 5 I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot In front of the other. I'm not giving up. 6 I call to you, God, because I'm sure of an answer. So - answer! bend your ear! listen sharp! 7 Paint grace-graffiti on the fences; take in your frightened children who Are running from the neighborhood bullies straight to you. 15 And me? I plan on looking you full in the face. When I get up, I'll see your full stature and live heaven on earth. (Psalm 17:1-7, 15 The Message)

Martin Luther loved confession. It was a sacrament that he loved because he loved being honest with God. Martin Luther was a German Roman Catholic monk, who took all he did very seriously. Once taught how to confess, he took his time in the confessional. Yes, monks have to confess to other monks. And no, chips are not involved, so don't wait for a chipmunk joke! The trouble was that other monks did not like to hear Martin confess, for he would seriously review his entire day and anything he might have thought, said, or did. He did not want to leave any sin unconfessed. As admirable as I think that is, the other monks soon began to avoid their turn at the confessional if they knew Martin was due to confess. Martin wanted to be ready to pray the prayers of confession as well as those assigned to him as penance. One wonders how honest the other monks were in their confession and in their prayer time.

How honest are you, dear Friend, when you pray? Are you as honest as David? Truth be known, God knows our heart, our mind, our soul, and all that we have done. And once we know that, we know there is nothing we can hide from the Lord. And God desires our prayers to be a time when we get to know Him better; it's a true coming home moment for God and for us. The four basic components of prayer are Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication, or praying for others. We speak, then we should listen because it becomes God's turn to speak to us. As David saw it, it was his time to "build his case," and to call this particular prayer, "the most honest prayer you'll ever hear." An honest petition from a guilty soul asking the Almighty to show mercy and to render a verdict of innocence. David is honest enough to ask for a complete examination from "inside out" even revealing His verdict "in the middle of the night," and proceeds to say that he is dedicated to following God's way, all the way. David knew that this kind of prayer would allow his life to be living "heaven on earth" here. For anyone who seeks to know God "face-to-face" will be in heaven (paradise) with their God.

As we pray, we pray for the kind of relationship that David enjoyed with God; honest, truthful, open, transparent, and with a heart's desire to be made right in the presence of the Lord.

PRAYER: Loving God, as we pray, we do so with honesty. You know us, and have examined us, and instead of showing us punishment or banishment, You still lovingly invite us in, and there You welcome us with love and joy. May this bless our lives so that we too, can be like You in all things. Hear our prayer as we pray in Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Rev up your prayer life with honesty!

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Prayer Updates and Requests: Dear friends, sad news from the Vela Family, Janie passed away earlier today, Wednesday in Corpus Christi. We mourn her death and we pray you continue to pray for her father-in-law, Isidro as he continues with his battle against Covid-19. We also received a prayer request from Mrs. Jane Haley regarding her husband Mike; he is facing "a very dire cancer diagnosis" and this before their 50th Anniversary. Jane herself has gone through cancer twice, and we should pray for a miracle. Please join me in praying for this dear family from Bastrop, TX. Prayers for all who suffer from that and again, please wear your masks and keep socially distanced from one another. Pray for one another, and pray for yourselves.

Name-Changing Experiences!

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Hear here the story for today: https://bit.ly/33gh8dl

22 But during the night he got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He got them safely across the brook along with all his possessions. 24 But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he couldn't get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob's hip out of joint. 26 The man said, "Let me go; it's daybreak." Jacob said, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me." 27 The man said, "What's your name?" He answered, "Jacob." 28 The man said, "But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it's Israel (God-Wrestler); you've wrestled with God and you've come through." 29 Jacob asked, "And what's your name?" The man said, "Why do you want to know my name?" And then, right then and there, he blessed him. 30 Jacob named the place Peniel (God's Face) because, he said, "I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!" 31 The sun came up as he left Peniel, limping because of his hip. (Genesis 32:22-31 The Message)

Welcome to Wednesday's ConCafe, dear Friend! May the Lord bless you and keep you, and enrich your life through time spent with Him in prayer and study. We continue to pray for the needs of all who seek healing and wholeness. I just received this prayer request from Jane Haley regarding her husband Mike; he is facing "a very dire cancer diagnosis" and this before their 50th Anniversary. Jane herself has gone through cancer twice, and we should pray for a miracle. Please join me in praying for this dear family from Bastrop, TX. We continue to pray for Janie Vela, and now we add Janie's father-In-law, Isidro Vela who also has Covid-19 and in the hospital. We thank God that he is responding well to treatment. Janie continues critical having been moved to Corpus Christi with Covid-pneumonia. Please pray for their healing. Pray for our nation and our needs, and for the whole's great needs. Pray for one another, and pray for yourself and whatever needs and challenges you face.

You and I have probably had some incredible dreams, some that we wish could last longer, if not forever; and yes, we've probably had some nightmares from which we were glad to be awakened. Thankfully, most of us have not had dreams where we have awakened with injuries. Well, our runaway rascal Jacob, in today's passage did not dream this, though some have called it such, but his night involved a long wrestling match with one of God's angels. I would have to say that Momma's Boy did pretty well for himself in not giving in completely to this messenger of God, but he didn't walk away like he entered in, for he was left with a limp due to a hip being out of joint. And he also, again, got a blessing out of the deal! And a new name. Jacob was now named Israel, as this version shares, it means "God-Wrestler." And his name became the name of the people of God, and to this day his nation is called Israel. It fits them perfectly, for theirs has been a long tradition of people not completely or blindly accepting whatever God has asked or directed; they have wrestled more than they should, and still they march on. Jacob, immediately after the name change, gets the blessing he requested. And he names the place where this took place, "God's-Face" because it was there that he "saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story." And it's a good thing there were no smart phones in those days, so that when it came time for entertainment, it was up to Israel to share stories from his history, and what stories they were! You know the grandkids enjoyed them and marveled at them; his kids, well, they may have changed from marveling, to being embarrassed, to that sad day many of us reach, where we say, "How I wish Grandpa/Dad was still here. I miss his stories and I want to learn more...." And that's true for Momma/Grandmama, too.

I share again what I believe with all my heart, that if faithful, we may encounter God in marvelous ways and we may even walk away with a new name, if not from God, from those who have seen and believed the change. I shared how The Rev. Dr. Daniel Rodriguez, who died last weekend was my pastor as a boy, and it was his wife, Eveli, or Billie, as we call her, upon my ordination came up to me and said, "When you were a child, I would never have believed you would become a minister, and here you are." I took that as a compliment; for I went from being GT (Gordo y Travieso*) to being pastor/minister/Reverend, my new names. Some of you have gone from non-believer to Christian; others from church-attenders to followers and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some from pedigree bearers** to powerful personal sharers of God's grace. Others have gone from being doubters to doers, and active ones at that; some from unconvinced to confirmed servants of God. Some have gone from being distrustful of people different from them, to loving friends and neighbors, and brethren of others. If we are open to God, God will work a needed change in us, and will take us to the next level of faith and service. And sometimes, God will begin to work the change even though we are not aware of such a change or find ourselves resisting it. Stay tuned, God's not through with you, or me!

PRAYER: Loving God, as we pray, many of us are confessing that name changes that have come our way were needed. We again ask for Your forgiveness for having stayed with some original names rather than seeking to know You well enough to receive from You the new name. We pray for all whom we know that may still be resistant or ignorant of needed growth; bless them, for we know You never give us on any of us. We praise You and thank You for all You have shared with us, in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share your new name with someone today and tell 'em how you got it!

Receive my blessings of joy and laugher,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

*Spanish for fat and mischievous **"Grandma/Grandpa built this church or (fill in the blank)

Another link on which to listen: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Name-Changing-Experiences-ehc7od

The Pain in Paul's Heart

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Hear this devotional narrated here: https://soundcloud.com/evalverde/the-pain-in-pauls-heart

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 9:1-5 NRSV)

Friend! Welcome to Tuesday's devotional! I pray this finds you well. May this time spent together be a blessing to God, you, your circle of influence, and to the Kingdom of God! Remember to pray for one another, praying for yourself, and the needs you hold that should be instead placed in the Lord's hands.

I can be a pain to some people, though it is never intentional. I blame the Apostle Peter for his influencing me to sometimes speak before thinking, and for sometimes thinking and speaking what I should instead be holding fast inside of my mouth and transferring that to my prayer life. So, if I have become a pain to you, I ask your forgiveness, and please feel free to let me know the specifics. I have never claimed to be perfect; the only perfect person I know is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul reveals who the pain in his heart, though he writes "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart," a nicer way of saying what a real pain he was feeling; and the culprits (plural) were his brothers and sisters, the Israelites. For Paul, being himself an Israelite, knew that Jesus loved and cared deeply for all people, but especially the children of the covenant. God's chosen people had long demonstrated their tendency to stray and wander and to ignore and reject all that was supposed to come to them, and Paul cannot quite accept that. Though he never had his own biological children, he felt like a parent whose counsel and wisdom go ignored. And that was simply a slight taste of what God has to feel when we choose our own way and make foolish decisions and we soon find ourselves alienated from Him.

From years ago comes this story; A rebellious son who always insisted on his own way, claiming he knew better than his father, felt disgust towards his father's constant preaching about faith and the need to have it, and to accept the love of a Savior as is found in Jesus; all of that fell on deaf ears. All the son truly craved was his father's money, not his love; his dad's nice home, not his protection and presence; his dad's fancy car, not the trips the dad encouraged his son to take with him. The son chose instead to leave home to the farthest place he could find. The years past and the father was soon dead. It took an additional time for the son to find out that the father was dead. And like the story Jesus told of a prodigal son, this son found himself in the same situation except he had no father to come home to. The son found his way home, and the once bright house was now boarded up. The lawn that was once a favorite of many in that town, now overrun with weeds, and trash. The garage had been broken into and no vehicles were inside. The house was also marred by broken windows and pried open doors. The new inhabitants of the home were pests and rodents. The only thing the son could find was the father's old Bible. The first thought the son had was to throw the thing into the trash, but decided to look inside to see what it was about this book made his dad the man he had been. He read a few pages and nothing jumped out at him; he was seeking immediate answers, but found none. Finally towards the middle of the Bible the son found an envelope and it was addressed to his son. The son now felt a sorrow begin to form in his heart, and tears welled up in his eyes; yet, he still felt an almost irresistible urge to toss the book into the trash, but he fought it and opened the letter. "My dear son, if you are reading this I am thankful to God you are still alive. My mind had led me down the path of thinking you were dead. I tried hard to find you, and even hired the finest detectives I could afford, and none could find you. It was as if you dropped off the face of the earth. Having lost your mother while you were still young, and my inability to be both mother and father to you helped shape you into the young man you were, though I tried hard and even prayed for your soul; I know God answers prayer, and all prayers are answered in God's time not ours, so you just holding this letter is that answer I prayed for, because you have finally opened the word of God. I had no one to give this home too, and I hardheadedly resisted attempts from my advisors to sell it. This home is yours, dear one, as are all the things that I have stored in places around this state. The house may not be in the shape it was when you left, but please know that on the flip side of this letter you will find the list of the banks holding my money that is now yours. Feel free to use the money to either restore this house, or to build the home you would like. If you are careful, you will have more than enough money for the rest of your life. The only regret is that I did not have those days we could have enjoyed together; instead I went to my death with the hope that perhaps someday you would return to what is, and has always been, yours. With whatever time God may have to share with you, I pray you will at least enjoy it with Him, with the certainty that God has always loved you, as I have tried to love you. I was not perfect, but each day made my love more perfect towards you. Love, your father." The son discovered he was now wealthy and had more than enough to do whatever it was he wanted; but now it had truly dawned on him that what he really missed out on was being there for his father, and enjoying his father while he was there.

Paul could have written this letter, as could the Lord Jesus, because both knew what the Israelites were missing out on, and what we miss out when we stay away from God. You honestly know there are times we have chosen not with our hearts or heads, but with our passions; and we have found out later, sometimes too much later, that we were wrong and we missed out on a lot. Please know that we who are reading this still have a chance to make things right, with God first, ourselves second, and then whomever is in our heart as needing this forgiveness. What shall you choose? I would pray that we not squander all that God has done for us.

PRAYER: Loving and patient Father, forgive us of our trespasses and our foolish decisions. Allow us to make right the wrong in our lives. Allow in us the courage to ask for Your forgiveness as well as the forgiveness we need to show ourselves; then to those who need to hear from us. Father, bless this reader and his/her life. Guide them always to the fullness of life; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. May we never have to hide in the Bible what we need to share with people who matter to us!

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

God Is the Source of Our Good

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Hear the devotional narrated here: http://bit.ly/2nnDZRj

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16 Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17 They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 18 And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:13-21 NRSV)

A blessed Monday be yours, my dear Friend. I pray this finds you well, safe, and blessed. The news of people that Nellie and I both personally know who are dying of Covid-19 keeps increasing and it's sorrowful for us, not to mention those who have lost loved ones. A longtime friend and former member of one of my churches, Rev. Fito Alvarado died this weekend of the virus and his wife, Yolanda, is in the hospital fighting for her life. Ms.Patty Chebultz, beloved and longtime conference worker (she coordinated moves for all pastors in our conference) died of cancer this weekend. The brother of retired DS and friend, Bill Henderson, Jim Henderson, died of complications from MS. Also, prayers for those affected by Hurricane Hannah this weekend in both Corpus Christi, and the Rio Grande Valley. Some are still without electricity. May God be with them!

I don't know if I should laugh or cry when we encounter people who, because of their own limitations, seek to interpret events in the Bible according to ways that most will find more credible. I entered seminary when the big thing was the "de-mythologization" of the Bible, which was the attempt of theologians from around the world, seeking to remove elements found in the Bible that could be considered myths. A myth is something that cannot be proven to be true, but is accepted with a skeptical eye as being a story worth keeping, but limits it to being fiction. Most of Jesus' miracles tend to fall, in the opinion of those theologians, as myths. How could a rational mind truly believe that from two fishes and five loaves, comes a meal for five thousand men, and more, if you counted the women and children present at such an event.

One counter explanation is that present at this miracles was a legion of Roman soldiers, each having lunches just like the small boy (from other versions who include him) and when made aware of the need to feed this multitude, they shared their lunches. That would have been a miracle in itself, for the Roman soldiers were hated by the Jews and would not have touched the sack of the sack lunch containing the loaves and fishes. Romans soldiers were also known to be rough people, not known for their kindness, so for either of those to have occurred that would have been counted as a miracle. Another holds that this was an illusion, a trick performed by master magician Jesus. The disciples had this much food with them all along, and when pressed, Jesus tricked the multitude in believing that God had multiplied the 2 fish and 5 loaves into the amount that fed 5,000. Some even said, "It didn't happen; people were told it did, and they went with that story." And some hold that the miracle was a miracle of sharing, that people found more food because those who had little were able to share more. I'll leave it to you to decide what you truly believe.

My dear friend, call me old-fashioned or worse, but I honestly believe that the Son of God, who was God Himself, Who had created all things out of nothing, could have very easily taken two fish and five loaves and through His power of "blessing and (breaking) the loaves," provided enough food for a crowd of spiritually hungry people, with a powerful symbolic leftover collection of twelve baskets full. The God of the twelve tribes of Israel could and did, provide for their needs, and all at the right time.

You and I have been blessed with unexpected, but needed, things at just the right moment; and to this day we cannot begin to explain how. But that's the least important thing; ours is to enjoy and return thanks to God for His lovingkindness to us. The explanations would not do justice to God's power. We can try, and we can also make God laugh. Remember the man, who in the presence of his parents, was asked by the religious leaders if Jesus was a sinner or not, replies, "Whether that man is a sinner or not I do not know, but one thing I do know; I was blind, but now I see!" Same for me. And I know the same for you.

PRAYER: Awesome Father, as we pray, we pray as people in need of so many things, but we begin by thanking You for all You have done and shared for and with us. You indeed are the source of all our good! You have filled our hearts with love, our minds with hope, and when needed, our stomachs with food. We are a blessed people, and we seek to bless others. Guide us to that; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share what you have in Jesus' name, to bless someone today.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

God's Everlasting Covenant

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Hear the devotional narrated here: http://bit.ly/2nnDZRj

1 Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! 2 Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! 3 Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God. Live a happy life! 4 Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. 5 Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he's rendered - 6 O seed of Abraham, his servant, O child of Jacob, his chosen. 7 He's God, our God, in charge of the whole earth. 8 And he remembers, remembers his Covenant - for a thousand generations he's been as good as his word. 9 It's the Covenant he made with Abraham, the same oath he swore to Isaac, 10 The very statute he established with Jacob, the eternal Covenant with Israel, 11 Namely, "I give you the land. Canaan is your hill-country inheritance." 45 So they could do everything he told them - could follow his instructions to the letter. Hallelujah! (Psalm 105:1-11, 45b The Message)

A tremendous Thursday be yours today, dear Friend! May we use this day to praise God to thank Him for all the good He has done in and for us! We join the ranks of King David, the prophets, The Lord Jesus, Paul, Priscilla, and all who knew that we could, and should, praise God!

I remember the first combined church worship service I ever attended when I was a boy in Kingsville. Our little church, El Buen Pastor (all brown members), met in the sanctuary of St. Paul Methodist (all black members), for Human Relations Sunday. We walked in to loving handshakes, hugs, slaps on the back, and smiles. We were among family! But, we knew that we were a little different, because their church had, near the altar table, a drum set. We had only what King James and Jesus said a church should have, a piano and an organ! My brother and I smiled at each other hoping they were going to use it during worship, and they did! I think we were mesmerized throughout that service by the awesome beating of the drums while we sang way more spirited versions of our hymns. And we loved that when each hymn was over, the drummer added his closing zing to each, which made it just right in our opinion. I didn't see any of our older ladies faint, so I think we were alright after it was all said and done. The question in our minds was, "How come we don't seem to be as happy as they are when they're in church?" The obvious answer might have been that we were a Spanish speaking congregation, culturally different from the 1850s hymns we were singing in the European-style taught us and in the form of worship taught to our pastors, who in turn taught to us. The limits were sort of set, and we dared not venture out of them.

I can see the young shepherd David out in the pastures with his sheep and with his lyre. As David watches his flock, his mind races to the goodness of God and how God has never let him down. Hallelujah, or the Hebrew equivalent, comes to his mind, and he may have said it out loud a bit, to start. He knows no one can hear him, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter much, he is just a boy tending to his sheep. Two days ago, Nellie and I ran for twenty minutes without stopping. I know that's not a big deal for you runners, but for this old, overweight retiree, that was a frightening challenge. And as our timing app told us how much longer we had, the numbers as they shrank motivated me to smile. I mean, big. You know, I thought, "Thank God, I am going to make it!" I raised my right hand up high as a sign of worship to the Lord Almighty. It was still dark, Nellie could see it, but I wondered if she knew why. (Yes, she's been married to me long enough to know there's no telling what her husband is likely to do in any situation). But as the numbers got smaller and smaller I neared her and said, "Two minutes!" I smiled again, with a bigger smile. And as the numbers got below one minute I was happier. Five seconds, three, two, one, done! I shouted, "Hallelujah!" I turned to Nellie and laughing said, "We did it!" She smiled and we kissed. King David had nothing on us; we both felt like saying, "Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to Him by name! Tell everyone you meet what He has done!" (I'm doing that now!). And I changed the songs on my phone to the worship/praise songs and lifted both hands in the air. I was joyful, and I was thankful. And that was for keeping me alive and breathing before, during, and after, a twenty-minute run. As I think on all of my life, the challenges, the obstacles, the miles, triumphs, joys, blessings... I join those ranks of the thankful and I thank God for His everlasting covenant to me.

This psalm goes with yesterday's Genesis lesson, and all the lessons for this week, and the Gospel lesson on mustard seeds, leaven, pearls, and treasure; and I realize we are the pearls and the treasures that Jesus came to seek and find, and, save. We are the ones who should stop, pause, and smile and say, as loudly as we feel comfortable, "Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to Him by name! Tell everyone you meet what He has done!" And we can break out in song, we can whistle, we can hum, we can just let it all out, that God is worthy of our praise!

This is the foundational blessing for what David says, "Live a happy life!" We keep our eyes open to God, we see His works; we're blessed by the signs of His presence among us, and we should join all creation in praising His holy name. We are part of the covenant that God will never forget; in fact, we are part of the covenant that God will fulfill in us!

PRAYER: Loving and awesome God, we pause to add our names to the millions who at this very moment are praying alongside us. We can't see them, and we can't hear them, but we know that at the foot of Your throne, the voices in so many languages, sighs, and groans, are arriving there and sounding like Beethoven, Vivaldi, Luciano, Rocio, Bono, George, and all other great singers and composers of our day, had gotten together and presented this marvelous symphony of praise to You. You are worthy, You are mighty, and we thank You. May our lives reflect that gratitude wherever it is You take us to do whatever you desire us to do; so that in all things, and in all ways, You would be glorified in us! We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! You don't have to run or even walk, but if you reach a point where you thought you won't be, thank God! And don't be shy about it!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Love At Any Cost

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Hear the devotional here: http://bit.ly/2nnDZRj

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." 19 Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed." 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) 25 When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" 26 Laban said, "This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. (Genesis 29:15-28 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday to you, dear Friend! Praying all is well with you. As a prayer request, some have suggested asking for rain; our forecast here says perhaps later in the week we may see some; and then we add to the mix a tropical depression that may be forming in the Gulf. Praise Report, all went well with my neighbor, Mr. Hector Cruz. He's home and recovering; doctors do not need to see him for a long time! Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

Someone has said that in this story, the king of cons gets conned. Jacob, you will remember, was a rascal when it came to making deals and coming out ahead, even if it meant cheating a brother out of his birthright, and so it may seem right to some, that he finally gets his. Here's the story. It might have been love at first sight; Jacob saw the daughter of Laban and found her very attractive. Remember, he was on the run, all alone, afraid, fearing for his life, and then sets his eyes on a woman he finds very beautiful and perhaps perfect for marriage. This is an ancient story, and it is true that Laban, the father of Rachel, is related to Jacob, and some have added that upon meeting Jacob, Laban may have adopted him as a son, as was a custom in those times, for verse 14 (not in today's reading) included the phrase, "my bone and my flesh" which was part of ancient adoption services. It could also have been to indicate that Laban does recognize the family resemblances and affirms those. We hear, "Oh you have the Valverde ears," which does not indicate people are willing to adopt us necessarily. Yet, as the story develops, that adoption or family tie goes the way of Jacob becoming a servant.

It's been a month and nephew and uncle are talking. Uncle Laban says to the young man, "I think it's only fair that since you've been helping out on the ranch I should pay you for your services." I mean, biscuits and red gravy are fine and they go a long way, but one can't go into town and buy anything with just a full stomach, right? And the boy had been thinking and his heart was on Rachel. So, instead of a six-figure salary, he wants Rachel as his wages. The story reminds us that Laban had two daughters; Leah, the oldest and it mentioned in this version that her eyes were "lovely." Other versions say, "her eyes were weak." It could mean one of two things; she could have worn glasses had they been available in those days, or they lack luster, which among people that loved sparkling eyes didn't cut it. I leave it to you to make up your mind. The story does say that Rachel was "beautiful of form and face." Okay, that one doesn't require much, they spell it out for you.

So, Jacob names the terms, saying he would work seven years for his bride. And Laban agrees. This was love at any cost, though he set the terms himself. Someone might have said a year, or two, but Jacob likes a solid biblical number of seven. Laban likes the idea that his daughter would go with someone like Jacob. And Jacob begins to mark on his calendar the days until he completed the seven. He also downloaded the app Countdown which would let him know as the seconds, minutes, and hours passed, just how much longer he had to wait. The app finally beeped and Jacob danced as he marked the last day on the wall calendar. It was one of those discounted cat calendars you can get at Dollar Tree after the start of the year!

"Uncle Laban! Today's the day you go from being my uncle to Daddy-in-law!" Yes, sounds strange, but this was happening in another time where this was permitted. Hey, until 2005, Texans could marry their first cousins, so stop wagging your fingers at the happy couple! FYI there are still 19 states where this is still allowed. I won't name them so you don't start planning an overnight trip! (I am joking, okay!) I also add that in six states, you can marry your first cousin on the condition that you will not reproduce.

The wedding is held, in their custom, which was a big banquet or barbecue, and as far as we know, no standing at the altar to pronounce one married to the other; it was understood... or so Jacob thought. Their custom was to have the meal, having worked out all the details prior to the feast, and when it was all over, the couple would make their way to the bridal tent. Now, as to the sober condition of the groom, it does not say; and he might just have been tired and sleepy, but when the bride came into the tent, they consummated the marriage. It was at first light when hubby reached over to kiss wifey that Jacob realized that his new wife was older sister Leah, the one with the "lovely eyes!" "Hold on, Uncle Labe!" And he discovered that he had been conned. It was not common practice in that area, or among those people, to allow the younger daughter to marry before the older. Uh oh. And Uncle Labe said, "Work this week, and I'll give you Rachel, plus add another seven years for her." Gulp.

Yes, friends, two wives, with two maids thrown in as wedding gifts, and all at the low cost of fourteen years of hard work. And they all lived happily ever after? Not on this planet. We know the rest of the story, Jacob loved Rachel and he tolerated Leah. Friends, I remind us that the Bible is an honest book, full of pimples and wrinkles, scars and warts; no one perfect, nor presented as such. The only perfect person we encounter in the pages of our sacred book is Jesus. We have a story that might keep us up tonight as we discuss it with someone, or may play out as something we can't quite fathom, but remember, "all things work for good for those who love the Lord" from yesterday? This is why. The present picture may not gibe well with us, but we need to see the bigger picture of God. As Jesus spoke in Monday's gospel lesson, there are many different manifestations of faith and work before God, and they all count. We ask where do I fit in? What is it I offer to the Lord? How am I working in my family or in my setting as someone who is concerned about God and God's people outside of my realm?

PRAYER: Loving God, bless our hearts and minds to experience Your love so that whatever we may be facing or enduring, we know You are right here with us. Grant us wisdom and peace. Let us bless You. We pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Enjoy the feast of life; share your food and faith!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

God is NOT in the Long Distance Business!

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Hear the Devotional Read here: https://bit.ly/2CwIQr5

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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. (Romans 8:26-39 NRSV)

A blessed Tuesday be yours, dear Friend is my prayer. I appreciate the email and texts I received concerning my cousin's husband, and my pastoral friend. I appreciate your concern for me. As we pray today, please lift up the name of my neighbor, Hector Cruz, who undergoes a serious procedure in San Antonio at the Veteran's Hospital. Pray also for his wife, Terri as she drives him there and back.

"Long distance call!" Remember hearing those words? Those of you who remember receiving a long distance call might remember that the responses were immediate; excitement or fear; some even might have asked, "Who's paying for this call? It's not a collect call is it?" Back in the day, long distance was big business because each call was expensive. Companies knew that for families with relatives in other towns and cities, providing them a way to stay connected was important. I remember every trip I took from home to another place my mother would say, remember to call to let me know you arrived there safely; and the code was for me to call person-to-person collect and to ask for myself. Kids, person-to-person collect meant the operator (ask your grandparents what those were) would not charge your home phone if the person you were calling was not home. And I had to pray and wrestle within myself on this deceptive trick, trying to justify that it was the cheapest way to let Momma know that I was okay.

We thank God for Him not being in the long distance business. God is in the closeness business. God is as near as our hearts, lip, and minds. And He wants us to draw close to Him at all times. Even in the most difficult of times. I've shared the story of a dear mother whose adult daughter was dying of cancer. The doctors had done all they could and the only hope she had was the Lord. But she had cried and prayed, and prayed and cried so much, she told me she could no longer pray; she was out of words. As she asked me what she could do, the Lord reminded me of this passage starting at verse 26; God knows our prayers because God knows our hearts, God knows our minds, and God's Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints interpreting our sighs which are too deep for words. Isn't that marvelous? We can never reach the point in our lives or faith that we are distant from God!

Second lesson: If you love God all your efforts of faith offered in your service to God and God's kingdom will work for good, if they are within the purpose of God's plan. That gives us a different perspective about life if we don't forget that especially when the circumstances seem challenging and difficult. Then Paul adds some theological insight designed to reassure us of our salvation because of Jesus. In plain English, God loves you so much, He sent Jesus to die for you and me.

Third lesson: God is for you and for me. Great question, who can be against us? Pity the fool who thinks they can outwit, outsmart, or beat God!

Fourth lesson: Who will bring charges against you? Who can condemn you? Answers: No one, especially if Jesus knows you as one of His; He will speak up for you and you will be found innocent.

Fifth and final lesson: God is not in the long distance business! God does not like to be separated from anyone for any reason. You can make a list if you want to, but there's one already made! Written by a man who knew personally each of these things. Hardship? It's on there. Hardship may come and may even bring a friend, but it will NOT separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. How about distress? Nope? Persecution? ¡Tampoco! Famine? Maybe for a bit, but a plate of food is coming right after you realize that God loves you! Nakedness? Or what you perceive as being an empty closet? No. Peril? No! Sword? Not even! Paul knew that an army made up of those foes of hardship to sword, have met their demise in God. Paul declares, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!" Wait! Paul's not finished! He continues with this awesome list; "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, 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." God is NOT, I repeat, God is NOT in the long distance business. And neither should we! Friend, if you feel a bit distant from God, I remind you of the old story of the elderly couple riding in those old style vehicles with huge church pew wide seats, the couple saw a young couple in a similar vehicle and seated so close together, the older man told his wife, "Look honey, a two-headed monster is driving that truck!" She laughed and said, "Remember when we sat like that? Why don't we do that anymore?" The old man smiled and said, "Well, guess who moved?"

PRAYER: Awesome Father, You are so close we can feel you if we want; sometimes life tries to get in the way and we feel far from You, but we know it is us only giving in to the challenges life brings; let us draw nearer to You is our prayer. We thank You for the message that Paul shared in this passage. We celebrate that You are not in the long distance business, because prayer is free and prayer is as close as our desire to talk to You. Help us to share this with others as You lead. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Draw near to the Lord and then invite someone to join you.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

CORRECTION TO THE NARRATION: I mentioned the death of The Rev. Dan Garcia, I meant Rev. Dan Rodriguez. Please forgive my error.

Mustard Seed Precious Treasure Bread

Image from agnusday.org

Listen to the narration here: https://bit.ly/2CsDVHH

31 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." 33 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 "Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." 52 And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." (Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 NRSV)

Welcome, Monday! Bring your blessings to this dear reader and Friend. I pray you and yours are doing well, staying safe, and trying to stay healthy. I shared in yesterday's Pimples and Wrinkles, how my first cousin in McAllen, lost her husband to Covid-19. He was exposed for 14 days and the 15th day he just dropped dead. In respecting their privacy I will not name them, but ask for prayers for God's comfort with his family. He showed no symptoms and it was an unexpected senseless death. Please don't be next; take care of yourselves and those who matter to you. At this writing I have received the sad word that The Rev. Dr. Dan Rodriguez never recovered his stay in ICU and was called home on Sunday. Please keep his family in your prayers. Dan was a wonderful pastor and will be missed by many, your servant included. Please take care of yourselves! You matter too much to God, to your families, to many, and to me. Wearing a mask is a sign of discipleship; showing your love for others, especially the elderly and the very young. 65 babies in Nueces (Corpus Christi) County have the virus. Please take care and be safe. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

If the title of today's devotional has you smelling the aroma of fresh baked bread then I have your attention, because that's what Jesus wanted from those listening to His teachings. And the point of His teaching in this passage is that the kingdom of God matters because we matter to God. And what we bring to the kingdom matters to God as well. Some us will be like the mustard seed. We may perceive that our faith is tiny and that it won't matter or make a difference to others, but Jesus knew the power of the mustard seed! He knew it to be the smallest of all the seeds, but once planted and with the proper nutrition and sunlight, it would grow to larger realms and do just what God intended for it to do. God does that too. You may think, "I have nothing to offer God or to the world, but give God a chance and God will transform your faith and your life into what God intended all along.

Then there's yeast, a powerful ingredient of baking. Once introduced into the right mixture it helps it expand and grow and be what was intended of it. Bread made with yeast is the best kind, fluffy and tasty; just as it was purposed. Same can be said for those who have a contagious, transformative faith. They bring joy, life, laughter, hope and glee to the mundane. And when infused to the community of faith, they do wonders in helping shape the direction the community takes in reaching others for the good of God.

Then there's the treasure, hidden for some reason, in a field. It may have been forgotten or the owner died and the field in which it was located, is ignored. Then someone comes to the field and finds the treasure. The treasure makes this discoverer want to own the entire field; he goes and sells all he has so that he can buy the field. There is an element of sacrifice in being part of God's kingdom. It's a matter of giving one's all to the kingdom. It means a personal commitment to stand on the promises of God and not to just sit on the premises. There is no bench for disciples; all get called in; everyone plays and strives to win.

The kingdom is also like a precious pearl that a merchant finds and again, sells all he has to buy it. This stresses not only sacrifice, but the commitment required to faithfully and fruitfully serve the Lord. It is Jesus saying, "Don't hold back on serving God. You commit, you go forward and serve. No looking back, and no turning back; onward and upward is our commitment to God.

The last illustration the Lord shares is that the kingdom is like a fishing excursion where a net is thrown into the sea and every kind of fish is hauled in. Once on shore, the fisher sits and divides the fish; good into baskets, the bad are thrown out. This is clear and Jesus says so, "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Friends, I cannot stress this enough, that judgement is coming. Jesus spoke of this very clearly and stresses that in this passage; God is not mocked nor can God be ignored. God has shared a standard of what is expected of us, and we need to live up to it and be faithful to Him. We will all die, and we will all be judged. We will be asked to account for our lives while on earth. Judgement will be a process of separation; the good will enter into eternal life with God, Jesus, and all the saints of heaven; the evil will be separated from God and enter into eternal suffering. Some ask, "Why would a loving God send anyone to hell?" Simple answer; God is not the one who decided for people to be sinful or evil, those were personal options and choices. Dear one, choose life and good for you and yours.

PRAYER: Awesome God, as we pray, we are aware of what You have expected of us. We know You are loving and forgiving, but You are also serious in asking of us to be the people You have called us to be. Forgive us and grant to us a new opportunity to serve You and Yours. We pray for those who are hurting, mourning, ill, or at the point of death. May Your will be done. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be part of those who give of themselves to save others!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

How Are You? My newest podcast found under the Media section at www.pimplesandwrinkles.org.

Christmas in July?

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Hear the devotional right here: https://bit.ly/30dDJE5

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night," 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 NRSV)

A blessed Thursday be yours today, dear Friend. I pray all is well, and that you are staying safe from this heat and staying safe and away from the Coronavirus. Our church secretary's sister-in-law's mother, Mrs. Janie Vela is in the hospital with Covid-19; please pray for her healing and relief. I also got word that Rev. Dan Rodriguez' surgery is healing well, but he is having trouble breathing and is still in ICU because of that. Prayers for Dan's healing. Please make time to pray for one another; and time to pray for yourselves. Why do we pray? Because God answers prayer!

Okay, this is going to sound weird, and the title gives it away a bit, but reading the scripture as I prepared for this devotional I thought about a Christmas song. Yes, in July; and my daughter and I had a fun talk about watching Christmas movies in July, and just yesterday morning I forwarded an ad from a company that was having a Christmas in July Sale! The song that came to mind, and please don't judge me! was Santa Claus is Coming to Town! You know the lyrics right? "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why; Santa Claus is coming to town. He sees when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake; he knows if you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness' sake." Yes, I am crazy, and I blame the heat! Yet, I wonder if that songwriter hadn't read this psalm before s/he wrote it?

The psalmist knew the truth about God. God is all-seeing, and all-knowing; and this is not to frighten us into good behavior, but to strengthen us as we feel weak, or hopeful when we feel alone, or blessed when we feel abandoned. The one who acknowledges God in all things will see the face of God in situations others would call dire. The one who acknowledges God has surrendered his/her life to God and has received blessings of joy, strength, and peace. That person has seen the last of darkness that overwhelms and defeats.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, bless us to be a blessing. Use us to bring light to those who feel overwhelmed by darkness. Remind us there is nowhere we can go, where You are not there first. In Christ Jesus we pray and trust, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Jacob's Ladder

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Hear the narration of this devotional here: https://bit.ly/2WknILo

10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the Lord stood beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!" 17 And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." 18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. (Genesis 28:10-19a NRSV)

A wonderful Wednesday greeting to you, Friend! Praying this finds all is well with you and yours.

As a child, this story fascinated me a lot, as I am sure it did you as well. We have Jacob, a troubled soul, the youngest of the twins, on the run and he comes to this certain place where he chooses to camp for the night. We can assume many questions cloud his mind as to his purpose in God's plan at this point. He had a troubled childhood and youth with his parents having taken sides; Dad with big brother, Esau, and Mom with little brother, Jacob. Jacob has stolen the birthright and might have been questioning the why behind that move. Tired from the journey, he falls fast asleep and begins to dream of a ladder, actually more of a staircase, that reached from where he lay to the entrance of heaven; and on it were angels ascending and descending. God stands beside him and presents Himself to Jacob and then reaffirms the covenant He had made with Abraham, which is an important part of this dream, as is the declaration from God that He will be with Jacob wherever he goes. Then Jacob awakes and realizes that the place where he slept was holy. If you're keeping track, we've covered two hymns/songs so far. Jacob's Ladder, a longtime youth favorite of mine and perhaps yours? And "Surely the Lord is in this place." This makes Jacob fearful for he realizes that he is standing in a holy space, and as soon as he can, he dedicates that place as being "God's House" which in Hebrew is Bethel.

It is believed that what we dream reveals a bit about what we've done, who we are, what makes us nervous, a replay of joys and fears, and yes, sometimes God uses dreams to reveal comfort and purpose. The dream of this young man reveals a lot of that, but overall the comfort and purpose of God. It was important at that point of his life to hear God reaffirm what He had offered his grandfather, and to reassure Jacob of His presence with him until the fulfillment of the promises God made to grandpa. It is also important to note that God is everywhere and made more so to those people who stay connected with Him. People of prayer, Bible study, worship and small groups, Sunday school, et al, will have a keener sense of God and God's Holy Spirit at work in our lives and the place we find ourselves, and especially if we have had times of questioning and reflection. The connected one can say, Lord, with You by my side, I know this is the place where I need to be, and with You guiding me, I will know what it is you would have me do, and with Your help I will do it.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, guide and bless us to faithfulness and fruitfulness; let us stay connected to You so that we may bless You and Your work. Bless those for whom we are praying; and may Thy will be done, In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Bless those around you with grace!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Adopted!

Image from agnusday.org

Hear the narration of this devotional here: https://bit.ly/3er2xNZ

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:12-25 NRSV)

May this be a tremendous Tuesday for you, dear Friend! My hope is that this finds you blessed and in a position to bless others with what God has graciously shared with you. Friends, a day does not go by without hearing of people we know who have contracted the dreaded Coronavirus, and we continue to pray. Our daughter Nellie shared of a co-worker having lost her father-in-law because of his having gone to a Father's Day celebration, where he got the virus and died. Two of our nephews work with ICE and they lost a coworker, a trainer of new agents, who because one of his students went to Houston who came back infected; six classmates now have the virus and the trainer died from it. Also, two police officers in McAllen, TX., lost their lives responding to a domestic disturbance. Prayers for their families, and their community. The needs are great, friends, but God is greater, and so we continue to pray for these and others who need our prayers. As always, I invite us to pray for one another, and for ourselves .

Mary is a friend and former coworker with Nellie, my wife. She is a single mother of two. When Mary was born, two loving people adopted her. From them she learned that while she was not born in her mother's womb, she was born from her mother's heart as well as her father's. Some years later, she wanted a child of her own and so she adopted her first child, a baby girl. Some years later, she adopted her second daughter. In our opinion, both girls are very blessed by the love Mary has for them, as is Mary for the love these girls have for her. The time flew by quickly, and now both are out of the "nest," and on their own.

The process of adoption is an act of love, for in choosing a child for adoption, in most cases, is the act of one or two persons deciding to take this unwanted child (for whatever circumstances) and make them yours. This process is not without its risks, for one never knows what kind of child they will accepting, nor what kind of adult they will become. Most adoptive parents at the time of adoption do not worry about that; they just want to bring a child into an environment of love and raise them the best they can, providing all they can for the complete wellbeing of this child. Paul, as he writes to the believers in Rome, is sharing his understanding of how God relates to you and me. For Paul, it was all about freedom; God is a God of freedom that He offers to the sinners (us) when we surrender to Him. It's at the point of surrender that we quit living to the flesh and begin living guided and blessed by the Spirit. Through the flesh we were facing certain death, and now in the Spirit, we are dead to sin and the flesh, and alive to the Spirit; we have put aside the slavery we endured to the flesh and sin, and now we have been adopted, as heirs, by the one, true, living God. We are now heirs of God, and as Paul knows, co-heirs with Jesus, perhaps enduring for now, the sufferings of this age, but set to enjoy the rich and wonderful blessings of what is to come. What we face may cause us to join creation in moaning, but we do not lose the hope placed in our hearts by the Lord Jesus Himself. It is hope that keeps us going, and it will be hope that will see us through.

My prayer, dear friend, is that whatever it is that you might be facing, be covered in the peace and patience that the Holy Spirit of Christ offers, so that in our weakness we might find strength. The Lord is with us and will not abandon us, and with Him we can face and defeat all things.

PRAYER: Loving Father, we rejoice in the promises shared through Your word found in today's passage. Thank You for using Paul to share hope with us. As we pray, we pray for the comfort and healing of those mentioned above, and for this dear reader, whatever it is that they are facing, grant peace and victory; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a blessed and great day in the Lord. Share your hope with those facing tough times today and all days!

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Side by Side...for now...

Image from agnusday.org

Hear the Devotional Narrated here: https://bit.ly/3fpblVM

24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, "Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28 He answered, "An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, "Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he replied, "No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.' " 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 NRSV)

Happy Monday, dear Friend! I pray that Lord's rich blessings be with you and those whom you care about. I share a word of praise for Mr. Chet Marko and his family as they are on the mend after their battle with Covid-19. Chet is not 100% yet, but expects to be there soon. His wife, and his father are doing better, and we thank God for those news. I ask continued prayers for The Rev. Rob Clopton, as he has discovered the mass near his kidney is cancerous and doctors will have to remove the mass as well as the kidney. Prayers for Rob and Sandra and all who are praying for them. Our continued prayers for those battling impatience or boredom during this critical time. Prayers also for our nephew and his entire family in the RG Valley who have been diagnosed with coronavirus. Pray for their recovery and healing. Also, prayers for The Rev. Dr. Daniel Z. Rodriguez, retired pastor from our conference, in the hospital awaiting hip surgery. Prayers for his wife, Evelí as well. Dan was one of my childhood pastors in Kingsville. He arrived single there and married Eveli during that time. Prayers for the family of The Rev. Dr. Winn Alley, retired pastor and friend; formerly of our conference; died in Illinois. Prayers for his widow, Sandy, and their children. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

Many of us have seen stories of coworkers of someone who has done something really atrocious or suffered a great loss; when questioned, the coworkers answer, "I would never have suspected such a thing from him/her; they were so nice, quiet, and kind..." Jesus has just shared a teaching on how we receive or reject God's word. We may work alongside someone who does not care about God or God's people. We may even work among people who have not yet heard the word of God's saving grace. We may even have family members who fit one or two of those categories. The question becomes, what have we done to help them find the answers they may be asking.

I've shared before the story I read in a San Antonio newspaper about two men who retired the same day after about 35 years of working alongside each other. It was also on that day they discovered they were both United Methodists. What wonderful things they must have shared about work, family, hobbies, fears, concerns, but not one word about church, Sunday services, sermons, Sunday school lessons, or Bible studies. One can easily understand the old adage about not speaking about religion or politics; yet, how do we share life-saving words with those in need or perishing?

Jesus compared our life situation being like those who believe in Him as being "good seed among thorns," those who reject Him; and we wonder, how do people purposely become "children of the evil one?" Well, rather than getting into a long checklist, let's just ask ourselves; do we live a life that reflects the presence and peace of Jesus and His love towards others? Or, are we giving off indications that our choices were not only done with the Lord's guidance, and we are not truly living a life about the fullness of life. Do not be deceived dear friends, Jesus spoke clearly about what is coming. Look again at verses 41 to 43: Jesus is sending His angels to collect out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them (He's talking about people!) into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Not exactly a vacation paradise friends. Yes, the jokes about Texas' heat are funny, but the heat in Texas does not compare to the heat of the furnaces Jesus is talking about . Jesus also said, "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!"

Dear one, if you truly feel in your soul that you are not right with God, right now is the time to make a change from certain eternal death to fullness of life here, and the eternal life blessed with the presence of God always. Please make the right decision.

PRAYER: Loving Father, we realize that choices made by us sometimes have not been made in love or counsel with You; forgive us for those, and lead us away from the consequences of them and into the fullness of life, as Jesus promised. Give us all the mind of Christ, the heart of Jesus, and the wisdom to make the right choices now and always. In His name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share a word of hope and love with all people today and all days.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Don't Walk in the Dark!

Image from hearthymn.com

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word. 108 Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your ordinances. 109 I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. 111 Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. 112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end. (Psalm 119:103-112 NRSV)

The very first verse in this passage always calls to mind the very beautiful voice of Amy Grant and her Christian hit song by the name of Thy Word. It was influential enough that it made its way to the United Methodist Hymnal. And King David did not see penny one of that hit. Just saying. He was the author of the psalm from which the song is based; but the song is more about the safety and protection the singer feels from the Lord, while David's is about his and our expected loyalty and obedience to God. David acknowledges that he sometimes walks in the dark, but it is while in the dark that the word of the Lord that shines brightly enough for him to find his way. David also knows that when troubled and feeling lifeless, God provides life. And as a result of that, David offers God praise, along with a request to learn more about what God desires from him. When surrounded by enemies, it would be easy to stray away from God, but David knows better. The joy of the psalmist's heart is the law of God.

Where do you turn dear friend when troubled beyond your normal tolerance? What distractions come your way when you're trying to find a better way? How often do you pause to reflect and read the Bible, especially when you're troubled or in trouble? David knew in Whose hands he had his faith and life in, and so do we. Let's live lives that glorify God and point others to the hope and peace that is ours because of God.

PRAYER: Awesome God, bless us with the faith that helps guide not only our feet, but also our hands, hearts, minds, and spirits to do Your wondrous work. Bless those for whom we are praying; bring healing, health, and happiness to those in need; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Help shine God's word on someone today!

Prayers for Rev. Rob Clopton, a newly retired pastor from our conference, who has some serious medical challenges ahead. Rob and Sandra live in New Braunfels.

Mother of Two Nations

Image from newlifenarrabi.wordpress.com

Hear the Narration here: https://bit.ly/2AJlKwE

19 These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger." 24 When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom. ) 31 Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." 32 Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" 33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:19-34 NRSV)

A good day to you, Friend, with prayers for a day filled with joy and peace and gracious blessings from the Lord. I continue to ask prayers for Mr. Chet Marko, his wife, Paige, and his father, Dr. Marko; all three continue to battle Covid-19. We also got word of a death within the Gonzales community of Mr. Lee Baker. Please pray for his family as they mourn his death. Please also keep in your prayers, The Rev. Maribel Vazquez, pastor of Emmanuel UMC in San Antonio, who is having exams on her kidneys. Also, prayers for Mr. Larry Ehrig, who is undergoing exploratory surgery on Tuesday (the time of this writing) evening in the Gonzales Hospital. Pray for one another, and pray for yourselves.

Most parents of two or more children will attest to the truth of verse 23, that each child at one time or another will be his/her own nation, and/or divided as different people. The most classic example is the first family of Genesis; Adam and Eve had two sons, and both were as different as night and day; and sadly, one brother rose up and killed his brother because of the differences.

The grandfather of the twins born to Isaac, is the "Father of the Faith," Abraham. This made this family the prime target of the attention, distraction, and destruction, by the Evil One. The same was true of Adam and Eve and every family touched by the hand of God. My mother would always tell us as we grew up, "The closer you get to God, the more the devil wants you back." The drama played out in this family may resemble the drama you may have played in your own life or in the lives of your children. I remind us that there is no perfect family. Try as we might, many seek only to have their children equip themselves enough to face life on their own.

In this family, Mom longed for a child. Her husband married her when he was forty, and the story says it was his prayer that was answered, and Rebekah conceived. She probably felt very thankful that she was carrying a baby, not truly knowing that she was to be the mother of twins, but once they started moving the pain was more than she can take as we read her prayer in verse 22! Most telling is the way the story says that "Isaac loved Esau," and "Rebekah loved Jacob." This may have been because of the way the boys grew up. One chose the outdoors, hunting, being truly a hunter/provider. The other stayed indoors, close to mother, and sought to learn indoor things, like cooking, and became quite the cook. And it was his cooking skills that allowed him to cheat his brother out of his birthright.

Esau, remember, was born first. But, right on his heels, literally, that the second born, Jacob comes out holding his brother's heel. As the firstborn, in that culture, he was entitled to many things, including the father's blessing, which in those days and among that people, counted for the fullness of life for the rest of his days on the earth. And that was the main thing on the menu for that day.

Jacob makes his famous lentil stew, and baked some fresh bread. I can only imagine the aroma of both items cooking reached the fields where big brother was hard at work. He may have even thought that Mom was busy doing the cooking. As he arrived home, he discovered that lil brother was the chef of the day. And, he was making his extra-special lentil stew and fresh baked sourdough bread. "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" Sounds like a typical brother to brother stuff. And, not typical brother to brother stuff is what Jacob says, "First sell me your birthright." Gulp. What a price for one meal. Jacob was saying, sell me your future wellbeing for a bowl of soup and a healthy serving of bread. Esau is so hungry that he doesn't want to think about anything; his stomach as doing the thinking. And the deal is done. Jacob now owns the birthright, and Esau is now full. And empty.

One prays to have within one's home, a haven; a place for rest and a place for peace. One learns that within the family, lines get drawn for the simplest things. One's clothes, if they fit another family member, are best left in the owner's closet. This holds true for shoes. In olden days, music was more tangible; vinyl record albums, plastic cassettes, and plastic compact discs. The machines for playing those also become territorial items. And so, the haven becomes a battleground rather quickly. If not careful, one's love for things could damage the love one should have for each other.

We go back to the extravagant spreading of God's love that we studied on Monday. It's the same love that helps us win the battles over material things versus the true love we should have towards one another, especially our siblings, our spiritual siblings at church, and towards our fellow human beings on the street, at work, at school, and at play. Seek it to use it!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we pray asking for strength and forgiveness for those times we have given preference to things instead of people. Bless us to be a blessing. We pray for those reading this who need courage and boldness to make amends with family. This we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be bold in your love which shows mercy and forgiveness.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

No Condemnation!

Image from donotdepart.com

Hear the Devotional Read here (It usually has a little bit more of what is written) https://bit.ly/2VNaC9h

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 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 8:1-11 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! May the blessings of the Lord be wth you and yours today! May our prayer focus today be on those who are facing impatience. Pray for those who need a huge dose of hope in their lives. We also received a Praise Report from Edith Lucas concerning her sister, Betty, who has found out she only needs to take medication rather than chemo or radiation. We join the family in thanking God and praising Him for this report. Please also pray for one another, and say a prayer for yourselves.

The waiting is always the hardest part. There were three of us, so the waiting was not as hard as it had been only me. I knew that I deserved to be there and whatever fate awaited me I was ready. I prayed while I waited that the fate would not be one to embarrass my family. We were ushered into the office of the Dean and sat and waited some more. Finally, the dean came in and reviewed his notes and looked at us and just shook his head and simply said, "Boys, y'all should know better than this. Please don't do this again." That was it. I, we, were no longer under any "condemnation" for what we had done. I never again did what I had done, and life returned to normal.

My crime? I had become part of a group of pranksters in the dorm. I can't begin to list all the "education" I received from pulling these pranks. My crime was to pick as many aluminum soda cans in one of the dryers, putting in a quarter, turning the dryer on and running back to my room. That it was early in the morning added to the excitement because the noise was enough to wake others up. Silly? Yes. Stupid? Of course. Fun? Ab. So. Lute.Ly! But somehow, I and two other suspected pranksters had our names turned into the Dean, who was a sweetheart of a man; an ordained UM pastor, and head of the pre-ministerial department. But, what Paul writes about is dead serious stuff. To live under the condemnation of sin is certain death. And not only death in a bodily sense, it was death of the spiritual and eternal kind. To die under the condemnation of sin means an eternity separated from God. Paul is celebrating the victory of Jesus over sin and death; which meant the removal of condemnation of that certain sentence. God was able to fulfill the Law through the death and resurrection of His Son. The law served its purpose in helping humanity identify sin and to know that there was a moral mark to which we strove to keep; the law let us know that to fail or miss the mark meant we were guilty of sin.

Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, and seventeen other children, once wrote to her son a definition of sin as he was making his way through college. "Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of the body over the mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may seem in itself.” (Highlights from the source from which I copied it) John was 22 at the time and this helped shape and mold him for the ministry to which he was called. To sum up this brilliant definition, the closing is best; "whatever increases the authority of the body over the mind, that thing is sin to you." If you can easily identify something you do, or take, or think you need, that has that authority of your body over your mind, then that thing is sin. And with God's help, you should remove that from your life. We have the Spirit of God within us and He helps us with our weaknesses.

And I can't help but bring this awesome hymn to mind (see? Someone else knew the victory of Jesus! and wrote this) "I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory; How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me, I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning; Then I repented of my sins and won the victory; Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior forever He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood, He loved me 'ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him; He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood!" Amen.

PRAYER: Awesome God, to You belongs our victory, and our lives. We claim that victory for ourselves and for those whom we love; grant us courage, boldness, and wisdom to reach more! This we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Quit living like a Loser! You're a Winner, a Victor in Christ Jesus!

Receive my blessings of grace and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

UPDATE ON SOMETHING IMPORTANT (To me anyway). Friends, the 2020 presentation of the Passion Play in Oberammegua was canceled because of the pandemic we're going through. It's interesting to note that this Passion Play is the result of answered prayers for the bubonic plague in the 1500s! The good news is that the play will be presented, Lord willing and all this virus spreading leaves us, in 2022. I will attend a webinar on this and I will share dates and possible trips to this awesome event. Prayers please!