We Sat Down and Wept

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1 By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung up our harps. 3 For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4 How could we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! 6 Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. 7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem's fall, how they said, "Tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations!" 8 O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! 9 Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock! (Psalm 137 New Revised Standard Version Bible)

This coming Sunday is a very important one. All Sundays are important, but this coming Sunday is World Communion Sunday, when all Christian churches celebrate their connectedness in having Communion as a symbol of He Who unites us through this celebration of His having given us His body and blood to give us life. May we celebrate Jesus this Sunday and all days! Let me again celebrate the good news we have heard from the report given to our pastor, Pastor Matt Pennington in that a year after his cancer surgery, he was found to be cancer-free! Praise be to God! Also, our granddaughter, Eliana Garcia, is not facing surgery of her tonsils, but instead is sick with the flu. May God heal her and make her feel better. I write this on Thursday and earlier today we were on an errand to San Antonio and while in the shopping area Nellie was thinking about her and she got a text from her. We both texted Eliana and she said she's still a bit nauseous and has a bit of a sore throat. We pray for her complete healing.

The texts that we have studied thus far this week all call us to a deeper faith in Christ Jesus; and this psalm recalls the days of defeat when the people of God found themselves away from israel and on the banks of a foreign river. The psalm is an honest one and show the despair and anguish that comes when we let our faith slip away and we find ourselves alienated from God.

The psalmist remembers being away from the land of the Jordan River. Many people identify with geography of their areas. Last week we were in and around the Rocky Mountains, and while there are few areas as beautiful as those areas, it's not "our" area. I'm more of a mesquite tree and cactus guy than aspens and evergreens; don't get me wrong, I love all trees, but mesquite is more my tree. And when it comes to Rivers, "mine" are the Rio Grande, the Nueces, Guadalupe, San Marcos, Brazos. For the Jew it was the Jordan. But to be told to sit on the banks of the rivers of Babylon was a sure sign of defeat. So, to read "there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion." They hung up their harps there and to make their situation even worse, they were told to sing songs of Zion, or songs from home. The question is, "How could we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?" Sadness at the realization that it was the lack of singing and praising God that led to this time of captivity; and now, as captives, it is sad to sing praises to God. Then, the self-degradation begins; may my right hand wither if I ever forget you, O Jerusalem. Also, may my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I cannot remember you, O my home land. Then his anger towards those who defeated him and captured him; "Happy shall they be who pay you back for what you did to us!" And then the verse that has tormented many a student and seminary professor, "Happy shall they be who take your little ones (babies) and dash them against the rock!" Ouch. I remind us, the Bible is an honest book and doesn't pull any punches nor tries to present anyone as being perfect. Here is anger in full display; but it simply shows how many humans might react in the same situation.

World Communion Sunday should remind us that we are people of shared faith. It should also remind us that the world gets smaller each time we realize that we are here, or should be, here for each other. At the Communion Table we are not asked to identify ourselves as being of this nation or the other. We are not asked if we are citizens of the country in which the table finds itself. We are all sinners in need of God's grace gathered around a table where life is being offered. A dear pastor friend, now in Glory, told me once about how his church celebrated WCSunday there in Mission. After all his church was served, a Russian soldier showed up as he asked if everyone had been served. "NO!' shouted the solider, "I haven't!" The soldier was invited to come to the table and have Communion. Again the pastor asked if everyone had been served. "NO!" came a woman from Africa, then a man from China, then children from South America. It all served to remind the church we have a lot of work to do to reach the world for Jesus.

PRAYER: Loving God of all people, may our hearts increase with love as we think about brothers and sisters we've not met; but help our hearts burst with joy and love when we meet them. We praise You and thank You for the positive reports we have heard from those in need, like Pastor Matt, Eliana, and others. Bring healing and peace to all in need. We love You, Lord, and we pray in faith and in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Seek out new brothers and sisters and share love with them in wonderful ways!

Receive my blessings of joy and hope,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Drudge and Trudge

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1 Oh, oh, oh . . . How empty the city, once teeming with people. A widow, this city, once in the front rank of nations, once queen of the ball, she's now a drudge in the kitchen. 2 She cries herself to sleep each night, tears soaking her pillow. No one's left among her lovers to sit and hold her hand. Her friends have all dumped her. 3 After years of pain and hard labor, Judah has gone into exile. She camps out among the nations, never feels at home. Hunted by all, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place. 4 Zion's roads weep, empty of pilgrims headed to the feasts. All her city gates are deserted, her priests in despair. Her virgins are sad. How bitter her fate. 5 Her enemies have become her masters. Her foes are living it up because God laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions. Her children, prisoners of the enemy, trudge into exile. 6 All beauty has drained from Daughter Zion's face. Her princes are like deer famished for food, chased to exhaustion by hunters. (Lamentations 1:1-6 The Message Bible)

A happy and blessed Thursday to you, dear Friend! My prayer is that God bless you with awesome opportunities to shine forth His love among those hurting and in pain. May we pray for Pastor Matt Pennington, for Mrs. Linda Barcus, for all who have asked prayers of us, and for the needs of the world. May we be known again as the people of prayer and faith. Pray for one another, and lift up your needs to the Lord. I just received these two prayer requests: Prayers for Mrs. Sara Reynolds, wife of The Rev. John Reynolds, a retired member of our conference now living in North Carolina. Sara is facing serious medical challenges. Our granddaughter, Eliana Garcia, is at the night clinic with high fever and a possible tonsillectomy. May God bless all with what they need! Thank you for your prayers!

In a previous church where I served, the story was told of a couple who parked their car in front of the church, and left their windows open. They had tried to have children but were unable, and this had been a sorrow buried deep in their souls. Yet, they did not lose faith in God and enjoyed singing in the choir, and so on that Wednesday night choir practice they entered in to enjoy the fellowship of the other choir members and the fun of singing praises to God in order to prepare for Sunday worship. The practice was a blessing and a joy. Imagine their surprise when after choir practice, they come to their car and hear a baby crying in their back seat. Someone had left a newborn baby boy in the back seat; a healthy, bouncy baby boy. The couple called it a blessing, and began the process of adopting him. The baby grew up to be a successful businessman, respected in the community, and a blessing to his wife and their family. They lived in one of the nicest homes in the town, and caused people to say God is good.

From the gospel lesson calling for us to super-size our faith, to the consequences of a weak faith in today's passage, we see what we should be doing in the face of evil's opposition to our faith. The story I shared is true and I dare not say more about the man, for he is well-known and he was a faithful member of our church. The story is a wonderful story of love and love in action. The mother of the baby thought that by leaving him in a car near the church that the owners of the car might prove to be good parents, which they were. They raised him right, and he was blessed by them, and later grew to bless others. The story could have easily gone the other way; dare we even imagine such a story? But the story of Lamentations is also real. The city now known as a faithless city, is Jerusalem. Historically, it has been known as a blessed city, filled with people, and more so at the height of Israel's faith, but as we talk about this cycle week after week, the people of God are like you and me. One week we're double-dating with God and the next we can't stand the thought of being in the same room with Him. It was the same with Israel. Now, she can't go to sleep in dry pillows, for her pillows are soaked with tears. Once married, she is now a widow. Once first in line, and as this version says, "Once queen of the ball," she's now a drudge in the kitchen, reduced to menial and arduous tasks. No one left to even hold her hand. She's now homeless, standing on street corners holding cardboard signs, hoping for the kindness of strangers; in a city with little to no traffic. The once cluttered freeways of pilgrims coming into the city for all the holy days and festivals, are now empty, ghost-like; hotels and motels empty; the priests have left their posts, and the evil people are living it up, lording over them their power and success, all because of Israel's lack of faith. And as a result, the once people of God are now on a "trudge" march into exile. This could have been avoided had Israel stayed faithful. Yesterday's passage had Paul telling Timothy to revive his faith, and now it's a message to us; we cannot let our faith be lulled to sleep, or worse.

Dear ones, It's time to pray again, "Lord, super-size my faith!" Let me grow in You and be a blessing to You.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless us with a stronger faith so that we can bless others. Lord, we pray again for those whom are counting on You, such as Pastor Matt, Linda Barcus, and so many more, who need Your loving and healing touch; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Show your strength in God as a blessing to those who need it around you.

Receive my blessings of joy and strength,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, to promote the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. 2 To Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I'm grateful to God, whom I serve with a good conscience as my ancestors did. I constantly remember you in my prayers day and night. 4 When I remember your tears, I long to see you so that I can be filled with happiness. 5 I'm reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I'm sure that this faith is also inside you. 6 Because of this, I'm reminding you to revive God's gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 God didn't give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled. 8 So don't be ashamed of the testimony about the Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, share the suffering for the good news, depending on God's power. 9 God is the one who saved and called us with a holy calling. This wasn't based on what we have done, but it was based on his own purpose and grace that he gave us in Christ Jesus before time began.10 Now his grace is revealed through the appearance of our savior, Christ Jesus. He destroyed death and brought life and immortality into clear focus through the good news.11 I was appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news. 12 This is also why I'm suffering the way I do, but I'm not ashamed. I know the one in whom I've placed my trust. I'm convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what he has placed in my trust until that day. 13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you heard from me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Protect this good thing that has been placed in your trust through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Timothy 1:1-14 Common English Bible)

Six degrees of separation is the idea that all people are six or fewer socail connections away from each other. As a result, a chain of "friend of a friend," statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. It is also known as the six handshake rule. I was blown away back in the early 2000s when I sat at a fireside chat required of new Rotary Club members. The presenter was a gentleman then in his 80s and he spoke of the day at his club, The Manhattan Rotary Club, when as was their tradition, he sat at the Birthday Table where all birthday celebrants of that week sat. Being an alphabetic seating arrangement, he sat between Mr. J. C. Penney, and The Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. Yes, you read that right. He was speechless and said the two were long-friends and his being a new Rotarian, they spoke to him about service beyond self and how important it was for him to put that into practice. They then told him that the coming Friday at a certain hour, he was to meet them at a certain corner in Harlem. He remembered it wasn't a request as these two were giants in their respective fields and were not used to be told no. He met them on that day and they were there waiting for him. It was their years long practice to take young men from Harlem to the movies, using the walk as a time to get to know them and talk to them about life. I could not believed that I had just met, in person, a man who knew both J. C. Penney and Norman Vincent Peale.

The Apostle Paul is telling Timothy, his "son" in the faith about what he, Paul, knew and shared with them about life and this new faith for him, Timothy. Tim was blessed to be a Christian along with his mother and grandmother, both of whom Paul knew and names them, Eunice and Lois. And Paul encourages the young man to "revive God's gift that is in you," because Paul laid his hands on him to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And you can sense the joy in his voice as he writes, "God didn't give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled." Paul urges Tim and us to follow that truth. The world does not need timid Christians when it comes to showing love in action. And getting back to the six degrees, Paul shares how he knows the One "in Whom I've placed my trust. I'm convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what He has placed in my trust until that day."

Since the day of our salvation (When we entered into a relatiohship with God through Jesus), God has blessed us with "a holy calling." What that is may not have been immediately revealed, but we may have learned as we went along. I accepted Jesus when I was eight years old, and I had no clue of my eventual call into ordained ministry, but it became evident daily that my calling was to love and trust God as much as I could each day; to mature into a better son to my parents, sibling to my siblings, student to my teachers, friend to my friends, and to seek to learn as much as I could to share as much as I could to others. As a child in elementary school a younger student severely injured his lip and was bleeding profusely and I ran and did what I could to comfort him as he cried, and yelled at the teacher on playground duty to come and assist. The only way I can explain the calm and desire to help was the peace and calm the Lord provided to me. Later, my journey led me to hear God calling me into ministry, and oh how I fought that! Yet, when I surrendered I felt the same peace and calm, and God has blessed and provided for me. Now in retirement I still feel that peace and calm, knowing that I still yearn to see more come to know what I have known, the peace and love that God has for us through Jesus Christ. Dear one, may you discover daily what it is that God has asked of you. It may be a bedside prayer ministry there at your bed, before sleep, to lift up other in prayer. You will not know the impact that ministry is having until God places your crown on your head; for now, discover the peace and calm that comes when others may be shrieking and shouting. Who knows, you may be called, like Paul, to be a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news." And God will equip you and send you to where you need to be, and grant to you the words you need to share. And, if that does bring suffering, you will not be ashamed, nor will you be defeated; just do, as Paul says, hold on to what you have learned and be blessed with. God has entrusted us all with awesome things through His Holy Spirit, and we will bless others if we seek to be faithful and fruitful.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You. Bless us with this blessings so that we can bless others; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: You know the One, the same One as Paul, so share Him!

Receive my blessings of peace, and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

PRAYER UPDATE: I received word from The Rev. George Barcus that his wife, Linda, has clear cell carcinoma, stage 1c, which means she gets to go through chemotherapy of 6 sessions every 3 weeks once inusrance approves. Let us pray that through this treatment and God's Divine touch, Linda be made free of this disease. In Jesus' name, amen!

Super-Size My Faith!

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5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. 7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” (Luke 17:5-10 New International Version)

A blessed and tremendous Tuesday to you, dear Friend! A nice welcome back to all the ConCafe readers, and a couple of new ones, Welcome! My apologies for not being with you yesterday but our trip got us enjoying our time in Colorado and tried as we did, we only could get so far last night, and we stopped where we could because we were so tired. We rented a room in Texas at about 9 something and we zonked out right away. And as a brilliant move, genius here, forgot my computer charger back in the cabin! So, I'm typing fast before this current charge expires! Our dear friend, the owner of the cabin is headed there on Saturday and is mailing my charger to me! Nellie and I thank all of you for your prayers for our safety and vacation. We had a blast! As we pray today, let me ask you please pray for our pastor, The Rev. Dr. Matt Pennington, as he travels for his first annual post surgery checkup. May God bring him a great report and a hopeful outlook for the future! Pray for one another. Pray for the needs of those who have asked prayers of us. Pray for the needs of the world. Please pray for those who are reading or hearing this devotional that God may bless them in special ways.

Our drive to and from Colorado allowed Nellie and I to have good discussions about many factors, including today's discussion about church folks and church stories from our years of ministry. I shared how in one church, one of the associate pastors loved to be first in line at every church supper and function. And this was pointed out to me by another associate who thought it was both hilarious and a bit inappropriate. I laughed and reminded us that he was single and had to cook his own meals, so being first in line assured him a better selection of everything that church members brought to the covered dishes and pot lucks. As Jesus is sharing today's message we find the apostles asking Jesus to "super-size our faith!" What a request. At this point in their ministry, the 12 are realzing and so are asking, for their faith to be increased. In the previous chapter, Jesus spoke of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the one where they both die, and the rich man ends up in the other place, and Lazarus in Heaven. The pain and agony of the separation between the rich man and the very poor man, and this 17th chapter begins with Jesus speaking of stumbling in faith, sin, and the consequences of sin; and so the request of the 12 makes sense; "Lord, make our faith stronger, so that we can survive all that we have seen coming and that You have shared, Lord." Jesus replies, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Jesus is addressing the size of faith needed. Jesus knows that the smallest of faith, when put into action, though prayering, believing, and sharing, is what helps us get the problems facing us in proper perspective. A faith the size of the smallest seed, can do an unbelievable and incredible thing of having a rooted plant uprooted, and moved to a location such as the sea, and planted there. And then Jesus shifts the question of faith and we see that Jesus knows that faith requires action on our part; the plowing servant, or the watchful shepherd, has chores to do and so do them. Jesus asks, Will these be recognized and rewarded for doing what they were assigned, or hired, to do? No, they will be required to continue with the work given to them; such as preparing supper, getting themselves ready and waiting on Jesus, then they have their meal; Jesus stresses the reality of faith is our doing what God has asked of us, and we humbly acknowledging to God that we have tried to do what our faith asked of us.

Faith is doing our duty, and that because faith allowed us to do the work associated with that assignment. A faithful pastor seeks to grow the kingdom of God by bringing in those whom God has allowed them to find, and to disciple them into becoming the type of servant leaders that will soon join in that same work of trying to grow God's kingdom. This for the love of God and the life that God promises to us, not for the recognition or fame that may come from being faithul. We are faithful when we do what was expected of us because we loved God Who called us into working for the common good.

The old story has been shared of a retiring missionary who returned home on the same ship as some famous person, and as the ship pulled into New York harbor there was a roaring crowd of shouting fans welcoming the notable person and the old missionary at first believed that perhaps the crowd had gathered for him, and then chided himself for thinking such things, and it was then he heard the same voice that had called him into ministry, "My son, you are not home yet; your welcome there will be fantastic!" The applause here and the cheers here, fade and evaporate; the thanksgiving there in glory will never fade nor evaporate. And, after all, we do it for the love of God and our fellow humans, not applause or recognition. Lord, super-size our faith to do super things for You!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, for Your call upon our lives we are thankful and humbled. We seek to serve only You and Your purpose. Help us to do what You have asked of us, and let us be successful out of the love You have for us and for our lost brothers and sisters. Indeed, super-size our faith in ways that bless and glorify You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Do super-sized feats of faith for the love of God to those who are in need around you!

Receive my love and blessings of peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Dear God, Do What You Do Best!

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1 God! Barbarians have broken into your home, violated your holy temple, left Jerusalem a pile of rubble! 2 They've served up the corpses of your servants as carrion food for birds of prey, Threw the bones of your holy people out to the wild animals to gnaw on. 3 They dumped out their blood like buckets of water. All around Jerusalem, their bodies were left to rot, unburied. 4 We're nothing but a joke to our neighbors, graffiti scrawled on the city walls. 5 How long do we have to put up with this, God? Do you have it in for us for good? Will your smoldering rage never cool down? 6 If you're going to be angry, be angry with the pagans who care nothing about you, or your rival kingdoms who ignore you. 7 They're the ones who ruined Jacob, who wrecked and looted the place where he lived. 8 Don't blame us for the sins of our parents. Hurry up and help us; we're at the end of our rope. 9 You're famous for helping; God, give us a break. Your reputation is on the line. Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins - do what you're famous for doing! (Psalm 79:1-9 The Message Bible)

Some issues back I shared how the most popular prayer is probably, "Help me God!" I identify with it, and more than likely you do too. It's in our nature to disobey and wander. It's on page two. God places Adam and Eve in what we perceive to be a paradise garden and tells them to freely eat of every tree, save for one, and where do they go? Yes, like our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, straight to the tree they were told to stay away from. And, as happens when we disobey, we suffer the consequences. And like shampoo and conditioner, we rinse and repeat. And that was Israel's story as well. We can compare it to having Halloween candy in our homes way too early. Oh, and we're trying to lose weight. In some homes, the delciousness of chocolates (yes, my favorites) are placed atop of the refrigerator, next to the cereal. There they will safely sit for maybe two days, but one morning while trying to decide which cereal to have, hey, wait, are these Snickers? What? Yes, they are, though the mini, bite-sized ones, but next to Special K, they seem to know my name! And what are they saying? Is that MY name they are calling? And is that the voice of that little red devil on my left shoulder saying I should have just one, because after all, what is it going to hurt? A large bowl of Special K will certainly offset the teeny bar of chocolate goodness! And as I sit to enjoy my bowl of cereal I have to explain to the wife the chocolate stains on my lips. And you know the rest of the story, day by day this temptation is carried out and by the end of the week another trip to Sam's or Costco is needed to restock the goodies for the little goblins and monsters that will ring our doorbell on the anointed day of Halloween. Israel had a big problem with Snickers. And Twix. And M&M's. And before they knew it, their defenses were down, and their addiction to sugar (okay, really obedience to no-gods and plaything gods, their streets showed the aftereffects of disobedience, as this psalm describes. No home was safe, even the temple was no longer holy; the holy city was now a pile of rubble, with streets strewn with bodies of the unfaithful, now serving as food for the birds of prey.

The psalmist knows that they as a nation have become a joke in the world community, with desecration of the walls by graffitti adding the icing of the cake as to their present state of dishonor. Then the questions and prayers go up; "How long do we have to put up with this, God?" "Will Your smoldering rage never cool down?" If You are going to be mad, be mad at the guilty and the true sinners, not us! Should we pay for the sins of our parents? How long will it take for You to hear our prayers and act in our favor? Then, the seriousness of the psalmist's prayer; "Hurry up and help us; we're at the end of our rope. You're famous for helping; God, give us a break. Your reputation is on the line. Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins - do what you're famous for doing!"

That prayer may sound familiar to what we may have prayed in our past, or even in our present. We know that God hears our prayers and is all the things the psalmist knows God to be, and God will come to us when we repent and turn away from our sins. And we should find a better place to hide the treats so that our trips to buy more are negated!

PRAYER: Loving God, bless our efforts to be Thy efforts. Help us to learn from the pages of Israel's life to better ourselves with Your strength and blessing. Help us to be examples to others; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Start your day with prayer so that you might bless all.

Receive my blessings of peace and hope,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for Patsy Hanks. She went into the hospital last week to have a pacemaker put in and has been having complications. Please pray for her healing. Ms. Hanks is a member of FUMC-Gonzales.

The Weeping Prophet

Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/The-Weeping-Prophet-e1nqesd

18 I drown in grief. I'm heartsick. 19 Oh, listen! Please listen! It's the cry of my dear people reverberating through the country. Is God no longer in Zion? Has the King gone away? Can you tell me why they flaunt their plaything-gods, their silly, imported no-gods before me? 20 The crops are in, the summer is over, but for us nothing's changed. We're still waiting to be rescued. 21 For my dear broken people, I'm heartbroken. I weep, seized by grief. 22 Are there no healing ointments in Gilead? Isn't there a doctor in the house? So why can't something be done to heal and save my dear, dear people? 1 I wish my head were a well of water and my eyes fountains of tears So I could weep day and night for casualties among my dear, dear people. (Jeremiah 8:18-19:1 The Message Bible)

When we were little and something made us cry, my Mom would say, en español, "Quit crying, Jeremiah!" Apparently, someone often quoted or named Jeremiah as the weeping prophet and here is the passage where we encounter the prophet crying. As we read the passage we learn the prophet definitely has a heart for God, and for God's people. As should we. What the prophet has experienced in trying to shepherd Israel, is like a pastor who has tried to keep a couple from divorcing. Let me say that while divorce is painful, it is sometimes the only option for some couples. That does not make it any easier for the couple, nor for the children of that marriage. I remember very vividly a young man whose wife was divorcing him and he could not understand nor accept that this was even happening. All my sessions with him either in person or by phone, were sobbing sessions where he lamented the reality that was coming. He truly loved his wife unconditionally, and she had moved on. Thankfully, they did not have children so there were no children that would suffer a life with mom being one place, and dad in the other. I had another situation where the couple had already divorced, but the woman was adament that they were not divorced, because she did not believe in divorce. As hard as I tried to convince her that they were indeed divorced, she would get angry at me for holding such a belief. In many respects, a divorce is like a funeral where the body never gets buried. The reality is that the people of God chose other gods over the one true God. This made the prophet heartsick. He could hear the crying of those who loved God and were troubled by the actions of their countrypeople, who abandoned God. What made it worse for them, and for the prophet, that the people chose to abandon the living God for "plaything-gods," and "silly, imported no-gods." This made Jeremiah weep, and weep a lot. He asks if there is a remedy for such an action? Are there no doctors in the house who can come and make this right? Where would the people find healing and salvation?

He closes this passage with his declaration, "I wish my head were a well of water and my eyes fountains of tears so I could weep day and night for casualties among my dear, dear people." How are you coping with what we face on almost a daily basis that shows we are not where we need to be when it comes to our relationship with God. The time of this writing is Tuesday evening. Earlier this afternoon, our daughter Caitlin from Houston texted us to let us know that our grandson Liam was in lockdown because there was a report of an active shooter at the high school down the road from his middle school. You can imagine the panic in both mom and grandparents at this news. Thankfully, there was not an active shooter at the high school but it was a threat called in, which the FBI said they would investigate to apprehend those responsible. But, as we saw videos from parents at the high school, one parent said they were numb "because this thing happen every week." What are we doing, dear, dear people, to get us back to trusting, following, and serving God? Have we replaced God with plaything-gods, and have we imported no-gods in place of God?

The gospel lesson on Monday had Jesus telling us clearly that we cannot serve both God and money. And yesterday's lesson was on the importance of our praying for each other so that we not get sidetracked and lost. The combination of those two set the tone for the seriousness of our situation and the remedies that God has shared with us to save us. We have a task before us; let us fulfill God's call upon our lives to praise and serve Him.

PRAYER: Loving God, help us hear Your voice, especially when we are being lured away from Your ways. Help us pray seriously and committedly to save those we love; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Pray for those who need prayer (everyone!), pray for yourselves, and pray for the world.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Power of Praying for Everyone!

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/The-Power-of-Praying-for-All-People-e1no6o8

1 First of all, then, I ask that requests, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving be made for all people. 2 Pray for kings and everyone who is in authority so that we can live a quiet and peaceful life in complete godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and it pleases God our savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the human Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a payment to set all people free. This was a testimony that was given at the right time. 7 I was appointed to be a preacher and apostle of this testimony—I'm telling the truth and I'm not lying! I'm a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-7 Common English Bible)

A gracious greeting and blessings to you, dear Friend, praying that God's rich grace envelope you and yours, and may He guide you to faithfulness and fruitfulness. May we continue to pray for Linda and George Barcus; if I get an update before this mails, I will share that with you. Pray for one another, pray for your enemies and those who oppose you. Pray for your friends and coworkers; and pray for the Lord's work to be done among you, with you doing your part. Amen.

The first, most effective, and necessary way to do your part is to pray. Prayer is such a gracious gift from God. Jesus used it all the time; in fact so much so, that his disciples asked Jesus how to pray. John the Baptist was also one who prayed, and who taught his disciples to pray. The Twelve asked Jesus to teach them because John had already done so for his. Who taught you how to pray? Or, did you learn from watching others in your life pray? I was taught by my grandmother, Petra, whom I lovingly called Momo. The most vivid memory I have of needing to pray was when my collie, who loved to chase cars, chased a Coca-Cola truck and was hit by it. I remember Momo picking up Lassie (guess why (I named her that!) and telling me I needed to pray. We knelt down and prayed. Lassie died. But still I knew I had a resource of comfort and might. And prayer became a regular part of my life. I saw my mother pray. I saw and heard my father pray. Then the day came when I was asked to pray in church. and I did.

Prayer is a connection point between God and us. God's line is never busy, God is always available. God also answers every prayer. Not always the way we request or how we'd like, but God answers prayer. Yes, it makes for interesting country songs, but theologically it does not. The Apostle Paul was a believer in prayer. He first learned the rote prayers of his faith, but later when on the road to Damascus, he encountered the living Jesus, Who told Paul he would receive further instructions while he prayed. It was during the prayer that Paul learned a man named Ananias could come and pray for him and his sight would be restored. It was through prayer that Jesus showed Paul all that he was to do, endure, and even how he was to die. And Paul still said yes.

Paul taught his converts how to pray and this part of his letter to his young disciple tells him who to pray for. Paul says, pray for ALL people, with requests, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving. Paul says prayers for kings and those who are in authority should also be lifted up, with the intent being "that we can live a quiet and peaceful life in complete godliness and dignity." Paul knew this to be pleasing to God, because Paul knew that God wants all people saved and who will then possess a knowledge of the truth. Paul affirms his faith in one God and one "mediator between God and humanity," his Lord, Jesus. "Jesus gave Himself as a payment to set ALL people free, and to that ministry, he, Paul, was called. This we know Paul took seriously and did with all his courage and might. Paul was the teacher to the Gentiles of the Christian faith and truth. And, you and I are called to be a part of that ministry as well.

PRAYER: Loving Father, we are thankful to Paul and those who came after him to share with us our faith and salvation. May we take seriously our mission to share God's love with all people, and let us start now with our prayers, to reach the world for Him; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Pray for all people with requests, petitions and thanksgiving; may our prayers bless all people!

Receive my love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

We Cannot Serve Both God and Money

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/No-One-Can-Serve-Both-God-and-Money-e1nmvi3

1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “ ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:1-13 New International Version Bible)

Jesus says we will all face a day of reckoning. We will be asked to account for our lives, our faith, what we shared, what we didn't. It is all in this parable about a shrew manager. The parable is set in a cultural setting and a time when the images Jesus shares made sense to alll who were present and listening. Not every one was able to fully understand, even His own disciples. People knew the rich man of their village or town. They long suspected various ways in which he made his money; some even knew! But they also knew they relied on the help of others, and Jesus uses this as His example of how our lives will be evaluated on how we lived with what God has given to us. In this parable, the master has found out that his manager has misappropriated his funds and calls him to let him know that he will lose his job. This panicks the man and he calls in those who were indebted to the master. The first, who owed the master for 900 gallons of olive oil was then told that half of his debt was forgiven and all he owed was for 450 gallons. The second debtor was also asked what he owed. This man owed 1,000 bushels of wheat; and his debt was reduced to 800 bushels. The master was impressed with this action, and commends the manager, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." The comparison Jesus uses is to say that if we can be trusted with worldy wealth we can also be trusted with the "true riches." Our call is to trust God with all things that God has shared with us.

The thing will come to this; which Master was more important in your/our life? Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, oryou will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." God should be first in our lives. You and I have heard, many times, "You can't take it with you, " referring to money, though there have been who tried. "You never see a U-Haul being towed by the hearse." That's true, but some cemeteries have such elaborate tombs and personal mausoleums, that you can see they tried. The Rev. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, amassed quite a fortune from the publication of that book, and he stayed humble in spite of the money he made. He later wrote that it was not a sin to be rich, but it was a sin to die rich, which in a way, sums up what Jesus was teaching here. Rev. Warren believes God blessed him with riches, and he has tried to use it to bless others, ultimately trying to give his money away where it can serve beneficial purposes and not be something that family will fight over.

Whatever God has entrusted to you, use it to glorify God and serve humanity. The best relationship we can have is with God, and that will bless others.

PRAYER: Loving God, You are the Author of all good things and Giver of all good things. Help us to graciously and gratefully receive what You share in a spirit of worship and service so that we can bless Your kingdom and all its citizens. Help us to grow Your kingdom in loving ways; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen,.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Love God in very visible and contagious ways that bless others!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Who Can Save Israel?

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Who-Can-Save-Israel-e1nhk78

1 Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone." Their words are poison gas, fouling the air; they poison Rivers and skies; thistles are their cash crop. 2 God sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He's looking for someone not stupid - one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman. 3 He comes up empty. A string of zeros. Useless, unshepherded Sheep, taking turns pretending to be Shepherd. The ninety and nine follow their fellow. 4 Don't they know anything, all these impostors? Don't they know they can't get away with this - Treating people like a fast-food meal over which they're too busy to pray? 5 Night is coming for them, and nightmares, for God takes the side of victims. 6 Do you think you can mess with the dreams of the poor? You can't, for God makes their dreams come true. 7 Is there anyone around to save Israel? Yes. God is around; God turns life around. Turned-around Jacob skips rope, turned-around Israel sings laughter. (Psalm 14 The Message Bible)

May this be a tremendously terrific Thursday for you, dear Reader. I just spoke to a longtime friend, Mr. Jorge Saenz of San Antonio and he has asked prayers of us as he faces a medical need. His cardiologist spotted a spot on the lower part of his right lung and he will be having an X-ray on the 10th of October and an appointment with a pulmonologist on the 12th. Please join me in praying that all be well with my dear brother and friend. Prayers for his dear wife, Susan, who worked some years with my bride in Northside Schools in San Antonio. May God be glorified in this need. Pray for one another, prayers for your needs, prayers for the Church, and for the needs of your community, and the world.

It's a sad thing to hear someone say, "There is no God," as the original passage's verse one reads. I've heard it more than I care to share, but just yesterday I heard a popular singer say that because of the life has treated her and more especially the way her own children and parents have treated her, she declared there is no God and that she is now an atheist. This from a Louisana-born Southern Baptist who at the age of 15 signed her first recording contract. She's been married three times, and has two children. What prompted the declaration of her no longer believing in God, was an interview her now 15-year old where he declared his mother to be crazy. We can possibly see where what life brings to some individuals they're wanting to say there is no God, but can we see where an entire nation comes to the conclusion that there is no God?

Dr. Eugene Peterson's version of the Bible which is The Message, gives us a hilarious version. The citizens of Israel gorged themselves on cabbage and other gas-causing foods; bloated and bilious, they "gas" the declaration, in this version, "God is gone." God says that even their words are poison gas that fouls up not only the air, but rivers and skies, and the only thing they can harvest are thistles. And it is at this point that God sitcks His head out of heaven and looks around seeing if He can find "someone not stupid - one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman." And God finds none!

But we knew that. It was very much the part of Israel's DNA in the Old Testament. Well, make it New Testament as well. And let's include ourselves in that as well. Though we have a Shepherd, as did they, they wandered off; and as the writer says, they took turns "pretending to be Shepherd." Even, as Dr. Peterson wrote, "The ninety and nine follow their fellow." He knew the story told on Monday in Luke 15, so he has that advantage over King David, the original writer, but does a great job of describing the reality of those who willingly leave God to follow other gods. They've chosen their path and they cannot justify it.

Then today's question, "Is there anyone around to save Israel?" And he answers it himself, "Yes. God is around; God turns life around." Amen. And the even better news? God is still around and God can turn us around; and like the Israel in this passage, we too can skip rope, and sing laughter. All we have to do is ask.

PRAYER: God, how awesome is Your love for us. We ask that You pour it out in huge doses for we need it. We were lost but now we are found, thanks to You. Guide us to the right place all the time. In Christ Jesus' strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Skip rope, spiritually speaking, and help others sing laughter!

Receive my blessings of love and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Experts At Evil But Klutzes At Good.

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Hear the podcast here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Experts-At-Evil--But-Klutzes-At-Doing-Good-e1ng1u1

11 At that time, this people, yes, this very Jerusalem, will be told in plain words: "The northern hordes are sweeping in from the desert steppes - 12 a gale-force wind. I ordered this wind. I'm pronouncing my hurricane judgment on my people." Your Evil Life Is Piercing Your Heart. 22 "What fools my people are! They have no idea who I am. A company of half-wits, dopes and donkeys all! Experts at evil but klutzes at good." 23 I looked at the earth - it was back to pre-Genesis chaos and emptiness. I looked at the skies, and not a star to be seen. 24 I looked at the mountains - they were trembling like aspen leaves, And all the hills rocking back and forth in the wind. 25 I looked - what's this! Not a man or woman in sight, and not a bird to be seen in the skies. 26 I looked - this can't be! Every garden and orchard shriveled up. All the towns were ghost towns. And all this because of God, because of the blazing anger of God. 27 Yes, this is God's Word on the matter: "The whole country will be laid waste - still it won't be the end of the world. 28 The earth will mourn and the skies lament Because I've given my word and won't take it back. I've decided and won't change my mind." You're Not Going to Seduce Anyone. (Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 The Message Bible)

A blessed and wonderful Wednesday for you, dear Friend, is my prayer for you. May the joy of the Lord make you strong and confident and ready and willing to face all that may come your way. Please make this a day of prayer and service. Pray for one another. Pray for those who have asked prayer of us. Pray for the needs of the world and for the needs that keep you up at night.

I love the Arroyo sign that says, "Do you think you can hurt my feelings? I used to hold the flashlight for my Dad!" Amen. Most of the guys reading this will relate. I love my Dad, but that saying was so true. As far as my Dad was concerned I knew nothing about being handy or fixing anything. And he was right! I learned from the School of Hard Knocks. "Bring me the Phillips screwdriver," he would say. "They have names?" And when it came to holding the flashlight, I was a klutz! Years later I came to know just what he might have been thinking! But I learned to keep most of my comments to myself. Now, I'm not an expert at evil, but I try! No, seriously, I try not to be, but the human in me suceeds. With all that being said, we find ourselves yet again at the station that says, Israel messed up again and God is mad. Again.

God says that for their having been bad, a wind, meaning a horde of foreign invaders, would be coming to tidy up the place, and the judgment spoken against them, "Your Evil LIfe is Piercing Your Heart." And then the words in modern usage, "What fools my people are! Half-wits,dopes and donkeys all!" And the title for today's devotional, "Experts at evil but klutzes at good." The people of Israel, like us at times, majored in doing bad and failed at doing good. In God's opinion, the world has regressed back to the point of being void and formless. (Remind you of an earlier passage? Like Genesis 1?). The lushness of life gets eroded easily by evil. And not only in creation but in us! And friends, this is not what God intended! What God intended in us to be a garden and orchard, has been shriveled up by our actions against Him. Towns that should be bustling with people, now are ghost towns. And this kindles in God His anger. And God exclaims to Israel that their days were numbered and rapidly coming to an end. But, not The End. (That's still coming and we'd best be ready!). We know that our job is to convert people to the side of life and its fullness.

Again, I stress the need to be right before God. Our days of sinful and wicked living can only go so far; the time to be right and blessed by God is here and now. Friends, I care enough to encourage you to consider, if you haven't done so yet in your life, surrendering now.

PRAYER: Loving God, we hear You loud and clear, and we pause to re-dedicate our lives to You. Lead us away from evil and towards You. Make our lives bloom to their fullest so others will want what we have; in Christ Jesus we pray, amenk.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Seek and share that which will make the gardens and orchards God meant to be in you, bloom in ways that bless others.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Chief Among Sinners

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Hear the podcast here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Chief-Among-Sinners-e1neej8

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry 13 even though I used to speak against him, attack his people, and I was proud. But I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith. 14 Our Lord's favor poured all over me along with the faithfulness and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"—and I'm the biggest sinner of all. 16 But this is why I was shown mercy, so that Christ Jesus could show his endless patience to me first of all. So I'm an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the king of the ages, to the immortal, invisible, and only God, may honor and glory be given to him forever and always! Amen. (1Timothy 1:12-17 Common English Bible)

Going to college was a major adventure for me, as I'm sure it was for you. I entered into a world I knew nothing about. I was asked at registration how many hours I wanted to take and being the son of a hard-working blue collar man, of course, I said forty. After the laughter died down and the counselor explained the realities of college-level work, I settled for fifteen. I felt this was going to be easy! I learned about blue books being the thing to buy on exam day, and not the odd text I had spent $100 on; and I learned about the posting of grades by Social Security numbers. The first trip to the board that had the grades was a slow, cautious, nervous one. So nervous in fact, I thought I had forgotten the first and only number I had memorized; and once I remembered it, there was the grade, my grade! As the Apostle Paul saw the listing of sins in his mind, his sins and his very name, were on top. Paul as chief sinner! And this makes me nervous because my name, full legal name should be listed as the chief sinner, and not hidden behind my SSN!

Paul lists a summary of his sins. "I used to speak against Him. I attacked His people. I was proud." Paul knew, as do I, and should you, that sin leads to death; any jury would convict us and find us guilty and sentence us to death, but Paul said first, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who has given me strength because He considered me faithful. So He appointed me to ministry." Wow! That is my story and the story of so many. We have, like Paul, been shown mercy because we too, acted in ignorance and without faith. God's mercy lifted us up from certain death to abundant life. And why? Because, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." Amen, and thank God!

It is here that Paul inserted his declaration that he was chief among sinners, "--and I'm the biggest sinner of all." (v.15) And Paul understood this was part of the plan; God chose Paul to show His mercy and Jesus' endless patience to him, first of all. Paul was okay being an example for all to come to faith. Dear ones, please keep in mind this letter was written to a young, up-and-coming leader, Timothy, whom Paul wanted to encourage and educate, so that he too, could preach and convert as many people as he could. Paul was secure in his role, and even in the upcoming end of his life; but his mission was to encourage all he could, to come to faith in Jesus and into the new life that Jesus offers.

Jesus' love never changes, nor ends. Jesus' desire to have me, and you, home like the shepherd who lost his sheep, and the woman who lost her coin; what's keeping us from surrendering to God? God's call to us never fades nor silences; God calls all the more lovingly, and steadily, that we should come home to God. We can scram like the lamb in the song, but returning home means more in the long run. Sinner, consider giving your heart to Jesus today!

PRAYER: Loving God, I surrender to You and Your love. I am tired of running and I need the feel of grace that my soul desparately needs. I need You as my Lord and Savior. I repent of my sins and want my name off the chief sinners' list, and on the list of the redeemed. Hear my plea, in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Surrender your life, get a party started in Heaven, then go find others who need parties to start in their lives!

Receive my love and blessings,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Baa, We're Lambs!

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Baa--Were-Lambs-e1ncsdk

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:1-10 New International Version)

There's a Christian parody group called The Apologetix who used to take populars songs and make them Christian, and one of my favorite was one called Baa, We're Lambs, based on the song by The Beach Boys, Barbara Ann. Here are the lyrics and below I will put a link to the video.

Baa Baa Baa Baa Baa we're lambs Baa Baa Baa Baa Baa Baa I'm a lamb -- in God's hand -- I'm a lamb He's got a flock of lambs who know Him Robbers cannot steal 'em from His hand Baa Baa Baa Baa we're lambs Went through the fence, lookin' for some friends God saw me scram so He brought me back again Cause I'm a lamb in God's hand You got to follow where He's goin' God'll take you in the Promised Land CHORUS Tried many moves -- Tried getting loose Tried petting zoos but I knew they wouldn't do Cause I'm a lamb in God's hand You got to follow where He's goin' God'll take you in the Promised Land Baa Baa Baa Baa we're lambs CHORUS Baa! We're lambs, Baa! We're lambs, Baa! We're lambs ...

My favorite lines are: "Went through the fence, lookin' for some friends, God saw me scram so He brought me back again, Cause I'm a lamb in God's hand." This story that Jesus told was about me. And yes, it was about you, too. And it was for the tax collectors, sinners, and yes, Pharisees and teachers of the law. (Yes, God cares that much for the good and the bad, and even the very bad!). First, Jesus tells the tale of a rancher with 100 sheep, who had one who did scram, and that sets in motion this rescue effort on the part of the rancher. Some have said that in West Texas, such an operation might involve aircraft to fly over every possible inch to find the lost sheep. Some ranches might involve the use of donkeys. But in Jesus' story, it involved one shepherd walking every place he could to find this lost lamb. Jesus called it "open country" (v. 4). And this shepherd did not give up until he found the lost sheep. I'm only speculating but a radio report from a helicopter that the pilot had spotted the lost lamb might bring joy to the rancher, as might the eventual report back form the foreman on the donkey, but to walk to the spot where the lamb was, to speak to it, hold it and lift it up and embrace it, speaks volumes of God's love. The response of the shepherd is to tell the world! He goes forth, holding the lamb on his shoulders and then calls all his friends and neighbors and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep." The awesome thing is what Jesus adds, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven oer one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous person who do not need to repent." Awesome! The actions of a single person to repent of his or her sin causes a party to erupt in heaven!

Jesus then shifts the story to a woman who has ten silver coins and loses one. To those in His aduiences there was an immediate connection. Who has never lost anything, especially something precious and valuable? And for a single woman to lose one silver coin, she was losing a major source of income, and might even endanger her future. So, Jesus says, she lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches very carefully until she finds it. When I was in seminary in Denver, this Texas boy took advantage of snow activities, including snowball fights. I confess I should have been using gloves, but one Sunday after church I was with a classmate and his family and we were in his front yard throwing snowballs and with laser percision I threw one that accidentally included my university senior ring! It's a precious treasure for me. My Dad and Mom bought it for me when I finished my university education at Southwestern. I was lost without it. I went and immediately swept the entire yard. Nada. My friend went and rented a metal detector and again, nothing. This, after, of course, a thorough sweeping of each area it could have landed with my bare hands. Nothing. I would have to face life without my senior ring. I don't remember how long I was without my ring, but in spring, one day in class, my friend walked up to me and said, "Hold out your hand," and dropped down the ring into my hand! I was elated and I celebrated and I called my parents to let them know that was lost was now found. And in God's world, that's always a reason to celebrate! Jesus explains that the repentance of a sinner causes the angels to rejoice, in the presence of God, over any sinner who repents of their sin.

Jesus wants everyone to repent of their sin and to come home to God. Jesus loves parties and celebrations, and our willingness to repent over that which causes death, and to come into the presence of the abundance of life, is a party-starter. Ours is to get the party started in our lives. Let's party!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us to truly take serious the need to repent of our sins and help us to get others to see how wonderful life is when we come to the Lord. We trust in You and pray in faith in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Start as many parties of sin repentance as you can!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Link for Baa We're Lambs video: https://youtu.be/vChV4LxZPDQ

Three O's

Image from youtube.com

Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Three-Os-e1n80nb

1 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. 2 I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. 3 You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. 4 You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. 5 I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too - your reassuring presence, coming and going. 6 This is too much, too wonderful - I can't take it all in! 13 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. 14 I thank you, High God - you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration - what a creation! 15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. 17 Your thoughts - how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! 18 I couldn't even begin to count them - any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 The Message Bible)

Okay, some of you will think I'm showing off my very expensive seminary education by naming the three O's as being omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. These are awesome attributes of God. To be fair, these thoughts come from a book by Charles Swindoll, famous radio preacher, in a book he wrote, "Living Beyond The Daily Grind." He says that the question of how well does God know me are answered in the first six verses. The question of How close is God to me in verses 7-12, and How carefully did God make me in verses 13-18; and how much does God protect and care for me in verse not in this passage, verses 19-24. If we start with these in order, verses 1 through 6 indeed answer the question of how well does God know us by what the psalmist wrote. How close is God to us do come from the verses 7-12 read, "7 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? 8 If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! 9 If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, 10 You'd find me in a minute - you're already there waiting! 11 Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" 12 It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you."

In terms of our creation, the psalmist says, in verses 13-18: 13 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. 14 I thank you, High God - you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration - what a creation! 15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. 17 Your thoughts - how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! 18 I couldn't even begin to count them - any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! And how does God protect us and care for us? Here it is, verses 19-24: 19 And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers - out of here! - 20 all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. 21 See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; 22 I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies! 23 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; 24 See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong - then guide me on the road to eternal life.

You may have had, like me, a question of who we truly were, during our adolescent period. It's around that age that we seek to know who we truly are. We are created by God, and God knows us by name, and God cares for us in unique ways. These verses attest to that. Then we sometimes find that we are lonely, and these verses say to us, God is with us and we should not feel alone. We've seen enough movies to know that prisoners fear solitary confinement; some have come close to losing their minds because of the intense loneliness of such a placement. No view of the sunlight, no trips to fresh air places; no other human voice available for long periods of time, all work together to make such a punishment harsh, even cruel and unusual. These verses also help us deal with self-image, another issue during our teen years that can, in some, carry over until older ages. The psalmist believes we should know that God made us, so God loves us just as we are, for God cares about our souls. God's thoughts are, "rare," and "beautiful." And as the psalm closes, we hear that God knows about our fears and worries and so we should entrust all things to Him.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Your love and care for us. Our prayer is for all whom are struggling and searching for answers in their lives. Bless the lonely, the confused, the ones longing for meaning, and all who need to hear and receive, "God loves you and cares for you, just as you are." In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Spread a message of love to those who feel unloved; Christ will show you whom they are.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde