Innocent, Thanks to Jesus!

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4 The Master, God, has given me a well-taught tongue, So I know how to encourage tired people. He wakes me up in the morning, Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders. 5 The Master, God, opened my ears, and I didn't go back to sleep, didn't pull the covers back over my head. 6 I followed orders, stood there and took it while they beat me, held steady while they pulled out my beard, Didn't dodge their insults, faced them as they spit in my face. 7 And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me, so I'm not disgraced. Therefore I set my face like flint, confident that I'll never regret this. 8 My champion is right here. Let's take our stand together! Who dares bring suit against me? Let him try! 9 Look! the Master, God, is right here. Who would dare call me guilty? Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare socks and shirts, fodder for moths! (Isaiah 50:4-9a The Message Bible)

Happy Thursday to you, beloved Friend. I pray this finds you at peace and knowing how much God loves you and cares for you. I heard from Mrs. Gaytan and she's getting better by the day, and we pray she be completely healed of her illness soon. Please be in prayer for your pastor(s) as these next couple of weeks are the twice-a-year Super Bowls they have to manage. This is also the time of year most people are open to your invitation to join them in worship for Easter Sunday. Many have been the lives who have said yes to an inviation not realizing they were also saying yes to Jesus and His love! You can be a life-saver in these next few days in asking someone to join you in worship. Please pray for the world; for those grieving loss, facing anxiety, seeking job changes, seeking employment, seeking to better their lives. Pray for one another. Pray for your needs.

I blame the sandals I was wearing. I also blame the poor choice where I stopped along Interstate 37 as we neared our home in Corpus Christi. Our young grandson had asked for Grandpa to quickkly stop the car so he could relieve himself. I felt it as it began its evil work on my foot. I touched poison ivy and it did its deed quickly, burning, starting a horrible itch, and making its way up my leg. There was nothing I could do because a little one was awaiting his relief. And for the next few days I was reminded where not to stop along the Interstate and what shoes never to wear if roadside stops were in our plans.

This is the time of year most of us have been praying about, and asking that our sins be removed from us. Most who take their Lenten Journeys seriously, know getting forgiveness of our sins is chief among the needs we have in our hearts and spirits. The only way to rid ourselves of sin is to ask Jesus. The text as written by the prophet Isaiah speaks of his knowledge of all that God can and does do for us. Isaiah credits God for having given him a manner of speaking to people that encourages the tired. God also kept him aware of the needs of those around him, making him open to listening to their woes and helping them in their prayers to be made right with God. Then in writing that shifts to the prophetic the prophet shares the pain and anguish of the Messiah as He stood trial and faced abuse for being the Anointed One of God. In the more original versions of this passage we can read what we read in the gospels of the treatment of Jesus. Verse six in the Revised Standard Version reads, " I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting." This was part of Jesus' passion. What Isaiah felt led to share, Jesus felt in His body and spirit. The faith of Jesus is shared so many years before it actually happened. And the presence of God's Spirit, Isaiah sensed and wrote, Jesus affirmed that He was not alone because God was with Him. And the prophet ends the passage by saying, who is there who can condemn Him? They're nothing compared to God, and the modern language says, "My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare socks and shirts, fodder for moths." God wins. God always wins.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless our efforts to be faithful by removing our sin. Help us to stand and to be victorious in all things. Help us share our faith in ways that brings others to the celebration; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACIONT: Share your life in ways that invite others to join the faith.

Receive my blessing of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Name of Jesus

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5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11 Revised Standard Version Bible)

Sunday I preached on being strong in the Lord. Our strength comes from Him and helps us with our everyday trials and temptations. We talked about the armor of God and how that equipment from God helps us face all that Satan may throw at us. Now Paul writes that if we have the same mind in us that was in Christ, that will also bless our efforts. And the first thought that he shares is that we should assume the mindset of a humble, yet powerful servant of God; meaning that instead of thinking, "Yes sir, yes ma'am, I'm the Son of God, look out, here I come!" No, Jesus emptied Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, even death on a cross. That's where His exaltation came from as God lifted Jesus up at His lowest point to where He needed to be. We know we are God's children, but that should be seen as a powerful responsibility and not a privilege. We seek to serve God and God's people and it is in our obedience that we truly receive what God has prepared for us. For Jesus it meant His receiving "the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

One of the biggest challenges the Church, and many of us, are facing is whose name and viewpoint is the most important? If we seek to take God's place, we will end up nowhere. If we seek to get our way, we will only see the way out. Humility is a strong attribute to possess when we seek to become servants of God. We recognize God for Who He is, and for who we are. We can then take on our role of serving others in ways that will glorify God and bless God's people.

I have shared how when I arrived at my internship placement, I was terrified. I knew that without God I would have left the internship many times over. My first sermon I thought was terrible; my interacting with people left a lot to be desired, and then the issue of language, don't get me started. I was interning in a Spanish dominant church of the Spanish language conference, the Río Grande Conference, and after twelve years of public school, three of university and almost four of seminary, I had lost most of mi español. But again, if it hadn't been for God, I would have left the church and God only knows where I would have ended up. Yet, key in all of my struggles was the thought that I was there not to be served or glorified, but to serve and glorify God. That made all the difference in the world, and I pray in Heaven, too. I thank God that from time to time someone will send a note or message reminding me of a blessing I was able to share, for God's sake, with them; and in the same way, we still have many opportunities to keep doing that for all of God's people. The world needs it and wtih God's help, we will do it!

PRAYER: Loving and merciful God, for Thy mercies we are thankful. For Your guidance we have reached the point of faith where we are, and with Your continued guidance we will reach the point of faithful service. Let us seek to serve and glorify You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Serve someone today in the Name of Jesus; for His is the Name above all names!

Receive my blessings of peace and hope,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Trial of Jesus

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11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. 15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” 25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Matthew 27:11-26 NIV)

On Tuesday of Holy Week, our church, First Methodist Church of Gonzales, is showing FREE of charge, the movie called The Passion of the Christ. This will be at 6 p.m. in the Stockton Building across the street from the church on St. Paul Street. I mention the movie because of the impact the movie had worldwide as well as on the actors who played in it. The actor playing Jesus, Jim Caviezel, and the actor playing Barrabas, Pietro Sarrrubi, both became believers after the movie. Everyone is invited

Jesus was arrested on false charges brought against Him by his enemies, the Jews. He is brought before the governor where the governor asks Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" This after his Sunday triumphant entry into Jerusalem. This was a trial by a Roman official without a lawyer or person representing Him. Jesus' answer was simple and to the point, "You have said so." Then the accusers, the chief priests and the elders present their "evidence," mostly accusations, to which Jesus says nothing. Pilate, the governor asks Him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are brining against You?' Jesus has no reply to not one of the accusations. Then the governor remembers that as governor he can free whichever prisoner the crowd chooses. And wouldn't you know it, he has a popular prisoner named Jesus Barabbasm whose crime was his being a part of a riot where someone died. This riot happened to be against the Roman government. When the crowd was gathered and ready for the trial, Pilate asks them, "Which prisoner should I release to you?" Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah? Pilate was almost sure that the crowd would request our Jesus to be freed and more so because his wife had sent him a note while he was on the bench, as it were, telling him, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him." Notice she says Jesus is an innocent man, and her spirit had been troubled because of this entire trial.

Jesus' accusers had other plans so they convinced the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to ask for Jesus' death by execution. The governor's question as to whom they should release was this time answered, "Barabbas!" Pilate then has to ask, "What shall I do, then, with Jesus Who is called the Messiah?" The crowd's anser was unanimous, "Crucify Him!" Pilate has to ask, "Why? What crime has He committed?" They could only answer, "Crucify Him!" all the louder. Pilate has to admit the crowd was now out of control and so he takes water and washed his hands in front of the crowd exclaiming, "I am innocent of this man's blood, It is your responsibility!" The crowd has no trouble yelling, "His blood is on us and on our children!" Gulp! Would you say such a thing today? Pilate relents and frees Barabbas to the crowd. As a final gesture of his power, he orders Jesus to be floggee, and turned over to be crucified.

These words do not do justice to the pain and pressure that Our Lord suffered just during this phase of Holy Week. The pictures from the movie mentioned above do paint a more realistic picture of Jesus' passion. All for the love He has for us.

PRAYER: Loving Father, we are humbled at all You have done on our behalf; bless our walk as we near the day which we call Good; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Share your love of Jesus with someone today. And begin to invite someone to Easter service at your church.

Receive my blessings of hope and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Grand Entrance

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1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21;1-11 New International Version Bible)

A blessed and joyous Monday to you, dear Friend. I pray the blessings of the Lord will be with you and yours during this week. As we pray this morning, I ask prayers for Mrs. Elisa Gaytan, widow of The Rev. Francisco Gaytan, who was just diagnosed positive for Covid once again this morning (Sunday). She lives in Edinburg, TX, ahnd requested our prayers. Please pray for one and another; pray for those on your prayer lists, and pray for the needs of the world. Seek God's favor as you pray, and pray to be a blessing for others.

I was blessed to have been invited to preach in our home church and I was almost shocked at where we are in terms of Holy Week and our Lenten Journey. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday! And that's the start of Holy Week! Our church, as well I'm sure, your church has plenty planned to help your walk. Today's scripture will be on Palm Sunday and the rest of the week we will see various scriptures related to the events of the most holy of weeks in our tradition.

The week begins with Jesus' triumphant entry into the Holy City of Jerusalem. The plans were all orchestrated with scripture because they were fulfilling the prophecies concerning the entry of The Messiah into the city. The donkey was key, for a king would not normally enter a city, or especially His city, on a donkey unless it was a sign of peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and so on the donkey He rides. "This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet."

The three years Jesus spent in the towns and countrysides outside of Jerusalem prepared the people in Jerusalem to be aware of Him and His ministry and as He neared the city, they got ready to welcome Him. My hunch is most people believed Jesus to be the political/military Messiah Israel awaited to free them from Roman occupation, so this parade was filled with excitement and joy that would soon turn to anger, as we are well aware. Those who welcomed Jesus with "Hosannas," would on Friday holler "Hang Him!" Their hopes were misplaced as they did not fully yet realize Who Jesus truly was. Even some there, as this passage ends, ask, "Who is this?" The crowds said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Truth be told, some still to this day do not know Who Jesus is, and all that Jesus did on our behalf. It is still up to us to share the Good News and tell the world about Jesus and what Holy Week is truly about. We can use what we know best, "For God so loved the world, He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Amen.

PRAYER: Loving Father, for all that Holy Week represents, let us be the best representatives we can to tell the world about Jesus. Bless our week as we prepare to do all that is expected of us; may we seek Your favor and may we glorify You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Show the world you are a believer in Jesus!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Wait and Watch for the Lord

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Out of the depths I cry to thee, O LORD! 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If thou, O LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalm 130:1-6 Revised Standard Version)

Welcome to Thursday, dear Friend! Our prayers for you to enjoy the Lord's blessings on this day. I ask prayers for me as I will be preaching at our church in Gonzales at the 8:30 and 10:45 am services. Both are streamed live on YouTube, search FUMC-Gonzales on YouTube and you can link there if you're out of the area. If you're in the area, you're invited to join us in person. Prayers for the family of Billie Bruns. She passed away yesterday. Visitation will be Monday, March 27 at Seydler-Hill from 5-7pm. Her funeral service will be here at the church on Tuesday, March 28 at 10am. May God's comfort be with them is our prayer. Please pray for one another and prayers for the Church and the peace needed in the world.

Wait is a four-letter word to some people. The more inventions come our way to save us time, the less time we have. We are a phone-glued society and the phone is not known to save us time or grant us privacy. And waiting is more difficult if we need something or find that we're at the end of our rope and we don't know what to do. The psalmist found himself in such circumstances pretty often. Of course, he was a king and so the pressures of reigning over a people, especially the people of God, brought many pressures and strains to his life. While we may have enemies, none that compare to enemy armies that would show up on King David's door often. David, being a God-fearing man, knew to call on the Lord which he did often. And in keeping with the military threats he faced, he knew his patience had to be like the watchmen awaiting the arrival of morning. The dangers at night were difficult to see and the arrival of morning was a sign of hope. And so his message to his people is to wait for the Lord with hope. He knew that in the Lord there is needed steadfast love, and in God we find redemption without end. And in God we will all find redemption, for our sins are all forgiven.

There has to be in our daily routine, our making time to take a deep breath. To sit and reflect and count to ten. And with it a silent prayer for patience, peace, and asking God to grant us the pace for the living of this life. Our reflection should also be a mental parade of all the positive things that David mentions in this psalm. We will make it.

PRAYER: Loving God, for Your presence and peace we are thankful. Grant us calm and clear thinking as we face all that comes our way; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be a person of peace to others.

Receive my blessings of joy and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Resurrection Hopes

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1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, thou knowest." 4 Again he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host. 11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.'12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:1-14 Revised Standard Version Bible)

"I truly beleive that God has forgotten about me, Pastor!" A woman nearing her 100th birthday in one of my churches. She had lost her husband many years prior to this statement, as well as many members of her family. She was ready for her turn. She was a pastor's widow and she loved the Lord. She knew Him personally, trusted Him, and trusted His promises. Resurrection was awaiting her, but she had to face death first. How many people do you know that await their turn to die?

I've said before the job of a prophet was a difficult one. Most, if. not all, were called to preach what no one else wanted to say, much less hear. And most, if not all, prophets had difficult, if not deadly congregations. Remember the prophet who ran for his life because the prophet had killed off fake prophets after a showdown where God obliterated the fake god and as a result the prophet killed off 400 fake prophets. And in today's passage, Ezekiel is led by God's Holy Spirit to a valley of dry bones. Could we call this an open-air cemetery? Do you remember a few years ago, some funeral homes tried having drive-thru viewings? You would drive up to the side of the funeral home and there on a tilted bier sat the coffin and friends and family could drive up after hours and view the deceased was in full view. I have to confess I am not a fan of such a thing. I wonder if the prophet enjoyed visiting this valley of death?

What he probably did not enjoy were the questions asked of him. God asks, "Son of man, can these bones live?" Uh. Ezekiel gives an honest and clever answer, "O Lord God, Thou knowest." Then God says to him, preach to these bones, using this sermon, "O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord." And then the word; "Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live." And the rest of the sermon says that He, God, would restore them not only to life, but to their original state. The prophet loves and trusts God and does not hem or haw at his assignment. He does the preaching and what God said would happen, happens. The dry bones are now human forms, but lacking the breath of life. Then God says for Ezekiel to preach to the four winds to come forth and fill these bodies with life. And wonder of wonders, the God of Nothing-Is-Impossible-For-Me, brought to life the bodies He had formed. Then God said, "These bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.'" There it was, God showing the prophet His sermon prop. The bones became bodies who become persons of no hope.

God then promises they will have hope; graves shall not remain closed, nor will our grave be shut forever; God shares to the OT prophet the promise of resurrection that His Son would later share as He did in the gospel reading of John 11. God promises the presence and indwelling of His Spirit as was promised by Jesus and as happened in Acts 2. Victory is ours.

PRAYER: Loving God, for the promises found in Your word, we are thankful and blessed. Help us live this journey of life filled with hope, the contagious one that we can share with others. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Receive God's hope for your life and live a life that blesses others!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Is The Spirit Living in You?

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6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:6-11 NIV)

The psalmist said, in the King James version, Proverbs 23:7, "as a man thinketh so is he." This one verse has been the foundation for many of a prosperity gospel preacher and writer. In fact, in 2903, James Allen wrote a self-help book by that title. I've not read the book, but I would assume that it stresses putting all your efforts and energies on your goal and you will obtain it. The late Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale wrote a similiar best-selling book called The Power of Positive Thinking which said the same things, mas o menos (more or less).

What we heard or read here is Paul telling the believers in Rome that whatever you let your mind tell you, you'll pretty much get that or go there. His first verse in this passage says, that the mind controlled by the desires of the flesh will lead you straight to death. On the other hand, Paul says, if your mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit, you get life and peace. Keep in mind Paul lived in both worlds; his first world was governed by his desire to get ahead in his career, then Jesus changed his life and mind; and he sought to be governed by God's Holy Spirit. He knew that one cannot allow both the flesh and the Spirit to compete for control. Paul writes, "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It cannot submit to God's law nor will it. And those in the realm of the flesh cannot go about pleasing God. The truth, Paul argues, is that those in the Spirit are from the realm of the Spirit, because the Spirit lives in the believers. "But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness."

This passage has angered people since they first received the letter in Rome. Here's the reason. Some people truly understand that when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we should become, as Jesus told Nicodemus back in John 3, people born again in the Spirit. We cannot stay in the flesh, seeking to gratify the desires and temptations of the flesh. That is futile and pointless. And of course, it leads to death. I remind us the believers are not just of this physical realm, we are of the supernatural realm, the divine realm.

Paul ends this part of this passage with his promise of hope: "And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His spirit Who lives in you." If we stay connected by steadfast prayer, listening, and reflection, God will guide us and the living Christ, Who lives in us, will guide us from this life to the eternal life He promised to those who live and die in Him.

PRAYER: Living God, live in us and bless us to be a blessing to others. Help us overcome doubt and the desires of the flesh. We seek to be spiritual in all areas of our lives; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Show others how the Spirit guides and blesses you so that others will want to join us.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Jesus is Life!

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1 Now a certain man was ill, Laz'arus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Laz'arus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Laz'arus. 6 So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go into Judea again." 8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 11 Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, "Our friend Laz'arus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep." 12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Laz'arus is dead; 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Laz'arus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world." 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; 34 and he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Laz'arus, come out." 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him; (John 11:1-45 Revised Standard Version Bible)

Happy Monday dear ConCafe Family! And may God's blessings be rich in your life, dear Friend. May the Lord watch over you this day and all days. I ask prayers for this old man as I prepare to preach next Sunday at our home church in Gonzales, Texas at both services at 8:30 and 10:45. Pray for one another, pray for those on your prayer lists and pray the blessings of God on the world and its needs. Pray for peace in the world, starting at home.

Another very powerful passage for our faith to ponder. This passage contains the shortest verse in the Bible in verse 35, a favorite of many a Sunday school student when asked to memorize Bible verses, "Jesus wept." Yet, there are some awesome declarations by Jesus in this passage as well as we will discover. The passage begins by reminding us that Jesus had three friends who find themselves in need. The man was named Lazarus and his sisters were Mary and Martha. Jesus had been to their home and even invited by Martha to intervene in a squabble they were having about who should sit at Jesus' feet and who should be serving food. It had been Mary who poured out expensive perfume on Jesus' feet. But this time Lazarus is sick and so word is sent to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." We can read into it that this was a call for Jesus to come and heal his beloved friend. Jesus' response was not what they expected. Jesus delays His return to Bethany by two days. When He decides to return Jesus announces that the trip would be through Judea, where the Jews had sought to stone Jesus, but that does not deter Him. He also surprises the disciples by announcing that Lazarus was asleep. "Oh well, then he'll be find!" Jesus has to say it plainly, "Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, ever the doubter and pessimist says, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." I give him credit for bravery. They arrived safely to Bethany without incident only to find that Lazarus was already buried and for four days at that. The household of Martha and Mary was filled with mourners and friends wishing them well. Martha hears that Jesus was approaching and so she goes out to meet him.

"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would have have died." Such faith. First, to scold our Lord. Second, to fully believe that Jesus could have prevented her brother's death. Okay, like text messages from friends, we tend to add the tone and voice to them, never fully knowing what the other person is actually saying or implying. All I know is that she was disappointed. But, she had not lost faith, for she said, "And even now I now that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." And boy, does God give! Jesus said, "Your brother will rise again." Quite a statement to which she gives the "Sunday school response" of "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Okay, she paid attention in class, but Jesus drops another mind-blowing thing when He says, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Pop Quiz, Marty! But she passes by saying, "Yes, Lord; I believe You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world." She then goes to call Mary. And guess what she starts her conversation with? "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." And she wept. And the others wept, and so Jesus is "moved in His spirit and troubled." Jesus asks where Lazarus was laid to rest. They showed him and the shortest verse, "Jesus wept." Those two words are powerful and say a lot. Jesus was so moved, so connected to His love not only Lazarus, but the whole family, that He showed His human side and wept. It moved the crowd to speculation; "Could not He Who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Always a cynic or critic in the crowd, no? Jesus heard the comments and this made Him cry again. At the entrance to the tomb, Jesus sees that it is sealed with a stone. This makes me wonder, did Jesus get moved to sadness knowing He was soon destined to be buried in the same way? But it does not deter His exclaiming, "Take away the stone." Martha warns Jesus the odor her brother's body would probably be overwhelming, but Jesus replied, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" The stone is removed and Jesus thanks God for always hearing His pleas and prayers. Then Jesus yells out, "Lazarus, come out." Much to the fright and delight of those near this, the dead man came out, his body, arms, feet still wrapped mummy-style, and Jesus orders him unbound. This was enough for many of the Jews who witnessed this to become believers in Jesus.

What will it take for those who do not yet know or believe in Jesus to come to faith?

PRAYER: Awesome Father, for life and for life beyond this life, we are thankful. Bless our lives with faith and help us help others come to faith; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Show your faith in life beyond the dead with those who doubt.

Receive my blessings of joy and faith,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Lord Is!

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The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; 2 he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23 Revised Standard Version Bible)

Did your father or mother ever sit you down to explain who you were? Was there a particular phrase or statement s/he made that has stayed with you all these years? In my experience it was on a need-to-know-on-the-go basis. I had several questions about an assortment of things and Mom or Dad answered them to help me know who I was. I was told all the time that I was loved by them and I told them that I loved them. My Mom taught me this psalm in Spanish as a way to help define who I was. And there could not have been a better resource than this, for this psalm has life pretty much covered. Let's see how we can be blessed with these truths:

1. I am a lamb. A creature of innocence (for the most part during our early years), who needs the guidance of a shepherd.

2. The Lord is my shepherd. We can't find a better shepherd anywhere.

3. In fact, the Lord is so good, we never go lacking anything. That covers the "want" part of the first verse. In earlier devotions I shared how my young mind used to think it meant I didn't want the Lord as my Shepherd; but it doesn't! So, stop it!

4. The Lord knows to guide me to the best places, especially when I need rest. Green pastures tells us the lushness of God's creation makes for a good bed for lambs.

5. The Lord provides for water. Living, delicious water. The thirstier we are the more water tastes good.

6. And when it comes to being depleted in any way, like your soul, your heart, your emotions, whatever, God is there to restore us.

7. God can lead us through paths where we are blessed and we can become righteousness for the sake of His name. The name of God shares goodness and strength.

8. Even in the scariest of times or days, God is with us and protects us.

9. Evil doesn't scare me, nor should it scare you; God is with us and He's armed with that which rescues, restores, and fights off all that may come against us. (They are NO match for God!)

10. God sets a great celebration table, and with His sense of humor invites those who would rather see me starve!

11. And in a bold move to further insult and ridicule our enemies, God anoints my head with oil. (Thank of King David in front of his older brothers)

12. God promises that the empty spots of our lives will be filled with the good, necessary things of a faith life; goodness and mercy - gifts that keep on giving!

13. God's care does not end with our death. God's love will carry us over the threshold of life and into the glorious presence of God Himself.

This is who you are. This is who I am. If we were to read this list on a daily basis we will be so blessed, that we will bless others. And that is what God is all about. And that is what you and I should be all about.

PRAYER: Loving Shepherd, guide us and bless us. Let us walk faithfully in Your blessings. Clothe us, feed us, and lead us as David said, and as we believe; in Christ Jesus we believe; amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Live as a beloved lamb of God.

Receive my blessings in a rich way,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The New King Is a Boy!

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Hear the devotional: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eradio-valverde/episodes/The-New-King-is-a-Boy-e20f21r

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1 God addressed Samuel: "So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I've rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I've spotted the very king I want among his sons." 2 "I can't do that," said Samuel. "Saul will hear about it and kill me." 3 Make sure Jesse gets invited. I'll let you know what to do next. I'll point out the one you are to anoint." 4 Samuel did what God told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. "Is there something wrong?" 5 "Nothing's wrong. I've come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of God. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship." He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship. 6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, "Here he is! God's anointed!" 7 But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." 8 Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, "This man isn't God's choice either." 9 Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, "No, this man isn't either." 10 Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, "God hasn't chosen any of these." 11 Then he asked Jesse, "Is this it? Are there no more sons?" "Well, yes, there's the runt. But he's out tending the sheep." Samuel ordered Jesse, "Go get him. We're not moving from this spot until he's here." 12 Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health - bright-eyed, good-looking. God said, "Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one." 13 Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. Samuel left and went home to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Message Bible)

Kings are not perfect. Kings are human. So even kings called by God to serve as kings are not perfect. And this holds true for all humans. In all walks of life and in all types of roles and responsibilities. And this holds true for me. And you. Saul was the king requested by the people of Israel when Samuel was the prophet during the theocracy, or rule of God. God was King and the prophets represented Him. But the day came when the people went against God and no longer wanted to be the light to the world and said, "We want to be like the other nations; we want a king!" And they chose Saul. It was his looks and height that got him the job. But as I said, Saul was not perfect and so the day came when God knew it was time for a new king. And so, God tells Samuel, who had grown fond of the king, that the king's days were numbered and that a new king would be on the throne of Israel. "Go fill your oil flask - you've got some anointing to do!"

The prophet is sent to the home of Jesse, who has several sons. Samuel fears for his life thinking that if Saul finds out he would be killed. But God had spotted the one who would be the next king and Samuel is to anoint him. What follows is epic. Samuel being human wants to anoint the oldest, Eliab. Eliab looks the part (if we are to keep with the tall, dark, and handsome ploy like Saul!). God says, "Good one, but no. Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." And the seven sons present all failed the God-test. Samuel had to ask, "Are there any more?" Jesse says, "Only the runt is not present; he's out tending sheep." Samuel says, "Go and get him. We're not moving from this spot until he's here." This version says that Jesse brings in the runt of the litter and he's the picture of health, "Bright-eyed, good-looking," and God tells Samuel to anoint him. Taking the flask Samuel complies and in the presence of his brothers, David is made the new king of Israel. And the Spirit of the Lord entered David like the rush of wind, and with that God gave him the power with which to rule for the rest of his life. Samuel returns home to Ramah, and Israel will soon have his new king.

We just read the key; for one to stay faithful and fruitful to the Lord and His assignments to us, we must seek a daily infusion of His Holy Spirit which comes from steadfast prayer, devotion and an earnest seeking of God's favor. We may not be asked to be kings or queens, but we seek to be faithful in whatever role God may see fit for us in which to serve.

PRAYER: Loving God, help us to be what You would have us be; above all let us be faithful to You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen,.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Shine faithful to God in all things and in all ways.

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Live As Children of Light

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8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:8-14 NIV)

A blessed Tuesday to you, dear Friend. May this be a sacred day for you blessed with God's grace and love. Let us pray for one another. Let us pray for those who have asked prayer from us. Pray for your pastor(s), your church family, your loved ones, your enemies, and those who have no one to pray for them.

If ever anyone knew what it was like living in darkness, it was Saul of Tarsus. He was an overachiever, he was politically well-connected, and he knew all the right people due to his education with the best rabbincal teachers of his day. When he thought he was not doing enough for God, along came Christianity and its threat against THE church, namely the Jewish faith. The reality of those who live in darkness never realize it until it's too late or an encounter with a stronger force brings the truth to them. Such was the life of Saul until Jesus of Nazareth, aka the Risen Christ met Paul head-on on the Road to Damascus. It was the turning event in Saul's life and he even got a name change out of the deal; Saul became Paul, and from Christian persecuter, he became Christian preacher, teacher, and evangelist. He had lived in darkness thinking that the only good Christian was a dead one or at least one bound and tied and headed to jail.

It was his preaching, example, and anointing of the Holy Spirit that brought many to faith, pulling out of darkness those who did not know love or the new life in abundance that Jesus offered. Paul brought the Light of Christ to them, and they now lived confidently a new life. Paul's message in this passage is a reminder they were not only in the light, they were the light and they were urged to live in the light to attract others to this better way of life. In case they did not know what that entailed, they were to be all about goodness, righteousness and truth. They were also to search what pleased the Lord Jesus. Naturally they were to avoid what Paul called "the fruitless deeds of darkness," and if they could, they should expose them. Being no longer disobedient, they were to not even think about the deeds of those still in darkness. The Light of Christ serves to make visible what the disobedient think others cannot see. To this Paul says that all who sleep, or rather, are not obedient to Christ, should "awake, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

If one should find themselves away from the light, we should heed this call from this passage to leave the darkness behind and walk towards the light of Jesus. Such is the role of the Church in the world. Are you doing your part?

PRAYER: Truly we pray that You would awaken us when we sleep and help us rise from the dead and let Your light shine on us; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed dqay in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be the Light of Christ!

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

I Was Blind, But Now I See!

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1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” 12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said. 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see. 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. (John 9:1-11 New International Version Bible)

When Nellie and I were courting (kids, ask your parents what that means), we had no smart phones. The only phone we had either hung on a wall or sat on a table. So, there were no texts to be sent or read. Computers at the time were so large that huge rooms had to house the CPU* (Parents ask your kids). But there was a thing called letters. And though she and I lived only eight miles apart, we wrote letters to each other. Yes, there are kids in the room, and they may think it was corny, but I lived for getting mail from her. Each letter was special and I enjoyed each word; in fact, the longer the letter the better. I read and re-read each letter. Not once did I ever say, "Babe, these letters are too long, please don't ever write such long letters! Yet, we sometimes think when a passage for the week seems a bit long we do think along those line, "God, why is this passage so long?" This is week two of what we may consider extra long passages, but boy are they powerful!

Jesus encounters a man who was born blind. This caused the disciples to ask Jesus, in keeping with the understanding among people that a person's physical condition was caused by the parent's sinfulness. "Rabbi, who sinner, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus probably could have chuckled, but He answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." And here Jesus makes a declaration, "I am the light of the world." Jesus' declaration comes after He says that while He was in the world the works of God had to be done. Jesus also warned that the time was coming when no one would be able to work." And then He did something that still grosses some people out, He spat on the ground and with the dirt made mud and put this mud on the blind man's eyes and orders him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man obeys and washed and came back with eyes that could now see. This miracle one would think, would bring great rejoicing and praising of God, for what was impossible to even believe has come to be true. Yet, first people doubted and asked, "Is this really the man who was born blind?" Some said, "No, it looks like him, but can't be!" Then more questions, "How then were your eyes opened?" The man can only say, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash and I did, now I can see."

Then the Pharisees appear. As usual. They ordered the man to appear before them. They were involved because the day of this healing was a Sabbath. They also ask how did this healing take place? Again, the man repeats, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees already had their opinion, "This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath," and others, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" Now the Pharisees are divided. They asked the man again, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man says, "He is a prophet." The Pharisees could not believe that the man had indeed been blind and so they send for his parents. "Is this your son, the one you say was born blind; how is it that now he can see?" The parents said, We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." The parents said this because they were afraid of the Pharisees. They did not have a good reputation in matters such as these. It didn't help the Pharisees had already said that anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue; which would have motivated most parents to say, "He is of age; ask him." Another time the Pharisees say to the man who had received his sight, "Give glory to God by telling the truth, we know this man is a sinner." And the man gives one of the most awesome answers in the Bible. "Whether He is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" They continued to ask, "What did he do to you? How did He opened your eyes?" The man, obviously frustrated says,"I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again. Do you want to become His disciples too?" Then they insulted him and accused him of being a disciple of Jesus, while they were disciples of Moses. Then they continued with their declarations about their devotion to Moses, and how they did not even know where Jesus came from, to which the man could not help but say, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His weill. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." They are insulted by this and say, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.

Upon hearing that the man was thrown out, Jesus goes to visit him. Jesus asked, him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is He, sir?" answered the man. "Tell me so that I may believe in Him." Jesus said, "You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you." "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Jesus. Jesus declares, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Of course, there were Pharisees there who asked, "WHat? Are we blind too? Jesus answers, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." BAM.

Jesus came to save the world. Jesus came to bring wholeness to the world. Jesus came to show the power and the love behind the law of Moses. The law had become only a list of do's and don'ts and the religious people of His day only knew to enforce the law in their way. They did a great job in alienating people from God. it was precisely for the great need that God acted on our behalf. Jesus last week declared He is the living water, and today's passage has Jesus showing that He is the light of the world. His declaration is that in Him we can see the truth about life. Jesus healed a man without asking him if he was a member of the temple or not. He wasn't asked about his heritage, who his parents were, or any of the questions many would want to ask; Jesus loved him enough to heal him. Imagine the wonderful impact of this miracle. This was a man who never saw a thing until he met Jesus. He never saw his parents or siblings or his surroundings. He lived in a complete world of darkness. Until that day. He was probably just sitting by the side of the road begging for money with which to live and he received a gift he did not ask for, nor would he ever thought to ask for; his sight. Many are those who when Jesus enters their lives have their eyes and lives opened and they began to see the world with new eyes. It's an amazing world best seen with the love and conmpassion shared by Jesus with those who ask.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless our lives with new eyes and the vision only You can share. Guide us to becoming truly the people You have called us to be. May we win the world with the love of Christ; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask for the eyes and mind of Christ to live a life that blesses others!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Praise to Our Rock!

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1 Come, let's shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! 2 Let's march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! 3 And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. 4 In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. 5 He made Ocean - he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! 6 So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God, who made us! 7 Oh yes, he's our God, and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds. Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: 8 "Don't turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, 9 when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. 10 For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked - oh, was I provoked! 'Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?' 11 Exasperated, I exploded, 'They'll never get where they're headed, never be able to sit down and rest.'" (Psalm 95 The Message Bible)

Why do we pray dear Reader? Because God answers prayer! I shout my praises to Him for His having given you as one of our prayer partners. The news from Atlanta is very good! Ezra's fever left almost immediately as we prayed, and the MRI showed nothing and so the doctors are recommending a special doctor-administered antibiotic drops to fight the ear infection, so thank you again for your faith and prayers. Our sister Dena Fritz has asked prayers for her sister-in-law MaryAnn Jorgensen, who's battling pneumonia in a hospital in Kyle, TX. May God bring healing to her and comfort to those who are anxious about her situation. Pray for one another. Pray for your needs; pray for the needs of the world.

Please be aware that this coming Sunday you should eat a big breakfast because your preacher will be preaching way beyond the OLD 12 Noon hour. Your mind may understand the time change or not, but your tummy will not! Yes, we will Spring forward on Sunday at 2 a.m.

Those news go hand in hand with this psalm. God is worthy of our praise all the time; in the good and the bad and some have been led to believe that we need to praise God more in the good than in the bad because sometimes we begin to take God's goodness and blessings for granted. And something we should never take for granted is salvation. That in and of itself is a reason to have a parade! And the psalmist then lists his reasons for having this big celebration; "God is the best, High King over all the gods." God holds in one hand deep caves and caverns, in the other hand, He holds high mountains. God made and owns Ocean (the psalmist's way of saying all oceans and seas), It was the hands of God who made this earth, and it was God Who made us. God is our shepherd, whose flock we are and He feeds us.

The psalmist then re-tells the Exodus story (from yesterday's scripture studied) as he tells of God saying, "For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked - oh, was I provoked! Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?" God, the psalmist said, reached the end of His rope and swears an oath that Israel will never reach where they were headed and never be able to sit down and rest. The people did enter and settled, this is the psalmist's perceived sense of God's anger.

Our Lenten Journey should resemble, in our way of course, the parade the psalmist talks about; shouting praises and raising the roof for the Rock; our Rock - from Whom came forth the water that helped the screaming and complaining "kids" have their thirst quenched, to the living water that Jesus offered to a woman who had been married five times and whose current companion was not her husband. Come all to the fountain of life and drink deep that which God makes possible to us!

PRAYER: Loving and awesome Father, for all things we are thankful and joyful. Help us to celebrate all things in ways that invite others to come and join us; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Parade proudly the praises of God!

Receive my blessings of joy and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Are We There Yet?

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1 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink. 2 The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?" 3 But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?" 4 Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!" 5 God said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. 6 I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink." 7 He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, "Is God here with us, or not?" (Exodus 17:1-7 The Message Bible)

Moses was the senior pastor of the world's largest traveling church. Forget circuit riders, Moses drove a large mini-van filled with a typical congregation. Twenty percent of the passengers loved Moses and his driving; eighty percent was mostly nuetral, and twenty percent disliked Moses a lot. This was also the most vocal of the unruly passengers that to be honest, sounded like kids who saw the McDonald's and Moses did not so much as step even lightly on the brakes! He sped past it! Suzie needed a rest stop, and Mikey was thirsty. And on they sped. Chrissy began to complain that Suzie smelled and that Mikey was passing gas loudly. Soon all the passengers were complaining that they were thirsty and Moses finally said, "Don't make me come back there!" And he realized that there were no convenience stores anywhere near and so he stopped. Like a good parent, Moses prayed and said, "What can I do with these kids? I mean, these members of this traveling church?" He also realized the extent of their anger, "Any minute now they'll kill me!" God said, "There, there, Moses...Stop the van. Take the oldest kids and take the staff you used to strike the Nile, and there at the rock of Horeb you will strike the rock and water will gush out of it and the people will drink."

Moses named that place, "Thank God!" and "Man do these kids quarrel!" Okay, close enough. Massah means "Testing Place" and Meribah means "Quarreling."

Water is important in Scripture. It is a source and force of life. In Monday's lesson, it was water that led Jesus to an encounter with a woman with a deep need. Jesus met that need and helped her and her village come to faith. Paul's lesson yesterday spoke of that reconciliation that is needed and that it comes through faith at no cost. And today's passage takes us back to another thirst; this one, like Jesus', for physical water. And it comes even at a point where the people in need are quarreling with God and Moses. Yet God still provides and cares for them. Not even our stubbornness and rebellion can separate us from God's love and care. Yes, God loves us that much.

PRAYER: Thank You, Heavenly Father for Your unending and generous love. We ask You quench our thirst for You and guide us to where we can best serve You and Yours; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Help guide someone to where they can find Jesus' living water.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Justified By Faith

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1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. 6 While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. 8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11Revised Standard Version Bible)

Our being made right with God was done all by God, we just had to say yes. There was and is not, any work required to our having been saved. Our faith that said yes I want Jesus to forgive me and for Him to be my Lord and Savior and that is all that is required. Of course, that is but the first step of our discipleship, but filled with God's grace and guided by the Holy Spirit we are able to do whatever God has asked of us. The opposite is the belief that we must work out our righteousness. For example a classmate at one of my schools was studying to become a nun. When she was in high school she was very active in her church and would go by a few times during the week to clean the church and on one of those days, the priest grabbed her and kissed her. She considered it her fault. The guilt was overwhelming and the only thing she could think would appease God was if she became a nun. What do you think?

Paul says peace comes from God through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Through Him we have an all access pass to God's grace and to rejoicing even in the midst of suffering. We have turned the world upside down; what the world expects versus what God expects are two different things. Paul further says that through our suffering we receive an awesome education because the process as the Apostle sees it, "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God has been poured into hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us." This process is not only educational, but spiritual and mental. For in suffering we can easily and most often than not do turn towards bitterness and we begin to have a pity party of where we find ourselves. Paul says the opposite, we are also able to see that our suffering is not permanent and we can and will see the end of the trial or test period through we find ourselves. And the endurance, which is the journey through the suffering allows shape who we are, or our character, and in turn our character helps us find hope and that, says Paul, comes from God as we receive His love through the Holy Spirit. And Paul says on top of all this, "While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." And further Paul says, "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us," and through that act, we are saved from the wrath of God. This touched John Wesley as he was starting the Methodist class meetings and Wesley decided the entry question would be, "Are you willing to flee from the coming wrath of God?" Salvation helps us escape from that wrath, for through salvation we are reconciled to God by Christ's death, and reconciliation is a great thing.

The young woman I mentioned above was studying at a church school and took a class where this passage was presented and discussed and she realized that God was not asking her to give her life as a nun and that it was the priest who was at fault. We are justified, reconciled, accepted by God through faith. There is no work involved. It is a gift courtesy of Jesus. It did cost Him HIs life and that's where this Lenten Journey will take us. And three days later we will celebrate the power of God to raise the dead. So, turn over to God those assignments you may have given yourself thinking you owed God that; hear instead that you are forgiven and reconciled in Him.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for your love and mercy. Help us be merciful to ourselves and to celebrate the love You have given to us; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Help people on their journey; remidn them it starts in suffering and ends in hope.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Fill My Cup, Lord!

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5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” 39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4;5-42 NIV)

Happy Monday to you, dear Friend! Prayers for this old man as this coming Sunday I will be preaching on this text at First Presbyterian Church of Seguin at their 10:30 am. As you can see the recommended text for the Gospel this weekend is very long. Pray the Lord give me wisdom as to how best share the good news as I preach. But don't think this devotional will be the sermon in case you're planning to come and be with us!

I once read a story in an airlines magazine, back in the day when arilines published those, about a man whose dream and goal was to make three billions dollars. He wanted one of those billions for his own life, and one to give away (He never said to whom), and the third was to save for himself, just in case. I later read about another man who spends a million dollars a year to undergo a yearly blood transfusion and other medical procedures because he does not want to die. Jesus also spoke with a young man who wanted to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to go and sell all he had and to give that money to the poor. And in today's passage we meet yet another person who has tried to help herself and her needs in what she believed would be the best way. And, of course, this passage made me think of the beautiful song, "Fill My Cup."

"Like the woman at the well, I was seeking For things that could not satisfy. And then I heard my Savior speaking— “Draw from My well that never shall run dry.” Chorus: Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up Lord; Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole."

Jesus meets a woman whose life was empty. Given her nationality and her spiritual state, she does not necessarily want to interact with Jesus. Jesus approaches her as a thirsty man. He needs actual water to quench His thirst and she needs living water to quench her soul. The woman had sought to fill her soul by having married five men and lost all five. We don't know if she was a widow or a divorcee. We know because of Jesus, that she had a man now, but was not her husband. And she knows that there was no way Jesus would get any water if she doesn't draw it for Him. She proclaims Jesus to be a prophet, for His ability to know her past, and tries to begin a discussion of historic worship on the mountain near her, and her knowledge that the Jews believed true worship to be only in Jerusalem, and Jesus says that the time is coming when worship would not happen on the mountain or in Jerusalem; and even says that they, as Samaritans did not know who or what they were worshiping, but the Jews did for salvation comes from them. Jesus says the time was fulfilled in which "true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth." She says she knows the Messiah was coming, and when He would arrive, He would explain all things to all people. Jesus then declares that He is the Messiah.

By this time the disciples get back and they are surprised that Jesus was interacting with a Samaritan woman. Their concern was for Him to eat something and Jesus says that He has food that they know nothing about, referring of course to the need for them to do the will of God and finish His work. And by this time, the other Samaritans in the village came to Jesus to hear more from Him, and they asked Him to stay another two days with them, which He did, and many came to faith. The Samaritans tell the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that thsi man really is the Savior of the world."

Jesus came and met a great need first in the woman, then in her village. Salvation came through Him to bring the fullness of life to them, and they excitedly knew that Jesus was indeed the Savior of the world. Salvation is when we quit pointing out there somewhere when asked about Jesus and when we point to our heart knowing that within there, Jesus is Lord and Savior of our lives. Our Lenten Journey continues with our still doing the work of that day to reach as many as we can.

PRAYER: Loving God, lead us to faithfulness and fruitfulness; help us to reach as many as we can. Give us boldness and the words; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Help someone know that the void in their lives can be filled by Jesus.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.