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3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:3-9 NIV Bible)
A wonderfully blessed Tuesday be yours, dear Friend is my prayer. May this find you blessed, refreshed and renewed in the Lord. There's work to be done my friend, and Jesus is counting on you!
There was a time in our country, and certainly in those parts of the world where the Christian faith has had some years, that people were, for the most part, biblically literate. The Bible was read so often that the speech used in those places was rich and cultured. The characters of the Bible were known and some people even named their babies for them. The graphic for today shows what Americans knew in 2010: 63% of Americans knew that Genesis is the first book of the Bible. 72% knew that Moses led the Exodus. 60% knew that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son's life for God. 39% knew that Job remained obedient to God despite extraordinary suffering. 71% knew that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 45% knew that the four gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These were from a multiple choice quiz of questions and done by the Pew Forum on Relgion and Public LIfe. A more recent survey shows: In 2022, 49% of Americans view the Bible as inspired by God, but not everything in it is to be taken literally. 29% say the Bible is a collection of fables, history and moral precepts recorded by man. And 20% of Americans say it is the actual word of God to be taken literally. I was blessed to have taught university-level Bible courses for university credit at then-Pan American University from 1980-1986. My predecessor was The Rev. Jose Luis Palos, who wisely told me, "I have learned that most, if not all, of the students who will take your classes who have never opened a Bible before. They will not know, like most of our United Methodist kids do, that if we say, 'Turn to John 3:16,' what that even means. I spend the first class explaining an overview of the Bible, including how to read such a location like John 3:16." And the American Bible Society reports, "In its 2022 State Of The Bible, the American Bible Society reported the largest decline in “Bible users” among American adults that the study has ever recorded—a 10 percent drop, from 49 to 39 percent. Yikes! What might this be saying about us? What might this be saying about our future?
The Apostle Paul knew his scripture, and as a result, he wrote most of the New Testament. The Hebrew Bible shaped him, but his love and walk with Jesus molded him into the disciple that he was. He became a grateful man, who freely and openly gave thanks and showed love to God, for the way that God worked in the lives of others, especially disciples of Jesus. Paul could see the impact Jesus was having on them saying they were enriched in every way; through their speech and with wisdom, for he could see that it was God confirming their witness about Jesus. And it was because of all that, that these believers did not lack any spiritual gifts as they made thir way forward awaiting the return of Jesus. Paul believed that it would be Jesus Who would keep them strong and steadfast until the very end so that they would be blameless on that day of Jesus Christ. Paul affirms what we should believe that God is faithful, and God has called us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Though the world be shakey and scary, God is streadfast as should be our faith. God can and does hold us those of us who cry to Him for His help. God doesn't just offer a partial measure of grace but provides abundantly in every aspect. He equips us with spiritual gifts, knowledge, and the assurance of His presence as we eagerly await Christ's return.
Our hope and confidence lie not in our abilities but in the faithfulness of the One who called us into fellowship with His Son.
PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for Your unending grace and peace that sustain us daily. We're grateful for the gifts and enrichment You provide for our spiritual journey. Help us rest in the assurance of Your faithfulness, knowing that You keep us secure until the day of Christ's return. Strengthen us to live blamelessly, honoring You in all we do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask God to make us steadfast.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace. I love you and thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
