The Better Choice

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38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)

Happy Monday, dear Friend! I pray the weekend was for your benefit and that you're preapred and ready to face and bless this week with your faith, love, and grace!

Ah, siblings. If you have them, you know. So many dynamics in this story; who was the oldest, the middle child, and the baby? Many of us will guess that it was Martha, for she shows all the traits usually associated with the oldest child: Determination to serve and her being the one who "opened her house" to Jesus, and her making all the preparations to truly serve Jesus. And she being the one to complain to Jesus, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

Mary had to be the baby. Dare I say, spoiled? Self-centered? Okay, I may be overstepping and meddling. And not in the picture, Lazarus, may the middle child? And he had the nerve to get sick and die in a later story! But Jesus tells Martha, "You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed -- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Jesus isn’t criticizing service—He’s redirecting attention to what matters most: Himself. In a world full of demands and distractions, this story reminds us to slow down and sit with the Savior. Our to-do lists are never-ending, but so is His grace. What we truly need is not more accomplished days, but more surrendered hearts.

Mary’s choice may have seemed passive to Martha, but it was deeply intentional. She recognized that the best thing she could offer Jesus was not her effort, but her attention. And that’s still true today.

What's holding you back? What distractions have you allowed to take center stage in your life and away from time with Jesus? Make time to swing your attention back to Jesus and reap the benefits!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, in the midst of all the noise and tasks that fill our days, help us to choose what is better. Teach us to pause, to listen, and to rest in Your presence. May we not be so distracted by serving You that we forget to simply be with You. Center our hearts in Your love, and let everything else flow from there. This we pray in Thy name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, take a moment to sit quietly with Jesus—no agenda, no checklist. Just be still, listen, and let His presence become your priority.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

God is a Just God

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1 God calls the judges into his courtroom, he puts all the judges in the dock. 2 "Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough, you've let the wicked get away with murder. 3 You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break; 4 Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." 5 Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven't a clue to what's going on. And now everything's falling apart, the world's coming unglued. 6 "I commissioned you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God, 7 But you've betrayed your commission and now you're stripped of your rank, busted." 8 O God, give them their just deserts! You've got the whole world in your hands! (Psalm 82 The Message Bible)

I tranferred from Memorial Junior High school in Kingsville, Texas to Lanier Junior High in Houston. The Houston school was not at all like the Kingsville school. Let's compare the differences. In Kingsville, in those days, was that for PE (Physcial Education) credit, being in the band was considered PE enough. In Houston, no such luck. Well, to be fair, Houston junior high bands do not march. And, Lanier JHS had a pool used for PE. I got there on a Thursday which was. a swim day. I walked downstairs into the basement where the locker room for PE was located and sat on a bench. I noticed all the guys showering. I thought, "Before PE these guys are getting clean?" A guy said, "Hey, you new here?" yes. "We're going swimming!" I said that's nice but I didn't bring any swim trunks. Everyone laughed. "Take your clothes and start showering." Gulp. So, I did. On the other side of the showers a huge metal door opened and there was the pool and here we all were without appropriate pool clothing. Dutifully, all us walked in, in a perfect line to sit on the edge of the pool with our legs in the water. The coach, full dressed, came in with a paddle. A paddle? thinks I? The coach then reminded us that we are not to push anyone into the water. And if one is pushed, that person gets a swat. Gulp. Wait. What? And sure enough the littlest guy there got pushed in, and the poor kid walked over to the coah, bend over and swat! The sound of the wooden paddle against a wet behind was not a nice sound. And neither was the red mark the coach left on that poor guy's backside. I couldn't laugh because I could easily be the next guy but I knew I would not go into the pool without a fight. I wanted to cry. Fridays were also swim days and poor kid of the paddle showed up and still had the red mark from the previous day. I thought all of thsi was so wrong and so many levels. The idea of the victim getting punished for a bully's acvtion was not just. And the severity of that swat was not justice, it was abuse.

The psalmist shares his paslm on justice that sounds very much like it was written this week in my opinion. God has assembled those persons whose careers and callings to mete out justice and puts them on trial. Justice was not on the menu for them; corruption was the soup of the day. Those who should have been punished were not; they got away with murder. Those who needed defending were not. The powerless had no one to stand up for them; they were exploited and received no justice against the oppressors. The judges who by training should exhibit wisdom are called ignorant by God. Instead of being in the know are known for having their heads in the sand. They are deemed clueless by God, helping to destroy that which should hold everything together. The glue of society has no power. These so-called judges have not lived up to their commission and so God has stripped them of their rank. The psalmist prays for God to give them what they deserve.

This is not gentle. It’s not theoretical. It’s God confronting those who hold power—anyone with influence, authority, or voice—and demanding to know why justice has been neglected. He charges them with turning a blind eye to the weak, the poor, the voiceless. It’s not just a call to notice suffering, but to do something about it. This is a cry for divine intervention—but also a call to action for every believer. We are God’s hands in the world. Justice isn’t someone else’s job—it’s ours. So many people around us depend on us and our commitment to God to love justice and love mercy and walk humbly with God.

PRAYER: God of justice and truth, wake me up where I’ve grown numb. Give me eyes to see the injustice around me and the courage to do something about it. I don’t want to be silent when You call me to speak, or passive when You ask me to act. Help me reflect Your heart for the powerless, and make me bold in love, deep in mercy, and strong in faith. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Look honestly at your sphere of influence—your home, work, community, or church. Where can you stand up for the powerless? Ask God to show you, then take one courageous step in His name.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Stand Straight with God

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7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.” 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying: “ ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’ ” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.” 14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ (Amos 7:7-15 NIV)

In the city of Harlingen, Texas, there is an all-boys boarding school named The Marine Military Academy. It is for boys in 7-12th grade and has been serving the community since 1965 as the only private school in the world based on the traditions and values of the U.S. Marine Corps and MMA has been home to thousands of young men from across the world and is home to the historic Iwo Jima Monument. A dear friend and member of First Methodist Church was the president of the school during my years as pastor of that church. One thing, of many, that I deeply admired of Col. Glenn Hill was his posture. It did not matter the setting, all the folks in the room would be in different postures, but Col. Hill was the Marine in the room. And in the community, when the young men of that school in stores or dining establishments, were always seated in straight postures. One time we were dining at a fancy restaurant and there was a family near us, and at the head of the table was a MMA student, whose posture and commanding presence was very evident. Thinking about plumb lines, I couldn't help but think of the way all associated with the MMA did not need a plumb line to sit and walk straight. For those who might not know, a plumb line is a tool used to measure vertical alignment—it ensures that what is being built stands straight and true. And now, God is using it to measure His people.

God is not interested in appearances; He cares about integrity. The plumb line represents His standard of justice, righteousness, and faithfulness. Israel had strayed far from that line—neglecting the poor, twisting justice, and turning their backs on His covenant. God’s message through Amos is clear: what is out of alignment must be corrected.

But here’s what makes this passage so powerful. Amos was not a prophet by profession. He wasn’t trained, nor was he from a priestly family. He says plainly, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” (vv. 14–15)

Amos didn’t volunteer for the spotlight. But when God called, he said yes. And in saying yes, he became a voice for truth in a time of complacency and corruption.

Maybe you don’t see yourself as a “prophet” either. Maybe you feel unqualified or unseen. But God often calls the ordinary to speak into the extraordinary. He places people where they are needed—not because they are perfect, but because they are willing.

PRAYER: God of justice and truth, thank You for calling people like Amos—people like us—to stand with courage and speak with grace. Help me to align my life with Your Word, to listen when You call, and to respond with faith no matter where You send me. May I stand with integrity, speak with love, and live as one who belongs to You. in Christ Jesus' strong name we pray, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask God to reveal where your life may be out of alignment with His truth, and listen for where He may be calling you to speak up or stand firm—even in small, quiet ways.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Walking With The Lord

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1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:1-14 NRSV)

A blessed and gracious Tuesday to you dear Friend is my prayer for you. May you know how close God really is to you, how He loves and listens to you, and provides that which you need at all times.

The past few days have saddened us and made us aware of how unfair and how short life can be for some; death came quickly in the lives of the little ones lost in the flood waters of the recent rains in the Hill Country. Our hearts ache for those parents who not too long ago dropped off their little ones to have great days in a summer camp only to now have to come to grips with the loss of life. The stories of some who have died have made it all the more painful, including one who was considered a little preacher for her love and knowledge of the psalms and the Bible in general. Many could call on her to pray and recite psalms and she would. Many thought her future would involve ministry. She did provide ministry in the few years of life that she enjoyed. Unfair and hard to explain why she had to die. The list is quite long of others who were special and loving and caring, now gone. What I shared on Sunday I have kept in my heart and mind since I first read the story I shared in worship: The Reverend William Sloan Coffin was the pastor a Riverside Church in New York City when his son Alexander died by drowning after driving his car into the waters in Boston. A well-meaning lady said to Rev.Coffin that she did not understand the will of God. Angrily he replied,"‘I’ll say you don’t, lady!’ I said. > For some reason, nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent people to get it through their heads that God doesn’t go around this world with his fingers on triggers, his fists around knives, his hands on steering wheels. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths.” God is a receiver of souls, not a "gardener who needs another flower for His garden, so He takes a life. Where was God? God was there, and His was the first heart to break."

Paul addresses the comfort and hope we have in Heaven. This passage speaks of the growing hope that comes from those who accept the truth as found in the gospel and they are able to live a life worthy of the peace.

Paul then shares his prayer for the believers: “That you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”. His desire is not only that they know God’s will intellectually, but that they live it out—“so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him”. This kind of life is marked by good works, spiritual growth, endurance, patience, and joyful thanksgiving.

It’s a high calling, but not one we carry alone. Paul reminds us that God “has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son”. Our strength to walk worthy comes not from striving but from the work of Christ, who redeems and forgives us.

In a world that often pulls us in different directions, Paul centers us again in the grace of God. We do not live to earn His love—we live because we have received it. And in receiving it, we grow. We bear fruit. We endure. And we give thanks.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for the hope laid up for us in heaven, for the gift of faith, and for the love You pour into our lives. Fill us with the knowledge of Your will, and help us walk in a way that honors You. May our lives bear fruit, grow in understanding, and be rooted in joyful gratitude for all You have done through Christ. May Your comfort surround those affected by the flooding in the Hill Country; bless the grieving parents and families and bless them with the peace that only You can. This we pray in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask God today to fill you with spiritual wisdom, and choose one way to walk “worthy of the Lord” through a small act of love, patience, or gratitude.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Healing in Humility (The Unnamed Girl)

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1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me." 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:1-14 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday Friend! May God's blessing be upon you in marvelous ways; and may people marvel at the ways you will share those withj them.

The star of this story is, of course, God; and right behind him is an unnamed little girl of faith. I learned that on a Wednesday night in a midweek worship/Bible study led on that night by a distant relative of my bride, it was the late Mrs. Clotilde Nañez, wife of The Rev. Dr. Alfredo Nañez, a long-time leader of the Rio Grande Conference, both of whom retired to Edinburg. She did a study on this passage and shared how this little girl, who leads to the healing of a commander of a foreign army, named Naaman. Naaman was all that and a bag of chips being in high favor with the king of Aram whose leadership gave many victories blessed the kingdom of Aram. His outward success could not protect him from inner need. Now this little girl was a prisoner of war, a captive of this commander, taken against her will from her native Israel. It was she who told Naaman's wife that if her husband would travel to Samaria there the prophet would cure him of his disease. The commander goes to see the king just what the little girl shared with him and the king agrees that he should indeed travel to Israel, adding that he would send a letter to the king of Israel, and quite the treasure of money and garments for the king and prophet. Now, keep in mind that this is an enemy of Israel so any letter or visit by Naaman would be very suspicious. And the Israeli king's response gives that away. The king misreads it and freaks out about what this could mean for his country because he says he is not God and healing is not in his job description.

The prophet hears of this, he sends a message to the king asking that the commander come to his house to "Learn there is a prophet in Israel." So Naaman makes the trip to Elisha's home, complete with all the chariots and horses and is greeted by a messenger of the prophet with instructions: "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean."

What’s striking in this story is how God begins to work through the unexpected: a captive servant girl who speaks of a prophet in Israel, a reluctant king, and a message that comes not through ceremony, but through simple instruction. Elisha, the prophet, doesn’t even come out to greet Naaman. Instead, he sends a messenger to say, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan” .

Naaman is insulted. He expected something dramatic—some act worthy of his stature. But healing would not come through spectacle. It would come through obedience and humility. When Naaman finally surrenders his pride and dips in the Jordan, “his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy”.

This story reminds us that God often works through what seems simple or even beneath us. Sometimes, healing and transformation begin when we’re willing to humble ourselves, lay down our expectations, and trust God’s ways over our own. His power is not limited by our understanding—it is released in our obedience.

PRAYER: Merciful God, thank You for seeing past our pride and reaching us with Your healing grace. Help us to trust You even when Your ways are not what we expect. Teach us humility, and give us a heart that listens, obeys, and responds in faith. Wash us anew in Your mercy, and make us whole. This we pray in Jesus' strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time today to release any pride or resistance in your heart. Trust God’s instructions—even the simple ones—and let humility open the door to healing.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

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Bear With One Another

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1 My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads. 6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. 7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:1-16 NRSV)

Loving God of mercy and peace, bestow on us Your grace that we might become those who bless others. Forgive us our sins and embolden us for Thy service; in Jesus we pray, amen. This has been quite the year for transgressions of a pastoral nature. It seemed that every other week a pastor in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex was found guilty of something or other and they stepped down. To be fair this has been going on since day one, but it's still something that we should address. Paul is addressing it in the first verses of this passage. His recommendation is to help the transgressors be restored with a spirit of gentleness. That one sentence screams Jesus' presence and power because far too many of us usually scream, "Crucify him/her!" Those of us who have been shaped by the world will have worldly responses; the ones shaped by Christ will have Christian responses. And logically, Paul follows it with the wise warning, "Take care that you yourselves are not tempted." Amen. Jesus said that it's easy for us to point out the speck in our brother's eye but ignore the plank in ours. This is the same thing.

Paul’s words in Galatians 6 remind us that life in the Spirit is not a solitary journey. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (v. 2). In a world where independence is praised, Scripture calls us into mutual care—a community marked not by competition, but by compassion.

Paul warns against self-deception and pride. We’re each called to examine our own lives honestly (v. 4), to carry our own responsibilities (v. 5), but also to help lift others when they fall. Restoration, not judgment, should guide our response when someone is caught in wrongdoing (v. 1), always with gentleness.

The principle of sowing and reaping runs through the heart of this passage: “You reap whatever you sow” (v. 7). To sow to the Spirit means investing in what leads to life—acts of kindness, generosity, love, and truth. Paul encourages us not to grow weary in doing good, “for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up” (v. 9). Faithfulness today plants seeds for a fruitful tomorrow.

The letter ends with a strong affirmation: it’s not outward marks or appearances that define us, but the “new creation” (v. 15). In Christ, we are made new—and from that place of grace, we are called to live with humility, integrity, and love.

PRAYER: God of grace and truth, thank You for the new life You’ve given me in Christ. Help me to sow to the Spirit in all I do, to bear the burdens of others with compassion, and to live with integrity. Keep me from growing weary in doing good, and remind me that the harvest You promise is worth every faithful step. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, look for someone whose burden you can help carry—and sow seeds of kindness that reflect the love of the new creation within you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Purpose and Power

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View devo: https://bit.ly/4l7eNGE

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 NIV)

If you are a baptized and confirmed member of a church, guess what? You have God's permission and power to go forth and do the work of Jesus! I know this excites you. Okay, I know it doesn't, but think about it after hearing what Jesus did. Two thousand years ago, Jesus felt the pressure and urgency to save the world by starting with twelve men. I should add common men. No professor among them. No medically trained personnel among them. No theologically prepared and licensed or certified person among them. And not a rich man among them. We're talking fishermen, a tax collector, a religious zealot (I don't know how much that pays!), a tradesman or two, a treasurer and traitor, and two unknown backgrounds. And then, Jesus adds to that number an additional seventy-two "others," and sends them! Two by two ahead of Him and the Twelve into every town and place where He was about to go. Why? "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." So, Jesus sends workers, meaning those self-starters made bold by the Spirit to do the work needed to be done. We used to sing in Spanish a corito or chorus that says, "Only the power of God can transform your life; the proof I offer you is that God changed me." Trust me it sounds better sung in español. And I'd be the first to raise my hand if asked, "Who here is the least qualified but God's transformation allowed you to go and do what God asked?" Meeeee!! I tried getting out of it, folks. I knew I was shy and I was told I was boring, but I was willing. Ready? Not so much, but God send me, as Isaiah said, when I realized God would not let me go. And I used every excuse I could think of; God would not have it. Would I have laughed if the girl who told me I was boring would also say one day I would preach to a stadium-filled crowd? Yes. Or, that I would be asked to preach at a university (twice?) which led to an event that over two weekends allowed me to preach to 13,000 youth? Again, yes, and friends I brag not on myself, but the God who can take all of us and use us all to reach the world! How humbling but exciting have been the words of gratitude on many a death bed of those who have come to faith and assurance through Jesus and His ministry in our churches. The harvest is truly plentiful and we are just the laborers that Jesus talked about!

The mission of the Seventy Two gives away key points for our deployment. The harvest field is ready, but it won't all be easy pickings! We go, as Jesus said, "like lambs among wolves." Jesus gave us the example that even among people being healed, made whole, made to walk and see, and even raised from the dead, the cries were for it to stop and to stop the man who was doing it. To me, it makes no sense! The urgency to get to the harvest is such that Jesus said for them (and us) not not worry about taking a purse (wallet), bag or sandals and even lolly-gagging to greet others on the road.. As we get to a home, and I would remind us that Wesley asked, and we were asked at our ordination, if we would visit from house to house; rare is the pastor who takes that seriously. Could we learn from the Jehovah's Witnesses or LDS (Mormons) who do take very seriously the calling on all houses? I have to ask how many people do open their doors when the doorbell rings or someone knocks? Gone are the days when the afternoons found most families in their front yards! We've gone from being porch people to deck people in the back yard behind high wooden privacy fences. Can we blame the invention of the air conditioner? Back to the home that does welcome you, Jesus says, first say a blessing of peace upon the house; if the residents there promote peace that greeting of peace will truly stay with them; it not, the blessing returns to you. If their hospitality is extended for a long stay, enjoy whatever they offer in the way of food and drinks. If you enter a town and they offer you food, eat the food offered. Then the ministry of healing; pray for the sick and share with them the message Jesus and John the Baptist offered as their first sermons, "The Kingdom of God has come near to you." If you are ever not welcomed, in public view declare, "Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you and again, the sermon of Jesus and John regarding the Kingdom. Jesus said that whoever listens to us is listening to God; those who reject us are really rejecting Jesus.

The Seventy-Two returned with great joy and reported victory, claiming victory over the demons who submitted to the name of Jesus, to which Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven," meaning a great defeat of the Enemy. Jesus also reminds them that they had received from Him the authority and power to trample on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the enemy; "Nothing will harm you." Yet, His greatest statement was that they/we should not rejoice that we have power over the spirits submitting to us, but our joy should be that our names are written in Heaven.

This passage reminds us that we are also sent—not necessarily to distant places, but into our neighborhoods, workplaces, and families. We are sent with purpose: to bring peace, to care for others, and to proclaim the nearness of God. And like the seventy-two, our confidence lies not in what we have, but in the One who has written our names in heaven. I can think of no greater comfort than knowing God has written our names in the book of life meaniung that we bleong to Him not only now, but forever!

PRAYER: Gracious Lord, thank You for calling and sending me, not because of who I am, but because of who You are. Help me to walk in obedience, not fearing rejection or relying on my own strength. Let me be a bearer of peace and a witness to Your kingdom. And in all things, may my joy be rooted in knowing that I belong to You. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Go into your day with purpose. Wherever you are sent, speak peace, show love, and remember—you carry the presence of the Kingdom with you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

http://paypal.me/eradiovalverde

God in the Dark with Us

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View devo: https://bit.ly/4nlBNmz

1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted. 11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” 13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. 16 The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. 17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. 19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 NiV)

Happy Thursday of the tremendous kind, dear Friend! May this be a day someone remembers forever because you reached out in love and caring and you made a positive difference in their life. Go and do so!

There have been those moments for many of us when it seemed like our prayers were not getting through; parents praying for their child who was losing a battle to cancer; spouses praying for their spouse to get sober; employees getting fired on a whim by a bad employer, and oh the list goes on so long. Our prayers are like shouting into the wind -- sorrows clings tightly and sleep won't come. Such leads the psalmist to sit down and write these words. He has been in a spot of anguish and he knows to reach for God even though it seems like God is not listening, but still he reaches. This is a powerful portrait of honest faith: not pretending to feel better, but choosing to seek God anyway.

We see a turn in his attitude as verses 11–20 begin. Not because the pain has vanished, but because the psalmist remembers. He remembers God’s mighty deeds, His wonders of old, His power over the sea, and His faithful leading of His people through Moses and Aaron. The turning point is not the change in circumstance—but the choice to reflect on who God has been. In the same way we should turn to the mighty acts of God in our lives when though still painful, God was with us and helped us move forward.

When our present feels unbearable, memory can become a lifeline. Remembering God’s past faithfulness can renew hope in the present. The same God who made a path through the sea is with us still—though, as the psalm says, “Your footprints were unseen” (v. 19). Even when we cannot see Him, He leads. This is a marvelous byproduct of a strong faith. Though outwardly it may seem like darkness has enshrouded us, but the light is still within the presence of God when we invite Him in. If you fast forward to Romans 8, we will see the Apostle Paul went through the same thing, but he realized that our prayers continue even when words can't seem to come forth, but our sighs, our moans, our cries; these are turned into prayers by the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Advocate. Thanks be to God.

PRAYER: Faithful God, when we are overwhelmed and our hearts are heavy, help us remember who You are. Remind us of Your power, Your mercy, and Your past faithfulness. Lead us through the deep waters and into peace, even when Your footprints are hidden. Strengthen us to trust You in the dark. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time today to remember a moment when God came through for you. Write it down, give thanks, and let it anchor your hope as you walk through whatever waters lie ahead.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

You can support this ministry by making a donation to paypal.me/eradiovalverde

The Difficult Goodbye

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/44m2Khz

View devo here: https://bit.ly/4li3NGB

1 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” 4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. 5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. 7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” 11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. (2 Kings 2:1-12 NIV)

Good day dear Friend! Welcome Wednesday to your life and mission! May the Lord bless you and guide you in all that you will face and overcome with His grace and peace!

The Reverend José Galindo was my mentor and father in ministry. It was his faith and grace that helped a questioning seminarian intern realize that perhaps I could "make it" in ministry. I learned many wonderful things about ministry and about myself through his tutelage. His love and focus was on Jesus and His ministry. It was he who showed me that when working on a church budget we be honest and bold about the ministerial line item. Instead of salary he would put Ministry of Christ which helped remind the church that the person serving as pastor was also there representing Jesus. He also taught me the greatest lesson about preaching; that people hear better when they know you love them and care for them. Not all of them respond in kind, but because of them you preach even more loving and kinder. He helped introduce me to Nellie and he married us, and he was our oldest daughter's godfather; such was his impact on my life. He also knew how to put things into perspective and how to balance things; and all things he did blessed me.

I can only imagine the impact that Elijah had on Elisha. This passage says a lot about the younger one's devotion to the ministry of Elijah. We just studied that moment of fear and uncertainty that Elijah had on Mount Horeb and how he asked God to take him home, but it was not yet time. And after his moment of doubting, he anointed a new king and anointed Elisha as his successor and it is believed he spent about 6-10 years under his supervision. I spent an academic year with Rev. Galindo, but stayed close to him during my early ministry both personally and geographically. Rev. Galindo asked me to bury him whenever he died, a sad thing that I was out ot state doing a wedding when Rev. Galindo died and could not get home in time to do his funeral, a sorrow I still carry to this day. Elisha had a special blessing, albeit a tough one, in being by the side of the old prophet when it came time for Elijah to return home. The goodbye was difficult for Elisha for Elijah wanted, I believe, some time to himself, but the younger prophet would not have it. "Stay here.." "No way!" And what makes it more interesting and a bit humorous is that Elisha kept getting reminded by several of the impending departure. "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?" Yes and shut up! The older prophet kept saying just stay here, and Elisha would say, "Ain't no way!" Another group again asks, You know your losing your master today, don't you? Yes, shut up!

More travel and a miracle of crossing the Jordan River with Elijah's cloak serving to divide the water. And that famous exchange where the older asks the younger, "What would you have me do for you before I go?" And the ever famous, "Give me a double portion of your spirit." Elisha was well aware of the power of the Spirit at work in Elijah's ministry; he had heard the stories both from the old man himself and from those who were witnesses; yes, give me double what he has! God honors those who follow Him with steadfast hearts. Like Elisha, we may not always know what lies ahead, but when we stay close, remain faithful, and ask boldly, God equips us for the next chapter. The mantle of purpose may fall at our feet when we least expect it—but only those who are watching, waiting, and walking in step with God will recognize it and pick it up.

PRAYER: Lord God, give us hearts like Elisha—steadfast, courageous, and hungry for more of You. Help us to remain faithful when the journey is hard and the future uncertain. Teach us to stay close to You and to the people You’ve placed in our lives to guide us. When the time comes, give us the strength to pick up the mantle and walk boldly in Your calling. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Stay close to God today and be ready. Watch with expectation and follow with faith—He may be preparing you for something greater than you imagined.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Thirsty for God

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4e5KRHY

View devo: https://bit.ly/3I3sYh1

1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. 8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?" 10 As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?" 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (Psalm 42 NRSV)

This is a psalm that has always drawn me in; the image of a thirsty deer longing for water just hit me as a wow, God understands and God relates to us! And more so as we have been blessed with rain lately but we are still very much in drought conditions in our state, driven home as we traveled this weekend home through a longer route from Mission to Laredo and up to San Antonio and home. The once majestic and always wonderful Falcon Lake is gone! The lake is more a garden and grave of trees, and we live close to the Guadalupe River and that is unusually low and recent rain has made it a muddy mess. You might be in a spiritual drought my friend, and thank God you're in the right place studying the right passage! I pray this bring your the quenching you need in your soul. We are reading the actual words of David, who, being human, experienced both mountain top and valley experiences; moments when he sensed God "right there," and others when he asked, "Where are. you, God?" So, one day God led him to sit down and write down these very honest and searching words. He confesses that he is thirsty; going through a spiritual drought, and confesses that he as been crying such is his pain. He remembers the days when he was part of a happy throng processing to the House of the Lord, shouting and singing praises to God; now he is alienated from God, and he is asking the question, "Why have your forgotten me?"

And yet, this psalm is not one of hopelessness. It’s a cry of longing—a deep, soul-thirst for the living God.

The image of the deer searching for water is tender and telling. The deer doesn’t just want water; it needs it to survive. Likewise, the psalmist doesn’t merely want a religious experience—he needs God’s presence to live. This isn’t a casual devotion; it’s a desperate one.

In the middle of sorrow, the psalmist talks to himself: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God..." (v. 5) This is faith in real life. He doesn’t deny his pain. He doesn’t pretend things are fine. He acknowledges the hurt and still dares to hope. Twice he repeats this refrain—a reminder that feelings are real, but they are not the final word.

God hasn’t changed. Even in exile, even in silence, He is still the God of steadfast love (v. 8), still the Rock, still worthy of our trust.

Psalm 42 gives us permission to be honest about our spiritual thirst—and it also gently turns our face toward the One who alone can quench it.

PRAYER: God of mercy, we come to You thirsty, weary, and longing. Meet us in our dry seasons with the refreshment only You can give. Teach us to hope in You even when we feel far away. Help us remember who You are—faithful, near, and full of love. Satisfy our souls with Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: If your soul feels dry, don't hide it -- bring it to God. Let your thirst lead you back to the Source.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Sometimes God Whispers

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4eiiPcv

View devo: https://bit.ly/4l9yJbl

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. 9 And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, (I Kings 19:1-15 NIV)

I've shared my horror stories of churches who a) wanted to place a Complaint Box on the altar table so church members could share their complaints against their pastor. b) Announce loudly during worship that if anyone had a complaint against their pastor to them. This passage would please these folks. Ahab was the president of the church council, and his wife Jezebel, was the chair of the pulpit committee. They had no love loss for their pastor, The Rev. Elijah Truthteller. Old Elijah did not put up with any stuff and even stood up against false prophets that the two chairpersons wanted to hire after they fired Rev. Elijah. They put their 400 pastors up against one, and they cried and yelled to their flase gods and Elijah calmly defeated them and after that showdown, unalived all 400. Yes, this was a brutal church! Jezebel did not hide her anger and threatens Elijah with death, and so the old man starts to run for his life, as would you and me! What follows next is pure human drama.

Elijah has reached the boiling point and confesses to God; "I have had enough , Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." And Elijah lays down and falls asleep; expecting God to take him in his sleep. But God had no such plans; an angel immediately awakens him and orders Elijah to get up and eat some of the hot bread that was fresh baked, and to drink from a jar of fresh water. Elijah eats and drank and went back to sleep again. A second time this is repeated with Elijah eating and drinking again. He then starts a 40-day journey which led him to Mount Horeb, where he goes into a cave and spends the night there. In the cave the Lord asks Elijah what he was doing there? Elijah reports he has been very zealous for God and God's people have revolted against God and against Elijah's ministry. They tore down the altars, rejected the covenant, put other prophets to death, and I'm the only one left and now, they're out to put me to death. God says and stand out on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. And then the great drama occurs: A great and powerful wind comes by, destroying the mountain, but God was not in the wind. Then an earthquake comes, again, the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a fire, God was not in the fire, but then a gentle whisper and God asks again of Elijah what he was doing where he stood. Elijah repeats his speech and God simply says for him to return the same way he had come.

God’s response to Elijah’s exhaustion was not a rebuke, but rest. He gave him food, allowed him sleep, and sent him on a journey—not to punish him, but to meet him.

And when God does meet him, it’s not in the windstorm, the earthquake, or the fire—all things that had previously represented God's power. This time, it’s in a gentle whisper, or as the text says, “a sound of sheer silence.”

The presence of God met Elijah not in spectacle, but in stillness.

Sometimes, we look for God in the loud, the grand, or the dramatic. But God often meets us most powerfully in the quiet—through solitude, rest, or a soft word spoken in prayer. He listens when we cry out. He speaks when we feel empty. And just like Elijah, He reminds us that we are not alone.

God doesn’t just restore Elijah; He re-commissions him. There is still work to do, and God still trusts him to do it.

PRAYER: Lord, You are not only the God of fire and thunder, but also the God of silence and stillness. Thank You for meeting us in our weariness and reminding us that we are not alone. Speak to us in the quiet moments, restore our hearts, and help us trust Your voice even when it whispers. Strengthen us to rise again and walk in the calling You have given us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Make time for silence today—God may be closer than the noise is letting you hear.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Clothed with Christ

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4l8cYsv

View devo: https://bit.ly/4lddeqg

23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:23-29 NIV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! I pray your day is going favorably and that you are influencing your world in a favorable manner. Smile more! Laugh often! Pray without ceasing. Love without wincing.. And as we pray, pray for this old man as I prepare to preach in First Methodist Gonzales, Texas the first Sunday of July. May the Lord give me the Word for that day!

For those of you who now consider yourself fully adult, do you remember the day when you realized, "Gulp. This is it. I'm the adult now. I'm on my own; win or lose, gain or fail, it's on me now."? Paul the Apostle is saying the same thing in the opening part of this passage; we're no longer under the guardianship of the law; we live in Christ Jesus now, and He has justified us by faith. No longer are we looking in; we're in! I've shared how in seminary they showed up an old 16mm film that had to be thread just right into the old projector and it showed a black and white movie of a small boy who had been orphaned in a fire, and not only having lost his family, he lost most of his looks in the flames of the fire, and now he has been accepted into a new family, the family that the orphanage will become to him as the priest opened the door and urged the other kids to welcome him, which they do with wide grins and much hugging. Justified by grace. Nothing required, just his willingness to become a part of this new family. Paul knows all about this for he was adopted, just as he was and had been, and made new as the newest member of this family called the Body of Christ. At his baptism, Paul put on Christ, as did we, as our outer covering was Christ Jesus.

This passage is a radical declaration of unity and identity. We are no longer defined by who we were or what we’ve done. We are defined by who we belong to. Through baptism, we have been “clothed with Christ,” wrapped in His righteousness, covered in His grace. Like a new garment, Christ becomes the way we present ourselves to the world—not in pride, but in freedom, love, and belonging.

Paul’s words dismantle hierarchy and elevate our shared identity: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is not a denial of our uniqueness, but a celebration of our unity in Him. We belong to God’s family, and as heirs of the promise, we are called to live like it—with humility, justice, and grace toward all.

In a world that still builds walls, the gospel calls us to tear them down.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for making us Your children through faith. Thank You for clothing us in Christ, for covering us in His righteousness and calling us Your own. Help us live out this identity with confidence and compassion. Tear down any walls we’ve built in our hearts, and let us walk as one family, united in Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Live like one who’s clothed in Christ—let your life reflect His love, His grace, and His unity.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

From the Margins to the Mission Field

Image from newlifenarrabi.wordpress.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/43WxFk5

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26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me"— 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:26-39 NRSV Bible)

Happy and Holy Monday to you, dear Friend! May the grace and peace of the Lord fall upon you with a double portion of power to make you the greatest blessing someone will receive from you! Okay, confession time: I so wanted to name this devotional GO HOGS in honor of my hometown university's team, the Javelinas of Texas A&I (now A&M) where for years they had a sign that read: Jesus said, Go Hogs! Luke 8:33. It was funny and appropriate, don't you think? My childhood weekend ritual in Kingsville was Friday night, go see the Brahmas play in A&I Stadium. Saturday go see whatever movie (and it really didn't matter, usually!), then Saturday night back to A&I Stadium to see the Hogs play, and play they did! It seemed they never lost a game! And every time they scored a TD they fired a super loud cannon! BOOM! It was a nice and blessed childhood, thanks to God!

What wasn't nice was the life this poor soul lived. It happened one day, when he made a mistake in his spiritual life and let enter into him a legion of demons. No one, I would hope, sets out to invite demons into their life, but it happens. In the 1980s I was campus minister and Bible professor at Pan American University, no UT-RGV in Edinburg, Texas. In one of my clases, Intro to the New Testament, I assigned each student a short passage for them to write a simple reflective page on what that text means to them. In the class was a student who appeared to be troubled; many of his remarks were off-base and far from reality. On the day he was to present, I called on him and he snapped. "Why are you always picking on me!!?? You're picking on me because I am _______________ (his denomination), and I resent that!" And he packed up his things and stormed out and as he's leaving, his voice dropped and instead of English he started speaking in an unknown language and it sounded evil. He left the building yelling and the front metals doors which were very heavy, slammed shut and open with the force that he used to close the door. The class ended and as I'm going up the stairs two young ladies came in and they were crying. I asked what was wrong and one said, "A Bible professor cussed at us in some Bible language and scared us!" I said, "That was not a Bible professor, and that was not a Biblical language; just a troubled young man who is a student." I then went to my office and soon he was back in my office and still yelling and this time he said he was going to destroy me. He also said, "You think I'm demon possessed, but I'm not, you are, and your name is Legion!" He finally felt he had said enough and left. I perceived his destruction remark to be a threat and I called the Assistant Police Chief of Edinburg, who was from our church and a friend of mine. The chief asked if I had his SSN, of course, he was a student and he said he would call me back. He agreed his remarks were to be taken seriously. When he called back he asked, "Reverend, why is he a student at Pan Am? He has a rap sheet a mile long!" Gulp.

Demons serve one purpose, like their boss, to kill, steal and destroy as Jesus warned in John 10:10. Jesus, on the other hand, came to restore, heal, and make whole, which he does in this story. Jesus took this man from a living death among the dead, to a full life among the living. Demons are no match for Jesus' power. Jesus took the legion of demons living in that man and sent them, at their request, into the swine from the nearby hillside, and, yes, "Go hogs," but they decided to drown themselves as they rushed off the hillside into the lake. This entire event rocked the village and they were further rocked by the testimony of this new believer and now preacher of the Gospel! No better witness than to share what Jesus has done for you.

This once-bound man becomes the first missionary to the Gentile region. His testimony is simple but profound—look what Jesus did for me. He doesn’t need a seminary degree or a long resume. He just needs his story.

No one is too broken for Jesus. No place is too far gone. And no story is too simple to be used by God.

PRAYER: Jesus, You are the restorer of broken lives. Thank You for seeing us when others overlook us, for healing what we cannot fix, and for calling us to be witnesses of Your grace. Help us to share what You’ve done in our lives with courage and compassion. May our story lead others to Your saving love. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Don’t underestimate your testimony—someone needs to hear what Jesus has done for you. Tell it boldly.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Voice of Wisdom

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1 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice? 2 She's taken her stand at First and Main, at the busiest intersection. 3 Right in the city square where the traffic is thickest, she shouts, 4 "You - I'm talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets! 22 "God sovereignly made me - the first, the basic - before he did anything else. 23 I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start. 24 I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. 25 Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn; 26 Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, 27 And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, 28 built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, 29 When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said, no trespassing, And then staked out Earth's foundations, 30 I was right there with him, making sure everything fit. Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, 31 Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family. (Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 The Message Bible)

You and I may have heard Wisdom speak softly to us at key times in our lives. Your first date with your intended. The birth of your first child. Each graduation of your children; then of your grandchildren. The birth of your children, or nephews and nieces; their baptisms, their confirmations, their many graduations from Kindergarten up to university; their weddings, the birth of your grandchildren. All truly amazing things. And that, dear friends, is like seeing a molecule droplet of the wonder that Jesus experienced at the creation of all things. And if you think about the motivation of that creation, you will know it was love. The Father's Love was in the Son, and also in the Holy Spirit. All things that were created by God for us, and we for Him. The cycle is not complete until we all return back to the right relationship that God designed us for, and desires us for.

This is all part of the preparation we should do as we prepare for Trinity Sunday, so we look at King Solomon's book and find in there a prophetic word about Jesus, who is, as the graphic above says, "Wisdom Personified." Before Christ made His appearance on earth, ancient writers, such as Solomon, knew wisdom to be female and addressed it as such. As he writes, we begin to see the characteristics of Christ in the words of Solomon. What the ancients knew to be true, that of God and His Heavenly Court present at Creation, we now see the revelation that it was Jesus Himself present and active in the creative process, with God the Father at the beginning of all things.

In Proverbs 8, Wisdom isn’t just a helpful guide for ethical living. She is portrayed as eternal, present before creation, rejoicing with God in the formation of the world. Wisdom was there when the seas were given their boundaries and the mountains took shape. She was, in essence, the joyful heartbeat of creation’s design.

What does this mean for us today? It means that God's wisdom is woven into the fabric of everything —not just the cosmos but our own lives. When we feel uncertain, Wisdom stands near, calling us to walk in understanding and reverence. Her voice echoes through Scripture, through the Spirit, and through the lives of those who walk closely with God.

This passage is also profoundly relational. Wisdom "rejoices" in God’s presence and in the inhabited world. There is delight, not just design. This reminds us that God's wisdom is not cold or distant —it is joyful, dynamic, and deeply engaged with creation and with us.

PRAYER: God of all creation, we thank You for the gift of wisdom that has been with You since the beginning. Help us hear her voice in the noise of everyday life. Teach us to live with insight, humility, and joy. May we walk in paths that reflect Your design and bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Listen today for Wisdom’s voice—in Scripture, in nature, in wise counsel—and dare to follow her call toward the life God has beautifully designed for you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Begin in Peace...

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

I remind you that this letter from Paul to the believers is called The Gospel According to Paul," for in it he pretty much addresses the entire good news of Jesus Christ and is a serious theological treatise of all he learned while a Pharisee and then later what he learned at Jesus Seminary, meaning the three days he spend blind, fasting, and feasting on teachings of the Lord Himself. In this passage, he addresses our justification or the moment of our salvation or acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior; and he plainly says that our starting point is one, not of perfection, but of peace. Jesus accepts us just as we are when we surrender to Him and He immediately gives us peace. Peace is a great starting place for faith; that we are accepted, loved, and affirmed as His regardless of where and how we arrived at that starting point. Each additional step is guided by Him. We gain immediate access to grace and permission to share our hope in the glory of God that we have received through our salvation. And, we can also boast of our sufferings. We can be transparent about all we've been through, done, experienced, and then follow the progression that Paul shares as a systematic progression of character building and maturation. Our suffering produces endurance, that strength that comes as we endure the pain and suffering of whatever came our way. This endurance, or ability to continue forward brings us character, a clear definition of who we are and how we present ourselves as more Christ-like in our everyday dealings. That character or outward presentation of ourselves leads us to hope, which, Paul adds, does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been shared with us. Then Paul shares this truth: "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." He further adds, "Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die."

Paul shares further truth which serves us as hopeful and powerful, "But God proves His love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us;" and that our salvation came through Christ's blood and this salvation saves us from the coming wrath of God. We are now fully reconciled with God, thus no longer enemies; and through Christ's death we have been given life. We can also boast in God because of Jesus, who has given us reconciliation.

God’s love comes to us while we are still weak, still sinners, and even while we are enemies. That’s the radical center of the Gospel: God moves first. Christ died not for the cleaned-up versions of ourselves, but for us as we truly are. That is grace.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for loving us before we even turned toward You. Thank You for the peace we have through Christ, for hope that endures suffering, and for Your Spirit who pours love into our lives. Teach us to live not from fear or guilt, but from grace. Help us be people who carry peace and hope into a hurting world. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let grace define your worth. Let suffering shape your hope. Let God's poured-out love spill over into the lives of those around you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Trinity Sunday

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12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 10:12-15 NIV)

Happy Monday, Friend! May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus be with you and yours is my prayer. I pray you have a restful weekend and are ready for the week. May you live a life that becomes a blessing to others. May others see the risen Christ in you and me!

In an ancient movie Heaven Help Us, about boys and girls in a Catholic school, one troublemaking student is asked to explain the Holy Trinity by a very strict teacher/priest, who uses the ruler quite liberally. The student did not expect to be put on the spot responds, "The Trinity is, has been, and will always be a mystery." The priest is not happy and uses the ruler to show his displeasure.

On Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the deep mystery and beauty of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit —not three gods, but one God in three persons. It’s a doctrine that can challenge our intellect but also deeply nurture our hearts.

In this passage, Jesus prepares His disciples—and us—for life after His earthly ministry. He doesn’t leave them alone or uninformed. Instead, He promises the Spirit of truth, who will guide them into all truth. Not a truth invented, but truth given—truth from the Father, through the Son, delivered by the Spirit.

Think of a relay race. The baton of divine truth is passed securely from the Father to the Son to the Spirit, and ultimately to us. The unity among the Trinity ensures that what we receive is consistent, trustworthy, and filled with grace. The Spirit doesn’t bring a new message but helps us understand and live the message Jesus already gave.

This is good news. You are not expected to figure out faith on your own. God is with you—in every moment, in every question, in every act of obedience or doubt. The Spirit gently illuminates the way, guiding you into deeper understanding and love.

PRAYER: Holy God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—thank You for the mystery and gift of Your unity and love. Thank You that we are not alone, but that the Spirit guides us, glorifying Jesus and revealing Your heart. Teach us to listen, to follow, and to trust. Lead us in truth, that our lives might reflect Your glory and love in a confused world. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let the Spirit guide your heart and mind today. Listen closely. Walk boldly. Trust that the God who speaks through the Trinity is still speaking to you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

When God Breathes Again

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24 How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. 26 There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. 27 All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works— 32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. 35 But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, my soul. (Psalm 104:24-34, 35b NIV)

Remember trying to hold your breath longer than your sister and/or brothers? We didn't know what the point was of such a challenge, but it was fun until you reached the point where an intake of air might be a great idea! Then the challenge moved to the pool; and funny how instead of enjoying water in a pool for swimming we felt the need to hold our breath under the water. And guess how it ends? Yes, again, taking an intake of air is what we needed to stay alive. The interesting thing about breath is the role is plays throughout the Bible. When God made the man God breathed into his hostrils the breath of life, and when it concerns the Holy Spirit, it's about breath. In the Upper Room when Jesus first visited the disciples after His resurrection, He breahted on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." And on the Day of Pentecost, the rush of wind was how He arrived. Yet, it's different in this Psalm. The writer invites us to have a view of a quieter, yet equally powerful arrival of the Holy Spirit. Here, He's not only the force that empowers speech but the very breath of creation, the renewing life of the world.

The psalmist stands in awe of a world teeming with life: mountains, trees, birds, lions, and Leviathan—each sustained by God’s hand. Beneath the poetic language is a foundational truth: God’s Spirit animates everything. When He sends His breath, life begins again.

This is Pentecost through the lens of creation. It is not only about a sudden spiritual event in Jerusalem, but about God’s ongoing act of renewal. Just as creation bursts into being through the Spirit, so the Church is born and continually renewed by that same Spirit.

And here’s the beauty: what God breathes into the world, He also breathes into us.

Have you ever stood in nature and simply breathed deeply? That peace, that awe—that’s not just a feeling. It’s a reminder of the presence of the Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis and filled the house in Acts 2.

Psalm 104 is a hymn of holy wonder. It reminds us that Pentecost is not a one-time celebration—it’s the rhythm of God bringing dead places back to life. We’re invited to not only witness it but to join in: to be signs of renewal, healing, and joy in a weary world.

PRAYER: Creator God, your Spirit gives life to all things. Breathe into us again this Pentecost. Where we are tired, renew us. Where we are scattered, gather us. Where we are dry, pour out your Spirit. May your glory endure forever, and may we sing your praise all our days. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Pentecost, step outside. Breathe deeply. Notice creation. Then ask: where can I be part of God’s renewing Spirit today? Let that breath move you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.