THE BACKPACK OF GUILT

Loving God, let this dear reader be blessed with freedom to serve and be blessed by You today. In Christ's Name, amen.

What would have driven a writer to compose these words: "My guilt overwhelms me; it is a burden to heavy to bear?" The writer is King David himself in Psalm 38:4. This is the basis for the second, heavy backpack we carry around, the backpack of guilt. We have all done, said, or even thought, things we shouldn't and the burden of having done so weighs us down heavily. It may be evident in our walk, we seem to be looking for money on the sidewalk instead of enjoying what God so freely offers in His creation. We ask forgiveness from God, God offers it, and we don't quite receive it, choosing instead to wallow in our guilt.

Paul lived a life where murder had been involved. As far as he was concerned it was justified; to arrest and bring Christians to trial was a good and just thing. After his Damascus encounter with Jesus, that all changed. Paul had a "near-life" experience and lived his life in that way, writing later, "Everyone who believes in Him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God." (Acts 13:39). It is a declaration that still holds today. If you believe in all that Jesus did, especially taking our place on the cross and dying for us, our sins are forgiven, if we ask, and our guilt is removed!

Friend, that weight you carry around by a sin that has already been forgiven, has to come off right now. Your life cannot enjoy the riches that God offers if we stumble or fall under the weight of guilt. Confess your sins to the Lord, ask Him for forgiveness, and ask Him to remove the backpack of guilt from your life.

PRAYER: Loving God, you know my sins and I lay them before you as that which needs to be cleansed from my life. I confess that I am a sinner, and I ask, that with Your help, I may repent of my sins. Please remove the weight of guilt from my life and let me live life as Your Son taught us, that we might not only have life, but that in the fullest. I ask this in His precious Name, Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

THE BACKPACK OF DOUBT

Gracious Lord, strengthen and bless this dear reader in all that may before her or him today. In Jesus' Name, amen.

From Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message version of the Bible we find these words, ""Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." You might remember the original (for us)King James: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. "

I shared yesterday about the weight of my daughters' backpacks. They knew school was fast approaching when we would go in mid-August to buy them all new backpacks. We knew to get strong, sturdy packs that could carry the weight of the books, notebooks, pencils, pens, calculators, etc. The first few days of school for most were light days, but after about a week or two, the weight of each backpack was almost impossible for such tiny girls to carry, but they would. I would often pick them up at school and offer to carry their backpack and almost regreted doing so at the heavy burden they were.

Our just concluded sermon series on forgiveness centers on these very things. We carry needless burdens. Yesterday I preached on how there are in most of us, at least five unneeded backpacks that we carry. The first one is the backpack that carries Doubt. Can you find the verse that says God created us to be constantly in doubt? Is there a hymn or praise song that praises doubt? It's not in this hymnal, perhaps the new hymnal in 2012 might have one, but I pray not. But I can think of one that speaks right to the heart of our doubt; it's called "Blessed Assurance." The words reflect the belief we have that God desires to replace your doubt with security. Being safe and secure in the arms of God keep us from wandering down the path of doubt and insecurity. Reread the above passages and see if that's not exactly what Jesus desire to do. Write down the doubts in your heart and then turn it over to Him. See if He won't replace your doubt with security immediately.

PRAYER: Lord, your Spirit moved one to long ago write exactly where I find myself at times, "weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care" and I realize it is too much for one person to carry, especially when I realize I don't have to carry it at all. So, again with the word of the hymn writer I say, "Precious Savior, still our refuge," as I take it to the Lord in prayer, remove my burden of doubt and help me believe and be secure in my beliefs. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

BEING HONEST AND COMPASSIONATE

Lord of life, shine Your light upon this dear reader on this day. Bless and strengthen his/her path. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Jesus said, "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:32).

The last of the HEART principles for leadership is "Tell me the truth with compassion." In our dealings with folks, we should seek to be truthful and compassionate. Our prayers should be that God would give us the right words at the right time. How often you and I have been told bluntly things that we know are true, but done so in such a way we found no compassion. The principle for today says that in our dealings we should deal honestly with one another and not hide that which is true and relevant. And all should be done with that component of love that is so important, compassion. To have compassion means we share with the other person a passion for life and seek to share in all things especially that which means that we sometimes suffer together. To have compassion means we have thought about how the truth will affect the other person and we seek to share that with them in a way that blesses the both of us.

The other day someone posed a difficult question: "Have you ever worked with someone with B.O.?" For those who do not know what those initials stand for, they represent "body odor." The answer is, sadly, yes. "How did you deal with it?" Distance, I replied. They laughed. I knew it was not the answer they were looking for, but to be honest I still do not have an answer. I have to admit I am not one to tell someone that truth, compassion or not. In our family relationships we rarely hesitate to share honesty, but again, are we praying about how to face that day with truth and compassion? In our work relationships the same question applies. I never thought that my being honest with my coworker about using deodorant or some sort of body spray would be the compassionate thing to share. The thing we did say to one another in that conversation was, "Well, if ever I do come to work smelly, please tell me!"

In matters of life and church business, being truthful is the standard. And to be truthful and compassionate requires our trusting God's Holy Spirit to be present and to be guiding us to share that which builds up the Body of Christ.

PRAYER: Loving God of all answers, speak to my heart today with truth about me. And if I find myself in a situation where I have to speak the truth with someone, first let me feel and know how the truth will affect that person and give me the words I need so that in all dealings we may be honest and compassionate. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

WHAT'S BEHIND MY INTENTIONS?

Dear God, whatever this dear reader may face today, be there with her or him with strength and peace. In Jesus' Name, amen.

The Psalmist said about his intentions, "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. (Psalm 42:1). Leading with HEART says that we should "Remember to look for my loving intentions." In all, as we seek for the greatness within, we should also look for the other person's loving intentions. What's behind what s/he is saying to us? Can you find the love that may be motivating this person to say or ask for what they're bringing to us? Again, not all people will be motivated by love of God, but still we patiently have to seek what it is they do love. And this would be a great time to seek our own motives and love behind what we say. Is it love of God that motivates us? Is it the love for others? Or is it the love of comfort, tradition, territory, or habit that is behind what we are saying or asking?

In Acts, chapter 15 we encounter a meeting between Christians of differing opinion. Some believed one could not be a Christian in those days, unless one was circumcised (v. 1) and this caused "no small dissension" between Paul and Barnabas against those making that claim. What was the loving intention behind each side? The side calling for circumcision was calling for a holding on to Jewish ways. They believed one must be a Jew first, then a Christian. Paul and Barnabas believed differently. It was Peter who speaks up and makes the point of the moving of the Holy Spirit among them, "and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us." (v. 9). Can we ask for the Holy Spirit to move among us?

So far, we've covered, "Hearing and understanding others." We learned, "Even if you disagree, please don't make me wrong." As we interact, "Acknowledge the greatness within me." And today's "Remember to look for my loving intentions. A checklist for cooperation and partnership in all endeavors, but especially ministry.

PRAYER: Loving God of all, let the Holy Spirit move within me today and each day, that I may truly be a person who loves and seeks You. May I also be open to seeking the loving intentions of others, especially those who may disagree with me. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

WONDERFULLY MADE BY GOD!

God of the fullness of life, may it be a day in which this dear reader enjoys Your presence and calm. In Jesus' Name, amen.

How's this for a great way to start the day? "For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:13-14).

"Acknowledge the greatness within me," is the third HEART Principle. We must recognize first that each one of us is made just as the Psalmist described. God formed us, knit us together, "fearfully and wonderfully made." We must claim that for ourselves. Have you ever stopped to try and see that "label" on someone else? She or he has the same label as you, "Wonderfully made by God." That's only the starting point! If we look closer, we'll see the greatness within that person. We will see God didn't stop just with the design and production of the structure, God worked deep within with the spirit and the heart of each. There is a greatness within person. Yes, some easily bring it out; others you got to look long and hard to see if you can see it, but it's there.

PRAYER: Loving God, I thank you for having fearfully and wonderfully made me. Help me to see it in others. Let me be my best today and all days that the goodness and love that You've placed within me, is visible to all. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

DISAGREEING IN LOVE? IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Loving God of comfort and peace, share those rich gifts with this dear reader for You alone know what they need. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

We find this in the book of Acts, "The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. Paul took Silas." (Acts 15:39) The entire 15th chapter of Acts deals with "so small disenssion" among believers; and hard as it may seem to the outside world, churches, better said, members sometimes have disagreements among themselves. So, is it strange to imagine that a program would emerge to help in those times? "Even if you disagree, please don't make me wrong." This is the second of the HEART principles. If we truly love one another, as Jesus commanded us to, even if we disagree, we cannot dismiss the other person or label them "wrong." It takes a lot of love as many of us have discovered in close relationships, but it can be done. If we truly "hear and understand," then we will be more likely to hear the points behind the other person's opposing view.

To be a disciple is to be called to live a life different from the world's view. Ours should be the way of love, the way of fullness of life, the way that leads to eternal life. Jesus said this way would be a "narrow way" and not all would walk it. Even in our churches there may be those who are not yet on that path, but we cannot shove them off. We must love them back on to the way we know to be Christ's.

PRAYER: Loving God, show me today how to better follow You. Help me to listen and understand others and how to disagree in a loving way. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING, THE START OF HEART

God of mercy and peace, send Your rich blessings of both upon this dear reader. In Jesus' Name, amen.

I was richly blessed during this entire weekend. On Friday night and all day Saturday, Nellie and I participated at the Pastors Beach Retreat for the McAllen District. The Rev. Bob Allen, district superintendent of the Kerrville District shared with us the principles of Partners in Ministry, on which we will spend this week. On Sunday we woke up very early to travel to Rio Grande City to participate in that church's 150th birthday. Nellie and I spent a year there in 1979-80 where I was named pastor for my first fulltime appointment. We attended the 8:30 "Spanish" service (not one thing was spoken nor preached in Spanish :( ) and the 11 o'clock worship service, where our bishop, Jim Dorff preached. It was a wonderful event and we were glad we attended.

Partners in Ministry is a training for local churches on how best to partner together in doing the work of the Lord. Too often we leave the ministry to the pastor saying, "That's what s/he gets paid for!" Not so. As baptized Christians we all have a charge and responsibility to grow the Kingdom of God. The PM program has a H.E.A.R.T. method on which we will pray and study this week. The H stands for "Hear and Understand Me."

The Jews have as their Shema, Deut. 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD". To understand know the Lord is our God and that God is one LORD, we must hear. The Psalmist said in Psalm 102:2, "incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily," meaning God hears us when we call on Him. More cannot be said about the importance of truly hearing one another. The old saying is God gave you two ears so that you would listen twice as hard before speaking. Yet, you and I know folks that are so ready to speak they don't hear what we are saying, they're just waiting for a break to get their opinion out. To partner in ministry means to partner in listening and understanding. Not everyone will have the same opinion, but we must listen and try to understand where they are coming from.

Just as God lovingly listens to us, let us today more lovingly listen to one another. Hear for what God may be saying to you in the words of someone. Of course, not everyone will be bringing a message from God, but that's a topic for tomorrow!

PRAYER: O God, as David said, so do I, 'incline your ear to me and answer me speedily.' Let me have a heart and spirit that is willing to listen and understand others. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

BEYOND HUMAN EXPECTATION

God of love, help us to know Your love and to love beyond our normal realm. In Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Peter knew math and he thought he knew Jesus. When he was a boy, Peter had been taught to forgive three times. This was the way the Rabbis taught it and that seemed a most generous and difficult thing, to forgive someone who trespasses against us not once, not twice, but three times! If you think about it, forgiving someone is very difficult. Be honest about it. If you can remember the most hurt you've had in your life and you think about the person who harmed or offended you, to have (and I hope you have) forgiven them it was tough and to forgive three times seems impossible. The Rabbis taught this as a way to be above normal. So, Peter, having been in the company of Jesus and His ministry, believes that if he doubled that number and adds one to it, he would impress Jesus. To forgive someone seven times seems like a request that goes beyond normal expectation. Isn't that what faith in God is about? Going beyond the human expectations? Well, he presents his math work to Jesus and Jesus says, "Not seven times, but seventy times seven"

We may think, "Lord, you're really making it impossible to be normal!" But that's our call, to go beyond the human and to reach the spiritual height that Jesus has taught. Paul says this is living in the spirit not the flesh. The solution is that we cannot live the spiritual if we do not know Jesus and trust His strength. An invitation to have Jesus' Holy Spirit live in us makes all the difference.

PRAYER: Loving God, come live within me and help me be a person of forgiveness. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

ALL ABOUT JESUS!

Dear God, in the good and in the bad, You are always with us. Make that clear to this dear reader in all s/he may face. Amen.

Jesus' last words to His disciples according to Matthew were a charge, also called The Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matt 28:19-20).

This is the primary job of us, the church; to make disciples. Yet, we seem to operate under the illusion of "If you build it, they will come." We place a church on a site, hand out flyers, maybe a newspaper ad, a sign of a truck, and cross our arms and say, "Well, I've done my part! Y'all come!" The reality is that in the way Jesus made disciples, we should to. Jesus invited. Jesus interacted in a positive way with His message from God. So should we. We should be so "about Jesus" that folks won't be able to help asking, "What's different about you?" Our answer should be a simple, but powerful one: I'm all about Jesus!

Today, as you interact and visit with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, be all about Jesus. Let your thoughts and actions glorify Him. And use your words also to share a strong witness of Whose you are!

PRAYER: Dear God, let me today be all about You. Guide my words, my hands, my feet, to the place You would have me be, where I can make a difference, and with Your help, make a disciple. I pray this in the Name of He who I should be all about, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

-------------PRAYER REQUESTS: Please pray for Rev. Wade Hood and his heart cath today. Please pray for our niece, Ximena Lopez and her need.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Lord, already for some dear readers this day is shaping up to be one full of challenges and trials. Please bless them as only You can. In Jesus' name, amen.

Happy Earth Day! Today is a day in which we should take measures to protect our environment and enjoy the beauty and blessings of creation. I couldn't help but wake up with the wonderful words of "For The Beauty of the Earth."

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies;
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour,
Of the day and of the night;
Hill and vale and tree and flow'r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight;
For the mystic harmony,
Linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child;
Friends on Earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.


We are called to be responsible and caring stewards of all God has shared with us. One local grocery store today is giving away their "green bags" for every five (5) plastic bags we take in. Ben and Jerry's is giving away free ice cream, for those who live close enough to one of those (or that may have been yesterday!). Regardless, look around today. Breathe deep the beauty of life, and give thanks! This is God's creation to preview that wonderful and glorious creation we will some day see! So, take care of the earth we have, live your life in gratitude for it, and live your life in a way that says you enjoy today but look forward to that glorious tomorrow.

PRAYER: God of earth and sky, water, and fire, I praise You for all creation. How wonderful are the works of Thy hand. For trees, birds, snails, snakes, rabbits, cats, and dogs, I thank You. And for humanity also, dear God, how often we take each other for granted, but we are the works of Your hands as well. Help others see in me, Your presence, and help me to look for You in all I meet today. Loving God, bring healing to the sick and to those who can't leave their homes to enjoy the beauty of today. Help us to be a part of that beauty. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GO AND GROW

Loving God, bless and protect this dear reader today and all days. In Christ's precious name, amen.

"You are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18). This declaration comes from Jesus during an intense private conversation between He and the disciples. The question had been, "Who do people say that I am?" Jesus knew, but wanted to know what the disciples thought. The disciples, after all, had been among the people and they were the "eyes and ears" of Jesus. They shared what they had heard and while the entire conversation was not shared, it does share with us the highlights. Then Jesus changed the question into a more personal one; "Who do you say that I am?" It was Peter who said without doubt, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." It was then that Jesus blesses Peter and makes the declaration we read above.

It was not much long after that that Peter, in the courtyard, cold and frightened about Jesus' future and his own, that he denied Jesus. Three times! Have we been able to limit our denials of Jesus to just three? Times where someone might have said someething negative about God or the Lord and we just grinned or grimaced, but said nothing? Times where we knew we were not to be some place, yet there we were and by being there we were denying Jesus? The list is long, dear friends, but as was shared here yesterday, God forgives repeatedly. It was Peter who questioned Jesus about how many times we should forgive and in His answer Jesus revealed the nature of God's forgiveness: "Not seven times, but seventy times seven." And in fairness to Peter, though he denied Jesus, Jesus kept him as the rock, upon which Christ built His church.

What has Christ called you to do and be? Have you moved forward after asking to be forgiven for those times you've denied Him? Or are you still there, holding the baggage of unforgiven and unremoved sin of your own doing? The message is this: If we go to God first and ask forgiveness, we are forgiven! Immediately! And with that same resurrection power, we can ask God to help us forgive ourselves. Satan loves it when we give up or when we do nothing. Ruin Satan's day by moving on.

PRAYER: Loving God, You more than anyone know how many times I have denied You, but I ask You forgive me and help me to forgive myself, so that I may go and grow. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

FORGIVING MYSELF...

Love of mercy and peace, pour out a rich blessing on this dear reader, in Jesus' Name, amen.

Yesterday's sermon was on forgiving ourselves. If you're like me, we're usually hardest on ourselves. We looked at the story of St. Peter from Luke 22:54ff, where Peter denies knowing the Lord three times before the rooster crowed once. Most of us would have said, "That's it! I'm useless for the Lord! He'll never forgive me and even if He does, I can't and won't forgive myself." Thankfully, the Lord knows better then we. In the passage from Mark when the angel makes the declaration that Jesus is risen, he makes sure the message gets to the disciples "including Peter." That spoke to my heart as I read it and I pray it speaks to you as well. The Lord did not hold the denial against him; He moved on, and thankfully so did Peter. For just 7 weeks later, Peter preaches a sermon that reaches 3,000 converts. Peter moved on, and so can we.

Have you thought about God forgiving you specifically for what you've done? This means moving away from a generic, "Forgive me my sins" prayer to a "Dear Lord, you know I have that sin of ___________ and I'm asking that you forgive me." That gets to the core of our need to confess and once we do, we are forgiven. God also forgives us instantly. God forgives us completely. God also forgives us repeatedly. And God forgives us freely. With the same power behind the resurrection, God forgives us. And we should, if we want to move on and be useful for God's Kingdom, forgive ourselves.

PRAYER: Loving God, I pause to confess my sins. I am guilty of _______________ and I ask that You forgive me. And help me also forgive myself so that I may move on with my life so that I may serve You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

OURS IS THE NEWNESS OF LIFE

God of the Resurrection, bring new life to this dear reader in whatever area s/he may need. In Christ's name, amen.

Those in worship yesterday received a homework assignment: Memorize this verse from Romans 6:4: Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Our theme for Easter is Forgiveness: The Real "F" Word. Using the story of the Prodigal Son we saw parallels between the power to resurrect Jesus from the dead,and God's power to grant you and me ultimate forgiveness. We find a reference to that in John 3:16,and we find it in the above verse for memorization. Ours is newness of life through Jesus' resurrection. The newness is to walk free from the burden of carrying around our sins. The walls that separate us from God can and do come down through asking God for forgiveness.

Think about it: No matter what you have done, you won't have a newness of life as long as you drag or try to drag around your sin for the rest of your life. You must decide to turn that over to God. Realize that if God has the power to bring Jesus back from the dead (He does!) then God has the power to give your release from your sin (He does!).

PRAYER: Loving God, with the power of the Resurrection bring me freedom from my sin. I confess I need to turn everything over to You and receive the newness of life. I ask this in the name of He who is risen indeed, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GOOD FRIDAY 2009

Thursday had been a nightmare. The morning light brought nothing better. After a celebration and remembrance of Passover where Jesus spoke of his body and blood, it was discovered that Judas Iscariot, who had been pretty much a weasel throughout the three years, sold our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. After singing a hymn, and who could sing? Jesus was now talking about things that seemed not of God, or were they? We were led to the Mount of Olives where Jesus asked us to pray and we couldn't even keep our eyes open! Jesus chastised us for that, but what could we do? The week had been the hardest one in our three years and with our emotions on a rollercoaster ride, we were drained physically and emotionally. Then it happened, our rabbi was arrested and led us to stand trial in a night court. Guilty at every turn, all because of lies told about him. The last chance would be Pilate's, where he could possibly release him. That would prove to be a waste of time. The same crowd from Sunday is now crying, "Barrabas! Barrabas!" Pilate let Barrabas go, and Jesus would die. Pilate did a little no mea culpa by washing his hands. He had no power to wash anything away. The water might as well have been blood.

Peter tried to see Jesus, but ended up running away in shame for some little maiden said she recognized him and rather than risk arrest, he ran! Had he been arrested that would have been the last straw; what would we have done? The events of today would drag on yet rush by.

By three o'clock on the mount of trash known as Golgotha, Jesus would be executed along with three other criminals. Jesus was made to carry his own cross or at least for a way; as tired as we were, he was more tired and more drained. He couldn't make it the entire way. A man was drafted into service to carry the cross for him. Then the painful way of death began with spikes, huge nails, being driven into the tired body of our Lord. As the hammer rang throughout the countryside, we ached with pain of his suffering and our having caused it. Each blow on each nail was a conviction on how we had lived and all we had done to turn our backs on God. The pain would have caused others to cry out, but Jesus kept quiet. We remembered the prophet, "like a lamb led to the slaughter...he said nothing." The soldiers raised Jesus and the other two. Oh, if only death would come quickly, but it didn't. The pain of every minute alive was more than we could stand; we don't know how the women could stand there and watch. Each ring of the hammer was a piercing to Mary's heart and soul. Yet, like a loving mother she stood there and prayed for her son.

We knew that we should have been on that cross. We deserved it. The Roman government should have set up eleven more crosses. But we were hiding. We should have paid our own way, but He paid it for us. His death would mean our life; a fullness of life that He spoke about often. "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy." It seemed like the thief would win this round by killing our Lord. We heard no news of the Temple's holy curtain being torn. We did not see the sky turn black, for we were hiding in a room with windows closed. We didn't even know how to pray!

By three o'clock, Jesus was dead. We couldn't even claim the body. Joseph of Arimathea claimed the body and even provided a new tomb in which to lay it. We should have died. Instead, we hid.

PRAYER: God of mercy, have mercy on me, a sinner. In the Name of He who died today for me, while I still try and hide, amen.

THURSDAY OF HOLY WEEK 2009

Lord of life, may today bring fullness of life to this dear reader. In Jesus' Name, amen!

This Thursday morning may have seemed like any other, though Peter felt excited and scared. The crowds on Sunday really excited him, but Jesus' immediate actions later that day in the Temple scared him. That may have been the reason he carried the sword a little closer than usual. Little did Peter know that later that day, he would deny Jesus. Denying Jesus would have been the last thing on the mind of he whom we consider the chief disciple. Peter was in on every decision. Peter spoke first in almost all recorded conversations with Jesus. Peter wasn't always right and yes, perhaps he should have thought out his words, but he shared his opinion. Peter was first a disciple of John the Baptist. Peter saw and heard in John a message of life and the freedom that can be ours by accepting God's mercy for our sins. He walked on water! Peter may have been the first in line at the Jordan River to be baptized. As he stood in that line he didn't worry about tradition and heritage or custom, that his washing was for those just a bit above swine, the Gentiles; John was calling everyone forward who wanted to repent of their sins, and Peter was there.

The message changed his life that he followed John as a disciple. His heart wanted to know more about God and the message of love from God that somehow he missed or was not shared with him through participation in worship. Peter continued his job as fisherman and those quiet hours of being on the surface of the water allowed him to pray and reflect more on his life and on God. It was the logical next step to follow Him who was called "the Lamb of God who comes to take away sin!" Peter and his brother left the side of John to become disciples of Jesus.

What lay ahead for this incredible man, must have thought Peter? I called Him, Messiah, the Son of God, and I meant it, but what does it mean for today and for our being here in Jerusalem? Could an uprising against Rome be far off? Could I become one of the generals in that revolt? Would Jesus be crowned king, yes, he could and yes, he would be King! Not once I would guess, did Peter dream he would see Jesus arrested, hauled off as a criminal, and that later that same day, he would stand by a fire wondering, frightened, nervous, scared about what could possibly come next. Three times Peter would deny that he even knew Jesus; and this after three years of learning and serving alongside Him.

Tonight you have the same choice. Proclaim him as King of kings and Lord of lords. Or, you could deny that you even know Him. You can sit at his table and enjoy the fellowship of His presence. Or, you can go on your merry way, worried about yourself or your family, and not have one thought for Who Jesus really is in your life.

PRAYER: Loving God, as I reflect on my life and the needs in my life, help me to realize that I need You. Let me make the choice of life in seeking and receiving all that You have offered me. Let me proclaim Jesus as King of kings, and Lord of lords. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Tonight in most churches here in the United States, there will be a service to remember Jesus and the disciples as they celebrated Passover but made it the Passover of Jesus. Here in Harlingen, the United Methodists will be united at First UMC at 7 to remember and celebrate Holy Communion on this Maundy Thursday. Surprise your pastor and be in church!

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Lord of life, Your heart loves this dear reader and I ask that You bless him or her in all that they face today. In Christ Jesus' Name I pray, amen.

Today is our day of prayer and I shared with you the text from John 13:21-32 which reads: 21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "Do quickly what you are going to do." 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival"; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.

Television shows and movies make light of situations at restaurants when the check will come and one of the parties present will excuse themselves to leave for the bathroom or act like they didn't see the check come -- all to avoid having to pay. You know several of those folks, as do I. The most famous is from Two and Half Men, the Jon Cryer character never pays for a meal, lives rent-free with his brother and mooches off his food supply as well. The real truth of the matter is to do that sort of thing is to betray the friendship or relationship between family. We all have an obligation to share with each other. Can you imagine Jesus' heart knowing that someone was to betray Him that very night? Not that Judas Iscariot was going to leave without helping pay the check, it was a more serious betrayal; selling Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Sunday I mentioned that Judas was the Zealot of the group. He held very strong beliefs that the Jews needed to revolt against Rome and reclaim their nation and power once again. Many scholars believe that he was calling Jesus' hand by selling him out. Whether that was true or not, the damage was done. It set into motion a fast pace of events that led to Jesus' arrest, trial, sentencing, and execution. It completely broke Judas' heart, for the Bible says he repented, though he did hang himself.

Read again those verses above and remember that we all go through agony. Jesus was "troubled in spirit," meaning to the depths of his soul he ached over what He knew had been done to Him by one whom He loved and trusted. We have been in the same situation as well. John writes that "Satan entered into him" and yes, some of us have been betrayed or let down in ways that seemed satanic at the time. But it did not paralyze Jesus and His mission. He accepted it and moved on, as should we.

The awesome hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" has that one line, "Do your friends despise, forsake thee?" It answers, "Take it to the Lord in prayer." In Jesus we have the only friend who has never and will never let us down. With His help we can continue to have earthly friends whom we can love and forgive as we move on.

PRAYER: Lord, on this Wednesday of Holy Week, the message is clear, we have no better friend than You. You have never despised me, nor forsaken me, and for that I am thankful. Make my life be more like You, so that I can be a better friend and servant to You and a better friend and servant to others. I ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Eradio Valverde

P.S. Dear friends, please don't forget that Holy Week is made more holy by our being in worship on these very special, holy days. Here in Harlingen at 7 tomorrow we have a Maundy Thursday service with Holy Communion in cooperation with our brothers and sisters from Wesley UMC. And on Friday with our Wesley friends and St. Alban's Episcopal church sisters and brothers we will be at Wesley UMC to celebrate and remember the Seven Last Words at 7 p.m. Let God bless you! Come to worship!

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

God of the universe, the earth, and all there is, this dear reader is yours. Bless and protect him or her. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

John 12:20-36 reads as follows:

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. 27 "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—"Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." 30 Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. 34 The crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" 35 Jesus said to them, "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light."

The hour was drawing near. Jesus was aware of this, but still He presses on with God's work and message. Jesus realized too many people were living in darkness. They did not know love. They had not received it nor did they know how to share it. Jesus knew that you cannot share what you do not have. The sad thing was that God's love was readily available but no one was talking about it. The religious people of the day were more concerned about holding on to their power and traditions. To change now would mean a loss of both. What they were really saying was that people could go to the place of utter darkness just as long as they themselves stayed happy and content with how things were. So, Jesus' message was about light. Light pierces through the darkness. Today's online Upper Room devotional is cute, about a dad and three daughters, one of which was afraid of the dark. To fall asleep, the youngest, Carly, needed her dad's hand to hold. Once Carly's hand relaxed the dad knew she was asleep. God's presence even in the dark makes the night go faster and better. But God's presence shines a light of love and understanding, of comfort and security that nothing else can match.

One Friday night in Denver, a family that lived above a funeral home invited me to come over for a supper treat - fresh flour tortillas and a pot of beans. What a feast we had! After supper, they said they had bought a new ping pong table and would I stay to help set it up and play? Of course. We entered into a dark room where the light switch was on the other side of the room. The young son led me, but I kept bumping into things too dark to see what they were. Once the boy reached the light switch and turned it on, I discovered that what I was bumping into were coffins in the showroom! Where we were going was the back room where the new coffins were stored. The light made all the difference in the world. And though this happened way back in 1975, I will never forget that experience.

God offers light even today. And like today, there are so many who are still in darkness. It is up to you and me to take them the light of the world. Let someone know today how much God loves them and how readily available is this light for them.

PRAYER: Loving God of light, shine brightly in my life today. Let me smile, my words, my actions reflect that light. Let me be a vessel of light to those still in darkness. Empower me to serve you I ask in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK 2009

Loving God, make this a blessed day for this dear reader. Help them in all they face. In Jesus' Name, amen.

We find this passage from John 12:1-11: 1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." 9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Lazarus had a tremendous story to tell. He had had a near-life experience unlike any before him. As you find his story in the chapter previous to the passage above, you see that he was one who died and was buried for four days before Jesus even showed up. It was said of his body that it probably stunk, he had been buried for so long. It was at his tomb that Jesus ordered the stone to be rolled away and with a vocal command brought new life into Lazarus and he came out of the tomb. It was this story that brought many to faith in Jesus Christ. And it was this story that put him on the chief priests' "hit list." Verse 10 above says the chief priests "planned to put Lazarus to death as well." I don't think Lazarus minded dying again. He had been through it once, he knew what it was all about. In fact, it was his testimony about Jesus' power to bringing folks back to life that touched many, and led them to confess Jesus as their own life-giver and savior.

You and I should have a story similar to that of Lazarus. While we may not have physically died and been buried, all of us should be able to say that Jesus pulled us out of the tombs that had us dead spiritually. We were pulled out of a sin life into a life of abundance. Our story should be one that gives others the hope and encouragement they need to come to full life. Our witness should say, "I once was dead. I did all the wrong things, thought the wrong things, and Jesus had mercy on me." That should be the witness we give others about Jesus and what this Holy Week truly means.

Use the opportunities that God can give you to bring someone to life today. Share a word or a thought about God's great love for them through Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: On this Monday of Holy Week, let me be Your instrument to share Your love in a way that will bring a soul to life. Give me the words and the wisdom to give witness. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

ALMOST TEN YEARS OLD!

It will be, that on April 6, 1999, as old as I am in this picture, that I began sending out this email devotional called then "Consecrated Coffee," a reference to my belief that it could and should be read over a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. My district superintendent at the time was Rev. Harold Sassman, and during that year said, "I really like that devotional you send out, that 'ConCafe.'" Being a devoted follower of John Wesley, who seemed to like incorrect names either called him or given him, I liked it and changed its name to ConCafe, meaning "with coffee." Another pastor, dear to my heart, Rev. Francisco Gaytan likes to call it "Sanka Sagrado," or "sacred Sanka" a reference to a particular brand of decaffinated coffee. I never dreamed I would be sending this out for ten years, but then again most of my suits are at least that old as are some of my shoes, but I pray these have had more meaning. I thank God for the words and I praise Him everytime I get an email note about how a message I thought was terrible, touched somebody and helped them in a decision or through a problem. My most faithful reader is my dear wife, Nellie, who always, after the fact sadly as she is sleeping while most of these have been written, catches grammatical errors. In truth, we're probably a bit older than ten years old; Dr. Gene Sprague of Trinity UMC in San Antonio was one of the first subscribers and he compiled a labor of love, printed out the very first 100 or so of these and put them in a huge notebook so that I would have for future reference. Thanks to all of you for reading. If you're blessed by any of these, please forward them on to loved ones. My intent was to help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ through what was for me then, a new medium. I finally figured out Twitter or at least how to post from my phone. Thanks to my daughters, I also figured out Facebook. Nothing though, will ever replace the written Word that we have and should read each and every day. That was my other intent, to help all of us, get deeper into the Word of God. PRAYER: Loving God, as You shared with me last night before our Bible study on the Letters of Peter, the last half of Your Word was written by those who understood the power of sharing Your love through the written word and through letters; we may be the generation that sees the day that what we know today as a letter ends. But one thing we're so sure of is that You will never cease to speak and love each and every one of us. Bless this dear reader and his or her needs. Bless and protect our loved ones. For those parts of the world where there is too much rain or the result of too much rain, bring comfort and protection. For those parts, such as this, bring rain. Where there is the threat of conflict and bloodshed, bring your peace. Where there is the absence of peace, bring it, first to our hearts, then to our minds so that we and those who make decisions would choose peace. For our troops we pray; that they stay out of harm's way and that soon the day would come when war is over and families can once again be reunited. For now, though, bring that which is missing in those parts of the world. May one day all humanity know of Your love. Lord we also pray for comfort for those who have lost loved ones. Bring your healing and peace as only you can. I pray all these things in Jesus Christ's precious and powerful name, amen. Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Eradio Valverde

IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!

God of the ages, and God of today; bless and watch over this dear reader in all that they may face or encounter today. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Our 40-day Lenten journey is coming to an end. And as we come closer to the day of Good Friday we are reminded it's all about what Christ did for us, not what we have done for Him. In today's recommended scripture, the writer in Hebrews 5:5-10 reminds of that:

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; 6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus' earthly days were spent in ministry with and prayers for us. Jesus came to glorify the Father, as was shared in yesterday's gospel reading in John. His ministry was about obedience to God though it involved suffering. Whatever sacrifices we may have made during this Lenten period have been only to ready us spiritually to receive the deep and rich blessings of Christ's passion for us.

PRAYER: Loving God of mercy, as we journey towards that day when Jesus gave Himself up for us, help me to be ready to receive the deep and precious message of what You are sharing with us. This time has been only about you and how much you love us. Help me to realize that and accept that. May I be willing to share that with others. I pray this, not in my name, but in the Name of He who died for me, Jesus the Christ, my Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Guide: As we continue our prayers for Rev. Roberto Gomez, please also pray for missionaries, such as Sherry DeMarcay, serving in Mozambique. She and others are being affected by the economy and their support is waning and seriously down from where it should be. If, besides prayer, you would like to send a love offering to Sherry, please do so by sending it to First United Methodist Church, 129 W. Hutchison, San Marcos, TX 78666. Please mark your check's memo: Sherry DeMarcay support and they will get the money to her. Thank you.

STUDY GUIDE: monday Hebrews is not a biblical rationalization for men making coffee! It’s a wonderful letter on faith. Read 5:5-10 to hear God speak about Jesus as God’s beloved Son.

OUR PRAYER OF THANKS

Dear God, let there be within this reader's heart a melody that "whispers sweet and low, fear not, I am with thee."* So be it. In Jesus' Name, amen. *UMH380

Loving God, let me continue in prayer as I give you thanks for all you have shared. You are indeed good and Your love endures forever. I join with all the redeemed in saying so. Lord, many have been the times You have rescued me from trouble, and many have been the times I have seen many, from all places, praising and glorifying You. You are the Divine Physician and You have healed those who were sick because of sin and whose iniquities had brought affliction. When they were almost to the point of death, You delivered them. You hear us when we cry out to You and You have saved us from distress. For those who are still hurting and discomfort, send Your healing, deliver them from destruction. Let us join with those in thanking You again for your love, for your wonderful works to humankind. Let my heart always sing praises to Your Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Psalm 107
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 17 Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction; 18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; 20 he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. 21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 22 And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

STUDY GUIDE: thursday Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 can be verses for prayer. Let God speak to you as you read this.

FLEEIN G THE WRATH OF GOD?

Gracious Lord, hold my hand, help me stand. May those famous words from the hymn bless this reader. In Jesus' Name, amen.

John Wesley's question of admittance to his society (small group) meetings was: "Are you willing to flee the wrath of God?" A positive answer gained you admission. A "no" would have kept you out. Would you today be willing to be asked such a question? Are you aware of what such a question asks? We find in Ephesians what Paul knew: If you stay "dead through the trespasses and sins in which (we) (live)..." we would be "children of wrath." That means, if we never seek to repent of our sins and never seek the redemption that Christ Jesus offers us, we are going to die and be eternally separated from God. Wesley's question reminded those who wished to join about that, and a YES got them into a fellowship that stregthened them in their struggles for the week ahead.

As you plan for today and the week ahead, are you living a life that is life? Or are you living a life that is, sadly, a living wrath? We don't have to live in that way. Ours is the freedom life offered to us by Jesus. We have been saved by grace. We have been raised up with Jesus and we have a seat right next to him "in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," all this as a gift from God.

PRAYER: What a wonderful gift You have given to me, dear Father, through Jesus. I claim that freedom and those "immeasurables riches" of Your grace as I seek to live a life that pleases You. I thank You for my salvation and I pray that I might live as a person who blesses You and others. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

"You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ —by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

tuesday We find in Ephesians 2:1-10 some words from Paul about the power of grace to save. Find and read that passage and let it bless you.

LIFE GIFTS!

Loving God bless and strengthen this dear reader in all that they may face today. In Jesus' Name, amen.

It was several years ago and our children were all small. Caitlin was still pretty much in Mom's arms most of the time and we finally made a stop at one of the wildlife refuges along the Gulf Coast. We had driven by it many times and we decided we would stop and see what God had shared in that particular area. We decided to walk the nature trail and we took it in very gingerly. Towards the end, Nellie wanted to get Caitlin back to the care either for feeding or changing. And when Nellie decides to step it up, she does leaving Dad with the other three in tow, trying our best to keep us. I had warned the little ones about snakes, for the signs said to beware and we walked cautiously. The girls had learned and repeated many times, "Just freeze, Daddy?" Yes, just freeze. We were scared to death as we saw Nellie not caring about where she stepped as she walked on rapidly stepping over a snake that that come out to the trail. She kept walking, the snake froze as did we. The girls were very good about staying frozen and then the snake decided to continue its trip into the wilderness. We thank God that Nellie was not bitten.

I pray that will the only snake tale I tell from experience. I suspect most of us have a morbid fear of snakes and yesterday's OT passage put the fear of God in us! It's the story of Moses' encounter with God's people as they have, once again, grumbled and complained about the food and the journey. Sound familiar? I am presently a very grumpy person as I am on the last full day of the first two weeks of the South Beach Diet. I told the congregation it is called that because it is the same as eating sand or at least that's my perception of the food, though in all fairness, Nellie has done a great job of preparing wonderful diet for us and I just joked about the sand part. But God's people said they were fed up with the food on the journey, calling it in some versions, namely the NRSV, "miserable food"! But their desire to die was met by the presence of snakes that obliged many with that request. They repented and asked Moses to pray for the life they really did love. God's response was for Moses to rise up a poisonous snake on a pole upon which they were to gaze so they could receive life. It was a foretelling of Jesus being lifted up for us to receive life.

May we always look up to the Cross of Jesus and remember that because Jesus was willing to die for us, He gave us life. That's what this whole Lenten Journey is, a reminder of the fullness of life that is yours and mine, not because of what we've done but because of what God did through Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Lord of life, grant to me the fullnes of life as I journey today in all that is before me. May my words in every setting, here at home, at work, at play, reflect my firm faith in You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

AN AFFIRMATION FOR TODAY

God of all glory, reveal Your glory to this dear reader today in all that he or she undertakes. In Jesus' Name, amen.

My Affirmation for Today

I believe that as I see the heavens, I see the glory of God. As I walk on the earth I see the signs of God at work in a creative way in all things. Though these creations of God cannot speak, there is a declaration each day and their is an awareness at night, throughout the world, that God has made them and that God is present. How can I not see it? The sky is so beautiful, like a blue tent under which the sun is placed. And the sun each day, like a bridegroom at a wedding, emerges at just the right time for the celebration of the day. It is a joyful thing to behold, for God has made it.

I believe that God has shared His holy Word with us to revive and make us wise. As I read his Word as found in The Holy Bible I have joy in my heart; may I truly understand what God is saying. I believe that my respect of God is something honest and real, and it is something that will last forever. I believe that I desire to know more about God through His Word than any earthly possession or anything on earth. As I read more, may I heed Your instruction and know that in keeping Your Word I can live my life better. I believe that I can hide nothing from God, so let nothing be hidden from me. Let me be honest with me about things I've tried to hide. I believe I can have a positive influence on others for the good of God instead of letting others, especially those who are negative about God to have influence on me. I believe I can be blameless and let me be innocent of any great sins. I affirm this with the belief that I all that I speak today and all that I think on today can be an affirmation of my faith in God. For You, O God, are my rock and my redeemer. Amen. (An Affirmation of Faither based on Psalm 19-NRSV)

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Amen.

Eradio Valverde

THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS

God of mercy and love, bless this reader in all that he or she faces today. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Paul writes: 18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

When you strongly believe in something, you will discover that not all believe like you. When you hold something to be true, not, not everyone will believe like you. When you believe something is truth, some will say it is false. Paul discovered, and this urged him on even more, that not all people believe in the message of the cross. That was why the Church celebrates Lent. Lent is a time to strengthen our faith in Someone in Whom not all believe; but our job remains sharing the Good News with the hope that one day all will believe. Did you stop to notice that nowhere in the Bible does it say, "Well, we'll try and do the best we can, yet one day just us will bow down at the Name of Jesus"? It doesn't. The Bible affirms that one day "at the name of Jesus all will bow." Ours is to plant the seed, God will do the rest, but the key is in the "seed."

The seed is how we share our faith. Do we live and act like we believe in the "message of the cross?" Or are we one of those who, claiming to be wise, have set aside the truth for a lie?
Live your life today as one who believes and who wants others to come and believe!

PRAYER: God of the cross, help me to live my life in a way that plants the seed of Your love and truth. As You and I journey together during our Lenten Journey, make my faith stronger. Help me to help others come to faith in You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Study Guide: tuesday Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 18-25 tells us that we may have some friends who consider the Cross foolishness. Read this passage and see what Paul has to say about them.

PRAYER UPDATE: Dylan Joseph Leal has been moved to Valley Baptist Hospital where he is in ICU, Mother, Natalie S. Leal remains in Harlingen Medical wanting to be released today so she can be with Dylan. Please be in prayer for Dylan, Natalie, and Ricky. May God heal Dylan to fullness and may God's peace be with Natalie and Ricky and all of their family.

TEN MARKS OF GOD

Loving God, grant Your strength to this dear reader in all they face today, in Jesus' Name, amen

What "marks" of Christ do you carry? In other words, how do you live your life as a witness to what Jesus has done in your life? That was the point of yesterday's sermon as we studied two passages related to our Lenten Journey. The first was the 20th chapter of Exodus that contains The Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17). As you read those verses again this day, see what "marks" God desired for His people as they prepared to become "a nation of priest for all the nations." The first commandments have to do with our relationship with Him and the others with our parents, our spouses, ourselves and others. To follow each one lovingly "marks" us as those who belong to Him and have been exposed to a greater love than the world has ever known.

The second passage was the one with Jesus going to the Temple and instead of finding a house of prayer, he found a house of profit; this passage takes away that image of meek and mild Jesus, for the passage says he was angered to the point of making a whip and driving out those who were involved in this violation of sacred space. The question begged here is, what are the marks of your church and of you?

May we journey towards the days of Holy Week intent on becoming even better at obeying God and serving God like never before. May our marks give God away, that it has been God at work in our lives.

PRAYER: Almighty God, may Your marks of love, compassion, joy, peace, and service be upon me today. May I be strengthened during my 40-Day journey with You. Let me be a blessing to You and Yours, I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Concerns: For Natalie and Ricky Leal. Natalie goes in this morning for a C-section to deliver her baby. Ricky is the proud papa. Also, our youth groups leaves by bus for Colorado for their spring break ski trip. Pray for their safe travel as well as for all spring breakers.

Study Guide: Please find Exodus 20:1-17 and read it again. Yesterday at worship we centered on The Decalogue, or as we know it, The Ten Commandments. Read these aloud and let their power sink in. What influence have these had on your life if any at all?

PRAYING THE PSALMS

Eternal God, speak the words of life to this dear reader as they celebrate You today in all they do. In Jesus' Name, amen.

23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, 31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Loving God I lift up my prayer to You using the eternal words of David: I begin my day in praise to You. I join with others everywhere on the face of the earth who are lifting up words of thanksgiving and worship to You. I stand in awe of You. I cannot begin to understand Your love for me and how You did not spare Your Son for me either. You know that I am a sinner, yet You do not despise me or others like me in our condition; You continue to make Yourself known to me and when I pray to You, You answer. I join in prayer with members of my church family asking that we might be truly obedient to You in all things and in all ways. I pray for those who are hungry right this minute, that somehow they might be fed and satisfied, use me to be a part of that feeding. May the hearts of those who are seeking You live forever! I pray dear Lord, for a revival and a reawakening of true worship for You; may we seek beyond that which pleases us, to that which pleases You. May all nations come to know You, for only You have domininion over the earth. Let me, like those before me, be truly a blessing to You and my life and the example of my life bless those who may come behind me. Let my story include Your story in my life so that even those yet unborn might come to know You. I pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Prayer Concerns: Dear ones, please lift up in your prayers Mrs. Phifer of Jacksonville, TX. Mrs. Phifer was my freshman and sophomore English professor at Lon Morris College. She is in hospice care battling cancer and needs our prayers for comfort and peace during this time. Pray for her family during this time as well. She was a loving, gentle, patient person who gave of herself to all her students and blessed me personally in my transition from high school to college. Please pray for George Roberts of Bossier City, LA, who is undergoing emergency surgery and needs our prayers. George is Missy Roberts' brother. Please lift up Vernay Carrington, recovering from surgery in Plano, TX. She is the wife of one of my dear friends from Lon Morris College. Pray for Tom as well during this time.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GOD OF THE PROMISE

God of grace and peace, pour out your Spirit on this dear reader throughout this day and all days. Amen.

Our God is a God of promises kept. I wish I could say the same for myself as I know you wish you could say for yourself. But God is also one who does not give up on us even when we fail. Our God is a God of second, third, fourth, 100 chances. As you think back on the promises you've made to God, which have you kept? Those of us who are members of the United Methodist Church had to promise four (now five) things: To support our church with our prayers, presence, gifts, and service. Now, we've added Witness to the list. Have we kept those? Think about the God-side of those vows: If we pray, God keeps His promises in answering our prayers. If we go to church and worship, God is present receiving our praise and adoration and God blesses us. If we give to God our tithes, gifts, or offerings, God is blessed as is the church, but ours is the greatest blessing in knowing that we have a grateful heart to the Lord for all the Lord has provided for us. If we serve the Lord and the Lord's people as He said in Matthew 25, "when you do this for the least of these, you've done it for me..." (Valverde paraphrase). And lastly, each time we witness with our lives and/or words about the goodness of God, God is blessed as is the person receiving the witness.

Now think about the promises God has made in your life. Can you remember what they are and have you done your part to be a blessing in receiving and sharing those? Has a lack of faith on your part kept you from truly being blessed in the way God intended for your life? In Abraham's case, God promises him a lot of things but it took Abraham taking that first step towards the promised land and towards the greatness God said would be his, for the blessings to begin. Had Abraham said, "Well, Lord, let me think on this because the wife's a little reluctant to leave her family and I kinda promised her we would live near them..." he would have never been the father of the faith, recognized by both Jews and Muslims as their "daddy." What have you said to God? My journey was one of trusting God when he called me to preach. Preaching was in my opinion the last thing I wanted to do and the least area of strength as far as I was concerned. But had I stayed behind that excuse I would have never discovered God's greatness in allowing me to be a preacher. The same may be true for you. You're reluctant, scared, shy, embarrassed, afraid, etc. to take that first step; let me tell you, it's not half as bad as you might imagine. Take that first step, then the next, and the rest and let God bless you beyond your wildest expectations!

PRAYER: God of the promise, help me take that first step towards the fulfillment of the promises and claims You've made in my life. I can't leave "home" without leaning a bit towards where I know I need to; and when I do, help me to give honor and glory to You. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

FOLLOWING GOD'S CALL

Heavenly Father, richly protect this dear reader in whatever challenge may come their way today. In Jesus' Name, amen.

As we journey towards Holy Week, especially towards a deeper and richer understanding of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, we are aware of "calls" in our lives. Our text for yesterday's sermon was from Genesis 17 and the call of Abram and Sarai to be faithful to God. After revealing Himself as "God Almighty," both Abram and Sarai believed and as a result had their names changed, to the promise towards which they had been called. As soon as they said yes, it was a done deal as far as God was concerned. The new name of Abraham means "father of multitudes" and that comes to a man who is 99 years old and childless. Sarah means "noble woman" or "princess" indicating the change in her stature among her people.

To what have you been called, and what was your answer? I shared how when I was in seminary in the late seventies, I lived in a dorm filled with single, twenty-something men. When I visited the campus of SMU, it had become a freshmen dorm for gifted and talented students; a self-contained environment where classes, living space, etc. was all within. At that time the average age of seminaries was about 53 years old. I made the point that these fifty-somethings had been called perhaps earlier in their lives but they had said no and after a successful secular career heard the call again and entered into ministry. The Bible is very clear that when we say yes to God, regardless of the difficulty of the call, God's presence and God's peace is always with us.

If you feel a lack of peace, have you honestly reflected on where you are and where God wants you to be? Perhaps today is the day when you realize that to have complete peace in your heart involves your finally saying yes to God.

PRAYER: God of my life, if You have called me to a specific purpose, help my doubts and disbeliefs and help me to say yes, realizing that You will be with me as will Your peace. Guide me to faithfulness. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

PSALM 25, OUR PRAYER

Loving God, pour our Your blessings and protection on this dear reader. Amen.

Dear friends, let us join our hearts in prayer today as we pray the words of Psalm 25:1-10 as our prayer for this day:

Let us be in an attitude of worship and prayer as we make these words our own:

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Lord, at times my soul has been low, sometimes even I believe the lowest it could go, so please lift it up in praise and worship and I do it only for You.

2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.

Lord, there is no where else I can place my trust other than in You. As I go about doing the things expected of me in my many roles, as spouse, parent, employee, employer, let me do that which makes You look good. Do not allow me to make a fool of myself trying to be someone that I am not.

3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

As I make my 40-day Lenten Journey let me grow closer to You, closer to others and with myself; may each day bring a greater knowledge of the truth that is Yours for me. Let me choose wisely in the decisions that come before me. Let those who seek only to harm others or to profit from others find that which convicts them of their mistakes, but include me if I am one of those.

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

Let those spiritual disciplines that I have taken up during this Journey speak to me in terms that are loud and clear about who I am and who I need to be; remind me always, over and over, that I am Yours.

5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.

May I find time to spend in quiet. Come to me in the quiet and speak of that which is truth for my life. Let me be a students of Yours and all that is Yours. Make my mind center on You as I read Your word and as I pray to You.

6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

Lord, you better than anyone know that I have not been perfect and stand in need of Your mercy. Be merciful to me as I should and will be merciful to others. Remind me that long before I was born You had mercy and love for me.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!

While others may exclaim, "O, to be young again," remind me of what youth brought me in those times I did not know you or chose to act like I didn't know You. That applies also to yesterday and today when I thought I knew more and sought to please only myself.

8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

You are perfect and Your way of life and love can be instruction to me and to others. Let me help show others the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Lord, those that want to be led humble themselves before You and so do I. Lead me in Your way.

10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

Let my life know of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness, and may I be like You today and all days. May I seek Your Word daily that You may continue to speak to me. This all I pray in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

God of grace and God of glory, on this person pour thy power, for all s/he faces today. In Jesus' Name, amen.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

We find again "water words" in the above passage, Jesus being the righteous one, willing to die even for those who were unrighteous, in order to bring us into relationship with God. The passage from Genesis this past Sunday spoke of how God searched for those who might be righteous and found only eight, in the family of Noah; these 8 were saved through water. Mark's gospel spoke of the waters of baptism through which Jesus identified with you and me, and how now Jesus sits at the right hand of God, ruling over angels and authorities.

Isn't is a great feeling to know how much God desires to have a relationship with you? God spared nothing, not even His only begotten Son, to bring you and me into full relationship. Why do we still refuse? It seems that on every page of the Bible we find that precious choice: life or death? Through Christ's death, we might find life and that in abundance!

PRAYER: Lord, as I journey today through life and this season of Lent, remind me again of how precious it is to journey with You. I don't expect to win at all things and I realize that sometimes I will fall, but in all things, win or lose, I am not alone. Let me share this message with others I ask, in Jesus' precious and powerful Name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

TEMPTATION CAN KILL

Loving God bless this person reading this in the most wonderful way s/he needs today. In Christ's Name, amen.

As we make our 40-day Lenten Journey we should be aware of temptation and how it can keep us from completing the journey faithfully; so we turn to a portion of James' letter, chapter 1, verses 14 and 15: "Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. 15 These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death." That was from the NLT. I've always loved the way the NRSV describes it: But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it; 15 then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.

Not all of our desires are evil, but some are. And it's up to us to be honest with ourselves about those which are, and our needing to pray for God's help in helping avoid them. James knew the process; you get tempted by the evil desire, you then think about the actions that will help you obtain or complete that which you desire, and that evil action may lead you to death if you don't repent and turn away once and for all from that which took you there in the first place. The NRSV process makes it more of a birth process, but a birth of death. There's no getting around the fact that our giving in to sin cannot produce positive results.

The purpose of Lent is to journey with the Lord in preparation for Easter. Our sermon series started yesterday is called "Come to the Cross." Yesterday we covered the Lectionary passages that deal with water and the power of water. The Genesis passage was on how God used water to destroy the earth and through Noah start again with a covenant between God and Noah. The Mark passage was on Jesus' baptism and how God used the water through John to wash away the sins of all people and Jesus' willingness to identify with us by undergoing baptism even when He did not need it. Jesus took it all the way in taking our place at the Cross. Lent is about surrendering to God, trusting that God will see us through it all.

PRAYER: God of all seasons, during this season of Lent journey with me like never before. Let me recognize the need in me that needs to die, and let me trust You to bring me life as I surrender completely to You. I pray this prayer of faith in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Study Guide: James 1:14-15 speaks of temptation and its birthplace and consequence. Please read these two verses and see what it says about our weaknesses and willingness to stray.