3 PAUL'S GOSPEL: NOT BEING ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

God of the Harvest, grant Your grace upon this dear reader so that they too may be workers in those yet to be harvested. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Our church grew by four new members last night, thanks to Coffee with the Pastors. Our church borrowed the model from The Church of The Resurrection from Kansas City. Our first time guests are "mugged," that is, they get a coffee mug from our church, and last night they were invited to come, with their mugs, to have coffee with Pastor Jet and myself. Pastor Katy was there briefly as was Brandon, our student ministries director and Emma Forrest, our UMW chair. We talked about our church, what membership is all about and then gave them time to prayerfully reflect on whether they were ready to join last night or wait until a coming Sunday. Four decided to join last night. We thank God for them. And for those who will join at a later date.

We talked about the newest vow started just last year at General Conference. Besides promising to support our church with our prayers, presence, gifts, and services, now we must vow to support our church with our witness. It is bibilical because Paul declared boldly in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Paul knew that witnessing to one's faith, especially among the citizens of Rome who had yet to hear or believe in Jesus. Theirs was a pagan religion based on emperor worship; to be a Christian required boldness and a willingness to follow Jesus even to death. What's our holdup?

The rest of the verses from 17-23 give evidence of the importance to sharing our faith: "17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith." 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21 for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools; 23 and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Our faith is strengthened by our witness. The challenges and obstacles to sharing faith actually fall when we do give witness to Whose we are when we share Him. Our willingness to live righteous lives in the face of those who are not godly and whose lives are wicked, bless others as well as us. Paul knew that even the wicked knew, that God is at work among us and when we give witness to what God has already done in us, through us we may just reach another person and snatch that person from hell's grip. Let us honor God and help others come to the same knowledge, that God is glorious and eternal and to join and believe God is to be a part of that same glory and immortality.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to be Your witness today. Whatever may be required of me this day, give me of Your strength, courage, wisdom, and boldness to share with You all that is needed. May my witness serve as a lifelife to help those who are indeed perishing. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUESTS: I remind us to be in prayer for Rusty Benedict of our church who travels this morning to Houston to meet with a new doctor. Rusty is hopeful this new doctor may help his situation. Rusty and his sister, who is driving him up there, return again tonight. May God guide and bless his path. Please remember Barry Lemke, who undergoes a dangerous exam this morning as well to determine what is causing lung complications. We pray the exam go well and that the results show that God has been there first and is already providing healing. Pray also for members of the Hernandez family who travel to Bryan, Texas for the funeral service of Mrs. Isabel R. Hernandez.

Blessings.

2 PAUL'S GOSPEL: WHAT IS YOUR CHURCH KNOWN FOR?

God of all healings, bring your healing touch to the needs of this dear reader and/or of his/her family. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

From Romans 1, beginning with verse 8, we find these words: 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, 10 asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish 15 —hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Isn't it good whenever your church is known beyond its four walls for something good that it does? Usually, though, it might be for its building or location or an annual thing hosted on the grounds of the church. "Oh yeah, you're the church with the big flea market." Or "yes, the church with all the pumpkins!" The church is Rome was known for its faith. Located and living among people whose lack of faith was something worth praying for, the Christians in Rome were known for working hard in trying to share Jesus with those cosmopolitan citizens who lacked faith, direction, and purpose. Paul's desire was to go and ministry alongside them in their work. His belief was that maybe he could share something he had received from God with them. Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to be strong in their work and faith. He also knew that by working alongside them he could receive a blessing for his own faith and life. Paul knew the setting and the needs of the people in Rome and his faith was such that said, If I can go there and work alongside you, we can reach more people for Jesus. We need to reach all people, not just Jews (or our kind). Paul's own life had been blessed by the different, and sometimes "strange" people who had helped or had been helped by him.

What are you known for when it comes to your faith? Is it known beyond the local church? Are you known for being a hard worker and believer in Jesus? Are you working to make your church one that attracts "Barbarians and Greeks, the wise and the foolish?" Let's get busy!

PRAYER: Loving God of all, I thank you for my church and I ask that today be the start of my working to make it known for what it not only believes but does because of its faith. Let me be one who motivates others to service and faithfulness as we try to win the world for You. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL

God of all people and places, place this dear reader where You would for the doing of Your work today and all days. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

I shared with our Sunday school class about our ten month-old grandson, Liam's love for tackling the stairs in his aunt's house. Our daughter and husband had a two-story home built there in San Marcos and Liam's joy is to crawl up the stairs. His mom worried that Liam did not crawl as early as his cousin or on schedule, but I knew that he would get the hang of it and once he did, the world was his. And so it is. He loves to crawl and he's making attempts to stand on his own, so I know that walking will be next in due time and once he masters that, he'll really be a handful in keeping indoors and in one place. But for the time being, Liam loves the stairs. He's strong enough to push aside the little baby sofa of his cousin's that his mom places there as a barrier to the stairs and when supervised he begins to joyfully crawl up each stair as fast as he can. Each step brings his little grunts of joy and excitement as he knows he's accomplishing something. Of course Grandpa or Grandma have to be right behind him because we don't want him to fall backwards and injure himself, so off we crawl right behind him. Every step brings him closer to his goal.

Such should be our joy as we begin to look at Paul's Letter to the Romans, a sixteen chapter epistle written to believers in the captial city of the world. Many have said that a modern day equivalent to Rome is New York City. While New York City is not even the capital of the state, it is in many respects the capital of the world. It is the city that never sleeps, the "big apple," the city of a million lights, a marvelous city of tall buildings and millions of people. It has the advertising center of the world located thereon Madison Avenue; it has Wall Street, once truly the financial capital of the world; it has Broadway, capital city of shows and theatres; it has Central Park, the Statue of Liberty; and it will forever carry the reminder of the hatred some nations have towards us because of who and what we have become. The place is now called Ground Zero and it is a sacred memorial to the thousands who died there on that fateful day of September 11, 2001.

Rome had much of the same for its day and time. It also had a small, but growing group of Christians that had taken the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this capital city. We believe that Paul did not start the church there, but he very much wanted to visit and take God's word to them in a new way. His plans were to finish the task he was completing at the time, which we believe was the collection of the offering for the poor in Jerusalem. Once in Jerusalem, Paul was arrested, and he did arrive in Rome as a prisoner. His letter was to prepare the way for his arrival.

Please read verses one through seven for today:

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

As you read, ask yourself, how am I tied to Jesus Christ? Do I see myself as one of God's most trusted advisers? Or am I a servant for God? And as a result of that connection, what am I doing about it? Do I simply do all I can to learn and simply learn what is shared with me or do I put it in practice? Thus the difference between a disciple and an apostle. How do my friends, family and co-workers see Jesus in me? Do they know Him to be the Son of God and Savior of my life? Is there a holiness about me as I live and work among them? Do I portray the life of one who expects to be resurrected upon my death? Am I living as an obedient person to God? Am I called to be a saint?

PRAYER: Loving God as I pray, let these questions guide me in my answer and response; that I might truly live as Your person in Your setting. Grant me the power of Your Holy Spirit to live a life that is a witness to others. I ask this in Jesus Christ's precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

IN LION COUNTRY

God of mercy and love, share exactly what this dear reader needs today. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

The roar of a lion the first time you hear it is a beautiful thing. Yes, we hear it on television during nature shows and whatnot, but to actually hear it in person is something else. The speakers of an electronic device do not do it justice, and to be near it and to hear it live gives you a sense of the power behind this great beast. Of course, most of us have heard that live roar behind the safety and protection of a 30 foot drop, moat, thick glass, and strong steel fence. Can you imagine waking up on the ground among tall grass only to realize it is the roar of a lion that awoke you?

What would be your reaction to hearing this "king of the jungle" roaring because he has found a food source and you realize that food source is you? You might think again, "What a beautiful sound and I'm hearing it live! It's coming from one of the most majestic animals alive!" Then you realize that part of that majesty is the lion's ability to run faster than you, to capture you, and to ultimately devour you. The thoughts of beauty fade and you realize that fear has now taken over. Your next question is how did I get here? followed by "Why didn't anyone warn me?"

1 Peter 5:8 says this about life, "Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour." Our daily life may find us exactly as stated above, in lion country, unaware or fully aware, that we are the main course for "our adversary." Whatever guise evil takes, it is still evil and we know it goes against what God would have us do. If we want to be in lion's country, it should be to guide others away from the hungry lion and to places of safety. To be a guide, one must be prepared and aware or as the Bible says, "Discipline yourselves, keep alert."

PRAYER: Loving God, if today is a walk through lion country, let this serve as part of my discipline and awakening. May I be strong and watchful and alert to all the "lion" may throw my way. Let me instead be one who guides others away from harm and into your strong, safe arms. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

CONNECTION PROBLEMS

God of all connections, connect lovingly and directly with this dear reader and all that s/he may be facing today. In Christ Jesus' precious Name, amen.

Everyday, no matter what time I get up, I go immediately to pray, then arise, come to my computer and go to the Upper Room devotional link. Twice this past week, I went to connect with that site and I got an error message. I immediately checked another site and instantly that site came up. It was a problem with that site's connection. I don't understand the workings beyond my fingers hitting keys. I'd love to know how my input on the keyboard sends the proper 1's and 0's to make them an image or letter, and how that goes out wires and yes, without wires to a universe beyond our thinking to get to someone else's computer. I do know it is a matter of connection. Most of us have heard, if we don't already own, what are called "smart phones," that can connect our voices throughout the world, they can remember dates and remind us of dates, connect us to satellites orbiting above to show us exactly where we are and by the use of a digital map show us where we should be. But again, it is a matter of being connected.

If we are not connected with God, we live our lives basically the same way as a disconnected computer or disconnected phone. We cannot function properly and we don't know where we are and we have at best, a vague of idea of where we should be going. This week I've been reminded of how disconnected we can be even if we "go to church." We can sit there, sing the hymns (and they'd better be the "right ones" or we'll stew in anger until we can get to tell someone our disappointment or worse, our anger at "the direction the church is taking."), hear the prayers, and hear the first part of a sermon, but it does us little to no good if we are not seeking to be connected with God.

God desired to connect with us. You don't believe me? Read John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." That's a desire to be connected and it was a desire on God's part to be connected with us because of love. Plug into God! Plug in to God's love and discover the joys of living! See the world from a new perspective and enjoy the fullness of life that that Son came to share! (See and read John 10:10 and discover that truth!). Dear friend, living a disconnected life is to live a meaningless, painful life. Connecting to God may not immediately take away the pain, but it will bring meaning and new tools and resources with how to soothe the pain and may lessen the pain we inflict on others.

PRAYER: Loving God, Heavenly Father, I ask for forgiveness for all the wrong I have done during the times I have been disconnected from You. Help me to be connected right now and all this day, and all days, directly to Your heart. May that connection shock new life and perspective into me, so that I may shock others by the good and love that can flow from me. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Shock somebody today with love!

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: OBSESSED FOR THE LORD?

God of all the ages, bring youth and joy to this needed areas of this dear reader's life. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Liam Carlos Vasquez is our grandson. Yesterday was an exciting day for him as he turned 10 months old, went to work at church with his mom, spent a day with family, and come night time, did not want to go to sleep. His mom called us and as we're talking we always ask, "What's Liam doing?" She replied, "He's trying to climb the wall." She relayed that he was in the crib. Once we ask for him she puts the phone on speaker so that he can hear us. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa change the tone of their conversation so that Liam will know we are speaking to him and not about him, and Caitlin said, "He's laying down now. When he hears your voice, Dad, he lays down." Hmm, it happens in church, too! When the conversation changed course, Liam would cry and get up again, and Mom said, "Liam, you're supposed to go to sleep now!" So, Grandpa started singing and Grandma joined in. Grandpa laughed as he didn't know all the words to Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways," but Mom said, "He's going to sleep!" Well, I do know the words to "Jesus Loves Me" in both English and Spanish, and several others, and soon Caitlin whispered, "He's asleep!" Grandpa said, "Thank God, and I hope this isn't a nightly thing!"

We thank God for the phone to allow us to hear those voices we recognize and love. There is a specialness to being called by our granddaughter, Sarai Evangelina, and a specialness to hear Liam laugh when we talk to him. We can't wait for Liam to be able to talk and enjoy calls from him. So it should be as we listen to the voice of God leading us and blessing us through our days. Our days would be more complete if we listened more for the voice of God than the other voices that come into our lives. I shared in my sermon yesterday how most Americans spend 10 minutes with God each day, while we spend four hours with the television. I asked if we ever talked to the TV knowing that we were being heard. The answer is yes, some of us do, sometimes with words we shouldn't use to persons whom are sharing erroneous things or when our sports teams mess up. The only one who influences us in a four-hour sitdown with the television is us. Not the same with our time with God. I would say most of those ten minutes are us telling God what to do; some are asking God for things. Most of us, if we're honest, don't listen for God to speak to us.

Our sermon was on Obsessed People; people who are so in love with God that their lives are marked with characteristics of love and service, giving, and reaching all in the Name of God. Obsessed people are guided people, people who listen and recognize the voice of God leading them to take risks and do things they might not ordinarily do.

Whose voice will you hear today?

PRAYER: Loving God, speak loud and clear to me today. Let me feel love as I hear You and as You direct me to take risks and serve Your people like never before. Let me truly be an obsessed person guided by You toward faithful and joyful service. Let the influences in my life come from You, from Your Word, from those whom You send to speak to me. I ask all this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS AN OMER?

God of the sufficient, bless the lack in the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

What in the world is an "omer" and how much would that be for your family to enjoy as a meal? Gather round boys and girls and ye shall learn. I'm referring to the God of provision, or as some say, "Jehovah Jireh," and how He miraculously provided for the Israelites each morning during their Exodus, the fine, delicate pastry known as manna. Here's how that text reads, "14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: "Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.' " 17 The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed." Amazing how God works. God told each believer to gather "an omer to a person," and so they did; "some gathering more, some less." Isn't that human nature? I had to chuckle because Tuesday night, at National Night Out, we were handing out free popcorn and tracts about our church. On the counter we had also placed some plastic wallets containing Bible verses for daily use. The church's name appeared on the cover. Most folks had to be asked if they wanted one. Some, thinking we were not looking, would grab one quickly, hide it, then grab another. Some more boldly took three or four. All without truly knowing what they were. The same with the humans in this story. Yet, when the amount gathered was measured with the omer, all had the same.

To be honest I had never noticed that reference before. God performs miracles and sometimes within the miracle, other miracles occur. Leave it to God to perform that which we cannot explain and within that, we cannot explain other details. I'll share my unexplainable story from yesterday. After lunch I stop at a shoe store to talk with the store manager about our upcoming new ministry called "Happy Feet." We're going to collect a "noisy offering" on Sunday the 16th and all the money, along with much more "soft, quiet offerings (hint: cash and checks!)" so that we as a church can provide new shoes for needy children in our area. We wanted to partner with a store so that we could get more "bang for our buck." I walk in, ask to speak to the manager of the store and get directed to a young man. As I tell him our intent, he said, "Well, you should talk to our regional manager, who happens to be in the store right now." Hmm. Not only was the regional manager there, there was the store director (above the store manager) with him as well. They both loved the idea and we struck up a partnership.

God provides and sometimes, if we look carefully, and even if we don't, God surprises us with the unexpected additional blessing of providing not just enough, but something more than enough.

PRAYER: God of all provision, grant me the eyes to see all that You have done, are doing, and will do in my life. May I be joyfully surprised to the point of sharing that joy and blessing back to You and Yours. I pray this with all faith, in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Request: Our bishop, James Dorff, lost his brother to cancer yesterday morning in Oklahoma. Please pray that God comfort Bishop and Mrs. Dorff and all of their family as they travel to be with family for the funeral.

LIVING A LIFE THAT WON'T SHUT UP!

God of light, shine brightly on the life of this dear reader especially in dark areas they may be facing. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

In Hebrews 11 we find these words, "though he is dead, he still speaks." (v. 4). The reference was to Abel, whose faith allowed him to offer to God "the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions." This was in comparison to his brother, Cain, who "brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground." Most pastors would be glad and would say, "We're thankful for your gifts!" God was not. It was faith that made all the difference. And it is faith that will make the difference in our lives as to the continued witness our lives will have on those people that matter to us each day. What are we "saying" now that will be "said" later?

Most will say, "I want to be remembered as a good provider." And provision is good, but is it eternal? Many are those whose parents are great providers, but because of their lack of faith and attention and affection, have tried to shower their children with things and not time. No time to listen, to love, to learn just who their children are, and the children will find others in which to find that which they never had. In early 1967, there appeared an article in The Daily Mail about a 17-year old girl who left home. The parents were quoted as saying, "I can't imagine why she would run away, she has everything here." Based on this article, Paul McCartney wrote "She's Leaving Home" that features the refrain, "She (we gave her most of our lives), is leaving; (sacrificed most of our lives) Home (we gave her everything money could buy), She's leaving home after living alone for so many years (bye bye)." When they finished recording it, their manager Brian Epstein cried. So should we if this is about us.

May we live a life of faith that speak of love, love towards God and those whom God has blessed us with, so that our lives speak not only now, but after we are long gone.

PRAYER: God of love, grant me both love and faith to live a life that speaks truth and love right now, and that when I am gone, I may continue to give witness to You because of the love You had for me and I was able to share with others. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUESTS: Ben Robbins remained in serious but stable condition but was being moved from Bryan/College Station to Houston. Maxine Lowe had been taken out of ICU to a private room but was being considered to be placed back in ICU. Alex Westbrook is at Valley Baptist Hospital, but can receive no visitors.

CRAZY LOVE: GOD WANTS ME TO DO WHAT?

God of the eternal, give a divine perspective to the temporal challenge this dear reader may be facing today. In Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." So begins the chapter that lists the champions of the faith. What an impressive list is contained in that chapter. The list contains those whose lives were made better because of faith. All of those people named in the hall of faith fame were imperfect people, with blemishes and marks, sins and pains associated with some aspect of their lives, just like you and me. Were we to listen only to ourselves and the limits we easily place on ourselves, we would find ourselves in dismal places. Faith is that which calls us out and up, to the place where God would have us be.

I heard a preview of a DVD of a famous motivational speaker, Les Brown. In that five minute segment of a presentation, Mr. Brown talked of a conviction and an assurance he gave himself that one day he would appear on Robert Schuller's program. He told everyone he could about that conviction and almost everyone asked the same thing, "When and why?" He had not yet written a book, nor was he well known. He was not someone in the news nor did he have a story yet heard that might bless people. Still, Mr. Brown even called Schuller's office and was basically asked the same things. He replied that if Dr. Schuller put him on the show, he would become well known! The reply was that the show did not exist to make celebrities. On a chance flight with perhaps five people on board, he sat next to a man to whom he shared, "I'm going to be on Robert Schuller's show!" The man asked, "When?" Mr. Brown replied, "I don't know yet, but I will. Do you know Robert Schuller or someone who does?" The man said, "My boss gave one million dollars to Robert Schuller's ministry, so yes, he knows Dr. Schuller very well." Mr. Brown said he needed to meet his boss. The man asked, "Are you a speaker?" Brown said he was. "Good, because we just had a speaker cancel on us! Could you come and be our speaker?" The shocked Brown said yes. "What do you charge?" asked the man. "Well, what was allocated?" Brown wanted to know. "Five thousand dollars." "That's what I charge!" Les Brown spoke to the group and so impressed the man's boss that the boss asked if ever there were anything he could do for him..."Do you know Robert Schuller?" Les Brown has appeared three times on The Hour of Power.

What has God given to you as your calling? Have you found the voice of faith calling you to move towards that, or are you still talking yourself down from that higher calling? Listen to faith, which is God speaking to what you can do to bless others.

PRAYER: Loving God, let Your voice come through loud and clear in my faith thoughts. I know the purpose and plan You have for me and I want to be faithful to it. If I have doubts or if I have forgotten what it is that I should be doing, remind me again. Let me know that with faith I can have both the assurance and conviction of all that You would share with and through me. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

TONIGHT IS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, a time for you and your neighbors to come out as a stand against crime. Our church will be represented at the Harlingen NNO with a popcorn booth. We'll be there from 6 until 9 and if you have time to come out and join us, please do. If your city or town is having one, go out and join friends and neighbors give witness to civility and community.

CRAZY LOVE: THE COMFORT OF THE MATERIAL VS. THE CHALLENGE OF THE SPIRITUAL

Loving God, guide and bless this dear reader in his/her needs for today. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Yesterday I asked the congregation to think about their life and where material possessions stood; their first meaningful toy, their first car, their first job, their first home away from home; their first adult toy. I shared how many of us would be very wealthy if we had saved all our baseball and football trading cards, wagons, dolls, etc., for we could be selling them on eBay! I shared memories of my first car, the 1968 white, four-door, Ford LTD that could have come straight off the set of the even then not too recent tv series, The FBI, starring Efraim Zimablist, Jr. The thing that never failed me was the air conditioner; it always kept me comfortable during the heats of Houston summers. The wacky thing about the car was a short in the headlights that made driving Hwy 29 at night, thrilling and dangerous. We could list the same for all of the categories mentioned, but more importantly in our lives were the people behind those things. As for my first meaningful toy, it was the relationship God blessed me with my parents. The toys did not matter as much as the love I felt from and for my Mom and Dad. Where that first meaningful toy is today, I care not, but I do know where my parents are, and I thank God still for the love they shared with me. That first car is long gone, probably rusted away in some junk yard, but the car did not matter as much as friendships developed as a result of that car, including the first ride I took with the one who would spend the rest of her life with me. On and on we could go with the list; first job, important yes, but not as much as the knowledge and skills gained that helped me realize my life's calling and purpose. My first home away from home was a place where I knew I wanted to share my life with someone and one day start my own family.

The text was Hebrews 11, with the long list of the Hall of Faith. Each character's positive qualities or faith accomplishments listed there; I shared the not-so-positives of each person's life and how that list can and should include us, when we realize the important of faith in God vs. our dependence and trust in things that one day fail or break or rust away. In that entire list of heroes of faith, it was their faith that blessed them, not their material things. It was the promise of God being with them and their willingness to be used by God that helped them be heroes of the faith.

May today be a reflection of where we stand with God in terms of our faith and service to God. Are we where we know God wants us or are we still thinking that we could be better off and more blessed with things?

PRAYER: Loving God, I thank You for the people and relationships that have blessed me in my life. I thank You for Your desire to be in relationship with me. Help me today realize that I could and should be doing more for You. Let me hold nothing back when it comes to You. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

-----------PRAYER REQUEST: Please be in prayer for the family of The Rev. Harold Greenway, retired UM pastor who passed away this past week. Please pray especially for his son, The Rev. Dr. Jeffery Greenway, pastor of Reynoldsburg UMC, Ohio. Jeff was also president of Asbury Theological Seminary.

PRAYER OF THE SELFISH

THE PRAYER OF THE SELFISH

Dear God, it's all about me. Let this day serve to serve me and me only. Let this day be served piping hot right before me, on a platter of wealth.

Let all that this day holds, be just for me. I pray that all would fall right into place, with nothing out of sorts or out of order. Let the ordering be as I want and nothing less.

I want the temperature to reflect my comfort and my needs. I pray the car start the first time, and that the gas in it last the entire day. I want my refrigerator to work as it should, and while you're at it, let it be filled with the delights of my palate.

That part about "on earth as it is in Heaven" I like that, but only in terms of my being able to walk on the streets of gold and if I cant' walk on it, let it fill my pockets. And yes, may my pockets not have holes. Strengthen them to hold all that you are going to give me today.

Let my stomach be filled as I wish, with things that I wish. May the routes of my travels today take me to pleasing places. May each intersection be free of those who remind me of those with less.

Let the temptations of today be delightful, and let me choose,truly choose, that which is pleasing and pleasant and good just for me.

I pray all this in my name.



After our discussions on Leftovers and God's crazy love for us, it would seem silly that someone would pray such a prayer, but you know, I sometimes do, as do you. We tend to want to stay in our comfort zone and away from those who make our thoughts and lives uncomfortable. May God deliver us from such thoughts and make us newly aware again of His great, unexplainable, undeserved love.

As we pray please be mindful of those who have asked prayer from us. Iask you please add my son-in-law, Eric Cortez, to your thoughts and prayers. He faces a health concern from an incident experienced during the arrest of a homeless person. Pray that Eric be well and fine after this.

Here's our "real" prayer: Loving God, how easy it is to be centered on ourselves. I confess that parts of the above prayer, silly as it may seem, are some of the thoughts and desires I have for my life. May the needs and realities of others become my focal point of my ministry for You as from the day of my baptism I have been or should have been, in ministry for You with Your people. Grant me boldness, strength, courage, grace, compassion and love to serve You and Yours. It is, after all, not about me, but about You. Worthy is Thy Name. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day today!

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: GOD'S MERCIES ARE NEW TODAY (AGAIN!)!

Father in Heaven, on Earth, and in all places, shine brightly Your light on the path of this dear reader today. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

The theme this week has been a difficult one for many of us to face: We do have a tendency to put ourselves first, and God second, third, last, not-at-all. If we are to be disciples of Christ, God must come first. But what I know we all need to hear are the words from the writer in Lamentations 3, "19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Ours is a faith of hope because of our God. God loves us so much and desires so much to have a relationship with us that we should never give up living a life that becomes the Gospel. God's neverending compassion is awesome and we know that the God who spoke through Jesus about the number of times we should forgive (70 times 7) is the God who always forgives us. New, like this morning, is God's mercy on you and me. Great is God's faithfulness.

Let us do our part in putting God first and foremost in our hearts, minds, and spirits. Let it be the first and best that we offer to God each day. Let us once and for all quit serving God that which is left over.

PRAYER: Loving God, forgive me my failings and as this day is new, so let Your mercy be new towards me. Let me seek You and serve You, putting You first. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: NO LEFTOVERS FROM A LOVING HEART

Loving God reveal Your peace and love to the needs of this dear reader. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Two boys, raised side by side, instructed the same, by the same teachers, mom and dad, on the important things of life. The reverence, love, and worship of God being central to the teaching. Central to that teaching may have been how God never holds back when it comes to us, much like these parents never held anything back, and the first and the finest shared with them: Time, affection, listening, embracing, explaining, etc. The boys heard.

The day came that they were finally on their own. As often happens in families, two sons or two daughters, two different personalities and two different careers and vocations. The oldest loved the earth and working with it. The youngest loved animals and working with them. Both loved their jobs. The time came when they were to worship God as they had been instructed and as an offering, each took from what they did and what they earned. The oldest took from what was left over from that abundant crop that God had blessed him with. The youngest took the first and the fattest, and offered it to the Lord God.

In case you haven't guessed who these boys are, one is Cain, the other is Abel. And their story has been shared above. Raise in the same way, by the same Mom and Dad, yet they had different hearts when it came to God. The Bible says that God had "regard" for Abel's offering, for God saw the love, trust and freedom that he felt toward God. The older Cain just gave an offering, the implication being that he felt nothing but obligation-no love or trust or freedom. It was as if he said, "Here ya go, God, fetch!" How often haven't we said the same thing when it came to our time with God in worship or in prayer or in serving or in giving? How easy it is for us to forget that God is a Holy God and it is God who determines all things for us, yet we treat Him not as a member of the family, but as an intruder or uninvited guest. The results in our lives will reflecf either the joy or the absence of joy based on our love, trust and freedom in our relationship (or lack thereof) with God.

PRAYER: Holy God, remind me today and all days that You are holy. Forgive me those times I have treated You and Your presence in my life as being unimportant or an intrusion. Grant me the courage and boldness to serve and seek You like I should. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: MORE ON LEFTOVERS

Great God of all people, bless and protect this dear reader in all that she or he may need today. Bless and protect those who will be attending our second day of Vacation Bible School. May your Name be praised by what our kids will learn about Experiencing and Discovering You Everyday (EDGE). In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

We were blessed with about seventy-five children yesterday at our first day of Vacation Bible school. What a neat time and a great age to be alive! I helped greet folks and stood behind our registration tables to talk with children and we saw those who could barely contain themselves in being there to one little boy whose frown gave him away. "Are you excited about being here?" I asked, knowing full well his response. "No, " he replied quite sadly, "I don't like going anywhere." His mom smiled and said, "That's the way you always are at first, then by the time I come to get you, you won't want to leave!" I told the young man I didn't like leaving home either. This is a great age of those who experience and enjoy life as Jesus said we should, like children. There's a wonder (in most kids and some adults) about life and God, and the things of God. There's a willingness to not hold back and speak the truth and once learned and mastered, to share all one has with God and others. Our daughter works in a child care facility of her church and we were talking Sunday afternoon and she said, "Dad, I've discovered that little girls don't like to share." She is the mother of our 9-month old grandson and his interaction with little girls (at this point of his life) is that little girls, at least a bit older than he, know the word, "Mine!" and will not share. "That will change soon," I assured my daughter.

When did we lose that wonder about God and God's wonderful world and God's wonderful people? It might have been when we discovered that some people never got to the sharing stage of life; it stayed a matter of "Mine" versus "Would you like some?" Pastors will tell you we see more than we would like in church matters. These are the ones who will, without feeling a drop of guilt or remorse, share what's convenient and left over in their lives, with God. No time for prayer. Too busy to go to church! If I don't enjoy the summer, I never will. Etc. and etc. Children of God know the important things and how to make time for them. I've yet to hear a child say, "I'm too busy" unless they've learned that from Mom or Dad. May our prayer be that they will learn about sharing and giving, and not just with them and their family, but with God and God's entire family.

Jesus encountered a well-mannered and well-raised son. This son inherited a fortune and position for himself. The young man was also blessed with intelligence and so he knew that one important thing was lacking in his life; eternal life. He knew that life was too short to end here and when he heard of this traveling preacher named Jesus, he approached him and asked him all about eternal life. Jesus shared with him about the commandments and how important they are for living life, and this young man replied he had kept those from boyhood. Jesus knew the core of this young man's being and so he said, "You lack one thing. Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor..." I don't think the young man heard any more beyond that. He loved his wealth and position too much to care about the poor, honestly, about others. He went away sad. How many choose to be happy in this life without caring much about the next life or while on this earth, to care about those who don't have enough. Did he learn that from Mom or Dad?

PRAYER: Dear Father, Your instructions are the essence of life and a life lived in abundance. May I seek to learn more about You and others as I go through what is expected of me today. May I go beyond that and come to know where the needs are, and how I can be child-like in sharing and giving. Let me not worry about myself more than is necessary, but about what can truly bless You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: SERVING LEFTOVERS TO A HOLY GOD

God of grace and glory, shine Your light upon the path of this dear reader in whatever she or he may be facing today. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

The title of this week's sermon struck me as funny because growing up we had no leftovers. We were a family of seven, Mom, Dad, five kids, three of those hungry boys. Our mantra was, "Are you going to finish that?" Growing up in that way one appreciates food that probably others don't even know about. I had fun with that with the children during the children's sermon. When we had fried chicken there was only one fryer, but that included the neck and the tailbone. Those two pieces were the salvation of a still hungry, growing boy. Our kids had never heard of those and would not eat such if they had to. The children did say that leftovers were not a good thing. "They don't taste the same" was the response, and that's true; leftovers are something we didn't finish the first time and we placed them in the fridge until a later time. Thanks to the invention of the microwave, they can be "nuked" to a level of warmth that varies depending on the person's tastes. Yet, as the children said, it's never quite the same. I put it, "Warmed over does not match 'fresh off the stove.'"

So it is with our commitment to our holy God. Our God deserves and demands our first and our best. In all things, not just money, God is not pleased with our offering what we have left over. "Lord, I did pray that two minute bedtime prayer! What more do you want?" Or, "most people at my church only give two dollars, be thankful we give anything at all!" And some would add, "because of this economy and all..." Wrong. Leftovers indicate we're putting ourselves first. We wouldn't dream of serving leftovers to a special guest, especially a parent we had not seen in some time. We would love to make an impression and a memory of their specialness with us, and a meal made of leftovers would not do.

Leftovers are evil and come as a result of a life not centered on God. Regardless of the excuse we may try to hide behind, nothing excuses our putting ourselves or our treasures first. Christ wants all or nothing. God wants our first and our best.

PRAYER: Loving God, forgive me for putting myself and family before You. I know that I have hidden behind things or reasons that sounded good at the time, but I do know honestly, that I have not given You my all, and I've certainly not given You my first and my best. Give me a new opportunity to faithfully serve You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

NOW YOU'RE JUST HURTING ME!

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on this dear reader as they face today and its challenges; In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Take an honest look at your life as you read Francis Chan's list of what makes a Christian lukewarm. Keep in mind this is where you are right now, not where you want to be.

"Lukewarm People attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe "good Christians" do, so they go. Compare it to what Isaiah says in 29:13: "The Lord says, 'these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but there hearts are far from me. Their worship is made up only of rules taught by men.'" (Ouch.).

"Lukewarm People give money to charity and to he church...as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and i is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?" What does 1 Chronicles 21:24 say? "But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing." Or Luke 21:1-4: "1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

"Lukewarm People tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives. Read Luke 6:26 and Matt 23:5-7 to compare.

"Lukewarm People don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they're merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one. Compare that to John 10:10 and Romans 6:1-2.

"Lukewarm People are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for 'extreme' Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call 'radical' what Jesus expected of all His followers." Read James 1:22 and James 4:17.

"Lukewarm People rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion. See Matthew 10:32-33

"Lukewarm People gauge their morality or "goodness' by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hardcore for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street. See Luke 18:11-12

The list doesn't end there, in fact there's more, but this would be longer than a devotional should be. We're given much to think about in the ones shared above. And the reality is that too many of us are comfortable just where we are in doing just what we're doing; to be challenged beyond that is to insult us or hurt us or to make us uncomfortable, yet deep down we know that we need to be doing far more for the sake of reaching others.

PRAYER: Loving God, why is so much expected of me is an easy question to ask when we know full well that Your Son gave it all just for me. Forgive me for those times that I have felt insulted or hurt or embarrassed for Your sake; give me today as an opportunity to serve You better. I ask this in Jesus Christ's precious Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: GOOD SOIL? PROBABLY NOT!

Awesome God of love, pour out an awakening love on this dear reader so that all she or he may face, may be done so with love. In Christ Jesus, amen.

I've just read two books that make the same honest determination about the Christian Church: Jesus' parable about the sower tells the truth about the state of things in people's hearts; most hear the parable and assume they are "good soil." Both authors say the same thing, "you're probably not." One of the books is called, "Organic Church" by Neil Cole. He makes the point that most pastors will say that 80% of the work in a church is done by 20% of the people. The same is true in the financial support of a church's work as well. His claim is those figures are true because most "Christians" are not good soil. Francis Chan makes the same claim in "Crazy Love," the book on which our present sermon series is based. In fact, Chan has his own statements about Christians and the way we live:

Lukewarm Christians should not assume we are good soil. He says, "I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and a bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments are piled on top of it. Most of us have too much in our lives. As David Goetz writes,'Too much of the good life ends up being toxic, deforming us spiritually.' (Death by Suburb, p. 9). A lot of things are good by themselves, but all of it together keeps us from living healthy, fruitful lives for God." (p. 67)

I hate thorns or "stickers" as we used to call them in Kingsville. We went to a graveyard a couple of weeks ago and I wore some plastic sandals and for days I had to get the pesty things off the carpet in our car. I had to scrape the bottom of my sandals with a knife to get them out. I remember vividly wearing flip-flops growing up and the pain that would be mine when one of the stickers made its way through the flimsy pastic onto my foot. They make yards look bad and make the walking barefoot impossible. Can you imagine what the thorns in our lives are doing to our relationship with God? It is as Chan has said, we are being distracted from the fullness of life in God because of the things in our lives. In two separate conversations with pastors, one made the declaration, "I have too many things in my life!" The other said, "I don't!" I saw the truth behind both statements. Can we live in a way that simplifies the the obstacles to a richer life in God? The answer is yes, but do we want to?

Has the decision we made to follow Christ made a difference in our lives? Do we seek Him first in all things or has He taken a back seat to the pursuit of "happiness" that we define usually in materialistic ways? Again, we hear, "Do not assume you are good soil."

PRAYER: Loving God, remove the desire for having so many thorns in my life. Give me eyes to see what truly and really counts in my life that makes my life a blessing to You and Yours. I ask this, asking forgiveness in my life for my sins and thorns that I have willingly allowed to take a place in my heart and spirit; in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS If you ordered a copy of "Crazy Love" please come to the church office and pick yours up. Please call ahead as our secretary has taken a short vacation.

CRAZY LOVE: BEING LUKEWARM

Loving God bless this dear reader with zeal for life, for You, and for Your people. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

We find in the last book of the Bible this warning to one of the churches mentioned there in Revelation, from chapter 3: 15 "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, "I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."

One of the sad things about churches is that many of them, well honestly, all of them, have those who do not know otherwise, but spiritually, they are lukewarm. Jesus says His wish is that we were either cold or hot, not comfortably in the middle serving no one and serving nothing. In terms of food, we can think of very few meals we would like to eat lukewarm; we prefer them hot. God desires our zeal for Him to be the same. In fact, one online site had a 10-question test to see if we were or were not "lukewarm." Here it is:

1 - Do Cares & Worries of This Life Dominate Most of Your Thoughts & Conversations?
2 - Do You Practice Sin on a Regular Basis?
3 - Do You "Love" The Things of This World More Than God's Word?
4 - Are You Too Busy for Jesus? What are Your Priorities?
5 - Do You Use God's Name In Vain? ('Oh My G-d?')
6 - Do You Fail to Pray Earnestly & Pray for the Lost Who Will Spend Eternity in Hell?
7 - Do You Fail to Preach the Gospel on a Regular Basis? OR Do You Hinder Others?
8 - Are You Indifferent About Your Sin? What is Your Attitude?
9 - Do You Seek After Worldly Wealth & Fame vs Seeking First The Kingdom of God?
10-Do You Fail to Obey Jesus, and God's Word Consistently?

While some would hold to all those things and accept that as a sure measure of whether one is lukewarm or not, we get the general idea; when we place God and the things of God in a place lower than our personal desires and wants, we generally will be lukewarm. This is not where God would have us be. Using the above "test" we see that in each, a believer has a role in the world that shows a different and better way to live: Instead of being weighed down with worries and anxieties, we have faith in the One who can see us through all things. Matthew 6:25-34 shows Jesus preaching on worry. And the same holds true for the rest. What does God offer that we have received and yet not preached or shared with others?

May our prayer be that we would shine in places where others have come to expect darkness. May our lives speak of hope and trust when fear and worry dominate the conversations and thoughts of others. May it be said of us that we are on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ!

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, set me on fire for You this day. May my life give witness to the Way that Jesus shared with me. I ask this in His precious Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

WHAT COULD BE

Ezekiel 40, 41, 42
Why would the details of the Temple be so significant to Ezekiel's
audience?

Those who love the Lord seek to be in relationship with Him all the
time. And to those who love the Lord and are in relationship with
Him receive from God visions of what can be. Usually these concern
His church, for God loves His church and wants the best for those who
make up the church, represented in this first vision in chapter 40 by
the building of the Temple. God presents a vision and with it comes
the question, "why not?" This becomes hard for those who don't know
the Lord to say, "we've never done it that way before, why would we
change now?" Or the most classic form of that, "this is the way
we've always done it before, why change now?" And sadly this is also
the way some folks see their own lives. "I can't be any better, I've
tried!" Wrong! "I don't see where what I've done or the way I've
lived is wrong." Wrong again! "God couldn't possibly want me!"
Wrong still again!

God's vision for us is to keep bettering ourselves and to take "God-
risks" letting God have His way and His say in our lives and in the
lives of our churches. See the vision of God reaching all people.
Receive the vision of God changing you!

PRAYER: Loving God of all possibilities, thank you for the vision
that You will share in my life for myself and for my church. Help me
not be limit Your power but to receive what You have shown as the
things that can be. I ask this in the Name of He who can do all
things, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord in the Lord's House!

e.v.

CRAZY LOVE: GOD LOVES YOU...

God of the loving touch, touch the life of this dear reader so that in turn, s/he may touch someone else. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

It was years ago at a meeting prior to my involvement in yet another Walk to Emmaus as a team member, a dear brother shared his life story. In many ways it was a tragic life made so by personal decisions that proved Jesus' statement in John 10:10; we let the "thief" come in to "steal, kill, and destroy" our lives, but he shared how someone told him, "Re-read John 3:16 and instead of using the word "world," put your first name in there, so it will read, "For God so loved __________ that He gave his only begotten son..." It was powerful then and it's powerful now. We can try to hold God at arm's length and say, yes, God loves the world, but it gets much closer than that; God loves me, and God loves you. And you know what, God even knows our names. Talk about a personal touch!

And that's crazy! In a world that celebrates celebrities and glamorous people, it is easy to feel insignificant or unimportant, but just the opposite is true: You and I matter so much to God, God loves us. Just this Sunday at our early service and at our NuLife service I asked those present to do something some churches do: Find three people, hug them, and tell them, "I love you and there's nothing you can do about it!" That made for some laughs and more contact and interaction that I believe we're used to, but at the end of the service I added, "God loves you and me so much, and you know there is something we can do about it. Go out and be people of love."

Closing thoughts from Paul, who knew God's love, " Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.

PRAYER: Thank You, dear God, for Your precious love. Help me today to do something about it: Let me truly be a person of love. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: AGAPE

Gracious God, bring Your peace to the challenges before this dear reader. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Besides philos, the other type or description of love was eros, or that which we call romantic love. Not too much explanation is needed for this. The greatest type of love is agape, unconditional love which some would say can occur only on a spiritual plane. For the beliver this is the type of love that God shows towards us. We can stand before God in our worst state, ask for forgiveness and we will be made completely clean, all while being loved by God. This falls under that title, "Crazy Love." How could anyone ever love me? is a question many ask. We either do or have done to us things that fall under the category "lost cause," yet God never gives up on us.

Nellie and I in our empty nest years have found our television tastes going in directions we never dreamed. I once overheard Kelly Ripa of the "Regis and Kelly" show fame, mention that she and her children love watching a show called "Casso Cerrado," (Case Closed, as in a legal sense) and so one day I taped one of the shows to see what that was all about. Nellie and I are both native speakers of Español, but fair warning - we sometimes understand little to nothing of what gets shared in the heat of anger on this show. Put simply, this is a Spanish Judge Judy type show but with more understanding and compassion thrown in. The show brings out those who do or have done to them things not thought possible. Watching it has added to my prayer list. Yet, everyone on this show, whether they're actors or in most cases, the real persons in the case, can find love and forgiveness in the arms of God. Again, that's crazy!

You and I could never work out our lives to a level we could say, "Ah, now I deserve God's love!" It just doesn't work that way. All we have to do is stand at a point where we realize we need and want that love and simply ask for it. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us, we receive forgiveness and full entrance into a loving relationship with God Almighty.

PRAYER: Loving God, I stand in need of forgiveness, make me clean. Let me have a heart filled with Your love. Let my life today reflect to others, especially those who believe they could never be loved, that love from You that can come to them. Give me the opportunities, the words, the boldness, to share Your love. I ask this in Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE: PHILOS

Gracious God of peace, pour out Your peace on this dear reader and all she or he may face today. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Our granddaughter, Saraí Evangelina, called her grandma yesterday. Our daughter related to me this story: She asked her Mom to call Grandma, took the phone and then walked into her bedroom and closed the door. She could hear roars of laughter from the other side but was not allowed in. A bit later, she opened the door and not letting go of the phone, said, "Grandma wants to talk to you - but I'm still talking to Grandma!" Later, Nellie confirmed the story and said that our grandbaby wasn't saying much but would laugh, causing Grandma to laugh, and that would make Sarita laugh all the morning. Grandma called it their laugh party. Such a story is a great example of philos, that love between family. In an attempt to be a model city, the City of Philadelphia named themselves this name which means "The city of brotherly love." I've only been there a couple of times and would not swear to the truth behind their name. And sadly, here in the South, another Philadelphia, during the Civil Rights movement was the site of anything but brotherly love.

Jesus knew the importance of loving one another so much that He made it a commandment, "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." (1 John 4:17). This Sunday's sermon dialogue at our NuLife worship service allowed for folks to share their stories of how they learned of love outside the home, and one shared how an illness in the family showed an outpouring of love even from strangers, another told of the constant love and care by members of the church family; all examples of how a church should be a family that loves.

In families and churches, there are times when the love is not felt; but it is up to us to call upon the Lord to make right our hearts and motives so that we can love God and love each other. All of us have the lead in this, love one another.

Call your daughter/son or granddaughter/son and have a laugh party today!

PRAYER: God of love and laughter, make light my heart today so that I may see the joy that comes in getting along and loving one another. Lord, help me to be a person of mercy towards those who do not love me or have judged me not worthy of their love. May I lead by example. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

CRAZY LOVE!

Glorious God, pour out Your grace and peace upon the needs of this dear reader. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Prayer Request: For the comfort and peace for the Cusanek family; Norma's stepdad, Al, died yesterday. May the Lord comfort them and calm them in their travel back for his funeral.

"The great Swiss-German theologian Karl Barth delivered one of the closing lectures of his life at the University of Chicago Divinity School. At the end of the lecture, the president of the seminary told the audience that Dr. Barth was not well and was very tired, and though he thought Dr. Barth would like to open for questions, he probably could not handle the strain. Then he said, "Therefore, I'll ask just one question on behalf of all of us." He turned to Barth and asked, "Of all the theological insights you have ever had, which do you consider to be the greatest of them all?" This was a remarkable question to ask a man who had written tens of thousands of pages of some of the most sophisticated theology ever put on paper. the students sat with pads and pencils ready. They wanted to jot down the premier insight of the greatest theologian of their time. Karl Barth closed his eyes and though for a while. then he smiled, opened his eyes, and said to the young seminarians, "The greatest theological insight that I have ever had is this: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!" - "Let Me Tell You A Story" by Tony Campolo.

Some would consider that answer crazy, yet the only explanation we can give sometimes, are the simplest and yet most profound when it comes to explaining the concept of God loving us. That's been the point of this sermon series we've been preaching at our church based on Francis Chan's book by the same name. In our worship service we were asked about love outside the love we should receive from our moms and dads. Some responded of love by aunts/uncles, grandparents; some about love demonstrated by neighbors, some of them unknown, during family crises; and some relayed the feeling of love by "the one," the special person who later became wife or husband. Those are feeling and experiences of love difficult to put in words, but wonderful to experience. The love one feels at becoming a parent is also beyond description, but it's there. So it is with God's heart and God's love towards us.

God loves you and me, no matter what I've done or what's been done to me. When it comes to being loved by God, I may not deserve it, but I still can receive it. That is crazy! But it sure is necessary!

Today, think about how much God loves you! And what are you doing to do about it?

PRAYER: Loving God, I thank You for loving me. I claim that no matter what I've done or has been done to me, I still stand worthy in Your eyes of Your love for me. I receive it. I enjoy it and I will share it. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

BEFORE THE THRONE OF A HOLY, ETERNAL GOD

Gracious and loving God, bless this person this day beyond their wildest dreams. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

I pray that our prayer life this week has changed from a Telling God What To Do stance to a Listening, Loving, Looking stance. We know that God is holy and eternal, and that we can become that through a life of faithful, worshipful prayer, and a life lived in obedience. As we go before the throne of God, keep in mind two of the pictures of heaven that we have. The first comes from the prophet Isaiah, who while mourning the death of a good king, was called by God. This account is found in Isaiah 6. The second comes from John the Beloved, the disciple exiled to the Island of Patmos, who, while lamenting the fact he was not in worship with brothers and sisters as had been his custom, the Lord Jesus took him to heaven to get a glimpse of the holy city and to share with us that which he saw. This account is found in Revelation 4.

Some verses from those two:

Isa 6: 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."

Rev 4: At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. 4 Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.

As we pray, may we too, enter the courts of heaven with the right spirit and attitude, so that our prayer may truly be a worship experience that lifts high the name of God.

PRAYER: Living God, I thank You for all You are. I am awed by Your love and grace towards me. Let me be cleansed of my sins, may I have a true spirit of repentance about who I have been and who I need to be. Let my life today truly be a holy prayer to You. And as I said the other day, I say again, when I say "amen" speak to me, and let me truly hear. I pray in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

GOD IS ETERNAL

Blessed Lord, take the hand of this dear reader and gently guide them through today. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

One of the most difficult questions for most parents to answer is a child's "Who made God?" Most will say, correctly, "God has always been!" The response may come, "No, Momma/Dadda, when was God born?" We were all wonderfully and awesomely made, but one limitation is our finite minds. Most of us think only in terms of beginnings and ends, starts and finishes. We forget that our God is eternal. A God who has always been, always will be; a God with no end. The awesomeness of that is that God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord promised us eternal life. That too, boggles the mind.

An illustration of this is comparing our minds to a 10 oz. glass and God to the ocean. Go to the ocean, fill your glass with ocean water and you'll see that our thinking about God is quite limited. We can't explain the concept of the ocean based on that 10 oz glass. Someone once said, "To try to explain eternity is to suggest that a bird from New York can fly down to the tip of South America, land there on that beach, pick up one grain of sand, fly back to New York, drop that grain of sand there, pick up one from a North American beach, fly back and repeat the process over and over again until the beaches have traded places, then you will understand the beginning of eternity." In terms of a spiritual relationship with God, eternity seems awesome. In terms of a spiritual separation from God, eternity sounds frightening. Most who think about God and God's love will choose a relationship. God does not condemn us to separation, that's our choice.

In terms of prayer, keep in mind that God is eternal and deals with eternal matters. Remember that through prayer we should seek to strengthen our relationship with Him. Seek to know Him, love Him, and to be guided by the One who has no beginning and no end.

PRAYER: Loving God, let the challenges of today have their end in You. Help me to live my life in a way that invites others to come to You not just for their need of today, but for all eternity. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

GOD IS HOLY!

Holy God, pour out a rich blessing on the needs of this dear reader. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

The Bible tells us of God's holiness. Moses when called by God has to remove his shoes for he was standing on holy ground (Ex 3). Moses feared to look at God because the thought was that if a human looked at God, that person would die. Moses asked what he knew he needed to know before going before Pharoah, "What is your name?" It was necessary because Moses needed to know just who had sent him on that seemingly suicidal mission of asking Pharoah to release God's people. "I am who I am," is God's response. Dynamic and active is the Lord God! It is a statement of being, of eternity, of a neverending sense of holiness that we cannot begin to understand with our limited minds. God is. It states that God has always been and always will be. Later, Isaiah sees this in chapter 6 of the book with his name, "1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Isaiah recognized that this sad death of a beloved king, Uzziah, was nothing compared to the existence of the True King, GOD, who was seated on a throne. The throne was unlike the one Uzziah had used, and the court was nothing like the king's court in Jerusalem. This court was filled with smoke and the attendants in the presence of this king were seraphs, six-winged angels whose only cry was to say that God was, "Holy, holy, holy." Three times the word is used to emphasize the holiness of God.

Recognizing that God is holy helps us in our prayers to God. We pale in comparision to God. God is holy, we're not; but we need to be in the presence of the Holy One each day as a reminder of who we can be, indeed, who we're called to be.

PRAYER: Loving God, holy God, as I pray today, I recognize my need to be holy in Your presence and in my dealings with all. Let my life reflect the desire I have to be like You. I seek to be holy and I seek to be made perfect in love in this life, by Your power and mercy. I pray this in Jesus Christ's precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

STOP PRAYING!

Blessed Father, be with and bless this dear reader with whatever they may face today. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

A new seven-Sunday sermon series started yesterday. It's based on the book by Francis Chan, "Crazy Love." We've given the congregation an opportunity to order and be involved in reading and sharing through small groups or Sunday school, whatever it is they receive from reading the book. The book's intent is to stress how "crazy" it is to be loved by God. It makes little to no sense in human terms, that we, as small as we are compared to God, would be loved by God in the awesome and yes, crazy ways that He does. It also frankly addresses the problem with our response to that love. The tradition way has been to "go to church, sing some songs, and try not to cuss." There's way more to responding to God's love than that!

The sermon yesterday was called, "Stop Praying." I had people turn to their neighbors and say (and receive) that with and to each other. I said, "I know for some of you this is a frightening thought to say, for others, a scary thing to receive, and for others, 'Ah, no big deal-I don't pray anyway!'" The looks on each face gave it away! But here's the deal: We talk to, yell and shout at God most times that we pray. We have a great, and we believe, divine, to-do list to share with God. We leave it in God's hands and off we go with the "I'll check on this list tomorrow! Get busy!" That's not praying. Prayer involves knowing who God is, it involves our willingness to listen and look for God after we say our "Amens." This involves our slowing down and pulling away from who we have become. We're a techno-savvy culture that prefers tweeting and texting rather than community. I had to confess the other day Nellie and I were in a restaurant and we were both texting our kids when the waitress came up and asked if we were texting each other! Oops. No. I much prefer the loving face of my lovely bride than the dumb keyboard of my phone. With all the time saving gadgets we've created, we have a ready excuse for everything, "I got so busy" or "I just don't have time!"

Take time today to listen and look for God more than usual. See the wonder and beauty of creation with a renewed awe for what God has done, is doing and can do. Smell the flowers. Imagine the work it took to bring forth such beauty for us, and not only that the incredible role flowers play in our staying alive! See the flight of birds as a choreographed dance in air made possible by God's design. Listen to what God may be saying to you as you face the challenges and worries of your life. Hear above all, that God is with you and has not left you. Remember the power of God to see you through whatever it is you think is impossible.

PRAYER: Loving God, let me stop praying today. I mean in the ways that I've come to call prayer. I want to hear from You and learn from You and be blessed by You. I want to listen and look more closely at the ways You have shared to remind me that I am Yours and You are mine. I pray this in the Name of He who came to show more of Your love for me, Jesus Christ. And after I say amen, let that be my signal to listen and look to see what more You have to say to me. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

WHERE DO I STAND WITH GOD? BESIDES IN RELATIONSHIP?

God of healing and wholeness, bless this dear reader with whatever he or she needs today. In Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

PRAYER REQUEST: A young man, Josue "Josh" Campos, son of a UM pastor, has asked prayer from us. He is suffering from back pain and has discovered that it is caused by a herniated disk and a "mass" that is growing in the same area. We put Josh in God's hands and ask that God heal him and give him comfort.

Yesterday we spoke of our being invited into a relationship with and by God. Once in, it is not a position of special privilege, it is the beginning of a relationship for and with others. Jesus sums this up in His instructions to the disciples in their role in things yet to be done here on the earth. It is a passage found in Matthew 25:

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

Our new relationship with God is one of giving and sharing, even with those we try to ignore. The passage said we "gave" food, water, and we gave of ourselves as we welcomed strangers, we gave clothing, we gave of ourselves as we visited and cared for the sick, and we gave of ourselves when we visited those in prisons. In the story told by our Lord, the "righteous" ask, "Lord, when was it" that we did all those things? The Lord replied, "just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

Do you wonder where you stand with God? You stand in need of giving and sharing.

PRAYER: Lord, I have heard Your loving concern for the least of these among me. Let me today give of myself and to gave of what I have. I know it won't be easy and I won't always be ready or excited, but I will, with Your help. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

WHERE DO I STAND WITH GOD?

God of grace and glory, may our lives today be glory unto You. Bless this dear reader in all they may face. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

If ever you wonder where you stand with God, remember you are invited into a loving relationship with God. God loves you so much He wants you! Jesus told it this way: (Luke 14)

(Someone said to Jesus) ""Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17 At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, "Come; for everything is ready now.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, "I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' 19 Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' 20 Another said, "I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 22 And the slave said, "Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' 23 Then the master said to the slave, "Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.' "

God's invitation involves dinner. It involves the eating and drinking of those things that truly and eternally satisfy. The Gospels tell the story of great banquets and the coming Feast where Jesus will be seated with us and all of us will dine in splendor and love. The invitation is right now. You and I are invited right now to become a part of this great feast. You and I have probably invited others. And sadly, they've either said, "Yes, I'll be there," and we've yet to see them. Others have said, "I'm not ready for that right now," and we've yet to see them. Others have come once and never again. The story Jesus told is our story. You and I have had great excuses for not wanting a part of God. In Jesus' story, one says he's now a landowner, bought a property sight unseen and must go and check it out. Another now owns livestock or new livestock, and must go and test their strength and ability to work. One said they had just married, no other explanation given or needed. The one doing the inviting returns to the master and the master is angered. Now the invitation is to all; "the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame." These came. They had never been invited before. Now the servant returns to tell the master, "There's still room!" Go and invite, "compel" if necessary all to come, so that my house may be filled!"

Where you choose to put yourself in this story is up to you. What you choose to do with your invitation is also up to you. Let me give you a clue. You never know how delicious a dinner or feast is going to be unless you show up. We can stand at the window all day staring into a dinner or feast and not know how delicious the meal truly is. Someone coming out cannot describe it well enough to match the experience of food touching your lips and mouth. So it is with God. Experience God and as the Psalmist said, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psa. 34:8).

PRAYER: God when I doubt about my standing with You, remind me that I am one of the ones invited. More than that, dear God, let me be one of those who responds and shows up early to enjoy not only the meal but the fellowship. Let me also be one who invites others with joy and understanding and with the conviction that they will respond and they will be blessed as I have been. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

WRESTLING WITH GOD

Loving God bless this dear reader with all she or he may need today. In Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

In yesterday's NY Times there was an interesting article about The Four Seasons Hotel. It seems this is a management company that owns no property of its own. To stay in a Four Seasons hotel is to stay in the property owned by someone, but it is managed and run by the FS. The FS company is owned by three major holders, the founder, a Saudi prince, and an American prince, Bill Gates. The FS is known for having the best customer satisfaction rating in the world; it employs more staff per customer than any other hotel (thus the article-the economy is not allowing the property owners to enjoy much of a profit, if any), the thread count on its linen is higher than most hotels, and their beds are their claim to fame. On one Ophra episode, according to the article, Julia Roberts was asked where she had had the best night's sleep and without having to think about it she said, Four Seasons hotel.

Yesterday's Bible passage was from Genesis 32 where Jacob spends a night wrestling with God. I made the claim that it doesn't matter the bed, Four Seasons, Three Seasons, One Season or No Season, if we lay down troubled, we are not going to get a good night's sleep. Jacob found that out. Once he had sent his family to safey away from where he was, his intention was to prepare for an encounter with the brother he had tricked on more than one occasion. He found himself wrestling with God. The same is true for us; if we are not right in our lives with someone, with ourselves, or with God, we are not going to rest or get much sleep. The way we lay down is usually the way we'll wake up. It took that night of wrestling for Jacob to realize several things had to change in his life, and the main was to know he had to confess his sins before God. So do we. He also knew that only God could change his heart. Same for us. And Jacob knew he had to make right his relationships. Ditto. Jacob was then able to enter into the Promised Land. We too, after confessing our sins, asking God to change our hearts, asking God to help us make right our relationships, can enter into the "promised land" of forgiveness and cleansing.

God desires all of us to be in relationship with Him. The key is to begin with forgiveness and then to ask for us to be cleansed of all the filth, ugliness, and sin that has grown on us. The good news is that God will.

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord for giving me the chance to be forgiven. I confess that I am not where You would have me be. I am sinful, imperfect, and far from where I know I should be. Forgive me my sins, cleanse me of my sins with the Blood of the Lamb, and let me enter into the promised land of forgiveness and cleansing. Help this be but the first of a lifelong journey with You. In Jesus Christ's precious name I ask, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde