FAITH THAT OVERCOMES AND CONQUERS

Loving God of grace and mercy; show Your favor on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text for today: 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace. 32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect. 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

The author of Hebrews knew that we would need to read something like this! Look especially at what faith in God has allowed believers prior to our time to do: verses 33-34, "conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fires, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight." A checklist like that serves as true encouragement for what we face. Apply that list to what you're facing today and how does your problem stack up to the ones "the ancients" faced? The list of names and their character or profession also asks, who can God NOT change and use for the good of God's Kingdom? Can God not use you? Can you still try and hide behind excuses of who you think you are, how unworthy you might feel, how inadequate you think your training or abilities may be? NO!

Life comes at us hard and we can face it with a stronger, tougher power, the power of faith. Faith that conquers and overcomes is at our disposal, and what are we doing about it?

PRAYER: Awesome God, show me just how I might best serve You in what You need done in my life and in the lives of those around me. I ask this, asking You help me overcome my feelings of less than worthiness so that I might be a blessing to You and others. In Christ Jesus' powerful and precious name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GOD IS GOOD! BUT NOT ALL ARE READY TO RECEIVE

Loving Word be with the needs and challenges of this dear reader in all they may face today and all days; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today comes from Luke 12: 49 "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." 54 He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, "It is going to rain'; and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, "There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Have you ever been anxious about a big day coming up? What feelings do you have about a task you have to complete, but the time isn't quite right? Such is the anxiousness that Jesus was feeling in the midst of the discourses He was having with his disciples as they encountered opposition from all sides, and yet the crowds were responding to their message. Jesus knew that all Heaven was going to break loose when the Holy Spirit would come upon these His beloved disciples. And yet, while it was a task of reconciliation with God, Jesus knew human nature, and not all would be in favor of such a reconcilation. Jesus knows that in a household, not all think alike. We nicely say, "We're not on the same page," when we sometimes mean, "You should have heard the shouting going on as we 'discussed' this topic/issue/problem." How often do we see churches where in one row of seats or pews there is a multigenerational family sitting happily as worship begins? And this is in reference to those families where this could physically take place. In others, families have moved away or live in a different part of the state or nation, but what about those where folks have not left, yet they have not shared a commitment to church?

To follow Christ requires the fire and passion of the Holy Spirit and not all choose it. Jesus knew that not would have the same thirst for His presence in their lives, but those who did and who did find Him, would find within their close circle of family and friends those who did not understand or would oppose such things. Yesterday a dear sister shared how she serves on a committee where one of the members takes great pride in saying he does not believe in God. His behavior is a dead give-away, she said. This man has gone through five marriages and has an uneasiness that comes out in bitterness and attack. And yet he wonders why others seek and find God. A little later I had a visit with a dear brother who said he used to make fun of those who attend his church. And he said, "Here I am now, the one who opens the doors, makes the coffee and makes sure everything is ready for worship each Sunday. God is good!"

We have, thanks to the presence of Christ in our lives, a lot to offer, but we do so knowing that not all will be receptive and not all will be friendly about it. Ours is still that which keeps us on the right path we know.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless those who do not yet believe. May I be an example of patience and love as I encounter those who have uneasy spirits because Your Spirit has not yet come to reside in them. Mine is just to plant a seed of love and hope through my actions, words, and thoughts. May You do the rest; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

DAY EIGHT IN A JOURNEY OF GRACE

Loving God of this and all days, make the needs and challenges of this dear reader Yours in ways that bless and protect; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:20: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." This comes in the context of our being at work in Christ Jesus in making disciples and trying to transform the world. I suppose the case could be made that Christ would be with those who ask, even the lazy, unemployed Christians; but what an awesome promise for those who care and love for the lost, the last, and the least. Here Newton's words in his third stanza of that awesome hymn:

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

John Wesley would have said, "This is the journey of Sanctifying Grace." At the precise moment we give ourselves to God and receive the work of Justifying Grace, sanctifying grace takes over. It is the journey of life for the believer. It is, I should add, also a difficult journey with no promises of "Pass Go and Collect $200," for those who remember the game of Monopoly. John Newton knew this, as did Wesley, and so the song says, "Many dangers, toil and snares," but "'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far." It's reassuring to know that in spite of all that life would throw our way, God sees to it we are seen safe through it all. Our definition of safe might not match what God's is, but if defined in and with God, it is the best definition, for in all that we go through, even the facing of death, God is with us and never leaves us. Thus the ending of this stanza, "And Grace will lead me home." All our wanderings and opportunities and services rendered to the Lord may take us to places we never dreamed, but in spite of how strange or far from our starting point of "home," we know where our real home is.

Leonard Sweet recounts the legend of a man who was shipwrecked on an island where late at night when he should have been sleeping he heard a commotion of dolphins coming on shore, and as he watched unseen by these dolphins, they shed their dolphin skin and became humans. As daybreak approached the dolphins slipped back into their skins and out to sea they swam. The man continued his nightly watch of these dolphins and saw a beautiful woman among them and so, one night, he took and hid her dolphin skin. All the others left, and this woman was left alone. The man came to her, married her and once rescued they started a life together. All went well for years until one day as the woman was cooking in the kitchen of her home, a drop of dolphin oil fell from the place in the attic where he had hidden her dolphin skin. This drop with its aroma reminded the woman who she truly was and she quickly found the skin, put it back on and left. Rev. Sweet then asks how often do we see these drops of dolphin oil that remind us of who we truly are and of our true home?

As we live and walk our journey of grace, remember Whose we are and where we're from.

PRAYER: Loving God until that day when we are through with this journey, we have lots to do. As we strive to do Your work we will indeed encounter the "dangers, toils,and snares" of which we sing often. But let the clear, loud, beautiful voice of Jesus sing louder of His promise to me, that He will be with me, even to the end of the age. In His precious and powerful name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Sacrificial Saturdays!

Malachi 4: 8 Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, "How are we robbing you?" In your tithes and offerings! 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

Saturdays were days of sacrifice when I turned 9. Sacrifice in that up to that point, these were days of Bugs Bunny, RoadRunner, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam. My anthem was Bug's show's theme and for years I thought he and the cast were singing, "On with the show, Mrs. Pip!" (Hey, I was learning English!-Didn't know "this... is it!"). At the age of 9 I got hired to work, like my dad did at almost the same age, in the same little grocery store in Kingsville, TX, Chapa's Grocery on Richard Street, in those days the Chicano downtown. I had to sacrifice watching cartoons to start making my own money. Years later "Gilbert Grape" worked in the same store, tho' on the screen and had the same feelings I hate toward HEB, my "Foodland." I worked from 8 until 6, boxing groceries (plastic bags had not yet been invented, thank God! and paper sacks were too expensive, boxes came with deliveries of the food items for the store), cutting meat, pouring saw dust on the floor towards closing, then sweeping it up. That was my favorite in that I knew it was close to closing time and I loved the smell of saw dust. It was incredible what the saw dust did to those wooden floors. I'll never forget that first night my Mom picked me up and she handed me a church offering envelope. She said, "15-cents belongs to God. This is called the tithe." (El diezmo). No problem, in fact, I was happy to give! Years later I had to preach and teach peope, whose Moms didn't teach them to tithe, that this is sacrificial giving.

What did you learn about giving to God? More importantly, what are you teaching others about it? I learned that my job had come from God as did the money I received for doing it. I learned to work hard, but to give thankfully. I also have tried to teach that to those who have been in my flocks.

PRAYER: All things come from you, O God, and because of that I should joyfully and thankfully, return to You what is Yours. Help me to live that. In Jesus Christ's precious and powerful name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

DAY SEVEN IN A JOURNEY OF GRACE

Amazing God of grace, pour out a double portion on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

As we continue our journey of grace, the second stanza of that awesome hymn comes to mind:

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.


John Newton knew that in Proverbs 1:7 that "fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, which means the proper respect and attitude towards God begins to lead us in the right direction where God would have us be in our relationship. And in the second line, Newton says it is God's grace that relieves us of our earthly fears, those things that trouble and haunt us that could easily keep us from being the people God would want. And as grace visited, Newton realizes it is "precious," without an earthly price, priceless, in fact, from the moment we first believed until now.

That having been said, where is this country at this moment? Living in fear! We fear terrorists, we fear the economy, we fear those who are different from us, we fear what tomorrow may hold, and we have to ask, is this what the Lord would want for us? If we "fear" God then we should have no fears, for that "fear" in God should speak to our heart about Who is truly in control. And guess what, it is not us. Let us be reminded of what Paul says in the Epistle of 2 Timothy 1:7 (huh? Proverbs and 2 Timothy 1:7 have to do with "fear?"), "We have not been given a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and self-control. Do you have that? Do you want that?

PRAYER: God of Heaven and Earth, grant to me that spirit of power, love, and self-control. Help me to remain fearful of You and empty of the fears that are so easily available that would destroy me. Bless me and let me be a blessing to others, in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

DAY SIX IN A JOURNEY OF GRACE

Amazing God, bless this dear reader in all that they need and face today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

In our journey of grace, we learned of all that God shares and does for us. The words of the hymn by John Newton give a great inspiration messgae of all he experienced, and how he went from slave trader/captain to servant of the Lord. Here's stanza one:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

The sinner knows when his/her sin has been removed. Until that point of having it removed and receiving new birth in Christ, life is miserable. All that life can throw at us hits us hard and we think we have no recourse or that we are alone. Sin has a way of doing that to us. It drags us down with it into a place where all that Jesus said would happen, as found in John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and that in abundance." Sin, if allowed can steal from life the fullness and vitality of life. Sin also kills. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death." Not much of a paycheck. Destroy means just that, everything is wiped away and we're close to having nothing. On the other hand, Jesus' promise sounds great: He came that you and me could have life and not just existence, but the fullness of life; the joy and vitality, peace and joy, of being alive in Him. Not a hard choice is it? We can choose to go from being a "wretch" to being alive. We can claim as did Newton that we have gone from being lost to being found, from being blind to being able to see. How sweet the sound indeed.

Make your choice today, to be the person the Lord offers you to be.

PRAYER: Loving God, cleanse me of my sin. Restore me to fullness of life. May my relationship with You bring life to me and through me, to others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

DAY FIVE IN A JOURNEY OF GRACE

God of grace, pour out Your blessing on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text is from John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." 3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." 4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. AND 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Grace is God's gracious love and mercy towards us when we deserve it the least. Yet, grace would not be grace if we did not respond to it. We spoke of God seeking us in what Wesley called prevenient grace and that is the courtship period in our relationship with God. God seeks us out and as we are sought out, God is leading us to a point where we must decide if we are in relationship with God. Do we trust enough to say yes to God? Can we put aside our doubts, reservations, fears, questions aside and say, "Yes, God, I do believe and I do trust You. I do know that I matter to You and that I put myself and all of my loved ones in Your loving hands." It is at that moment that we enter into that relationship known as justifying grace, the point of our having been born anew or "from above" (v. 3) or other versions say, "born again." It is at that moment that all that has held us back is entrusted to God and we journey forth in a new relationship with Him.

Do you trust God enough to turn over your whole life and being to God? Can You trust that all that we have heard and read is true for you and so from before you were born and even beyond when you die, can you believe that you are God's?

PRAYER: Thank You, loving God, for all You offer me. As You offered Nicodemus, I know You offer me this invitation to be born "from above." I pray that I might be born in spirit to spiritual things and that I might trust You and walk with You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

DAY THREE IN A JOURNEY OF GRACE

God of grace and God of glory, may those two precious gifts shine in the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today is from Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

I have recounted the story of our visit to Wesley's Chapel in November of 2005 when we were given a quick tour of the chapel and of John Wesley's home. The gracious man giving us the tour said that the baptismal font at Wesley's Chapel was given by John Newton, who had worshiped at one Sunday service where he was converted and this conversion was so powerful he had returned home to his plantation in the Caribbean and tried to free his slaves, but not before sending a step from that plantation home as a symbol of the power of God to convert. Well, the story line was good and correct, but the man in question was not Newton but a man named Nathaniel Gilbert. Newton, however, still knew the power of God's grace to help us rise above our sin nature into a new creation, thus the famous and favorite hymn, "Amazing Grace." Among the precious lines are contained the words, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." While the word wretch is not a commonly used word, it describes our condition when we are away from God. From the misery of sin that can and does make us unbearable, God can set us free, and what a sound that is.

Grace is God's gift of a second or third or fourth or millionth chance in this life. John Wesley would call this God's prevenient grace, the love that seeks us and even though we don't deserve it, God give us love and freedom in forgiveness with nothing expected in return. Those who know love, know that we love God in return and we should love others as a result of that change. "All of this," Paul would write, "is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Cor. 5:18). We can leave the state of sin and enter the state of grace, through God's amazing love we call grace.

PRAYER: Loving God, help me rise above that which holds me down in misery and affliction. I know it is the result of sin. I have sought answers and comforts away from You and I no longer want to be here; grant me new lifre through Your grace; through Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

DAY TWO IN A JOURNEY OF GRACE

Loving God of all days, be this day with the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text for this morning from Ephesians 2: 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ*—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

Grace is God's "YES!" vote on your life. It is an affirmation we all need to hear at one time or another, or in some cases, all the time. Life has a way of knocking us down in so many ways and sometimes those knocks hit us in very delicate areas and we long to hear an affirmation such as the one shared in the Ephesians passage. God always takes the first step in reaching us. It is our decision to reach back, as it were, to take God's hand and let Him hold us. Our very relationship with God was God's initiative. Paul calls it our having "been saved" has come "by grace." Grace is God's free gift of love indwelling and active in our lives. Grace is receiving that which we know we don't deserve, but need, coming our way because of the awesomeness of God.

The very word grace comes from the Greek word, charis, which means "gift." I don't know about you, but I love gifts. I'm a bit old-fashioned in that I love getting those that come in boxes, gift wrapped in such unopenable ways that the excitement just builds and builds until I can get the gift unwrapped. Okay, I'm not going to lie, I also enjoy the ones that come in gift bags. I do wonder, who invented those? Probably someone who realized, "Man, am I late to this party - oh, here's a nice bag, I'll put the gift in there, 'hide' it with tissue, and viola! the gift is ready!" That works as well. Grace is a gift that comes ready for us to enjoy.

Pause for a moment and just receive God's grace for your life today. Let God speak to your life and needs in a wondrous way.

PRAYER: Loving God, I thank You for your gift of grace. I confess that I don't deserve it, but Your love for me goes beyond what I think, and for that I am blessed. May this day be a day in which I can share grace with others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

DAY ONE IN A JOURNEY IN GOD'S GRACE

God, let love so amazing fall upon the needs of this dear reader's life; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Friends, we'll take a walk down some of the most powerful teachings we have as a church concerning God's love as expressed in what we call "grace." For our text for today, we'll look at what David declared in Psalm 139: 13-15: 13For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

To begin to understand grace, we must first discover and declare that we are God's. It was God who made us out of love and Who loves us all our days, and even beyond our days here on the earth. Notice how David came to know that and to declare from God's own inspiration, "For it was You who formed my inward parts," this from a man who had not yet been blessed by what science has taught us about the marvelous machine that is the human body. Yet David knew that inside were his feelings of love and fear, of peace and comfort, of hunger, satisfaction, and while he couldn't explain how each thing worked, he did the next best thing, he attributed them to God. He uses the word "knit" remembering possibly how his mother or household servants knit their clothing and this indicates he may have stood by and asked, "Mom, what are you doing?" As she explained knitting, the thing that remained with David was the care and attention paid to the process, knowing that out of love this project was coming to life. And so had he! And you and me!

David declares that there isn't a day in which we were not God's. You can't go further back in our own development and life than the womb and that is what that second verse of the passage declares, "you knit me together in my mother's womb." And what should our response be to all this? The same as David's: To praise and thank God and to enter into a relationship with God for God's love towards us.

Grace's first step comes in our knowing that we belong to God.

PRAYER: How awesome and amazing is Your love. Help me today know that I was made, out of love, by You. As David declared, so do I, I was formed by you much like a mother knits clothing, and for that I praise You and thank You, and ask that I might begin a journey with You in understanding Your grace. I pray this in the awesome name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Update: Roberto Olivares' surgery went well. Doctors expect a full recovery. Thank you for your prayers.

DID YOUR HAPPY MEAL MAKE YOU TRULY HAPPY?

Gracious God of all, bless the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today comes from Luke 12: 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 16 Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

When growing up our daughters learned early the signs and trademarks of their favorite places to eat. The grand champion of all is McDonalds, whose golden arches beckon to the young and the hungry. Their Happy Meal is a delight to the young, getting a meal and a toy, like an early Christmas gift. Many were the times that one or the other wanted the toy first before worrying about the meal. And then there's Ronald, whose painted smile confirms the message of this hamburger joint: We're selling you happiness.

Oh, if it were so simple. And yet, at our age we still think happiness is to be found in meals or clothes or cars or homes or vacations, when we truly know true riches lie in our relationship to God. Jesus has to serve as a referee in this case between brothers. One wants his half (could these two have been the inspiration for the story of the other brothers in that story of the Prodigal?) of his inheritance and Jesus replies the truth of the matter that happiness and riches lie elsewhere not in material possessions. The reality of life is that our possessions are powerful and if we're not careful, they come to possess us.

Make a deposit in the heavenly bank today where your eternal riches lie by saying a prayer for someone or seeking to spend more time in the word of God.

PRAYER: Awesome God, how often I get pulled in the wrong direction because of where I think true happiness can be found. I know better or should. True happiness lies in You and Your love for me. Help me this day invest more in that bank where no one nor nothing can take what is mine. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Concerns: For the Michael Reilly household; they've been called by God to minister in Brazil. May the Lord bless them and protect them and use them for great things. Also, for Roberto Olivarez having heart surgery during this hour in McAllen, TX. May God watch over his recovery and over his family as they await this to be over.

DISCONNECTED FROM GOD?

Loving God, for Your mercy let this dear reader be thankful and aware of Your presence in all they may face today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today comes from the prophet Amos 1: 1 This is what the Lord God showed me—a basket of summer fruit. 2 He said, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the Lord said to me, "The end has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass them by. 3 The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day," says the Lord God; "the dead bodies shall be many, cast out in every place. Be silent!" 4 Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, 5 saying, "When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, 6 buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat." 7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. 8 Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who lives in it, and all of it rise like the Nile, and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt? 9 On that day, says the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight. 10 I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on all loins, and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day. 11 The time is surely coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.

Amos shared the sad word of God about unfaithful people. God knew the hearts and minds of His people and how far they had gotten from Him, so the result of their action would be that God would cease to listen to them. Having chosen to disconnect themselves from God they had set themselves free from God and they would, as verse 12 says, "wanter from sea to sea, and from north to east...seeking the word of the Lord but they shall not find it."

We sometimes choose to disconnect ourselves from God because of the many distractions that present themselves in our lives. May God forgive us for those times and allow us to re-connect and re-charge in His presence and power. May the distractions of the day keep us from becoming like the ancients of Israel that chose complete "freedom" only to discover a bondage to death.

PRAYER: Loving God, free me for joyful obedience. May I come to know that through prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship, service to others, I am reconnecting the plan and purpose for my life. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

PS Praises to God for a very special and moving Service of Celebration for my becoming district superintendent. Bishop James Dorff led us in a wonderful service, I shared the word and was blessed by the presence of many of my pastors, their families. I was especially thankful for the presence of my family; Nellie, our daughters, our sons-in-law, and our babies; sisters-in-law, Carmen Ramirez, Blanca Rodrigue, and my younger brother Elias, his wife Orpha, and my nephes, Elias II, and Alex. Please continue to pray for me as I have begun this new journey of ministry.

HIDING BEHIND PRIESTLY ROBES AND LEVITICAL ROBES

Blessed Lord, take the hand of this precious reader and guide them to faithfulness in the challenges and needs of today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Many of us know and love the story found in Luke 10:25-37: 25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live." 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Ah, the qualifier in all things. I've been guilty of it, especially when younger and told by my parents to do something. I would seek further clarification to perhaps lessen the load of that with which I had been entrusted, only to discover that sometimes added to the burden. Here the lawyer wants to know one thing: How do I inherit eternal life? Interesting word, inherit, for that implies one's parent or loved one must possess it to leave it to us. Haven't you daydreamed about out of nowhere, like in the movies, you discover you had a long-lost uncle who was loaded and left you all his wealth? Sadly, I knew and loved all my uncles and they're all gone, and I'm still waiting (better said, still poor!). This man knew of what he asked, but he wanted to make sure. Jesus replies with the teachings this man has known since childhood, but he wants to know more. Yes, yes, I know all that and try to do all that, but that love your neighbor stuff, tough as it sounds, Who is my neighbor? Glad you asked, Jesus replies, here's the answer. Our neighbor is not just the person who lives across the street or next door to you. And it isn't just the persons who live on your block or in your subdivision. It's the person in need, the one who is hurting, the one wounded and left for dead, even, and hear this, even if he is not of your race, color, sex, or creed.

The story of the Good Samaritan has been told to us countless times and we love to sneer at those who walked on by, not realizing that many times that has been us. Time constraints, job commitments, family obligations, etc., all have played a role in our not being the one who has stopped to render assistance. We have been the prominent people of society, "priest and Levites" in our importance, who because of that, have not done what we know God would have had us do. May the Lord help us be like the one whose heart broke when he saw the need and jumped off his vehicle to help, and not just help but to follow through with the comfort and healing of the one in need. "The one who showed mercy" is the true neighbor. May it be said of us, that we are the true neighbor to those around us.

PRAYER: Loving God, help me today not hide behind my "priestly robes and roles" or my Levitical importance where I become blinded to the needs all around me. Mine is the call to commit to care, help, and heal. I can't do it alone, I need You. In Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

WHAT WOULD GOD HAVE YOU SAY?

Loving God of all places, be with the needs of this dear reader in all they face today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text from Amos 7: 7 This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; 9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword." 10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said, "Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.' " 12 And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." 14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, 15 and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Everyone's call comes in different forms, and everyone's call is to something unique. All are called to believe and serve. Some are set apart to serve in ways that most everyday folk cannot. Trying to explain or define that call is difficult sometimes. Trying to live it out is even harder. God remains constant, we waver from time to time. We read this morning the call from God to Amos. The call begins with an everyday object with which Amos was accustomed. The intrument was a plumb line, and it attracted Amos' attention then God shares the purpose of God's wanting Amos to go and speak to God's people.

Amos discovered as have we, that not all people, even those who call themselves people of God, want to hear what God has to say. Words that make us squirm and wiggle in our comfortable seats fall on deaf ears. Challenges and invitations seem to go over our heads to "someone else." Amos was called from among the common people, not the professional school of prophets, as are we.

What would God use you to say today?

PRAYER: Lord God, You have called me to faith and to be Your servant. I ask that You might give me the words to comfort and to afflict those to whom You direct. Give me the wisdom to know the difference and the courage to act on what You would. I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

ARE YOU KNOWN FOR YOUR LOVE?

Good day dear friends. May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you and any need you may be facing; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

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

How public is your love? And by that I don't mean, how often have you or will you embarrass your children with PDAs? And by PDAs I mean Public Displays of Affection. I mean, do people, does God, know you as a person of love? Do you care for others in ways that you demonstrate the love of God alive and active in you? Do you go the extra mile in showing compassion for people? Do you help others rather than hurt them? Is there love in your heart, home, and beyond?

Paul prayed for the people of this church in Colossae. He knew the struggles and so he lifted up prayers to the Lord on their behalf. I pause to reflect how awesome that must have been for those folks who knew that Paul knew Jesus personally, face-to-face, and could lift up prayers to Him on their behalf. And he and others thanked God for the love they had encountered in their walk with Christ Jesus. They were people of caring, kindness, thankfulness, and sharing. Are you?

PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for loving us and for walking with us. As I pray, I pray for the friends and family that I have in different churches. I ask that they might be known as people and congregations of love. May I too, be a person of love and may that love be made public in way that embarrassed the devil. I pray this in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

IN WHOM DO YOU TRUST?

God of all days, bless the needs of this dear reader in whatever it may be they face today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text for today: Psalm 82: 1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 2 "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? (Selah) 3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I say, "You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince." 8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you!

At first reading this seems a difficult psalm. We do not know who wrote it or what was the motivation behind it being written. It is saying that the only one in whom we can trust is God. To God belongs judgment, especially that which will ask of all of us, the role we played in dealing unjustly and impartially with the wicked. To God also belongs the judgment among us in our dealings with the weak, the orphans, the lowly and the destitute. Ours is a faith in a God that calls us to care for the weak and needy, to show them light and direction. If we or they trust in anything or anyone other than God, that trust will die with the death of those things or those persons. Our call is to ask God to motivate and strengthen us in our call.

PRAYER: Lord, how often we neglect others. We have become blind to those who are in need. We know they're right next to us and we cannot see them. Our eyes hear nothing of the hurt and want. Help me to change, to be a person of faith in doing that which You call us to do. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

PLANTING SPIRITUAL SEEDS

God of wind and rain, fall afresh on the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text for today: Galatians 6: 7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Whatever kind of seed you plant, that's the kind of tree or plant you will receive. I remember one summer during my childhood, that I determined to take advantage of the seeds in a delicious watermelon our family had enjoyed. We weren't much into spitting seeds to see how far they could go. So I dug a hole in the back yard, watered it faithfully, and waited. It wasn't too long before I saw a small sprout coming out of the dirt and got excited. Weeks later it was like a vine and out of all those seeds came my one and only watermelon. I confess I didn't let it grow to its full length because of my excitement; I ate what was a mini-watermelon. But it was mine! The same is true about what we plant spiritually and carnally. If we invest time in a spiritual discipline, we are planting great seeds for later growth and blessing. In the same way whatever we do to please our flesh and passion, we are planting not-s0-great seeds for what may come and harm us later in a physical way.

Paul speaks of "the opportunity" to "work for the good of all." And he's right even today. We as the church could and should be doing the great spiritual work that will bring about a revival in our midst. And the revival starts in us first.

What seeds have you planted? What will you plant today? Will you allow God to work in you to bring about a great harvest?

PRAYER: Loving God, I thank you for all the spiritual seeds we can be planting in our lives. May we allow You to work for our good and for the good of others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

FACING THE STORMS

Loving God, bless the needs of this dear reader in all they may face today and all days; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

I thought it appropriate to read these words for today from Matthew 8:24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

As we drove home Monday night, the signs on the freeway said, "Hurricane Forming in Gulf." Next sign: Storm Forming. Fill Your Gas Tanks. Tuesday morning I went to fill my gas tanks and only one customer besides me there. From there I went to the grocery store. Not too many people when I went in. I bought groceries and discovered that many people had come in with lists to buy water, canned food, batteries. etc. They were preparing for what they knew was possibly coming.

The disciples did not have AccuRadar or the Weather Channel. They did not see the flags of choppy waves or travel advisory for small crafts on the water. Those things did not exist. What existed was a primitive mode of transportation that could take them from point A to B over the water. This "windstorm arose on the sea" and it was so terrible the boat began to be swamped by waves. The disciples had in their midst fishermen, who understood these things, and they also had human men who became frightened about what was happening and what could happen. Jesus slept. Thank God this verse is not in that form then there would be a real competition in Sunday school about the shortest verse in the Bible! Jesus was calm enough in the face of this storm that He rested and slept, while His disciples freaked out about this storm. They awoke Jesus with their fears, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" His response was, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" He then rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a dead calm. Then they wondered, what kind of man is this that He can control even the winds and the sea?

How do you face the storms of your life? How do you prepare for the ones you don't even know are coming? And how do you rely and use the One who controls even the wind and the sea?

PRAYER: God of all nature, help me in the facing of all storms. As the wind and the rain rages around me, help me to know that You are in control. And I ask especially for those times when I face the storms of life. I pray for Your calming presence and power when I face that which I sometimes think I face alone. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

JESUS' AUTHORITY IS OURS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?

God of all weather, bless and protect the needs of Your earth during the landfall of Hurricane Alex. Bless and protect this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text: Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' 16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." 17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Jesus wants us to cover every inch of the globe with the Good News. This passage clearly states several things, but the most important, Get busy; I'm right behind you! When Jesus sent the seventy he sent them to every village and town with the understanding that these were places He intended to visit as well. The instructions were to share peace and to be ready to see that not everyone would receive it. So it still is with us. We do our part and some folks rejoice, others do not. Jesus said whoever receives us, receives Him; those who reject us are rejecting Jesus. Think about the authority given to us to do wonderful, unexplainable things. Their mission was so successful and so can ours, that Jesus said He saw "Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning."

What are you doing with the mission and authority Jesus has entrusted with you? Nothing and no one can harm us when Jesus is invited to go with us.

PRAYER: Lord, as I go about this day, help me to be Yours. Help me to share peace and to use Your authority to bring healing and wholeness to those lives I touch today. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS Dear friends, as some of us face the onset of Hurricane Alex, please be in prayer that it land where no human life can be hurt or harmed. May all of us follow those instructions and precautions that will be a blessing to us. Also, please be in prayer for Mr. J. D. Welch of San Marcos, who had a painful back infection. May the tests and antibiotics be just what he needs to receive comfort and healing.

I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU!

Amazing God of amazing love and amazing grace, bless the life of this dear reader in all that they face today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text for today: 2 Kings 2: 1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent." 4 Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent." 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." 10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

You and I have probably had a lot of "fathers" in our walk of life. Men to whom we have looked up and men who have blessed our lives and careers with their lives, wisdom, counsel, love, example, etc. If any of those have left us for glory, we have lost a loved one. Their passing was not easy and their absence serves to remind us of their presence in our hearts and minds. To have said goodbye was not an easy thing, and we fought against the idea of their even leaving.

Such was Elisha's dilemma as Elijah revealed God's will for his life. Elijah had served well and the day of his departure was fast approaching and every reminder of his pending leave was something Elisha did not want to hear. When the moment arrived and their time for goodbye approached, Elijah asked the young prophet what he wanted. He said, "I want you to leave me a double portion of your spirit." Elisha knew that the old man had been able to do with the presence of God in his life and his example made the younger one say, "I want to be like you!" Elijah could not promise that but he said, "if it happens, it happens, if not, it does not." Then a chariot of fire came and took Elijah to Heaven.

If we leave the story here, what have we learned? That a good example from us will bless someone else maybe to the point where they want to be like us. Are you setting such an example? Is Christ so real in your life that others want Him as well?

PRAYER: Let Jesus be real in my life. Let Jesus be powerful in my life. Let my life bless someone today to the point of their wanting to be like Him. I ask this in Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

TRAVEL WITH ME, JESUS!

Amazing God of hills and valleys, bless the needs of this dear reader as they travel through life today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is our text today: Luke 9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village. 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60 But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

When God places His hand on your life, what do you do? When God nudges at your heart, what do you do? It is always to an exciting and reward place that God calls, but many times our limited thinking and fears get in the way and we seek shelter in the known rather than the new. Those who say YES to God find God leading them to rewarding and satisfying places where differences are made and lives are changed.

What's your excuse? Are you still living among the "dead," taking care of self or family-imposed obligation? Jesus calls us forward with the assurance and promise that we don't ever travel alone.

PRAYER: Loving God, help me to see beyond my fears to Your faith. Travel with me as I say yes to Your call on my life. In Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS Dear friends, sorry that Nellie and I have been traveling and into places where the Internet was not free, thus my "silence" these past couple of days. God has been with you as has His word.

WHAT CHECKLIST IS BEING CHECKED IN YOUR LIFE?

God of the full life, grant to this dear reader exactly what they are needing right now; in Jesus Christ' name I pray, amen.

Our text is from Galatians 5:1, 13-25: 1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Thank God most of us have not known the penalty of a sentence to prison. Many of us viewed our twelve years of mandatory public education as a sentence and as our senior year approached we celebrated with the same joy of one whose prison doors were about to open. Then many of those same folk devote as much time as they can to social networks to re-live those precious days. Paul knew about the sentence of living under sin and of being in prison. Paul knew freedom better. He knew the joy and the fullness of life that comes from knowing and living free from any bondages. For Paul, to live under the guidance of the Spirit was what led to this freedom of which he speaks. To live under the leading of the flesh, Paul says, leads to destruction and death. His checklist reminds us of what can and does happen to give into passion and pleasures of the flesh. But Paul also, thankfully, gives us the checklist of that which blesses us when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. And what a list that is!

What checklist are you marking down today? More importantly, what list does God see you "checking" as your go through your day? Ask God to lead you by the Holy Spirit and see the results of a joyous, happy, and free life.

PRAYER: Loving God of freedom, free me for joyful living. Guide me by Your Holy Spirit so that my decisions and actions will reflect that to me and to others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

THIS AND THAT AND MISSING OUT!

Living God, pour out blessing upon blessing in the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray,amen.

Here is our text for today: Luke 10: 38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Ah, the bliss and blessing of family! And ah, the bliss and blessing of family during what one comedian called "second tier holidays" like Father's Day! One gets excited almost to the point of stress, to have the house clean and ready, the fridge stocked with goodies and snacks that family likes, the bedding washed and at least a mental outline of the sleeping arrangements; then the family comes and within moments they're gone again. Sadness for a few hours over what seems like a short visit.

Ah, the sheer horror of unexpected visitors! I've talked about the difference between guests and visitors. Guest are invited and expected; visitors just drop in. The doorbell sends hosts running to the door at the anointed hour of arrival of guests; hiding when visitors come. Martha had Jesus and His disciples come by. She "welcomed Him into her home," which means this may not have been a prearranged thing. And to make matters worse, her sister whom she thought she could count on to help prepare for this perhaps unexpected visit, recognized Jesus and His ability to teach, so she sat down and listened to His teachings. Martha was frantic about getting everything in order and reached the point where she goes to Jesus and asks, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?" Didn't you teach something to that effect? Isn't there a part of the Law that addresses lazy sisters? And bam! Jesus shares the truth: You're missing out on the better thing by worrying about so many things. Mary got it right, you didn't.

After family leaves and you take stock of all that went right and wrong, did you focus on time together? On your conversations? On making your family ties stronger? Or were you too worried about this and that, that you missed out on the greater part? In the same way we can get so preoccupied in so many things in so many areas of our lives, including our spiritual lives that we miss out on the most important part; what Jesus has to say.

PRAYER: Loving God, I thank You for Your presence and for Your visits. May I learn to focus on the main thing and not be distracted or stressed by the minor things. Forgive me those times that I have worried so much about this and that and missed You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

THE NEED FOR WATER

God of abundant life, make the life of this dear reader more abundant today by removing challenges that You can handle; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Moving from one city to another requires the taste buds to adapt to new water. I won't go into detail about how different cities and towns have different tasting water because you know they do. I will concur with the experts and agree, believe it or not, that New York City has the best tasting tap water in the country. But taste aside, water is precious and powerful. Water is the only thing created by God that can quench the deepest thrist of any human being. Try as they may, scientists have created vitamin-enhanced water, energy drink water, and salt replenishing water in drinks like Gatorade and Powerade, but when one is thirsty, only water will do. The creatures of the wild seek only water. Hear this beautiful Psalm 42 with that thought in mind:

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

All this week the selected readings have to do with our realization that we need God in all things. The absence of God will lead us into the most depressing and life-draining experiences and places. The Psalmist had seen the thirsty deer run to the water and compared that animal's deep thrist for the spiritual thirst in his heart. He knew that if he drank deeply from the presence of God everything else he mentions in the psalm would be quenched: His sadness (tears are also water), his anguish, his depression, his need to worship fully again.

We who know the power of worship know those times we miss or can't attend worship, drain us of our spiritual energy. If we try going without drinking adequate amounts of water you know what happens to our bodies; the same happens to our spirits when we don't reconnect with God as we should.

PRAYER: Loving God, quench the thirsting of my soul. Let me be in worship today and all days, and when Sunday comes, let the fullness of Your presence fill and satisfy me for another week. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

Eradio Valverde

PS: On a personal note: I'm thanking God for the birthday of my beautiful wife!

ONE OF THOSE DAYS?

Loving God, look mercifully on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for this morning is from 1 Kings 19: 1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." 3 Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 11 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 15 Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus."

You ever have one "of those days?" When nothing seems to go right? You think you're doing exactly what you need to do and as a result you get beat down or worse? Elijah was having not just "one of those days," he was having a career crisis. He had been called by God to preach and teach God's word and he came up against his harshes and meanest critics. These two not only disliked him, they wanted his head. Elijah did what many of us sometimes think we want to do, and that is to flee. He wanted somewhere to hide and off he ran. Exhausted from his running he sat down and asked God to take his life; he was ready to die. There was no answer from God so Elijah lay down to sleep and was awakened by an angel of hte Lord who brought him warm food. Elijah ate, no questions asked. This happened a second time, this time with an interesing instruction that came with it: "You better eat, 'cause you're gonna need it!" And with that Elijah sought refuge in the place he knew God might visit him. He was right, God did visit him at the lowest point of his life; told to stand outside where he was, God passed by in different ways, showing strength he had not imagined: A great destructive wind, an earthquake, and a fire. God was not in any of those. Then sheer silence. In the sheer silence, God spoke and asked him what he was doing. After sharing his side of the story, God simply told him to continue that to which he had been called.

You and I have had several "of those days." We have had more than our fair share of critics and those who go out of their way to make our life miserable. Some of us may even have thought about the options of leaving that to which we have been called to do something else, something less stressful. We have asked of God to be re-appointed or re-assigned, only to hear God say that we were to stay and to continue where we were. And this has come with the assurance that God is with us even when it seems we are most alone. God has the strength and power of a mighty wind, an earthquake, a fire and even the power of sheer silence. Talk with God and you will hear what you are to do.

PRAYER: Loving God, as I mediate on my situation and need, remind me again of Your presence and power. Help me to see more clearly what it is I am supposed to do. Give me strength, renew and refresh me. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

DRESS FOR SUCCESS? DRESS TO BLESS!

Amazing God of the unexplained; bless this dear reader in their needs in ways that will bless You and all who hear about Your great works; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Here is today's text from Galatians 3: 23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

Most of us go to bed wondering what we will wear the next day. Others awaken with that thought. Some plan it out and even lay the appropriate clothing by the bed or the closet door. Usually what we wear is determined by the type of day we are to have. Prior to our going to our annual conference here in Corpus, Nellie and I wore clothing that was suitable for packing. After many days of wearing sandals or no shoes, shorts and t-shirts, I found myself wearing a suit every day for conference. For Paul, dressing in Christ is what makes all the difference in the world how the day will turn out. Prior to Christ's coming, the people were "clothed" in the prison garb of those who lived "imprisoned and guarded under the law." The law dictated expected behavior and expectations of those who believed. Christ's coming brought us justification by faith: Grace was poured out on us, clothing us with God's love and mercy. This new perspective of faith showed that in Christ, there is no longer a matter of being Jew or Greek, thank God no slavery any longer, being male or female should not matter; in Christ Jesus we are all one. And as being one in Christ, we are all heirs of the Faith.

As we dress today, don't even look at the dress of despair or the shirt of fear. Reject the pants of helplessness and anxiousness. The shoes of aimlessness will be too tight and restrictive. Dress to bless! Dress of bless! The success will follow because we have put on Christ.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Jesus. May we be reminded that through our baptism we have been clothed in Him. May our clothing reflect that newness of life that is ours for the asking. We ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

JESUS SAID, "GO HOGS!"

Merciful God, grant Your mercy and peace on this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

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

The title comes from a sign I remember seeing on the campus of Texas A&I University in Kingsville. Their team is named for a local wild animal, the javalina, which is a wild hog and so their sign said, "Jesus said, 'Go Hogs!'"

In Biblical times two types of people lived among the dead; the lepers and those possessed by demons. In today's story this man for a significant part of his life had been tortured and tormented by demons. It is safe to assume that so had his family and those of his village. It is also safe to assume that he would tear off his clothing once he freed himself from the chains and shackles and would run back to the tombs. His possession was by many demons, thus the name given to Jesus' question of his name. His quality of life was a terrible one and like the lepers, his only hope was to stay among the dead until death might perhaps free him of this torment. Then Jesus comes along with an offer of a new life and new hope. The demons opposed it immediately. They liked the warm body in which they were residing and the possibililty of having to wander in the spiritual realm was not an option they wanted to explore. But Jesus had other ideas; an invitation for a way to live free from possession; to go and come as one chooses and not be captive to the demands of this evil presence in one's life. The demons knew of Jesus' power and they also knew they could not fight to keep this home, so they made a request that they be allowed to inhabit the body of pigs, and that is where they went. And off the cliff they dive, finding death in drowning. Their death meant the life of this man, who is now given a second or third or ? chance of living a life that does not invite evil to reside within him.

The townsfolk see the man as a changed person and they get fearful of Jesus and ask Him to leave. How often have we done that? We see what good Jesus can bring to us and we still want that which kept us in the place where we felt better or didn't want to be. We prefer the option of living death rather than seeking the fullness of life that Jesus offers to us. Many times we so close to living with not only the dead but with pigs, and we don't even get bothered.

PRAYER: Come Jesus and deliver me from the places I sometimes find myself; among the dead, the evil and pigs. Lift me high off this level of blindness to the level of fullness, of life. I ask this in Your name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS We finally have internet and the space to sit down! Nellie and I thank you for your prayers for our move and we're now making headway in making this place our home. God bless you all!

OPENNESS TO GOD

Amazing God, You renew and refresh the earth with Your Spirit, renew and refresh the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our text for today is from Galatians 1:11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12 for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; 19 but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. 20 In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22 and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23 they only heard it said, "The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they glorified God because of me.

Our openness to God can bring about needed changes in our lives. Paul for a significant part of his life thought that his calling was to capture and punish Christians. He was quite successful in his chosen career, but that was not what God had chosen for his life. When the time was right God got ahold of Paul's life and changed him. The same still happens today. Our openness leads to the doors of our heart being opened to new ways of seeing and perceiving things.

Where do you feel God leading you? What's been the nudging in your heart? Why have you not said yes to God?

PRAYER: Loving God, move among me today and let me be open to You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

FEAR KILLS

Gracious God of life, bless the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

We start looking at the Lectionary passages for this coming Sunday. The Lecionary is a system whereby preachers can all preach from a common text throughout the Christian year. It is devised so that in a 3 year cycle the Bible can be covered, usually around the events that correspond to the calendar.

Here is the Old Testament lesson from 1 Kings 17:8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you." 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 But she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 13 Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth." 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

The God who provides! That is what this passage is all about! God makes provisions for those of His who call on Him and rely on faith for God to act. In this story the provision came from an unlikely source, an impoverished widow. In Biblical times widows were among the most impoverished and pitied, for theirs was a sad lot in having lost their husband and having to rely on family for financial and emotional support. This is a doubly sad story for this widow had only a young son and was at the point of gathering wood to cook their last meal. How in the world could a starving woman provide for an old man when she barely had enough for herself and her small son? Faith. When asked for water and food, she replied she had none, but he said that she should not be afraid.

Fear kills hope. Fear kills faith. Fear kills the possibility of God working in our lives. If we let it. The key is not to let it. The key is to master fear with faith and hope and the openness to God. Much of what we see in today's society, in our churches, in our workplaces, and in our homes is the result of fear getting the best of us.

PRAYER: Loving God, help me with my faith. Help me to see that which only You can do in settings where it seems that nothing can be done. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PERFECT IN LOVE!

God of perfection smile kindly on the attempts of this dear reader to be perfect; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

This verse closes Matthew 5: 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I know a lof of avid and rabid golfers. I know a lot of avid and rabid bowlers. I do not know a single person who has ever in his or her life either golfed (is that the term?) a round of golf where s/he made 18 holes in one. I do not know a single person who has bowled a perfect, 300 game every time s/he bowled. Does this mean they have sworn off their games? Sworn maybe, but that's another lesson for later, but never given up their admiration or addiction of the game.

Yet, here is Jesus talking about life, with its ups and downs, mountains and valleys, friends and enemies, in-laws and out-laws, talking about our being perfect! John Wesley figured it out: We must be perfect in love in this life. He did not mean that as a destination or end, but rather a process, a journey of daily improving our love so that when we reach the very end of our lives, we would be rewarded with the knowledge that we had tried to be made perfect in love. This comes, I can't resist, at a perfect time in our conference's week, for this week, later today in fact, when Bishop Jim Dorff will ask our Elder candidates if they are striving to "be made perfect in love." Every single one of them will, if they have been paying any attention at all to professors, pastors, mentors, guides, friends, et al, will say, "YES!" Could you?

It boils down to this: Have you tried today to be better than yesterday in your love towards God, towards others and towards yourself? Do you care more? Are you a bit more compassionate? If you answered yes, you're on your way! If you answered no, start today!

PRAYER: Loving God I confess that I sometimes have not kept my need to be as Your Son said I should be. I sometimes want more love than I am willing to show and give others. Let me begin today (again) to be on that road towards being made perfect in love in this life. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

GIVE, LOVE, PRAY?

Loving God of all people, walk among the needs and life of this dear reader in all that they may need or be facing today; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Here is our text for the conclusion of Matthew 5: Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Again, Jesus, with the unexpected? Give, love, pray? That sounds like the title of some book only women will read! I can almost hear His voice: "Yes, do the unexpected. Live the better way." All of what Jesus taught caught the unexpecting world unawares. Give, love, pray. Go, Do. What a list! And this conclusion of the first part of the sermon Jesus is teaching on our caring for one another in somewhat difficult ways. The poor have always been with us, Jesus taught, so He was aware and was concerned about beggars. They placed themselves by the entrance to the Temple, and at places where high volumes of people would be present, just in case one of them might want to help them. Now in our city they're on street corners with signs. Are these begging or asking? I remember the first days of my new job in downtown Houston, walking to my office in a suit and all the street people that were loitering in that neighborhood. One man caught up with me and kept demanding, "Give me fifty cents, brother. Show me some kindness!" I refused and he told me where to go! Other times I would have money and would help and I would get, "God bless you!" Our call is to help when we can. What the recipient does with our generosity is between them and God, not us.

Then love? Our enemies? And pray? For those who go out of their way to make our life miserable? Yes, again, the call to believe and the call to be a disciple is a higher calling. One the world cannot and will not understand until we make it believable by our actions.

PRAYER: Lord, You've made it difficult but You've made it better. Help me to be the person You want me to be. Allow me to be a person who gives, loves, and prays. Yes, Lord, even for the ones that I don't usually give, love or pray for. I ask all this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUEST: For those traveling to the Southwest Texas Annual Conference in Corpus Christi today and tomorrow. May the Holy Spirit grant all of us traveling mercies and may we be God's people in all that is before us.