What is God Doing for You?

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What are You Doing for God?

From Romans 4:1 What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 4Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 5 But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. 13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

"Father Abraham had many sons, and daughters too; Many sons had Father Abraham. I am of one of them, and so are you; and we keep marching on..." It is a song I have known forever. It is a song that my children know and one that was sung to keep kids awake, or was it adults working with kids? because of the hand motions and leg motions and head motions. The song is about the man called by the Bible the father of faith. It was Abraham's willingness to trust God that gave him that title. Before he took that first step towards the land promised him, it was his faith that blessed him. Faith, not works, was the source of Abraham's faithfulness. Abraham fit right into what God was doing, not the other way around. You've seen the saying, "Don't ask God to bless what you're doing. Find out what God is doing; it's already blessed." Abraham already had a life and he was comfortable in it; then God came and showed Abraham what life could be if he would only leave behind what he was already doing to step into the faith realm of the unknown. I love verse 3 of this passage in The Message version: "What we read in Scripture is, 'Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.'"

God is already doing something for you, once you find it and enter into it, you will be blessed. You must have the faith to trust God and enter into what God is doing rather than trying to get God to enter into what you're doing only for yourself. Later in verse 5, same version, "That trusting-Him-to-do-it is what gets you set right before God, by God. Sheer gift." What marvelous gifts have you passed on because you thought your work was more important than God's? Existence gets in the way of living and we usually don't realize it. We set before us a to-do list and follow it so closely that we lose sight of what God is doing for us and the doors that God may be opening for us and we keep walking the hallway of familiarity and routine, the black and white realm of everyday life and we miss out on the full color of adventure and joy that awaits us in God.

The way to a discovery faith is to build on whatever faith you have now. Pray and ask for a deeper faith. Read God's Word and put yourself in each story. Are you blessing God or are you content just seeking blessings for yourself? See what great blessings await those who seek to bless the Lord. You can with faith.

PRAYER: Loving God, open to me the doors of blessing You and Yours. I've walked this same hallway for so long that I need to know what You are doing for me instead of wondering if what I'm doing is enough. Guide me to be a blessing to You and Yours. This I pray in faith, like Father Abraham, in the One who showed us how, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Obedience

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Staying on Track with God requires our Obedience

From Exodus 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.

Humility begins with obedience. We humans have always suffered from the innate disobedience we were built with, but God understands and God forgives. To journey toward a deeper understanding of ourselves and our need for God during these 40 days requires our knowing that we need to be obedient to God. Obedience requires love. If we love God, we will do as the passage from Exodus says, we will obey God fully and keep God's covenant; our reward is to become God's treasured possession.

Obedience means knowing that we do not have all the answers, but God does. Obedience requires trust. There is no one in whom we can place more trust than God.

Journey well by starting with obedience. Several times in the Bible we read and as a result, also sing, "Here I am, Lord; Is it I, Lord?" Send me to where Thou wilt.

PRAYER: Lord, strengthen my life by making me humble before You. Guide me to deeper obedience I pray. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Ever Worn Sand Paper Underwear?

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The Devil Made Me Do It!

And That's Just one of Many Excuses I Have!

From Genesis 2: 5 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." From Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, "You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.' " 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Here it is Day Two of Lent and I have already sinned. Have you? What's your excuse? I'm sure you have plenty! Adam sure did! This passage starts with the positive and beautiful story of God placing the man in the garden of Eden, which means paradise, and giving him a positive command: Eat wherever you want, but of that one tree, the one of knowledge of good and evil, not so much, or no for us older folks. Because if you do, God said, You will die. The man, Adam as we discover is his name later on, roamed around this paradise setting and enjoyed God, enjoyed the trees, the lush vegetation that we, I, associate with paradise and was overall, pretty, pretty, happy. Between that passage in chapter two and chapter three, Adam undergoes rib surgery and is presented with a nice fulfillment of that rib, that was named Eve. (It's funny because just last night I was listening to Kenny Chesney singing "I Want My Rib Back.") I'm sure this match was wonderful, the two enjoyed God, enjoyed the garden, enjoyed learning from each other what things were, and one day, I'm almost positive, Adam showed Eve the tree. Yes, that tree. It might have been Adam who told Eve, "We shouldn't even touch it!" And Eve learned that lesson well because now in this setting where the walking, talking snake is tempting them, she tells him about the tree in response to the tempter's negative question about God's positive command. The snake is wily, like the coyote, and says, "You will not die!" Hmm, thinks Adam. Hmm, thinks Eve. "God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Notice the two fear death without it ever being explained, at least not on the pages of the Bible thus far. And they are tempted by the thought of becoming like God. The woman, the scripture says, "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate." Notice the name apple does not appear anywhere, yet today's picture and our human interpretation for this fruit has always been the apple. But also notice that "she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate." Yikes! Now their eyes are open, they know the difference between good and evil, or so they think and the very first judgment they make is that being naked is bad. What do they do? The sew together sand paper underwear!

This is a great story and you thought the Bible was boring. What makes it even more funny is that that's you, and that's me in this story. Oh sure, we haven't worn sand paper underwear, or at least I haven't, but we sure have tried to cover up our sins with some doozies of excuses. We have sinned against God and we seek the nearest person or thing and point at them. We're good at blaming others and not taking responsibility for our own actions. If you ever were a child, you learned that easily. And especially when you had siblings, you could blame them. And now if you're married, you can blame your spouse. But Lent is a journey toward self-discovery and reflection and the lesson to learn is that we sin on our own. It is that honesty that leads us to confess, "Lord, I am a sinner, and I have sinned against You and against others, forgive me." If nothing else Lent helps us come to terms with needing to ask forgiveness of our sins and getting right with God and with others. The Cross, after all, was the place where our sins were nailed and Christ paid for them, but we have to turn them over to Jesus.

PRAYER: LORD, I have many excuses, but none of them are true. I am a sinner and I have sinned in many ways against You and against others. I confess. I need Your forgiveness, and I need to walk away from my sinfulness. Help me journey with a clean heart these forty days. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Ash Wednesday

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The Journey Starts Now

From Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Today will be an interesting day for those who have never seen people with smudges of something on their foreheads. Think back to your first recollection of either receiving the smudge or seeing someone with it. The smudge that I'm referring to is the outward symbol of some traditions of receiving ash on the forehead as a reminder of where we came and where we are headed as humans with human bodies. To receive the ash, a person may have said to us, "You are dust and to dust you will return," as a reminder of our mortality. But it is the start of a forty day journey to reconnect with the eternal. Jesus' message was all about reconnecting with God and God's love and sharing that love with one another. Jesus knew that we were made to serve God and God's people. Our piety was not so much a holier than thou practice as it was a helping one another practice. The giving of alms was sharing with those less fortunate from the blessings we had. Our prayer life is not so much about how good we can pray but rather to know the good of God that is ours by connecting with God through prayer. The emphasis by Jesus is the inward blessing we are receiving by our faithfulness. There are those who do strive for the limelight and seek attention, but Jesus said if attention is all you want, then attention is all you'll get.

For some faith traditions, fasting is the giving up of something special and/or nourishing. For many years, our Catholic brothers and sisters observed meat free Fridays as well as giving up those things that were special, candy and chocolate for some, sodas for others. True fasting is the giving up of physical nourishment so that our spirits may be nourished by something we take up in its place, like a time of prayer. I remember the first time I learned about fasting and I decided on my own (inward, remember?), I was in high school. I was determined to fast that supper after school. I did not check with my mom nor my dad, I simply went home and knelt by my bed. I shared a room with my three brothers and kneeling was a form of punishment for my dad, so to see me on my knees my brothers thought I had done something wrong and dad had me there thinking about what I had done. So, they were cool about that. But then it was time for Dad to come home and my mother started supper. I'm in prayer, still on my knees, when the first waft of that meal made its demonic way into my room. It was like the cartoons of my childhood where the aroma floated in heavenly form from the stove, down the small hallway, under my door, and straight into my nostrils the aroma of my favorite meal, tacos! I felt a tinge of regret for having chosen the wrong day but quickly repented and centered again on what I was doing and kept praying. Mom always timed supper with my Dad's arrival so that he went straight to the table and we were all expected there with him, all five of his children. Minus one, Lord knows where he was. Mom knew. "Did you call your brother?" No one had, they thought I was being punished. So mom goes down the hall and opens the door. "Supper's ready! I made tacos." Uh, what do I do? What do I say? "Um, I'm not hungry?" Those of you who know me know that I seldom go through hunger. My mom was straight old school Mexican; the bigger you were, the healthier you were. "Are you sick?" she asked in Spanish. No, I'm not eating tonight. "Why not?" I finally had to go outward and I told her, "Mom, I'm fasting." By now, my dad was there a little upset that his dinner was growing cold because of my absence. I told them I felt the need to fast and they left. I felt bad inside for my attempt to be inward in my fast was now outward. I kept praying, feeling a failure, but in thinking back, it was a little after that first fast that God spoke to my heart about entering the ministry.

If you so choose this Lenten time to give up something, replace it with a spiritual discipline to make it a true fast. Every time you would normally have that coffee that you gave up, spend time praying or reading a passage of scripture. Nourish your soul while denying your body. Fasting is also a time of petition with God and Jesus fasted when He knew He was going to face situations and challenges that needed His complete focus and attention. In the same way, our petitions are made stronger by our reliance more on the spiritual than the physical. If you have been praying for the illness of a loved one, fast as well for a meal; instead of a huge supper, have a huge prayer time of praying, reading, singing, and praising God. Your devotion during that time blesses your heart and mind and you are better able to understand and accept just where you are and what you and your loved one are facing. And sometimes, God works in ways that make us marvel and wonder; but we're called to not make sense of unexpected things, but to make praise of that which may come. We will more deeply understand that that which we may face here is temporal; the greater thing Jesus said is that which awaits us in heaven. Our heart should be connected to the heavenly storehouse so that while here, we have glimpses of the glory of God as revealed through Jesus Christ and we will see it through.

PRAYER: LOVING GOD, these first steps of a forty day journey I tremble and may walk slowly, but with Your loving arms around me I can move ever forward and ever upward in my attitude and my gratitude. Thank You for allowing me to connect with You and to focus on that which is eternal and better for me. I may not fully understand all things now, but I trust and love You. I pray this prayer of faith in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Obedience or Disobedience? Life or Death?

Paul's Take on Life in Christ Jesus

From Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— 13 sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14 Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16 And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

We are preparing a journey in which we will try to face our sins and focus on the One who delivered us from them. The Apostle Paul in his gospel, The Letter to the Romans, attempts to help us understand sin and more importantly, He who conquered it. The Hebrew understanding of sin was that it was introduced by Adam and Eve's disobedience to God. The introduction of sin brought in death, and death like an out of control terminal disease, spread to all humanity. And through their scriptural understanding of sin, from Adam to Moses, sin claimed all lives. It was not until Moses received the law did humanity understand sin and its terrible consequences. But Jesus introduced us to the grace of God and the free gift of salvation from sin. Paul calls this justification; being made acceptable in the face of unacceptability. The gift of Christ superseded the "gift" of Adam. Adam's gift made many sinners; Christ' gift allows for many to become righteous.

Sin is missing the mark or falling short of where we know God would have us be. It is a blot on our hearts and spirits that should not be there, yet by our wrong choices or failure to obey God we have allowed sin to come into our lives. The journey of Lent is a time to reflect on our needing God and God's gift of Jesus Christ to remove our sin and replace it with life and peace. Sin that grows brings guilt and shame. Christ came to lift us up from there to a place of hope and more importantly a place of life in abundance.

All of us have sinned, as Paul states earlier in his gospel, but because of Jesus Christ, all can be made clean of sin. We do not have to stay in our sin; Christ offers us a change of address. We do not have to live with guilt, we can turn that over to Him and Jesus will give us new life free from guilt and free from shame. Christ takes our burdens and lightens our load. The way towards God is made clearer and on we journey.

We're hardest on ourselves than God. When we ask for forgiveness, we receive it. We sometimes don't take that seriously and the memory of that sin stays with us to torture and torment us for as long as we want. But we don't have to want that; we have to want freedom from heavy, burdensome memories and receive the true freedom that brings us joy from above. Ask and receive that today.

PRAYER: Thank You, Loving God for being more ready to forgive us than we are to ourselves. Let all those who ask for freedom from sin receive it along with Your peace and hope. Help us prepare for a journey that will lead us away from sin and temptation to a life of peace and love. This is our prayer, lifted up in faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Tempted, But Made Strong

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How Would You Fare?

From Matthew 4: 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, "He will command his angels concerning you,' and "On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' " 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.' " 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

We're tempted everyday and in every way. And starting this Wednesday with Ash Wednesday, we will enter into a period of fasting for forty days that we call Lent. It is based on Jesus' own example of fasting for the same amount of time in the wilderness. This passage says that Jesus was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." The writer already knew the story and its outcome so he could call it that. For forty days and forty nights, Jesus fasted from food. As is the intent of fasting, we give up physical nourishment for spiritual nourishment. We lose physical strength but gain spiritual strength. Our fasting will not be like Jesus, and I don't recommend one go that long a period of time without eating because of the harm it might potentially do to your body; our fasting is to give up something meaningful and nourishing to us as a fast. It is to show ourselves that through God and God's strength we can live without that which we have given up. Some give up chocolate, others give up sodas, some give up meat, some give up meat on Fridays, and the list varies from person to person, but the intent is the same, during Lent we seek closeness to God and strength in our spirits to better understand Jesus' journey to the cross and His resurrection.

Jesus' journey led him to an encounter with "the tempter," the one Jesus would later call "the thief" and "the father of lies." This tempter challenged Jesus on several levels starting with Jesus' physical need. The devil knew that Jesus was famished after having eaten nothing for forty days and so the challenge was to prove He was the Son of God by changing the stones around Him into bread. The stones in that area look like the loaves of bread common to that time. Jesus responds with scripture, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Challenge over, and then comes the second. The tempter takes Jesus to Jerusalem, the holy city and places Him on the highest point of the Temple and challenges Jesus on a emotional level; "Throw yourself down if you trust God and are indeed God's Son!" And this time the tempter used scripture, "For it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus again uses God's Word to reply, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Second challenge over. The third and final challenge is the devil taking Jesus to a very high mountain "and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor," and said, "All these I will give You, if you will fall down and worship me." This one is on the spiritual level; worship me instead of God and I will give you the world. Jesus replies, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.'" And Satan went away. Luke's version has a clever ending for he adds, "until a more opportune time." This passage ends with angels coming to serve Jesus.

What are your temptations, and how do you respond? In other words, what is it worth to you to leave the way and presence of God to receive what you believe the temptation is offering you? The answer is honestly nothing is worth leaving God. In God we have all we need and more, yet the tempter brings to us something we believe is the answer or solution to our needs and worries. We rationalize and believe that getting out of debt justifies an action that is illegal, immoral, or hurtful to others. Don't you know we're great rationalizers? But in the end it comes to our humbling ourselves before God and asking God to be the One who gives us strength to resist and to stay strong. That is the purpose of the Lenten Journey that begins this week.

Stay strong. Two words. Two sometimes difficult words, but worth the continuing journey with God.

PRAYER: LOVING GOD, bless me with wisdom, courage, and strength. Help me know that in Jesus is the model of submission and strength. Grand me the mind of Christ to know how to approach and resist all the temptations that come my way. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Best Be Right with God

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No Better Place to Be Than Taking Refuge with God.

From Psalm 2: 1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed, saying, 3 "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 "I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling 12 kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him.

This psalm at first reading made me think of the saying and Broadway play, "Your Arms Are Too Short to Box with God." Yet, sometimes we find ourselves trying to box with God only to discover that our arms are indeed too short. The psalmist knew that sometimes people, even nations find themselves thinking they are greater than God and God's purposes for His creation only to discover their arms are too short as well. I think, as did the psalmist, that God laughs when we think we have the answer or the plan and we got it on our own. There is no plan greater than the plan of trying to get us all to form a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The starting point was the passage from the gospel that spoke of Jesus' Transfiguration where God declares that Jesus is His Son sent with a holy mission, and through Jesus we find that which we need for our lives. Our sole job is, and here's another song title, "Trust and Obey." God stands with us and walks with us, relying on us to do our part in getting His message to all. And when times seem rougher we can find no better place in which to hide than in God.

The human experience is a tough one at times. This past Sunday the preacher shared how a young man had made his plans to end his life and simply went to church to say goodbye to God. He sat on the last row and sat next to an elderly lady who noticed the young man was not doing well. She said, "You look sad young man, but you know it's going to be alright." She then did what the young man did not expect, she put her arm around him and continued to assure him that whatever he was facing was going to be okay. The young man thanked the woman and then waited to talk to the pastor to share how he had already laid out his guns on his bed, a tarp on the floor to minimize the mess the bullet would cause, and wrote his farewell letter to his mother, only to discover that because of this lady's hug and kind words, life was worth living. Nothing should ever convince us that life would be better if we ended it. Nothing can ever convince that life is lived best through self-medication or vices and habits that we think get rid of pain or experiences; we only discover that we are deeper than we thought because of the solutions and remedies we sought. Jesus told us that His enemy came only to "steal, kill, and destroy." (Jn 10:10). He came so that we might have life and that in abundance.

You can try to hide in things of this world, but you'll be discovered. Hide in God and you'll be blessed. It's your choice.

PRAYER: Loving God, for warm embraces and kind words, we are thankful. Help us to share those with those we think are in need. Grant to us that spirit that shares life and life in abundance. This we ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God Invites Us to High Places

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O These Mountain Top Experiences

From Exodus 24: 12The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." 13So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them." 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Rarely do we say or hear, "God dragged me down to squalor and suffering." More often than not, we drag ourselves down to those places by bad choices and bad decisions. More often than not, God's invitation is to higher places, to rise above where we are, to the heavenly places. Such was the case with Moses in today's Old Testament reading. God said to Moses, "Why don't you come up with me to this mountain." Notice God didn't say, "Go up that mountain by yourself and wait there." God was there at the foot of the mountain and at the top and the invitation was to journey with God. And Moses was not alone either, he had Joshua with him and the elders of Israel. To these Moses said, wait there and if you have any problems go to Aaron and Hur. Then Moses journeyed higher up to the mountain and a cloud covered the mountain. This is referred to as "the glory of the Lord" settling on Mount Sinai for six days. This was a long retreat! On the seventh day God called Moses out of the cloud. Then a "devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people" took over. Then Moses reentered the cloud and went up on the mountain and was there for 40 days and 40 nights.

This lesson teaches us that we are not alone, God is with us. Yet it will seem a long time if we don't hear from God and even when we do as we are being formed into that which God would have us be, sometimes we have to be patient and wait. We don't always know why we have to wait, as we are ready now! Or, so we think. Realize that in the waiting, God is there and God is working; we should know that it is all part of the process. Moses needed the time up on the mountain for his own wellbeing, spiritual and physical, but it meant first waiting for six days, then forty days and nights. All part of the plan, all part of the formation.

God is with you right now and may be asking you to be patient as you await an answer. You may have submitted an application for a new job; while you're waiting you're still busy and working, and you might even be getting paid for it too. Seek to do and be all that God needs while you wait. You may have not heard from your son or daughter and you're worried. Keep praying and keep trusting, God is with you and God is with your child. Meanwhile, you continue to be and do what God has asked, and God may be forming you for even greater tasks. Whether it feels like you're on the top of the mountain or just starting out, God is with you! Enjoy the wait. Enjoy the journey.

PRAYER: Thank You, Loving God for today. I may not be or have what I think I want or need, but I have You and You have me. Walk with me spiritually as I sit and wait for whatever answer or response that I have asked. But, use me while I wait for Your good. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS Thank you all for your Anniversary wishes. We had a great day being together for most of the day. I was at Bishop's Convocation and we traveled back to Corpus Christi, then had a nice supper that our daughter, Caitlin provided for us and grandson, Liam. God bless you all!

Eyewitness to Glory

Photo by Eradio Valverde, Jr.

What Have You Seen or Heard?

From 2 Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Nothing beats a personal experience or an eyewitness. I can tell you about a new donut shop that makes melt-in-your-mouth donuts and you might believe me, but when you finally put that tasty donut in your mouth, you will know for certain what I'm talking about. I'm sorry, it's early and I'm hungry and I can't have donuts! The same is true about knowing the Lord and what He offers. Peter writes this letter to believers who were not with him when he saw the Transfiguration (which we discussed yesterday) and he's making the case that Jesus is real and what is taught about Him is true. Have you ever said or heard, "Nobody can make this stuff up!"? Well, that's the case for Peter: Nobody made this stuff up; that which we shared about Christ's power and return is all true. Peter adds, "We were eyewitnesses of His majesty;" we were there when God declared, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with Him on the holy mountain." Peter had confirmation and so have we. This weekend I shared how one Sunday I heard the Lord asking me to honor the men of my church. I argued and said I did not know what that was about, and I didn't do it. I heard after church, "You did not honor the men of your church." The next Sunday again I heard the same thing and I wanted to argue again, but I stood in the pulpit and asked the men in the church to stand. I had no idea what to say but God gave me the words and they were of encouragement. I said something along the lines of it not being easy for men to be in church when they see others washing cars or playing golf or towing their boats towards the water; but their having made the decision to be in church was a blessing to God, to themselves, and to their families. As they stood and as I asked the women to applaud their presence I could see tears not only on the women but on some of the men. The next morning one of our office volunteers thanked me saying I did not know how much her husband needed that word on that day.

God can still speak to us during our times of need or doubt. We may be facing something with an undesired outcome, but we have to stay connected to God and listen to what God may say through reading His Word or through reflection and silence after our prayers. Peter says, "You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." Jesus is the morning star and Jesus is Who should be in your hearts. His love and His presence is the light we need when we believe ourselves to be in darkness. Let Him shine and Let Him take control. God's Holy Spirit will move in and among you and especially your need.

PRAYER: Loving God, make Your light to shine in the dark places of my life. Let me be attentive to You and Your movement in my life. Come into my heart again and again, Lord Jesus, and be the morning star that hints of the great light coming my way. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Joy: Today Nellie and I celebrate 36 years of marriage. Not bad for a whirlwind romance! She abducted me and has not released my heart since that time! ;)

Completely on Earth; Completely in Glory

Image from angusday.org

Jesus is The Complete Word of God

From Matthew 17: 1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

I write this not far from where Jesus has been made very real to me during my youth. Up the road from where I write these words is Mt. Wesley Methodist Encampment, where for several summers I, and the youth group from El Buen Pastor UMC, Houston, spent a week in worship, learning, fun, and singing. We had great speakers who came to share their faith and one even had an altar call for youth to come and respond to Jesus' invitation to be their Lord and Savior. The camp in those days was truly isolated from the town of Kerrville, Texas. At Vesper Point we could see the lights of the small town and we could even see the images of a drive-in movie theatre and we tried to guess which movie was playing. For us South Texans, this was a true mountain that offered mountain top experiences; a good feeling in our spirits that we had truly spent time with God and all was right in the world. We knew that we were closer to God than we had ever been and we were being blessed to come down from the mountain to live a life that would bless others.

Jesus took with Him those disciples of His inner circle; Peter, James, and John. These three saw and experienced more than the other disciples. Jesus had a reason for this and these were the three that He trusted most. It was on this occasion that something unexplainable happened. And aren't the most wonderful things that God offers us for our blessing sometimes unexplainable? You begin to realize as you're older that these experiences were meant to be enjoyed not explained. This is especially handy for boys and men with out limited vocabulary. I would return from camp and Mom and Dad would ask, "How was camp?" I would say, "Good."

Peter, James, and John experienced the Transfiguration; an event that showed that Jesus was completely with them and also at that moment completely in Glory, that is, the Heavenly realm that most mortals do not see while alive. I believe it was an experience meant to be enjoyed by them, but they were so besides themselves they did not know how to act or what to do. Then add to it that the passage says that Moses and Elijah joined Jesus and were talking to Him! Talk about giddy! The Old Testament ends with the book of Malachi with God saying, there is a great day coming when I will act in judgment; to be ready remember Moses' teachings and I will send Elijah. (Malachi 4). The disciples knew this passage and the Spirit helped them to understand who the second and third persons were among them and all Peter can think to do is to build "three dwellings" for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. It was his way of saying, "Don't let this moment end! Please stay with us!" A true mountain top experience is one that we want never to end. Then comes the icing on this delicious cake, a voice from Heaven, God's voice, says, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with Him I am well pleased; listen to Him!" This knocks the disciples down to the ground with fear. As if seeing two dead guys back in this realm was not enough, to hear the voice of God made them fear what might be next.

The thing that brought them back, as happens to so many of us, was the touch of Jesus and His calm words, "Get up and do not be afraid." They realized now they were alone and were instructed not to tell anyone about this amazing vision until after His resurrection.

I'm thankful that now and many years after my mountain top experience I have been able to share what God has done in my life. I love God and trust Him and try very hard to walk with Him each day. Those mountain top experiences served to prepare me for when God spoke to my heart to become a minister to eventually say yes; a decision I have never regretted.

You may be in a valley or low experience right now, but this mountain top experience of the disciples with Jesus serves to help you realize that this too will pass. Jesus' touch and soothing words are your as well. Get up, and that means lift your spirit, and do not be afraid. Jesus rose from the dead after having endured much pain and suffering and whatever you may be going through will pass with the power and presence of Jesus in your life as you invite Him in.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for coming and touching our lives with mountain top experiences. May the blessings of those serve to help us when we're in valleys of sorrow and pain. I pray a special blessing of encouragement and deliverance for those reading this who may be going through sadness or sickness. Heal and help them and stay with us now and forever. This I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Traveling This Freeway!

Photo by Matt Logue from http://cellophane66.blogspot.com/

The Psalm in a Modern Light

From Psalm 119: 33 God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. 34 Give me insight so I can do what you tell me - my whole life one long, obedient response. 35 Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway! 36 Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot. 37 Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way. 38Affirm your promises to me - promises made to all who fear you. 39 Deflect the harsh words of my critics - but what you say is always so good. 40 See how hungry I am for your counsel; preserve my life through your righteous ways!

We have an interesting Interstate freeway system. The product of President Einsenhower, it was designed with the military in mind. East to West, the interstate freeways are even-numbered; North to South, odd-numbered. Most have long stretches of straight road designed to allow military planes to land if necessary, and the interstate system continues to grow. Some have a fear of these fast roads and when we moved from the small town of Kingsville to Houston, we kept hearing people talk about the "spaghetti bowl." Have you gone there yet? No, we're poor and don't eat out much - No, ha ha, the spaghetti bowl is where all the bridges from the interstate meet downtown! Yeah, ha ha.

The psalmist knew the best way to travel anywhere was with and following God. The only way to travel with God is to get to know God better and better each and every day. He knows that a humble heart opens the entrance onto this path and so he asks for lessons that help us learn and keep the course on which we know God would have us go. A keen insight to observe and know what God is sharing is also necessary; and he calls the law and God's commandments a "road," and declares that those who do these things will say, like him, "I love traveling this freeway!" (v. 35). The desire is to continue the journey, enjoying it but not being distracted by whatever is on either side of the freeway. Gone are the Stucky's of old (most of them anyway) that used to call our attention to pull off the interstate and buy something. The interstate of life is also lined with "Stucky's" that serve no real purpose in our journeying with God.

Ours is the "pilgrim way" which leads to new discoveries and finds that will bless us and those with whom we share them. Our is also a journey to hear God and sing God's praises and not be distracted by voices calling off by putting us down. Our journey down this road is best traveled with th hunger to love God more and more.

PRAYER: Awesome Lord, thank You for Your word. May my journeys today be blessed and protected by You. As I travel through this life, make me a pilgrim to discover, enjoy, and share new and wondrous blessings. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

All You Need is Love

Image from http://mirtam.memphisseminary.edu

But God Meant Everybody!

From Leviticus 19: 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.15 You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. 17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Our oldest was six years old when she asked her mom, "Not everybody likes Daddy, right?" Sadly, a lesson she was learning from church in her Sunday school. Where one would assume teachers would teach their children love from them and towards everyone, this teacher did not like me or my sermons, and used her Sunday school hour to criticize and put down my pastorate. God's intention for all who would believe in God is to be holy; not holier than thou, as was the case with this teacher, but the holy that exudes the humility, love, and awe towards God, and a loving acceptance of all people, no exceptions. The Great Commission states our mission is to all the world, again, no exceptions. In this passage God is saying that our holiness should also lead us to love and acceptance of both poor and rich, kindness and charity, and love beyond hatred or indifference. And it starts with love for ourselves. For some people that's an easy thing and they love themselves a little too much; others struggle with self-image and negativity towards themselves; some with bitterness and uneasiness about their past, and thus cannot love others in the right way because they do not love themselves. Love for neighbor begins with love for self the way God loves us. God's love sees us just as we are and accepts us. God's love should rub off on us as we begin to love all people. I have said that the Communion ritual of Confession should include the line, "We have not recognized all people as our neighbor" right before "we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves." Yes, there are differences between us but that should make us unique and special, not bring about barrier and lines that we dare not cross. The billboard above says it all, God means this and we should follow it and live it.

This past Sunday our worship concluded with a CD playing The Beatles' "All You Need is Love." It was a special service and marriage vows were reaffirmed and the sermon stressed love for all, and as the lyrics came on the screen I realized I had not known all the words to that song. If you're like me, we either hum the unknown words or make up words that sound just like we think they're singing. "There's nothing you can do that can't be done; Nothing you can sing that can't be sun; Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game, it's easy. Nothing you can make that can't be made;No one you can save that can't be saved; Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be in time, it's easy...All you need is love." Love has saved many a person for all eternity, and it may just be that our love today towards someone struggling without it, may lead them to a relationship with God that lasts for all time and beyond time.

All you need is love. For everyone.

PRAYER: Loving God, forgive me for taking sides or for loving myself too much that I forget to love others. Forgive me for not recognizing others as my neighbor, and forgive me for not loving my neighbor as myself. I need more of Your love so that I may love more. This I ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Are We Pointing to Jesus Christ?

Photo is that of our youngest granddaughter, Eliana Beth Garcia, in an outfit that Grandma and Grandpa bought.

Jesus Should Be Central to Who We Are

From 1 Corinthians 3: 10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," 20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 21 So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours,22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Is your life thriving? Is your church thriving? Who or what is at the center of your life? Who or what is at the center of your church's life? The answer to the third and fourth questions will answer the first two. Think about it. What/Who do you live for? And is there still passion and intensity about that person/thing? It is the visible and tangible passion you show about the persons and things in the center of your life that will either attract or repel others to you. The same is true about our churches. A recent conversation that I read between a UM bishop and a church growth consultant talked about thriving churches and what makes them so. The first reason is an excitement and joy about what Jesus can do and is doing in their lives and in the life of the church. These are churches that demonstrate the need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and as a result others come to faith because of that invitation. Interesting second thing is that the folks who make up a thriving church have discovered the need to go from being simply members to disciples. Do you notice the difference? A member has joined, may attend, listen, then go home. Nothing really has changed in his or her life; the card has been punched and after 2 more punches they earn a Sunday off. A disciple is one who cannot get enough of Jesus and tells others about the blessings that come through faith in God through Jesus Christ. Paul talks about this in this passage in two ways: Jesus should be our foundation, and we should let God build upon that foundation both in our lives and in the life of our church. The second thing that Paul stresses to the believers is that we should know that our bodies are special and belong to God. More importantly, in our bodies lives the Holy Spirit. Speaking to those fearful for their lives because of persecution Paul reassures them that they would not die even if this temple (body) was destroyed. If we see ourselves as being holy and special to God, no one nor nothing can destroy us.

Jesus should be the source of unity in our relationships, especially within the church. The church in Corinth as we discussed sometime ago, had a division as to who baptized who and which of these baptizers was more important than the other, and Paul said they were missing the point. It is Christ Jesus who matters and we should be all about Jesus. Period. And we belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. Anything else is either extra or a distraction.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for making me special and holy through Jesus Christ. I thank You for the relationship Jesus makes possible with You. Let my life be centered and focused on Jesus so that I may help grow the Church. Grant me wisdom and the words with which to bless You and Yours. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

It's Simple; Just Be Perfect!

Image from http://firstchurchmn.wordpress.com

Ah! Wait! What?

From Matthew 5: 38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 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.

Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, and as that's being done, a lot of people wonder what in the world He's talking about. It was, after all, Moses who gave us the law of controlled retribution; "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." People sometimes don't get along and sometimes someone will hit someone. In Moses' time, that usually meant the family or entire clan of the one injured would go and kill all of the members of the hitter's family. So, Moses in his wisdom said if someone takes out your eye, then your family can go and take that guy's out. If it's just a tooth, well, then you knock his tooth out. And that seemed to work pretty well if you like the idea of people hitting people and injuring them. Let's check the news: A man in Florida does not like loud music coming out of an SUV and warns them he'll shoot in the car. The music gets turned up louder and the man shoots and kills a teenager. In another place, a man is watching a movie and the guy in front of him is texting while the movie is on. The man bothered by the texting asks the texter to quit. The texter says no, he's going to keep texting and the first man goes to his car, retrieves a gun and kills the man. Jesus' take on this law is that people should get along even if one party has to give in to the other. Is it worth losing your life just because you're right? If someone hits you on your right check, let him/her hit you on the left one as well. And this goes against what most dads teach their kids. "If somebody hits you, you hit 'em back!" Hmm. Then, Jesus continues (Does He never stop?!) The law of Jesus' time and place was that Roman soldiers had police authority and they also had judge, jury and executioner authority. If a soldier who usually walked with a heavy pack, grew tired of carrying such pack, he could tap you on your shoulder with the flat side of his spear. That was an order for you to stop and do what the solider asked. He could ask you to carry the pack for him for one mile. After one mile, the soldier was either well-rested or could find another citizen to carry his pack. If you refused, the soldier could turn the spear and with the business end of the spear finish your life. Jesus asks, is it worth it? To stand up to a soldier and say, "I ain't carrying nuthin' for you!"? Jesus say, astonish the solider or the one asking of you something and go the second mile. They won't and don't expect that. They'll be amazed and blessed by your helpful attitude.

This Sermon on the Mount changed the perspective of those hearing and receiving this sermon. Give to everyone who asks something of you, even those who want to borrow from you. AND, Jesus continued, you know those who go out of their way to make your life unbearable, love them! Common thinking, the worldly thinking was to hate them back! Jesus says, nonsense, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven." Do the unexpected! What good do you do if you love those who love you? And if you're friendly only to your immediate family, what amazing, unexpected thing have you done? Even those who don't know God do that! And here's the shocker: "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." If we were made in the image of God, our image should reflect perfection. Wait! What? Who in this world is perfect? The one who never gives up trying to be.

Live your life to bless others and soon you might find others wanting to imitate you. Last night, Nellie was listening to a youth choir from El Buen Pastor UMC- Edinburg sing. Our five year old grandson, Liam, asked, "How does someone learn to sing like that? I want to sing like that!" If good singing inspires little ones, imagine what good living will do for others.

PRAYER: Amazing God, You are awesome and perfect. We admit we're not and sometimes feel so far from perfection we want to give up. But give us strength to be like Jesus taught; to love and pray for everyone, and to resist evil in doing the unexpected. May we never give up. This we pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Your Bottle's Ready!

Photograph of Eliana Beth Garcia by her grandpa, Eradio Valverde

They Serve Their Purpose When You're a Baby!

From 1 Corinthians 3:1And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?4 For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. 9 For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.

There is a story in our family about some children past bottle-feeding age. After school, the younger one asked the older one for a bottle. The legend goes, and I must point out this did not happen in our immediate family, the older fixes a bottle for the younger one and then one for themselves. Ahh! A refreshing bottle of milk after school. We'll stop there.

Paul says, when I first met you I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but as bottle-fed infants. You were not ready to hear the meatier stuff of our faith, just milk. But what's worse, Paul continues, you're still not ready! You still belong to and are guided by the flesh and not the spirit. How can I tell? There is much jealousy and quarreling among you; all driven by human inclinations not the Spirit! And then you argue about who the best pastor was who has served your church! Sounds very familiar doesn't it?

Paul's message was straight-forward; come to Jesus and be guided in all aspects of your life by God's Holy Spirit. If you just come to church and not to Jesus, you'll still be the same person you've always been. In Christ, we become new creatures, guided by God and driven by love towards others. Those who have not yet surrounded to Jesus are still driven by the same other selfish things; me, me, me! Rise above those things and come to Jesus, for in Him we can find a better life. I believe the opposite of jealousy is encouragement and celebration for others. The opposite of quarreling is agreement and encouragement. Where do you find yourself today? Guided by the Holy Spirit or by your own selfish interests?

PRAYER: Loving God, help me to die to self and be made new in You. Help me to be a person guided by love and driven to share hope, love, joy, and encouragement towards others, especially those with whom I seek to serve You. Forgive us those times we have put ourselves before You; for we pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

"I Swear Marriage is Hard!"

Image from a photo by Eradio Valverde

It's As Easy As Blowing Up a Hot Water Bottle

From Matthew 5:31 "It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be "Yes, Yes' or "No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Okay, the title is not so good, but we're going to cover two things this day; Divorce and Oaths (Swearing). And the picture is from last night's Intense Ministries evangelistic campaign at Beacon of Hope, a joint ministry of our First UMC and Disciples of Christ church in Aransas Pass, TX.

Marriage is tough, and it is the leading cause of divorce. Since Adam and Eve's day, well, Eve couldn't say, "I'm going home to my mother!" Neither could Adam. But after marriage is instituted, couples reached the point of dissatisfaction or worse, unfaithfulness, and they left. One went his way, and there other hers. Even during the Exodus, this massive forty year campaign to form a people, as they journeyed in the wilderness, couples fought and bickered and someone, usually the man, threw someone out. The ancient way to say This Is It was to throw all the wife's belongings in the front yard (or in the case of the Exodus people) right outside of the entrance of the tent. Many would wonder what this meant. "Is hubby airing out my clothes? Water is scarce and we haven't have time to wash! What with all this marching and attacks and manna gathering!" So they came to Moses to ask for a ruling and he ruled that a man who divorces his wife had to give her a certificate of divorce (Deut. 24). Basically, a paper or papyrus scroll that said, "I hereby divorce you." Moses hoped to make divorce difficult if not impossible, but there were still those who believed it was for the best. And yes, there are times when divorce is the ultimate remedy for a troubled marriage. Jesus in this passage is stressing the seriousness of marriage. He compares the seriousness of marriage and remarriage to the sin of adultery. Marriage is difficult, but if built on the right foundation of Godly love and commitment, it can last in most cases. Divorce is a terrible thing. As a child my grandparents divorced and it was viewed as a great shame on the family. My grandmother who already lived behind us, practically moved in with us and in our move to Houston she moved with us. My grandfather remarried and we did not see him for a long period of time and my dad did not want to meet my grandfather's new wife. I also remember when my dad repented of that and we went to see my grandfather, whom I still loved and missed, and met his new wife. In other family members, divorce has occurred and it is a difficult burden on all concerned, more so the couple who choose it regardless of reasons or causes. The law allows for divorce and it allows for remarriage; but Jesus is stressing commitment on the part of both husband wife to each other. This new kingdom of God requires our whole commitment to God and God's love and to sharing that with one another especially in our marriages and relationships.

"I swear! Cross my heart and hope to die! Stick a needle in my eye!" Playground swearing back in the days of soap in the mouth remedies for those who swore beyond the playground oaths. We believed that if a friend did not believe us we had to swear; "I swear on a stack of Bibles!" (Usually today an iPad will do - if you have a Bible app with lots of versions of God's holy word). We wanted to be believed and we thought that swearing was that which truth would shine. In Jesus' day, folks swore "by heaven," or "by the earth," or even "I swear by Jerusalem!" Jesus said, think of how foolish and terrible that is, for we know heaven is where God lives and where God's throne is; earth is God's footstool, and Jerusalem is God's great city. To swear on one's mother's grave or mother's life - not needed. Jesus said for us to be people of our word. To be honest with one another. Our words when used should mean what we say. Our yes should be yes, and our no, no. If we take it beyond that we've left the realm of God and invited the "evil one" to be a part of our relationship.

Be a person of Godly character. Be known for sharing as loving and truthful people. In all relationships, especially marriage. Live and love with an eternal commitment to God, and to one another.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless the marriages of those praying this; help us all find solutions and answers when we're challenged to the point of anger. Help us seek You first and in You that which will keep us together. May all our relationships be honest and truthful and based on You. May we be people of our word, saying yes when we mean yes, and no when no is what we mean. This is hard, but with You it is made easier. And it is in Christ Jesus that we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS If you live in the Aransas Pass area, tonight at FUMC's gym, Intense Ministry finishes their evangelism outreach with their biggest show at 6:30 p.m. If you don't live in this area and would like to sponsor an event with them, please visit their website, www.intenseministries.com or contact the founder and director: Josh Whisneant, 409-201-5166 or email Josh at Whisneant@aol.com. They will go to your schools, put on a demonstration there with no religious implications but will invite the kids back to your church. And throughout their presentation they invite those with no church home to come to yours.

Control Your Thoughts!

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Or They'll Control You!

From Matthew 5: 27 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

As we have been discovering, entry into this Kingdom of God requires much change in our thinking and in our doing. Yesterday, Jesus added a new dimension to the Law's commandment about murder; anger is just as bad. And today's passage is about the commandment on adultery. Jesus said, "You know the commandment; don't commit adultery; but here's the thing, we defile ourselves just by thinking lustfully about another person." Our heart gives us away. We are told that we must control our thinking. Natural thoughts are those of desire for some, but Jesus says we should not look at others as objects, but as brothers and sisters, children of God. The passages that follow show the seriousness with which Jesus considers lust and other things that break the letter of the law. What your eye sees is controlled by our thinking. Do we see an attractive person as an object or lust or can we tell our mind to see that person as sister or brother? Kingdom living is rising above the expected and what some excuse as normal. In the same way, our mind can control the actions of our hands; not taking what is not ours or grabbing for that which will draw us deeper into sin. Any of these, Jesus warns, draws us away from God until we face possible eternal separation from God.

Many years ago, a Sunday school teaching, presidential candidate confessed to a magazine that specializes in lust, that he was guilty of having committed adultery in his heart. Some were shocked, some were relieved to hear someone honestly confess that he had lost control of his thinking and had lusted after another in his mind. Jimmy Carter went on to be elected, and today he still is active in his church and in doing good for humanity. Would seeking an office such as president cause us to be as honest? Yet, Jesus is not talking just to politicians; He's talking to us. Much is expected of us who accept a relationship with Him and who desire to enter into the kingdom of God here on the earth, where we pray that God's will be done here as it is in heaven.

The Good News for us all is that Jesus walks with us and provides for us that which empowers us to resist and to control our hearts and minds to be set apart and to a higher standard than that which the world expects from us. The Sermon on the Mount can be said to be a call to rise above.

PRAYER: Loving God, may it be so in my life, in my heart, and in my mind, that I seek You and Your goodness. Control my thoughts and desires. Fill me with Your Spirit and may the Spirit guide me to faithfulness and fruitfulness. This I pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Anger & Reconciliation

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It Is The Way of Jesus

From Matthew 5: 21 "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not murder'; and "whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister,you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, "You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Woah! Wait! Did I just hear Jesus make the Commandments stricter? That might have been the thought of some among the crowd listening to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount covered in this passage. Jesus take the Commandment of Thou Shalt Not Kill and make it one of anger. Well, I stay away from murder, isn't that enough? No, Jesus says, anger with a brother or sister is just as bad. Many have been the times we have been angry with someone to the point where they no longer live in our opinion; they count for nothing and we avoid them and avoid thinking about them. Sigh, don't raise your hands; we're all guilty as charged.

Jesus knew it was easier to stay away from killing someone with a weapon than to realize that our words have power to kill, so do our thoughts. And Jesus wants us to know that anger is a big thing that should not control our lives. It's not the Jesus way! Jesus' way is reconciliation; that of forgiving those who have harmed us and asking for forgiveness when we know we have harmed or hurt others. It was serious enough for Jesus to say, "If you call someone a 'fool', you're 'liable to the hell of fire.'" That's serious! And if you come to sacrifice something on the altar of God and your remember that there's something not right in one of your relationships, leave your gift there and get right with that person, then come back and offer your gift. Reconciliation is important to the point Jesus says we don't want to have to be imprisoned over it. Those who don't forgive and live with hate towards someone find themselves in a ever tightening prison with themselves holding the only key.

This new kingdom that Jesus ushered in is a kingdom with requirements and His interpretations of the law give us new and needed insight towards healthier living before God and one another.

PRAYER: Loving God, forgive me of my sins. Help me to be forgiving towards those who have hurt/harmed me. Let me realize that my anger can kill or maim; I want to do neither. I want to bless others and give them life. This I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Happy Are Those Who Fear the Lord

Image from a photo taken by Eradio Valverde

Being Light for Those in Darkness

From Psalm 112:1 Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 2Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. 4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous. 5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice. 6 For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever. 7 They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord. 8 Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. 9 They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.

"Why would I be afraid of the Lord?" I would ask as a child in Sunday school. Of course I never voiced it out loud, I was afraid more of the Sunday school teacher's embarrassment of a pupil who did not know all the answers! I was a youth before I had the courage to ask one of my pastors. His answer blessed me, "Fear of the Lord is the deep awe and respect you have for God, not that you're afraid of Him." That made me happy; I had been fearing God for a long time!

David understood that fear and associated it with worship and praise, study and prayer. He also understood the blessings and consequences that came of that deep awe and respect, and love, we should have for our Creator. He believed if one carried that from childhood to parenthood, the children of one would be blessed. They would have all they needed for their understanding, attitude and gratitude would bless them in the deeper knowledge of that which God provides that escapes rust and theft. They, like their parent(s), would be light for both whose who already knew the Lord and those that would come to know the Lord because of our living and sharing. The one who loves the Lord is a person who seeks to share graciousness, mercy, and righteousness. Theirs is a life filled with blessing in their sharing with one another and especially with those who lack. They will long be remembered and appreciated. Even when people might speak badly about them, they know the One who has the last word will speak a word of blessing on their lives. Fear of anything is the last thing in their hearts, for their hearts are filled with the peace and power of the Lord. They will overcome all things and everyone that may come against them and their work for God. Blessed will be their home.

PRAYER: Loving God, may the above be part of our morning prayer. We seek You and we seek to live our lives with awe, respect and love for You. And may that bless us as we seek to bless You and Yours. In Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Request: Many are traveling and many will gather today in San Antonio for the called session of the annual conference. May we pray that God's will be done in our midst and that as we begin a new conference that we do it with fear of the Lord.

Going Beyond Our Comfort Zones

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Why Does God Demand So Much?

From Isaiah 58: 1 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. 3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. 4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. 12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.

Yesterday as we met for our district pastors' meeting, one of our pastors could not be with us as she was preparing for two funerals she has today. As I read her email I remembered that a dear friend of mine has had something like 16 funerals in one month. And I realized that unless we leave our comfort zones and walk our neighborhoods and invite people into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we will become a church that specializes only in burying people. Not that that's bad, we know death is a part of life and death is something for which we prepare people; but we should be a full-service church - baptisms, confirmation, marriages and other worship celebrations that glorify God and bless people. Yet, even if the pastor gets excited about moving past what makes/keeps us comfortable some people in the pews want to stay right there and be comfortable. I have had people say that as long as they're happy and the church is there to bury them, they need not do anything else or worry about anyone else.

This is basically what Isaiah is saying to the people on God's behalf: You're too comfortable and you're at the point of abusing people with your neglect. You should be leading the charge to help people. You're religious but not relational. You fast but only for your own needs. Some even fast to quarrel better and hit harder. Is that what God wants/expects from us?

God expects us, the people who make up His church, to work to remove all that is not Godly in our midst, such as children being hungry ("We give so many food stamps there is no hunger in our community!" WRONG), people being homeless ("It's their own choice! They messed up and ended up on the streets!"), people wearing the same clothes day after day because they have no other; kids going to school with torn shoes, no coats during this cold weather; people not wanting to be with their own relatives. If we begin to look beyond ourselves and guide our churches into the mission field, great blessings will return to God's church. We will be the light God called us to be both as individuals and as a church. All our present fears and challenges will be removed, and we will be the source of love and hope for those who now have neither. We will truly become a home for all people.

PRAYER: Living and Loving God, speak to my heart and the heart of those around me; bless us as we seek to bless You and Yours. Give us courage to "afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted." This I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Mind of Christ

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Blessings of the Holy Spirit

From 1 Corinthians 2: 1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. 6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7 But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. 14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny. 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

I date myself by remembering and using this quote from a movie from 1984. I know it's 30 years ago, but it was a scene from "Romancing the Stone" where this novelist, Joan Wilder, i s traveling with an adventurer, Jack Colton, trying to find Joan's sister who has been kidnapped and they find themselves at the gate of these ruthless drug cartel people. The drug people do not like to be bothered but when they knock at the door, the man recognizes Joan because he reads to them from her novels during the night. His reaction and hers, were priceless. She and Jack think they're about to be killed but the man asks, "Joan? Joan Wilder?!" And the doors get flung open, the man announces to his men, "This is Joan Wilder!" The groups responses in awe, "Joan Wilder."

Paul confesses he came with Christ's message "in weakness and in fear and in much trembling." But he came knowing "Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and with the message of the wisdom of God that defied the wisdom of the age nor of the rulers of the age. And this, thanks to the Holy Spirit. Once Paul connected with these new listeners, they connected with God and God's Holy Spirit and then they began to understand what Paul was offering. This blessing to understand the things of God or at least to reach the point of declaring the understandable as being a mystery of God, is the mind of Christ, which Paul says you and me possess.

Centered in and walking with God daily gives us that mind of Christ. The slogan made into bracelets and bumper stickers with the W.W.J.D. asked the question, "What Would Jesus Do?" to help guide us in our thinking and decision making. He or she led by God will understand that which they must do and decide because of the possession of the mind of Christ, which is deep personal faith in Christ. Some doors may open, others may not, but we seek on trying to share Christ as Paul did. Our message of Jesus seeks to find others who are "salt and light" as Jesus taught, who seek to being God's flavor and brilliance to those lacking zest for life and a darkness of peace and purpose.

Let's get busy!

PRAYER: Loving God, increase my faith. Truly give me the mind of Christ so that I can share You and Your love with others. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Update: Thank you for your prayers for Nate Pennington, all went well and he is home resting and recovering. Thanks be to God!