God is the God of Life, Even Among Dry Bones!

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"Your friend's not dead; he's mostly dead!"

What a story we find in Ezekiel 37:1The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord."

In one of my favorite movies, "The Princess Bride," the hero of the movie is tortured beyond hope of life and his limp body is brought to a healer who is helping all who loved the man to have some hope and says the line I quoted above, "Your friend's is not dead; he's only mostly dead." But in this story the valley is full of dry bones, skeletons bleached by the sun. It is a picture of hopelessness and finality. The Lord places the prophet there and asks him, 'Mortal, can these bones live?" The prophet shares what a scared prophet can, "O Lord God, you know." Then God says speak truth to these bones and invite them to hear the word of God and if you do, "I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." The prophet may have thought, "I've preached to some dead crowds before, but this is the worst!" Yet, he obeyed and preached God's word to them, and just as God said would happen, the bones began to transform into what God had said and they had sinews and flesh, and soon skin, but there was no breath in them. Then God orders the prophet to speak again commanding breath to come into them and he obeyed and just as was told would happen, the bodies came to life.

This was a vision of how low the people of Israel had gotten because of their lack of relationship with God. Life got the best of them and they spiritually withered away and great hopelessness came upon them. Yet God is a God of life Who can come into the most hopeless of situations and speak a word of life and re-make us and all who need, completely new. It matters not what we've done or what we're facing, our God is a God of life! God is a God of eternity and why would we think to limit His powers in our needs or challenges?

Friends, we have a God we can rely on even in the most challenging and troubling of times; why do we seek to live without hope or joy if we have such a God? Ours should be a decision to cry to the Lord and expect God to do wonderful things among us and through us.

PRAYER: Loving God, speak to that which is dying in me, be it hope or faith, and make it completely new. While you're at me, make me completely new as well, my heart, my soul, my mind and my body. I seek to glorify You with all my being. This I pray in Jesus' holy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

P.S. Prayer Request: For Mr. José Refugio Garcia, father of my son-in-law, Jorge, undergoing open-heart surgery in McAllen. The doctors fear a small chance of survival because of the damage the heart has under gone. His surgery is at 7 a.m.

Traveling mercies for the youth of our conference traveling to Corpus Christi for a Worship Event being held at St. John's UMC. May God's Holy Spirit bless those attending with new life and hope!

A Spirit Led Life of Peace

Photo by Eradio Valverde of the mill at San José Mission, San Antonio, TX

The Alternative is Close to Death

We read in Romans 8: 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

"Obsession with self" is the way The Message version of the Bible begins this text, and that's a good way to interpret this text. To be completely self-centered and self-serving does no one any good, and many times not even ourselves. There is more beyond ourselves, starting with the things of God, on these things think. Paul's instructions to the believers in Rome bless believers all over the world; a life lived centered only on one's self serves no good purpose. Our lives as believers should be centered on Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul knows, as should you and I, that a mind set on ourselves is hostile to God; it will seek only those things that bless the self, not God. There is hostility in that mind towards God. God's way is a way of serving and caring for others. God's way is a way of peace. God's way is a way led by the Spirit. And as Paul knows, believers should have the Spirit of God dwelling in us.

It's our choice and decision and it should be our prayer life, to seek to live as God intended and we will have a life of peace. (See my post at http://lentenjourney40words.blogspot.com/2014/04/lenten-word-25-peace.html for a discussion on peace). This peace comes from the God "who raised Christ from the dead" and God "will give life to (our) mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwells in (us)." (v. 11).

We know a better way to live.

PRAYER: God of life and peace, grant to us the direction that leads to this life of peace. Remove from our minds any hostility that may be there against You or Yours. Help me to bless others. This is my prayer, in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Glorious Hope of Resurrection, Part III

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Jesus Defeated Sin and Death for Our Sake!

From John 11: 38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Jesus was fully human and fully divine. The human side came out of Jesus in several of His actions. We will see anger at what was going on in the Temple after Palm Sunday, we saw Him crying at Lazarus' tomb, and today we see that the writer says that "Jesus (was) again greatly disturbed" as he approached the tomb. Lazarus had been a friend to Jesus as had Lazarus' two sisters and we see the heaviness of the death of a loved one. It was the custom to bury those whom they could in tombs and usually a heavy stone was placed at the entrance; this Jesus ordered removed. Martha, ever the practical one tells Jesus that there is already a smell from the four days that her brother had been dead. Jesus counters with His reminder that she would see the glory of God. The stone is removed, Jesus looks upward, and in His custom, prayed. "Father, I thank You for having heard me. I knew that You always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." Jesus shared all with God, as should we. Jesus probably prayed this prayer with tears and in private about Lazarus' death, for Jesus knew the impact that death can have on us. Then, to the shock of those standing near, Jesus yells, "Lazarus, come out!" I don't know about you but I would have been a little frightened at the thought that a dead man can rise up again. But this was to glorify God and we then read that Lazarus did come out just as he had been placed in the tomb, bandaged in funeral tradition for the time, strips of cloth on his hands and feet and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus orders Lazarus released and for them to "let him go." It was at that moment that many came to believe in Jesus.

The resurrection of Lazarus was setting the stage for Jesus' own death and resurrection. Jesus wanted the 12 to see and experience this miracle for soon (John 14), He would sharing details of His suffering and death. Jesus wanted the disciples and all who witnessed it to know the glory and power of God. Death was not the end for those who die in Him, nor is it the end for Jesus. This preview was a thing of power and purpose, serving to make stronger the faith of the disciples. This is a miracle, no question about it. There is no way to explain it other than to say God was behind it. Miracles are wonderful, usually unexpected blessings that come without explanation, to be enjoyed and to be more of a reason we worship and praise God. Some are earth-shattering like this one or they're small, private ones that not to many are aware about, nor should they be, for sometimes they come only for our sake. Who knows, the fact you awoke today is a miracle yet not explained. A phone call you may get later today will perhaps bring a miracle to a relationship you had been praying about. An unexpected email from someone you needed to hear from may prove to be a miracle. It's all a matter of perspective and whether you believe you need a miracle or not, God provided His Word to share what God has done in the past and as a clue to what God is, and can do, for you and me.

PRAYER: Loving God, author of life and provider of unexplained blessings, pour out Your love and grace on this dear reader. Bless her/his life in whatever they face and let them come to a deeper joy because of You. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

What Do You Tell The Grieving? Part II

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Jesus Visits Martha and Mary after Funeral of Lazarus

From John 11: 17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." 28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

You and I have probably said, "I don't like visiting the family of a friend or loved one who have lost them to death, because I don't know what to say!" I have said that to God in prayer, and we discussed that in seminary as well. Believe it or not, that's a normal thought and normal feeling. The response I have heard and you probably have heard, is to just be there. Your presence is a blessing in and of itself. Wise words are no match for your caring and loving enough to be with the family. I will never forget during my first year in seminary hearing a respected, older classmate share with us how the previous night as an intern chaplain at Parkland Hospital, he had to be with a Baptist minister whose wife had shot herself and committed suicide. The doctors came to tell him they could not save her and the pastor shared how all he could do was cry with the man. That was pastoral care in my opinion, that minister had someone to cry with as he tried to make sense of this tragic act and his senseless loss. What we should NOT say can be complied in a long list; God needed her more, God has a garden and He needed one more flower, It was God's will... etc. Those statements, though you may mean well, serve to only hurt beyond repair. "I don't know why this happened," says more and cares more.

Jesus arrived in Bethany after Lazarus' funeral. He was four days late. He found a household of mourners who came to console Martha and Mary on the loss of their brother. News of Jesus' arrival makes Martha get up and run towards Jesus; Mary stayed home. The words shared by Martha are those we have shared with Him as well; "Jesus, where were you?" Her words say it all for the grieving, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of Him." We have prayed that; we have cried that. Jesus shares what we should know and should share; "Your brother will rise again." Martha knew this from her religious training so she says she knows about the resurrection on the last day, but Jesus shares the Christian truth and hope: "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Her response was Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One the world has been expecting. Her response was of faith. I worry that this message of faith shared by Jesus is not being shared enough in funeral services. I have sat through a highlights of goodness of the deceased, and we smile and laugh and think what a great guy that was, but we do not hear the message of Jesus: Resurrection and Life. The promises of a heaven prepared for us as Jesus would later share in John 14. Eulogies should not take the place of sermons in the funeral service; Jesus is to be worshiped and glorified for all that He has, can, and will do for us. Then, more people will know as Martha, what to say.

Jesus then meets Mary, the more spiritual of the two sisters. She gets up when Martha said, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." The mourners think Mary is going back to the tomb to weep some more and they follow her. Guess what Mary shares with Jesus? The very same thing Martha did, and what you and I have said, "Jesus, where were you? Why did you not answer my prayer as I asked?" Jesus does not reply to her but asks to see the tomb and when he sees the grief on the sisters and the mourners, Jesus wept. Yes, that famous, save-me-I-need-a-Bible-verse-from-memory-saver! John 11:35 (in another version): Jesus wept. And those who saw it said two things, Wow, Jesus really loved him, and Couldn't He that opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?

Yes, Jesus loves me, and yes, Jesus loves you. Yes, Jesus loves the dying and those who mourn. But beyond love comes life as shared by He who overcame sin and death. If you're facing the coming death of a loved one who is ill, do not stop showing love. And as you love that person share with them the hope that is ours because of Jesus Christ; Jesus is the resurrection, and Jesus is life. Stay tuned tomorrow, for wonders will never cease!

PRAYER: Loving God of love and life, speak to the hearts of those at the side of loved ones who are sick and dying. Speak love and hope and the promise of life through those who witness to You. Help us know that this season of Lent has been about our own mortality and how we should celebrate Your power in the midst of our weakness. We pray in the name of He who saved us, Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

A Funeral Without Jesus Part I

Image from http://assertum.blogspot.com

The Illness of a Dear Friend/Relative

From John 11: 1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" 9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." 11 After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." 12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

We fear late night telephone calls. We fear telephone calls from loved ones or dear friends when they have bad news concerning their health. We fear doctor's reports when we have not felt well. As Christians we always have prayer, but many of us sometimes leave that for a last resort; we want to know what our doctor can do, and then if s/he can't, what can a specialist tell us in this case? And if that specialist doesn't have better news, can we get a second opinion? People in the time of Jesus had physicians, though not with the knowledge and treatment options, but the reality was that not every village had one. To see one might require long distance journeys that sick ones would not make. In the case of Martha and Mary, they had a brother, Lazarus, who became ill. This household was a household of faith for they knew and believed in Jesus. The connection is mentioned in verse 2, Mary had anointed Jesus with perfume and dried His feet with her hair. Jesus had also been asked to settle a dispute among those two sisters, one wanted to serve guests, the other wanted just to hear what Jesus had to say, and the one serving asked Jesus to order her sister into service. Jesus replied that one of them was on the right track, seeking to learn more about Him. So, in this story, both agreed that they needed Jesus to come and heal their brother. They knew of Jesus' power and had heard the stories of people being healed of major birth defects or serious illnesses. They had full faith in Jesus Christ and probably no one or nothing more. They send word to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."

Word reaches Jesus and we expect that Jesus would immediately drop everything and rush to Lazarus' side; is that not what we would do? And certainly the disciples thought the same thing, but Jesus amazes them by declaring that this illness would not lead to death and would instead serve to bring glory to God's name, and the Son of God would also be glorified through this illness. There was no doubt about Jesus' love for Martha, Mary and Lazarus, but Jesus takes two days to begin his journey back to Bethany in Judea. When he tells His disciples they are headed back to Judea they remind him of what the Jews had tried to do to Him there and Jesus states, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." Then He says, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus was trying to explain death in a new way to the disciples and so they replied, well, if he's just asleep, he'll be all right." In other words, why make the trip? Then Jesus says plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, he of doubt fame later on, then says, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

You and I have prayed many times expecting immediate answers to our requests, and still loved ones have died or the answer was not the one we sought. Do we give up faith if our prayers are not answered in our way? Certainly not! Jesus answers all prayers according to the will of God, not our will. Prayer seeks to strengthen us in the knowledge that God is in control and we are in need of God; not to merely answer prayers according to our need. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 that we don't fully understand all things while we are alive, but the day is coming when all things will be revealed. Until then we remain committed and trusting to the Lord and whatever the will of God may be for our lives and that of our loved ones. We fear death but this passage serves to show what perception Jesus had of death, that it is not the end and that it can be compared to being asleep. Those who die loving and trusting the Lord do not die. Yes, their death is a terrible loss and it hurts to see them go, but it is not the end. This Lenten Journey has been all about what Jesus suffered for our sake and to bring us victory over sin and death.

PRAYER: Loving God, as this dear reader prays this prayer, You know the hurt and sorrow in his or her heart for loved ones who are ill. Some may even be feeling the effects and discomfort of an illness in their own bodies, so our prayer dear God is for their healing and comfort. Strengthen their faith and in turn their bodies so that they may endure whatever life has brought them, but prepare them for that which awaits us all who love you, after this life. You are the Divine Physician and in You can be found cures and healing that no one else can offer. We ask that You be glorified in our lives. We pray this in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Lord is My Shepherd & Sometimes I'm a Goat!

Photo by Eradio Valverde, Jr. at the San Antonio Zoo of a goat being combed by Liam Vasquez

But I Want to Be a Lamb!

From Psalm 23: 1 The LORD is my shepherd ; I shall not want . 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: heleadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever .

Ninety-eight percent of the churches in the Rio Grande Conference are named El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepherd). Okay, I'm stretching it a bit, but it is in the top three at number one. Followed closely by La Trinidad and El Divino Redentor. (Trinity and The Divine Redeemer). The Good Shepherd is a great name for a church for in it is found the beginnings of what has to be the number one psalm. If nothing else, those first five words in King James version are what gets the attention of those people who know and need this psalm. If we say it we must mean it; God is our shepherd and that should make me His lamb. Yet in Matthew 25:32 we find these words, "as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" which describes that those who were obedient are sheep and those not obedient and loving are goats; this my title, sometimes I can be a goat. Don't laugh; you can too!

This psalm is a declaration and affirmation of faith; If we make God our shepherd, God is a good shepherd for provides for all our needs. Most of us have been in a hospital bed or besides one, and we have read or heard read to us this awesome psalm. God calms us with His loving assurance: All that you need I can provide. The psalm covers the scope of most of our needs; food, rest, guidance, and that on the right path, protection and peace during days that seem like they'll never end and if they do it might mean certain death, a call to not be afraid, a celebration in front of those people and things that sought to bring us down, and a promise of a place to live for all eternity. How then, can we sometimes let ourselves become goats? Goats are self-centered people who do not care about the needs of others. They open the door for themselves and walk in without holding it for the person right behind them; they hear of people needing blankets or heaters for the cold and don't contribute and don't care. They hear the church's plea for food for the food pantry and they mutter, "Get a job!" and drive home without remorse for those children who die from malnutrition or hunger, yes, even here in the USA. They throw out their clothing or sell them in a garage sale or a rummage sale and don't think about giving it away to those who do not have. Yes, these are smelly goats. I do not want to be one. I want to be a lamb, one who loves and cares enough to be like the Good Shepherd.

It's our choice for our life. Why not choose and ask God to make us all lambs. Sorry, goats, Jesus made that distinction in Rev. we didn't. (Yes, some goats are cute like the one in this photo I took last week, but spiritually we don't want to be cute goats!)

PRAYER: Loving God, forgive me those times I have been a goat; make me a lamb. Help me to care for others with the love you cared enough to give to me. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord, you precious lamb you!

Eradio Valverde

Do You Have a Good-Looking Heart?

Image from http://spiritualinspiration.tumblr.com

God's Vision is Different From Ours

From 1 Samuel 16: 1 The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"5 He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." 7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." 11Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Samuel had a hard job. He was the prophet of Israel. He did not work for Israel, he worked for God. It was his job to anoint the kings when they were selected by God. Samuel did not expect to see Saul go as king and this grieves his heart. God visits Samuel and asks how long he was going to grieve the loss of Saul. God rejected him as king and so a new king had to be found. God orders Samuel to fill his horn with oil and to set out to visit Jesse the Bethlehemite and from his sons, God had chosen a new king. This frightened Samuel because he knew Saul's temperament and he was prone to violent outbursts and Samuel feared for his life, and rightly so. God gives him the excuse for going out and he comes to the house of Jesse. At the entrance to Bethlehem he was met by worried elders of the city. Samuel assures them he is there in peace and had come to sacrifice to the Lord. As he looks on Jesse's sons, he wonders if the oldest, Eliab, is the new king. The indication is that he was tall and good-looking, but God reveals an interesting thing about his character: "Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." How does your heart look? Is it filled with love? Does it hold peace? Does it contain a love for God? Is it open to receiving the Lord as the Lord knocks on your heart's door? All of the sons present that day were not the ones God had selected to be the new king. The youngest, David, was out tending the sheep, and once he arrived God said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Samuel anointed him with oil and God anointed him with the Spirit of the Lord.

I have said throughout the years that the Bible is a mirror to our heart. As we read and study and apply its teachings, what is our heart receiving and what does our heart look like? Does it reflect the things of God or is it filled with the things of earth? A heart filled with fear, doubt, suspicion, evil, carnal desires will never reflect the face of God; the heart open to receiving the Lord is the one that blesses God and blesses us. We've heard and said the expression, "Ah, a man after my own heart," or women have said, "A woman after my own heart," which means the thoughts and actions of both are almost the same. There is a connection between people in either things said or done. In the same way the things of God should be the things of our heart.

This week we have been talking about vision and the ability to see. In the spiritual realm we should be able to see as God sees if we have sought to be people born of the Spirit. Look beyond what the world sees to what God sees. Look beyond dress, speech, appearance, or any other thing that might turn off people and see what God sees. No matter the outward appearance, every heart beats the same and all blood is red; and all hearts open to God can be filled with God's precious love.

PRAYER: Loving God, let me see as You see. I want to rise above seeing what others see. I want to know Your thoughts and learn Your ways. This is my prayer and I lift it up in the precious and powerful name of Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Before and After, Looking Good!

Image a photo by Eradio Valverde of Corpus Christi Bay

Everything is Better in the Light

From Ephesians 5: 8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Once our calendar was labeled either B.C. and A. D. to signify the importance of the Christ event; B. C. for "Before Christ," and A. D. for "Anno Domini" which is "Year of Our Lord." Interestingly enough that could apply to our spiritual lives. Paul writes that once we lived in darkness because we did not know Jesus nor posses the hope and strength that comes in that knowledge. And in keeping with the Gospel lesson for this week, the physical challenge of the sight impaired is great, as is living without Christ. Before Christ, anything was seen as good and acceptable, but once we knew the power of love and the mercy shown us by God's forgiveness, we know that we should live as those who have been forgiven or as Paul says, "Children of light." Paul knows that the fruit of light can be "found in all that is good and right and true." Walking daily with the Lord and sharing and listening to Him reveals to us what is pleasing to God. Of course we will be tempted to go back to where we were and how we used to live, but we know these things are unfruitful and can be considered works of darkness; shameful, says Paul, to even speak of these things done in secret. Ours should be a life blessed by the sunshine of God, with all things visible, pleasing to God, and with nothing to hide.

And because we now have such a life, it should be reflected in our eagerness to face the day. With Jesus on our side, what can possibly come against us that we cannot overcome and defeat? A life lived away from Christ was leading to certain death thus the quote that closes this passage, "Sleeper awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." And He will.

Dear friend, turn over to Christ Jesus those things that tend to discourage or depress you. We cannot live sluggish, tired lives because of what our mind perceives as greater than us. With Christ Jesus living in your heart the blessing will also be in your thoughts about how best to live life and how to overcome all challenges and worries. "Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world." Make that part of your prayer life today and see and experience the difference.

PRAYER: Loving and Awesome God, great are You and great is Your Son Jesus Christ. The light He brought is the light of love and hope. Let that light shine on me. Grant me vision beyond what my eyes can see to that which is Yours and available to me. I claim the words from 1 John 4, "Greater are You that is in me, that the one who is in the world." Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Thrown Out, Welcomed In

Image from http://livingthelectionary.blogspot.com

May Our Sight May Us Whole (Part 3)

From John 9: 35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." 37Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." 38 He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, "We see,' your sin remains.

Groucho Marx, noted comedian of ages past, said, "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member." The end result of yesterday's encounter with the Pharisees for this once blind man, was that he was thrown out of the temple. The Pharisees decided they did not want someone like him as a member of their faith. Yet, he gained entrance into something much bigger and far better, the Body of Christ, those believers in the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus hears that this man's testimony about Him gets him thrown out and so Jesus looks for him. There is nothing greater in all creation than to know that God cares enough and loves us enough, to go and search for us. Jesus finds him and asks him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The man had probably heard about this notion and so asks the question, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." Jesus answers with the response that before this encounter would have been impossible to say, "You've seen him." Imagine the joy overarching all the political turmoil that this man possessed in having sight. Sadly, his eyes were open and he sees robed, bearded angry men, but he could see! He sees his mother and father for the first time, albeit in the temple part of DoYouMeasureUpToBelongHere, but he could see! And then he gets shown the door of this temple where on the Sabbath God did a marvelous thing in restoring his sight, but he can see! Jesus continues, "And the one speaking with you is he." Wow. The Son of Man came looking for me and now here I am looking at him and He is speaking to me. People matter to Jesus. You matter to Jesus. No matter what you have gone through, you still count to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings. It should be enough for you to say, as this once blind man said, "Lord, I believe." And it should drive your heart and entire being to kneel before Him and worship Him just as this man did. What an encounter and what a day for this man. His vision brought him to a better place in his life; the knowledge and vision of the Messiah. He closed his eyes, I believe, to worship Jesus, but opened them with a new vision of life and that in abundance.

Jesus then states, loudly enough for those Pharisees standing nearby to hear, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Those Pharisees standing close enough to hear this then ask, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus responds, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains. These men saw the man they knew to be blind from birth now a seeing man and did not believe. They saw the man who was credited with restoring his sight, and they did not believe. Their sight only served to anger them; the Sabbath law was broken, this man speaks about God in different ways than we do. Their sight led them only to sin not to life. Jesus' declaration is that His purpose was to open the eyes of all humanity to reality and presence of God, to share the love of God that was sadly missing in the worship and traditions of the Jews at this point in their history. Jesus came at the right time to make right the relationship that God desires with us.

I remember the song we learned in Sunday school, "O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little eyes what you see; For the Father above is looking down with love, o be careful little eyes what you see." The song covers hands, feet, ears, the whole body, but I loved the song and know now that the message is a special one. God has given us sight. What we do with it matters a lot. Some can walk outside today and see the splendor and beauty of nature, others will walk out and complain that it's raining or too cold or too hot, and miss out on all that God has shared with us. Those with vision see the things of God regardless of anything else; their eyes will lock on to the beauty of God and care nothing about what could take them or their spirit down for the day. "Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine."

PRAYER: LORD, Because of You, I am blessed. I am thankful for all that You have shared and are sharing with me. Grant me vision to look beyond the pale of this day and that which could bring my spirit down, and lift my eyes to You. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

One Thing I Know; I was Blind, But Now I See!

http://livingthelectionary.blogspot.com

The Certainty of Faith

From John 9: 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" 20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner."25 He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" 28 Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." 30 The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." 34 They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.

Nothing causes an uproar among people than to give God credit for something they don't believe. Even in church. Such was the case with this miracle. "Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind," found in verse 32 states this case very well; this was incredible, unexplainable, and beyond the grasp of the everyday person. Many believe and accept that the way they're born is the way they'll always be. Not so with those who trust in God and the power of Jesus' Holy Spirit to be at work in their lives. Our birth is simply a starting point for a good work for God. It doesn't matter if you were born with money or no money; status or no status; much family or no family; you're simply at the starting gate. Run with Jesus and you'll run far, fast, and go and see places you never dreamed. Even if you can't walk nor see.

The situation got worse as the word spread among the people that Jesus had healed this man by giving him sight. We can't even say his sight was restored because he never had sight. This was a true miracle; from blindness to sight. The other important religious matter was that this miracle, considered work, was done on a Sabbath. The Pharisees receive the man, and don't you know this is what a blind man longed to see, angry, bearded old men? "How did you receive your sight?!" The man says, "He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and now I see." The old, bearded, robed men continue, "This man can't be from God because He's not religious and doesn't observe the sacredness of the Sabbath!" Notice the Pharisees were divided, because some asked, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" They knew the power of sin to keep us from doing Godly things, and one without sin must surely be able to perform even the unexplainable. Call his parents, ask them. Yes, that's our son, and yes, he was born blind. How is it that he can now see? We don't know. Ask him; he's old enough to answer for himself. Poor parents, afraid of the Jews. Yes, God's people. The ones delivered by God out of slavery and bondage. The ones led through the wilderness for forty years into the promised land. The ones who enjoyed a great history of great kings, a kingdom at one time above all kingdoms; the title of God's chosen people. Those Jews. The unbelievers. The ones who said, God's about finished with us.

They ask the man to give glory to God. They had to; they weren't doing it. Say that He is a sinner. The man, in the most classic of responses says, "I do not know whether He is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." Sounds like a hymn written by one whose eyes about the slave trade, "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." Sweet sound of grace that still moves among the lost and the blind. Finding their way and having their eyes open to the power of love; God is still at work in the world today, even in some churches.

The Pharisees were asked in a clever way by this man who once was blind, "Do you also want to become His disciples?" This in a charge that he was a disciple of Jesus. While he may not have been at the time, you know that he became one. The Pharisees can only think to say that they are followers of Moses. The man concludes this part of their session with this statement, "It this man were not from God, He could do nothing." Jesus continues to do much, if invited. Jesus continues to work the unworkable and do the un-doable. Jesus can restore sight, show us the way, and bring wholeness to the brokenness in our lives. And the greatest thing Jesus does is to take away our sin and give us His love. All we have to do is ask.

PRAYER: Awesome God, praise be Yours through our prayer. We thank You for Jesus and for what Jesus is, has, and will do in our lives. May we have our sight restored and may we follow Your way. Help us to reach those who are lost, those who feel the least among all, and help those who feel they are last and matter to no one. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Here's Mud In Your Eye!

Image from http://livingthelectionary.blogspot.com

Jesus Came So That All Might See (Part I)

From John 9:1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, 7 saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." 10 But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" 11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, "Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." 12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

Some of us have often wondered why some people have this or have that, or don't have this or don't have that. This is especially true in seeing some people who have a physical limitation, and with all that we know today, we usually seek an answer in science or genetics. The disciples did not have that sort of disposition, they had the one taught them, that someone who had a limitation of some sort was the result of sin. As they walked along with Jesus they came upon a man who was blind from birth. The appropriate question they thought to ask was, "who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" In second reading, a man born blind had not had time to sin, so the obvious answer had to be that his parents sinned. Jesus uses the question to prepare them for something that He was going to do that would reveal the workings of God in this man. It was not a matter of sin but of seeking to do the works of God who sent Jesus. Jesus considered the days when He was on earth as a timed with great light, such as a day; night, a time without Him physically here, was coming soon. Then His declaration, "I am the light of the world."

Jesus then spits on the ground and makes some mud with His saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes and tells him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man does as he was told, washed, and received his sight. Immediately his world changed from being a beggar asking people for money to a man who now had sight. Our world can change immediately when we finally put full trust in Jesus Christ, who will take us and show us what we did not see before. What's awesome is that this man received this without asking, and that sometimes happens to us as well; without knowing to ask, God blesses us with something incredible, like vision to see what was right in front of us the whole time. This man did not ask for his vision to be restored, it was not even in his thinking that such a thing was possible, but Jesus blessed him with sight. Immediately the neighbors and all who knew him as a blind person were asking, "Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg? What happened to him?" Some said, "Yes, that's him!" Others, "No, but it looks like him!" The man kept saying to all, "Yes, it's me! I am the man!" Then came the questions, "Then how were your eyes opened?" All the man knew to say is "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." They then asked, "Where is this Jesus?" The man replied, "I don't know."

God still has that power to do the unexplainable and sometimes, the things not asked. God is the author of life and we still call Him the Divine Physician, working in us and our needs trying to bring us to wholeness. Sometimes, this wholeness is not easily defined by the world's standards, but one day, like this blind man, we will see what God had been seeing all along and we were not. That, my friends, is faith, and it is faith that keeps us moving forward even when others try to hold us back or hold us down. While others may laugh at the mud being spread on our eyes, just wait and then wash; you will see, for the One who is the light of the world does not want us in darkness.

PRAYER: Awesome God, if it's mud you need to spread on our eyes, then by all means do so. We want to receive that which You only can share for our need at this time. Wash us and make us whole. Give us sight to see what others cannot, so that we might invite others to come and receive that which You have shared with us. Thank You for being the light of the world! We pray in the name of He who paid the price for our wholeness, Jesus the Christ, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Update: Dear friends, thank you for your prayers for Rev. Harlene Sadler and her son, Stevo. Stevo left this life on Saturday and has left his mother and family grieving. But the promises of Jesus are on their heart. Stevo's funeral will be Wedneday. Please continue to pray that God comfort the Sadler family. Thank you for praying for one another.

Get Your Worship On!

Photo by Eradio Valverde; "The sea is His, for He made it." Psalm 95:5

Worship Is A Sign of Our Faithfulness Even in the Face of Fear

From Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways." 11 Therefore in my anger I swore, "They shall not enter my rest."

You and I were made to worship. It was the way God wired us to look beyond ourselves and our surroundings towards the heavens and to seek ways to acknowledge our need and our love for God. Some have tried to rewire themselves not to need to praise or so they think, but they do it towards different things. If you don't believe me, go interrupt a person watching the last few minutes of a basketball game during March Madness. Look especially for those who still hold out hope they are going to win $! Billion dollars by having picked the current teams to win certain brackets, and having chosen the right team to win it all. Don't ask those who picked Duke to win their bracket.

The psalmist in this psalm offers an invitation to worship God. He begins by saying we need to sing to the Lord. He adds "joyful noise" to those who think they cannot sing; but whatever racket or song comes out of your mouth, let your heart be directed to praise the "rock of our salvation." Please note the choice of words because towards the end he will direct us again t the incident we read about in Exodus. Worship is all about God and it involves giving thanks to God and singing to him our gratitude for all God has shared with us. The psalmist knows God is great and the king above all kings and gods and reminds us that we should know this by what we can see; God's hand is everywhere among us, in the deepest places to the highest mountains. The sea is God's because God made it, he declares, and the dry land has been made by God, formed by His hands. What more of an invitation do we need?

The posture of worship is in your heart, yet the ancients and some today still see kneeling as one posture to show our need for God. If our knees no longer allow us to kneel, we can bow our hearts in a posture of worship and praise. God is holy and God is ours, for we are God's people. We should allow worship to be a time when God can speak to us and our need. The writer then takes us to the Book of Exodus where the incident we read about yesterday showed the hardened hearts of Israel angry because they did not have water to drink. Moses cried out to God and God provided the water. The psalmist reminds us we should not be like that asking for proof or putting God to the test, to really see if God loves us and cares for us. The people of Israel were formed during those 40 years to become the people God wanted them to be, and of all who started out from Egypt towards the promised land only Caleb and Joshua made it inside. It was the children of those who entered in. The psalmist ends this psalm with what he says God said about those who angered God.

Life has a way of forming our character and our posture towards God; but it is not up to life to shape us towards faithfulness and fruitfulness, for we are God's and God is at work in us if we will just see it. We have faced challenges and obstacles this week, and tomorrow is the perfect time to join others in worship at your church. Today is the perfect time to lift up your concerns and challenges to God. We journey not alone, but in the presence and protection of God.

PRAYER: Loving God, you know my heart and my needs. I thank You for all You have shared with me and I pray that You would journey with me as I go through experiences and events that I did not expect for which I need Your strength. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

P.S. Prayer Update: The son of Rev. Harlene Sadler, Steve Sadler, is not expected to live. Please pray for Harlene and her family as Monday the doctors have to make some hard decisions about what to do.

IF YOU LIVE IN THE CORPUS CHRISTI AREA, PLEASE remember that tomorrow at First UMC in Corpus Christi, The Rev. Dr. Leonard Sweet, noted seminary professor and author, futurist and thinker, will be presenting some special lectures at 8:30, during Sunday school, and 11 a.m. On Monday there is a special luncheon with Dr. Sweet as well. Please go if you can!

Change, Moving, Leaving...

Photo by Eradio Valverde, Jr. based on Exodus 17:1-7

We Like it Just The Way It Is!

From Exodus 17:1 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." 5 The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

Most of us were wired to like things just like they are. I can't explain it, I'm as guilty as the next person when I face change. But given what I know about God, God is an active, ever moving God trying to reach all that have not yet been reached. The story of Israel on the move from slavery and bondage to freedom and the land God had promised them was not an easy journey. It was a formative journey that took 40 years to cover a journey that would not have taken as long, but God knew His people and guided them as they needed. Notice the name of the wilderness where they started, Sin.The word has nothing to do with sinfulness but it sure would be easy to apply it to the behavior of the people towards God. The word means literally, the moon. The name and location are not that important to this lesson.

The first change in this particular passage was that they found themselves in a true camping trip, and found themselves with no water. I would be upset too. Just today as we returned from visiting with a pastor whose son is gravely ill, our grandson awoke from a needed nap and immediately asked for water. Not receiving any right away he whined the need for water. Again and again. Grandpa had to stop and buy some at a convenience store. The people of God quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" Moses had the absolute trust in God that God would provide. The only thing was that Moses did not know the exact time, but he knew God would deliver. The people did not have that faith. They had seen signs and wonders, yet they still mumbled and griped. They immediately started with their rehearsed litany, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt?, forgetting it was about their constant prayers for freedom. Did you bring us out here to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" Never mind they had suffered and died under the cruelty of slavery. Moses turns to God and he did daily and asked, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." Moses is then guided by God to what they were to do, they being the elders of Israel. Using the staff he had used to part the Nile, he was ordered to strike the rock at Horeb and water came out of it, and this was the water they were to drink. The elders saw this and they had their answer and Moses responds by naming the place, Gripers and Mumblers, which can be translated to Always Unhappy God-Testers. And after the naming Moses said, "Is the Lord with us or not?"

The one furthest removed from his or her deliverance tends to be the one who has forgotten the power and grace of God to save, and usually reacts negatively to those still in need of God. The most recent converts are the ones with hearts full of joy and excitement about the possibilities ahead. Our prayer should be to stay young and in love with God and what God shares with us each and every day. Routine and ritual tend to cloud our vision and thinking and we find ourselves lamenting every new suggestion or new presence of people in OUR church and OUR pew/seat. Ruts are the remnants of where living water once flowed. And it's hard, if not impossible, to find our way out of them. Ask the question, "Is God among us or not?" and what answer do you give? Is it the same answer for your church? Count the young marrieds in your midst. Count the youth. Count the children. Is there is less than 20, rituals and routines have done their job and your church is dying. But it does not have to die. Fight ruts and climb out and live out the purpose for which God established His church among you.

PRAYER: Dear God, forgive us for the ruts we have allowed to be formed in our lives, the life of our church, and our society. Bless us with courage and strength to rise above and out of those things that kill and maim us. We want to be faithful in reaching all people, especially those whom nobody else wants or see. We pray this in the name of He who challenged ruts by bringing living water, Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Encouragement

The face of this young one receiving Christ's body and bread from Dr. Rusty Freeman, shows the awe of encouragement we receive from Jesus. Does your face show the same?

Christ Showed Us The Way; Stay on It!

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. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

I don't know if it's been the week, the month, or the days leading up to today, the first day of Spring, that has had many feeling discouraged. At first glance at that word, it literally seems to mean without courage. And we do need courage for almost everything we do, including getting out of bed, dressed and ready for a new day. And for those in professional ministry or just trying to stay focused on Jesus Christ, discouragement is a great weapon used against us. The enemy would love for God's army to be without courage. Paul's passage reminds us of several things; number one, we have been made right with God through faith. That in and of itself would satisfy most; you've reached the point where many have sought for most of their lives and have either found it or given up. But Paul says, those who have been made right with God have found peace. Beyond an absence of war or conflict, peace means an all around sense of well-being, and this through and because of Jesus Christ. Christ opened the door to grace, and on grace we stand and live and have our very being of who we are now. And that place is hope; hope that one day we will share in all that Christ promised to us. And yes, we have hope even in the midst of the challenges and struggles, illnesses, trouble, worries that we go through. Paul added a progressive list that Christians go through: From suffering will come our endurance to face all things. From that endurance will come character. From character will come hope (so important Paul repeats it!), and hope does not disappoint. Paul is asking, How can you be discouraged? (How can you lack courage for and from Whom you serve and believe?).

When you opened the door to your heart for Jesus to come in, love also came in, God's precious, never failing love. God used the Holy Spirit to pour that love into our hearts, and though we might be weak, Christ died for us. Paul says, "For the ungodly," and reminds us that rarely will anyone die for anybody else, but Christ died for you and me; that proves God's love for us. No longer can we say we are enemies of God; we are on the same team, in the same army, we have been made right with God.

So, dear friend, what seems to be the challenge or thinking that has drained from you the courage you need to move forward? Is it greater than the power of God? No. God is greater than our need, and will prove it to you today if you will let Him. Turn over your disappointments and the feelings of regret; share with God that which has drained from you the joy of your salvation, and expect to receive that which will bless you and allow you to move forward and upward.

PRAYER: Father, in the name of Jesus, we rebuke discouragement in the life of this dear reader. Yes, what they face has seemed great, almost the size of a mountain, but Lord, You who formed the mountains can also destroy them, so remove the mountain and make straight Your path. Lift this dear reader's spirit, and share with them that which You shared with Paul as he wrote this passage for us. This we pray in the Name of He who died for us and made us right with You, Jesus our Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Why We Need Living Water

http://beloved-eternity.50megs.com, a painting by Simon Dewey

Like the Woman at the Well, We Are Thirsting for Things that Do Not Satisfy

Part Two: John 4:5-42

From John 4: 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." 17 The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, "I have no husband'; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" 19The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." 25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." 26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." 27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" 30 They left the city and were on their way to him.

Some of us have done some really private things that we pray will never be discovered. Like this woman at the well, we think that we're fine and when challenged with the truth of God's love in spite of what may come our way, we may not know what to do. Jesus in this passage tells the woman to go and call her husband and come back. She replies that she has no husband. Jesus affirms that by saying, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband;' for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" Busted! Discovered! What would you do? This woman says, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet." And then changes the subject to talk about ancestors and their worship practices on the mountain on which they were on, and Jewish customs about worship. Jesus continues with His message about His message and purpose. First, Jesus declares that worship is about God and the coming hour when she will worship God the Father in ways she does not yet know and in places that will not matter. Jesus defines true worship as being that which is done in spirit and in truth, for those who worship in that way are the ones being sought by God.

Jesus explains that God is spirit and God's worship should be done in spirit and in truth. This woman may have known about worship and the location of worship, but she did not know the Who and Why behind worship. Jesus is inviting her beyond the rituals and traditions to the reality and truth of worship. He is also inviting her to be truthful in her worship. Worship should contain a time of confession; of being made right with God about what we've done and what we've tried to hide, for that opens us up for what God can do with us and our sinfulness.

The woman replies with her declaration about "the Messiah is coming" and how His arrival will allow Him to "proclaim all things to us." Jesus then says, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." The arrival of the disciples at that point don't allow her to respond to Jesus' declaration but she leaves her water jar and returns back to her city, and there she invites others to "come and see" the man who told her everything that she had done. She also questions whether Jesus can be the Messiah, but those whom she invited went to see what this was all about.

We do not know what prompted this woman's thirst for having had five husbands and one who was not; but she had yet to drink the living water of Jesus. She sought and found what she thought was the quenching of her soul in being married to many men, and finally with one who was not her husband. Jesus' living water is the truth about God and in turn should lead us to the truth about ourselves. To worship this God of love we must confess our sinfulness, be made right with God and accept and share the love that God offers to us through Christ Jesus. Until we do that we will go from thing to thing or person to person, still seeking and not being satisfied for the only thing that can, and that is to receive the living waters of Jesus Christ. You can only eat so much sand from a mirage before you discover you're more parched than ever; only in Jesus can we find living water that takes away the thirst of the world. Walk away from the mirages in your life and come to the true oasis Who is Jesus Christ. Drink deep and fully, and never thirst again!

PRAYER: God of the Living Water, come and fill my soul and spirit with the living waters that will lead me away from the mirages of this life. I have sought for too long the true oasis where I could find the quenching of my thirst; now I know I can only find it in You. "Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up." In Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Living Water

Image from http://beloved-eternity.50megs.com, a painting by Simon Dewey

The Woman at the Well, Part One

From John 4:5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." 11The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" 13 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." 15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."

(This is Part One of Three on this passage from John's Gospel)

After His encounter with Nick at Nite, Jesus and the Disciples traveled into Judea, and later back to Galilee. His journey required a trip through Samaria, and we find Him in the town of Sychar, "near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph." Jesus chooses to rest by the well known as Jacob's well. It was during the heat of noontime that this conversation begins with a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water. The history between Jews and Samaritans has never been a perfect one, and had become one of distance, thus the remarks shared by the woman with Jesus.

Jesus asks this woman for a drink of water. The disciples had gone into the city to buy food at Sonic, and left Jesus by himself. The woman cannot believe that Jesus, a Jew, would ask her, a Samaritan, for a drink of water. I love how the Bible says "The Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans" which is a nice way of saying, 'The Jews only bucket is not here.' Jesus replies by saying, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." A deep, spiritual and theological revelation made by the Son of God to this unsuspecting woman. Jesus identifies Himself as "the gift of God" who could give to her "living water." She looks around and says, You don't have a bucket, and that well is deep, where would you get that living water? She cannot see the equipment necessary for drinking. She did catch the part about living water, but without a bucket, how would this man reach it? At this point it is fair to say she's thinking that Jesus is calling the water from Jacob's well, living water. She goes on, by asking Jesus if He was greater than Jacob, who had given the Samaritans this well to begin with, and the history was that Jacob and his sons and flocks all drank from this well. Jesus continues with the message; all who drink from this well get thirsty after a while; "but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." More revelation, more confusion.

Jesus' message is all about life and having life in abundance. The things of God satisfy every thirst and hunger that we could possibly have. Those who have drank deep from the life-giving message of Jesus no longer thirst. They have found life in Jesus and a life that never ends; this is abundant life. The things that the world offers may quench a temporary thrust, but it will wear off. If you have thirsted for money or fame, those things wear off, and soon your name is on the Where Are They Now list. You might still be thirsty for more money if you're not careful. If you thirsted for newer and newer cars or homes; they get old, and without the proper care rust or decay. And you will always seek more and more. To find satisfaction with your life in Jesus Christ is to find the true quenching that nothing else can match.

It's easy to become like this woman who still did not quite understand what Jesus was offering or Who Jesus was. Her response in this last verse has her saying, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." She heard what she wanted to hear, something that would reduce her work load and she thought, "That's cool; this guy will give me water that will prevent me from having to come here time after time to draw water; cool, give me some of that!" Wrong. Jesus had spoken to Nicodemus about being born from above, of having a spiritual birth; and that spiritual birth is what helps us understand and accept spiritual things. If we continue to guide our thinking by earthly, human ways, the spiritual will not make sense. What Jesus was offering was on another plane that this woman had not yet captured.

What about you? Are the draws and pulls of society keeping you from drinking from this living water? As long as you feel pulled or weighed down by earthly cares and worries, the spiritual and eternal things will slip from your grasp. What Jesus offers is something that we can only understand from a spiritual point of view. Yes, you or your loved ones will still get sick; but you'll see beyond that to what God ultimately offers beyond the human realm. Yes, you'll feel stress and strain in your job, but you have the hope and calm that comes with it if you truly trust the Lord as having shared with you living water. This Lenten Journey has been all about the spiritual and our need for it. Journey towards God and the things of God and the things of earth will be put in their proper place, and more importantly, you'll be put in the Book of Life.

PRAYER: God of this journey, help me to truly understand and receive the living water that Jesus offers to me. Help me to become truly born from above to deeply understand Your ways. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Source of Our Help

Image from a photo by Eradio Valverde, foothills north of Albuquerque, 2013

Just Look Beyond the Challenges to Christ

From the beloved Psalm 121: 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.

Imagine awakening today to look out your window and seeing your enemy awakening your departure. You blink and squint your eyes, making sure your glasses are on, or that your vision is clear, but sure enough, there standing on your mountain is that who would love nothing but to ruin your day and your life. Come to think of it, end your life might not be far from the truth of this enemy. King David more than likely wrote this psalm as he had done the same. Looking out from his tent while in battle, he saw that he was surrounded. His enemy used the dark of night to come and encamp around his camp. But David's secret of strength should be ours as well; David looked higher than the enemy to where our source of help is, the Heavens. This beautiful psalm that has been read many a time at someone's beside before, during or after surgery, during recovery, during difficult challenges of our day, had a profound teaching of truth for the Christian, just look beyond the challenges to Christ. David knew that an army formed against him was coming up not only against him and his army, but also against the One who made all things. God's strength to create all things is enough to keep all things. A steady foothold is not easily moved by anything or anyone that tries to outdo God. Even the challenges that come in the darkness of night come against the never-sleeping God of our strength.

David knew, and we should know, that the God who called and kept and blessed Israel, is also our God. And He is a God of no sleep. God does not know weariness like we humans; God seeks not to slumber nor sleep. God knows to protect and watch over us, if we so ask. God overpowers even the brightness of the noonday sun or the moonlight sky. If we seek to be next to God, we will not come near evil and we will be blessed by God in this life and find that which blesses eternally in the next.

So, who's on the mountain near your heart? Is it illness? It can be defeated! Is it doubt? Likewise, easy for God if we turn it over to Him. Is it fear? Let's see, Creator strength versus human made? Which lasts forever? Loneliness? God's with you. Just make the list and look beyond it to the real source of our help. These days of Lent are teaching days and we seek to learn as much about God as we already do about ourselves, knowing that God is greater and in God we find what we need. Even that which we think we don't need.

God is great. God is good.

PRAYER: Loving God, Creator of all things, create in my heart a new spirit of trust and hope. Lord, help me look beyond the challenges of this day and all days, to You and what You offer for me. Make me more than a conqueror in all things that come against me. This I pray in the name of He who overcame all things, even sin and death, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Steps of Faith

Image from http://en.wikipedia.org, a painting by Jozsef Molnar

Take You Places

From Genesis 12: 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

This passage tells us where faith begins. Hebrews 11:1 gives us a great definition: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." And our passage this week from Romans spoke of Abraham's place in the hall of fame of faith (4:17). Here's how faith began; God sought Abram (his name not yet changed) and said to him to leave his country and his family and the house of his father to seek a new land that God would show him. Already, this might have lost some of us. Moving for many is not in their plans. And it takes a lot to move. My first move that I can remember, for my parents moved out of a two room concrete house to the home he had purchased on another part of town, was to leave Kingsville, TX, for Houston. Had I had a say in it I would have said no. As pastor I have had to tell our daughters that we were moving, but thankfully, we have not moved as often as others; yet each move was difficult for them and I love and respect them for that. To move is a sacrifice of emotion, labor, time, and other things too numerous to add here. God continues the sales pitch, like a district superintendent offering a church in his/her district, "I will make of you a great nation." Okay, not like a DS; this is God. And God's promise to undertake this move and journey is one of a great blessing of becoming a nation. God continues, "I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." How awesome is that? God's promise of a blessing, a "great name" and a blessing to others. "I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse." Now you're talking, go on... God's promise of blessing and protection goes a long way in helping convince one of the need to move. "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Had God said this to you, would you have been convinced? Faith is a grade above fear, for faith mobilizes and fear paralyzes.

Abraham took the first step of faith into what was unknown. My Dad whenever we had vacations or trips, would simply say, "Pack your suitcases." We would either get excited or angry and all of us would ask, "Where are we going?" The answer was usually, "Where did I say we were going?" Awww! "How many days" we would then ask, and we'd have our answer. Off we would go. Verse 4: "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran." Not exactly the age to be moving in the opinion of some, though that seems younger and younger to me. The point was that Abram did take that first step of faith and trusted God to lead him where he needed to go. He did not leave alone, he took his wife Sarai with him, and more than likely servants. Add to that Lot and his family, and off they went into the land of faith.

Where has God asked you to go? Have you said yes or are you still thinking about it? Some of our journey requests have been the most difficult we could imagine, but remember we do not travel alone. We are asked to go to the beside of a dying loved one. Steps lead us there and we weep and mourn, but God sustains us and our loved ones. We are sometimes asked to go and share something not easy with loved ones, again, God goes with us and gives us the words. Sometimes faith and need lead us to the doctor's office and we hear what we don't want to hear, but again, we journey not alone. Faith is the essence of any journey of any length or duration. Faith is what sustains us and keeps us focused on where we are going. Faith is what we seek more of on our Lenten Journeys. And onward and upward we go, holding God's hand and trusting Him in all and for all things.

PRAYER: We ask that we might be like Abram and journey in faith with You to where You lead. Let us be a blessing to others by our walk with You. This we pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde