Do Your Part!

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Do-Your-Part-e1qdrbh

6 Our orders - backed up by the Master, Jesus - are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don't permit them to freeload on the rest. 7 We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. 8 We didn't sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn't be burdened with taking care of us. 9 And it wasn't because we didn't have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious.10 Don't you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? "If you don't work, you don't eat." 11 And now we're getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. 12 This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately - no excuses, no arguments - and earn their own keep. 13 Friends, don't slack off in doing your duty. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 The Message Bible)

Every family has at least one. Every church has at least one. Every school, every organization, every friendship has at least one. And we're talking about those who don't do their part. They tend to gravitate towards advisor position or management positions that require little to no work. This version would say they're freeloaders. Word had made its way to Paul that some in the church were doing little to nothing in the work of the church. Paul responds by saying that he and his team taught these church members better, teaching them to pull their own weight, and to not sit around expecting others to take care of them. Quite the opposite for the team in that they worked their fingers to the bone, including being up half the night to lighten the burden of the church. The purpose of the Church is to promote teamwork in winning the world for Jesus. No one can do it alone, and it requires a team to complete the work. If one joins a team, they commit themselves to doing all that is required for the team to be successful. I will confess that when I tried playing high school football I loved the games, but hated practice. Doesn't make sense does it? To be good in the games, one must practice and through that process, become part of the team. Another thing I hated about practice in those days was having to gobble handfuls of salt tablets. Yes, I'm older than Gatorade, the drink invented to replace salt tablets; and where were you during those gosh awful days of salt tablets?

Serving the Lord is a fulltime job. If you don't believe me find your church's job description for your pastor. Ours is set forth in the Book of Discipline (or it was; I haven't bought a new copy since retirement). But it takes a lot to serve as pastor, and every pastor needs a team praying for him/her, and doing their part to serve the Lord. Every member also has a lot to do in sharing his/her faith, living their faith, and telling others about their faith. Paul had discovered that not all people who called themselves believers were actually workers. What a hurt heart must have been his when he heard some were actually freeloaders. Which brings up an interesting question: Are freeloaders born that way? Or, do freeloaders learn this? Either way, there's work to be done, and we all should share in doing it.

Paul and his traveling team members always set the example of being people of prayer, service, and all that was involved in being with them. Paul even was trained as a tent maker, so he supported his ministry and travels with all that he could make in getting a job with tent makers. So, you know the Apostle's work ethic and his sternness for those who do less. "Don't you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? 'If you don't work, you don't eat.' and now we're getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to work immediately - no excuses, no arguments - and earn their own keep. Friends, don't slack off in doing your duty." Amen.

I love our wise sheep friends in today's graphic. One lamb asks the other, "What about people who can't work?" The other lamb says, "They should be cared for. This isn't about that. It's about some who were claiming a place of privilege and rejecting their daily responsibilities. They were a disruption." The first lamb replies, "Got it. Say, can you spot me for lunch? I"m a little short."

The old Apostle is encouraging all to do their fair share. Yes, he sounds harsh, and he is more than likely angry at the reports he has been getting about the church in Thessalonica. He sounds like some Dads who love their sons and daughters, but have to be a bit stern about expectations and results. I regretted the times my Dad, very rightly said, "Son, you know better than that..." And I did, but I still had messed up. Paul's hope is that his disciples would correct their actions, right their course, and come in as victors on the team that wins.

PRAYER: Awesome God, bless all who need to hear Your loving correction about where we are, and where we need to be. Guide us to faithfulness, and strengthen us for faithfulness; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Encourage one another to shape up and do right!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

What Really Lasts?

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/What-Really-Lasts-e1qbto2

5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” 7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” 8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish.19 Stand firm, and you will win life. (Luke 21:5-19 New International Version Bible)

Happy Monday, dear Reader! I pray this is indeed a marvelous Monday for you and for those who will be blessed by you. There is a large group of people who need you, depend on you, and are blessed to love you! Receive that, embrace that as you embrace others. May this blessings that come with praying for others bless you as you pray for those who need your prayers. Pray for the sick, for the lonely, the hungry, the homeless, the thirsty, and those who feel alone. And then, do your part in doing something about that. Pray for one another.

What has been the most impressive building you've ever seen? What about the structure impressed you? And why? (If you care to comment, email me at eradiovalverde@yahoo.com and let me know! Just click on the blue link.). I have been blessed in having seen many impressive buildings, but an early memory was the first time I saw the Houston Astrodome. I had driven it by it when we moved into town, but to go into it wasn't something I had done yet. And then one night, our junior high band, The Lanier Junior High Purple Pup Band was invited to play at a Houston Astros game. They were hosting the New York Mets, and we were to play between innings and play we did. That night turned out to be the night of the 24 innings game, which lasted 24 innings until 1:36 am when the winning run was hit. We were told to call home and let our parents know we would be late. We did not have a phone and so I got close to the door and yelled, "Dad, I'm going to be a little late!" Thankfully, my Dad had the game on the radio and knew when it was finally over. But as we drove up to the Dome, we parked near the still-standing Colt.45 stadium, which was an awesome structure in and of itself. And right next to it, was the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World." And in my opinion, it was. Most of you know the Astrodome still stands, but sits idle. The inside is empty and silent. Gone are the events that once took place there. Only memories remain.

The temple of Jerusalem was a symbol for the Jews. It stood as a symbol fo what once was, and a reminder of what could be. It was built at the height of Israel's might and power. It was a symbol of the days when all the known world knew and respected Israel. It was the center of not only political might, and financial strength, it was the place where the holy and the everyday intersected. It was there that God's presence was felt and worshiped. It was the center of many activities; religious and secular. It was a training center for those who sought to serve Him. It fostered several schools of thought, some of which we have seen in these past few week's readings; the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the zealots, the scribes, the Herodians, and so many more. And during that very moment the Twelve were there, not far from them leaders from each of these sects was busy plotting and planning the demise of Jesus. Jesus knew this but He wanted the disciples to know what was on HIs heart; "The time will come, " Jesus said of the temple, "When not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown." Jesus knew the occupiers of this land would reach the very limit of tolerance, and would destroy the temple. The Disciples were shocked to hear these news and so they have to ask, "When will these things happen? And could you give us a hint or clue to know right before this happens?" They wanted to be ready.

Jesus says for them to be careful about being deceived, for He knew many would come as false Jesus's. They would come posing as Him and saying things that were not true, such as "Yes, I am Jesus," or "The time for the end is upon us. Don't believe them!" Jesus also says that there would be wars and uprisings, and they should not be afraid. He adds, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from Heaven. Yet, before these things," Jesus warns, "You will be seized and persecuted. You will be handed over to synagogues and put you into prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name." Then Jesus says, "This will be an opportunity for you to bear witness about me, but do not worry about what you will say, or how you will say it, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. It will also be a time of unbelievable actions taken by parents and brothers and sister, relatives and friends, who will betray you, and some of you will even be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but this I promise, that not one hair of your head will perish. Be strong, stand firm and your gift will be life." It may just be that of all the things that we fear and the countless questions that may come from them, the underlying question will usually be, "Will I survive?" And Jesus tells the Disciples of those times, and even these times, yes, you will, if you stay true to me and my love.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless us with faith to stand firm in You. We place in Your strong hands the fears and worries that trouble us; grant us peace and the strength to continue forward and upward. Be glorified in me; forgive me of my sins, and help me overcome; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR PLAN OF ACTION: Share a strong word of "You will survive" to someone you know that needs to hear this.

Receive my blessings of hope and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

A God Of No Boundaries

Hear devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/A-God-of-No-Boundaries-e1q5lk4

From Psalm 145: 1 I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I'll bless your name into eternity. 2 I'll bless you every day, and keep it up from now to eternity. 3 God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. 4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. 5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders. 6 Your marvelous doings are headline news; I could write a book full of the details of your greatness. 7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country; your righteousness is on everyone's lips. 8 God is all mercy and grace - not quick to anger, is rich in love. 9 God is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. 10 Creation and creatures applaud you, God; 11 your holy people bless you. They talk about the glories of your rule, they exclaim over your splendor, 12 Letting the world know of your power for good, the lavish splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does. 14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit. 15 All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them their meals on time. 16 Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures. 17 Everything God does is right - the trademark on all his works is love. 18 God's there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it. 19 He does what's best for those who fear him - hears them call out, and saves them. 20 God sticks by all who love him, but it's all over for those who don't. 21 My mouth is filled with God's praise. Let everything living bless him, bless his holy name from now to eternity!

From the heart and mind of the psalmist comes this awesome psalm of the greatness of God.  Our praise should be raised high and blessed "into eternity."    There is no end to what God can do, nor should there be an end to our praising and thanking God for all God does for us.  In this version of the Bible, the verse says, "There are no boundaries to God's greatness." (v. 3b).  From the first generation of believers to the present age, people have been lifting high their praises to God; each with their own story of God's mighty acts.  The beauty and splendor of God surrounds us and should motivate us to express our gratitude towards God in whatever ways or talents we have.  David's was to compose songs and writing accounts of what God had done; we should join in and share our thankfulness to God in our own way.

God is good to all of us and all God shares comes to us with God's grace upon it.  Nature and all creation join in on praising God and so should we.  Our job, and our joy, should be in sharing the news of God's greatness for all people.  Ours is a God of love and help to all who need Him.  Ours is a generous God, sharing His favor to all creation.  Don't you love "Everything God does is right - the trademark on all His works is love."  (v.17).  Our God is as near as our prayers.  God's response is as close as our desire to praise Him and pray to Him in faith and love.  God will stand always by us.  We should join with others as we bless God and God's holy name from now until eternity.

The psalmist makes it clear that it began with the creation of all things, is present now, and when all things here on earth end, the praises to God will continue into eternity.  This is our God, the God that knows no boundaries.  Nor should our praise!

PRAYER:  Loving God, accept my thanks and praise.  May I do it daily, from today until that day when I join those in the celestial choirs singing Your praise.  This is my prayer in Christ Jesus, through Whom I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

All in God's Time

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1 Now, friends, read these next words carefully. Slow down and don't go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him. 2 Don't let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumored letter from me that the day of the Master's arrival has come and gone. 3 Don't fall for any line like that. 4 He'll defy and then take over every so-called god or altar. Having cleared away the opposition, he'll then set himself up in God's Temple as "God Almighty." 5 Don't you remember me going over all this in detail when I was with you? Are your memories that short? 13 Meanwhile, we've got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends - so loved by God! God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God's original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth. 14 This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ. 15 So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. 16 May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, 17 put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 The Message Bible)

Happy Tuesday everyone! I pray the exploits of last night didn't keep you up late, nor did the leftover candy spoil your supper and your breakfast this morning! Okay, I may be giving myself away? I'll never tell! Let us continue to pray for one another. Let us add the name of Mrs. Acacia Vaquez, wife of The Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza, who is having a knee checked on this coming Friday. Acacia injured her knee and the pain has not decreased. She had knee replacement surgery some years back, and we pray that therapy be all she needs. Pray for those who are also having knee problems and surgeries. Pray for those who have Covid. Pray for those, especially children, who are ill with the flu. Pray for one another. Pray for the needs of the world. Pray that God speak to you in this devotional time.

Let me tell you how honored and humbled I am for you to be with me in this devotional time. I pray that it is God Who would speak to us, even through a broken and flawed vessel such as myself. Let us pray for God to bless us in a rich way.

There have been times in my life when I promised something and then it did not materialize. It was not my intention to mislead. And I would venture to guess that you, too, also at one time said something would happen, and then it did not. I did love the times I said nothing and then was able to surprise with something completely unexpected. One Christmas Eve in Mission, Texas, that part of the state not known for any time of snow except in the rarest of times, I, with the financial backing of a church member, asked an ice company in McAllen to come after seven p.m., yes, on a Christmas Eve, to provide a surprise gift of snow for our church's yard. The excitement on the part of the kids and the parents is something I will never forget. Even years later, when visiting our favorite meat market which was next store to the church, the owner's son, who was a child the time of the snow, said, "Reverend, man I will never forget that Christmas when you brought snow to the church! We played in it for days!"

The Apostle Paul began his ministry with the promise that the Lord Jesus was coming soon. Many were those who were converted under that promise. And then the days came when the persecution of Christians became more intense and people found themselves and their loved ones thrown to the lions and other hideous ways to die, and all for the sake of Jesus. People began to ask, "Where is Jesus?' And they also asked, "What's taking so long?" What made it interesting and confusing is that when people speculate they add to reality and so Paul, in this passage, is addressing the situation of waiting. So, this is a very serious passage as you can read Paul saying, "read these next words carefully. Slow down and don't go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him." He is still sure on this fact, because he knows in his heart and deep in his soul, that Jesus Christ was coming back. He is a bit angered that some have said that Paul had declared that the day of Jesus' return had come and gone. "Don't fall for that! Jesus will come and take care of those who have given up on their faith, and gone to idols. Paul knows that when Jesus returns He will set Himself in God's Temple, and not hide His identity as "God Almighty." Paul reminds them of the time he spent teaching them about all the things that were to come and be a part of this Second Coming of Christ Jesus. And all who have given their lives to Jesus will be a part of that glorious arrival and celebration. Paul's call is for the Church to endure; to hold fast to that which we were taught and which we hold near and dear; and Paul prays that God bless them in holding fast and still trying to bring in other believers to the faith. I love this version's closing sentence, "May Jesus Himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech." May it be so!

PRAYER: Loving God, grant us Your patience in the facing and living of these days; grant us the strong faith of Paul to await Jesus' return for us. Grant to us what Paul shared in that last verse; for we seek to be faithful and fruitful; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be invigorated today for Jesus!

Receive my love and blessings for hope,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

What is Heaven Like?

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27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” 34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” (Luke 20:27-38 NIV Bible)

Those who do not believe in resurrection find it easy to ask questions that mock those who do. Years ago, when I was doing an internship for my university, one of my supervisors was a woman of the Jewish faith. She held that when life ended, that it was it. There was no heaven nor hell, and the only afterlife is how you impacted others while alive, and if they remember you, that is the only way, you live on. The Sadducees were such a group (The old song says, "That's why they were sad, you see?"), who did not believe in life beyond death. You die, and that's it. So, for them to ask Jesus a question about Heaven, a place that for them did not exist, they want to trap Jesus. We can give them credit for knowing their law and history and so this question is along those lines. "Teacher, Moses taught us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother." The preservation of the people was the motivation for such a law. It was important for the memory of the deceased for him to have children even after his death, and so Moses' teaching was for the brother of the deceased to take the widow as his wife and to have children with her. This was, it could be argued, not a matter of love; it was a matter of life. And so, the Sadducees, make it interesting; this first man was the oldest of seven, and so they said, the second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh brother all died, childless. Now, to be fair, we don't know the cause of death. It is, after all, a trick question to Jesus! They were more interested in trapping Jesus into saying something they could point at and begin yelling whatever it was that would suit them, like lies! But, their question was, "When the resurrection comes, whose wife will she be, since she had seven husbands?"

You can try, but you will never trick nor trap Jesus. Jesus answered wisely, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage." In other words, what we know is what we do or see done. People get married every day, and so we know marriage in that way. But there are those, Jesus is saying, whose lives are different, "who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection of the dead will never marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection." Jesus is referring to what is of God versus what is of us. Marriage and having children are "of us," but what is "of God" is usually beyond our complete comprehension. It is "of us" to think questions like the Sadducees; what does happen to the widow who remarries after her first husband dies? It's bad enough for some to wonder and worry, "Where will we bury this lady? Next to Hubby One or next to Hubby Two? Hubby Three through Seven?!

Our family did not have that quandary. Nellie's grandmother lived to be 96 years young. She was widowed at a very young age. Her husband was shot and killed, by a killer who mistook him to be another man. She never remarried and had a solid belief that when she died she would be with her husband again, and forever. In fact, there was a night that she died, was prepared for burial as holding to the customs of the day, with no embalming, and she was dressed in a funeral dress. She remembers seeing her husband with his back to her and she calling to him, but he would glance back towards her and then shake his head no. She so wanted to be with him, but it was not yet time. She awoke during the wake and lived, like I said, until she was 96. Early in our marriage as I'm meeting her she offered to show me the burial dress to which I said that was okay, that I was fine with me. My mother-in-law was also widowed at a relatively young age and she also never remarried, for her desire was to be reunited with her husband.

What Jesus wanted the Sadducees and us to know, is that our God is the God of the living, for in Him all are alive. Jesus wisely goes back to Moses, since the Sadducees brought him up, and says, "Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' For Moses would not have referred to them in that way if they were dead. For Jesus the more important issue to address is the truth about life after death. His answer sought to address the whole driving force behind the Sadducees, and that was the notion that life ends with death. We are, as Jesus stated, "children of the resurrection."

PRAYER: Living God, let us live as children of the resurrection, filled with love and with hope. Help us share our faith with all people, so all might come to have faith in the one, true, living God; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Live as a child of the resurrection.

Receive my love and blessing of peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

God is Right

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Hear the devotional: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/God-Was-Right-e1pqok0

137 You are right and you do right, God; your decisions are right on target. 138 You rightly instruct us in how to live ever faithful to you. 139 My rivals nearly did me in, they persistently ignored your commandments. 140 Your promise has been tested through and through, and I, your servant, love it dearly. 141 I'm too young to be important, but I don't forget what you tell me. 142 Your righteousness is eternally right, your revelation is the only truth. 143 Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. 144 The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest. (Psalm 119:137-144 The Message Bible)

Did you ever have to tell someone, "You were right?" And equally difficult for some, more so for others, "I was wrong!"? In my case it was my relationship with my Dad. Yes, pretty standard textbook case of father-son. I grew up loving and trusting my Dad, even idolizing him as a child. In my opinion as a child, my Dad could do no wrong. In fact, there was an old black and white TV show called, "Father Knows Best," and though it was a comedy, it had a moral every week, with the title of the show being the point. As I grew up I grew up with a certain sense of freedom as to who I was, where I could go, and what I could do. Kingsville and the era in which I grew up, lent itself to this being possible. I was raised as a child who loved the outdoors and Mom stressed the need for me to be outside, and so with my best friend, we pretty much explored Kingsville and the countryside outside it. Then I got my driver's license and the trouble began. Then I got a driver's license. And this thing called curfew. I had no voice nor vote in any such hour. And use of the car was limited to availability and authorization from Dad! Then the issue of my hair, my taste in music, the use of certain words, and the issue of my serving in the military given the undeclared war in Southeast Asia in a country named Vietnam. Later, as I became a father, we argued on how to discipline them. Suddenly, spanking was not to be considered an option for his granddaughters.

I'll make a long story short. I matured and prayerfully made the realization that my Dad was right in most things. The Psalmist was saying as much in this psalm as he realizes his life up to his point has been like that of most sons and fathers. He declares, "God, you are right, and you do right; Your decisions are right on target." All that God had instructed, and shown as the right way to live, were indeed correct. The psalmist knows that the key to life in the fullest was to follow the commandments of God. We may have had different lives, but we might have all gone through a progression of stages where we encountered God, fell in love with God, trusted God, then reached a stage where we thought we knew better and wandered off away from God, much like Israel and the people of God, we found ourselves in trouble, cried out to God and God heard us and rescued us, and we again trusted God with our very lives. And some repeat the same stages again and again. Yet, we must reach a point of maturity where we finally decide to toss aside the what-if's and why-not's and decided, I do love God, and I will trust God, and God will bless me, guide me, and one day lead me home.

The above I believe relates to those names which will be read this coming Sunday. The saints who have died in the Lord are enjoying their reward, and that is cause for celebration. Yes, our prayers and words of comfort and hope are necessary to bless them as they re-live the pain of loss, but may our lives give witness to the faith that sustained the saints while alive and in their hour of their death. May this passage bless our walk with God, so that we can bless others.

PRAYER: Loving Father, comfort and bless the hearts of all who mourn. May this Sunday's celebration of remembrance bring additional peace and hope to those whose hearts are missing members; and let our faith be increased and made shine as hope to others; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Act like a forgiven and reconciled child of God today!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Where Are You, God?

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1 The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw. 2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4 So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous— therefore judgment comes forth perverted. 2:1 I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint. 2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. 3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. 4 Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. (Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 New Revised Standard Version)

A blessed day for you, Friend, on this Wednesday! May it truly be a wonderful Wednesday in all respect and regards. Our prayers for Mr. Jorge Saenz who is having a tele-visit with his doctor about the results of a biopsy he underwent. Mr. Saenz had the tele-visit and found that the spot was cancerous. The doctor was grateful for the cardiologist who ordered an X-Ray that found the spot. The doctor believes it is Stage One, and that with surgery to remove that lump, there may not be a need for chemothereapy or radiation. The doctor will schedule the surgery soon and we pray for a successful removal and a complete healing of our brother, Jorge Saenz. I also heard from the brother of Rev. Arturo Perez, who suffered a stroke some time back, that he is not responding as he should and the family is asking for prayers. Please pray for healing of Rev. Perez and for the comfort of his family; wife, Sylvia, and their daughter and two sons, along with other family members who love Arturo. Let us continue to pray for one another, pray for those who have asked prayers of us; pray for the world and all its needs.

The hardest question anyone tries to answer from someone in need is the one that asks, Where was God when this happened? It is perhaps a question as old as time. Jesus heard it twice from the two sisters whose brother had died and he did not arrive in time to heal his disease. Jesus asks as He hangs from the cross, as He quotes Psalm 22, the same question. The prophet Habakkuk is asking the question on behalf of the people of God. "Why so much violence?" We are asking that question as we read day after day, of senseless shootings and murders of people in random places. The prophet even asks, in a selfish way, "Why do You make me see 'wrongdoing and look at trouble?'" The sight of destruction and violence seemed to be ever before him; as hatred demonstrated among people who should be loving each other increases. We even hear, "How come people don't seem to go to jail any more?" The prophet was asking that too. Yet, the prophet knew that God was still in control, and that patience would help him as he awaited God's answer for his questions, and remedies to the violence.

God answers and says, "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it." The prophet's job was to speak on God's behalf and having a runner run from town to town with a tablet from which to read, would get God's word out sooner, rather than later. The message was clear, "There is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay." Again, God is in control, and God says that the needed action would happen in His time, not ours. He also says as we look to the proud and haughty, we can see their spirit is not right in them, but that those who know God, also known as the righteous, should live by faith, walking and trusting in faith. God will make all things right, at the right time. .

The graphic for today says it all; Faith during troubled times. Faith is the anchor that keeps us grounded when everything else seems to be floating away. Faith is that which provides hope when everyone else seems to have lost it. Faith is strength when stress and worry are weighing us down. It is the one or two who hold on with faith that many times bless the others who need to see faith in us.

PRAYER: Awesome God, grant us the faith that inspires others while fueling us to faithfulness. Help us be the examples others need as they see us. We want to glorify You as we serve You and praise You. We pray for healing of those who are ill, and comfort to those who mourn; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be a faith bearer!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr,

Worthy of the Calling?

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1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring. 11 To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 NRSV)

A happy and blessed Tuesday to your, dear Friend. I pray that God bless you in wonderful and awesome ways, and that you do the same for Him! This coming Sunday most churches will commemorate All Saints Day, and the saints who died this year will be remembered. The one thing that I appreciated about our charge conferences when I was the district superintendent is that we would also ask for a reading of the names of those who had died since the last time we had been together. And to make it interesting one year, God had me ask, "Who is taking their place?" And it is still a great question as every year when a saint dies, they have left a vacancy that needs to be filled.

This passage emphasizes that indirectly; Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, appreciate the church in Thessalonica (Now the modern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, which is now one of my favorite cities). These evangelists thanked God for these faithful and fruitful people because of their faith and, as one version called it, their perseverance in holding to what God had shared with them. Their love of "everyone" for "one another," remains a model for all churches. Their love increased each day. I know of some churches where love left a long time ago! And a church with little to no love, is not a growing church. In fact, their reason for existing is questioned. This morning I heard a story I had heard from Protestants, from a Jewish comedian. He told of a Jewish sailor who was shipwrecked and for thirty years lived alone on a deserted isle. When a passing steamship saw his fires they stopped to rescue him. His rescuers asked how he had survived. He credited his faith by exclaiming, "Let me show you" and walked them to a path which led to a clearing where there stood a magnificent synagogue. "Wow!", the rescuers exclaimed, "This is magnificent!" The man said, "It took me fifteen years to build!" Then he led them to another clearing and there the found another, super magnificent synagogue. "This worship space helped your faith as well?" the rescuers asked. "Why, I wouldn't dare set foot inside that church!" the rescued man exclaimed.

Are you one of the saints that blesses your church? Will your absence (Many years from now) be a difficult one to fill? Have you been ever faithful in spite of what has come in your life? Or, have you been alienated away from fruitfulness because of challenges? The Thessalonians were praised by Paul for their "steadfastness and faith during all (their) persecutions and the afflictions" that they were enduring. It was prayer, both personal and those of outsiders, like Paul, Silvanua, and Timothy, that kept the church going onward and upward. Paul's prayer included the request that God help them be "worthy of His call." Lord, how I relate to this need. Many pastors face doubt and even question their worthiness of being servants of the Lord. Many were the times I thought I would simply walk away and start over in a different line of work. I was shocked as I made friends among colleagues, how often they too thought about leaving ministry for something less stressful. I read of one who left ministry to become an undertaker because his new "Church" did not talk back, or question his every move." He also mentioned the dead were more cooperative.

Our weaknesses are known by our enemy and those are the areas he attacks. I believe if we know our weaknesses and turn those over to Jesus, He can make us stronger and more resistant to whatever wiles the devil may throw our way. I was told I would be a boring preacher by a fellow youth, and thank you very much, did that ever stay with me. I sought to study under my internship with the best preacher in our conference in those days, and he graciously agreed to mentor me. I was excited to be an intern under The Rev. Francisco Gaytan, and to do it in a church that would bless my life for many years, El Mesias UMC. As summer approached I got a call from Pancho and he said, "I have good news and bad news; which do you want to hear first?" Good news, of course. And those were that he was being made a DS and thus leaving at the time I would be starting my internship. (Those were the bad news), but it also meant that I would learn under The Rev. Jose Galindo, who had been the DS that Pancho would replace. I would end up doubly blessed as Pancho would be 5 miles away and I got to see him on a very regular basis. The blessing of Rev. Galindo was that he was an encourager and a man who understood where I was and so addressed my needs and the two helped me turn into an okay minister and preacher. Those two are now saints that I miss, but for whom I am eternally grateful. They made me worthy of my call, strengthened my power and helped in my work of faith.

May this be a week of our asking God to strengthen us and help us better understand the call to which we were called so that we may truly be worthy of that call.

PRAYER: Loving God, for those who have died this year in our churches, we thank You and ask Your comfort and peace on their families. We ask that we might find ways to fill all vacancies left by those who have been called home. We also ask that we might better understand our call and be made worthy by You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Love those whom nobody seems to love, especially in your church! And while you're at it, love yourself in ways that glorify God!

Receive my love and blessings of peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

PERSONAL PRIVILEGE: I am so thankful to God to having let me go around the sun 70 times! I am richly blessed by all the people in my life, including you all! God be glorified!

Wee, Wicked Man Was He!

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1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10 New International Version of The Bible)

This passage makes me sing the song I learned in Sunday school and/or Vacation Bible School. It was a favorite of mine, and maybe of yours, too. Being a story in a children's song, we never realize the wickedness, selfishness, and other terrible things this man. whom we lovingly and fondly sing as being "wee," how could any wickedness come out of him?

Zacchaeus was a successful man. He was a chief tax collector. He had been promoted to being an overseer of other tax collectors. Now, you may remember that the Pharisees lumped the "sinners" that Jesus interacted with into three groups; prostitutes, tax collectors, and other sinners. If there was a top sin, for the Pharisee, it might just have been the tax collector. A tax collector was seen by the Israelites as a traitor or sell-out to the nation of Israel, because the tax collector is collecting money from the Jews to give to the Romans, the oppressive army that occupied Israel and were the conquerors who ruled Israel. The idea that a countryman would do such a job was a terrible idea, and even to the Pharisees. And, to make matters worse, the Roman oversees of tax collectors trained them in the ways to fulfill their quota as well as have "A little something to take home." Okay, I blame the overseers, but it might just as well have been the initiative of the tax collector himself, to ask the family that owed 30 coins, that they really owed 60, and in that way they could send to Rome the 30, and keep the other 30 for themselves. I heard a story about a woman from a Caribbean island who moved to Miami, and there went to a church where her country-people worshiped, and she told the pastor she was an employee of the I.R.S. and wanted to open an office there to better serve her people. The church rented her the office and she had a sign painter paint the official lettering that identified the office as being a sub-office of the IRS. She began to prey on the people of her church. She was employing the same tactics; "I understand, since I work for the IRS, that you owe the US government $2,100, but if you pay me $1,800, I can get the IRS off your back." So, the person believes that it's better to pay this lady cash than run the risk of getting the US government angry at you. Long story short, she was caught, and sent to prison.

To be fair, there was something moving in that wee little man. He had heard the rumblings of this traveling rabbi that was stirring things up against the establishment, and he may have even heard this man has some words of life, and the kind of life that doesn't end with death. The crowds that followed Jesus were growing, and the desire of the people was to see, hear, and maybe meet, Jesus. And so, as the news of Jesus' appearance in his town stirred Zacchaeus to climb up a sycamore-fig tree to get a better view of Jesus. As Jesus enters the city, he comes to the tree and calls Zac by name saying, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So, Zac comes down gladly and opens his home to Jesus. Of course, the critics see this and begin their criticism, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner." This spurs Zac into action and declares to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Boom. A confession and a decision to make right whatever wrong he had done. He came to an important realization; that money cannot buy the things that really matter in life, such as being right with God. Zac knew to make right the wrongs he may have committed and this in order to be right before God and Jesus. Jesus declared, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." And thus added to our list of questions we will have answered in Heaven; what happened to Zacchaeus and his life? How did it end? And was he truly justified before God?

The more important question is what has happened to us after our encounter with Jesus? Is our life any difference at all after we surrendered ourselves to the Lord? Or, are we still lost in sin?

PRAYER: Loving God, make right in me that which has been wrong for so long. Guide me to faithfulness and fruitfulness; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Spend time in relfection about your life and where you know God wants you to be.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Mountain-Maker, Sin-Forgiver!

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1 Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, And also obedience. 2 You hear the prayer in it all. We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt, 3 Our sins too much for us - but you get rid of them once and for all. 4 Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest at home in your place! We expect our fill of good things in your house, your heavenly manse. 5 All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room. Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, 6 Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, 7 Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot - 8 Far and wide they'll come to a stop, they'll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, "Come and worship." 9 Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-River with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! 10 Drench the plowed fields, soak the dirt clods With rainfall as harrow and rake bring her to blossom and fruit. 11 Snow-crown the peaks with splendor, scatter rose petals down your paths, 12 All through the wild meadows, rose petals. Set the hills to dancing, 13 Dress the canyon walls with live sheep, a drape of flax across the valleys. Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh, let them sing! (Psalm 65 The Message Bible)

A most tremendous Thursday to you, dear Friend is my prayer for you. May the blessings of the Lord enrich your life and make you a willing and faithful witness to His love. Please continue to pray for one another; pray for the strangers in your midst, pray for those whom no one else sees, pray for the ones no one else wants.

This evening, a Wednesday, I was talking to my granddaughter who shares the 25th of October as our birthday, and I asked her if she had homework. She said, "No, it's Wednesday, we don't have homework on Wednesday!" I smiled and said as I remembered that Wednesday way back, once upon a time, was designated a "church night," because most churches back then had mid-week worship services. I was pastor in Mission, where our Eliana lives, and during my tenure there, most churches had mid-week services. During those days, Sunday nights were for worship as well. And this passage is about worship and praise time and is begins with some things we seldom contemplate as worship; silence and obedience. Silence is golden, or so goes the saying, and can we imagine how golden if we set aside silence as a time with God? Oh, the things we could hear and receive from God in the silence. And obedience as praise, we have to admit that it is! To do as God directs is a sincere form of praise. Both, says the psalmist, are forms of prayer. And prayer is the first step to our being forgiven of our sins and relieved of our guilt. And with good reason, for the heaviness of our sins is way too much for us to bear without any recourse; yet, God is there, with His power, to rid us of those sins, and fills us with all good things. And all this from God, whose modern titles in this version of the Bible say a lot: "Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot."

When we consider all that God has done, we should join with all creation in our praise of God. Remember, we started the week learning about the two prayers offered in the temple. One was sincere and honest, the other a self-promoting arrogance and pride. Then, the time spent with the Apostle Paul as he pondered the end of his life and a reflection of what he has done for the Lord. Add to that the list of sins that God has forgiven of me, and those forgiven of you. "Creation was made for this!" Let the praising begin!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may we make time for true worship and praise of You. May we make silence and obedience rituals of our praise and worship. Guide us to full obedience and praise; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Spend some time in silence today. Listen closely to God.

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Our God is a God of Hope

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27 "Be ready. The time's coming" - God's Decree - "when I will plant people and animals in Israel and Judah, just as a farmer plants seed. 28 And in the same way that earlier I relentlessly pulled up and tore down, took apart and demolished, so now I am sticking with them as they start over, building and planting. 29 "When that time comes you won't hear the old proverb anymore, Parents ate the green apples, their children got the stomachache. 30 "No, each person will pay for his own sin. You eat green apples, you're the one who gets sick. 31 "That's right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. 32 It won't be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master." God's Decree. 33 "This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them - write it on their hearts! - and be their God. And they will be my people. 34 They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They'll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I'll forget they ever sinned!" God's Decree. If This Ordered Cosmos Ever Fell to Pieces (Jeremiah 31:27-34 The Message Bible)

A most wonderful of Wednesday for you dear Friend, is my prayer for you. I shared with you the unexpected news about my friend, Rev. Chabelo Gomez, and I remember meeting him while a youth and he was there for me all during my years in the Rio Grande Conference. Sadly, the last time I saw him was at our friend Daniel Soliz' funeral not too long ago. May God's comfort and peace be with Chabelo. Nellie and I were blessed to visit his household when his wife, Katy, was under hospice care herself. I know Chabelo longs for that reunion. Also, we praise and thank God for the amazing recovery in Mr. Doug Copeland's life while recovering at his mother's home here in Seguin.

If we misbehave, we know we face consequences. I remember my first year of freedom and the many things that I did that I know I should not have done. My parents dropped me off at my dormitory at Lon Morris College, in Jacksonville, Texas, just as school was to start. All my earthly belongings fit in the truck of their old Chevrolet. That includes my clothing, shoes, and my most precious possession, the high school graduation gift of a Radio Shack stereo system. And of course, my very precious and limited collection of vinyl records. Kids, ask your parents about record albums, or visit a Target store's music section and you'll see some new albums, but take away a digit from the price and you'll see what we used to pay for our albums. I carried my stuff upstairs, and walked back outside. An upperclassman from New Mexico asked if I wanted to go to the movies. I started to say, "Let me go ask permi-," and laughed, "I don't need permission, yes, I'll go." I went on my first outing and did not need permission. Somehow, I was placed in the roughest of the dorms on that small campus. I met some of the most incredibly creative and mischievous students I had ever met. Please keep in mind that I was in the GT program all of my life. The Gordo y Travieso program (Fat and Mischievous). One night I decided it was my turn to do something that would help keep dorm life interesting. Kids, I am not advocating such behavior for you! But I took the recycling bin and put the contents of said bin into a clothes dryer and put in my two quarters (yes, that's how old I am) and pressed Play. Okay, it was really Start, but you get it. Long story short, I'm in the Dean of Students Office not too long after. Actually, I was there with two or three other misbehaving colleagues, in the presence of the Dean himself, The Reverend Virgil Matthews, who also held the title of Pre-Ministerial Program Director, professor of Bible, etc. I faced expulsion from the school. And then facing the wrath of my mother and father, who were counting on their eldest son to do right by them by being the first in the family to attend college. And here I was supposedly studying for ministry and I was a law-breaker, okay rule breaker. My mind and heart raced, for I knew I deserved whatever the Dean meted out as fair justice for my deeds. Yes, I was praying, bur realizing in my heart that I deserved nothing special, just strength to pack and go home, find another college willing to accept a prankster, who might also have to renegotiate with God about what true calling I might really have.

The Reverend Dean Virgil Matthew could not have been more gracious. He gave me another chance with a stern "You should know better" talk. He could have called my Dad who would have driven up from Houston and murdered me, but he didn't. He could have called my Mom who would have cried for days, and she would have murdered me as well; but he didn't. He gave me another chance. God is like that and that's why God called such selfless, sweet men to be pastors, and deans.

God is a God who plants and expects a harvest from each planting that He does. God took a chance on me, as God has taken a chance on you. This is the message of this passage. God can and sometimes does rip up His plantings, but that's only when the seeds have done nothing or care nothing about what they were supposed to do. That's usually the last straw as far as God is concerned, but in this passage, the prophet is declaring hope to the hopeless, and a future to those wandering lost and away from God. In fact, the more classic versions of this passage say the parents eat the sour grapes and their children get the stomachache. God says in verse 30, "No, each person will pay for his own sin. You eat green apples, you're the one who gets sick." and that God will establish a "brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah." This new covenant will emphasize the importance of personal relationships with God instead of pointing at others and expecting a protection of sorts; everyone must answer for themselves, God is declaring. People will come to know God personally; all who desire that relationship will know God, and like only God can do (and sweet, thoughtful deans), declare the slate wiped clean. "I'll forget they even sinned!" Amen.

PRAYER: Awesome God, how great is Thy love for us, that You grant us second, third and one mission chances to start new; and You, Who have the only authority to do so, wipe clean the slate. Forgive us, and allow us to come to know You personally. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask God for a second chance on something you know you should not have done!

Receive my love and blessings for joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.16 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 NRSV)

A blessed and terrific Tuesday to you, dear Friend May the rich and unexpected blessings of the Lord fill you with joy and peace. I share a great update that our brother, Mr. Doug Copeland, is at home now from the hospital, recovering with his mother. Pray that his recovery is complete and prompt. I also spoke with The Rev. John Alsbrooks, and his surgical procedure went well and he awaits word from the lab as to what may is next. We pray that nothing be next in terms of results of this lab study, in the name of Jesus! Pray for one another. Pray for the needs of the world

We are reading the last words of the Apostle Paul as he is aware that he will suffer death at the hands of the Roman government because of his faith. He knew coming in that this would be his fate, along with all the additional suffering that would be his, and still he said yes to the Lord Jesus. And we know people that when they discover they must attend meetings of the church decide they've had enough of the Christian faith! Yet Paul knew what awaited him, and more importantly, Who awaited him. He had seen the Risen Christ, had his faith blessed by Him and so, death was a welcome thing in his life. He knew his life would not end with the swift sword of a Roman soldier. What would your final words be? Would you have a sense of satisfaction that you had been faithful and fruitful to the call of Jesus to be His disciple? Have you finished the race and kept the faith? Have you fought the good fight?

This passage brought to mind a meeting with a church member one day. She has asked to meet with me and she began by saying she never in her life thought she would lose her church to a Mexican. (Hint: Not a good way to start any meeting, or a day for that matter!) She said she had not yet heard any of my sermons but that her "sermons" were to stare at "the beautiful stain glass we have in our church." This gave her away. "And," she added, "sometimes I just sleep, and it's the most wonderful sleep." I interrupted her and had to ask, "Sister, are you saved? I mean, have you surrendered your heart to Jesus?" She was immediately insulted, "Why no one has ever dared to ask me that question before!" I said "I ask because I am your pastor, and one day I will stand next to you in the presence of God and I will have to answer what I shared with you to help you better live your life and serve God." At that point whe was not having any more of me, and stormed out of my office. I knew what was next and I was right. There was under my door the very next morning a copy of her letter to the Staff Parish Relations Committee that outlined our meeting and how disgusted she was with me and my question. I should have added I was praying the whole time asking God to give me a heart to love this woman, and reading the letter I intensified my prayer! It would be only a couple of Sundays later that she was the last person to walk through the line where I shook hands with people after worship. I began my prayer again. But to my shock and pleasant surprise, she hugged me tightly and said it was the most wonderful sermon she had ever heard! I wanted to ask what had happened to the real church member that had sat in my office not too many days before? She apologized and from that point on was always telling me how wonderfully I had preached. It wasn't me. It was God. God can and does do some amazing things. Paul knew that. You know that too.

For us, the race is still on. The fight is not over. Our faith is there to keep us and for us to keep it as well. What comes next Paul says is that when it is our time, we will receive a crown of righteousness, if we have "longed for His appearing." Paul then shares his sorrow that no one came to his defense at the first part of the trial he stood. Quite the opposite, those who may have said they were supporting him, ran! Paul did not hold this against them, because God stood by him and gave him strength as He has done for us. While we may not face "the lion's mouth," God is still with us as we may face the mouths of those who oppose us and our faith; and God rescues us every time! Our work is far from over and there is still much to do, so that all people may come to hear and know of God's love for them. God is with us and will give us the words to reach the world.

PRAYER: Awesome God, come to us when we need You and grant to us what we need to do the task You have entrusted to us; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Share Jesus!

Receive my blessings of joy and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Glad I'm Not You!

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Glad-Im-Not-You-e1pc54o

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14 NIV)

The Church attracts all sorts of people. In fact, all religious organizations have the same effect. And that in and of itself, is not a bad thing; it is best to be where Christ is being shared because one day one of those "interesting" people may just hear the word needed to allow Jesus to change their lives. It happened to me. It may have happened to you. And, if it hasn't happened yet, keep coming and praying! Yet, there may be some who will never hear, never change; but we do not give up hope for those.

I'm old enough to remember the days when the churches were full. And not only full, but filled with men and boys wearing suits. Yes, coats and ties. The women and girls would wear dresses. And while this was not a bad thing, those who wore those clothing sometimes pointed out or even stopped those without the "proper" clothing, and would run those lesser dressed, out. An old joke from that time was told about a poor family who moved to a small community and began attending the Methodist Church. The family could not afford the "proper" clothing and so the ladies of the church, while delighted their attendance was up, collected money and bought the children new clothing and shoes. The next Sunday they anxiously awaited the arrival of the kids dressed ready for church. They waited and waited. Sunday School started and ended, as did the worship service. Monday a couple of the ladies made a house call. The mother of the kids said, "When we saw how nice the kids looked we decided they would look better at the Episcopal Church and so we went them there!"

Jesus encountered these people, and He loved them all; but His mission was to get their hearts and spirits right before the Lord, and this parable was such an attempt. Two men, said Jesus, were at the temple praying. One was a Pharisee and the other, boo!, was a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing alone, prayed aloud, "God, I thank You that I am not like other people --- robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this man, a tax collector. I fast twice a week and give my tithe, ten percent of all I get." The tax collector and everyone within the temple heard that prayer, because it was lifted up not to God but to public attention, so the tax collector could not even look up toward Heaven but began to beat his chest and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Amen.

Jesus declares that the prayer of the tax collector allowed him to be justified before God. The "prayer" of the Pharisee was more a public declaration of perfection, albeit self-declared perfection, and not a sincere, from-the-heart reflection on need and sin before God. There was no confession of fault, rather a hot air exhuast of his perception of adherance to the law rather than faith in the living God. Even his remark about being better than the tax collector was not acceptable, for he was not showing compassion towards others. Prayer is that which can help us alter our lives in the presence of God, Whom we know wants us to help others along the way. The Church has far too many "Pharisees" even now; what we need are people with contrite hearts like the tax collector.

PRAYER: Loving God, grant us the hearts of flesh that know we need You and need to seek You. Grant us also hearts of love to love all people, even those who disagree with us; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Pray more with the desires that God has placed in your heart!

Receive my love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

PRAYERS FOR ME as today I will be in New Braunfels at Walgreens on 1160 I-35 Business Loop helping people with insurance needs from 9 am until 1 pm, and Tuesday will find me in Gonzales at H-E-B also 9 am until 1 pm. Thursday at H-E-B in Seguin from 1 pm until 5 pm.

The Outpouring of God's Holy Spirit

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/The-Outpouring-of-the-Holy-Spirit-e1p6e81

23 O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 28 Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. 30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. (Joel 2:23-32 New Revised Standard Version Bible)

The prophet Joel was the second among the minor prophets. His name combines the name of God, YHWH, and El, and comes out meaning "One to whom YHWH is God," or worshiper of God." He is perhaps better known for part of this passage being included in Peter's first sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Being a prophet, Joel spoke for God, and usually the sermon message given to the prophet to give to the people ran along the lines of "behave!" One of my favorite Farside comics was of a Dalmatian preaching from the pulpit and he is saying, "...And He said unto them: Bad dogs! No, no!'" (I had already typed in my recollection when I did a Google search and found it). But, along with the message calling for obedience, God would include the hope that was coming with it. The message was for the people of God to be glad and to rejoice in the Lord because God was still in HIs throne and still doing what He does; care for His people. God has provided an early rain, along with early and later rain. The promise of grain bins being filled and the threshing floors being full of grain; the wine vats will be overflowing with wine and oil, and a reparation from God was coming to repay all that had been lost during the presence of all pestilence. This would mean that stomachs will be filled, and you will eat as you praise the Lord.

Then the forthcoming prophetic word that spoke to Peter, who went defending the actions of those filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), he knew that what the prophet spoke some 800 years earlier was now fulfilling, for he saw what was happening among the twelve, speaking in other languages and sharing prophecies. The promise from God was that the movement of the Holy Spirit as a power for the salvation of the world. It is the movement of God to work beyond the Church to establish it, guide it, and empower it to conquer sin and death through the message we share of Jesus. The Church must prepare the world for the coming of the Lord again, thus the references to the warning signs that the Prophet Joel shared of "The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes." Then the hope, "Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

You and I have a lot of work to do as we carry on what God wants; the repenting of our sins; the turning away from our sinful ways, and our surrendering to the Lord and the inviting of others to join us in seeking the fullness of life. The prophet Joel shared from God that we would need God's power in the Holy Spirit to be faithful and fruitful. We are needed, and we are welcome to do what we have been called to do. If we feel weak or timid, or unable to do the tasks, Jesus sent us His Holy Spirit to guide us and bless us to bless others. All we have to do is ask.

PRAYER: Loving God, bless us with the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we can have the strength, boldness, courage and wisdom we need to do Thy will; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be faithful and fruitful as you share God's love!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

You Know What to Do. Do It!

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/You-Know-What-to-Do--Do-It-e1p4r2t

1 Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. 2 As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, 3 dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, 4 treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. 5 They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people. 6 These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself "truth." 7 They get exploited every time and never really learn. 8 These men are like those old Egyptian frauds Jannes and Jambres, who challenged Moses. They were rejects from the faith, twisted in their thinking, defying truth itself. 9 But nothing will come of these latest impostors. Everyone will see through them, just as people saw through that Egyptian hoax. 10 You've been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience, 11 troubles, sufferings - suffering along with me in all the grief I had to put up with in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. And you also well know that God rescued me! 12 Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. 13 Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse. 14 But don't let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers - 15 why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. 17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. 1 I can't impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, 2 so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don't ever quit. Just keep it simple. 3 You're going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food - catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. 4 They'll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. 5 But you - keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant. (2 Timothy 3:`14-4:5 The Message Bible)

A blessed and wondrous Wednesday to you, dear Friend, is my prayer for you. I ask prayers for Mr. Doug Copeland, who's in the hospital in San Marcos, TX, with severe breathing problems. Doug lost his wife not too long ago, and was also furloughed from his job and needs our prayers. Prayers for his daughter and Doug's mother who is retired pastor, Rev. Patricia Jentsch, of Seguin. We believe in an awesome God who can do awesome and amazing things. Those of you who hear my podcast edition of this devotional sometimes get bonus material, such as the unexpected blessing of a free ride to the airport yesterday (Monday) morning. It's a long story involving a sketchy "Uber" driver who showed up at 4 am somehow knowing we were not going to get an official Uber driver and wanted to drive us to the airport for "cheaper money." Uh huh, since when is $70 cheaper than $40? Nellie nor I were very trusting of this individual and we headed inside the hotel lobby. A bus driver from another company had pulled up and asked about airport connections? We shook our heads no, and we were inside. The bus driver then came into the lobby and said, "God sent me to tell you that I'm taking you to the airport for free." Huh? And that's how we got to the airport! God is so good!

This passage sums up how the Apostle Paul saw his era. Interesting that it mirrors our time as well. The older evangelist telling the younger one that their work was cut out for them. I can make a list of the things Paul shares and you see we have the same issues before us today: self-absorbed people? Check. Money-hungry? Check. Self-promoting? Double check. Stuck-up? Yes. Profane. Contemptouous of parents, curde, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God? Yes to all. And the remarks that follow about making a show of religion, yet they're animals behind the scenes. Pray for these people, but steer clear of them. Their actions versus their faith will give them away. Nothing good will come of these people and their way of life.

Paul stresses that the Word of God is what will help us during these difficult times. Starting with verse 14 onward, the Apostle is stressing that for this young man to face and be victorious over the times, he should "Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers - Why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Then, the famous, most often quoted, "Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way." In our denomination, as was true for others, a huge debate has been going on about the place and authority of Scripture. Within the United Methodist Church, many churches have already voted and announced their decisiion to disaffiliate from the UMC and either join the new Global Methodist Church or become independent. The entire UMC of Bulgaria has announced they have left the UMC and their conference will become Global. The Philippines also has a number of churches that will become independent of the UMC. Within the United States several churches have also voted to disaffiliate from the UMC. The question being asked, and that has been debated for many years, What authority does scripture still hold in our church? A long time friend and reader of ConCafe called me earlier this evening to share her feelings about regional meetings that are taking place where denominational leaders are sharing their views on why everyone should stay in the UMC rather than go to the GMC. And the leaders of GMC are holding similar meetings where they shave shared their views. The friend attended the UMC meeting and was very upset over what this denominational leader shared about the Bible. In what was shared with me by my friend, I told my friend that the leader was quoting from a book from another denominational leader on scripture. Time nor space does not allow for an adequate presentation of that book's purpose or the denominational leader's views; but Paul's straight forward letter to his protege is simple; you know what to do, do it. You were taught by the best, with love, do the same with others. Teach that God is love, and calls us to love all people in ways that help them know the love of God. We were called out of sin, into the fullness of love, and we should join hands and hearts to continue that work, so that all the world may know God's love.

We are called to beware of those who "Have no stomach for solid teaching," but instead fill up on "spiritual junk food," which Paul calls, "Catchy opinions that tickle their fancy." From seeking truth they instead chase mirages; we are to called to keep our eye on the prize; winning the world for Christ Jesus.

PRAYER: Loving God, we seek to do what we have been taught; may we reach the world for You, with Your leading and inspiration; we have much to do. Guide us and bless us; and we also pray for Doug's healing and for him to find employment; bless his heart and mind, bless his daughter, and bless Rev. Patricia as she faithfully cares for her son and granddaughter, in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALLTO ACTION: You know what to do, do it!

Receive my love and blessings for peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/The-Parable-of-the-Church-Goer-e1p346m

1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. 4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Luke 18:1-8 New International Version Bible)

The majority of Jesus' ministry took place outside the established Church. Judaism is very much a home-based expression of faith, with many of the rituals and expressions of that faith practiced inside the home and away from the temple or synagogue. The major holy celebrations and feasts are meant for corporate celebration inside the walls of the church. The passage shares how Jesus went from town to town, preaching on the good news of the Kingdom of God. The disciples were with Him as were some women who had been delivered of evil spirits and illnesses. We are introduced to Mary Magdalene, who, Luke says, had seven demons removed from her. For those of you who watched The Chosen, the tv drama about Jesus, will remember the incredible transformation that she underwent from pre-demon possession to post-demon possession. I believe the portrayal of that was pretty close to the truth. Also, present was Joanna, who was the wife of Herod's household manager for Herod the king. And with a large crowd gathered, Jesus delivers His Parable of the Sower.

The Church attacts all sorts of people. None of them perfect, but most have been touched or redeemed by the grace of God. They come in all shapes and sizes, hues and colors, backgrounds and pedigrees. Some come with wants and needs; others just come. Habit or tradition; but don't get me wrong, they're in the right place for something special to happen. If you're hungry and walk into a restaurant, chances are you might get fed. But, again, don't get me wrong, going to church isn't always about you getting fed. I'll make it clearer; church isn't about you. It's about God and whatever God is up to in your life. (And most of what He's up to could be happening outside the church!) In this passage, Jesus knew from His experience of preaching the good news, how some people receive the gospel and how some do not. Jesus knew that whenever people gather for worship and learning, these things do actually happen.

Jesus speaks first about this sower sowing seed, which fell upon the path, where it was trampled on and the birds ate that up. Some seed fell among rocky ground, and when it tried to blossom, it couldn't for it lacked the soil in which to take root. Some seeds fell among thorns and when it grew, it was choked by the thorns. Still, some fell on good soil and that came up and yielded a crop, "A hundred times more than was sown." Jesus concludes with, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." Jesus knew His audience, and even now. The first seek could be compared to those who come to worship and hear teachings about God, but their attention is always on the little screen of their smart phone. No seed can penetrate a closed mind, or a mind concentrating on something else. Others come and focus on the worries they brought in from home or work or school. They don't listen as they should, and so they let their worries stress them. The other seed that God would plant in our hearts has to share room with the temptations and attractions of the world and soon the outside influences win out over whatever God has tried to share. Then there are those who come with sincere hearts with genuine needs that feed on what God shares and so they listen, receive, and produce fruit for they take what they learned and share it with others, and they share it with others, and soon, as Jesus said, the crop is far more than was initially sown because folks who share blessings bless others and so the kingdom grows in that way. If this has spoken to you, take heed.

PRAYER: Loving God of the Harvest, share Your word with us all, and let us receive it with joy and wisdom; let us not keep it to ourselves, but let us lovingly share it with many, to grow the kingdom; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Share a word of good news witih those who need to hear it!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Dear friends, again I thank you for your understanding. Nellie and I were out-of-town yesterday and our Sunday night grew long and we went to sleep as soon as we got to the room, and this morning at 3 am we got up to make our way to the airport. I shall attempt to catch up so that my teachers and librarians can hear this devotional! God bless you all!