H. PAUL ADAMS

Good day dear friends. I write to let you know that a dear friend
and former church member from Mission, TX, died early this morning.
H. Paul Adams was a living example of the power of God to transform
and reshape a person. From his own testimony Paul said the Lord
changed him into a more loving man, which I knew to be a fact.
Paul's wife, Mercedes was very active in our church singing in our
choir and other activities, but Paul never did follow her. I visited
Paul early in my ministry and made a fast friend. I will never
forget the night he called me after the death of his son, who had
died in New York and whose ashes were shipped to Paul without his
knowing such was going to happen. I went to his house and found Paul
weeping as he hugged a can similar to a paint can which held his
son's ashes. From that moment on I could count on Paul being in
every church function and activity. Paul also joined the choir and
sang solos in special Easter and Christmas Cantatas. Paul was gifted
with a great voice which he used to glorify God.

Paul was the first person from El Mesias who was convinced to attend
a Walk to Emmaus so that he could help us as we shaped the Walks in
Spanish. I drove Paul over to Cone Oasis and will always smile as I
remember that he was caught at the payphone calling his son-in-law
asking him to come and get him. Thank God Paul didn't pay attention
to the way I drove and that one of the lay directors caught him
trying to get out. Paul went as part of a ten-man team I took to San
Juan, Puerto Rico to help with Caminata #1, held in El Yunque Rain
Forest outside of San Juan. Sadly, Paul suffered a minor stroke upon
arrival to the island and was hospitalized during the entire time we
were there, checking himself out when he knew we were flying home.
The Lord working through the Walk helped in making Paul Adams who he
was.

Paul loved his family, taking great pride in all his children and
playing the typical husband when it came to his wife, but we all knew
that he loved and appreciated Meredes very much. Paul loved to cook
and loved to share his cooking with everyone. Numerous are those who
counted on Paul for several of his specialties from time to time. My
favorite was his Panamian menudo served over white rice with a side
dish of plantanos and cucumber slices. My daughters loved the soups
he made with hot dog slices. On occasions when I needed him, he was the girls' grandfather in picking them up when I was not able. Paul was a person I could count on.

Paul had a mischievous side but that only helped others love him. A
retired INS officer, he first came to the Valley from New York as one
of the first truly Spanish-speaking officers; his stories of those
early days made us all roar with laughter.

The funeral arrangements are pending, but what is not pending is our
missing him very much. Heaven is richer with Paul's entrance.

Rest in peace dear friend.

e.v.

CHRISTMAS DAY EN HARLINGEN, TEJAS

LA FAMILIA EN HARLINGEN

MERRY CHRISTMAS!/¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Felíz Navidad / Merry Christmas from Eradio and Nellie Valverde, pictured here with their two precious grandchildren, Saraí Evangelina Cortez, and grandson, Liam Carlos Vasquez, taken last night prior to the 7 o'clock worship service at our church. To the top left is Liam Carlos Vasquez in his new Christmas outfit! Que chulo boy! At his right is our granddaughter, Saraí Evangelina as she opened gifts last night.

"For unto us a child is born!" Of all the wonderful and precious and meaningful songs we sung or heard last night at three wonderful worship services I had to wake up with the following lyric in my mind, "He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day, When the New York Times said God is dead, And the wars begun..." The words are by Bernie Taupin who years ago answered an ad for someone wanting to partner with a singer. The ad was placed by a record company and the other person who answered was Reginald Dwight, known now to the word as Elton John. This song is "Levon." I've since put on Amy Grant, thank God.

God is not dead, He's very much alive and living in the hearts of those who have invited Him in. Last night at all three services that offer was made and only Heaven knows how many took advantage of it. That's what Christmad is; God's renewed offer to be our God and to be in relationship with us. May we take advantage of that. As Pastor Katy said last night, "Let's take away the garland, the strings of light, and see Christmas for what it truly is." Amen.

PRAYER: God of Christmas, I thank you for your precious gift of Jesus. May He come to live in my heart. Let my relationship with You be stronger than ever. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed Christmas!

Eradio Valverde

SINGING AND SHOUTING GOD'S PRAISES!

Gracious God shine Your love and grace on this dear reader. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

We continue studying and receiving God's love. The Psalmist loved God and many of the compositions we call the psalms reflect that. Psalm 126 shows the Psalmist singing praises for God for the way God continually demonstrates His love for us. God is a God who restores in such a way that many times we think we're dreaming because of God's goodness towards us. This in turn should fill our mouths with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy. What a scene if we would all act that way every time we received a blessing from God. Such is God's love for you.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank you for Your love. Let me show it to others. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Special Prayer Request: This ConCafe comes a bit late because of the goings-on of last night and this morning. FIrst, I thank God all four of our daughters are here. The last one to arrive was Caitlin and she and Liam arrive last night after 11 p.m. Liam had been sick this week with a cold and last night he had a crying fit unlike any Mom or grandparents had seen, he coughed a lot and had much drainage, so we took him to the ER at Harlingen Medical Center. We arrived right at 12 midnight and we finally got home at 5 a.m. All the tests came back great, a dose of Motrin and Benedyrl which helped calm him down. Blood was drawn, a breathing therapy given, and an X-ray was taken. Everything, as I said, was great but as we're leaving the doctor says, "I could be misreading this X-ray but," pointing to stuff only doctors understand bascially said that Liam might have a collapsed lung. He let us go home and we're still awaiting word from the doctor who was to read the Xrays again to let us know for sure about the lung. So, please keep the Vasquez family in your prayers. Liam's dad, Joaquin has to work in San Marcos until tomorrow and he can't come down until then and he's very worried about his little boy. Liam this morning looks great and is in good spirits but we're anxiously awaiting results. Thank you for your prayers!

Study Guide: In Psalm 126 we find the Psalmist singing God's praises for the way the Lord has demonstrated His love for His children. Please find that passage and discover what God can do for us because He loves us.

GOD GIVES!

God of Christmas and all good gifts, shower this dear reader with Your grace and whatever it is they need and are facing. Amen.

We pondered God's great gift of love yesterday in worship. The Annunciation to Mary was a gift and visit of love. Mary was a devoted woman and God knew that. She loved God and knew that God loved her and because of God's love for us, God chose Mary to be the vessel to carry, birth, nurse, instruct, and pray for God's Son, Jesus. It's an incredible story as Luke tells it in chapter one of his gospel. So, our theme this week is about God's love for you and me.
We find one such example in 2 Samuel 7:1-11 where God shows His love for one of His kings,

Here is that pasage:

2 Samuel 7:1 Now when the king was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent." 3 Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you." 4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: 5 Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" 8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9 and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.

In this powerful passage, God chooses to give David a house, meaning a lineage, a long line of descendants blessed and protected by God, rather than having David built God a house, namely a temple. We see there that our faith is in a God that gives, and all we should do is love God back by our faith, our heart, our thoughts, and our actions.

This Christmas season is about God giving to you and me the greatest gift, Jesus our Lord and Savior. God continues to give. The question becomes, what do we give God? I shared with the congregation that our oldest grandchild, 21 months old, does not know yet about the concept of Santa Claus. I asked her about it and she looked puzzled; she said, "Christmas is Jesus birthday!" And so it is. May she and we never forget that. God giving us a precious gift on Jesus' birthday.

PRAYER: Loving God, shower us with faith to receive all You have to share with us. Let us be a blessing to You and Yours. I pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Study Guide: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 speaks of the love God has for one of His kings. Please find and read this passage to discover what God has to say about this relationship with his king.

A CHECKLIST FOR FAITH

Gracious God, look down with Your love upon this faithful reader; bless and protect him/her and fill their needs. In Jesus' Name, amen.

As we have journeyed this week on the road of faith we have discovered that it is not easy. We find as a help, a checklist of sorts, in 1 Thess. 5:16-24:

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

We can make it a checklist as we say, number 1: Be filled with joy. 2: Pray all the time. 3: Give thanks regardless of circumstances. 4: Be filled with God's Spirit; don't resist Him. 5: Learn from those who have spoken for God. 6: Through prayer and reflection, know what is of God and what is good; stay away from the opposite. 7: Pray that God will make us completely holy, and finally, 8: Know that God will do just that.

PRAYER: God of our faith, may that list bless me into being Your person; not only today, but all days. May I seek to be more of a person who talks and walks with You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 contains a checklist of sorts for a strong faith. Review the list and make it your own!

SING A JOYOUS TUNE TODAY!

Mighty God, as this dear reader reads and prays along with this devotional thought, bless her or his life with that which You deem best. In Jesus' Name, amen.

A dear colleague recently wrote that we don't whistle enough any more. I fear that we don't sing enough any more. When was the last time you heard someone humming a tune? Does that reflect the times in which we are living? Is fear draining our soul's best way of expression, music? In a very beautiful passage we hear Mary, the mother of Jesus, singing this song:

My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

This was Mary's faith song. After being told she was to be the mother of the Anointed One, Jesus our Lord, she sang this song. Read that out loud in a musical way, hear the faith she shows in the act she will participate in. It was a faith act, a worshipful act, a joyful act. God had remembered God's people and Mary sang of God's mercy for her and "for those who fear him from generation to generation."

I strongly believe that our singing should be based on our faith not our fears. Our lips should be singing praises to God out of hope if nothing else. We should lift high the praises due our God because we are still in God's hands and God will not let us down. God's great gift of faith is ours. Receive it. Unwrap it. And make it yours.

PRAYER: Living God, let my voice sing today. May the tunes of hope spring forth victorious over those thoughts of dread and doom. May I witness to the Living God that lives in me, rather than the negative thoughts of fear and worry. May I be truly, in every sense of the word, an instrument that glorifies you! I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Study Guide: Luke 1:46b-55 contains the song of Mary contained The Magnificat. Some have called this the first Christian declaration by anyone and who better than His mother to declare her faith in Jesus?

THE GIFT OF FAITH

Loving God of life and its fullness, bring rich, wonderful, unexplainable blessings to this dear reader at this start of the work week. In Jesus' Name, amen.

The third gift from God at Advent is the gift of faith. The passage for the sermon came from John 1:6-8, 19-28 and we centered on the faith of John the Baptist, his probable upbringing in faith and the personal courage that comes from faith that allows all of us to take that first step of obedience to going where God would have us be. I mentioned the testimony of the late Rev. E. V. Hill of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles, California. E. V. was born in, of all places, Seguin to a impoverished family with a mom of deep faith who told E. V. he was to go to college and make something of his life. E. V. obediently took those steps of faith to get in a long line of students awaiting to register at Wiley College, a UM college in Marshall, Texas. He noticed all the students were dressed nicely and they all seemed to have envelopes with cash and checks and he realized they were paying for their registration. E. V. had only faith, but he still began to sweat as the line moved ever so slowly to the table where the students were leaving their money. Just as he's one person away from having to embarrass himself, as E. V. described it, a nicely dressed gentleman in a suit exited from the building walked right up to him and asked, "Are you E. V. Hill?" E. V. meekly replied he was, and the gentleman, who it turns out is the president of Wiley said, "You've already been taken care of! Come with me." It turns out that his momma's faith had provided for E. V. to receive a scholarship to pay for his college education.

We find that same faith in a passage from Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 that reads (see text below) of the prophetic word uttered, in faith, by the prophet Isaiah concerning the coming of He who is faith and in whom we place our faith. Isaiah heard God speaks of just what Jesus would do for us in bringing good news, release, restoration, etc. Your need is found in that list. Do you have the faith to claim it? Do you have the faith it takes to stand in line to claim what God has given you, even if you don't dress as nicely or have the envelope of financial resources?

PRAYER: God of short lines, we thank You for the gift of faith. I ask that I be given that faith that I need to receive for my ministry exactly what I need. May I receive it in faith, may I use it in faith, to honor and serve You! I ask this in the Name of He who brought the reason for this special season, Jesus the Christ, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

WHAT IS REQUIRED OF US

All powerful God of the unexplainable, bring a special blessing of the unexplainable kind, to this dear reader; in Jesus' Name, amen.

As we continue to consider the issue of forgiveness, we find in 2 Peter 3:8-15a, these words:

8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13 But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. 14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

Peter's understanding of Christ's second coming is a matter of what have we done and what are we doing as a result of that first coming? Those who know Jesus, Peter says, live lives that show we are awaiting the return of the perfect one, who desires we be as perfect as we can in all our relationships. And key to this, is how we forgive one another. Christ wants to have a relationship with all, and our entering into such begins with our asking for forgiveness for all we have done wrong. Our staying in that relationship means we learn to forgive those who have done us wrong. Isn't that found in something we pray often, what is it, what is it? Could it be ... The Lord's Prayer? Yes, you're right!

PRAYER: Loving God of mercy, be merciful to me today. And later today, let me be merciful to others. Let me live a life that shows I belong to You. Let me do my part to reach others for You as well. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

2 Peter 3:8-15a speaks of our waiting for something God is doing on our behalf. Please find that passage and apply it to your life.

OUR DAY OF PRAYER

Loving God touch the heart of this dear reader; may all that is troubling them be in Your hands. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Sunday's sermon, like John the Baptist's sermon, touched a lot of hearts, because forgiveness is such an important part of life. If we don't grant forgiveness, Jesus says, we won't be forgiven. And if we don't ask for forgiveness we carry around the heavy burden of guilt and shame. So, today's prayer focus is on forgiveness. Our study guide calls for us to
...pray for the spirit of forgiveness to take hold even in the hearts of the most hardened folks who cannot and will not forgive. Hear our prayer, O Lord!

Here's a sample prayer: Loving God of all, today may Your Holy Spirit move first in me. May I know that I am forgiven by You for all the things that I have done. I can't begin to list them all, just lump them all in whatever category is appropriate. And as I feel the forgiveness that You grant me, may I show the forgiveness that others are expecting from me. I know I may still carry the hurt from hurtful remarks, or dumb comments on work performance evalutation, or actions show me during a family reunion; but let me let You carry those things to the deepest part of the sea as Your word says in Micah 7:19 ("He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our F34 sins into the depths of the sea."). And I look forward to the fulfillment of Rev. 21:1 that says "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." Grant me the fullness of life as I cast aside and away the hurts, pains, memories and baggage of days past. Into Your hands I place myself for the joy that is mine in knowing You. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

ALL THIS CAN BE YOURS!

Loving God, in the midst of all that is around them, continue to rain down Your grace on this dear reader. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Here's today's question: Is it easier to ask for forgiveness or to grant it? Well, it depends you may say, on whether I am right or wrong. Compare that to our situation with God? Should God forgive you or should you even bother God? The Psalmist confirms what we know but what we sometimes forget, God loves us so much that God forgives us if we but ask. If ever there were a people who wore out their forgiveness, it was Israel. Their's was a history of loving, abandoning and forsaking God. And yet in the midst of this, the Psalmist said, God's day is coming with a wonderful blessing to all of us. In beautiful poetic language he shares the message that ours is salvation and ours is the great rejoicing when love and faithfulness will meet, not in the sky, but in our hearts! And righteousness and peace will kiss each other and again, not in the sky, but in our lives! God gives only that which is good. All we have to do is ask.

PRAYER: GOD of salvation, love, faithfulness, righteousness and peace, send those gifts to me! I ask this in the Name of He who died for me, Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Text for today Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13: Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. 10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.

The Psalmist in Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13 sings a song of forgiveness. Read that as an answered prayer from God to you and your situation. Hear God’s wanting to forgive you of your sins.

GOD'S PLAN FOR THE FULLNESS OF LIFE

Gracious and loving God, bring Your favor upon this dear reader; in Jesus' name, amen.
Sermon two of the Unwrapped Series was yesterday and the gift we unwrapped was God's Gift of Forgiveness, based on Mark 1:1-18. We continue to study the theme of forgiveness in the reading of other passages this week. Today, let us find Isaiah 40:1-11 and let's see what God is up to in that passage. If you do not have your Bible handy, please look below the devotional for a copy of the passage.

As we talked about sin yesterday, we realized that sin is a heavy weight to carry. To have that burden lifted is God's job and when God does lift it, it is incredible to walk forward toward Him and know we are no longer alone, no longer burdened with the weight of that which we have said, thought or done, that hurt God or God's creatures and creation. In Isaiah, the prophet says that "Jerusalem...has served her term,...her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins." This is then followed by the prophetic reference to John the Baptist who would prepare the way of the LORD Jesus Christ. We know that in Christ everything was made level, everything was squared away.
The passage concludes with the loving image of a shepherd caring for his flock; lovingly gathering them and carrying them in his bosom. We would think the opposite would be true. We are aware of the consequences and penalty of sin, and that is death; but Christ came that we might have life and that to the fullest as He said in John 10:10.

What's keeping you from life's fullness? God invites you to confess and turn away from your sins. Invite the Lord into your heart and begin to feel release from that which has kept you down for so long. Enter into a relationship with God today!

PRAYER: Loving God, I confess that I have done, said and thought more than my share of things that were not to Your honor or glory. I confess I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and with Your help I will turn away from them, turn them over to You and walk after You into the fullness of life. I pray this prayer of faith in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde
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1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." 6 A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

Isaiah 40: 1-11 speaks of God's care for us. Please find and read that passage and see what God wants to offer you.

HELP US BE READY

Loving God in spite of the uncertainty of these times, Your faithfulness upon this child of Yours who is reading this devotional, remains steadfast. Thank You! In Jesus' name, amen.

My being away for a couple of days made it impossible to send out ConCafe as I would have liked. We stayed in some cabins where we could not get internet access.

Our theme this week has been on that part of Advent that says, Christ is coming again. It's reflected in our creeds, and in our orders of worship, especially those related to Communion; in fact, part of celebrating the Lord's Supper is that which says one day we who love the Lord will all sit together in that Heavenly Banquet.

As we read in 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 we find Paul saying,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul was reminding the church in Corinth that they had God's grace working in them. This was evident in the work they were doing. The more they did for the Lord, the more the Lord blessed them. "You have been enriched in him," Paul writes, "in speech and knowledge of every kind -- just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you." He reminds them also that they are rich in all spiritual gifts as they were waiting for the "revealing" (return) of Jesus. Paul's promise is that they, and we, will be made stronger until the end, and we will be blameless on that day. It is all a part of the fellowship of God's Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

We don't think much about Jesus' return do we? How can we, some may ask? We're too busy just trying to live this life that we don't have time to think about a "next life!" The reality is that that day comes regardless of whether we want it to or not. Two days ago I learned of the death of a colleague in ministry, The Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball of Allen, Texas. Kathleen was a wonderful pastor and more recently had been elected to chair her conference's Board of Ordained Ministry. As a result of her election, and mine, we were trained together this past August, in Nashville, Tennessee. She was an extraordinary person. She had learned Spanish so she could minister in a West Dallas church that she started. She served there for seven years before being convinced to leave to help young churches. Her present appointment was this church in Allen that grew from 396 to 1,600 members. The last Sunday she was able, she preached all three services and welcomed in six new members and baptized 35 children. Because of her illness (cancer), Jesus came for Kathleen when her body gave out. All that Paul mentions in the above passage, Kathleen lived out. As should we. We work for the Lord because we love the Lord. And when our work here is done, the Lord who loves us, will return for us.

Prayer: Lord of life, we know You have received your daughter Kathleen, into Your eternal rest. We thank You for her life and ministry. Bring Your comfort and peace to her husband and her four-year-old son, Skylar. Be with us here as we seek to love You more. May our works give praise to You in the faith we have, that one day You will return for us. Help us be ready we ask, in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

ADVENT: A TIME FOR SALVATION

We started a new sermon series called "Unwrapped: Unwrapping God's Gifts at Christmas." Our first sermon was on Mark 13:24-37 with the emphasis being on verse 27, so the sermon was called "God's Gift of Eternal Family." We easily overlook that verse during the Lectionary reading and see all the signs foretelling the Second Coming of Christ and miss that the whole point of Jesus' second coming is to reunite us all as God's eternal family.

We find the Psalm reading for yesterday, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 sharing with us these words:

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! 3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. 4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6 You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. 17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. 18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

The concept of salvation for many is simply being saved FROM our sins. I've shared many a time that in seminary the hardest question I encountered was when my theology professor asked, "What are we saved TO?" I had to confess as did the entire class that we had thought only about being saved from something rather than to something. And that "to" factor was the restoration factor of salvation. We are saved from our sins and to a new life, restored into a full relationship with God. We are saved from death to life, and not just any life, this is the "full meal deal, baby" life of abundance in Jesus Christ.

Advent is the right time to think about that. God had a purpose in sending Jesus the first time. And God will have a purpose in sending Him a second. What have you done about the first visit? And are you ready for the next?

PRAYER: Loving God, I celebrate my salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus has saved me from my sins, and He has saved me to the fullness of life. Help me share that today with all who might listen. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde