31 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL: PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT?

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

Today's text comes from Romans 13:1-7:

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4 for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, busy with this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Imagine living in Roman occupied land if you were a Jew. I can guarantee that it is much better for us who live here in the USA. We are free to gripe and groan about who leads this office at this level and from the dog catcher to the president, we have the freedom to complain. Yet, as believers in the God who rules all things, Paul says, "Did you stop to think that perhaps we have who we have may have come with God allowing it or permitting it?" Paul is helping those Christians facing hardships and persecutions in knowing that God was still with them in spite of how dismal things may have looked. And for the good of life and for the good of the faith, live a life that exults God but doesn't put you and your fellow believers in danger. It may also seem redundant, if not silly, to say, if you know God, you know God's love and you know God's commandments. If you follow the commandments you know to stay out of trouble: Don't steal, don't cheat, don't kill, etc. Live your life that is pleasing to God and you will remain free from trouble with the law. I know there have been times and continue to be places where just to worship was, and sadly for some, still is, a crime; but one knows to be led by God in all things.

May our lives be an example of one who prays for all people, including and especially for those we don't necessarily like or approve. Ask God to bless and watch over them and to help them serve out the purposes of God and for God to help us understand just what those purposes may be.

PRAYER: God of all people, we pray for all elected officials. Lord, You know we don't necessarily approve of them all, and the conduct of all, but we pray that Your blessing would still be upon them in ways that You will be glorified. We do thank You for our nation and for what we can and should be doing; may Your Spirit bless all who share their lives with us. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

30 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL: DEAR LIFE

God of the earth and sky, bring forth love, peace, and joy to the life of this dear reader in ways that bless this reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Today's text is from Romans 12:9-21: (I thought you'd like to read this in The Message version of The Bible) 9 Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. 10 Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. 11 Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, 12 cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. 13 Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 14 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. 15 Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. 16 Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. 17 Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. 18 If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. 19 Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." 20 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. 21 Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

God made humans to run. We don't all like to run, and running, as we get older, gets harder and less pleasant to do. Nellie and I are reading a great book together on running called "Born to Run." This is a book about the Tarumara Indians of Northern Mexico, across from Cuidad Juarez, near El Paso. These folks, according to the book, always run. They have to. It's what feeds them and now, thanks to the dangerous presence of narco-trafficers, keeps them safe and alive. Sections of the book also have gotten scientific and tries to explain how our feet and bodies developed the ability to run for the same reasons as the Tarumara, food and life. Paul, in this interesting version of the Bible, in verse 9 says we must "run for dear life from evil;" and "hold on for dear life to good." While that's an old expression meaning to cling hard to something, in Paul's way it means the same. For us to be the people God wants us to be we must learn to run away from evil and to hold on to what we know is good for our lives. Paul begins by saying our love must be real and the kind of love that places others and their needs before ours. Christians are (or should be) caring people that place others first. In many of the discussions and debates raging in our nation, I wonder why we ever called ourselves a "Christian nation." For others we are a greedy, self-centered one, concerned more about ourselves than we are for the poor and neglected.

Look at Paul's list: Don't burn out. Keep fueld and aflame. Be alert servants. Cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times. Pray all the harder. Help needy Christians. Be inventive in showing hospitality. (Doesn't sound like we have much room to "look out for number one" does it?) Bless your enemies. No underbreath cursing. Laugh. Share tears. Get along with others. Don't be stuck up. Be a friend to all, especially those who struggle in making or having friends. Don't blow yourself up with pride. Don't hit back. Seek the beauty in others. Seek no revenge. Don't get even. Leave it to God. Do things that blow away your enemies minds and hearts by doing good.

Wow. Talk about dear life. Our life is precious and dear and becomes more so when we follow what Paul has shared. Put God first, then put God's people, especially needy people next. This fulfills the Great Commandment and pleases the Lord. It's not easy, but it sure is dear.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank you for life and thank You for the things that make this life indeed dear. May my actions show that I belong to You and that You are guiding and blessing me for the good, so that others may have dear life. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

29 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL: LIVING FOR JESUS

Gracious God, fill the cup of this dear reader's life in the way You know best; in Christ Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Our text comes from Romans 12:1-8: 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

I can look back now and say that the move from my birth place of Kingsville, Texas, at the age of 13, to Houston, Texas, was perhaps the greatest move of my life. It opened my eyes to a new world and to new possibilities about life and purpose. I couldn't say that at the time because I was too bewildered in so many ways: The sirens on emergency vehicles was so different from the old, almost hand-cranked sirens from home to the piercing electronic ones of Houston. We lived on a downtown street that was a favorite of ambulances, at all hours of the night, on their way to the Texas Medical Center. I saw girls, or at least one of them, one day show up with green hair. Yes, bright green hair. She was the talk of the school and she was dispatched home once the administration found out about her dye selection for the day. I heard things about which I did not yet know a thing, and as I asked, the Bible verses from Sunday school began to take shape in terms of what God offered and what the world offered. Paul says in the first verses of today's passage, with God's help we should all offer ourselves, every bit and part of our lives to God as a living and holy sacrifice (offering). As the unblemished animals were presented to God in the Old Testament teachings on offerings and sacrifices, so Paul teaches, we too, should present ourselves as gifts to God. The good news is that as Paul is writing he is aware that death is no longer a part of the equation; Christ died once and for all, in our place. What should die is the way we give in to temptation and sin.

Christ's death also meant we should allow Him to help us not be like everyone else. As the people of God were called to be a nation of priests, that meant their lives should be an example to the other nations. So should we. People don't notice the ones who do and carry on like everybody else, they notice the ones who are different and in the case of Christians, the ones who know how to better live in a peaceful, pleasing way before God. And Paul says our starting point should be in our minds. What we think we often are or do. If we think Godly things,we will be and do Godly things. If we open our mind to the leading of God, God will help us in the making of difficult decisions for His honor and glory.

Lastly, we are on the same team, each looking out for the other, each seeking victory each day in this our daily life. The challenges and temptations will come, but as we encourage and look out for each other, we will be blessed in making the right decisions and living the right way. Whatever our gifts and callings, those are the things that will bless us and help us be the persons God wants us to be.

PRAYER: Loving God, may this day be a day in which I think more about You and less about me. May my thoughts be Yours and may those bless me into action that is pleasing to You and a blessing to Your people. May I pray more today for those with whom I live, work, and play, so that they are blessed in ways that bring honor and glory to You. I ask this in the Name of He who lived and died for My sake because of Your love and His love for me, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

28 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL: AN INCOMPLETE FAMILY

Gracious God of life, share with this dear reader exactly what is needed in her or his life today. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Our reading comes from Romans 11:25-36: 25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob." 27 "And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." 28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. 33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen

There's nothing like an incomplete family during special days. Most of us know when our children grow and marry they enter into a second family. Unless you live blocks from the other new family, the loyalties of your children split and they have to honor time with new family members during special days along with time with their parents. Most parents understand this. Not all like it. Paul is sharing his longing for having all of his "family," the Jews, under the umbrella of those who know and love Jesus as Lord and Savior. He's also encouraging those who know Jesus to share Him with others, so that they can be a blessing that brings the blessing of salvation to the unsaved.

Yesterday in our sermon that concluded a series called "Deliver," and it featured a pizza motif, the sermon was "Delivered to Deliver" and it was the story of Paul and how he was converted to being a Christian so that he might deliver others. I made that into a call into ministry for all believers whether it's a call from God to go all across the globe or just across the room, to bring a blessing to someone in need. I shared the sad story of two men who retired from working together for almost 50 years who discovered during their retirement party that they were both United Methodists. While they may have felt joy about that discovery, the unsaid thing was, how can you work alongside someone for that long and never bring up faith? Yes, some feel faith is a personal thing and we don't want to make others uncomfortable, but how can it not come up as a topic of importance? I suggested all we have to say is, "I had a great time in church yesterday" or "My pastor shared an interesting story about two coworkers who didn't know they were from the same denomination; sure hope that's not our case too!" And that may open a door of ministry to that person when they may just say, "You go to church? I need you to pray for my spouse and me" or something along those lines. God will use you to bring His blessings to their lives.

May we be a part of those who bring glory to the Name of God today and all days.

PRAYER: Loving God of all people, may I this day serve You like never before. Give me the wisdom, courage and opportunity to share my faith with someone in need. I pray this in Christ Jesus' name,amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Personal reflection: Last night after Nellie and I attended a funeral prayer service we stopped at an HEB grocery store in McAllen. The cashier was super friendly and I suppose because we were still in our "Sunday go to meetin'" clothes she said, "You two are so adorable!" I replied, "That's because we just came from church!" We just chit chatted a bit about that, but we did share our need to be in worship at every opportunity we get.

Please continue to pray for the family of Carlos Martinez. His funeral is today at 10 a.m. Carlos had four daughters, sons-in-law, and several grandkids. His wife is Beatrice. We praise God because Facundo is home recovering from his stay in the hospital. He suffered what doctors at first thought was a stroke, but determined it was an irregular heartbeat and treatment for that through meds has been successful.

THE REVEREND JOSE A. GALINDO

The Rev. Jose A. Galindo died yesterday morning at about 4:30 from an apparent heart attack. It seemed to be incredible news for I always held him as a man bigger than life. The Rev. Jose A. Galindo held and will always hold a very special place in my heart for all that he gave of himself to me and my life and ministry. I came to know him when I was assigned to do an internship at El Mesias United Methodist Church in Mission. I had requested to study there because of the dynamic preacher EL Mesias had in The Rev. Francisco Gaytan. Rev. Gaytan was and is, as some say, "a prince of the pulpit." I met with Pancho and we made the arrangments for my coming to serve there so that my preaching could improve. Just months before my arrival I get a phone call from Pancho saying the now cliche, "I've got good news and bad news; which do you want to hear first?" The good news, for him, was that he was made district superintendent of the Southern District, based in McAllen, Texas, right next door to Mission. The bad news was that I would not get to study under him. He and the Rev. Galindo were swapping places. I did not know Jose, I had only seen him and maybe said a hello to him. He had been a DS while I entered the process and finished my first ordination, and had not had direct contact with him. I prayed for the best. And the best it was as God always provides. I believe I saw both Jose and Pancho almost as much time had I served only under Pancho. But it was those quiet times with Jose that I came to know myself and my calling and my ministry better. I have to admit that I came to the internship with major doubts about my ability to serve as a pastor and a preacher. At one point where I was quite honestly ready to quit everything and head home, it was that God led "Brother Galindo" as I and many affectionately knew him, to tell me, "You got it. You have what it takes to be a minister." How did he know I needed to hear that? Then, as if coached by him, his sons, Joe and Jody with whom I have been close since those years also said the same to me. Brother Galindo and I weathered a hurricane together, opening El Mesias as a Red Cross shelter and weathered other storms not of nature's hand, but in all I saw God at work in this incredible man.

What has blessed my life since then was that he introduced me to Nellie almost as soon as I arrived in Mission. I saw Nellie at a prayer meeting my first night there and the next day Jose began to tout her character and attributes. He said, "She'd be the perfect minister's wife- she's a woman of prayer and she's a tither." Nuff said! He even said I should call her when he saw I was reluctant, and looked up and dialed, yes, rotary dial phones in our offices, her number for me. Nellie and I talked for one hour that first conversation, and it was the first of now almost thirty-two years of conversation. Thank God most of them are not by phone. He performed our marriage some months later, and he even bought our wedding cake in our budget wedding. Two years later he baptized Nellie Maria, our firstborn there at El Mesias. He stayed a major influence and supporter of my calling and ministry for all these years.

Brother Galindo had been ill and a shutin for some years, after a long and faithful service to God as a minister in the Rio Grande Conference. He served as the Executive Director of Border Ministries, senior pastor of El Mesias UMC in Mission, District Superintendent of the Southern District, and several other appointments.

Rev. Galindo served Port Arthur, TX where he secured a second Master's degree in History while serving the RGC church there. He is survived by his wife of many years, Berta, and three sons, Joe, Jody, and Jay, and their wives and children.

He shared too many wonderful things with me and so many that we could not cover them in this prayer request. Simply join me in giving thanks for this wonderful man and his precious and powerful life. May God comfort his family and those who knew and loved him.

A prayer service will be held tonight at El Mesias UMC in Mission, 209 E. 6th Street; and his funeral will be tomorrow at 10 a.m. I mourn the loss as well as my inability to be with them during my time here in California.

Blessings,

e.v.

27 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL: LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN

God of the universe, become the God needed in the life of this dear reader as she or he goes about their day today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

For today's text, Romans 11:11-24, I thought The Message version would be good:

11 The next question is, "Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?" And the answer is a clear-cut no. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing. 12 Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God's kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming! 13 But I don't want to go on about them. It's you, the outsiders, that I'm concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can 14 when I'm among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they'll realize what they're missing and want to get in on what God is doing. 15 If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what's going to happen when they get it right! 16 Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there's bound to be some holy fruit. 17 Some of the tree's branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root 18 gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren't feeding the root; the root is feeding you. 19 It's certainly possible to say, "Other branches were pruned so that I could be grafted in!" 20 Well and good. But they were pruned because they were deadwood, no longer connected by belief and commitment to the root. The only reason you're on the tree is because your graft "took" when you believed, and because you're connected to that belief-nurturing root. So don't get cocky and strut your branch. Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green. 21 If God didn't think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn't give it a second thought. 22 Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God - ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don't presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you're out of there. 23 And don't get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don't persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts. 24 Why, if he could graft you - branches cut from a tree out in the wild - into an orchard tree, he certainly isn't going to have any trouble grafting branches back into the tree they grew from in the first place. Just be glad you're in the tree, and hope for the best for the others.

They say air conditioning ruined our society. It was before AC that people sat outside on front porches and chatted with neighbors and kept an eye on each other's children. AC made it possible for people to sit inside with doors closed and shades drawn, so that the AC wouldn't have to work so hard. Did you stop to think that AC also make it necessary for churches to close their doors and windows? I pastored a church where the stories were great about "the old days" when the pastors didn't need microphones and screens and their voice carried all through the neighborhood! I thought about the positive impact that had in reaching the unchurched who might just happen to be sitting on their front porch (in the days before Bonanza & Ed Sullivan!) who might just happen to hear the message they were lacking for their lives.

An interesting article in our denominational newspaper yesterday was about church greeters and how in one church, one Sunday, the greeters forgot to close the door and a woman heard the music and goings on, walked in and now sings in the choir and teaches Sunday school. All for leaving the door open!

Paul says in the above passage that his kinfolk, the Jews, when they walked out on God, left the door open and the Gentiles walked in. What an illustration! But thanks be to God for that open door. And the even better news is that the door is still open to all, including and especially for Jews. The open door remains as the door that leads to life. As we read the rest of the verses Paul talks about grafting and how deadwood becomes live again, thanks to "miracle grafts." If you or one of your loved ones is not "in the tree" (v. 24) pray for yourself and them and make the decision to come to life through Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, don't leave me or my loved ones on the ground about to die; lift us up to the branches where we can be grafted into life. I pray especially for those for whom I have been praying that they might come to life and the fullness of life in Jesus Christ. I ask these things in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde