Hometown Boy Does Well...to get away alive!

Luke 4:21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" 23 He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, "Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.' " 24 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. (NRSV)

How quickly the day changed! It started with the hometown boy given the chance to read in church. The old ladies oohed and ahed as Jesus stood and read a well-known passage from scripture. "How nice to see Jesus here with us this morning!" said one. "He's always here!" said the other, wanting but not saying, "If you came all the time you'd see Him here too!" Then when Jesus added His own commentary, "Today this scripture has been filled in your hearing." Jesus' way of saying, "We're making history here with MY having read this passage. It was then they said, "Wait, isn't this Joseph's son? The carpenter's little helper? And He's saying God's Spirit is upon Him?" Jesus adds further weight on them when He speaks of the day when they would say to Him, "Physician heal thyself" and "Why don't you do the same things here that you've been doing in other places?" AND, Jesus goes on to say that there had been times when God chose not Jews, but Gentiles, to bless. The widow blessed during the famine was not a Jew nor was the leper healed a Jew. That was enough to upset the people. They went from "Ooh, such a sweet boy," to, "What did He say??" And it was enough to drive the congregation out of the church, past the parking lot and to the outskirts of town to a cliff where they planned to throw Him off.

Yesterday's scripture passage was on love. Love in the church. What we just read is a reality in the church. We'll see it again in Paul's life. He himself was a persecutor of believers and later as a believer himself was killed on more than one occasion in the church by church people. Driven to the point of harm, no, past it, to the point of wanting to kill, the people who should be modeling love as a standard for living. Several times I have heard the term "blows" as in "we almost came to blows" by church people to describe feelings of anger towards another believer. And here is the Son of the Living God, almost killed before His time by the people He came to save. Thankfully, in this passage, Jesus just walks through the middle of them and went on with His ministry, but He came close to being finished by people who should be all about helping others. Not three years later, He would not walk away.

Again the question, where is the love? Where is the love that we as believers should have towards each other? Why are we so easily offended and divided by things that should not matter? Why are we so quick to say we are willing to come to blows against others? Have we forgotten that Jesus said to turn the other cheek and to love our enemies? Did Jesus not leave us with a new commandment that we should love one another? And this on top of the greatest commandment of loving God with all we have and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Friends, we have a lot of work to do.

PRAYER: God of love and mercy, show Your mercy to us when we show little or no love towards You or Yours; and grant that we as the church can start to truly love as we should. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Greatest is Love!

1 Corinthians 13: 1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (NRSV)

It is a verse used much in weddings. Why? Because it is about love, and weddings are about love aren't they? What if I told you it is about love within the church? What? Isn't it a given that churches have nothing but love? How God wishes! Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered, there's gonna be trouble!" Okay, Jesus did not say that, nor did Elvis. The truth is that the church is a human institution and as such there are feelings and emotions and not all are positive and loving. There is even envy and jealousy. And yet, sometimes, the work gets done. And this passage is about the ways that the work gets done and not all are pleased about it. Paul is asking, what good is doing this or that for God and find that there is no love among those workers? The biggest challenge to the early church was the presence of tongues; not all believers spoke in or used them, and some even questioned the need for such expressions. Paul says, what good does it do to speak in angelic tongues and do this or that and not have love for each other? What if a person had enough faith to move mountains and the ability to understand all mysteries, but all without love, that person is basically nothing. You could give away everything you own and even surrender your body as a sacrifice or substitute for someone else, without love, nothing is gained. Paul stresses the need for love and seeks to define love by what it should do.

Look at the list of the qualities of love that should be present in churches: patience, kindness, not envious or boastful or arrogant, or rude. It does not insist on getting its own way, it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; love never ends. The world will see great developments and breakthroughs, but in the final analysis, there remains faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love. Is that true in your church? If not, what can you do about it? The first place to start is with ourselves. What in the list shared by Paul best contains one of your defects or faults? Are you an envious person? Are you a rude person? Are you resentful? Or do you doubt others; whatever it may be, ask God to remove that and to give you a new heart with love to share with others even with those who may not love you. And live out a life of love, a contagious one; it may just be the start of something new in your church.

PRAYER: God of love, bless my heart and fill it with love. Make my life be a sermon of love to others. May the list of things that love is be reflected in me and remove from me the things that which serves no purpose. I want my love to be genuine and one that builds up Your work. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Try Saying No to God

Jeremiah 1:4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." 7 But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, "I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord." 9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." (NRSV)

I tried. You may have tried, too. Or maybe you're still trying. But you can't turn God down. Imagine if God wants you as a prophet "to the nations," you think God will take a no for an answer? Imagine if God wants you to say hi to a visitor to your church or Bible study. Do you think God will take a no? Such was Jeremiah's call. Known before his formation in his mother's womb and consecrated before his birth; and even anointed as a prophet to the nations. Those are some impressive credentials given by God to this young man and this young man nonetheless said, "Uh, no thanks. I'm good." Actually, he said, "I fear public speaking!" and added, "Besides, I'm just a kid!" What are some of your excuses? I thought mine were pretty good, too. But God has a way with His creation. In Jeremiah's case, God spoke to Jere's fear by saying, "Don't be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you," and then put out his hand and touched Jere's mouth and said, "Now I have put my words in your mouth." And laid out the plans: pluck up, pull down, destroy, overthrow, build and plant."

God's call is always positive and powerful. And it always comes with a positive challenge to the Kingdom of God whether it is to be a prophet to the nations or a friend to a new or not yet believer. God is with us and God will help us deliver God's message. Whether it is a worldwide televised sermon to a heartfelt arm around a shoulder, God is with us. It is just up to us to say Yes. Here I am, Lord, send me!

PRAYER: Loving God, here I am, Lord, send me. Help me overcome doubt with the words I just read; You provide power and presence. We should be only about building and planting that which will bless God and others. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Thought for the Day

God's positive presence is Yours! Do something for God today!

My Jr High Friends: Wicked, Bad & Bully

Psalm 71:1 I run for dear life to God, I'll never live to regret it. 2 Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. 3 Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open! You're my salvation - my vast, granite fortress. 4 My God, free me from the grip of Wicked, from the clutch of Bad and Bully. 5 You keep me going when times are tough - my bedrock, God, since my childhood. 6 I've hung on you from the day of my birth, the day you took me from the cradle; I'll never run out of praise. (The Message)

I call them my junior high friends, but honestly I had a tendency to be each of those characters, and perhaps you have too. Wicked is self-centeredness mated with greed and passion controlled by no one. Wicked is the name given those who seek to be outside the norms of decency and lovingkindness. Bad is one given to see the sign leading to Good and doing an about face. The path to Bad is not measured in distance but convenience and ease. And Bully is the acting out of those traits mentioned in the other two, usually on the weak and innocent. There is no excuse for being any of those, but it happens and you and I may have played the starring role in those three personas. These three play better in the dark where they believe they are not seen and cannot be discovered. Latch onto one of these three and you will find yourself singing the words of this psalm. In the dark alleys outside of God's path, beaten and left for dead, a victim of our own design and desires. The way out of that alley seems too long to undertake, our strength is drained and the only way we can get out is to cry to God. The vision of an open door, a clean and warm room with God beats the cold and fear of the place known as separation from love and life. We cry, praying it is not too late to be loving lifted up by God and cradled gently in God's arms. The boot kicks of our wickedness have left us aching and only God has that which will remove the pain and the stain of sin. Once with God, our tune should change and become the praise that God desires.

Friends, it is not too late to escape the grip and the clutch of those who would take us from the fullness of life. It is a message we are asked to claim for ourselves and shared with others.

PRAYER: Loving God of the strong, loving arms, lift us from that which we have chosen for ourselves. Set us firmly in the way that leads us to life and love. We pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Jesus Always Went to Church!

Luke 4: 14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (NRSV)

It's a story I never tire of sharing. Forgive me if you've heard this before. I took my vehicle to be serviced some years ago, and the service advisor became thrilled when I told him I was a pastor. He shared how he loved his church and how his pastor had started a new sermon series and did not want to miss a one. He said, "My brother and i own season tickets to the Cowboys for every home game, but I gave him my tickets for those Sundays because I don't want to miss a one!" Wow! I thought, I want some church members like him! Heck, I wanted him, but I was thankful for his attitude towards his minister and his church. Jesus, as Luke reports, went to church "as was his custom." Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, meaning Jesus stayed connected with God through prayer and love, Jesus felt led back to His home region of Galilee where he taught in the synagogues and was well received. When He went home to Nazareth, and there He stood up to read and read the passage where Isaiah said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." After reading it, He sat down and people were looking at Him and He said to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Wait, what? Those were some mighty powerful words you shared from the great prophet Isaiah and You say that in having read them, I don't get it. Precisely what most of the people there might have been wondering about exactly Jesus meant by claiming those words as His own. Look at the list again. Isaiah is, as God's prophet, literally, mouthpiece, saying, 1) The Lord's Spirit is upon me. Those present at His baptism knew that that was true; the dove and everything. 2) Anointed by God to bring good news to the poor. What are those good news? That they're now rich? I'm looking at some poor folks and they're still poor. 3) Proclaim release to the captives. Are the jails opening up soon and letting people out? 4) Recovery of the sight to the blind. Jesus had not yet healed any blind people, so what's the deal? 5) Let the oppressed go free. Where exactly is this taking place? 6) Proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. What year exactly?

One can easily see how some dismiss Jesus with similar arguments. Those led by the Holy Spirit understand it. Jesus was Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of God, and every part of His message as recorded in the Gospels is Good News for those poor in spirit and for all who would admit to being poor in any sense of the word. Those who have been released from vices or deadly habits know of Jesus' power to truly open the prison doors of addictions. Those who have wandered through life with limited or no understanding at all, upon hearing God's voice through Jesus now understand and see with eyes of faith, truly admitting that they were blind to the love and mercy of God. And those who have felt the cold grip of the enemy's hand upon their life know of the despair and hopelessness that was not yet theirs until they surrendered to Jesus and let the strong arms of our Lord lift them beyond that grasp to the freedom and fullness of life in Jesus Christ. Yes, thank You, Jesus, for fulfilling the Word of Isaiah.

Tell somebody!

PRAYER: Awesome God, let me help spread the Word of how through Jesus you fulfilled the Scriptures and brought new life to me and others like me. We need to share with more people. We truly have a story to share with the nations. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Power of God's Word

Nehemiah 8:1 all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. 3 He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.8 So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (NRSV)

"I could not put down that book because it was talking to me! I had never heard a talking book!" That was a testimony I heard many years ago from a missionary from India. He was sharing the story of the Christian missionaries that risked their lives in coming to his village, a non-Christian one, to share God's Word with them. This missionary was a boy and his dad allowed the missionaries to come in a share their story. The boy picked up the Bible they had carried with them and before he knew it, that "book" talked him into a new relationship with God and later into a professional service as an evangelist. Another testimony I heard was a from an Ivy League graduate who thought his life's calling was to be a social worker. As he walked around the neighborhood to which he was assigned, he entered a church, something he had not done much and he met the minister who was there. The young man asked the pastor if he had any Bibles. The pastor gave him one and the young man took it home and stayed up most of that night reading it and heard God not only speaking to him and his life, but calling him into ordained ministry. In a day or so he had read the entire Bible and came to see the minister again. "I want to go to seminary, but I want to go to the best there is." The pastor told him that in his opinion, Harvard had the best, so off he went.

Yesterday we read about how God speaks through creation. Today we hear how God speaks through God's Word. The people of Israel in a setting where they once had everything, return to find all is gone. They found a copy of God's word and it was read to the people. They not only heard, they understood and received God's word. What may have once been taken for granted was now treasured. How would we react if one day all our Bibles were taken away? Would the outcry match that of other possessions we have, i.e., weapons, automobiles, etc? For the Israelites that day was once again holy and it was a call to action; to receive God's word and then to live it, sharing with those who did not have, to have faith and hope and not sorrow. The powerful verse ends the text, "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

As we close our devotional time, turn everything over to God, smile, rejoice and be happy in the Lord, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

PRAYER: Loving God, may the words of this passage speak to me about the treasure we have in Your holy word. Let us receive it and live it. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Nature Can't Keep Quiet!

Psalm 19: 1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (NRSV)

Nature does not need words to communicate. Heaven and earth, the seas and the wind, all shout the glories of God for our benefit. The sad thing is the steady bright flow of electronic devices have blinded us to the beauty and presence of God's great and beautiful creation. From infancy our children and grandchildren have movies beamed to their seats in the car. We can be driving by a beautiful waterfall or the beauty of a mountain range and our kids are watching a cartoon or movie. We ourselves, spend more time in front of either the glow of a television or a computer than we do by a window. When we take walks or runs, we wear ear buds or headphones to hear our music and we do not hear the music that God provides through the wind and the birds and other creatures that sing their praises to God. While I stop short of condemning our practices, I do urge us to spend a little time with nature. God has allowed most of us two different opportunities to learn and be amazed by nature; the first is our childhood when the wonder of a rain drops hitting our heads and then the awesomeness of a rainbow in the sky, the second through our children. Nellie and I are in our third round of learning and appreciating nature through our grandkids and what a precious gift that is.

The psalmist today shares a word of instruction for us. He makes the comparison in the verses I omitted from posting, to share the parallel between the perfectness of creation and God's word. His urging is for us to present ourselves clean and blameless before God like creation does. The last verse of the psalm is especially inspirational; "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (v. 14). The best way for the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts to be acceptable to God, is to focus on God. Time spent reading a devotional such as this and spending time reading God's word and enjoying the beauty and majesty of God's creation help us to seek the purity around us that prepares us to share pure words and think pure thoughts before God. The distractions that we receive through our electronics may not serve that purpose, so we should seek that which is available free. Open a window, take a walk. Read and study God's word and enjoy the glory of God; it's all around us.

PRAYER: Loving God, I am the first to confess that I sometimes get distracted by things and do not enjoy creation as I should. I pray that with Your help I might enjoy what You have provided to help us focus on You and Your love. May what the psalmist prayed be my prayer as well, I want the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart and mind to be acceptable to You. You are my rock and my redeemer and I need You. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus, the Life of the Party?

John 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (NRSV)

As a teenager, I used to love this passage because of Jesus' reply to His mother as I saw it. "Mother! I can do this by myself!" Or so I thought. I had a streak for independence, but I've been cured now. The place is Cana of Galilee, forever marked as the place of "the wedding." ("Ahora si es boda"/Now, this is a wedding!). We don't know the couple's name. We suspect it was a large, typical Galilean wedding; what we do know is that Mary and her family, Jesus included, were invited and were known by the people. (Although a fun part of wedding receptions is to hear people ask, "Who's that or What are they doing at this wedding?") The setting of this being a wedding and a wedding feast is right on target to what we have been reading all week in the prophets and the psalmist's writings; a wedding feast where God's grace and salvation would be found. Jesus' very presence here is significant. John places this event early in the ministry. Jesus has been introduced and witnessed to by John the Baptist as "the Lamb of God." Jesus called His first disciples, including Philip and Nathanael; and these accompany Jesus to this wedding. As was the custom, the presence of wine was important. In the book of Joel 3:17-18 the presence of wine was considered the presence of God. And we know that it was Mary, Jesus' mother, who shared with her son that there was no more wine. Her concern is the embarrassment of the family for having run out of wine. The party would end sooner than perhaps was tradition and this was a concern to her. But she knew something about Jesus and so she approaches Him. His reaction is that it was not yet His hour or time. Yet, Mary goes and tells the servants to do whatever it is that Jesus asks of them. She was sure of Jesus' power and her influence on her son.

The story continues that Jesus sees six stone water jars for the rite of purification that could hold twenty or thirty gallons of water and Jesus orders them filled with water. As soon as they were filled, Jesus tells them to draw from jars and to take to the head steward. The steward is overjoyed upon the first taste of what was once water and is now wine and celebrates this with the bridegroom; "Everybody serves the good wine first and the inferior wine later; but you have kept this good wine until now."

It is considered the first of Jesus' many miracles. John writes that this revealed Jesus' glory and that this miracle also allowed for this young disciples to believe in Jesus. What impact did this have on the wedding couple, we don't know. It affirmed Mary's faith in her son, and it helped set the stage of Jesus' ministry being that which the prophets foretold. In Jesus we have the Messiah, the Anointed One of God come to set things right, and to turn the people's hearts back to God. Jesus was not just "the life of the party;" Jesus was the life of life, not the wine nor the food.

Jesus continues to be present where invited. It is important that Jesus be invited to our celebrations as well as our times of worry and hurt. It is best to live a life where we have invited Jesus to be present as our Lord and our Savior.

PRAYER: Living Lord, come into my heart. Come in to stay, come in today, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

One Body!

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (NRSV)

Name a place you can sit where everyone there is exactly like you. We come close at the family table, but even there, no one is exactly like you. Yet, it is not that we are exactly alike that we were drawn or made into that family. Think of Communion Sunday and the Table of The Lord. Who kneeling alongside you as you receive or as you pray after receiving the Lord's Body is exactly like you? Paul is stressing that once we were brought into the Body of Christ, it was the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the same Holy Spirit that allows us to proclaim or live out the message, "Jesus is Lord." How we serve God varies from person to person, even from preacher to preacher, yet, it is the same Lord. God has given to all of us according to our needs, that which best serves God; all serving God for the good of everyone else. Some receive from God the gift of sharing wisdom. Some have the gift of sharing knowledge. Another has the gift of a strong faith. And some have the gifts of healing. Some can even work unexplainable things we call miracles, some can share God's word on coming events, some have the gift of knowing what spirits are at work near us; some have the gift of uttering God's good works through other languages, we call tongues. Each a gift from God. Each part of the work of the Body of Christ. Not one is considered better or more useful than the other. All should be working, not just resting on what someone else has done for the good of God's work.

The Church is made up of these brothers and sisters and each should be used for the good of the needed work among us. We have those who can share with those who just came into faith. We have those who have the gifts to lead and build up. We have those who can make worship real and meaningful. All of the gifts given for a purpose; to grow the presence of God in our churches and in our communities.

What is your gift? What is your role in sharing your gift with the work of God where you are? If you are unsure talk to someone, but first talk to God. Pray about what God has asked of you and gifted you to do. Then set out with a plan of action to grow personally, spiritually and to help your church or ministry grow. Never reach a point of contentment or comfort where you believe everything has been done and all have been reached or served. Every Communion Sunday since I learned from a fellow pastor in one of the communities where we served together I have asked, "Has everyone been served?" At first the church looked around and some nodded yes and some vocally said, "Yes!" I said, "No. Look around at the places where some are not yet sitting. There are still many who have not yet heard, not yet been invited, not yet received and believed. Everyone has not been served."

Serve the Lord by serving someone new.

PRAYER: Loving God as we prepare for worship, help us to be at work. Never let me reach the point of being satisfied with what I have already done; challenge me to do more. It is urgent that we reach and serve all. It is not easy, but it is that to which we have been called. Grant me strength and peace; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God's Having a Wedding and We're in It!

Isaiah 62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. (NRSV)

God loves His people. And this love cannot be hidden. At least on God's part. When it comes to us, we're not as vocal or as showy as God. As far as God is concerned, for many a PDA is out of the question. (Public Display of Affection). Yet, God declares in this passage that God will not be silent, and God will not rest until Israel is vindicated. Israel, in spite of her unfaithfulness to God, would be shown as an example of one found worthy and found righteous and as a result a new name will come from the mouth of God for her. Her beauty would shine before all nations as a shiny crown. No longer would people believe that she was forgotten or abandoned, now she will be a bride, the bride of God; for such is the love of God for God's people.

As we follow the texts recommended by the Lectionary, the theme for this coming Sunday is God's celebration over God's people. Yesterday, we looked at feasts and celebrations that accompany those and today the idea of a wedding and the celebration that that should be for all people. Unlike flawed or costly weddings here on earth, Isaiah is talking about the eternal relationship God desires with us. God's dream is to be in a fully committed, never abandoned, two-way relationship, thus what God did through Jesus Christ and Jesus' purpose and ministry on the earth.

God will have a marriage as the scriptures point out, and we that love the Lord will be included, but there's much to do. Like the hurried stress of an earthly bride-to-be, so should be hurrying in our work in getting people invited and in this new relationship with God. Such is God's love for us and so should our love be towards God and God's people.

PRAYER: God of love, thank You for the images of You love that we see through Your word. As you shared with the Psalmist and through Isaiah, may we share with others, tales of that great love You have for all, so that all may come and believe and be a part of this celebration. Make us ready. Make us worthy. We pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God's Love is Like a Banquet!

Psalm 35:5 God's love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, 6 His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks. 7 How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, 8 To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water. 9 You're a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light. 10 Keep on loving your friends; do your work in welcoming hearts. (The Message)

"¡No es boda! This is not a wedding!" was a statement I heard from my Mom whenever we wanted more food. Which may have been at every meal in my case. I did not quite understand this statement until I attended a wedding at my uncle and aunt's farm for one of their daughters. Until that point most Mexican American wedding in the Methodist Church had copied the tradition of cake and mints, and if we were lucky, peanuts. But that wedding at the farm was quite the spread. Rows of tables loaded with food, and we're not talking everyday food, this was a feast with things that we did not see that often. It was part of the celebration that started at the church and continued on until the end of that night.

The psalmist knew celebrations of this nature and he knew the nature of God's love towards us. This modern version of the scripture paints the psalmist's description of God's love as "meteoric," God's loyalty as "astronomic", God's purpose as "titanic," and God's verdicts as "oceanic," in other words, gi-normous! Yet, the psalmist knew, that no one nor anything gets lost in the largeness of God. Nothing gets past God. He understood God's love to be that sheltering protection of a mother bird's wings, and to sit at such a wedding banquet of food and celebration, with the drink being straight from God's provision, "Eden spring waters." God is a "fountain of cascading light," and to be in God's presence is to have our eyes open to that light and love. Our invitation to God should be that God keep "keeping on." And for us to keep our hearts as "welcoming hearts."

If you're feeling small, or unimportant or insignificant, step into God. Let the largeness of God define who and Whose you are. If you're feeling lost or without a sense of good direction, walk into God. God will show you the way. If you're feeling alone and unwanted or unloved, run to God's love. God loves you, and soon you will find those that love God will love you too! If you're feeling hungry or thirsty or even empty, sit down with God, and feast. God always provides.

PRAYER: LOVING GOD, thank You for being Who You Are. May I find in You that which I need for myself and throughout this day may I share You with those who need the same thing. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Request for Today: Friends, please keep those pre-ordination candidates in your prayers as today in our area, these brave men and women are coming before a Theological Writing Review Committee. It's like walking right into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, so prayers for calm, straightness of thought, clearness of vision, etc., be theirs during these tough interviews. "Many are called, few are chosen."

Let Heaven and Nature Sing!

Psalms 29: 1 Bravo, God, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, "Encore!" 2 In awe before the glory, in awe before God's visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him! 3 God thunders across the waters, Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness - God, across the flood waters. 4 God's thunder tympanic, God's thunder symphonic. 5 God's thunder smashes cedars, God topples the northern cedars. 6 The mountain ranges skip like spring colts, The high ridges jump like wild kid goats. 7 God's thunder spits fire. 8 God thunders, the wilderness quakes; He makes the desert of Kadesh shake. 9 God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches. We fall to our knees - we call out, "Glory!" 10 Above the floodwaters is God's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. 11 God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace. (NRSV)

We live in a thirsty part of the world. Our region has been through one of the roughest droughts in history. It was great news this week that we would have rain storms in this area. We were cautioned to be careful, to secure things, protect things, and prepare for much rain. The clouds played along, as did the thunder and lightning and all throughout the social media-sphere we saw comments of those who were thankful for God sharing this with us. And the storm did not quite deliver, at least in this area, that which we had hoped. But it did not diminish our gratitude towards God for what God shared with us. The psalmist knows how nature works, as did the hymnologist who wrote the lines, "Let heaven and nature sing." Those present at Jesus' baptism also saw how creation joined in with the glory displayed that day at that special event.

To hear the thunder, the psalmist said we are hearing "Glory, bravo, encore!" The lightning is shining its brilliance on God's creation and we stare in awe. God is awesome and we are blessed. May we receive this as a way of making us strong and as a way to receive God's peace.

PRAYER: Loving God, for what You have shared we are thankful. May our voices join in with the heavens and nature as voices erupt with our joyful and grateful praise to You and what You provide. May we be stronger and may we have peace. We pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

You Matter to God!

Isaiah 43: 1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (NRSV)

You can always come home. Those words may have come in through your ears or out of your mouth, but they were special to hear and to say. I heard those from my Dad when I left for college and years later I spoke those words to my children. It is a statement of great love from a parent to a child, that as long as you live and you have a place, that place is open to them. For a child, it should speak a message of comfort that if anything goes wrong or we do not quite accomplish what we set out to do, there's a place where we can go. God speaks this same message to the people of Israel, whose actions were not always the greatest towards God. They had a history of being like rebellious children who one day loved and followed God, the next they were on their own thinking they knew more than God. But God spoke these words through Isaiah and then years later spoke them to Jesus, through Whom God spoke again of our importance to God. "I have called you by name, you are mine." (v. 1). "Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you." (v4) "Do not fear, for I am with you." (v. 5).

Jesus' main message was the same; we matter to God. Through His own baptism, Jesus heard God speak of His love towards Jesus and in return, towards us. We are precious in God's sight. We have honor in God's opinion, and we are loved by God. Do not let anyone or anything tell you otherwise. We matter to God. It is a message the Church needs to share with those who are outside of the church. We need to turn away from the inward focus of most churches, towards reaching those whose lives reflect an attitude of worthlessness to share with them this message of importance in God's sight. God wants His sons and daughters to return to a relationship with Him.

What are you doing about it?

PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You and praise You for this message of invitation and reconciliation. Help me to live this message. Help me to share with others that we do matter to you and that we are precious in Your sight. May I be part of the catalyst in my church that helps us focus on those who have not yet heard nor received this message. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Even in the Face of Persecution

Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (NRSV)

It is worldwide, this movement of God. Acts, chapter two, shows that; You don't share the Gospel in different languages if you don't expect it to be for all people from all places. And wait, didn't Jesus, in the last verses of Matthew say something about this worldwide emphasis of making disciples? The passage today speaks of the people of Samaria accepting the word of God. That is to say, revival came to this place not known for their faithfulness to God. Many at the time would have said, "That's the last place I would have thought would accept the word of God." That's why God thought of it, not us. We tend to limit things. God doesn't. And it comes at an interesting time. The first part of this chapter shares how a great persecution is started against the Christian Church by Saul and Philip finds himself preaching in Samaria during the time a great magician is amazing the people of that place with his magic and proclaiming himself to be great. Philip did not share himself as great, but shared how great God was, and many people came to faith including the magician, Simon, who from then on followed Philip around to see the signs and great wonders that were taking place because of the presence of the faith in God.

It was up to Philip to plant the seeds and reap the harvest of this revival, then the Holy Spirit directs the apostles to send to that place, Peter and John. Peter and John had had great success in sharing the Holy Spirit, they themselves being faithful to what the Holy Spirit had done through them. In chapter three of this same book, it was Peter and John who healed a man born lame and then testified before the Sanhedrin about the power of God through Jesus. So, they are sent to ask God to send the Holy Spirit to Samaria. The people of Samaria had been baptized in the name of Jesus but had not yet heard nor received the Holy Spirit. Peter and John arrive, laid hands on the believers and they received the Holy Spirit. Their lives now had the presence and power of the indwelling Christ. To receive Jesus is the first step of a grace journey. To receive and believe in the Holy Spirit is the actual journey itself of sanctification; that of being made holy each day before God for faithful service. The description of what the Holy Spirit provides in later epistles of Paul help us understand that this journey with Christ is lifelong and it is a growing journey that equips us more and more to do more and more. Read Galatians 5: 22 and 23 for a better understanding of what the fruit of the Spirit is. And read 1 Corinthians 12 for a list of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful for Thy service. Lead us to deeper understanding and to more fruitful work. We pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Baptism of Jesus: God with Us!

Luke 3: 15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (NRSV)

The beautiful graphic used today in the email version of ConCafe comes from the artist He Qi. Her gallery can be found at www.hequigallery.com. You can see the graphic by going to http://www.sevenwholedays.org/2012/01/08/the-baptism-of-our-lord-jesus-christ/. The colors bright a dimension of power and joy that I know was present at the Baptism of Jesus. I can't speak for John the Baptist. He was having great success in calling all people to repentance, even offering a nonJewish rite to Jews who felt that they needed to be washed clean of their sinfulness. John was setting the stage for the power and message of Jesus. I don't think he expected to be asked by Jesus, a relative, considered by many to be a cousin, for baptism. Jesus among all these sinners, even some of the religious men who would later plot against Jesus, baptized? Jesus' intent was the identifying and relating to our situation. While Jesus had no sin, He bore our sins. But Jesus understands us and relates with us. He knows our suffering and our situations and in spite of that, loves and cares for us. As Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove descends upon Jesus and a voice from Heaven declares, "You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased." The first of two declarations from Heaven that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and Who enjoyed the pleasure of God for His faithfulness to the ministry to which He was called.

There is nothing you or I could go through that we enter or endure alone. Jesus' willingness to identify with us at His baptism shows that. The man with no sin who did not need baptism offered HImself freely and openly. Those who were present saw it though they may not have understood it at the time. Those who heard the voice understood the profound power of God's blessing upon Jesus. We are the ones years later, who are being blessed by Jesus' presence and caring for us. No illness, no challenge, no unexpected obstacle stands a chance against Jesus. It may seem at times that we are alone and weak, but we need to know that Jesus stands with us and helps us through whatever it is that we face. The challenges and opportunities of this New Year are best faced and lived with the knowledge that Jesus goes with us.

PRAYER: Living God as each day of the New Year unfolds, may we receive and enjoy each day with the sure knowledge that You are with us. Thank You for identifying with us and our situations. May each victory be a reason for praise and glory for You. We pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

KINGS!

Isaiah 60: 1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (NRSV)

My grandson, Liam, loves corn dogs. Last night while eating one at his aunt's house, he had an epiphany. "Mom! There's a hot dog in this corn dog!" His mom replied, "Yes, Liam, that's why they're called corn dogs." I often wonder how much the prophets understood the messages from God. They wrote down words that God shared and the images and statements there must have given them hope and wonder, but not the clarity with which we read these same words today. The idea of light for the prophets was easily understood, for they had seen their own contemporaries walking in darkness and leading others in that way. They understood the glory of the Lord, for they worked in that realm. But the notion of "nations" coming to "your light," and "kings to the brightness of your dawn," must have made them wonder. The idea of a Messiah being born and being made the light of the world was an accepted idea, but hundreds of years before it happened, the words were simply that of an accepted idea with the when of its completion completely unknown. Add to that that this vision also says these kings would bring "A multitude of camels," and "gold and frankincense."

We have the truth revealed, the Epiphany shared with us, that God worked in a way that made Jesus Christ for all the world, Jews and Gentiles alike. The Light of Jesus would shine on the darkness of all humanity for our good. The prophetic vision fulfilled on that night when the magi/kings came to where the child was, and offered to Him those gifts that Isaiah wrote about. And their homage was the praise that Isaiah saw in his vision.

We serve an awesome God. A God who hundreds of years before an event can share a glimpse of something great and glorious to come so that we might be stronger in our faith and more faithful in our service. The image of kings coming to a stable to find a child born in poverty does not make sense to a doubting world, but to the world that believes it is the Glory of God confounding humanity to prove the point that all matter to God. It matters not where you were born. It matters not how you were born or what social status your family enjoyed then; it matters that you recognize and accept that you matter to God right now and you are invited into a wonderful, abundant life journey with the Son of God, to realize and receive that perfect love that only God can share with us.

You ready?

PRAYER: Lord, put me to doing and help me in believing. Let Your Light shine brightly on my words, thoughts, and actions, so that I might join that procession of believers who praises You and Your Son, and seeks to be faithful in bringing others to that light. I ask this in faith and in the name of He born King of all people, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Epiphany!

Matthew 2: 1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.' " 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (NRSV)

Job security is important, even for a king. To have visitors from afar come into your home to ask, "Where is the child born king of the Jews?" does not sit well with anyone, especially an insecure despot like King Herod. The birth of Jesus drew attention from the known world and these magi, also called kings by other accounts, come to Jerusalem, to the palace to ask this king, "Where is He? You, of all people, should know where he is, since he will be taking your job." The Bible says Herod was "frightened." It also said "and all of Jerusalem with him" which may have come after Herod summoned all the chief priest and teachers of the faith to come and help him understand what this visit was all about. They knew the prophetic reference from their scriptures, and the meaning of the coming of a messiah. Herod has a secret meeting with the magi and wants to know more about the details of this birth and of the star that had appeared to announce this birth. He also asked for them to find the child and to let him know where exactly this baby was, so that he could also go and pay homage. Liar. We know the story and the real reason for wanting to know where Jesus was. The magi follow the star and come to the place where "they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage." Then, sharing from their treasure they shared gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. A dream from God warns them to return home by another route avoiding another meeting with Herod.

This day called Epiphany is special for many reasons. It shows the universal appeal of Jesus; His birth was noticed beyond the Jewish realm. Those who come to pay homage to the Jewish king are not Jews, but Gentiles. The child is born to be a shepherd king, who will guide the people of God to faithfulness. And the gifts indicate other roles that the child will fill: Gold, the gift fit for a king. Frankincense, the gift for the high priest (or "bridge" between God and humanity). Myrrh, the gift for one who was to die. And die He did for all humanity.

This birth provided us with security. God shared Jesus as our Lord and Savior; the King of kings, and Lord of lords, given for you and me. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, sent to guide us to a deeper relationship with God and a faithfulness to bless others. An invitation for all the world to know they matter to God and all are welcome to receive Him as King.

PRAYER: Lord, may the birth of Jesus continue to bless the world with this sharing of love. May I seek to be more a part of this love in all that I think, speak and do. I ask it in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde