A New Life in Christ

Following a new pattern for life in Christ

From Colossians 3: 1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is yourlife is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

Someone once said, "If you can't sleep at night and watch television, you'll see one of two things; how to be skinny, and how to become rich." And it is true. And it is making someone rich. We in this country spend billions of dollars in trying to become skinnier and richer. Sadly, someone also said, "There is no such thing as too skinny or too rich." The products advertised are exercise equipment; books on investing or starting multilevel schemes; and they are sold well. A recent USA Today article was on a man who has gone to prison and is out again, and doing the same thing that put him in jail to begin with, namely marketing diet and strength pills that can be and usually are dangerous for you. The Christian has a new plan and a new outlook towards life and the goals are quite different from being skinny or rich.

Paul writes about our new life that we can and should be living in Christ, and it is a spiritually grounded and spiritually motivated life. The believer seeks to please God and to do the things of God rather than the things of the earth. Our old nature has died; we have died to the things of the flesh, and in Christ Jesus we have been born to the spiritual things. The day is coming, and every time we take Holy Communion we affirm that Christ will come again, and this new appearance of Christ will reveal Him and us, for the creatures of glory that we have become. And it starts now or should have started with our faith. Our thoughts, words, and actions should reflect that we are indeed new creatures.

Paul lists the things that he has confronted in the church and the world that should be our dying moments here on the earth: Sexual sins; things that are impure and not of God; being guided by desires of the flesh; seeking to please desires that are not healthy; and being guided by greed (think rich infomercial). The above list is what motivates such outward expressions as the ones listed next; "anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language," and lying to one another. Our outer nature, our clothing as Paul says, should reflect that we are dress in Christ and live like Christ, seeking daily to learn more about this new life and ways to express our new faith in the One who brought us not only life, but the fullness of life. Such a behavior will even eliminate the divisions and lines we draw from the old nature; racial, political and even geographical ones. Our life should affirm a faith that no matter where you're from, how you were raised, how racially different you are, in Christ we are all one.

PRAYER: Let me live, O Loving God, as a new creature. Help me to affirm the fullness of life in ways that express that newness to others. Help me to be an ambassador of that faith; this I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God Never Gives Up on Us

Why do we give up so easily on God and the things of God?

From Hosea 11: 1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and offering incense to idols. 3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. 4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them. 5 They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. 6The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their oracle-priests, and devours because of their schemes. 7 My people are bent on turning away from me. To the Most High they call, but he does not raise them up at all. 8 How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. 9 I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. 10 They shall go after the Lord, who roars like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west. 11 They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria; and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.

God is not human. God does not respond in human ways, that is to say, God's love is eternal, not changing. God does not hold a grudge when we ask for forgiveness. God never gives up on us even when we sometimes give up on God. Hosea's message was for the people of God to return to God. God, through Hosea, spoke of that love and tenderness towards God's people; yet, the people sought other gods and served them. God taught His people to walk, and they ran away from God. Yet, God says that He was like a parent who holds infants to the cheek, tenderly and lovingly; God even bending down to feed them. Politically, God says, they are suffering because spiritually they are not right with me. As the Message version says, "The crime rate in their cities is sky high," and all because their heart is not right with God. Still, God's message is that He will not give up on His people; even today, God does not give up on us. God's compassion is as strong today as it was during Hosea's time. God has every right to deal with Israel then, and you and me today, in ways that we should deserve, yet God loves us even more. God is not human and does not respond like us.

The day will come, says God, when God will roar like a lion and God's children shall come trembling back home to God. Then God will return them to their homes.

The road that leads away from God seems long; but the road home to God is not long at all. Why choose a journey apart from God that invites all that accompanies a spiritually weak heart?

PRAYER: Amazing God, roar in my life the voice of strength and love. Help me to stay on the road on which You travel. This I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God is Good!

You know you want to say it; "All the time!"

From Psalm 107: 1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town; 5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; 7 he led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town. 8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 9 For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things. 43 Let those who are wise give heed to these things, and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

There is a song from my youth where one of the refrains says these words, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so," and we, of course, would yell after singing that, "SO!" It was our wise acre affirmation of that belief. In reading it and knowing what I know now, many are those who say it matter of factly as a snide question; so? The intention of the psalmist was the first response; God is so awesome, we should know it! The affirmation is not in the so, it is in the first verse, we thank God because God is good (all the time), and God's love for us never ends! That is what we should be sharing.

David knew that we sometimes find ourselves in trouble, and God steps in and helps us out. Sometimes our souls wander, but when we seek God, we find our way back. God's love is universal and seeks all people; as people respond to that love they are gathered in from the four points of the compass. Those who have found themselves in the "desert wastes" of feeling unloved or unwanted, in God's love they find new love and a new longing. Those who are hungry and thirsty for that which truly satisfied find in God's love the quenching of their thirst and the satisfaction of their hunger. All who cry out for help in God get their prayers answered. The path is made easier until they find the place where they are welcomed and helped by others in community. Today's Upper Room devotional shares that thought. A man, who from childhood, has had anger issues, struggled and lost friends, girlfriends, and even jobs, until a young, calm pastor said he could help "cool the anger that is burning your alive." He was invited by this pastor to a Bible study group where the group loved him and accepted him and helped him with that anger. Such is the purpose of the church to welcome and love all.

The rest of this psalm speaks to the need for the people of God to thank God. God is good, but tell somebody! Share some of the wonderful things that God has done for you. Your wisdom will show when you listen and do these things shared by the psalm, and accept for your life the "steadfast love of the Lord." Amen!

PRAYER: God of love, embrace and hold me in that steadfast love. Let me be faithful in seeking You the rest of today. Let me also seek opportunities to share Your awesomeness with all who will hear, especially those who need it the most. Thank You for being good all the time in my life. This I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Teach Us To Pray!

The Prayer of Jesus is our Model for a strong, faithful prayer life

The Gospel reading for this week comes from St. Luke 11: 1 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial." 5 And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 And he answers from within, "Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. 9 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

It seems an odd thing that the disciples would ask Jesus to be taught to pray. It was still early in Jesus' ministry, but some incredible, unexplainable things had already happened, including that they had seen the disciples of John the Baptist being instructed on how to pray. They saw the power in Jesus, and had even had part in some incredible ministry adventures themselves, but they knew something basic was missing in their spiritual lives. This request comes just after they saw Jesus praying. As the entire book will point out, praying was a holy habit of Jesus. I believe it was them asking, Show us how to stay connected to the Source of Power and Grace; there's something to that experience called prayer and we want it for ourselves.

Jesus begins with what we know as The Lord's Prayer. The one most quoted is the one found in Matthew's gospel, but this is another version of that prayer of Jesus'. And by the way, this was a question asked by the Border Patrol to those seeking admission to the USA by declaring they were clergy coming to serve in our country; "Besides the passage found in Matthew, where else can we find The Lord's Prayer?" (Now you know!). The prayer declares many things useful for us in our prayer. Number one is to begin with the relationship we need to have with God. Jesus called God, Father. The positive parental aspect of God's love and grace is important to hold as we pray. The second thing is the holiness of God. As we approach the throne of God we do so reverently and in awe of that holiness that only God can possess. Number three, there is a petition for us to ask for the coming of God's kingdom here on the earth; where all will know God and understand the power and authority that God should have in our lives. Number four, we should acknowledge that our basic provisions for life can be found in God, namely our daily bread. An attitude of thanksgiving should accompany our requests for God to continue to provide that which keeps us fed and going. Number five, we need to recognize that God can and does remove our sin, and the removal of sin in our prayer time is important. Remember the holiness aspect of God, we seek to be made holy as well, and that cannot occur without asking the removal and forgiveness of our sin. Number six, there is a responsibility on our part to seek to be right with others and that begins with our forgiving others as God has forgiven us. Number seven, we rely on God to keeping us on the path of righteousness and away from the places that test and try us. We know we're weak spiritually and we need God's strength to keep us close to God and away from our own self-destruction.

Jesus then shares some sensible illustrations on the aspects of prayer. There is the element of praying always, if not often. There is a value to persistent prayer. Notice that Jesus says we can pray even after bedtime, while others may be sleeping; whatever time our need to pray comes, we should pray. Jesus then shares a formula we find in Matthew 7; Ask, Seek, Knock. Prayer is asking, seeking, and knocking. We ask of a person; we seek on our own; and we knock on doors. There is that understanding that prayer takes our part and involvement. Prayer is a response and an ingredient of true worship. Prayer is a listening as well as a sharing endeavor. Jesus then teaches the goodness of God. No parent who loves their child will give snakes to a child who asks for fish. No parent who loves their child will give their child a scorpion when they have asked for an egg. God gives what we need, including the special and wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit to all who ask that of God.

Prayer is a part of our empowerment as disciples of the Living God. It requires our willingness to make time to pray. This is time well spent for it is time with God. As stated above it requires our willingness to connect with God and then to stay connected after we say amen. Those who begin their day in prayer, will spend the day with God, listening and acting on whatever God may share with us. Like the disciples after being with Jesus, our faces, our answers, and our very lives should reflect that we have been in the presence of Jesus.

PRAYER: Thank You, Loving God, for the gift and tool of prayer. Help me to worship You and help me respond to You through my prayers throughout the day. Grant me peace and boldness. Grant me the wisdom and the ears of faith to hear Your answers during the day; let me recognize that all prayers are answered, not all the way I would like, but answered nonetheless, for Your good; which is what I seek. In Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Fullness of Life is in Christ

Put Jesus First in Your Life

From Paul's Letter to the Colossians 2: 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

I love angels, but I don't worship them. I like seeing the cute figurines of angels and being reminded that I do believe in the living and powerful presence of them in my life and in the lives of my loved ones and in the lives of believers; but I don't worship them. There are some who collect these angel figures but I would hope they do not worship them; for such was the main intent of this letter from Paul to those in Colossae. The church there was battling a new belief where all matter was considered evil and thus, Christ as human, was evil. This new belief also said that angels were superior to Christ and therefore, worthy of our worship. Paul says, Hold on! That is not what you were taught, how can you come to this outlandish notion and call it faith? Here's Paul's reminder and invitation back to faith for these: 1) You received Christ Jesus as Lord; what a wonderful gift, so 2) Live your lives in Him. 3) You are rooted in Christ. Stay rooted (connected!). 4) You were built up in Him; all your training and teaching has pointed to the above teachings, continue to be built up! 5) Give thanks for Jesus. Not only with your lips, but that's a great place to start, but also with your actions and your gifts. Show people that Jesus lives in you! 6) Stay strong in Christ. Do not let anyone lead you away from Jesus. There are some smooth talkers out there who can use philosophy and empty promises, most of them lies, don't fall for them! 7) Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. Hard to understand, hard to explain, but it is one of the roots of our faith. 8) Through Jesus we have come to the fullness of life. In Jesus we go beyond merely existing and we truly have come alive. Continue to live in that way. 8) Jesus' presence in our life cut away the things that should not be in us, and 9) through our baptism we have been placed in Christ Jesus and raised with Him from the dead. 10) We have been made alive in this life and in the life to come, through Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness He offers to you and me. All record of our wrongs have been forgiven and forgotten; look at the empty cross and see there your name and beside it, the word FORGIVEN.

The rest of the verses, starting with verse 15 speak to what was being asked of those believers; You should not be condemned by what you eat or drink or by what festivals you attend; nothing disqualifies us from true fellowship and true life in Jesus Christ. You don't have to whip or cut yourself or worship angels to become a part of this heresy that the church in Colossae faced. Our only growth comes from God.

A daily life of prayer is what keeps us rooted and following the list found above. A daily reading of God's Word keeps us growing, steadily and strongly. In God we find truth defined; no one else can do that for us. Seek to find for yourself what God is saying.

PRAYER: Loving Lord, speak to my heart and keep me rooted in love, faith, compassion and especially in You. Let me not fall for anything; instead help me to stand for You and what You stand for. Bless my life so that I may be a blessing to those who have not yet heard about nor received You. This I pray in Thy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Unfaithful to God?

Remember God said He was a Jealous God? He meant it!

From the first of the minor prophets we have Hosea. From chapter one these words: 2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord." 3 So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the Lord said to him, "Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. 7 But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen." 8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then the Lord said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God." 10 Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God."

Please remember these texts are from the Lectionary. Some of these texts are harsh and hard. And among them is this one. Hosea is the only writing prophet from the Northern Kingdom (Israel); the rest are from Judah (Southern Kingdom) and he writes during a time of great prosperity during which times people tend to forget God. And this is the story of God's peoples' unfaithfulness to God. As a preacher I like visual aids or props. It helps to drive home an important lesson, and here God asks Hosea to live out the visual aid. God says find a woman who is unfaithful, and more specifically "a wife of whoredom." And have for your children, "children of whoredom," because this is how the nation is living anyway. The term whoredom refers more to idolatry more than promiscuousness. So, Hosea goes and marries Gomer (I know, us older folks think of the character on Andy's show who later got his own show, but let's move on), who is a prostitute. They have a son and God says, "Name him Jezreel," as a reminder of the sin the nation had committed at Jezreel. Their second child was a girl whom they named Lo-ruhamah, which was a name picked by God and the name means No Mercy. Their third child was a boy and they named him Lo-ammi, which means Nobody. The names represent God's feelings towards the unfaithfulness of the people towards God. God would show no mercy to those who persisted in idolatrous ways, and this would result in them being named Nobody, for such would be the place they would hold in God's heart.

Yet, here comes God's redeeming love in the midst of this unfaithfulness. For it is always God's desire that we turn back to Him no matter where we have wandered off. God's arms are always open to receive sons and daughters that have made their way apart from God. It's the story of the Prodigal Son and the story of the woman caught in adultery of the New Testament; God loves them and welcomes them back once they set behind them their sins of unfaithfulness. A new life awaits all who want to be released from their past. "Charles Wesley, the brother of John, could never get over the shocking news of the 'stupendous love of God most high...full of unutterable grace' that meets us in our sin, forgives our past, and calls us to new life." (Wesley Study Bible, Life Application Topic, p. 1073).

Our sin is "so yesterday," and our new life is so "right here and right now" is we so choose.

PRAYER: Loving God, even in the midst of pain and suffering that we inflict ourselves, even when we choose other gods of pleasure and possessions over You, Your arms are still open to receive us, to mend our wounds, heal our memories, and make us new. So be it in my life right here and right now. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

How Is It With Your Soul?

John Wesley's Question Still Powerful and Relevant

From the Psalms, Psalm 85 has these words: 1 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. (Selah) 3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. 4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us. 5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 6 Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you? 7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. 8 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.

I've shared about a dear friend and brother in Christ, who loves to ask that powerful question that Wesley used as a part of his opening with the small groups that began the Methodist movement, "How is it with your soul?" It was used to truly ask ourselves how is it with our relationship with God? My friend likes to ask that question and once you get to know him, you think to ask him first. The first time I did he did a shocked-you-would-ask-me-that stance, he looked skyward, then at me and said, "That's a wonderful question! I'm so glad you asked me that!" and then began to share how it was with his soul at that moment. It goes a bit farther than the old question once asked often, "Are you saved?"

Our soul is great when we're connected to God. That is to say, when we seek God and seek to please God. The psalmist is sharing a prayer with us in which he asks for God to once again favor us with the blessings we need. The sinfulness of Israel would drive them away from God, they would cry out to God, God would send a prophet to call the people back, they would come back, and rejoice and praise God, then they would forget the good things of God and once again find themselves alienated from God. It sounds like most of our weeks. Sunday, if we're in church, we hear the message and we say, We must stay close to God. Monday comes, and here it is, and we moan and gripe about having to return to work, and before too long, the things of Sunday seem distantly past. Tuesday is not much better, and today's Wednesdays are not like the ones of old when it was usually a worship night, and we rejoice in knowing the work week is almost over. Thursdays are the days of preparing for Friday and Fridays are great, for we know we have at least Saturday off. And what we do on Friday or Saturday night may determine whether we're even in church on Sunday.

In this psalm we read the word salvation. In verse 4, the psalmist acknowledges that God is the author of salvation. In verse 7, he asks for salvation to be restored, and in verses between those two, there is the need for reviving us again. Verse 9 states that God's salvation is close by for those who fear God and verse 10 I love the phrase, "righteousness and peace will kiss each other." Salvation is having a living and loving relationship with God. It involves our confessing to God that it is us who have strayed, who have made wrong decisions about our lives and our having allowed sin to enter into our hearts, and our asking God to remove sin from our lives. It is then that joyous process of living right in God's sight and receiving in the process the gift of inner peace. Salvation is not about getting to heaven as it is allowing heaven to come in us and guiding us to guide others to come to that place of loving and walking with God. Salvation is being saved from sin to the fullness of life as promised by Jesus Christ (John 10:10). And those who have that, have good souls.

God stands ready. Do we?

PRAYER: Loving God of our salvation, grant to us that which allows us to continue our journey with You. Let me be revived to You and away from those things that lulled me away from You in the first place. Let me help others know Your love and path; this I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Pots and Pan or Prayer and Peace?

The Main Thing is Still Time with Jesus!

Come we now to Luke 10: 38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

There is a line from one of my favorite movies, A Christmas Story, by Jean Shepherd, noted radio personality in his day, where he says, "I don't think my mother ever enjoyed a warm meal in her life." That may not be the exact line, but I'll let you know this Christmas, but you get the point. Some folks get so preoccupied with household tasks that they may miss out on other things, like news of the day being shared at the table or guests sharing personal concerns for prayer, etc. Yet, for them, the house has to be in order, the meal has to be done just right, the places at the table have to be set; God bless them!

Martha was such a person. There is no condemnation for her or folks like her; but the main thing is the main thing, and in this story and hopefully in our lives, Jesus is the "main thing." He is the central person in our lives. Given what we know a visit from Jesus would be a priority to greet Him, welcome Him, and allow Him to share with us and us with Him. Given what Martha knew, from her upbringing and her own preoccupation with being a good hostess, her main thing was as stated above. But she gets annoyed when she notices that her sister is not in the kitchen alongside her, helping prepare all that they wanted to offer Jesus. The passage begins by saying this was Martha's home, Mary may have had some ownership, but the primary owner was Martha. Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to all He was sharing. Mary knew that Jesus always had something powerful to say. Mary knew that those who listened to Jesus received a blessing and usually become blessings to others. Martha's request for Jesus was not one for healing or resurrection, it was one of "Could you ask my sister to come help me? I'm doing all the work by myself!" Seems reasonable enough. The man who raised people from the dead, Martha reasons, could be powerful enough to raise people from stupidity or laziness, right?

Jesus said, very lovingly I believe, "Martha, you're worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." Oops. Martha, we pray, heard that and changed her heart about pots and pans, carpets and drapes, toilets and towels. The main thing is to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen, and to share what is on your heart. Given the power of Jesus He knew what was on everyone's heart and prayer was simply being in the presence of Jesus. And that has not changed. Today, we can be in the presence of Jesus through prayer and we need not worry about what we are to say, but what we can receive and share back with Jesus. Our time with Jesus is precious to Him. Our willingness to be with Jesus is precious to Him and us. Our being able to listen to Jesus is precious to us. I've taught for many years that when we say Amen, we're really saying, Okay, Jesus, it's Your turn, speak and I will listen.

It's your choice: Pots and pans or Prayer and Peace?

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Jesus and His love for us. Help me, if I am too much like Martha, distracted by the things I believe are earth-shattering and they're really not. Help me to seek the peace of Mary who knew that by sitting at Your feet we can be blessed. May I become a blessing to You. This I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

The Centrality of Christ to our faith

From Colossians 1: 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. 21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

I had such fun on youth trips as a youth. It was always an adventure to leave home with kids my age to go to another town or city for a district or conference retreat or gathering. And on one such trip, our president, an older girl, said, "Now remember, the first rule is to follow all the rules. Rule number two is to follow rule number one!" And we all laughed. She went on to explain that one of her teachers had once shared in one of her classes and that has always stayed with me as I'm sure with her.

This is Paul saying the same, Jesus is central to our faith. We cannot forget Who and What Jesus is to us. We have before us a wonderful list of just Who our savior is. The first is that Jesus represented in visible form the invisible God. Jesus was the first born of all creation. We affirm that in Jesus all things created, both in heaven and on earth were created. Yes, including those things we have not yet seen on this realm. And that includes all who are in authority through all the ages, including kings and rulers of power. They were created by Him and for Him. Jesus is the head of the church. His life showed that through Jesus we have victory over sin and especially over death, thus Jesus' being known as the "firstborn from the dead." And this comes to serve as the reason we should place Jesus in first place in all things, especially our lives. The person of Jesus was for humanity an understanding of the complete God, serving to bring about reconciliation with us and God. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross is what should bring us peace from the things that used to disturb us. All who have been separated from God should find in Jesus that invitation back to the fulness of life. No matter our sin, we are always welcome back. Jesus came and continues to serve as He who can wash us of our sins and uncleanness to make us "holy and blameless" before God. The Gospel should be our anchor in our faith, the root of our hopefulness. And the Gospel should be shared with all people (Paul says "every creature under heaven"). And Paul closes this section by stating again the reason why he is a servant of the gospel and why the sufferings he has endured count as nothing compared to what is coming. He knew he and we need to make God better known and accepted, using whatever method we can to reach all. The goal, according to Paul, is for one day we can "present everyone mature in Christ."

Examine your life and tell yourself honestly what is the "main thing" thus far. I know we have a list of main things and if it's not Jesus, then here's our task; make Jesus the main thing. Everything else, honestly, will pale in comparison.

PRAYER: Dear God, I borrow the word of a precious hymn as my prayer. "Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclapse and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine. Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere; Open my heart and let me prepare love with Thy children thus to share." This I ask in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Sinful Times Are Sorrowful Times

Being Intentionally Apart from God is Never a Good Idea

Let us hear from the prophet Amos these words in chapter 8: 1 This is what the Lord God showed me—a basket of summer fruit. 2 He said, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the Lord said to me, "The end has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass them by. 3 The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day," says the Lord God; "the dead bodies shall be many, cast out in every place. Be silent!" 4 Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, 5 saying, "When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, 6 buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat." 7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. 8 Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who lives in it, and all of it rise like the Nile, and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt? 9 On that day, says the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight. 10 I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on all loins, and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day. 11 The time is surely coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, and we know that death brings with it mourning and wailing. In the same way to live an intentionally sinful life is to invite sorrowful times to accompany us. Pity the poor prophet, who as God's "mouth piece" had to speak God's hard truth to a hard-hearted people, the people of Israel. They were not being compared to a basket of summer fruit, about to spoil from its ripeness, and the message is clear, Israel's days with God were almost over, not by God's intention but by Israel's unfaithfulness and disobedience. The picture that follows is a sad one; instead of praise songs being sung in the temple, the sound of wailing will take their place. Dead bodies will litter the streets and silence will follow. Their sin? Abusing the needy and bringing even further ruin to the poor; not what God desires in our relationship with God and God's people. Prophetic imagery continues; sun going down at noon, darkness in the sky during daylight hours, feasts of mourning instead of celebration, songs becoming crying sessions. The dress of the day will be the dress of those mourning, sackcloth and ashes and shaved heads. And God says that a great famine will come upon the earth, not a physical one, but one for the Word of God. And in their search for it, they will go from here to there and there to here and not find it.

God has given us free will and we're free to be apart from God, but given what we know or should know, why make that choice? We remember Joshua's sermon on that day before the people of Israel crossed the Jordan into the promised land and he said plainly, we have a choice between blessings and curses, life and death; choose life! (Deut. 30:19). To choose to live a life of sin is to choose to be away from God and it is a choosing to invite sorrow to come your way as well. And there will come a point where you will die spiritually and it will seem like there is no resurrection possible for you. But, we know that is not true; as long as you are alive and breathing, you can return to God no matter your sin. God's grace and love will take that sin away from you and God will make you new. We can only imagine what it was like for those who experienced that famine of wanting to hear about God but could not, for it was no where to be found. We take for granted the resources and freedoms we have, and choose not to hear and not to believe; what would happen if one day those resources were taken away from us? Can you imagine a country where Sunday schools no longer exited? Can you imagine not being able to own your own Bible? Can you imagine not being able to hear a Christian sermon because they were outlawed and to preach or hear a sermon could mean you losing your life? May we instead choose to feast on what is ours now.

PRAYER: Loving God, use me to reach those who have chosen to be away from God. Help us realize the feast that is set before us, yet we choose to starve. May it not be so; may we seek You and Your word in all times and may we lovingly and freely share it with others. This is our prayer; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Other Half...

"The rest of the story."

We read from Psalm 52: 1 Why do you boast, O mighty one, of mischief done against the godly? All day long 2 you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery. 3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking the truth. (Selah) 4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. 5 But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah) 6 The righteous will see, and fear, and will laugh at the evildoer, saying, 7 "See the one who would not take refuge in God, but trusted in abundant riches, and sought refuge in wealth!" 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. 9 I will thank you forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good.

At first reading, this psalm is disturbing. You wonder, who is the "mighty one" and what mischief has he done? To the commentary. As we read an account of David's life in 1 Samuel 22, we find the story of Saul's hatred to David expressed through his followers. Doeg was one such follower, a commander of Saul's army who killed 85 of the Lord's priests because they had helped David. It was when David heard of this slaughter that he wrote this psalm. He spares no words to describe how evil this man was and the anger that David feels towards him. His motivation was money and Saul spared nothing in giving Doeg a lot of money for obeying him. David's anger is fueled by that knowledge as well. He said, like many of us do, Your day is coming.

But David knows that he should stay faithful to the One in Whom he believes. Verse 8 is a key verse for many, "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever." David's faith was not easily shaken by the actions taken by Saul and his followers. They revealed their hearts in doing things that were wicked in the eyes of God, but it did not faze them. We sometimes see that and we're tempted to do either things against those or to do the same thing; David knew that we should stay faithful in our beliefs and not drop down to their level. "You may be rich, but you're evil; and the day is coming when you will pay for your evil deeds and you will lose all your money." David chooses to thank God not only as he writes, but "forever, because of what You have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim Your name, for it is good."

This psalm calls us to take stock of where and who we are. It is an invitation to come back to, or stay with, God. It is a call to reaffirm our faith and to share our faith; for there are many who wonder why about so many things, and this speaks to the good we find in thanking God in all things, no matter the circumstances.

PRAYER: Loving God, as I start this day, I thank You for all that You have shared with me. I thank You for allowing me to believe in You and I pray that I not shy away from chances to share with others that faith and love You have shared with me. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Eternal Life Depends On My Neighbor?

It's as simple as crossing the street

From Luke 10: 25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live." 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

What is it about lawyers and questions on eternal life? Most of us know the precious and powerful story. Jesus is asked by a lawyer about "inheriting" eternal life. Jesus liked to respond with questions, so He asks, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" Jesus knew that at least the heart of this lawyer had heard the law and so the lawyer responds with the Great Commandment, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Jesus said, "You nailed it, now, just live it!" The lawyer knew that part one he had probably kept, but worried about part two, that neighbor bit. "And who is my neighbor?" He asks this, the Bible says "wanting to justify himself."

Jesus shares this story that is still happening today. A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and got mugged in the process. He was robbed of his money, they even took his clothes, beat him, and left him almost dead. Jesus continued, a priest happened to be walking down that same road. The lawyer probably thought, what luck! A priest to help him! But this priest, upon seeing the man, crossed the road and continued walking on the other side. Then, Jesus said, here comes a Levite, a member of a royal lineage of Israel, rich historical ties to worship and leadership; but this Levite also crosses the street. Hmm, must have thought the lawyer, what could Jesus possibly be getting at?

It was, Jesus continued, a Samaritan, one from whom you would expect nothing positive towards Jews, who actually saw this man (keep that word saw in your mind), had pity on him and stopped to help. He bandaged this injured man's wounds, having dressed them with oil and wine, then put the man on his own animal, took him to a hotel and took care of him, meaning he spent the night keeping watch over him. On the next day this Samaritan takes two days wages and gives them to the innkeeper with orders to care for the man. The Samaritan also promises to return and cover any additional expenses that were incurred in the care and healing of this man.

Jesus asks, Which of these three was a neighbor to the injured man? The lawyer wisely replies, "The one who showed mercy." You nailed it, young man, now go live that way.

We sometimes choose not to see some of our neighbors. Remember that word saw? The first two of those who walked by the man hid from their vision and their hearts, the presence of need in this man. The Good Samaritan not only saw but acted on the need of this man. He was the good neighbor. We heard last year the prayer of a Florida church that asks God to send to them, "Those that nobody else wants nor sees." I wonder why they pray that? It's because so many of those of us from whom aid is expected have blind ears and hard hearts to truly helping the needs around us. We are afraid to cross the street, especially if our church is located in a transitioning neighborhood. We strive to keep it our exclusive enclave where we can continue worship in our way not realizing we are not worshiping God but our traditions and rituals. We sometimes don't want to cross the aisle to greet others. I served a church where I would invite folks to cross the aisle during the time of greeting, only to be told by one member that they would not arrive in church until after that time, because they did not like to greet others.

Eternal life does depend on our neighbors and how we as individuals and as churches, responded to the needs of our neighbor. As we drive into our church's neighborhood, do we become blind to the houses immediately across the street? Do we turn a deaf ear to the languages now being spoken that are not English? And do we try to reach them and invite them to be a part of our community?

We have a lot to still to do.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for this powerful story about mercy and compassion. Help me to live it in a way that says all people are my neighbor and that I will do whatever it takes to care for them; not out of obligation but out of that same love I am to have towards You. I pray this, needing the help of Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Caring for Each Other Through Prayer

We can and should recapture the power of prayer!

From Colossians 1: 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant.He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabledyou to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

There is a cartoon strip that shows a man approaching another man and the first man's thought balloon shows him thinking, "Here comes someone I said I would be praying for, and I forgot! Lord, bless this man!" And in the second frame the "praying man" says, "I've been praying for you!" Sadly, we have been there. We are asked for prayer and we respond, Yes, I will pray, and then the stress and pressures of life come in and we forget.

This passage shows the dedication of Paul to truly engage in prayer for one another and how he encouraged others to join in the prayer ministry lifted up for those early believers. As he writes to the sisters and brothers of Colossae, he is sharing the joy he has felt in knowing that these prayers have been answered and the people at the church in Colossae have been faithful in "bearing fruit" for God's work among them. Can you imagine what would happen in your faith community if you prayed like Paul and Paul's friends?

Taking a closer look at what Paul is sharing about prayer we see the depth of caring and understanding he possessed about the needs of those for whom he was praying; He prayed that God grant them grace and peace. He offered up a prayer of thanksgiving for this other church (Compare to some churches today who seem to be in competition with each other!). He thanks God for the strong faith they have and because of that the hope that stored up in heaven. He is thankful that the gospel is bearing fruit among them and throughout the world. He is thankful for the work of Epaphras, who seemed to have been their pastor, and how Epaphras shared about their faith with Paul and others. Paul prays that God's wisdom and knowledge be theirs; that they live lives worthy of the Lord, seeking to please Him and bear even more fruit. He prays that more strength come to them so that whatever challenges or problems may come their way they can endure with patience. And above all for them to be a thankful people, giving God thanks for all things. And a reminder is shared about that which has come to them and us, redemption and the forgiveness of sin.

What will happen when we pray these things for our faith community and those other faith communities in our towns and cities? Why don't we find out?

PRAYER: As I pray today, dear God, I pray for my church and for what we have yet to do. Bless us to reach that which You have set before us to grow Your Kingdom. I pray for the other churches in our neighborhood and for churches and church leaders around the world. We've yet much to do, but with Your grace and strength we shall bear fruit. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Upright and Accurate?

Who Keeps Moving the Line?

From Amos 7: 7 This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; 9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword." 10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said, "Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.' " 12 And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." 14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, 15and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Amaziah had his dream appointment. Senior pastor at the church of Let It All Hang Out and Chaplain to the Royal Family. He preached his theology and interpretation of If It Feels Good, Do It! (I think he invented that phrase) and set aside what God had shared with both the nation and himself. Amaziah took his church far away from the starting line that Isaac had shared with the nation. It was a religion that did not resemble one devoted and dedicated to God. Thus the plumb line. On the other side of town, on a farm, lived Amos, a spokesperson for God. After having received two visions about the spiritual needs of Israel, he receives this third vision of a plumb line measuring the uprightness and accuracy of the spiritual foundations of Israel. And it was out of whack. God says that all of what Amaziah had done would soon come to an end as would the kingdom of Jeroboam, and this in a violent way. As soon as Amaziah heard about this he confronts the king with the news saying that Amos was a trouble-maker and needed to be removed. He then goes and tells Amos that he should get out of there and move to the land of Judah, because his preaching was troubling both to him, and the people who worshiped there. All Amos could respond was that he was not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but a herdsman and a gardener of sycamore trees, and this that you're hearing comes from God not from me.

This still happens. Perhaps, we might argue, not to the degree of wanton behavior like Amaziah's "church," but think about what some believers now and some churches now regard as sacred and theirs and when inspected closely have nothing to do with God or the things of God. What happens to those who preach against territories and kingdoms in the church? They're either labeled, like Amos, as trouble-makers or as those whose heart is not right with God; when in reality what they're seeking is the type of ministry that gives away God and the things of God that the world so desperately needs. Amos was a man with a heart and ear for God and thus God calling him to go and do the difficult work of speaking truth in the midst of lies, and like all the prophets before him and after, suffered greatly for sharing such truth. Truth is not easily received by those who started the lie. Messages about comfort and self-appreciation sooth the soul but sometimes lead us even farther away from what God truly needs us to be about.

Where is the plumb line in your life? Has God found your life to be "upright and accurate" with what God has shared with you? Amos' message came when it was too late for Israel, where do you find yourself and what can God do to help you move to where you should be?

PRAYER: Loving God, help and guide me to the place of righteousness and faithfulness. Allow me to be fruitful in sharing Your love with those with whom I have not yet done so. And if need be, allow me to speak the truth even at the cost that may come with it. Let me bloom and grow in my setting for Your honor and glory; this I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God's Call

It's all about justice for all... And God means all

From Psalm 82 we read: 1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 2"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? (Selah) 3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I say, "You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince." 8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you!

There is nothing sweeter than to hear a child sing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." I may be dating myself in even knowing that song, but I remember hearing my Mom sing it, my learning it and singing it, and later my daughters learning it and singing it. Now I have the joy of hearing my grandchildren hear it. It is a simple song, yet it has the faith that says that in all things and in all places, God has the last word. The psalmist knew this and thus the writing of this psalm. Through the ages it has come to be known as a psalm for magistrates and judges, but its message is for all who will hear it and receive it. No matter your status or position in life, your authority and influence should be for good of all. Think of those who hold the power of life or death in their hands on a daily basis; would it not benefit them to know this psalm about the God of justice? These are the ones who are called "gods" in this psalm. The message from God was that their importance comes from giving "justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." The very ones the world think no one is on their side, find that God is on their side and God wants us by their side helping them in their needs.

A rabbi was killed some twenty-five years ago in the city of Brooklyn, New York. He was sitting in his car and a foiled jewelry heist made a gunman panic and thinking he might carjack this rabbi, shot him in cold blood. The police made an arrest rather quickly at that time and years later, someone in the Brooklyn DA's office decided to re-open the case and discover that this was a rush trip to justice, and the wrong man was put in jail. The man, who had just had baby daughter, was finally freed after serving 23 years in prison. Given his life and life's conditions, he qualified as one of those who are weak and lowly. Had not someone intervened on his behalf, he would still be in jail. The same DA's office is investigating the detective who is believed to have coached witnesses to pick "the man with the biggest nose" out of the police line-up, which happened to be this man. The detective was one with power of life and death and if found guilty, did abuse his power at the expense of the life of this man, who suffered a massive heart attack after being released from prison.

We are reminded that we are all mortals. In the ultimate scene of our lives, we will die just like everyone else regardless of whatever position we held. Our prayer should be that we live our life knowing and singing that God indeed has the whole world, us included, in God's hands and that we live a life that gives and shares with others.

PRAYER: Loving God of all, bless and protect us as we live our lives in ways that glorify You. May our actions match our prayers. May our thoughts be guided by our prayers and You; to indeed bless the lives of those who need blessing. This we pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Urgency of our Work

We are sent two by two to reach the world!

From Luke 10: 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11"Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' 16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." 17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

"Why do we have to go home?" asked our 4 year old grandson, Liam. Nellie and I talked later about how rare it is to hear a little boy say that he is not ready to leave church. Yesterday, while in the middle of a movie he asked, "Is it almost over?" Hmm. The church service was catered for the young and the young at heart. It didn't hurt that it started with food, and he was hungry. It didn't hurt that they had Oreos, his favorite. And it blessed his spirit that the music was rocking. Then they dimmed the lights and then the band threw out glow sticks. One of the host pastors made sure Liam, who was still eating, got his fair share of glow sticks. Every one greeted him. No wonder he did not want to go home. I thought to myself, no wonder Sunday morning church has a hard time attracting the young and young at heart. The crowd present there reminded me of the key verse for me in this passage, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." (v. 2).

The Sunday morning church has lost its sense of urgency in reaching those outside its walls. Jesus has this urgency in this passage. There is work to be done and it must be done now. Go and do it! Jesus never says it will be easy, because it's not, we go as Jesus said, "like lambs into the midst of wolves." There is no need to worry about money and housing and clothing, etc.; all of that is provided in the field by God. These seventy sent by Jesus went and did as told, and when they returned they reported success so awesome that Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning." (v. 18) The 70 reported that "even the demons submit(ted) to us!" (v. 17). The great joy, Jesus reports to them, is not the success of you mission, but "that your names are written in heaven."

The Sunday morning church has its names written on pews, walls, markers, monuments, committees, almost everywhere except where it really counts; the hearts and lives of those whom it has touched lately. Now, not all Sunday morning churches are like this, but you know which ones I'm talking about. The play it safe, play it like always, churches that seek to stay alive rather than sharing life. The urgency is in finding enough money to stay alive.

Friends, we have work to do. We cannot think that others will do it in our place. It is urgent, as Jesus knew, to do that work quickly. I saw a quote by a noted preacher of the 19th century who said, "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for." (Charles H. Spurgeon).

PRAYER: Loving God, may my life count in the lives of others. May my teeth, lips, arms, all of me, be used to love people away from Satan and into Your arms. Help me not lose the urgency with which you called me to service. Help me be part of the pen that continues to add names into the Book of Life. This I pray, for Your honor and glory, through Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Happy and Safe Fourth of July!

Eradio Valverde

The Power of Peace

Caring for one another starts with self-care

From Galatians 6: 1 My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads. 6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.

The first part of this passage reminds me of a song I first heard after having moved to Houston, Texas. The song's music and lyrics spoke to me in ways I didn't completely understand; but having become a stranger as the new kid in a big city and big school, "I Am A Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel spoke to one who wanted to be an island. I wish I could say I did not cry for my old hometown those first few days. But I did not stay an island long. Being in community, especially one of friends and faith, one quickly learns about the importance of forgiveness and helping each other out. One shares with another in hopes of having a caring and listening ear and heart, and in turn one listens with care to another who shares with you. There can be learning and growing in listening and sharing. And this carries over into every aspect and relationship of one's life.

The second part is about our relationship with God. With God what we share with others will be what we receive. Paul says that what we sow is what we reap. If our thoughts and pleasures consume us, corruption in our bodies will follow. But if we seek that which is spiritual in all things, then we will reap a truly blessed earthly life followed by the reward of eternal life. Paul encourages us to stay faithful to God with no thoughts of leaving or falling away. Work at sharing and showing faith. This was so important that Paul as he wrote this in his own hand, scrawled big letters to emphasize his point. LET US WORK FOR THE GOOD OF ALL, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF THE FAMILY OF FAITH.

The closing is about Jesus' grace in the face of the Law. There will be those who adhere to where to dot the i and cross the t, but it's more about relationship and obedience. Jesus did not take away the Law but fulfilled it so that we might understand the love and grace of God behind our living and acting right with each other and especially with God. God has made all of us who have this relationship with God through Jesus, new creations. This brings to us the power of peace.

Let's get busy!

PRAYER: Awesome God, thank You for making me new. Help me to work for the good of others, especially those in my family of faith. May we together make a positive and powerful difference in the lives of those not yet in faith. We ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Faith of a Nameless Slave Girl

A miracle through obedience

From 2 Kings 5: 1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me." 8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Clotilde Nañez was a very interesting woman. She was the wife of Dr. Alfredo Nañez, who in his own right was interesting as well. I had the privilege of knowing them both and of listening to both. He was a retired preacher and conference leader by the time I met him, and she taught Sunday school and led UMW presentations. One night she taught on this passage. The thing she said that had stayed with her since first reading the passage was the faith of this nameless girl. Taken against her will as a prisoner of war, this girl never wavered in her faith and even when the man who now owned her had leprosy, this girl said he could be healed in the very land from which she had been taken. From a human perspective, faith in God sometimes goes against what we believe is logic. Most prisoners would have wanted a way out of their imprisonment and the death of their captors would be a place to start. Not so with this girl who knew of a prophet of the living God who she believed could cure even this dreaded skin disease.

Now the event that takes place is a miracle, please do not doubt that. Leprosy was not easily cured and like demon possession cases of the Bible, it meant the death of the person in the sense that they were usually sent to live among the dead in cemeteries where they would not inflict the disease on others. This man because of his status as a commander of the king's army was not treated in that way, in fact, his king paid for his treatment sending this treasure of silver, gold and garments. The story gets interesting when this general comes to call on the king of Israel who freaks out that this high-ranking enemy officer wants healing. Thankfully, Elisha hears of this request and says, "Send him to me."

I like the next part of the story. The important high-ranking army officer, used to giving orders and having them followed goes to the man of God. Upon his arrival a servant of Elisha comes out and gives him orders on how to be healed. This insults the general. "I thought that for me he would surely come out." Yes, you're an important man and you're sick. Just do what you're told. Second part, "And stand and call on the name of the Lord his God." Okay, no faith here in the same God, but a chance that with this "prayer" it might begin the healing process. Third part, "And would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!" With the prayer a little magic motion might bring the healing. His mind said that he was important enough that if he followed protocol and practiced healing the way he had either seen or head from his country, healing might occur. Isn't that something we believe even today? We must be seen by a doctor, not his/her assistant nor her/his nurse, but by the doctor him/herself! And they must give us a shot! The shot begins the healing. Are you old enough to remember those days? I remember hearing people say, "If he doesn't give you a shot, he's not a good doctor." And I remember seeing those "good doctors" that before it was all over I had gotten a shot of some kind. And I still remember the shock of hearing the doctor tell me, my wife, or our children, "Just let it run its course." No shot? "No." Naaman must have thought the same of Elisha.

The instruction was simple, go down to the Jordan River and immerse yourself seven times and you will be healed. Naaman says are not our rivers cleaner than this one and yet you want me to wash seven times in this dirty river? Again, it was the servants who spoke some sense into this man, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean.'?" The general would have loved nothing less than to go and get the tails of a hundred foxes or the heads of a thousand warriors. Yet, the healing would come through obedient faith. Go, wash seven times in the Jordan River and you will be healed. Thankfully, the servants convinced him and he was healed when he finally did as he was told.

The Bible exists as God's word for us even today. Our healing in spiritual and even physical matters comes through obedience and faith. Given our upbringing as a society we usually rush to the doctor first and then we remember we should pray. In some societies around the world, especially the third world, prayer is the only remedy and there more unexplainable healings take place than we hear about here. Hmm.

PRAYER: Loving God, speak to my doubt. Speak to my sense of self-importance and make me obedient to the word of God. Bring healing to those for whom I am praying and if I have any healing needed in me, help me do that which shows my obedience to you. In Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

I Can't Thank You Enough!

Saying Thanks to God is Eternal...

From Psalm 30, we find these words (This is the Message version): 1 I give you all the credit, God - you got me out of that mess, you didn't let my foes gloat. 2 God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. 3 God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out. 4 All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him to his face! 5 He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter. 6 When things were going great I crowed, "I've got it made. 7 I'm God's favorite. He made me king of the mountain." Then you looked the other way and I fell to pieces. 8 I called out to you, God; I laid my case before you:9 "Can you sell me for a profit when I'm dead? auction me off at a cemetery yard sale? When I'm 'dust to dust' my songs and stories of you won't sell. 10 So listen! and be kind! Help me out of this!" 11 You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. 12 I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can't thank you enough.

A precious moment of decision by a young girl at last night's Beacon of Hope first anniversary. The Beacon of Hope was started as a dream of Rev. Camille Bryant after being challenged by her district superintendent to do something "uncomfortable, outrageous, and courageous." She called up the Disciples of Christ pastor and shared her dream with him. They started a young people oriented service. They knew the music would be loud and the crowd would be young. Last night they closed out a two-day celebration of that first year's anniversary with having celebrated 43 professions of faith. The young lady pictured above was the first of three from last night. Only God knows where the young woman has been, but the psalmist knew what it was like to be away from God. He knew what it was to create messes. He knew what it was like to be criticized by friends and foes alike. He also knew in times like those there was only one person in whom he could trust, and that was God.

Few of us have been literally in the grave, but many of us have had those days when it felt like the only thing left to do was to throw dirt on us. We've also been at places where we were "down-and-out." God has rescued us! So, the psalmist says we should sing our hearts out to God! "Thank Him to His face!" God's love is never-ending. Yes, there are times we turn away from God and it seems like God has turned His face on us; but when we return to God there is always celebration necessary because God never lets us down.

The psalmist concludes about his obligation towards God, "I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you, God, my God, I can't thank you enough."

Wherever you find yourself today is not where you need to stay. God can pull you out and lead you to the place where God has wanted you all along. You just need ask. Then, thank God!

PRAYER: Loving God, thank you! Even if I'm still not where I need to be, I am thankful and I am hopeful. Bless and protect those who are in need, and we pray for the comfort of those whose loved ones have perished in fighting fires in Arizona. Stay with us now and always, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde