I Guess We'll Have to Add Another Service!

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Amazing What Happens When the Holy Spirit is Allowed to Work Among Us

From Acts 2:14a, 36-41: But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

The man who denied Jesus becomes the first man to preach Him and He risen! From that dark night of fear and doubt when he denied Jesus not once but three times, to this morning of triumph, Peter preaches Jesus and Jesus' Holy Spirit, promised by Him, and incredible, unexplainable things happen. The message was simple: Get right with God and yourself. You know your life has sin, get rid of it, and receive God's power for new living in your old life right now. God has the power to forgive your sins and the power to help you a new life. The result? Three thousand people were baptized and added to the Church.

The message of new life connects with people in need. John the Baptist started with a simple message, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand," and received a long line of those wanting to be baptized in the Jordan River. Jesus came right behind him with the same message and transformed the world. Peter continued, and the result was a need for another worship service or two.

This Easter season is the perfect time for us to take advantage of all that Christ did for our behalf. He paid the price for our sinfulness and nailed to the cross all of our sins. Whatever obstacle still stands between you and God can be removed. You just speak it to God and turn it over to Him and He will remove it from your life. The weight of guilt and shame no longer has to be a part of what you carry with you.

Speak this message to someone in need. A life lived in guilt and shame will lead to physical troubles like stress and despair and heartache. Thankfully, in God we have the cure. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that in abundance." Accept Christ for Who He is and what He offers to us.

PRAYER: The old children's song says, "Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in to stay, come in today, come into my heart Lord Jesus." Lord, while there remove the sin and add life to my life. In Your name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

New Resurrection Life

Crosses a gift from Rev. Ryan Barnett, photo by Eradio Valverde

The Gift of Easter is New Life for Us!

From 1 Peter 1 (17-23): If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

If we are Christians, what in our life distinguishes us from those who are not? Do we act different or the same? Is there anything holy about our life, or are we just like everyone else? God called Israel to be priests to all nations, who among us are priests in any sense of that word? The call was for a holy people to live among those not yet holy. The word priest really means to be a "bridge", in this case a bridge between humanity and God. Are we bridge builders? When we speak of holiness do we run from the word instead of to it?

This passage addresses those questions by reminding us of several things: 1) If we call God Father, then we are to remember that He is an impartial judge on all people according to their deeds. 2) We are to question how we are living (What are our deeds?). 3) Our respect towards God should be reverent knowing we are truly exiled from the land which is really ours. We are Heaven people through our relationship with Christ and we live as exiles here in this world. 4) We were bought with a price; Christ paid the price with His blood and made us free. 5) Because of Jesus we have come into a trusting relationship with God. 6) Our faith and our hope are set on God. 7) Our souls have been purified by obedience to God's truth. 8) We must love each other deeply from our hearts. 9) We have been born anew (again) to live this way for all eternity.

That is Good News! God makes us right with Him and we should be right with others. The theme of loving one another with no exceptions from our hearts runs throughout the New Testament, and yet, we find ourselves not loving as we should.

We are not perfect but we're on the road towards it. Through Jesus Christ we are being led there, loving one another and loving this new journey as resurrection people. There are bumps on this road and sometimes we feel like stopping, but we press on towards that to which Christ called us. Indeed, Resurrection Life is a new life, a loving life, and a life that should invite others to imitate.

PRAYER: Awesome God, continue to lead me towards new ways of loving and living as a born again person. This I pray in the Name of He who died for me, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

You Know I'm Walking to Emmaus

Image from http://www.desiringgod.org

The Journey Becomes Better As You Come to Know Jesus

What a story we find in Luke 24: Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

He is Risen! continues to be the theme of scriptures for us as we read for this season. And this story contains two credible witnesses who as they're walking to Emmaus encounter a companion for the journey whom they don't recognize at first. It is hard for us to imagine walking as the primary mode of transportation for those days. Everyone walked. Those who had some money could buy a donkey and the very rich might buy a camel which might be considered a luxury import vehicle. It is a sad journey for the two as they walk along trying to make sense of all that happened in Jerusalem. Some scholars have suggested that grief, with crying and mourning, had made it impossible to recognize the person journeying with them. As the stranger joins them he asks what they are talking about and they incredulously ask, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" The companion asks, "What things?" They share the Passion story of Jesus and it is after their sharing that Jesus says, "You haven't yet believed what God shared through His prophets; that this Messiah was to suffer and then enter His glory?" So, Jesus begins a Bible study with them and going through all of Moses and the prophets points to Himself. The study comes to a close as they as nearing Emmaus, and as far as these two witnesses are concerned the story is not over, and they want Jesus to come with them and share more. Jesus accepts. (See how easy it is? Just invite Jesus and He'll come and eat with you. Read Revelation 3:20). As they prepare for supper, Jesus takes the bread, blessed it and broke it and as He did, their eyes were opened and they knew Jesus for Who He truly was. Jesus then disappears. That still does not keep them from celebrating all they had learned and the fact they had seen the Risen Lord. They hurry back to Jerusalem and share with the disciples what they had just experienced.

Easter season is all about seeing and being Jesus. We see Him in the good that we see others doing for God, and others see Him in us in the good that we do for God. Jesus is also seen in those worship experiences where He is place first and foremost in our lives. It matters not the hymn nor the sermon, it matters on our openness to hearing and seeing Jesus as we worship God. God will speak to the heart that is open to His leading. And that word will be a blessing that will last the entire week, and who knows, it may be a blessing that lasts for all eternity.

PRAYER: Living God, come and live among us and continue to speak to us words of hope, love, peace, joy, and words that we can use to invite others to join us on this journey. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

I'm Happy From the Inside Out and From the Outside In!

You can't get happier than my granddaughter, Eliana Beth Garcia!

Resurrection Life!

From the Psalmist, Psalm 16: 1 Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you. 2 I say to God, "Be my Lord!" Without you, nothing makes sense. 3 And these God-chosen lives all around - what splendid friends they make!4 Don't just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I'll never treat god-names like brand-names. 5 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I'm your choice! 6 You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! 7 The wise counsel God gives when I'm awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. 8 Day and night I'll stick with God; I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go. 9 I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. 10 You canceled my ticket to hell - that's not my destination! 11 Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way.

I saw an ad that showed two African kids in burlap bags having a race. Their faces said, "We're the happiest kids on earth!" The ad said, "These kids have no iPhone, no iPads and look how happy they are!" I remembered that people of my generation and older were quite content with our lives with what we had. I remember the day we finally bought a television and how much later we got a telephone. Face time was what my friend and I enjoyed while running from our houses to the nearby creek. We would tell tall tales and our versions of jokes. Tweeting was what we heard when we went bird hunting. Texting was when I had a newspaper route. Happy was what life was all about especially when I went to Sunday school and to church.

God is our safe place. We can run to God and know that our life is safe, the psalmist is saying. He and we know from experience. As is written there when we think we have chosen God we discover that God has chosen us! And all that we have has come from God; with greater things coming as heirs of God. If we walk with God and listen to Him during the day, at night our peaceful sleep is evidence that we've been in "wise counsel." My choice the psalmist said, is to stick with God; this is a good thing we have and I'm not giving it up. And the verse from the title, verse 9, "I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed." Our eternity is secure in what Jesus paid for us; we're on the right path if we follow God.

The radiant light of Christ shines on those who seek Him. Let the bright light shining on you come from God and not from the glare of a smart phone or tablet (Yes, you can read the Bible from those, but you know what I mean!). Life is in 3D; life with God is in HD. Don't miss a minute of it!

PRAYER: Grant me the joy of the psalmist. Let me be truly happy in You and You alone. Grant me to be a blessing in the way that You have blessed me. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

A Life Filled with Gladness

Picture of the Valverde grandkids this Easter weekend: Saraí, Liam, Caleb, and Eliana. What gladness they always have and gladness they share with me! Bless and protect, dear Lord.

What Else Could Living in the Presence of God bring?

From Acts 2: 14a: But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him, "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.' 29 "Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, "He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.' 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

God has blessed me with some great ushers. Pastors know the value and worth of good ushers, and we dislike it when we have bad ushers. But great ushers never stop their work for the Lord Jesus Christ. One was retired from working and so he gave his life to missions work across the border. He would attend and worship in Mexican churches and help usher there. One night as the pastor of that particular church was preaching two drunks came and began to heckle him. "He's no good, why do they have him preaching!" The other chimed, "Yeah, he doesn't know what he's talking about!" My usher walked over to them and quietly said, "Don't worry fellas, you're next!" They walked away.

Such pressure may have been in Peter's heart called on at the last minute to preach this first post-Easter, post-Pentecost sermon to a crowd bewildered by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. He begins by identifying them and with them. We're all israelites, but listen to the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Another identity point; if they weren't from Nazareth they must have heard of it and some may have even heard about Jesus. Then the point of the story; Jesus rose from the dead! And not only that, Peter adds, David, the prophet, foretold all this! Another connecting point and one from their own scriptures. He quotes a life-affirming, hope-giving source about Jesus: Because I can see the Lord always before me, I will not be afraid and my heart is glad. You can't stop my tongue from singing praises and this body lives in hope. I know gladness! Then, some reality; David died and his tomb is still with us, but David knew the Messiah would not die forever nor would his body experience corruption; He rose! And of that we are His witnesses.

Bam! The sermon is good at this point and it's not over. It continues next week in the next passage from the lectionary for next week. But Peter has made His point. All that Jesus did and experienced was foretold in the scriptures we have. And what David said should be our life's experience and testimony as well; If we put Jesus before us always, strength, hope, joy, praise, and health are always before us, with us, and in us.

PRAYER: Loving God for Your Word we are so thankful. We are blessed and we are joyful. Speak to our hearts and bring us all that we need, and let us bless others. This we pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Salvation! (Can We Say That?)

Image from http://addpastor.blogspot.com

Easter gives us permission to say that and more!

1 Peter 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I often say that we as United Methodists seldom use the word salvation because we are afraid of reprisals from the Baptists. Whatever the reason though, we do not share the concept of salvation as much as we should. The above graphic shows a Methodist camp meeting, where Methodist preachers and/or circuit riders, would gather as many people as would come and deliver a sermon on righteous living. And an invitation was given for people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This right relationship is salvation or whatever name you wish to call it. Salvation is what God does when we surrender to Him and turn over to Him our sins. God saves us from our sins. And God saves us to a life of abundant living (John 10:10).

The epistle reading for this week stresses that. We should give thanks to God for Jesus Christ. God's mercy was shown to us in the "new birth" (born again??) that led us into a "living hope" because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We were made heirs of that which is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." And those who believe this are being watched over and protected by God's power for this salvation that is coming at the last day. And this should bring us rejoicing in spite of what we are enduring or suffering at this moment.

Christ has invited us to a living faith that helps us with whatever the world may throw at us; hope in spite of unrest and doubt; joy in spite of great sorrows; peace in spite of turmoil; and love when it seems no one really cares. Yes, this is salvation/new birth living, and yes, we should be able to find it in all churches that profess Christ as Lord and Savior.

We may not physically see Jesus but we love Him; we may not see Him now, but we believe in Him, and all that serves to bring us unmeasurable joy as a result of our faith which began with our salvation. (v. 9).

Live a life that invites others to faith. Say the words that help build up people to a new hope. Pray the words that bless you into becoming a blessing for others.

PRAYER: Lord of all, help me to live the life that invites others to faith; grant me words of life affirmation especially around those who are about to give up on life. And help me become a person of faith that blesses You and Yours. In Christ Jesus' Holy Name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

While You Were Out, Jesus Came By!

Image from http://www.rodgerotero.com

Wrong Place at The Wrong Time?

We find this in John 19:19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

"You should have been here yesterday!" How often have we heard that about something or someone that we missed because we were a day late? "You just missed him!" That's another phrase we have heard, isn't it? "If only I had been here then!" Is one of regret when we realize our timing was terrible and we missed seeing or experiencing the important visit or event we wanted to see.

John's Gospel has the disciples believing in what Mary Magdalene has shared with the disciples. Remember they were locked up in the Upper Room filled with fear. Their doors were locked and their greatest fear was that the Jews would come for them next. It is the first day of the week and already evening and there Jesus appears to them. His greeting? "Peace be with you." And as scared as they were, He was able to show them his wounds as evidence that this dead man is now alive. Their fear subsides and turns to joy and again, Jesus says, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jesus is sharing evidence and a command for them. He then breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." And so, with the blessing of believing comes responsibility; Easter is not just about rejoicing, it is about going and continuing the work of Jesus Christ.

Yet, someone was missing. Thomas, then called the Twin, now called by some (forever) "Doubting Thomas," was not there. He is the one who did use the three opening statements about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We don't know where or what Thomas was doing, we just know that he missed Jesus' appearance. So, what's the first thing his fellow disciples say when he joins them? "We have seen the Lord!" His response is why he is called the Doubter, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." What are you really thinking, Thomas boy?

One week later, Jesus visits again, but this time Thomas is there. Jesus opens with His "Peace be with you" greeting and comes right to Thomas and offers him the request he had made; Here touch my wounds. And more strongly says to him, "Do not doubt but believe." Thomas makes a declaration of faith, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus says what can apply to me and you, "Don't believe just because you have seen; believe even with those who have not seen!"

Yesterday, Nellie, our four daughters and their families, and I worshipped with my dad at his church. It is like most churches filled with the elderly, but I saw Jesus. My dad has been in a wheelchair now for many years and the love and ownership of his fellow members, also elderly, and they way they help him out of his wheelchair onto his pew and later as he asked to go to the bathroom; I saw Jesus. As the sermon was being preached, my faith was being strengthened; I saw Jesus. And as the last song, one of my favorite, "He Lives," I saw a woman raising her hand joyously at the refrain. On the other side of the aisle a man joyously raising two hands; I saw Jesus. These, along with you and me, have not physically seen Jesus, but they, like us, believe. May Jesus be seen in us today and all days.

PRAYER: Father, take away my doubt and bring me to a deeper faith, not just in worship but outside of worship in the world, so that more may see Jesus in me and in those praying this prayer with me. We pray in His precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

He is Risen, Indeed!

Image from http://adifferentperspective.org

Hope is born anew in the Resurrection of the Lord!

From John 20: 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

What more can we add to the tremendous story that the Gospels tell? Jesus rose from the dead! Jesus conquered sin and death and gave to us new hope in the power and love of God.

The efforts of humanity to silence the One sent by God were themselves silenced by the awesome event of the Resurrection.

That shows to us that all that we face is temporal; they will pass away. God will have the last word and that word is good!

Happy Resurrection Day! Happy Easter!

Eradio Valverde

Sunday's Coming!

Image from Good Friday worship, St. Luke's UMC, Houston, TX.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

From Matthew 27: 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, "After three days I will rise again.' 64 Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, "He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." 65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." 66 So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Yesterday was a sad day for those who took to heart the pain and suffering of Jesus. If you were in church you may have heard great music and a short meditation on the significance of the day. Some preachers may have gone into more details of the day's painful events; but it's all painfully true. Jesus died. His body had to come down from the cross. And someone had to claim the body to bury it. Most modern prisons have their own cemeteries of those bodies whose families did not claim them. Sad way to die, but Jesus' body was claimed by a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea who wrapped the body in clean linen cloths and buried Jesus in his own tomb in a man-made cave which he secured with a great stone. The discussion among His enemies was not stopped by His death; this passage shows the same scoundrels, the chief priests and Pharisees going before Pilate to ask that Jesus' body be guarded. Notice they call Jesus an "imposter" who had predicted that in three days would rise again. Their fear, besides that He really might do it, was that His disciples might just come and get it out to create the illusion that He really did rise from the dead.

No one can secure a tomb strong enough to prevent God's power from coming in and breaking it loose with new life. And that is what we believe. We wait today for a glorious day of tomorrow when heaven and nature sing along with the Church that Christ the Lord is risen today. Victory is ours!

PRAYER: Lord God, You know what tombs have surrounded us and call to us; some of us have even entered them because of despair and fear, but break forth the great stones and bring new life to us and set us free! This we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

It Is Finished

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The Hope and Fears of All The Years...

Now is the day when Jesus died for you and me. From John 19: 1 Then Pilate had Jesus taken and whipped. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. 3 Over and over they went up to him and said, "Greetings, king of the Jews!" And they slapped him in the face. 4 Pilate came out of the palace again and said to the Jewish leaders, "Look! I'm bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no grounds for a charge against him." 5 When Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here's the man." 6 When the chief priests and their deputies saw him, they shouted out, "Crucify, crucify!" The soldiers took Jesus prisoner. 17 Carrying his cross by himself, he went out to a place called Skull Place (in Aramaic, Golgotha). 18 That's where they crucified him—and two others with him, one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a public notice written and posted on the cross. It read "Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews." 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. 28 After this, knowing that everything was already completed, in order to fulfill the scripture, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar full of sour wine was nearby, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, placed it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, "It is completed." Bowing his head, he gave up his life.

It should have been me on that cross, dying to pay for my own sins, but it was not me, it was Jesus. Since Jesus' death on the cross nothing nor no one has had to die for my sins. Jesus paid it all.

The hymn writer said it best, "On a hill far away, stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain."

PRAYER: God of life, this day reminds us again of the suffering and shame that Your Son endured for us. We can but only thank You for that great love shown in that way. We pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Make your life count because of today.

The Last Supper, for Now

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Maundy Thursday is Here

From Matthew 26: 17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 18 He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, "The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.' " 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. 20 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; 21 and while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." 22 And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, "Surely not I, Lord?" 23 He answered, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born." 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" He replied, "You have said so." 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." 30When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Saturday I shared with the Confirmands of our district how as a child when I first heard Maundy Thursday, I heard Monday Thursday. I thought an out of sequence week or what? How can it be Monday and Thursday? And what happened to Tuesday and Wednesday? The name refers to commandment and the new commandment that Jesus gave while celebrating the Last Supper. A new commandment I give you, that you love one another. Love is key and very present in the celebration of the Last Supper. God loved enough to give Jesus and Jesus loved enough to give Himself for us. Can we not give love to one another, no matter who the other is?

There was also an element of betrayal in the supper. Jesus knew this was His last night with the disciples and that one of them was to betray Him that night. The disciples upon hearing that question Jesus if it was them one by one. Even Judas. For Maundy Thursday as a pastor, I would set up two tables and twelve chairs around it. People were invited to come and sit at the tables. One year I made twelve cards of each disciple. I found the symbol of each and placed it on the card. I shared a little of the history and legend of each below the symbol and I turned each card face down before the people sat. The Judas card was marked and those assisting me were told not to give the Judas card to children. I shared Jesus' words about betrayal and how we still continue to betray or deny Jesus in our lives, and then I asked them to turn the cards face up. It was always an audible gasp for those receiving the Judas card. If not a gasp a look around as if to ask, You want to trade with me?

Jesus took the bread and broke it and said, "Take, eat, this is my body." A body soon to be given and broken like the bread. The sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, killed to pay for our sins.

He then took the cup, gave thanks and said, "Drink from this, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. I will never drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Within hours, Jesus' blood would flow from the cross, each drop precious with power to forgive and make new OUR lives.

Today is that day we associate with the first Last Supper and one that should be spent in God's house if possible, to truly share among believers our joy and pain for all that Jesus endured for our sake.

This is God's love for us in action.

PRAYER: Loving God, I know that I am not worthy of any of the things You offered through Christ Jesus for me, but because of Your great love You still invite me to sit at the same table as Jesus. What it represents does make me worthy and for that I am humbled and thankful. Be glorified in my life today is my prayer. In Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love

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While you're at it, get some for yourself!

This is Wednesday of Holy Week. Much was said by Jesus during this last week of his earthly life and I've chosen to highlight this passage from Matthew 22: 34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" 37 He said to him, " "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

If you grew up attending Sunday school, what stands out as the greatest teaching about God? This is basically what the Pharisees were asking Jesus, but with a malicious intent. They knew the Law and expected all people to know the Law as well. They knew this passage in their scriptures read that this was the great commandment, but so did Jesus and He shares it with them: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is first found in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 6, as part of the central teaching of the Jewish faith called The Shema. It is a great commandment because it focuses on God and our need to love God with all we have; our heart, our soul and our mind. Every aspect of our being must be filled with love for God because we know that God is filled with love for us. Yet, Jesus adds on to it something He read in Leviticus 19:18 as a commandment equally as important: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Then He adds, "These two commandments hold all the laws and the prophets together. And if we follow them, it might just hold us together, too.

We should love ourselves in a positive way. No with conceit or arrogance assuming a posture that we are better in any sense of the world than everybody else, but with the proper respect and gratitude for being who we are regardless of anything else. This assumes our knowing God made us and in the right light, e.g. God's, we are worthy of love. And with that love that we should have for ourselves we should love others, no exceptions. Think of bitter people, many of them at their core, do not love themselves. They criticize others, make fun of others maliciously, and all because they think they have been mocked and criticized as well, and it's usually in their own minds.

Keep it all together with love. Love God. Give Him all you got. Love yourself in a healthy, positive way. Apply that same love to those around you. No exceptions.

PRAYER: AWESOME GOD, we love you with all we have, and we pray You should help us love ourselves. Help us overlook negative thoughts about ourselves that others may have put in our thinking to know that You love us, warts and all. And with that same love, help us apply it to our neighbors who are everybody we see and know. We pray this in the One who loves us enough to die for us, Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prepare your hearts for worship tomorrow in the house of God where you attend.

Doing the Father's Will

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Tuesday of Holy Week in Jesus' Life

This is Tuesday in Jesus' last week on earth in His human form, and we read this in Matthew 21: 28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, "Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 He answered, "I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, "I go, sir'; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Jesus loved the temple. His desire was to pray and worship His Heavenly Father, but during the last year of His life every trip to the temple was an opportunity for the chief priests and scribes to trip or trap Him. Of all the lessons Jesus taught on this day we'll start with the one shared above, The Parable of Two Sons. Jesus wanted those who questioned His authority to be sure who among them was really doing the will of God; Them or Jesus?

The story is simple enough, a dad who owns a vineyard has two sons. He asks the first to go and work for him. The son gave a ready answer: No. Sound familiar in your household? It does in ours. Our grandson has learned the word no well. But in this case that son who has said no changes his mind and goes and works as requested in the first place. The father goes to the second son and says the same thing. This son, an obvious people please or at least a daddy pleaser says, "Sure! I'll go!" And does not. Which, asks Jesus, has done the will of his father? The answer is easy, the first one the chief priests and scribes reply. They must have patted themselves on the back until Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John (the Baptist) came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."

Some religious people love their religion so much they stopped hearing from God long ago. As has been shared in this devotional, the time of Jesus was a time when people had given up on God because of the religious people. But those who seek God and God's will can hear God and are led by God. Their hearts are open to all people, especially those hated by society and they reach out to them in love to get them into relationship with God. They matter to God is the message we like, John the Baptist, shared with them. John's message was one of righteousness and love, not condemnation. It did call for repentance but it also offered a way out of their sins.

Do you love God enough to love others who seem unloveable? Careful in your answer, because you might just be unloveable yourself to some.

PRAYER: In this sacred week Loving God, speak to me and let me hear honestly about myself. I seek to love You and Yours more than ever before. Help me to do Your will. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Monday in Jesus' Last Week

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Lessons About Faith

This is Monday in Holy Week. From Matthew 21:18 In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" 21 Jesus answered them, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, "Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done. 22 Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive." 23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24 Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, "From heaven,' he will say to us, "Why then did you not believe him?' 26But if we say, "Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

I learned to eat figs behind my church in Houston, Texas. El Buen Pastor UMC when located at the corner of 75th and Avenue K, had a large fig tree behind it. It grew some delicious figs and it never occurred to me that this would be a teaching tree for me. I learned how the leaves of that tree would make the teaching in Genesis come to life when God saw that Adam and Eve had made for themselves sand paper underwear. The leaves of the fig tree are very soft on one side but sandpaper rough on the other. And today's lesson about Jesus being hungry and finding a fig tree with nothing on it but leaves made me long for that tree myself. We see Jesus' humanity come out as he says to the tree in anger, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" The gospel records that the tree withered immediately. The disciples were amazed at Jesus' power and authority to do this and talked about it. Jesus answered them and said this about faith: "If you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to this fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done. Whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive."

Probably your problems and challenges, like mine, do not involve barren fig trees. You face bigger obstacles in your life that are depending on your faith in Jesus to overcome. That verse about praying with faith and receiving what we need is true. Sadly, so many times we will pray after we have tried our own remedies or those of friends, leaving our asking God for help for the very last. But God understands and God still replies and provides that which we need the most. The next part of today's story involves the asking of Jesus' authority in all the things He was doing and saying. The chief priests and elders were still trying to trap Jesus and Jesus asks them a question: "Did the baptism of John come from heaven or of human origin?" These holy men did not know the answer and said, "We don't know." And Jesus said to them, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

May our faith be bigger and stronger than to question the why behind what we ask and what we receive. May we always know the love behind the answer of God to our prayers, for that is the greatest authority there is. We may not receive exactly what we asked, but God was still with us and loved us in all things.

PRAYER: Lord, on this Monday of Holy Week, speak to our hearts. Grant us time and strength for prayer and grant us faith strong enough to receive awesome and wonderful things from You. This I pray in He who died for me, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed Holy Week in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Eradio Valverde

No Longer Business As Usual (In The Temple)

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House of Prayer Trumps House of Money-Makers

From Matthew 11:12 Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 He said to them, "It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a den of robbers." 14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry 16 and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself'?" 17 He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

The same day as the Triumphant Entry into the Temple by Jesus, we find this passage that shares what happened next; Jesus enters the Temple and drives "out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves." Quite a racket going on in the temple. Business was good. With the emphasis by the religious rulers on the Don't List of the Law, people flocked to the temple to pay for their sins. There were animals to buy and money to be changed (We can't put a $20 bill in the plate, give me four-5's!"). And these, and the temple leaders were making money from the people's sinfulness and willingness to offer a sacrifice to be "forgiven" of their sins. You can imagine this to be quite troubling for the Son of God. Besides the odors one can imagine with all the livestock in the church, the attitude was what angered Jesus the most. The temple, the crowning architectural triumph of Jerusalem, built as a house for God, is now a flea market of sort. Jesus' words reflect the truth: "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a den of robbers."

The second event of that day was the healing of the blind and lame in the presence of the chief priests and scribes. Add to this, children still giddy from the parade were still shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Not pleasing to the religious leadership. So, they become angry. Jesus asks, "Have you never heard, 'Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise of yourself'?" He leaves them and goes to Bethany to spend the night there.

Jesus set the stage for what really mattered in this life, and that was a right relationship with God. The sacrifice of animals had for so long had its place in the religious life of Israel, but they had wandered away again from the love of God as expressed in the Law. God's purpose in sending Jesus was to restore that relationship with you and me. He wanted our hearts cleansed, like the temple, to become places of prayer. Jesus wants our illnesses and infirmities healed, like those praying for such in the temple. And Jesus wanted all of us, like those children and babies to have our mouths filled with God's praise.

Jesus is a man of action and fulfillment. His mission on earth was to make all things right between God and ourselves, and He did whatever it took to keep pointing back and up towards God. Our response is to believe and to allow Christ to be at work in us. Our hearts should be cleansed by Him, our lives made whole by Him, and our attitude be always one of praise.

PRAYER: Holy God, may my life become what Jesus meant it to be. Cleanse me. Heal me. Mold me and Use me to be one who praises You all the time. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Open The Gates of Righteousness & Give Thanks!

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Yet Another Look at Palm Sunday and Us

The Psalmist continues what he shares in Psalm 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Palm Sunday is not just an event that happened over 2,000 years ago. It's an event that happens every day, when we do what was shared prophetically by the psalmist. Jesus comes and we have the choice of opening up the gates of our life to Him or to let Him stand patiently there while we think we are living our lives in a good way. Looking at it in another way God offers us a gate through which to enter. Entering in results in that right relationship that God has always desired with you and me. If we open the gates of our heart to Jesus, Jesus enters and shares with us an abundant life, with Jesus becoming the cornerstone of our lives. All of this is God's working in our midst; what a marvelous event it is!

Too often we take the spectator position in all things biblical and Godly. We think we're safe on the sidelines watching or along a parade route from the best possible place to view it. But our invitation is to be in the midst of the action that God is doing on our behalf. When one of our daughters was in middle school she was in the marching band and as parents were recruited to march along the streets in a parade, yours truly signed up. What a different view of a parade! You see all the marchers before it even starts, you get a close up view of the floats, and you see the horses that the sheriff's posse always ride. Then the parade starts and you march alongside the band and you hear friends call to you, trying to make you laugh and you do. But you keep marching and feel the thrill of hearing the song by the band in its entirety not wishing they would stop and play it right in front of you. You march along to the music and you hear the whole song.

Marching with Jesus allows us to hear the whole song. We're not denied bits and pieces of great music, we're in the entire performance. Imagine the feeling of the Disciples who marched behind Jesus not fully sure of what was going on but realizing it was going to be something great. The same is true for us. As we walk with Jesus we may not know who'll be along the route or what awaits us when we get to certain places, but Jesus is with us and with Him by our side, all will be well.

PRAYER: Lord, let me joyfully and thankfully walk alongside You. You know my needs and pains and yet You invite me to Your side. Bless me to be a blessing; this I pray in Thy Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God's Love Endures Forever!

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Palm Sunday Sets The Stage for Christ's Love To Be Shown

The Psalmist sang this from Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."

Some churches focus more on the Passion of Christ on this Sunday so the Lectionary shares only two passages for Palm Sunday. The only problem I have with celebrating the Passion so early is that we miss out on the events of this last week of Jesus' earthly life in human form, Maundy Thursday, and a gathering together in God's house for Good Friday. But for our study today and the rest of this week we'll have sufficient to study. What better way to continue with the themes of Palm Sunday than to celebrate the love of God? The psalmist said we should give thanks to God because God is good. The back and forth in our churches goes: God is good! The congregation responds, "All the time!" The pastor then asks, "And all the time?" The people answer, "God is good!" Amen. The goodness of God cannot be measured on whether you and I have received what we wanted from God. God in God's goodness knows what we need and the prayer comes back sounding and looking a lot like a No. The psalmist and we should, have the faith to say even in spite of what we still believe we need, God is good. The parade on that day brought Israel's attention back to God. Jesus came at the right time when the attention had shifted away from God and back to the people. The established religion was concerned only with the negative side of the Law and people just gave up on knowing God and the love of God. For Jesus to enter into Jerusalem was for the people to know and to declare, God is good and God's love endures forever!

Think about it, as crowded as Jerusalem was that day, word quickly spread about this itinerant rabbit whose words and works were getting well-known, and that he was approaching Jerusalem. Somehow the people knew that perhaps this was indeed the coming of the expected Messiah, but their focus and shift was more on the temporal and political than on the spiritual, but still the parade forms and the crowds welcome Jesus with their hosannas.

Ours is not a personal needs based faith. Ours is a God-based faith, where God comes first and we worship and praise Him. But as we come to know and love God we know that God provides His love to us always and along with that love comes the provisions for our lives as we have need. We learn also that we should care for one another, letting all loving share what God has given with us and in turn that pleases God to know that we love one another. The parade can keep happening as we surrender ourselves to God and join the crowds in shouting, "His love endures forever!"

PRAYER: May I join those who shout to You, Your love endures forever! I sing this and pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and holy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Parade Before Passion

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Triumphant Entry, But Not Into All Hearts

Sunday's Palm Sunday Gospel Lesson from Matthew 21: 1 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately." 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

This coming Sunday is when most churches will hand out palm fronds either to all who gather or just to children. Some churches will use children to process in with the pastor and choir. Some churches make the congregants wait outside with palm branches until all can process in as worship begins. Whatever is done is done to mark the event this passage shares with us; the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

It was all orchestrated carefully, plans had been made and prophecies fulfilled, that to Zion "would come a king, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." And this is what happened, Jesus secured a donkey and a colt and in rode Jesus to the pleasure of the crowd who spread their cloak and cut palm branches on the road. They yelled, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

It sounds much like what happens in churches most Sundays, and the result is usually the same. We have a great Sunday, we worship and praise God, we sing and pray. We receive the benediction and we leave as if the benediction was our permission to leave all the holy stuff there at church and it's business as usual in our lives. That is unless something in church bothered us and we feel the need to correct it or complain about it.

The same people who are shouting Hosannas on Sunday by Friday were shouting, "Crucify Him!" Having been in the presence of the king, also known as The Messiah, did not change their perspectives or hearts. Many of us think, Had we known who he really was or was to become, we would have acted differently. When I was in seminary in Dallas, I would visit and shop at a mall that is now closed and I believe demolished. It had everything in it, including bookstores. Yes, in a land before Kindle. This one particular day I walked by the mall's bookstore and at a table ladened with books sat the author, all alone. I read his name, Gary Larson and just smiled at him and walked away. Later, I would become a big fan of The Far Side, hilarious cartoons by this man, who it happened was selling his first collection of those at that bookstore. Earlier, while in college, a concert that was to be held right next door to the college in the armory, was billed as a 50¢ Pillow Concert by a band whom I did not yet know. I needed to study so I did not attend. The band? ZZ Top.

Friends, every time we pray or worship, we are so close to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, yet we sometimes forget that and walk away without knowing what a blessing is ours if we just realize and rejoice in the precious peace and power that is ours in those moments. The same happened that Sunday. Everything had fallen into place and all the crowd had to do was to believe and they would have been blessed. They had seen the King of Kings and Lord of Lords come into their city, what a difference in their lives had they allowed Him to come into their heart and lives.

For many still, Jesus is "out there" beyond reach. John Wesley's answer on that ship when asked if he knew Jesus replied, "I know Him to be the savior of the world." The counter-question, "Don't you know Him to be your savior?" Wesley had to, sadly, answer no. Friends, don't keep Jesus out there, bring Jesus in here, into your heart and into your life. The results become so much better, and life becomes abundant.

PRAYER: Loving God, don't let me rain on the parade meant for me. Let Jesus march right into my heart and life not just on Palm Sunday, but all days. This I pray in His precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Watching and Waiting for Morning (Not Fridays)

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Attitudes and Gratitudes Towards God's Gifts

The Psalmist wrote these words in Psalm 130: 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. 8 It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

There are days when I cannot wait for that day to end. There are weeks when I do look forward to a camel coming in on a Wednesday and asking me what day it is; but for those rooted firmly in God, like David, we should know to wait for the Lord even "more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning."

This is a psalm about hope especially for those who journey daily with God. It speaks to those times when we feel we've reached rock bottom and there's nowhere else to go. We can, out of our desperation, call upon God. God will listen and God will answer. We sometimes don't pray because we think our account with God is filled with a record of our sins and to ask for anything would pop that account; not so, God forgives us all things. Not so! Keep praying! Hear that again: God forgives us all things!

We should wait for God. Nellie and I saw a wonderful movie two nights ago, "God's Not Dead," which really address faith and those who sometimes think that God isn't listening or caring for us. I highly recommend you see that movie. Our soul should wait for the Lord even more than those, who in those days were the guards of the city whose job it was to wait for morning. Morning Watch was what that detail was called and later, at Mt. Wesley youth camps, our days would start with Morning Watch, for we knew that a day started with the Lord would be a great day. God has the power to overcome whatever is troubling and holding us back.

PRAYER: Thank You, Loving God, for forgiving us our sins and for staying with us. Help us especially during those times when we feel we have reached the bottom and lift us up. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God is the God of Life, Even Among Dry Bones!

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"Your friend's not dead; he's mostly dead!"

What a story we find in Ezekiel 37:1The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord."

In one of my favorite movies, "The Princess Bride," the hero of the movie is tortured beyond hope of life and his limp body is brought to a healer who is helping all who loved the man to have some hope and says the line I quoted above, "Your friend's is not dead; he's only mostly dead." But in this story the valley is full of dry bones, skeletons bleached by the sun. It is a picture of hopelessness and finality. The Lord places the prophet there and asks him, 'Mortal, can these bones live?" The prophet shares what a scared prophet can, "O Lord God, you know." Then God says speak truth to these bones and invite them to hear the word of God and if you do, "I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." The prophet may have thought, "I've preached to some dead crowds before, but this is the worst!" Yet, he obeyed and preached God's word to them, and just as God said would happen, the bones began to transform into what God had said and they had sinews and flesh, and soon skin, but there was no breath in them. Then God orders the prophet to speak again commanding breath to come into them and he obeyed and just as was told would happen, the bodies came to life.

This was a vision of how low the people of Israel had gotten because of their lack of relationship with God. Life got the best of them and they spiritually withered away and great hopelessness came upon them. Yet God is a God of life Who can come into the most hopeless of situations and speak a word of life and re-make us and all who need, completely new. It matters not what we've done or what we're facing, our God is a God of life! God is a God of eternity and why would we think to limit His powers in our needs or challenges?

Friends, we have a God we can rely on even in the most challenging and troubling of times; why do we seek to live without hope or joy if we have such a God? Ours should be a decision to cry to the Lord and expect God to do wonderful things among us and through us.

PRAYER: Loving God, speak to that which is dying in me, be it hope or faith, and make it completely new. While you're at me, make me completely new as well, my heart, my soul, my mind and my body. I seek to glorify You with all my being. This I pray in Jesus' holy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

P.S. Prayer Request: For Mr. José Refugio Garcia, father of my son-in-law, Jorge, undergoing open-heart surgery in McAllen. The doctors fear a small chance of survival because of the damage the heart has under gone. His surgery is at 7 a.m.

Traveling mercies for the youth of our conference traveling to Corpus Christi for a Worship Event being held at St. John's UMC. May God's Holy Spirit bless those attending with new life and hope!

A Spirit Led Life of Peace

Photo by Eradio Valverde of the mill at San José Mission, San Antonio, TX

The Alternative is Close to Death

We read in Romans 8: 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

"Obsession with self" is the way The Message version of the Bible begins this text, and that's a good way to interpret this text. To be completely self-centered and self-serving does no one any good, and many times not even ourselves. There is more beyond ourselves, starting with the things of God, on these things think. Paul's instructions to the believers in Rome bless believers all over the world; a life lived centered only on one's self serves no good purpose. Our lives as believers should be centered on Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul knows, as should you and I, that a mind set on ourselves is hostile to God; it will seek only those things that bless the self, not God. There is hostility in that mind towards God. God's way is a way of serving and caring for others. God's way is a way of peace. God's way is a way led by the Spirit. And as Paul knows, believers should have the Spirit of God dwelling in us.

It's our choice and decision and it should be our prayer life, to seek to live as God intended and we will have a life of peace. (See my post at http://lentenjourney40words.blogspot.com/2014/04/lenten-word-25-peace.html for a discussion on peace). This peace comes from the God "who raised Christ from the dead" and God "will give life to (our) mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwells in (us)." (v. 11).

We know a better way to live.

PRAYER: God of life and peace, grant to us the direction that leads to this life of peace. Remove from our minds any hostility that may be there against You or Yours. Help me to bless others. This is my prayer, in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Glorious Hope of Resurrection, Part III

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Jesus Defeated Sin and Death for Our Sake!

From John 11: 38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Jesus was fully human and fully divine. The human side came out of Jesus in several of His actions. We will see anger at what was going on in the Temple after Palm Sunday, we saw Him crying at Lazarus' tomb, and today we see that the writer says that "Jesus (was) again greatly disturbed" as he approached the tomb. Lazarus had been a friend to Jesus as had Lazarus' two sisters and we see the heaviness of the death of a loved one. It was the custom to bury those whom they could in tombs and usually a heavy stone was placed at the entrance; this Jesus ordered removed. Martha, ever the practical one tells Jesus that there is already a smell from the four days that her brother had been dead. Jesus counters with His reminder that she would see the glory of God. The stone is removed, Jesus looks upward, and in His custom, prayed. "Father, I thank You for having heard me. I knew that You always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." Jesus shared all with God, as should we. Jesus probably prayed this prayer with tears and in private about Lazarus' death, for Jesus knew the impact that death can have on us. Then, to the shock of those standing near, Jesus yells, "Lazarus, come out!" I don't know about you but I would have been a little frightened at the thought that a dead man can rise up again. But this was to glorify God and we then read that Lazarus did come out just as he had been placed in the tomb, bandaged in funeral tradition for the time, strips of cloth on his hands and feet and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus orders Lazarus released and for them to "let him go." It was at that moment that many came to believe in Jesus.

The resurrection of Lazarus was setting the stage for Jesus' own death and resurrection. Jesus wanted the 12 to see and experience this miracle for soon (John 14), He would sharing details of His suffering and death. Jesus wanted the disciples and all who witnessed it to know the glory and power of God. Death was not the end for those who die in Him, nor is it the end for Jesus. This preview was a thing of power and purpose, serving to make stronger the faith of the disciples. This is a miracle, no question about it. There is no way to explain it other than to say God was behind it. Miracles are wonderful, usually unexpected blessings that come without explanation, to be enjoyed and to be more of a reason we worship and praise God. Some are earth-shattering like this one or they're small, private ones that not to many are aware about, nor should they be, for sometimes they come only for our sake. Who knows, the fact you awoke today is a miracle yet not explained. A phone call you may get later today will perhaps bring a miracle to a relationship you had been praying about. An unexpected email from someone you needed to hear from may prove to be a miracle. It's all a matter of perspective and whether you believe you need a miracle or not, God provided His Word to share what God has done in the past and as a clue to what God is, and can do, for you and me.

PRAYER: Loving God, author of life and provider of unexplained blessings, pour out Your love and grace on this dear reader. Bless her/his life in whatever they face and let them come to a deeper joy because of You. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

What Do You Tell The Grieving? Part II

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Jesus Visits Martha and Mary after Funeral of Lazarus

From John 11: 17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." 28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

You and I have probably said, "I don't like visiting the family of a friend or loved one who have lost them to death, because I don't know what to say!" I have said that to God in prayer, and we discussed that in seminary as well. Believe it or not, that's a normal thought and normal feeling. The response I have heard and you probably have heard, is to just be there. Your presence is a blessing in and of itself. Wise words are no match for your caring and loving enough to be with the family. I will never forget during my first year in seminary hearing a respected, older classmate share with us how the previous night as an intern chaplain at Parkland Hospital, he had to be with a Baptist minister whose wife had shot herself and committed suicide. The doctors came to tell him they could not save her and the pastor shared how all he could do was cry with the man. That was pastoral care in my opinion, that minister had someone to cry with as he tried to make sense of this tragic act and his senseless loss. What we should NOT say can be complied in a long list; God needed her more, God has a garden and He needed one more flower, It was God's will... etc. Those statements, though you may mean well, serve to only hurt beyond repair. "I don't know why this happened," says more and cares more.

Jesus arrived in Bethany after Lazarus' funeral. He was four days late. He found a household of mourners who came to console Martha and Mary on the loss of their brother. News of Jesus' arrival makes Martha get up and run towards Jesus; Mary stayed home. The words shared by Martha are those we have shared with Him as well; "Jesus, where were you?" Her words say it all for the grieving, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of Him." We have prayed that; we have cried that. Jesus shares what we should know and should share; "Your brother will rise again." Martha knew this from her religious training so she says she knows about the resurrection on the last day, but Jesus shares the Christian truth and hope: "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Her response was Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One the world has been expecting. Her response was of faith. I worry that this message of faith shared by Jesus is not being shared enough in funeral services. I have sat through a highlights of goodness of the deceased, and we smile and laugh and think what a great guy that was, but we do not hear the message of Jesus: Resurrection and Life. The promises of a heaven prepared for us as Jesus would later share in John 14. Eulogies should not take the place of sermons in the funeral service; Jesus is to be worshiped and glorified for all that He has, can, and will do for us. Then, more people will know as Martha, what to say.

Jesus then meets Mary, the more spiritual of the two sisters. She gets up when Martha said, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." The mourners think Mary is going back to the tomb to weep some more and they follow her. Guess what Mary shares with Jesus? The very same thing Martha did, and what you and I have said, "Jesus, where were you? Why did you not answer my prayer as I asked?" Jesus does not reply to her but asks to see the tomb and when he sees the grief on the sisters and the mourners, Jesus wept. Yes, that famous, save-me-I-need-a-Bible-verse-from-memory-saver! John 11:35 (in another version): Jesus wept. And those who saw it said two things, Wow, Jesus really loved him, and Couldn't He that opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?

Yes, Jesus loves me, and yes, Jesus loves you. Yes, Jesus loves the dying and those who mourn. But beyond love comes life as shared by He who overcame sin and death. If you're facing the coming death of a loved one who is ill, do not stop showing love. And as you love that person share with them the hope that is ours because of Jesus Christ; Jesus is the resurrection, and Jesus is life. Stay tuned tomorrow, for wonders will never cease!

PRAYER: Loving God of love and life, speak to the hearts of those at the side of loved ones who are sick and dying. Speak love and hope and the promise of life through those who witness to You. Help us know that this season of Lent has been about our own mortality and how we should celebrate Your power in the midst of our weakness. We pray in the name of He who saved us, Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde