Keep Christ in Your Heart

On behalf of Nellie and the entire Valverde family, we wish you a most Merry Christmas and a Joyous and Prosperous New Year!

We will be on vacation these next two weeks and so your devotional time should continue. I recommend The Upper Room which you can find free at devotional.upperroom.org. Remember it's not about keeping Christ in Christmas, it's about keeping Christ in your heart; that way, every day is a Christ-centered day.

Please be safe in your travels and visits; may times with family, loved ones, and friends be Christ-centered as well.

Love to you all!

Eradio Valverde

There Can Be No Darkness Where God Is

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Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,    you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth     before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might,    and come to save us! Restore us, O God;    let your face shine, that we may be saved. O Lord God of hosts,    how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?  You have fed them with the bread of tears,    and given them tears to drink in full measure.  You make us the scorn of our neighbours;    our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts;    let your face shine, that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:1-7)

Early in my career, I came to appreciate those people whose lives shined brightly.  One of them was in a dingy nursing home, and though initially I feared entering this home, as I entered her room, her smile, her words shone brightly like a light in a dark place.  Her attitude and spirit had beens shaped by God and she blessed all who visited her.  Others have been ushers in the churches I served, Sunday school teachers, officers, volunteers, friends, and I count some minister among those.  These people know that if invited, God will shine brightly in all situations, and they can't help but reflect that same brightness to those around them.

The psalmist knew this about God as well.  He knew God as shepherd, one who loving leads His flock.  He knew God's holiness, seated above the presence of angels.  And he knew God to shine brightly before all who come into HIs presence.  He knew God's power and ability, and desire, to save and restore; and this is what he clamors for:  restoration and salvation.  Even while confessing his situation had been the source of many tears and mourning, ridicule and scorn, his faith said there was restoration, salvation, and light coming his way if he would but ask.

Advent is a time of deep reflection.  Your reflection may have shown you to be in an area or phase of deep need.  You too may have cried more than your share of tears, but hear again what the psalmist knew and make it your own experience; God is an awesome God and can bring to us exactly what we need if we but humble ourselves before Him and ask.

PRAYER:  Loving God, to this dear reader and me, bring us to the place where we need to be.  Help us to be the people who shine brightly the message of love and peace, restoration and salvation.  This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God Will Give Us a Sign

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Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. (Isaiah 7:10-16)

The word weary today may come from those tired from shopping or tired of the traffic around shopping centers.  You can ask me about traffic, as this past weekend we left San Antonio to attend a school program in Houston, then we drove to San Marcos to pick up our dog, Wesley, and then drove straight home.  Yesterday, we drove from Corpus Christi to San Antonio to check into our hotel for our cabinet meeting, drove on to Austin to attend another school program at a school off Hwy 360 past Barton Creek mall.  After the program back to SA.  If you see me today, weary will be written across my forehead.

In the time of Isaiah, the house of David (the government) was making the people of Israel weary with the worries of war with not just one king, but against two kings.  The Lord asks Ahaz to ask for a sign to help remedy the weariness he was feeling and sharing with his people, and he refuses, claiming not wanting "to put the Lord to the test."  So, the prophet speaks for the Lord and shares this Advent message:  "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign.  Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name Him Immanuel."  Ahaz knew that this meant, "God is with us."  And so, though he wanted to not trouble the Lord, the shares a message of hope.  Hope defeats weariness.  And God defeats weariness.  That's a message of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus; no matter what we may be feeling or facing, reach out to the God who has already reached out to us and take His hand and receive hope!

PRAYER:  Loving God, I take hope and strength from You.  I ask that You defeat the things causing me to feel worried or wearied.  And help me to share the good news with all who would hear:  You have acted on our behalf.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Set Apart for the Gospel

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Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7)

As I started ministry there were no personal computers.  I was blessed to have married a woman who owned a personal portable ELECTRIC typewriter!  I had been blessed by my parents in that they bought me a Sears portable manual typewriter, which got me through college and university years, and the first years of seminary.  But, for the last year, being a husband and co-owner of a Smith-Corona ELECTRIC typewriter, I produced some neat-looking papers.  I'm not going to vouch for the content, but let's just say it got me good marks on my transcript.  At my first church I had access to the ancient, huge whatever-the-opposite-of-state-of-the-art typewriter.  It was electric and would hum loudly and make the old steel government issue desk shake as I typed.  I was able to place our first born daughter on it when I would take her to work in her carryall, and I would place her on the desk, turn on the typewriter and she would fall fast asleep.  To use the typewriter meant I either had to produce the coming Sunday's bulletin, or answer correspondence.  I loved having access to the file cabinet with letters sent and received by predecessors of that church.  I especially loved reading the Spanish letters sent by The Rev. Dan Garcia.  Dan knew, probably through raiding his own file cabinets in his churches, how to write the best letters.  And I suspect that someone in that chain early on copied the Apostle Paul, who is the master of salutations.  

In this passage he begins like in most, identifying himself and explaining his calling.  In this particular one he says a truth about those who seek to serve God; "set apart for the gospel of God."  Many a theological class and Bible interpretation class were devoted to understanding that passage.  Many a candidate for ministry has stumbled in his or her explanation of their call when asked what makes them truly "set apart."  Paul would say that part of our identity depends on knowing that who we are and what we are called to do is way different from those who are not.  Being set apart, in Paul's life and example, means taking one's call very seriously, and is a never-ending process of sanctification; being made holy by following and practicing spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, study of scripture, worship, participating in the sacraments; all as a realization that the closer we get to God the more we will need God's love, comfort, joy, and peace.  Talk, better yet, pray for a minister about to close a stewardship campaign or evangelism week.  She or he will say that they are thankful they are close to God because some folks are not and do their best to try and separate us from what little holiness we may have.

"Grace and apostleship" is what we have received through our relationship with Jesus, and that's exactly what we need to share with others.  Obedience is another trait that shows we are truly set apart; all for the sake of Jesus' name and ministry in the world.  Our is a mission to share God's grace and peace with all.

PRAYER:  Loving God, as we start this day I ask to be set apart by You and ask for the strength to do what blesses You and Yours as I seek to be made strong in my faith and faithful in my service to You.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Emmanuel: God is With Us!

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Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)

I have a dear friend who is a faithful reader of this devotional, but every so often she will email me and exclaim, "I don't know how I did it, but I no longer get your devotional!"  This poses a slight problem for me as the group's moderator, because with this email server if you unsubscribe, I can no longer add you on myself; you must re-subscribe for you to receive these again.  We can understand the policy, this server does not want to be a provider of spam, which is unwanted emails.  If you want to be with us, you must choose.  The passage is about God wanting to be with us, and the manner in which God took action during this season of Advent; God chose an honorable, Godly woman and place His child in her and visited her intended to share the news to convince him of his duty and role in this wonderful plan for humanity.  And, to show how this would be a fulfillment of ancient prophecy: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means, 'God is with us."  Joseph's obedience to this dream and to his role as Jesus' earthly father made possible the salvation of humanity.

The better question:  Are you with God?  Joseph had to decide, "Yes, I am with You, Lord," as do we.  Every day we are given opportunities to say yes to God and God's plan and purpose of our lives.  Every time we say yes, we bless God's work and we end up blessing ourselves.  

Say yes to God today.  And all days.

PRAYER:  Loving God, we celebrate You and Your involvement with us.  As we continue these days of preparation for Jesus' celebration of His first arrival, help me to say yes again and again to You and Your plans for me.  I want to be faithful and fruitful.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God's In Charge - Always! Praise God!

Hallelujah! O my soul, praise God! All my life long I'll praise God, singing songs to my God as long as I live. Don't put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life. Mere humans don't have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them. Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing! God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. He always does what he says - he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners - he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen. protects strangers, takes the side of orphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked. God's in charge - always. Zion's God is God for good! Hallelujah! (Psalm 146)

What do you do the first thing out of bed?  Your answer may determine the tone you set for the rest of your day.  If you wake up with a negative attitude or an anger comes to mind, your day may be shot.  If you begin your to--to list before you put on your slippers, you're already walking on negative ground.  But, if you wake up and think of a praise song or a hymn, or you wake up mentally praying your thanks or your dependence on God, your day stands a better chance of being a great day.  The psalmist seems to get out of bed with verse one on his mind:  "Hallelujah!  O my sou, praise God!"  Wow, if I would get out of bed with that praise, I'm already up the path of a glorious day!

Advent is a season of praise.  Everything we do at church in worship or at work, or at home, should reflect the praise we have in our souls for our loving God.  We should be people influencing other people with positive thoughts about God and God's goodness, not the other way around.  Sadly, that's what usually happens - others set the tone for us, and that rarely works out for good.  Be the power plug in your work group.  Be the thermostat that sets the tone for your home, and people will warm up to the glow of God in your life.

PRAYER:  Loving God, may my life be one of praise.  I love You so much that I want the glow from You to reflect off of me onto my loved ones and my work pals and those who see me.  Let them say, "I want what you have," because of what I do have, the peace that passes all understanding and has set my tongue to Praise Mode.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God Will Come to Save You!

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,    the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,    and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord,    the majesty of our God.  Strengthen the weak hands,    and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who are of a fearful heart,    ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.    He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.    He will come and save you.’  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then the lame shall leap like a deer,    and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,    and streams in the desert;  the burning sand shall become a pool,    and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.  A highway shall be there,    and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it,    but it shall be for God’s people;    no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.  No lion shall be there,    nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there,    but the redeemed shall walk there.  And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,    and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;    they shall obtain joy and gladness,    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:1-10)

The coming of the Lord will mean a new world, with a new order of things.  The expected will no longer be welcomed.  The same will no longer be tolerated.  The barren will be fruitful.  The sad will be joyful.  The secular will give way to the sacred.  Such is the message of the prophet for the people of faith:  God has done, and will continue doing, a great thing.  Such is the message of Advent.  Christ's first coming has brought these things and many more to the lives of those who have received Him and live in a relationship with Him.  New converts are daily receiving these manifold blessings; but the day is coming when ALL will see just what God has had in store for the world.

God has a role in all of this and so do we.  Notice the second part of this reading; we are to help the weak and be proclaimers of a new message, "Be strong, do not fear!"  We can point to our lives and the way we have been transformed and to those being transformed around us; God is a saving God!  Salvation has brought new sight to the blind; people are seeing the hand of God at work in the world.  The deaf now hear things they had never before stopped to hear.  The lame are now active, leaping at chances to serve God, and the once quiet are now singing for joy in loud voices.  Areas of drought are now awash with God's grace, new life is present where once there was nothing.  This is God at work.  And this is us working alongside Him.

Tell somebody the Good News:  God is now here and at work, join us!

PRAYER:  Loving God, thank You for the joy that is ours.  May our lips and limbs proclaim the Good News.  Use us to bring others to the place where You need all of us to be.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God Gives Us Strength and Peace

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (James 5:7-10)

The bumper sticker sums up how many of us feel:  God, I want patience and I want it NOW!  Does that describe you?  Advent is a season of patience.  Imagine how your children or grandchildren feel about the coming of Christmas.  Nellie and I have grandchildren of the age who are "working on their wish list."  They go online and decide which toy they want us and their aunts and uncles to get for them.  Remember laying on the floor with your siblings fighting page by page over the Sears catalog?  If you do, you're old like me! ;)  

Patience is what distinguishes farmers from weekend growers like me.  A farmer knows to wait for the right time for the right step in the cultivation and growth of his/her crop.  We must have patience like them.  We also must have strong hearts for the coming of the Lord.  Our strength comes from the Lord through our daily practice of reading the Bible, praying, reading this devotional, telling others about this devotional, worship, singing and helping others.  And strength and peace also come with our being in peace with each other.  Indeed, as the writer says, "The judge is standing at the doors," meaning that the Lord watches our every action and thought; how better for Him to see us than people of long suffering and patience, just like those ancient prophets of God.

PRAYER:  Loving God, fill me with Your strength and peace.  As I open the catalog of today, help me choose wisely that gift that will bless You and Yours.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Questions We Ask During Times of Struggles

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When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.” Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:2-11)

Advent is a time to reinforce our faith in Jesus Christ.  Each sermon, thought, study, talk, etc. related to Advent should remind us why we needed Jesus in the first place; why we need Him now, and why we need Him to come back for us.  Times of struggle and testing are those times doubt becomes a close friend, and quite frankly doubt is healthy if it leads us back to Jesus in a stronger way.  Such was the case with John the Baptist.  He served God and did all that God expected of him and yet, when found in a prison cell awaiting certain death, he wondered, "Is Jesus really who we think He is?" and has his disciples to ask Jesus.  Jesus responds with what we need to hear as well:  Jesus came to fulfill God's word.  He helped the blind to see, as scripture had foretold, the lame could walk, again a fulfillment of scripture; the lepers were made clean, deaf could hear, the dead raised from the dead, and good news shared with the poor; uh, yes, this is the One!  Jesus did not judge John for this time of weakness, nor will He judge us, for He understands all things even things we do not understand and His mercy far exceeds any comprehension of what we could possibly have, sinners that we are.

I highly recommend the movie "The Letters" about Mother Theresa of Calcutta, for it deals honestly with her life and work, and how she came to have great doubt towards the end of her life about whether she had done the right thing.  It's easier for outside parties to tell us about our work, for we are harsh judges of ourselves.  We struggle to forgive ourselves and to accept the grace and forgiveness Christ gives to us.  The message is to keep on keeping on, a 60s expression that sums up our need to continue forward with our work and faith.  Those times of doubt and sad reflection should pale to what we need Jesus will tell us one day:  "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Is Jesus the One?  You decide.

PRAYER:  Loving God, thank You for Jesus and His work and word.  Bless us with strength of faith and character as we seek to continue to be His servants in a world that could care less.  Make us care more and lift our spirits when we think we can care no longer.  This we need and pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde