Tuesday, February 28, 2017

One Man, Jesus Christ

Image from ubdavid.org

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned—sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12-19)

Tomorrow we begin the observation of Lent.  Forty days of preparation, and for many, fasting of some sort, to help us more fully understand the passion and death of Jesus Christ.  The focus  of Lent is on our sins, and the need we have to rid ourselves of sin.  This passage explains the idea of the first man, Adam, designed to be God's faithful and obedient creature, failed and because the model of all humans, who are prone to disobedience, and thus, sin; while the person of Jesus Christ, was that one man sent to bring us back to the right relationship with God.  Adam introduced death.  Christ introduced eternal life.  And it is our choice to enter into relationship with God through Jesus Christ or continue on the merry way we may be on, caring for nothing.  My prayer, and the prayers of many who love you, would be for you to choose Jesus as Lord and Savior, and reject your sins, ask forgiveness of those sins, and come to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:  Loving God, as Lent approaches, let us approach your throne of glory and grace.  Help me to be rid of my sins, I confess again that I stand in need of forgiveness, and accept the pardon You freely give.  My desire is to be in a loving relationship with You; be my Lord and Savior, and help me glorify You in all things.  This I pray in Christ Jesus my savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Request:  The Rev. John Cochran underwent emergency gall bladder surgery early this morning here in Corpus Christi.  I am on my way to see him.

Also, don't forget many youth groups in the area will be serving pancakes as a part of Shrove Tuesday, our last chance for 40 (46 if you're really counting) to indulge in something sweet!  Or as one newspaper put it:  You Batter Believe It!

Monday, February 27, 2017

Prepare Well to Win!

Image from angusday.org

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,“Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’ Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.  (Matthew 4:1-11)

Victory over anything in life requires good preparation, and spiritual victories come the same way.  Jesus prepares for His ministry by spending forty days and forty nights in preparation.  Jesus fasted and prayed for those days and nights.  Jesus knew that the task ahead would be an arduous one, the enemy was already prepared, and the only way to win was to be strongly prepared.  Jesus' preparation is similar to what begins this Wednesday, a period of 40 days called Lent.  Some people will give up something as a sign of fasting; a meal once a day, some ingredient that they usually crave, like sugar or sweets; but it is expected that they take up a spiritual discipline in its place.  For every ice cream bar you crave, you should pray, not to be strong against ice cream, but to be strong spiritually over the greater things that can tempt us and cause us to fall.  Scripture reading and worship should accompany our fasting, and victory will be ours.

Notice that as soon as Jesus finished his period of preparation the enemy hit hard.  Coming at his physical weakness, Satan asks Jesus to take care of His hunger by turning stones, that already looked like the bread of the area, into bread.  This was a low blow, for one's hunger after fasting completely of all food is overwhelming.  Jesus countered back with scripture about how we do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.  Jesus knew taking care of our hunger is important, but the hunger that nags us worse is that spiritual hunger to know and love God; by being in God's word, we can take care of that and that will take care of us.

The second attack was on trusting God.  After 40 days and nights of prayer it may be easy to wonder, where is God in all of this?  The enemy hits Jesus there:  "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from this high point of the temple."  Imagine, taking the Son of God to where God is worshipped and then hit with that question.  Certainly, God is here, the devil is saying, and if you throw Yourself down, God will send His angels to save You as Your own scripture says.  Again, because He was prepared, Jesus answered, "We do not put the Lord God to the test."  

The final attack was on the task at hand.  "If you would just bow down and worship me, Jesus, all these kingdoms of the world would be yours."  Jesus' task was to save these kingdoms from where they already were, deep in sin, deep in debt to Satan, so He counters, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."  The devil left Him and angels came to minister to Him.

Jesus knew the battle was not over, and to this day it is not yet over, but we have read the book and we know how this story ends!  Jesus wins!  The question for now, will you win?  What are you facing that you could best face if you gave God more time during this season?  Instead of fretting over your weight, spend time in prayer and scripture reading.  Instead of worrying about illness, go out and do God's work among those who need it.  It might bring the true healing you need.  If you're worried about tomorrow, win today by standing firm in the promises of God for your life.  Ours is the victory in Christ over all that may come against us.

PRAYER:  Loving God, I worship and praise You and I thank You for Your love for us.  Help me be the warrior against the enemy that You need me to be.  Grant me a time of serious and solid preparation to win over all that may come against us.  I pray this in the name of the Victor, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Remember the "Full Meal Deal" of Sundays?

Image from sharonbrobst.com

The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!  The Lord is great in Zion;he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name.Holy is he! Mighty King, lover of justice,you have established equity;you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Extol the Lord our God;worship at his footstool.Holy is he! Moses and Aaron were among his priests,Samuel also was among those who called on his name.They cried to the Lord, and he answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;they kept his decrees,and the statutes that he gave them. O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them but an avenger of their wrongdoings. Extol the Lord our God,and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy. (Psalm 99)

Once I understood what Church was all about, it was fun going each and every Sunday.  I loved being taught Psalm 122:1:  "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord."  "They" being my parents and I longed for, and eventually, lived for going to church.  It started with Sunday school, and my teacher was always there before I arrived.  She had a lesson prepared, and sometimes she made the lesson even better by bringing some arts and crafts things to make the lesson come more alive.  It may have been two Popsicle sticks tied with blue yarn, but we thought it was straight from a European museum!  And sometimes, sometimes, she would even bring a snack.  Now those of you who know me, know I don't like snacks... smiley face!  Then worship.  Organ and piano music of great old hymns.  I brushed up on my reading skills en espaƱol by singing along with my parents and reading along with the alternate readings in the back of our hymnals.  Then the sermon and I usually followed along and laughed at the jokes if they were included; sometimes I would just laugh at friends staring at me and making faces.  When church was over, I would run quickly to join my friends and we would usually find cool ways to get our Sunday best as muddy or dusty as we could.  Usually we were scolded for that, but it was worth it.  And Sunday didn't end there! My mom and grandmother changed out of the Sunday best in what seemed like superhero speed and before we knew it, there was a chicken frying in a skillet and before long we were called to eat a delicious Methodist meal.  (Remember the old song, "I've got that chicken-eatin' Methodism down in my heart.. to stay!" - where do you think that lyric came from?)  Sundays were also when I would see the comics in color in our Sunday paper.  I would read those carefully and quietly, and then either go outside to play or take a nap.

But the key was that this special day of the week was dedicated to God, not me.  It may seem like a lot of what I shared was about me, and in a way it was, but I learned early on, that the key character in Sunday was God and God's worship.  As the psalmist writes, where God is and Who God is, merits our praise.  All of Sunday's worship components should be about God and God's awesomeness.  Nothing should be about us nor should we angrily give up and say, "I'm not coming back to this church because the new preacher changed the doxology we sing!"  It's about God.  Re-read the psalm.  God deserves our worship and praise. God has done so much for us that we should just be grateful to be in church.

PRAYER:  Lord, we lift Your name on high; Lord, we love to sing Your praises!  I'm so glad You're in my life; I'm so glad you came to save us.  Help us to realize how important it is to worship You every day, but to set apart one day, Sunday or Saturday, to worship You in spirit and in truth.  Bless those moms who fight the urge to stay home and fight the struggles of their children who resist going as well.  The victory is Yours, dear Father, and we claim it for us and for those we love.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Here is the short video that goes with this psalm:

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Time Set Apart for God-Mountain Top!

Image from riotexas.org

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’ Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:12-18)

In my humble opinion, the Texas Hill Country has mountains.  I know the definition of a "real" mountain would say that none of the "hills" we possess are high enough to be "mountains," but in spiritual terms, they have served me and many, well.  My first experience in the hill country was at Mount Wesley in Kerrville, Texas, with my parents who attended a yearly Rio Grande Conference Young Adult event.  I remember staying in one of the cabins, doing a lot of walking, time spent at Vesper Point, even making the trek up the mountain to pray at the Bolivian cross.  Years passed and I started attending there alone at youth assembly for the RGC with hundreds of other youth.  And some years later, Mt. Wesley would serve as the mother camp for Walks to Emmaus, where in 1985 I attended Walk 22.  Each mountaintop experience has blessed my life.  And I define a mountaintop experience as one where we set time apart to spend with God.  That factors in our heritage as Judeo-Christians.  Todays's passage is set on Mount Sinai where Moses spent time alone with God and received the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, written for our good.  It took faith to follow God out of slavery and into the wilderness; it took faith to travel forty years trusting God, but for Moses, it took a lot of faith to climb up that mountain to spend time alone with God.  First, six days covered in this cloud, then 40 days and nights, listening to God.  That's a mountaintop experience.

Let me make clear one does not need a mountain nor a hill to have a mountaintop experience.  It can happen anywhere; your dining room table, your breakfast table, your easy chair, your sofa; anywhere you intentionally set aside time to listen to God will be the setting for that experience.  And mountaintop experiences start with faith, prayer, scripture reading and reflection, praise singing (or humming); anything in which you seek the presence and peace of the Lord.  And why are mountaintop experiences needed?  Those "highs" in faith help us with our "lows."  As often as we've spoken or heard spoken of mountaintop experiences, we have also heard about "valleys" and the lows of faith where the challenges of life, trails, testings, illnesses, losses, etc., come into our lives and pull us down.  It is the mountaintop experiences that lift us up and help us live life trusting and securely believing in God.

Whatever you may be facing, dear friend, please know that God is with you.  It may be you haven't set time apart with God for some time so, today may be that day when you seek God's presence and peace.  Listen to God; remember we pray and then we say Amen, which I define as "It's Your turn, God!  I'm listening!"

PRAYER:  Loving God, I lift up this dear reader to your loving care.  You know what to do in that precious life and I claim it for them in Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Here they are again:  ConCafe Off the Cuff Video at (click on this link):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKTsI2g7QAk&t=8s

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

We Are Eyewitnesses

Image from pinterest.com

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:16-21)

Do you ever have doubts about your faith?  If you haven't, then you must be doing something exceptionally right.  Most people have doubts.  And people with doubts sometimes wonder how others can continue to believe.  Sometimes doubts come with the loss of a loved one.  And that's natural to have because of the great grief we bear at the loss of a spouse or family member.  But here Peter is responding to people doubting his message and so he says in the first verse of this passage, "we were eyewitnesses."  If an eyewitness was not a big deal why do television news call themselves Eyewitness News?  In other words, I was there; I saw and heard all these things, and I especially will never forget hearing that voice say, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."  That confirmed our faith!  So, we will all do better, he continues, by being attentive to this as we would to the light of a lamp in a dark place - until the day comes when we will see the morning star (Jesus) rising in our hearts.  All this we have as scripture and prophecy has not come because some humans cleverly devised it, but rather because men and women were moved by the Holy Spirit speaking to them from God.

Whatever doubt we may be facing or whatever grief may be causing our doubt, it is in God we should trust and God's voice is still heard as we read and hear the word of God taught and preached.  May it be our prayer to have comfort in our hearts and joy in our souls as we are strengthened in our faith.

PRAYER:  Come, Loving Father, to the heart of this dear reader; whatever pain is there because of grief replace it with comfort.  If doubt has visited their heart and soul, remove it with Your loving truth.  Let Jesus be the morning star of this dear reader's life, for it is in Jesus' precious and powerful name that we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Monday, February 20, 2017

A Glimpse of the Holy

Image from agnusday.org

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’ (Matthew 17:1-9)

I learned about time apart with God when I was in junior high and I was invited to go with our youth group to Mt. Wesley in Kerrville, Texas, for a week.  The price was steep; $20 for the whole week, plus gas and spending money.  That might be more than my family could afford thought I, but the group started with fund-raising events; bake sales, comidas, etc.  And before we knew it we had the $20 for each youth.  In those days, Mt. Wesley was out in the middle of nowhere.  Kerrville ended and some empty space, then Wt. Wesley.  It had a vespers point where you could see the drive-in theatre in town.  But the important thing was the purpose behind our being there; to get to know God a little better.  In this coming Sunday's lesson from the gospels, Jesus has taken His three inner circle disciples to a retreat up on a high mountain and there something happened that the writer could only explain as Jesus' face shining bright like the sun and Jesus' clothing being dazzling white.  Then there appeared two of the Old Testament's heroes, Moses and Elijah, who began speaking with Jesus.  Peter, James, and John, caught up in the spiritual power of the moment recognized the two and were dumbfounded as to what to do next?  Peter says they will build "dwellings" for each of them in case their time on the earth would be long, but then the voice comes from the clouds and says, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with Him I am well pleased; listen to Him!"  That knocked the three disciples to the ground, scared for their lives.  But again, it is Jesus who comes and says "Get up, and do not be afraid."  Then the order for them to not say a word about what they had seen.

As our little lamb friends say above in the comic, Jesus is the complete Word of God and if we want to know what God has to say about our lives, we should look to Jesus.  This event shared a wonderful, unexplainable glimpse into the holy, the realm of God, saying God is not really that far "out there" as we imagine, God is right here, right  now and caring for you and me.  Through Jesus we have access to God and all that God offers.  Why be afraid when we have this faith?

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus.  This event speaks to my heart; I claim courage and strength to move forward in doing what it is You would have me do and be.  I want to know You more, Lord, and through Jesus I can.  Help me be a blessing to others; this I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Freeways of Faith!

Image from panoramio.com

God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me - my whole life one long, obedient response. Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway! Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot. Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way. Affirm your promises to me - promises made to all who fear you. Deflect the harsh words of my critics - but what you say is always so good. See how hungry I am for your counsel; preserve my life through your righteous ways! (Psalm 119:33-40 The Message)

1965 found this country boy in Houston, Texas.  We went from a town of several traffic lights, no understanding of rush hour, and a slow pace to Houston.  At church the pastor and all his family, and I think they must have talked about it before church; all asked if we had seen the "spaghetti bowl" yet?  Huh?  We ate fideo, but spaghetti was a school dish - we had no clue.  They laughed and said it was the freeway system downtown of bridges, overpasses of all the freeways meeting there.  We smiled and said, not yet.  Some years later I learned to drive in Houston, passed my driving test in Houston and learned all about the freeways, designed to cut travel time between points A and B.   Okay in theory.  The psalmist in this modern version is talking about getting from point A to point B in his faith walk with the Lord.  He knows and want to be obedient to the Lord and using God's commandments as a "freeway," a travel free of distraction for a life blessed by God.  God's word is wisdom and instruction, he says; a pilgrim's way in which God's promises are affirmed and blessings are attained.  He begs to be free of the criticism of those opposed to him so that he could solely be blessed by God's word.  He knows that to be hungry for God's word and counsel is the way to be preserved in God's righteous ways.

The point of this passage to me, is to stay the course with God.  Yes, distractions come as do challenges, but the person who stays connected to God gets through all that and finds their way to where God is leading.  Whether you can relate this to traveling a freeway to a caliche road you call the "back way," the point is to get where God is leading.  We learn all the way there if we're open to it.  And all along the way we can be blessed and we can be a blessing to all.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, guide my way to Your knowledge and understanding in a way that builds my faith and helps me be a blessing to You and Yours.  Help me avoid distractions and find my way straight to places of rich understandings.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Being Holy Begins With Loving Others 

Image from pauldazet.com

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour.You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbour: I am the Lord.You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18)

We tend to shy away from holiness or purity thinking, "We don't want people to think we're being 'holier than thou' in our way of living," but we're missing the point.  As God was forming the people of Israel into a nation in the wilderness, holiness was very much what God expected of them.  Here is Moses hearing from God what he should say to the people.  God wanted a nation of priests, or a nation that set the example of how to best live with one another, and the foundation is holiness.  If we are made in the image of God, which we are, then that image should be holiness, for God is holy.  Then God shares a partial list of how we should act with others:  Be just people; show no partiality to the poor or rich; fair with our neighbors in judgment.  We should not slander our people, nor should we profit from the death of our neighbors.  We should not hate in our hearts anyone; we should speak in ways that build up our neighbors; we should not take revenge or bear a grudge against any of our people.  We should love our neighbor as ourself.  And to seal it, God said, "I am the Lord."  No arguments, just obedience.

To be a disciple of Jesus should separate us apart from the rest of the world.  Our actions should show that God truly lives in us and really guides us.  Our words, our actions should reflect the presence of the holy in us.  To live and act just like everyone else defeats our calling ourselves Christians or followers of Christ.  The old adage, If accused of being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict? is a good one to help us judge how we are living with others.  The rhetoric and glamor of today's world cries out for people to love one another, to show a better way, and to a voice of hope and compassion.  We are rapidly becoming a people consumed just with ourselves when the above passage is all about others.

Begin making a difference today in how you treat others.  Make it Valentine's Day all over again.

PRAYER:  Loving God, help me be the person you called me to be.  I want to be holy, and I want to be loving.  Help me to love others the way I love myself; not wanting to hurt them or slander them; let me be a voice of change and hope.  For I pray this in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS  there will be no video today with this devotional.  

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

You Belong to Jesus Christ!

Image from keepcalm-o-matic.com

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’, and again,‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’ So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours,whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23)

This passage is filled with good news!  First, Paul assures his people in the church in Corinth that as the spiritual architect of their faith he laid a solid foundation and that foundation is Jesus Christ.  If we have faith, our faith should be built upon the foundation of Jesus.  In other words, Jesus in everything we do.  Then Paul shares that which we have heard many times:  We are God's temple because God's Spirit is dwelling in us.  Our thinking should be guided by God and our actions should reflect God's glory; and sometimes that may come off as foolish in the eyes of those who don't yet understand.  Yet in Christ we have received all things, "and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God."

What a way to face this day, knowing that we belong to Jesus Christ, and He belongs to God.  That should put a smile on our face, a song in our heart, and a spring in our step as we set out to serve the Lord in the opportunities God may provide for us today.  The goal is to show love in such an inviting and contagious way that others will want to know more about it.  We can bring people to faith through our actions.  

May it be so!

PRAYER:  Loving God, may Your love in me be that which blesses You and Yours.  May a smile from You bring a smile to me; may all I say today be a song of praise to You; and may I step beyond any aches and pains to that place where I will lovingly spring into action for Your sake.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Here is today's video link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IW1CfF4fbw&t=1s

Sunday, February 12, 2017

It's Easy to do the Expected; Do the Unexpected!

‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:38-38)

It was, forgive the pun, "eye-opening" to learn the truth behind the retaliation law that Moses introduced.  It was during the time when if someone knocked the tooth out of someone in a fight or conflict, the family of the injured would seek to kill the one who knocked out the tooth.  And the same was true for almost any type of injury.  Moses said, it's best if you seek to repay just what was taken from you.  If it was an eye, take the eye out of the one who did it.  Same for a tooth, etc.  Jesus goes further; right into the unexpected.  "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the left one to them as well.  And if someone wants to sue you for your coat, give them your cloak as well.  And if someone forces you to go one mile, go a second mile.  And that was interesting because during the time of Jesus any Roman solider could pat you on your back with the flat of his spear which was an indication to you that you had to carry his gear for one mile.  If you refused, he would run you through with his spear.  Jesus said what He said to say, "Why risk death?  Show others the unexpected of going a second mile when that is not at all expected."  And Jesus goes even further by saying to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in other words, strive for perfection, which is usually completely based on the unexpected.  The world has a set of expectations; it doesn't know what to do when the unexpected shows up.

It's easy to do the expected.  In fact, it's expected.  The difficult things are usually the Godly things; show love in unexpected ways.  Second mile living, giving, sharing, and sacrifice show the God-side of us - and doesn't the world need to see that more?  In this time of hateful rants and rhetoric, can the voice of God in us be a voice of love and understanding?  

It's up to us.  I say we should choose to live in a way that blesses and catches people off guard.  Bless God and you will be blessed!

PRAYER:  Awesome Father, as I set about this day, help me to live in an unexpected way; going the second mile, turning the other cheek, praying for those who hate me and loving those who I thought were my enemies.  I want to turn the world upside down for You.  I pray this in Jesus' name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Here is a quick video on first thoughts on this passage:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_rTNXGlg3U

Thursday, February 09, 2017

Follow God's Road

Image from hermentorcenter.com

You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right - you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set;  Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.  I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous  ways.  I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me. (Psalm 119:1-8)

I have a pretty good sense of direction except when I'm in some hospitals.  I dislike those hospitals that you know started small and then they just added on to them.  Another floor or two, an annex, tunnels, skywalks, etc.  Before too long you have a large hard to find patient's rooms and then back to the main door through which you came!  It's fun to watch children who have great sense of direction as adults are driving they help navigate their way back to where they need to go.  Our oldest was about two or three and was riding with her mom and a friend and the friend was driving and she said, "I don't know if this is the way I should go." Our baby said, "Yes, you're going right, but up there you have to turn that way and you'll find it."  Our oldest grandson when riding with his grandma told Nellie, "Grandma now that you can drive, you can take me to Dairy Queen!"  Nellie said, "I don't know the way."  He said, "Don't worry, I'll show you!"  And sure enough he did.

This week has been about making decisions and trusting God.  The psalmist in this modern version of the Bible says that blessings are ours when we stay on course and if we walk steadily on the road revealed by God.  Many have been the stories you and I have heard about those who turned the wrong way or so they believed until they realized the good or blessing they were bringing to someone in need because of that wrong turn.  Many have been the times we have been blessed because we obeyed that God-feeling to go a certain way.  Listen again to this verse:  "You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it."  God indeed has prescribed the right way to live and we have to but follow it.

Where do you have to go today?  What is in store for you?  I think it's all part of the God-adventure we're called to live to be a blessing for God.  Listen closely, and walk steadily besides God and you will be amazed  and blessed. PRAYER:  Loving God, guide my path.  Help me stay the course towards where You are leading.  Let me be a blessing to all with whom I come in contact so that You may be glorified.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS:  Dear friends, please pray for me as I am on retreat/cabinet meetings this week.  Therefore, no videos with this devotional.  I may have time to share one later today.  

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Making the Right Decision

Image from presbydestrian.wordpress.com

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

I remember my father and mother constantly talking to me about making right decisions.  I wondered when the time would come for those decisions.  In those days I felt they pretty much ran my life.  I had no choices, I thought; I wake up, I HAVE to go to school.  After school, I have to come home.  I have to do my home work.  I have to go play outside (I didn't mind that one too much).  Yes, I had to eat.  (I loved that one.  Still do!).  I had to bathe.  I had to brush my teeth.  I had to go to sleep.  I had to say my prayers.  And in looking back it was the prayers that I lifted up or were lifted up that blessed my life and made the decisions in early life come easily.  I made good friends.  I stayed away from those whose habits were not mine.  I got offered drugs early on and I knew to say no.  I chose not to drink.  And I chose not to smoke.  And when the really big decisions came, I saw God's hand guiding and blessing me.

In today's passage, Moses is talking to the people of God as God is forming them into a nation.  Not just any nation, but a nation of priests; an example to the world of what can and does happen when we trust God fully in all aspects of life.  Yet, it had to be spelled out. It does sound like a Dad or Mom talking seriously to a child they love:  You have these things set before you; life and prosperity, death and adversity.  That seems like an easy choice, but sometimes the four are carefully disguised, some in attractive packages, others in stark contrasts; we still have to choose.  And Moses reminds them as God reminds us, If we walk with God and seek to honor and please God, we will have life, "exuberant life" as The Message version says.  The heart turned to God gets blessed; a heart turned away from God results in sad consequences, even death.  And Moses called upon heaven and earth as witnesses, that he had shared before the forming people of God life and death, blessings and curses.  He says, "choose life so that you and yours may live long lives in the places God is leading you."

Dear friend, do you see God guiding you as you make your way?  Do you trust God enough to call on Him to ask how you should live?  Do you see life and blessings as a good choice, or are you being guided towards death and adversity?  The choices as I said are sometimes very closely identical or seem packaged in a way that we can't go wrong, but I say don't be fooled.  Ask God for eyes of faith to see what is truly behind the choices presented to us.  And choose wisely that which will bless you and yours.

PRAYER:  Loving God, help me to live a life that honors and blesses You.  Help me discern the choices that will come before me today that I may choose the right way.  I want life and prosperity and I want life and blessings.  Make me wise not to be fooled into choosing that which will not be a blessing.  I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Here is the link for today's video thoughts on this passage:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rMQkH9GY0&t=27s 

Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Taking Solid Food

Image from gracewayonline.com

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:1-9)

Smoking or Non-Smoking?  Remember that question?  Remember when airlines would allow smoking in the smoking section?  Thank God those days are over!  Imagine walking into a church and the usher asking you, "Spiritual or Flesh?"  You'd probably say, "Excuse me?"  And the usher would say, "Milk or solid food?"  Huh?  This is what Paul is asking as he's writing to the church in Corinth.  "What in the world is going on over there?"  Or, as some parents say, "Don't make me come down there!"  Paul knew his people and he addressed them as such.  For the most part the people in the Corinthian church were flesh people, ready only for milk.  Some were ready for baby food.  No meat yet.  Why?  There was quarreling and jealousy going on in the Christian church.  They hadn't yet become spiritual people; they were behaving like people driven by the flesh.  They were arguing about who had been the better pastor among them.  Some said Paul; some said Apollos.  Paul asks, "What are we anyway?  We're just servants that brought you the faith, and it was the Lord guiding you.  Some came to faith through me, some through Apollos; what's the big deal?"  It's all about God, not about you.  Or us.  Sadly, some churches still have fleshy people.  They've not yet "gotten it," when it comes to being spiritual people.  Those are the ones who still "don't get fed," or "I'm not getting anything out of worship."  Duh.  Worship is geared towards God; Who deserves it.  We don't deserve to be worshiped, nor should we expect that anything in worship is about us.  We should come to worship with hungry hearts, open spirits set on receiving more from the Lord.  The hymns chosen should be about Jesus and God; not about the ones we really like.  We are there to worship God and a renewing of our faith and purpose in serving God.  Paul says, we will receive what we have brought to work with; "For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building."

Pray for yourself as you prepare for this coming Sunday's worship.  Reflect on your attitude and gratitude towards God.  If you think you would be assigned to the Flesh Section, ask to be moved to the Spiritual section.  Pablum (am I giving away my age?) or Steak?  Ask for steak (or whatever meat you eat; ask for the vegan menu if you wish - you know what I'm talking about here!).

PRAYER:  Loving God, as I pray, I pray for myself and for my church.  I want to be that part of the church that worships You and blesses You.  I ask that You move me out of my fleshy thoughts and place me solidly in the spiritual part of worship.  I want to help Your church grow, and I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

To see ConCafe Off the Cuff video on this passage click here: https://youtu.be/No_7I48ePiY

Monday, February 06, 2017

Jesus says, "Play Nice!"

Image from angusday.org

If you're in a hurry, hear my ConCafe Off the Cuff right here by clicking here: https://youtu.be/Q7-gltLarFE

‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:21-37)

We continue looking and learning from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  Today's passage is a lengthy one, but an important one that deals with some things that we sometimes take for granted.  Jesus has gone beyond what the ancients had said about key things to talk about the seriousness with which God wants us to understand certain parts of life.  We have the Big Ten (the Commandments that is) and Jesus begins with the one about killing/murder.  Jesus said, "This goes beyond just picking up a weapon and taking the life of someone; this is about taking someone's life and fullness of life by what you think or say or do towards that person, and it's so serious that if you're not reconciled with that person, your worship won't reconcile you with God."  Ouch.  Then He addresses another from the Commandments and that was the matter of taking someone else's spouse.  Jesus says, "If you've looked at a woman/man with lust in your heart, adultery has already been committed."  Then He adds the part about self-control.  "Keep your eyes from wandering into sin; keep your hands from taking you right into disobedience - control those or cut them out and off!  It would be better to enter heaven with one less eye or hand than to go full-bodied into eternal punishment."  Then Jesus talks about divorce and how easy some find it to divorce.  Jesus says, "Marriage is serious and sacred, but you've let it become something you discard just because you're tired or no longer want to live with that person and want a younger or better looking one."  And we do know there are some valid reasons for divorce, but Jesus is taking about those frivolous ones that some use just for their convenience.  Finally, Jesus says we are to be persons of our word; say yes when we mean yes, and no when we mean no.  We cannot hide behind an oath, such as "I swear to God," or "Cross my heart and hope to die," or the classic, "I swear on a stack of Bibles!"  If we do that, we're not glorifying God, we're helping the other guy.

As I shared in the video, we should be people of the Word, not just our word.  If we are truly people of God's Word, we will be people who play nice with others, love others, and get along with others.  We will help bring in the kingdom by being kingdom people ourselves.

PRAYER:  Loving Father, bless me to be a blessing in all the relationships I have.  Let me be a person of life, love, and truth.  Help me to forgive in the way You have forgiven me.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Wednesday, February 01, 2017

The Fullest of Lives in the Emptiest of Places!

Image from bknpk.com

"Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back - a trumpet-blast shout! Tell my people what's wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with their sins! They're busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me. To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people - law-abiding, God-honoring. They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?' and love having me on their side.  But they also complain, 'Why do we fast and you don't look our way? Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?' "Well, here's why: "The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit. You drive your employees much too hard. You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won't get your prayers off the ground. Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like? "This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places "If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins, If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places - firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. (Isaiah 58:1-12 The Message Version)

We sometimes still don't get it!  We sometimes prefer to live in darkness when we could be living in light.  The prophet's call to God's people in today's passage was all about that:  You're trying to act religious but you're not fooling God!  If you live a life seeking only profit as the bottom line, you're empty and will stay empty until you realize what it is that pleases God and blesses God's people. Then there's a list of things that God would prefer from His people:  Fast in the right way.  Break the chains of injustice.  Get rid of exploitation.  Free the oppressed.  Cancel debts.  Share your food with the hungry.  Invite the homeless poor into your homes.  Put clothing on the shivering ill-clad.  Be available to your own families.  Ouch.  Read that last one again; all of them are important, but think of the impact we can have by being available to our families.  God says, "You do that and the lights will turn on."  What I love is where this version says that once we do those things and pray to the Lord, God will say, "Here I am."  And boom, we are living a Full Life in the Emptiest of Places.  What an awesome way to live.  But, wait, the list continues:  Get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sin.  Be generous to the hungry, and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, and your lives will begin to glow in the darkness.

Let the lights come on.  Seek to bless God and all these things will be ours.  I don't know about you, but I want that full life in the emptiest of places!

PRAYER:  Loving God, fill me with Your light so that I may walk in the fullness of life and share as I should.  Let me be one of those who blesses You by blessing others.  Take my empty life in the fullness of places and let it be a full life in the emptiest of places.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Requests and Joys:  In the concerns:  Prayers of condolences for the Hill family on the death of Mrs. Virginia Hill, of Harlingen.  May God's comfort be with them.  In the joys:  It was some years ago today, that seem only like yesterday that a screaming baby came out of the elevator in the old McAllen General Hospital and that bundle of joy quit screaming when she heard my voice.  I told Nellie when she came out of surgery (yes, C-Section), "She's pink!  She's beautiful!  And she looks like me!"  We thank God for the arrival of our first baby, Nellie Maria Valverde Garcia on this day.  May the Lord continue to bless her and keep her.  Happy Birthday, Mijita!

Here's the link for my early morning video on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTcTd9hq8iw&feature=youtu.be