Elephants vs. Alligators

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What is the difference between an elephant and an alligator? The old man wasn't making a question, it was more the way he taught. The way his ancestors have taught since the beginning of time.

"One's a mammal, one's a reptile," replied the student. "one lives on land visits water, one lives in water and visits land. One is a flesh-eater, the other a vegetarian. Neither has natural enemies, only the same enemy - man."

"You missed the essential differences. The one that separates them forever."

"Is this a riddle?"

"Not a riddle, not a mystery. A truth you can learn...if you listen."

"I'm listening."

The baby alligator comes out of the egg a perfectly formed predator. It will not grow, it will only get larger, do you see? It learns nothing. From the moment of its birth, it fights to survive. If it succeeds, if it reaches its full size, it hunts. At birth, it is 9 inches long. In adulthood, perhaps 9 ft. The difference can be measured. As a predator, it increases in competence, in skill. But, no matter what its fate, it will always be what it was born to be."

"I understand."

"Do you? Your work is with children. To work with children, you must know the child. The baby elephant cannot survive on its won. It needs nurturing, it needs protection. Without love, it dies. Depending on how it is raised, the baby elephant grows to be a work animal, a circus performer, a peaceful beast content to live in harmony. But some elephants grow up to be rogues, dangerous to humans. Depending on how they are raised - that is the key. You see the difference now?"

"Yes."

"And so, ask yourself: Are the children of humans alligators, doomed to what they will be from the moment of birth? Or, are they elephants, fated to nothing specific and capable of anything?"

Andrew Vachs, "If You Could Listen to a Child's Soul," Parade, 6/16/1991.

Would That All God's People Were Prophets!

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So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’ And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. (Numbers 11:24-30)

Prophets are not popular people.  And I'm almost sure that most of them don't care about popularity; they care about purpose, and God's purpose at that.  The literal word for prophet in the Bible is mouthpiece.  And this does not refer to the band instruments that require such, but a literal aid in talking.  In the old gangster movies, the gangster would tell the police, "I ain't say nuthin'!  Talk to my mouthpiece!" meaning, talk to my lawyer.  God uses people to speak Godly words on His behalf.  And it usually is a difficult, but brutally honest message that these prophets are called to share.  In Moses' story, Moses was called to be both prophet and deliverer; God called him to speak to pharaoh and to the people that God would form into the nation of Israel.  In this passage, God has assembled the people, shared God's word, then gathered together the 70 elders of the people and as God spoke to Moses, God took some of the spirit that was in Moses and shared it with the 70, and this enabled them to speak on God's behalf.  It was a one-time deal.  Two additional men received the Spirit and they spoke on God's behalf in the camp, not in the temple, like the seventy had done.  This upset one young man who ran and told Moses about this activity, and even Joshua urged Moses to stop them.  Moses' reply was classic:  "Are you jealous for my sake?  Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!"  And he walked off.

How often do you speak God's word to those around you?  And a prophet is not necessarily one who sees into the future and speaks a word about what is going to happen.  A prophet speaks the truth on God's behalf in the now, about what is necessary for us to please and serve God, and you and I are called to be prophets for God.  It might not be on a mountain top, or in a temple, it may be in your kitchen or living room or a park bench; speak the truth in love about God to those who need to hear it.  That's the kind of prophet God needs and uses.  God needs and can use us!

PRAYER:  Loving God, pour into me a fresh and double dose of Your Spirit.  Grant me the boldness, courage, and strength to share Your word to those who need to hear it most, starting with me.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Speak the truth in love.  Use words if necessary.

Eradio Valverde

I'd Wear a Towel Held by Clothes Pins as My Cape!

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When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’  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. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:“In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven abov and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:1-12)  

Throughout my ministry I've tried to set the stage for what The Day of Pentecost was all about, and how it came to be changed into something else.  I've said for us to imagine the days of Thanksgiving and Christmas thrown together, in a global setting of crowds and crowds gathered together in the Holy City of Jerusalem, with most people there out of custom, habit, or obligation.  Some even may have forgotten the real reason.  Some have called it the Festival of the Harvest for it falls in the spring of the year; but it was the day when the Jews celebrated the receiving of the Law by Moses.  In any case, it was a big event with many there just for the food, the seeing of old friends and relatives, when God used that setting for His purpose.  As I pastor known for doing the strange and silly, I would wear a towel on my back, as my cape, held by clothes pins.  I thought of this some days ago as I read the passage and remembered the power that came with that original day, and the power that is still ours if we but ask.  And as I thought about power, I remembered the craze in my neighborhood and across the country as kids watching that new show, Superman, saw actor George Reeves playing Superman from 1952-1958.  I made my mom get me a cape!  Apparently, the mom association or sisterhood, had talked about it and I joined the other neighborhood kids wearing towels of different colors, either tied together or held together with clothes pins.  We ran, pretending we were flying, and even some not well thinking kids jumped off their garages and broke their arms thinking they could really fly.  I was thankful we had no garage!  We truly believed in the power that was represented, we thought, in the cape that Superman wore.

The Day of Pentecost changed from being a celebration of the past, to the power of the present, God's power to reach every person in the world.  Notice again the list of countries represented and the languages associated with each.  When the Spirit came down as tongues of fire, the disciples filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak and tell of God's deeds of power in each of the languages.  The sad thing was that most did not get it.  The passage said some were amazed and perplexed, and some even thought that the disciples were drunk with cheap wine.  But Peter understood and in the power of the Holy Spirit, stood and shared this great sermon that helped convert some three thousand people.  Should the church wear a cape?  No, it doesn't need the cape, it has the power, the real power, to do its work.  God's desire is to reach all people, in whatever way necessary (yes, for some preachers even to wear a towel cape), using words if necessary, to tell the awesomeness of God.  God loves all people, and wants His believers to reach them on His behalf.  (That would be you and me!).

PRAYER:  Loving God, speak to my heart and fill me with that Holy Spirit power!  I want to tell of your awesome deeds in my life and the lives of others.  And I'm willing to do it without a cape!  Thank You for Pentecost; fill that day again with Your amazing grace; this I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Wear a cape if you want to; just remember it stands for the power outside of ourselves that God provides to reach all people!

Eradio Valverde

Out of Believers' Hearts Shall Flow Rivers of Living Water

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On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

We serve and believe in a God who takes care of us.  This passage and many like it speak of God's willingness to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger.  Jesus, speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit begins with an invitation for all who were thirsty to come to Him and among those, those who believe could drink.  I can see that many might approach Him, but only the believers would drink.  Then Jesus quotes scripture, "Out of believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water."  Jesus could already see that which had not yet happened, even among us - that if we would believe, we would be a part of that which satisfies our thirst for God, because the Holy Spirit living in us would be that refreshment of thirst.  I should add that for the past seven years I have lived in an area where from time to time it has been necessary for us to drink boiled water.  And there have been times when not even that was considered safe and bottled water had to be brought down and given to residents of our city.  Thirst becomes quite a concern for many, though water is brought in, because no one likes being thirsty.  If the source of water is scarce, people thirst even more; but if the source is God and God freely and lovingly makes the offer of living water available, there should be fear about thirst.  God has this!

The passage then shares how the believers were to receive the Holy Spirit after Jesus was glorified.  At the time Jesus spoke these words there was not yet an early manifestation of the Spirit, but the Spirit was coming, and in a mighty way (Wait for tomorrow's passage!).

It is up to us to live a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life that helps others know that we know the source of water.  We have been to the source, drank to our fill, and now from the overflow of our hearts we should help others come to drink that water that shall never dry, which is Christ Jesus our Lord.

PRAYER:  Lord of the Living Water, satisfy in me again the thirst that I have for You.  Quench my thirst and let it overflow right out of my heart in ways that bless the still thirsty.  Let them see You in me in inviting ways, so that the world might no longer thirst for You.  This I pray in the strong name of Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Bless the Thirsty, My Friend!

Eradio Valverde

When You See God, Cheer for Him!

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Up with God! Down with his enemies! Adversaries, run for the hills! Gone like a puff of smoke, like a blob of wax in the fire - one look at God and the wicked vanish. When the righteous see God in action they'll laugh, they'll sing, they'll laugh and sing for joy. Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him! Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house.  God makes homes for the homeless, leads prisoners to freedom, but leaves rebels to rot in hell. God, when you took the lead with your people, when you marched out into the wild,  Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat; God was on the march. Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move, at the sight of Israel's God. You pour out rain in buckets, O God; thorn and cactus become an oasis  For your people to camp in and enjoy. You set them up in business; they went from rags to riches. Sing, O kings of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord!  There he is: Sky-Rider, striding the ancient skies. Listen - he's calling in thunder, rumbling, rolling thunder.  Call out "Bravo!" to God, the High God of Israel. His splendor and strength rise huge as thunderheads. A terrible beauty, O God, streams from your sanctuary. It's Israel's strong God! He gives power and might to his people! O you, his people - bless God! (Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 The Message)

Don't you love being around happy, blessed people?  Are you one?  I especially love being around people who see God's hand in everything and have this marvelous attitude of laughter and praise towards God.  When I was an intern minister, I disliked the idea of going to a nursing home.  I associated a very terrible smell with each (and yes, some did have that odor to them), and the thought of people being and acting miserably towards life.  But the first visit to one particular home and this one particular lady, she changed may attitude towards nursing homes.  She never had a negative thing to say; and always had a smile and a personality to match.  This version of the Bible makes the psalms come alive for me.  "Up with God!"  Such a nice way to start the day.  "When the righteous see God in action they'll laugh, they'll sing, they'll laugh and sing for joy."  Talk about making your neighbors wonder what you're up to!  A gracious attitude towards God and God's hand in all that we do, blesses us and blesses those who know us.  Mark Twain's criticism of Christians included the line, "The only difference between undertakers and Christians is that undertakers smile more."  (Sorry, undertakers reading this; and that's a quote I'm relying on my memory for).  The point is that God is awesome; we have to make time to discover that for ourselves in ways that do bring smiles to our faces and smiles to our actions.  Someone else said, "You may be the only sermon someone will hear today."  

PRAYER:  Loving God, help me to be a blessing for You.  Let my life laugh and sing, and laugh and sing for joy because of what You're doing in my life right now.  Help me to be Your light and love.  This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Be someone's good sermon today!

Eradio Valverde

We Have Work to Do!

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So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. (Acts 1:6-14)

My first two years of college I worked in the school's cafeteria.  It was a fun job and it paid the bills for my being there.  The downside was working breakfast; getting up ridiculously early, eating fast, then washing dishes.  I had a first period English class immediately after and I smelled like egg for that class.  I would endure class, or maybe they endured me, rush back to the dorm, shower again and I was again ready for the day.  My first boss was a European man with a heavy accent, who expected hard work from us all.  More than once we heard him tell a guilty worker, "What are you going to do, stand around all day with your hands in your pocket?  Get your hands outta yer pockets!"  Somehow, I think of that loud statement every time I read this passage.  The disciples were still a bit confused with Jesus and He risen and among them, but they kept wondering and asking, "What's next?"  In this passage they wondered if now was the time that He would restore Israel back to greatness.  Jesus calmly explains that what was next was the coming of the Holy Spirit's power upon them to be His witnesses.  And not just where they were, but in the entire city, the region, and neighboring regions all the way to the ends of the earth.  Jesus then ascended into heaven, and the disciples saw then another unexplainable thing done by our Lord.  Almost immediately, two angels ask the question asked in the cafeteria:  "What are you going to do, stand around all day with your hands in your pockets, looking up?"  (Okay, I added that last part).  "You have work to do!"

Indeed, we still do.  Our Sunday school classes, if they still exist, have dwindled down to nothing.  The question we should be asking is, Who is teaching our children about God and God's love through Jesus?  Another close question, What are our children learning these days if not about God?  And as our churches also dwindle in size, we should ask why, and what can I do about it?  This is the work, dear friends, and we have much to do.  What we do learn from this powerful passage is that Jesus equips us for the work with His Holy Spirit, and He leads, guides, and blesses us not only with opportunities, but with the words we need to use.  You may have felt God tugging at your heart to be a Sunday school teacher; volunteer!  God will give you words!  You may have felt a call into ministry, go and talk to your pastor!  You may have felt you were letting your spouse or family down; change and be the person you know God intended you to be.  This is the work, dear friends, and we have much to do.

PRAYER:  Loving God, use me.  I want to work for You.  Show me what I should do.  Grant me the power to be and do what You expect of me.  In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Get your hands outta your pockets!

Eradio Valverde

God Cares for Us!

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Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sistersthroughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (! Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11)

One of the things I disliked most about school were the tests.  I liked more coloring, cutting, pasting, recess and refreshments.  As I advanced in grades, the notion of being tested was slowly introduced (induced?) into me.  I remember going into junior high and hearing about Pop Quizzes, and that really freaked me out.  And I can clearly remember the first one, when the teacher said, "Clear your desks, take out a clean sheet of paper and your pen or pencil - we're having a pop quiz!"  Gulp.  For that reason, I cannot understand the number of "tests" that appear on FaceBook and the number of tests that my darling bride has asked me to take.  "Find out what region of the country you are from."  Well, I know what region of the country I am from.  And at different points of ministry, a list of events and questions were handed to me which asked these to determine what level of stress I was under.  I thought there should be only one question on this test/survey:  DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING?  The obvious answer is of course, YES; and if YES, you're under stress!

I'm making light of what some of us are enduring right now, but to illustrate the power of this passage.  Some are facing major medical challenges.  Some have loved ones who are near the end of their earthly journey.  Some are discovering the wedded bliss has turned into a blister; and some are doubting or questioning their faith.  Peter writes from experience that no matter the "test" we are facing, we are to rejoice knowing that we are sharing Christ's sufferings, and Christ's presence in our lives.    Peter says we are blessed!  Why?  Because, he write, "the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you."  If the testing gets too hard, that same Spirit stops resting and goes into action on our situation.  All we have to do, Peter writes, is to "humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that God may exalt us in due time.  Listen to this: "Cast ALL your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you!"  We still have to stand steady in our faith; we need to say no to the temptations of the devil, and know that God will soon Himself, "restore, support, strengthen, and establish you."  And we say, "To Him be the power for ever and ever.  Amen."

Dear friend, that is powerful.  God will restore you.  That means make well and whole that which you feel right now is falling apart.  God will support you.  That means that as weak as you feel and you think you are about to just fall on your face, God will hold you up, strong and steady.  God will strengthen you.  That means our weakness becomes God's strength in us.  God will establish you.  That means that people will recognize in us the presence and strength of God in our lives.  They may even wonder where the old you went!

PRAYER:  Bless this dear reader, Lord.  That which Peter wrote, let it be ours.  We need for you to restore, support, strengthen, and establish us.  We need victory over all we face for You to be glorified.  This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Don't let the test of life bring you down.  Regardless what region of the country you're from!

Eradio Valverde

The Prayer of Jesus Proves It!

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After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. (John 17:1-11)

The other night Nellie and I attended our oldest granddaughter's choir program which was called JukeBox Time Machine, which allowed the kids to travel through different eras of music.  One of those eras was the Sixties and the song was The Beatles' "She Loves You."  I remember hearing about the Beatles, then seeing them on Ed Sullivan, and later on their first movie, "A Hard Day's Night," and the song that really hooked me was "She Loves You."  As my Pakistani roommate in college said on hearing them for the first time, "They sing with such authority!"  But that song made me wonder, "Who is she?  Who is this girl that loves me?  I want to find her soon!"  Well, it didn't happen in elementary school, nor junior high, nor in high school - not even in college, nor the first years of seminary.  Not until my internship year did I find the girl that The Beatles sang about.  How did they know?

You may have a yearning to belong to someone, and here's today's message:  You and I belong to God!  If you're reading this near someone, tell them in a nice way:  "You and I belong to God!"  And here's the second special part of this text in John's gospel, Jesus prays for us, and in that prayer asks God to bless and protect us.  And that protection that Jesus seeks for us also seeks to make us one in Jesus.  That means a lot.  God and Jesus are one; as you and I should be one.  We know God's love.  We know God's love includes those not yet in this circle of love and it is our task to go and tell and invite and bring into this circle those who need to know God's love.  God will show us how, if we but ask.

PRAYER:  Loving God, thank You for loving and claiming us.  Help us never feel alone or unwanted; for  being wanted by You is greater than anybody else.  Thank you for the families that love us as well as the special people in our lives. We pray as Jesus prayed, that You bless and protect them and us; make us one in You.  This prayer we lift up in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Tell someone that they belong to God today!

Eradio Valverde

God Listens and God Cares

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Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs; you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. I will come into your house with burnt-offerings; I will pay you my vows, those that my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. I will offer to you burnt-offerings of failings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. I cried aloud to him and he was extolled with my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer. Blessed be God,because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me. (Psalm 66:8-20)

Have you ever felt like you were on a  journey that would never end?  As I read this psalm I thought back to my days of public school.  There were times either at the beginning of the school year or the end of one, where I would think, "This schooling stuff is never going to end!  I still ____ number of years to go.  I had done the kindergarten thing, finished the six years of elementary, and it may have been the junior high years when I wondered, "Will the day ever come when I no longer have to go to school?"  And, thank God, it did; only to open up years of college, university and seminary.  Now there are some days when I think, "Wouldn't it be great to be in school again?"

God has seen you and me through many things, including those that seemed like they would never end, and thus you can understand the psalmist as he wrote these words.  His heart is thankful and worshipful; God has done so much for him and seen him through so many things that he just says, "I'm praising God!"  And he even invites people to come and listen to what God has done for him.  Have you ever done that?  Last night Nellie and I had supper with some old dear friends and our conversation went all over the place, but especially to the places where we had seen and experienced God at work in our lives and ministries.  We said in our words, "God has listened."  And God has answered our prayers because God loves and cares for us.  God will never remove His steadfast love from me.

What was yesterday like for you?  Someone lost their father yesterday.  Another had his wife in the emergency room while he was in a church meeting.  Someone welcomed a new child into the world.  Someone heard about a new job or setting in which they were to move.  I know those around these situations and settings have said, in their own way, God is here and God cares because He loves me.  I pray dear friend, that whatever you may have experienced, you have said the same thing.  Why not say it out loud:  God is here and God cares because God loves me.

PRAYER:  Lord, the road may seem long, and the journey difficult, but You and I will make it through.  Grant me the peace, the pace, and the patience to overcome all obstacles.  You rock, loving God!  I pray this prayer of faith in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Say it out loud and use words if necessary:  God is here and God cares because God loves me!

Eradio Valverde

"We're the God-created!"

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So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with.  "The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it? "God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better - but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:22-31)

The Apostle Paul took every advantage to share Jesus.  On this trip to Athens he found statues to gods all over the city, including the one shown above, which was inscribed "To the god nobody knows" or as other versions state "to an unknown god."  That was the only opening he needed to share with them the truth about God.  In a marvelous way Paul sums up the gospel from creation to resurrection which includes the judgment of the world.  Paul knew their literature and shares from a poem that says, "We're the God-created," and begins to share the truth about God being everywhere and not being confined to a statue or a site; and our God calls us all to "radical life-changes."  Paul is challenging the religiousness of their faith to the relationship of our faith; we trust God and we walk with God and from God we seek forgiveness and mercy and receive it through Jesus Christ.  And as such we await the day when we will be judged and Christ' intervention has saved us from eternal separation to eternal life in God.

The God-created should know the wondrous nature of God, and once they know it, they share Him; “In Him we live and move and have our being.” We know that God is near and we should live our lives with that assurance and knowledge.

PRAYER:  Loving God, help me to know You more today than I did yesterday.  I truly desire a relationship with You.  Forgive my sins and trespasses, and help me be one who shares You to those who do not yet know You.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Show people that you are God-created!

Eradio Valverde

"There's Something Different About You"

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Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God fora good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. (1 Peter 3:13-22)

I spent sixteen weeks at 1111 Texas Avenue in downtown Houston back in the mid-70s.  I was in marketing school for Southwestern Bell Telephone.  I had wonderful classmates that during those weeks became like family; we laughed, cried, worried, and celebrated together.  We heard each one's story, and learned how it was that we ended working for the then-telephone monopoly.  I will never forget there was a point where one of my classmates asked, "What is it about you?  There's something different about you."  I smiled and shared my faith.  I hoped that it was my attitude and outlook towards life that even though I was in the "belly of the whale," this huge corporation in downtown Houston, that God still favored me and was watching out for me.  I knew that I was being trained to make good money and to help this company make great money.  I tried hiding my sadness at having dropped out of seminary and having run away from God; but God's grace was with me even there.  The graphic above is a more gentle version of the text printed above; "Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence."  There was hope in me even in that place at that time.  My desire was to do good for God even if it was away from the pulpit.  I thank God that I did not suffer other than my feelings of disappointment towards myself and my call, but I knew that God would use me for His purposes even after this training.  The result was that this training helped me in my self-confidence, my shyness, and pushed me further into being the person I needed to be when I did become a pastor.  

Whatever you might be facing, dear friend, may be only for a season; soon it will be a fleeting memory and you will realize that God has been with you all along, and as Peter writes, "You are blessed."  We may not understand it now, but through prayer, Bible study, worship, and listening; God will make it every clear what it is that you can now do that you couldn't have done had you not passed through this.  Your prayers should be always of gratitude even in the midst of suffering, and the blessings will continue to be yours.

PRAYER:  Loving God, bless the life of this dear reader; whatever they may be going through, be it good or bad, is only for a season.  Grant to this dear person, strength and patience, and open their eyes to see the blessings that You're still sharing with them even now.  To You be all honor and glory we pray in Christ Jesus' precious name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Smile more!  People will wonder what is different about you!

Eradio Valverde 

Jesus Invites Us to Abide with Him

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‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunesto make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. (John 15:1-8)

I don't know if it was because they were around old people, but something prompted a conversation between Caleb Eradio, 7, and Eliana, 4; our grandchildren.  The conversation part I heard went something like this.  Eliana:  "Caleb, when we get older I'm going to live with you."  Caleb:  "No Eliana, when we get older I have to live with a different girl."  Eliana:  "No, I need someone to take care of me."  Caleb: "When we get older, our parents die, and you live with a son."  Eliana: "I don't want a son, I want my Daddy!"

For our four year-old, who she lives with at this point is very important.  In her mind, she is content and happy right where she is, and rightly so. She is well provided for, she is loved; she has lots of toys and a big brother and little sister with whom she can play with; life is good, thank God. She cried after that little conversation and Caleb calmed her by winking at Grandma and telling her she could live with him when she was older.

Jesus continues his prepare for the future talk started in John 13, when He revealed He would suffer much and die in Jerusalem.  That set off most of chapter 14 and now he speaks of where they disciples should live.  Remember these 12 men left family and home to be on the road with Him.  His invitation was to stay with Him in spirit.  "Abide in me as I abide in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me."  Hear these words:  "I an the vine, you are the branches."  Jesus speaking of our need to stay connected with Him always.  There is no better place to live than staying connected with the Lord.  Nellie and I have been married 39, almost 40 years.  It's safe to say we abide in each other.  Trips away from her I cannot stand; nor can she (or at least she tells me that! But I believe her!).  But Nellie and I abide in the Lord, and the blesses our abiding in each other.  Almost everything we do is done to stay connected with Jesus and with each other; and that makes the rest of life easier to face and love.  Our abundant living comes from that connection.  Together, the three of us; Jesus, Nellie, and I, can do great things.  Next time you reach for a grape still connected to branch, remember that grape would not be in your mouth had it not been part of a branch, nor the branch would not have produced it had it not stayed with the vine.  You and I are vine people joined at the heart with Jesus; connected, we can do all things for God's glory!

PRAYER:  Loving God, Vine of us all; gather us in closer to You and to each other; may we seek to live as vine people, connected to You to do all things for Your glory.  As branches joined to You as our Vine, we will not fall, nor fail; for in You we find all that we need.  We love You and praise You in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Hold on to the Vine!

Eradio Valverde

Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up.

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 I run to you, God; I run for dear life. Don't let me down! Take me seriously this time! Get down on my level and listen, and please - no procrastination! Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff aerie a place of safety. You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide.  Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you.  I've put my life in your hands. You won't drop me, you'll never let me down.What a stack of blessing you have piled up for those who worship you, Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world. You hide them safely away from the opposition. As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces, you silence the poisonous gossip.  Blessed God! His love is the wonder of the world.  I panicked. "Out of sight, out of mind," I said. But you heard me say it, you heard and listened. Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone. 24 Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon. (Psalm 31:15, 19-24)

If you had your choice, goes the question;  would you live by the ocean or the mountains?  This was one of many topics Nellie and I had with our daughters.  And it is now one that we enjoy with our grandchildren.  Of course, they ask, "Disney World or Disneyland" and it just goes from there.  The first question is not a trick question nor do I know any psychological implications of either answer.  It does make one think about the beauty and benefit of both settings.  "If we lived by the ocean, there might be hurricanes!"  Yes, but when there are no hurricanes, there is that calm sound of waves lapping onto the shore.  "If we lived on the mountains, it might snow a lot and not allow us to leave for days."  Yes, but when the weather is clear, the air is crisp and wonderful; and bluer blues we don't see from lower altitudes...

The psalmist knew the mountains.  And he writes with their benefits in mind.  God was everything safe and inviting about the mountains (And I'm not taking the side of mountains necessarily in this devotional!), and he writes about the blessings and benefits of trusting God and hiding in Him.  God's presence was for him a place where he could hide away from the pressures and strains of the world in daily life.  "You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb."  How many times as a boy did I think I might discover a new cave (Yes, even in Kingsville!  ha) where I could go and hide?  After school my friends and I would run to Ragland's, a long closed department store that is now the King Ranch Store; for it had a one-way escalator.  We would run to the store, ride the escalator (we were really climbing in our minds a mountain!), then run down the stairs, out the door and run home.  I was well on my way to knowing God for Who God is in my life now; "Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide.  Free me from hidden grasps; I want to hide in You.  I've put my life in Your hands.  You won't drop me, you'll never let me down."  Still to this day I believe and count on this.  Read the verses following as well; God does bless us as we worship Him; always ready to receive our prayers, our fears, our hopes; always ready to love us.  And no better way to close than with "Be brave.  Be strong.  Don't give up.  Expect God to get here soon."  Amen!

PRAYER:  Loving God, we seek to hide in You during times when we feel alone, scared, worried, or overwhelmed.  We trust in You and Your love.  Let those times be times of blessing that will lead us away from those stressful times and things to a life truly lived in abundance.  For those thinking they are scared, give them strength.  For those feeling weak, make them strong.  For those thinking of giving up, grant them courage to continue on.  We all expect You to be at our side soon.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Don't give up!

Eradio Valverde

Seeing the Glory of God

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But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.(Acts 7:55-60)

This is a sad passage.  The first Deacon in the Bible is Stephen, chosen to serve God through a servant ministry earlier in chapter 6 because he was "a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (6:5).  It is said that Stephen, "full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people." (6:8)  And it was from his serving God so well that some came to dislike him and brought false charges against him (sound familiar? Think Jesus...).  He was brought to trial, complete with false witnesses with the charge, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed to us." (6:13-14).  Stephen was given the opportunity to speak and he shared his heart in a long sermon basically accusing those holding the trial of being unfaithful to God.  He is found guilty and ordered stoned to death.

You and I have been in situations where we were misunderstood and it may have not helped to have had people affirming the opposite view of us.  Did we see the glory of God as did Stephen?  Stephen was so connected to God in his life, praying, worshiping, serving, loving; that even in the final moments of this terrible way to die, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into the sky and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  His death concluded the beautiful sermon he shared with the people.  Sad to read that the people who could have been changed by these powerful words instead closed their ears and rushed together to finish the task of killing him.  There is a young man present for this death and it was Saul, who was in charge of watching the coats of these murderers.  Stephen's last words were, in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."  

We always have a chance to give witness to the glory of God and Jesus in our lives.  The pain or shock of some situations may not lead us there, but it should.  Whether we are in the fullness of life, or in the pit of despair, God is present and we can cry out to God and know that our prayer will be heard and we can give witness to God and God's glory in our midst.  Stephen's witness of heaven opened and God and Jesus present there let him know that he was going there; and as he did, he asked that God forgive those who killed him.  A faithful witness, especially when not expected, brings glory to God.  And as was the case with young Saul, we know how his story ended, as the greatest evangelist of Jesus Christ to the known world in his time.  We don't know if Saul was one who closed his ears, but we do know later, he opened his heart as his eyes were closed, to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  

PRAYER:  Loving God, grant me the power and peace of Your Holy Spirit to live a life that gives glory to You.  Share with me the faithful witness that blesses others even as they close their ears to You.  May my heart be open to receive and share Your love; this I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Bring your faithful witness to life today!

Eradio Valverde

Yes, You Are a Priest!

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Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner’, and A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:2-10)

I wear a cross necklace almost all the time.  It's either inside my shirt or I display it on the outside.  It is a daily reminder of Whose I am and serve.  I say, "I love you, Lord Jesus" as I put it on; for it is a sign of the mercy I received through that cross and the cost of great love given to me by that sacrifice upon the cross.  And I sometimes wear black shirts.  So, last night Nellie and I went to Sam's Club to buy needed stuff for the house.  We saw an item that would be a great thing for the home and we stopped and looked at the display card of the item.  Nellie asked if I wanted it.  I said not at the moment.  So we shopped and, write this down for the history book, we bought only one item for under nine dollars.  We walked out of the store and Nellie said, "If you wanted to buy that item, now might be the time for it."  I thought about it, walked to our truck and I said, "I guess you're right," as I loaded the one purchased item into our vehicle. We walked back, got the display card, walked over to the self-service counter, paid for the item, walked to Member Services as we did not see anyone at the podium (Sam's is complicated).  "Now for the joy of standing in line at Member Services" I tell the wife.  But, no one was there. The man said, "You want a refund?"  No, we just bought this.  "Oh, go back to the podium."  There was no one there, thinks I, and walk back to the podium  (I tell you it's complicated).  But as we near the podium so does the woman working there.  I hand her the display card and receipt for the item and she says, "We don't sell these; they sold out.  You have to go back to guest services and get a refund."  (Did I tell you Sam's is complicated?  Frustratingly so?)  As he finishes giving us our money back, he asks, "Are you a priest?"  I smile and said, "No, I am a pastor."  "What church?" he asks.  I smile and say, "Well, actually I'm in charge of many churches; I am a district superintendent for the United Methodist church of this area."  He smiled as he had started to cross himself and said, "That's nice."

And this morning I read this passage that reminds me that I am a priest.  And so are you.  The ancient word for priest is pontifex, a Latin word meaning bridge; a priest was considered the bridge between God and humanity.  And what Peter is claiming is that those who believe in Jesus are part of "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that we might proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  This is not complicated like Sam's.  It simply says we should live our lives as those who point out He who has brought us a new life and a new hope.  I remember in seminary hearing this verse in this new way and the professor stressing that we were indeed, all part of this priesthood of all believers.

Are you a priest?  The answer is yes.  The real question then is, Are you living as a bridge between God and others?  Do you offer the hope and joy that is ours because of Jesus?  I would hope yes would be your answer.  My morning started yesterday sharing hope with the cashier at our favorite taqueria and a promise that I would pray for her.  Sometimes, that's all you have to say to someone; I am praying or I will pray for you.  And as you walk away you say a simple silent prayer in your mind and heart, "Lord, bless this dear person and what s/he is facing; in Jesus' name, amen."

PRAYER:  Lord, we are honored to be a part of a royal priesthood.  We are so grateful to have been shown mercy that we want to show mercy to others.  Grant us the courage to live as those who bridge the chasms between You and those who do not yet know you.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Be a bridge!  It's not complicated!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus: The Way, The Truth, and The Life!

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‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. (John 14:1-14)

Although I have used this text many times at funerals, this is a text for our everyday life.  It was a special eye-opening revelation to the disciples as it should be for us.  After Jesus shared with the disciples that He was to go to Jerusalem, suffer much, then die; which I believe stopped the neurons in their brains from working, Jesus speaks of life beyond this life.  Number one, our hearts should not be troubled.  If we believe in God, we should also believe in Jesus.  And if Jesus says that in His father's house there are many dwelling places, it is so.  And Jesus further adds, if this wasn't so, why would He have said that He has gone to prepare a place for us?  And the beauty of this is that Jesus desires us to be there with Him, if we but follow the way.  Thomas, remember him?  He asks, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how can we know the way?"  No bad or silly question, especially if asked of Jesus, and Jesus replies, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  Stop and ponder this in your heart.  Jesus is the way.  He is the path that leads to life, life in abundance, life without end.  What He taught and left for us in the gospels are the way we should live.  Secondly, what Jesus has shared is truth.  Jesus does not lie.  Jesus speaks as one with the Father, and God is holy and pure; we can go to the bank with what God shares.  And lastly, Jesus is life.  Jesus always spoke about God being the God of the living, not the dead; He spoke of why He came back in the gospel text of last week, John 10:10.  

Jesus then shares His desire for us to believe and to be open to being led by God to do God's work here in the earth.  And we can expect to do even greater works because Jesus is with the Father and will do whatever we ask in HIs name so that God may be glorified in Him.  Hear this and write it on your heart:  "If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

Our desire is to ask to be put to work in the Lord to help bring about the Kingdom on the earth.  

PRAYER:  Use me, Loving Lord, to be Your servant here on the earth.  May our actions reveal and reflect that we know the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Empower us with Your Spirit to do great things for You.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Beloved Psalm of Faith, Comfort & Promise

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David wrote the psalm because he knew the Shepherd.  Do you?

Beloved Psalm 23:  The LORD is my shepherd ; I shall not want .  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: heleadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths ofrighteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me  Thou preparest a tablebefore me in the presence of mine enemies : thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever .

My grandchildren love the Christian version of "Barbara Ann" which, when done by the Apologetix is called, "Baa, We're Lambs."  And it's a cute song that tells the story of a lamb in God's hands.  I love the song, too, especially the Refrain where they sing, "Tried many moves -- Tried getting loose, Tried petting zoos, but I knew they wouldn't do, 'Cause I'm a lamb in God's hands. You got to follow where He's going; God'll take you in the Promised Land, Baa Baa Baa, We're lambs."

You and I can live secure knowing that if we make God our Shepherd, God will comfort, protect us, and lead us to where He would have us go.

Try it!  Beats living in a petting zoo!

PRAYER:  Beloved Shepherd, thank You for the psalm and the psalmist who wrote it for our good.  Let me truly be a lamb in Your hands.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Having a Glad and Generous Heart

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They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

I do not tire of sharing the story of the day when I had no money and no food to eat because of the glad and generous heart of a classmate, Bud Rousett, now a pastor in Colorado.  Without me having to ask, God placed in his heart to ask me if I would join him for lunch.  "I don't have much, " he said, "Just two eggs, two pieces of bread and some peanut butter; would you join me?"  I get teary-eyed just thinking of that feast of a meal we enjoyed, because that made me have a glad and generous heart.  I remember the first Christmas season Nellie and I were married and we found ourselves pretty close to that situation, and we had just enough money to buy one of those small samplers from the sausage and cheese vendors that spring up in shopping centers.  Another feast!  Why?  Because of a glad and generous heart.  This awesome passage comes after the Miracle at Pentecost, the sharing by God of His Holy Spirit, and the miracles did not end there, for glad and generous hearts find miracles everyday, even in the simplest things that others take for granted.

How does one get a glad and generous heart?  From God, of course.  We ask for forgiveness of our sins, and when we realize that we have been forgiven, we can't help but know that our hearts are glad for that which was taken away from us (sin); and become generous for that which was given to us (God's love).  Notice again the miracles; new believers devoted themselves to learning as much as they could about Jesus.  They also enjoyed being together with others who loved Jesus.  They also celebrated Communion and in fellowship meals; so much so that "All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possession and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need."  What a miracle, to realize they had too much stuff, could sell that stuff and then share the money with others.  The meals at home became where the glad and generous hearts allowed praising of God and the goodwill of people.  "And day by day, the Lord added to their number those who were being saved."

So, put your glad and generous heart to work!

PRAYER:  Lord, add to our hearts a double dose of generosity and triple dose of gladness.  Help me as part of the Church become one who blesses Your work by sharing and giving, praising and worshiping You.  Add daily to our number, Dear Father, this we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  A glad and generous heart that does not work soon dies - Don't kill your work!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus, Our Shepherd & Guardian of Our Souls

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For it is to your credit if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, where is the credit in that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin,and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. (1 Peter 2:19-25)

There is no better example of how we should live, than Jesus.  The writer of this passage knew from his experiences with Jesus all that Jesus suffered unjustly; and he says, "Hang in there when things don't go your way even if you have tried your best and done all you could, for Jesus suffered worst things."  The hymn asks that precious question, "Are you able, said the Master, to be crucified with me; 'Yea,' the sturdy dreamers answered, 'To the death we follow Thee."  And the chorus:  "Lord, we are able, Our spirits are thine.  Remold them, make us, Like Thee, divine.  Thy guiding radiance Above us shall be A beacon to God, to love and loyalty."  It's a beautiful hymn with some demanding questions asked, but those with faith sing the chorus with boldness and hope, that we can live a life like Jesus and we will follow Jesus wherever He may lead us, trusting all the way that He will be at work in us, "remolding" us to be just like Him, holy and pure.  The writer of 1 Peter knew life's journey being one of ups and downs, of blessings and challenges, and more importantly, he knew Jesus.  So, through that faith, as he wrote, he was able to be free from sins, he lived for righteousness, and by Jesus' wounds was healed.  Even those who wandered off like stray sheep found their way back to Jesus, whom we know to be our Shepherd and guardian of our souls.

There is no road so beautiful or tempting that can lead us, who know Jesus as Lord and Savior, far from His presence and protection.  There is no sin that cannot be forgiven, or length of time away that one cannot be restored into the fullness of the fellowship Christ desires with us.  If you think you fit into one of those categories, come home right now.  In the arms of the Shepherd and under the protection of the Guardian of our souls, there is no better place to be!

PRAYER:  Loving God, for Your constant love, we yearn.  For the embrace of Your arms around us, we seek to be made right with You.  Help us to be obedient sheep under Your care, for You are the Good Shepherd and the Guardian of our souls.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Don't wander off!

Eradio Valverde

Abundant Life! Are You Living It?

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‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:1-10)

Someone cheated me out of an Abundant Life sermon.  Or I wasn't listening.  One thing I know I had not paid attention to this particular passage of scripture until I was in seminary.  I remember hearing the responses to a question I've long forgotten, but when I heard, "Abundant life!" I perked up my ears and wondered, "What are they talking about?"  And then I read this beautiful and powerful passage that contains my favorite verse in the Bible, which is verse ten:  "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  That's the Gospel in two sentences.  It is a recap of life and all of its challenges.  Think about it; the temptations that we have only lead to one of these three that Jesus mentions.  We may indulge in an act that steals life away from us, or steals health.  Another temptation is meant to kill us.   And ultimately, sin may completely destroy us.  We cry, Satan laughs.  But Jesus counters the first sentence with His words about life and living that in an abundant way.  It is a promise to lead us from just existing, to a life filled with meaning and purpose; of service and acts of charity and kindness for others, being a blessing to God and God's people.

And this is ours for the asking.  If you're tired of living as in a rut, doing the same thing over and over again, talk to Jesus in a simple prayer that asks, "Lord Jesus, grant me that life that leads to abundant living."  And it will be yours.

PRAYER:  Lord, take us from mere existence to life in abundance.  Help me to see life through Your eyes and to see the countless blessings that have been mine all along, and lead me to being a blessing to You and Yours.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde