PRAYERS FROM THE BIBLE: A Prayer for Enlightenment

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We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. (Colossians 1:9-12 NLT)

Good Friday to you, dear Friend!  I pray this finds you well and blessed!  May this prayer from the Bible be a prayer that brings you and yours that which is needed and which can be shared for God's glory.

35,000. That's the number of decisions the average normal person makes each day.  I'll share that number again, 35,000.  The average child, on the other hand, makes about 3,000.  It doesn't making growing up look attractive does it?  "What shall I wear today?"  "What do I have to do today?"  "Do I really have to do that today?"  "How can I get out of this that I have to do today?"  And on and on those decisions go.  And add to that major life decisions that some make during that same day; it's as if we can double that number and add several zeros at the end; "Should I retire?"  "Should I change jobs?" "Isn't it time for a new vehicle?"  I'm getting anxious just writing this!  For that reason, the above and adapted passage (personal pronouns added) is a prayer for help from God in making decisions.  Let's look at the prayer:

1.  It asks God to help under completely have a knowledge of God's will for our day.   2.  That knowledge comes through spiritual wisdom (keep praying and reflecting!) 3.  Understanding comes from thorough examination of the situation and decision being made. 4.  It requires us to live in a way that honors and pleases the Lord. 5.  This will produce good fruit (evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit leading and guiding you) 6.  We should be open for growth in our lives, in order to better know God. 7.  It asks God for more strength from His glorious power 8.  It asks God for endurance 9.  It asks God for patience.  10. We seek to be filled with joy. 11.  We become thankful people.

I can see how more blessed our day becomes by praying this; and as the day continues it shows a satisfaction in knowing that we are following God and we are obedient to Him.  It becomes a part of what we witness and share with others with the peace that comes from such a prayer blessing our lives.

May this prayer be also the prayer which blesses this devotional and you:

PRAYER:  Loving Heavenly Father, I pray You give complete knowledge of Your will to this dear reader and all they are facing.  I pray for complete spiritual wisdom and understanding for their life.  May this dear reader's life honor and please You, Father.  May their life bring forth every kind of good fruit.  May this be a day of growth as we learn to know You better and better.  I pray that this dear one is strengthened with Your glorious power in a way that gives endurance and patience that they need through out this day.  May their life be filled with joy and gratitude.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Keep praying!  Smile as you do so!

Eradio Valverde

A Great Nation is Made up of Wise & Discerning People

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So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’ For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9)

Good day dear Friend!  I trust this finds you well as it leaves me.  I realize we are a day behind in our devotional readings!  We'll catch up!  May this and all God-things you do today bless you in a rich and wonderful way is my prayer.  I ask prayers for little Benaiah Lee Carrizales, grandson of Rev. & Mrs. Steve (Vicki) Purdy.  He was born two days ago and is having breathing problems.  Pray for this little one to get strong and healthy.  Eva Pennington will need rehab after her surgery; please pray for her and this decision that will bless her.

In recent days we have seen the farewell address by an American Senator, John McCain, who opted to no longer receive medical treatment and died soon after that decision.  Senator McCain served his country well and left a standard that few will be able to meet.  The sad reality, in my opinion,  is that few are trying.  Mr. McCain in his farewell address left behind his thoughts about what was and is important for this nation.  Today's passage has the gist of Moses' farewell address.  This man of God, called, strengthened and inspired by God, has seen the Promised Land but knows that he will not physically step foot on it.  He had the big view of the land and his dream was that the nation of God, Israel, would be able to occupy it.  It reminds me of another man, who had a vision of a new land, and when it was completed, he was already dead.  Someone voiced, "It's a shame that Walt (Disney) did not live to see Disney World."  And his wife replied, "He did see it; that's why it's here!"   Moses saw the future of this great nation of Israel being a greater nation is they would remember all that God had shared with them during their formative years in the wilderness.  Many joke that from Egypt to Canaan is a straight shot, but their wanderings made it take 40 years to get there.  The reality is that those years served a purpose; God wanted to form the people. And true formation takes time.

Moses' desire is the same.  God had shared with him the law, and through the law they could find life; a fuller, more abundant life compared to other nations.  They were to live as people who not only knew God, but loved Him enough to live in the way God had asked.  Moses says that when other nations would see all Israel was to do and be, they would know that God had blessed them.  Moses' call applies to all nations, especially ours today; a great nation is made up of wise and discerning people.  Wise people know to seek the truth and they know that the truth is found in God.  Wise people know how to discern and discerning begins with prayer and spiritual reflection.  It is easy to be carried away by the current of popular culture and to accept all things without wisdom and discernment; the wise know what outcomes and consequences can come to foolish, rash people; and a nation made up of foolish and rash people does not last very long.  Moses' call also goes to the personal; "But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children."

God had shared the strong foundation for a great nation and it was up to the people themselves to build on that foundation.  In the same way many a grandmother and grandfather say, "I wish I could see how my grandson/granddaughter will turn out!"  the reality is if we lay out the solid spiritual foundation of integrity and good character, we can trust that the rest will fall into place, shaped and molded by the Lord Himself.  Our job is to share what we have learned and know to be from God that blesses God and blesses us.

PRAYER:  Loving God, thank You for the solid foundation that You shared for Israel.  And thank You for Jesus, Who sought to shape that foundation for believers today.  May we live a life that inspired and guides those behind us so that upon the solid rock foundation of Jesus we can have a wise nation made up of wise and discerning people. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be the foundation for the little ones in your life; show them what solid looks like!

Eradio Valverde

Pure & Blameless Before God: Doers!

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Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:16-27)

May this be a wonderful day for you, dear Friend!  I thank you for your prayers for Ms. Eva Pennington, whose surgery went well without any hitches; thank the Lord!  Pray as she recovers that God may ease her pain and discomfort.

My daughters, and I suppose me as well, grew up on Fraggle Rock.  I would put the show on for them and I would watch along with them.  I thought of the show and the characters as I read this passage for I thought of the Doozers as Doers.  I reviewed what Wikipedia said about the show and what the show had in it.  For one thing, the main creatures in the show were Fraggles.  They enjoyed a 30-minute work week.  They sought wisdom from a trash heap, and they considered humans, who are from the "outside world" as the "silly creatures."  Along with the Fraggles were a closely-related species called the Doozers, who spent all of their time building.  They built candy-like structures which the Fraggles would come along and eat.  The Doozers did not mind for they would say that "architecture was meant to be enjoyed!"  Well, I can think of some creatures here in the real world who seek to consider what they do in church for one hour (usually, some zone out after 30 minutes) work!  And they leave content that they have punched out or checked the box that said "Church."  And on they go with their lives.  Some may actually even seek wisdom from "trash heaps," such as,. dare I say it, FaceBook, Netflix, novels, movies, musics; things that may only reinforce limited world views and certainly not God's views on life.  And all while eating candy or things that are candy-like.  The writer of this passage is offering a challenge to the comfortable and content:  Go beyond what you usually do, to do the things of God!

Notice the beginning of the passage talks about generous giving being from God.  God gives to us what we need, and from that we should give/serve those in need.  After all, God's greatest gift was the gift of His Son, Jesus, who in turn gave us the example of a life well-lived; that of serving God and taking care of one another. We are, after all, "First fruits of His creatures."  And all while trying not be angry about things.  ("God doesn't know what kind of day I had yesterday!" My own quote, while admitting, "Yes God does because God was right there with me; and over all, we took care of business!  Well, God did.  I just gritted my teeth and stayed calm when I wanted to scream angry, Fraggle Rock type words!")

God was with me, as God was with you.  We should, as the writer says, "be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger."  Anger does not look good on us, and any God-like qualities we may have get quickly erased and blurred with our angry stares and words.  And the writer inspired by the Lord tells us to rid our lives of the ugliness and dirty, all the while seeking to receive the word of God which should be deeply implanted and growing within us to be the people God called and made us to be.  We are to be DOERS, and not just hearers.  What we hear on Sunday should be the basis of motivation for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; and especially Sunday again!  Repeat.  Our actions should be those recorded by God in Heaven so that our day before Him will result on those words we all want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"  What do you think you will hear is you're just a hearer?  "Well, you didn't even try!  Bye-Bye!"

God knows you and I can do better.  We should present ourselves before the Lord as pure and undefiled.  And our actions should be like those the writer shared; caring for those who can't care for themselves; orphans, the homeless, the widows, those in distress.  These will not only keep us "unstained," but will remove any stains on us now.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, let me go out of my comfort zone.  I know I seek to find the easiest way out; but now I want to go beyond. Let me seek to hear from You more than an hour a Sunday; may it be an hour a day that I hear from You.  Let me also seek to work for You as I seek to be pure and undefiled before You.  I cannot do it alone, I need You.  And this prayer of faith I lift up in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Start right now with the pure and undefiled life we are to live!

Eradio Valverde

Seek To Be Clean on The Inside!

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Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.” You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’ Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’ For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’ (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)

Good day dear Friend!  I pray this finds you and yours doing well.  I ask that we pray for those students starting school today!  Among them are our grandchildren in Houston and in Mission.  Today is the first day of school for Liam Carlos, Caleb Eradio, Eliana Beth, and Adabelle Grace.  May the Lord bless and keep all children, teachers, and all who work with them safe and protected is our prayer.  Also, I ask prayers for the family of Rev. Harold Sassman, who was my first DS in the Southwest Texas Conference; this past Saturday he was laid to rest and I was unable to be with the family as we are in Houston with Liam.  It was Harold who gave me the name for this devotional of "ConCafe," in 1999.  I started calling it Consecrated Coffee, for I was a habitual coffee drinker back then and I envisioned this devotional being best enjoyed over a cup of coffee.  In passing one day, Harold said, "I love your devotionals, that ConCafe!"  Harold was a good man and among the first of my subscribers to it.  May he rest in peace is my prayer and may his family be comforted. And thank you, Harold for ConCafe!

Who remembers Poppy?  The father of one of Jerry Seinfeld's tv show girlfriends?  Poppy owned a pizza restaurant, and his daughter kept telling Jerry it was the best pizza in New York.  That in itself is a comedic story, for NYC has more pizza places than people.  Jerry, who is very finicky about food, finally agrees to accompany her to the restaurant and when he gets there, after the introductions, goes to the restroom where he, Jerry, is washing his hands.  Poppy comes out of one of the stall, looks in the mirror as he's telling Jerry, "I'm a gonna make for you one delicious pizza!" and walks out without washing his hands.  When the pizza is served, Jerry does not want to touch it.

The Pharisees and the Scribes all had their traditions and among the chief traditions was on hygiene. As the passage tells us "For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders."  These religious folk noticed that some of Jesus's "disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them."  And, of course, made a big deal out of it, to which Jesus replied that prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled and truth was told about people honoring God only with their lips, but that their hearts were far from God; holding more to human traditions than to God's commandments.  And then the boom:  "There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.  For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come:  fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."  

I remember when a few years back we had quite a flu season and this sent many churches into panic mode.  Pastors and communion assistants in serving, were made to wear gloves, and our church bought the pre-packaged complete communion cup with wafers, and folks served themselves for fear that one of us might have the flu germ and thus the safety precautions.  Some churches have always had that sort of attitude towards communion and have pastors wear gloves all the time.  Even now, I have joked that the ritual should say, "On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus took the Purell, sanitized his hands, handed it to His disciples who also purified their hands..."  And who often do we stop to think that before we should take the bread and drink from the cup we should rid our hearts of the evil within?  Just this past Communion Sunday, our head usher told me, as I was tying to sanitize my hands, that an old pastor once told him that God doesn't allow for disease to be passed through something so sacred.  That faith blessed my heart; but still the question remains.  Are we pure within as we take the sacrament?  That's a pretty inclusive list that covers a range of human failings and sins; that is what should be removed from us before we take the Body and Blood of the Lord.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, purify my heart.  Remove from it right now anything that does not belong there.  I want to be made right before you in all my ways.  Remove evil thoughts and desires and replace them with the thought and desire to serve You in holy ways.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  May our actions show the purity within that only God can place there!

Eradio Valverde

Prayers from the Bible: A Prayer for Peace

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“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Happy Friday, dear Friend!  You don't need permission to dance your Happy Friday Dance!  I pray that as you make plans for the weekend, that you would factor in worship time with God's people (i.e. a church of your choice) and be a blessing to the Lord and the Lord's people!

This is a special time of year when a LOT of prayers get lifted up to the Lord from parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors; all for the blessing of the start of the school year.  A funny picture making its way on social media shows two frames.  The first one shows a group of parents outside a school building looking longingly into the windows and the captions says, "Parents of First Graders."  The second frame shows a car smoking its tires in a fast getaway and the caption says, "Parents of Sixth Graders."  So, yes even prayers of "Thank You, Lord" get in the mix of those who pray, "Bless and protect my child/children this school year.

We're studying prayers from the Bible and today's may be one those of you who are of a certain age, who were active back in what was then known as MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship).  It comes from the book of Numbers 6:24-26 and it was the prayer of blessing that would close our meetings.  We would add, as someone had taught us to say before the Amen, "Christ Above All" which was the MYF slogan.  So, let's unpack that prayer and see how it applies to our lives.

The prayer comes from the book many call boring.  One has to almost literally trudge through Numbers, but it does contain important stuff after all, it's in the Bible!  It's a book of census and a book of instruction.  This chapter from where this prayer comes deals with the Nazirites and how they are to be a people separated or set apart from the others, for their lives were meant to be holy and dedicated to the service of God. Nazirites were not to drink wine or anything related to grapes; and they were not to shave or cut their hair. (My oldest grandson would love to live under that rule!) Two notable Nazirites you should know: Samson, though his "set apart-ness" wasn't exactly what the Lord God had in mind, and John the Baptist, whose life was holy and boldly dedicated to God.  This prayer was to be part of the consecration service and it is a blessing that applies to all of the Israelites and to all who pray it.

"The Lord bless you and keep you," a prayer dedicated to God, asking God's blessing and protection upon the person for whom we are praying.  "Keep" means safe or as keep them safe; under God's watchful eyes.  "The Lord make His face shine upon you."  Nothing shines a face more than a smile.  And nothing smiles more than giving someone their full attention.  To ask that God's face shine upon you means God looking right at you and smiling at you.  When one smiles at someone, they usually smile back; try that on a happy baby!  You'll get a smile and a stare that will last while you're in view!

"And be gracious to you."  We love when others are gracious to us.  They slow down to let us into an otherwise crowded traffic flow.  They tend to our needs without complaint or frowns.  Imagine God's graciousness to us!  A smile and His favor on us and those for whom we pray this prayer.  "The Lord lift up His countenance upon you."  This means for God to give us His full attention and may even include His support in that face that is shining on us.  To have the shining face of God with love written all over it and that love directed to us - what more can we want? 

"And give you peace."  Peace is what most parents want as they leave their children in the care of their schools and daycares.  To have a feeling that our children are safe or at least in safe hands.  Our prayers should continue asking God to have a major part of that wellbeing of our children; and as we pray this prayer, we're also asking for ourselves.  We want and need that peace that allows us to continue with what is expected.  Imagine just staying in sadness outside your child's window all day?  That child would be so embarrassed and you might be escorted off the campus, adding to your son or daughter's "Mom!" or "Dad!"  Peace motivates us to get on with what is expected of us.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, we pray the words of this special prayer for ourselves, for our little ones, for our family members, for our churches and pastors:  May You bless and keep us; May Your face shine upon us, and be gracious unto us; May You lift up Your countenance upon us and give us peace."  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Pray this prayer often today.  Pray for one another and for yourselves.

Eradio Valverde

The Lord is Right There with You!

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The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous,but the Lord rescues them from them all. He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken. Evil brings death to the wicked,and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:15-21 NRSV)

God keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan. God won't put up with rebels; he'll cull them from the pack. Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath.  Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.  He's your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken.  The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good. God pays for each slave's freedom; no one who runs to him loses out. (Psalm 34:15-21 The Message)

Good day dear Friend!  Praying this is a day of special blessings, unexpected prayers answered, and new opportunities presenting themselves for you to enjoy!  Lord, hear our prayers!  Dear one, our prayer requests and updates are after the devotional.  

I remember as it were yesterday, the day our firstborn started crawling.  It was a marvelous thing.  She found mobility and she enjoyed it.  And one evening we had her on a baby blanket on the floor near our sofa and she crawled to the very edge of that blanket and stopped.  She turned her head towards Mom and Dad, looked at us, laughed, and then put one hand on the floor off the blanket.  She looked again.  Yep, Mom and Dad were still watching her, so she put weight on her hand and crawled off the blanket onto the floor.  And as if the next day, we dropped her off at Southwestern University as she started her university career.  Our eyes on her, filled with tears of course, as she walked into the dorm.  There's a special feeling knowing that when we needed watching our parents were there.  And when our parents were not there, God was.  Such was the faith of David as he wrote this psalm.  He knew that God watches out for those who love Him and follow Him.  The ancient version says God watches the righteous; the newer one says, "His friends."  And God is listening to us; hearing our moans and our cries.  Paul took it farther and said that God even hears and understands our sighs which are too deep for words.  God is right there with you; right here with me.  That should guide and also shape our behavior.  Many a time, many have said, "Lord, please don't watch this!" as we embarked on something we knew we should not have been doing.

God's love and care for us is so profound we should live a life that responds to that care, knowing that God will respond to our needs.  Yesterday in our noon Bible study class, we studied Acts 10, the story of Peter and Cornelius and it touched me yet again.  Cornelius, a well-respected and beloved centurion, lived a life of faith. We pondered how he, a Gentile, Roman citizen, came to faith in the living God.  His job was among Jews and it may have been an exposure to their prayers and beliefs that got him interested and then he himself became a believer.  Yet, as he prayed, and he prayed faithfully, he may have been asking for "What's next?"  That was an incredible prayer answered in an incredible way.  Peter, chief of the Disciples himself, comes to visit him and to offer him the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.  Cornelius was ready for he had invited all his family and friends to be with him as Peter arrived, and all were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Dear one, if you're praying and wondering what is next, ask God.  God will answer you with "what's next," if you're ready to respond and receive it.  It may involved coming out of your comfort zone and into the "I trust God" zone for next steps; but you will be blessed richly!  God is right there with you, and will be with you as you move even closer to Him.

PRAYER:  Loving Father, I pray a special blessing on this dear reader and their situation.  I pray they have received and believed that You are right there with them.  And, if their prayer is a prayer about what could be next for them, answer it in a mighty way; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Live a life that says, "God is right here with me!"  In fact, tell someone that today - It might just be what they've been waiting to hear!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUESTS AND UPDATES:  Please continue in prayer for Ms. Charlotte Wilson, who is in rehabilitation after her open-heart surgery in San Antonio.  She's in a facility across the street from Methodist Metropolitan Hospital.  Prayers for Ms. Belle Witt, who is in the Texan also receiving needed care for her rehabilitation.  Thank you all for prayers for Nellie, who saw her orthopedic surgeon yesterday and her wrist is healing well.  Pray for one another.  Pray for yourselves.

Choose the Lord!

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Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. ‘Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’ Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’ (Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18)

May the blessings of the Lord Jesus be with you and your household is my prayer for you, Dear Friend! This is a day many look forward to as it is the middle of the work week. Whether you do or don't, may it still be a day of blessing from God to you and you to someone else.

One can only imagine what it would be to follow a successful leader such as Steve Jobs of Apple. Many thought that once Steve died, so would Apple. The job went to Tim Cook and if you read the news from recent days, Apple became the first corporation to ever reach a value of one trillion dollars. I dare not try to write that in numeric form as I don't know how many zeros it would contain! In that role we come to Joshua, who followed Moses as the CEO of Israel, Inc. It was he who led the people of God across the Jordan River and begin the battle to win the land promised to them. It is safe to say that he succeeded. It is this scene where he could have hung a MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner, he addresses the people with this passage. It is a memorial message that reminds them of what God has done, is doing, and will do for them; and it is a call to action again. This time the command is to choose whom they will serve. They were reminded that many in that group had false gods they inherited from their ancestors, but here, this day, they needed to choose God as the God whom they would serve. In the midst of that we find that famous house decorative plaque, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." A leader truly leading by example. With that said, the people responded that they too, would serve the Lord, repeating back the memorial of all God had done for them.

It is well for believers never to forget that which God has done in our lives, in the lives of our forebears, even our fathers and mothers; and to hold that up for our little ones as evidence of God's love and commitment to us in the here and now. To get to a desired tomorrow, we must follow the footsteps of those who followed God to this point, and with God's guidance, to seek that tomorrow in faith. Our daily choice should include choosing God as our God and to serve Him in all that we say, think, and do.

PRAYER: Loving God, may my choices today be a blessing to You and Yours. I seek to choose You in ways that blesses Your work here on the earth. May my life show others that I have chosen You and You have blessed me. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show your choice is God!

Eradio Valverde

Prayer Request: Please keep Mrs. Belle Witt in your prayers as she has entered a rehabilitation facility. Pray for one another, pray for yourself.

God is Strong, and He Wants You Strong!

Photo by Eradio Valverde

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.  (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Good day dear Friend!  I pray this finds you strong!  God wants you and me to be strong and has provided the best materials for us to use to be and stay strong!  Praying that today's devotional bless your life with what you need.

The photo is from my home office.  Thank goodness you can't see my desk.  Come to think of it, I can't see my desk!  Now you know.  The photo shows the armor of God statue that I bought about two years ago at Mo Ranch during a cabinet retreat.  It continues to speak to my heart.  And of course, I am always reminded of my first encounter with another Roman solider, a wooden one made by Mr. Solomon Marroquin of Mission, Texas.  He had made a wooden soldier about 4 feet talk with helmet, shield, sword, all the works.  He called him, Román, a great name, and yes there are some guys named Román.  One summer as I was the guest preacher at our conference's youth assembly, I had to take Román with me as I was preaching on this passage.  We rigged a way to include him in our van and all the luggage and passengers that were making the trek from Mission, TX, to Sacramento, NM.  Román was a hit.  I don't know about me, but he helped tell the story about being strong in the Lord.

Paul wrote this passage from prison.  He was under the watchful eye of a gentleman dressed much like the statue you see him.  Not only being the best protection available at the time, it was very much the symbol of Roman power throughout the known world.  Pax Romana was kept because of many soliders dressed like Román.  And as Paul prays and writes, he eyes the soldier and it occurs to him that here was an important message to share with believers.  The Christian life is a constant battle against evil, and for that reason begins by saying we must be strong in the "strength of His power."  And the best way is to dress like the Roman solider keeping watch over him.  This armor is the best protection against the attacks of the devil and all the realms of spiritual darkness.  Paul begins by saying we need truth to protect our most vulnerable areas.  The original KJV says to "gird our loins." later translated to "waist," but we're still in the general area.  We must know the truth about what God desires for us versus what the flesh may desire; God's truth is eternal and best; the rest deceives and destroys if we are not careful.  To guard our heart and lungs, we need to seek righteousness.  Seek to have a pure heart, a loving heart, a heart centered on God and others, and God will add to our lives the blessings we need. For our feet, we need shoes that will make us ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.  Interesting, that this man of war, reminded Paul of the precious gospel that seeks to bring peace to the world.  Our shoes only go where we take them, but the need to be ready and willing goes with the indwelling Spirit in us; respond to situations and needs with the good news from God.

The shield was a marvelous invention.  With it, soldiers could take blows from the enemy's sword and if alerted, could deflect incoming arrows or darts, especially the ones lit with fire.  Imagine if you could see with your physical eyes that which Satan throws our way; I think we would all ask for two shields, please!  Faith, strong faith, resists that which comes at us.  And to protect our mind and the thoughts that the mind produces we must cover ourselves with the reality and truth of our salvation.  We are in a right relationship with God if we have given ourselves to God.  And that thought is the basis of that powerful old hymn, "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!"  Think on that throughout the day and you'll see a different attitude towards many things, especially the evil ones that may seek to creep in.  And the sword, the offensive part of this uniform, is the word of God.  With it we can do battle against evil by proclaiming that which God has shared with us; it provides love to those who hate; hope to the hopeless; light to those in darkness; calm to those in a world of turmoil, and peace to those who seek it.  The word of God can be a sword only if we open it and read it!  So many 3rd graders throughout the country during these weeks, like those in our church, received a Bible from their church.  We told our kids that it was the key to God's presence in our lives and we must open it to unlock many things.  There is power in an unlocked and well-used Bible.

Finally, use prayer.  It's as vital as breathing.  Stay connected with God and as we praise Him we pray to Him asking for that which will make us faithful and fruitful.  We, like Paul, should pray that God would use use "to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel," for we are ambassadors, like Paul.

PRAYER:  Loving God, speak to our hearts again and again.  Clothe and over us with this armor and let us use it for Your good and our protection.  Indeed, anoint us with the strength of Your Spirit to be true ambassadors of Christ; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Don't leave home today without your armor!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus is the Holy One of God

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Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.  When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’ Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’ (John 6:56-69)

Good Monday to you, Friend!  I trust the blessings of the Lord have been with you since we last met, and that Sunday proved to be a day of spiritual renewal.  But guess what, every day can be a day of spiritual renewal.  Yesterday, Nellie and I were super blessed both in our morning worship by the awesome sermon of our pastor, Matt Pennington, and later in the afternoon by the powerful sermon by Rev. Dr. Zan Holmes.  I pray this be a day of spiritual renewal for all who read this devotional.

Following Jesus is not easy, nor did Jesus ever promise such a thing.  Jesus honestly said that those who were willing to take up their cross and follow Him would be blessed.  It's interesting that in this passage, verse 6:66 reads, "Because of this many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him."  That's one of the saddest verses in scripture when you think about it.  Hearing Jesus' words of eternal life and having experienced all Jesus did in terms of unexplainable signs and wonders, they still chose to turn away.  Jesus even offered that "out" to the 12.  Simon Peter's answer is priceless, "Lord, to Whom can we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."  And that's the key; those led by the Spirit, know spiritual things and can accept such; but those led by the flesh cannot.  These are usually the ones with their eyes on their watches, whose minds are on the things that await them after worship, be it the game or the roast or the line at Luby's/Dairy Queen; these seem harmless but they can be eternally damaging. He will lead us to say, "Where else can we go?  Who else offers the things of eternal life?  Only You, Jesus!"

Dr. Holmes spoke of the Disciples after the feeding of the 5,000 and their lack of enthusiasm for helping Jesus before, during, and maybe even after that miracle.  He said, "The Disciples failed Disciple One!  But Jesus did not give them an F, nor does God give us an F when we fail; the God of Second and Many Chances gives us an Incomplete!"  And so it is.  We may have a task to do and we've either put it off or refuse to even attempt it, but God is patient and understanding, but God still expects us to be faithful and fruitful.  I never did receive nor would I ever want to receive an INC on my report card; but I would prefer the Inc rather than an F.  Lord, help me complete my assignment is my prayer.

Rev. Pennington spoke of our being a blessing to those who are in need of one.  The youth and adults who went on our mission trip to Costa Rica spoke of their blessings received as they sought to be blessings to the people in Costa Rica, and our challenge, as it is every Sunday, it to face the doors leading out of worship, to the mission field where those who need us to be their blessings await.  If we believe, then we should achieve that which God has shared with us to do.  Let's get busy!

PRAYER:  Loving God, for Your patience and faithfulness we are thankful.  We are thankful for second and many chances.  We pray that today we might indeed be a blessing to those who are in need.  Lead us and guide us and through us bless others with the words that lead to eternal life.  This we pray in Jesus' strong name, Hallelujah, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be the blessing the world needs today!

Eradio Valverde

Re-Examining the Prayer of Jabez

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And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain."  So God granted him what he requested.  (1 Chronicles 4:10)

Gracious Father, may Your hand be with this dear reader, and bless and protect them; guide them with Your hand in all that they are facing.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.  May God's blessings guide you through this day and weekend towards where God would have you be.

I have on my refrigerator a copy of the Prayer of Jabez.  In fact, I don't know what version it is, but I used it for our passage for today.  It is my hope to share with you some of the prayers in the Bible and this one came to mind as it helps guide my prayers each day.  

If you remember some years ago, maybe even towards the end of the last century; no, it was right at 2000 that Bruce Wilkerson published a little book that sold millions almost immediately.  Many bought it for guidance, some for personal gain, and others just to see if it maybe contained a secret to getting wealthy.  One can read the prayer however one wants, and get pretty much a different message each time.  Here's how I read this prayer.  

Let's start with his name.  His mother named him Jabez, because she bore him in pain. And guess what?  The name means Pain.  Interesting name with which to go in life!  "Here comes Pain!"  or "Pain just left!"  Poor Pain.  Yet, the same passages show that Jabez was more honored  than his brothers.  (1 Chronicles 4:9).  That passage shows he is one of the descendants of Judah.  We don't know much more about his life than his honor among brothers, which may have caused them to look down on him because of his honor, and his prayer.

Let's give the man credit for his faith.  He believed in "the God of Israel."  There is no other god.  And Jabez had faith to ask God for his request.  

He begins asking for a blessing.  To be blessed by God is the greatest blessing.  We don't have to name the specifics, for we know when we are blessed.  Tragic are those who are wonderfully blessed and don't know it.  If you opened your eyes this morning as you awoke, you have two blessings for which to be thankful.  If you took a breath, another blessing.  If you had something to eat, check, blessing!  Notice he asks to be blessed "indeed" meaning he wanted the blessing of knowing he was blessed. 

He next asks for territory.  As I was looking at the different versions of this prayer, some are more specific:  "Give me land, more land!"  Okay.  I read it as asking for one's influence to grow larger on people for the good of God's work.  I don't necessarily want more land as much as I want to bless people to draw closer to God.  I joked when I was appointed a district superintendent that the Prayer of Jabez worked!  I went from having to shepherd one church to ultimately 58.  And from driving from the parsonage to the church, at best a two-mile commute per day, now it was fifteen counties that I drove.  (Please note pastors reading this:  I am joking about this prayer "working" so please don't write and complain you have not been made a DS.  Know what you sometimes pray for you get, and many times you may not know just why you asked for that!)

Jabez asked that God's hand be with him.  God's guiding hand is essential for all people of the Christian faith.  We do need to ask for that which will bless us to be faithful and fruitful.

Jabez prayed that God would keep him from evil.  Jesus later included this in His prayer that we know as The Lord's Prayer.  Not a bad thing to ask to be kept from that which will harm or hurt our lives in every sense; better to ask God's protection from the things of death.

Lastly, Jabez prayed for his not causing pain.  Interesting, that Pain asked not be such to anyone.  Nice prayer request.  We seek to be faithful to God, sometimes making tough love decisions that show our commitment to God especially to our children; God comes first and we want to honor and please God only.  Sometimes tough love decisions leave it to our children to make the decisions based on the knowledge that Mom and Dad mean to serve God in righteousness.

And the passage ends with God answering Jabez' prayer.  We don't know how that prayer was answered, but the writer of 1 Chronicles shares that it was.  One day in Glory we may find out exactly what that meant, but for now, we declare as we should each time we pray, "Because God answers prayers."

PRAYER:  Loving Father, bestow Your loving mercy on this dear reader.  May that which they need to be faithful to You come through their steadfast prayer life and study life.  Increase their influence for good; guide their hands away from harm and evil towards that which blesses and gives life.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Pray and live as one who want to cause no pain to others; seek to build up and give life today!

Eradio Valverde

Want to be Wise? Fear the Lord!

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Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got - Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study - endless enjoyment!  Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. His miracles are his memorial - This God of Grace, this God of Love.  He gave food to those who fear him, He remembered to keep his ancient promise.  He proved to his people that he could do what he said: Hand them the nations on a platter - a gift! He manufactures truth and justice; All his products are guaranteed to last -  Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof. All that he makes and does is honest and true:  He paid the ransom for his people, He ordered his Covenant kept forever. He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect. The good life begins in the fear of God - Do that and you'll know the blessing of God. His Hallelujah lasts forever!  (Psalm 111 The Message)

Good day dear Friend!  I pray this blesses your life and need right now.  May the Lord be merciful to each of us and grant us the privilege of glorifying Him in our lives today and all days!  I'm thanking God for the birthday of our youngest daughter, Caitlin Valverde.  She is the mother of our oldest grandson, Liam, and she lives in Houston.  We are wonderfully blessed!  Happy Birthday, Caitlin!

Boy did I want to be wise!  Was it just me, or does every boy go through a period where his dad thinks there is no hope in the world for his son?  There was a period in my life where I did everything wrong or so I was told.   I would be asked to bring a Phillips screwdriver and I didn't even know a Phillips! "Mr. Phillips?  The man who owns the tiny candy store across the street from my elementary school?"  I knew I needed wisdom. I love and miss my Dad very much and I'm not trying to put him in a negative light, but he did the very best he could and loved us to where we are today; but those days...  I learned from that and tried to teach different things to my girls.

Wisdom comes from the Lord and especially those who fear Him.  Here again, before I had knowledge I thought fearing the Lord meant to be scared to death of Him; not so; fear is the loving respectful attitude towards God that honors God and places God at the top of our lives.  So, to be wise means to have that attitude towards God and everything else will fall into place.  The psalm stresses that in the midst of praising God.  This modern version gives a helpful perspective towards this precious work.  David knew and taught his sons, especially Solomon, to praise God with all he had.  He taught him as he's teaching us, that God provides all things, especially food and this in keeping with the gospel lesson for this week with Jesus' declaration that He is the bread of life.  God can be trusted, but above all, God should be loved.

I love how this version does not directly speak of wisdom rather, "The good life begins in the fear of God - Do that and you'll know the blessing of God."  Indeed, any life lived in the respectful love of God is a good life!  Dear one, if you think you lack wisdom you're on the right track!  Give your heart to God and love and trust God and life will be blessed with that wisdom of God that no one can take away!

PRAYER:  Loving God, may this day be a day of wisdom for each reader.  May we seek to love and trust You in all things.  Bless us in ways that bring wisdom to others.  Thank You for those in our lives who helped us seek wisdom; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be wise!  Love God!  Trust God!  Respect God and those whom God has created.

Eradio Valverde

If You Could Have Three Wishes...

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Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David.The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned for seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established. Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt-offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.’ (1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14)

Good day dear Reader!  I trust your prayers are being answered in ways that glorify God; my prayer for you is to cover you and yours with God's love and protection this day and all days!  May our prayers today include teacher headed back to work and their students who are preparing or who have already returned to school.  Prayers for our church's School Educators Luncheon today at First United Methodist Gonzales.  We will feed over 400 people today!

I blame the two pictured above for starting something in our elementary school; at least among my friends and I:  "If you found a genie's bottle and s/he offered you three wishes, what would they be?"  Well, as Larry Hagman, playing Major Tony Nelson, and Barbara Eden playing a genie called Jeannie, found out, not all wishes turn out as you like.  In his case, Jeannie would grant every wish.  Our story today involves something like that, but first we close the book of King David for now.  The Bible says that "David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David, Jerusalem.  Dead.  Gone.  Buried.  Many would say he was the greatest king that Israel ever had, including the son who followed him, Solomon.  Solomon was the second child between David and Bathsheba.  And to his credit, the rest of the story deals with God appearing to him and offering him a sweet deal like many a schoolboy and girl wished for  in the 1960s.  Let us not overlook that Solomon at that time was a very devout worshipful man, quoted above as making as many as a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord.  It was in a dream that God appeared to him and asked him what God could give to him.  Sorry, no three wishes.  Though one of the images for wishes was a genie and a man who found his bottle and the genie asks what he wished for, and he answered "More wishes!"  The genie replied, "That's not how it works!"  "Okay," responds the man, "More genies!"  And many genies appear.

Solomon shows his wisdom early on; he recounts the ways that God blessed his father and how God had already blessed him by making him king, and in a humble way says that his wish is for God to grant him an understanding mind to best govern God's people; with the ability to tell the difference between good and evil, especially among God's people.   God is pleased with the young man's request and because of that, God grants him the understanding, discerning mind, and gives to him what others (myself included) might have wished for; riches and honor all the days of his life.  And God adds, "If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life."

Not a bad deal.  I should ask how we treat our prayer life.  As we pray are we handing God a genie-wish list?  Or, are we being faithful and practical in asking for that which allows us to best serve God?  I'll give you a clue; God is pleased with the latter and not the former.  Sorry, televangelists, tricks are best kept in magic shows, not false theologies.  We do have the ability to ask for wisdom.  We can ask for boldness.  We can ask for courage, and strength, and all for the sake of doing good for God.  And that pleases God and blesses us!

PRAYER:  God of all wishes and hopes and dreams, thank You for the story and life of Solomon.  May we have the wisdom of that great king in asking, receiving, and using that which we pray for; so that we might bless Your kingdom here on the earth.  For what we already have we are thankful and for what we are about to receive we thank you and ask that we might glorify You.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be a genie today and bless someone with a wish that blesses God!

Eradio Valverde

Live Wisely!

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Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:15-20)

Good Tuesday, dear Friend! I'm praying this finds you and yours doing well, as it leaves us; thanks to God! As we pray today, please remember Mr. Bob Clark in your prayers for his recovery. He underwent a 9.5 hour surgery last Monday; when he awoke, he told me yesterday, he asked his son when they were going to start the surgery; his son said, "Dad, it's over. It took 91/2 hours, but all went well. Bob said until Monday he had placed 0 for pain, but Monday was a 10+ day. Pray for his comfort and healing. I visited with Mr. Royce Towns, who did suffer a minor stroke putting him in rehab here in Seguin Hospital. He should be well enough to return home Thursday. Pray for one another and pray for yourselves.

How many of us wish we could go back to a certain point in our lives and ask for a do-over? I'll be the first to admit I'd have to ask for more than one. We can't hind behind the old "We all make mistakes," for in Christ we should be new creatures, strengthened and guided by Him - yet, we do still sin. Paul is addressing this in this passage today. He knows the days he was living in were evil; guess what? They're still this side of nice, and judging from certain events, may even be getting worse. It's our individual responsibility to make wise decisions. Our lives should reflect our being in the presence of the Most High, whose commandment to us is to be like Him. It begins by making the most of our time. In other passages Paul exhorts us to think on the good and the pure; to make the most of our time by singing songs of praise to the Lord, seeking to know what God's will is for our lives. Paul in Philippians 4:8 says basically that it is in our minds that sin begins. "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Jesus addresses this as well when He spoke about adultery in our hearts/minds is as sinful as the actual act. If we can control our minds to think on things of God, we leave little to no room for the evil things to come in.

We can seek ways to numb our spirits, as Paul addresses drunkenness, but says the draughts we drink should be of God's Holy Spirit as we sing songs and hymns of praise, with an attitude of gratitude. I love worship on Sundays when a hymn or praise song speaks right to my need, and as I'm getting in my truck to go home I look up that song on Apple Music and play it all the way home. As I'm singing and driving, the traffic and some of the stunts other vehicles try to play don't bother me. When I get home, I thank God for the time in His house and for the safe drive home. I urge you all to pray for your pastor(s) especially when they drive; that God's protective presence be with all of us.

Dear one, I pray that God would fill your heart and mind with gracious and lovely things that would bless the Lord and your during this day. Seek to fill your mind with God's love and care for you and yours. Then, take a moment to pray for those on your heart that you know need your prayers; then reach out to them in a way that blesses them.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, fill my heart and mind with You! I ask that all my thoughts and praises today be centered on Your loving kindness for me. Forgive me the occasions that made me want to ask for a do-over; give me a day filled with Your blessings, so that I might bless others. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Seek to be a blessing in your prayers and praises today!

Eradio Valverde

I Smell Bread!

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I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ (John 6:51-58)

Good Monday to you, dear Friend!  I pray this finds you and yours doing well.  I hope you had a fantastic weekend that included time for the Lord and your family.  As we pray, can we lift up prayers of gratitude and joy for Mr. Bob Clark, who is in town after a nine hour operation in Houston!  He's on the mend and the doctor have pronounced him cancer-free!  Pray that the cancer have departed for good!  Prayers for Ms. Charlotte Wilson, who's recovering in San Antonio from open-heart surgery.  She was in good spirits when I saw her and prayers for her healing would be welcome.  We shared a joy about our youngest, Caitlin D. Valverde, who passed the last school exam before graduating from her university as a nurse practitioner!  She needs our prayers as she prepares for state boards.  Our continued prayers for Mr. Doug Smith as he battles cancer.  Prayers for his wife, Autumn, and their family.

This past week we drove by the old Butterkrust bakery on Broadway in San Antonio.  It brought back precious memories of the days you could drive by and see the bread making its way from the ovens to the packaging department; the smell of bread fresh in the air.  I thought back to my seminary days when on the campus of our seminary, the smell of another bread company made its way to the Perkins campus to taunt an torment hungry seminarians!  And nothing quite beats the smell of bread, except the smell of fresh, home made flour tortillas!  Nellie and I grew up in households where that was very common, more so even that white bread.  And every culture has its "bread," the basic dietary staple that both identifies and unites people from that culture.  Bread and its wonderful smell are universal.  To have bread is to have food, and to have food is to have life.  Jesus knew that and makes the statement that opens this passage:  "I am the living bread that came down from Heaven."  To know and receive Jesus is to receive eternal life.  To have eternal life should mean that you and me smell like bread!  We should be a glorious odor of life to those who are in need of such.  Imagine, carrying a pan of fresh baked bread past hungry people; in the same way, we should be inviting people to "taste and see that the Lord is good..."  What do we smell like?  If we don't smell like bread we might be smelling like the odors of those things that can kill us or like those who are perishing.  If we are not smelling like fresh Jesus, we might be stinking the air with stale sin.

We are blessed that we have access to the bread of life.  We are also blessed that we have access to the celebration Jesus instituted in which we remember Him and His body and blood; all preludes of what is to come; the celebration banquet of eternity in Glory.  And we can invite whoever we want to come and join us for this meal now in our churches, in preparation for that meal at which Jesus Himself will preside and bless us for all eternity.

PRAYER:  Loving Father, pour over me the smell of fresh bread!  I want to be the smell of fresh Jesus, a Savior of love and life.  Remove from me the stale odors of sin and death, and let me be a sweet-smelling fragrance of life.  Eternal life.  In the Name of He who provides this, Jesus my Lord and Savior, I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be the smell of bread to those around you, especially the spiritually starved!

Eradio Valverde

God's Habit is Forgiveness

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Help, God - the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy.  If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?  As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped.  I pray to God - my life a prayer - and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.  O Israel, wait and watch for God - with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption.  No doubt about it - he'll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin. (Psalm 130 The Message)

Good day dear Friend!  May God's many blessings come flowing through His word for you today; and may we be blessed to overflowing so that we may be a blessing to someone in need as well.

David wrote another psalm out of his pain.  At this point of his life, he had lost two sons.  One in childbirth; the child of the illicit affair with Bathsheba and Absalom, who yesterday we saw murdered in battle by ten of Joab's armor-bearers.  To lose any loved one is to have the bottom of one's life fall out from under us.  Some cope better than others.  In recent days, I have heard of daughters weeping uncontrollably for the loss of their mothers and rightly so, for a mother's love is deep for her children, and the children who are aware and appreciative of that love respond in the same way, and to one day lose that mother is a tragic day.  Hear David's lament as he says, "Master, hear my cry for help!  Listen hard!  Open your ears!  Listen to my cries for mercy."  The pain and pressure of battle, with the many whom David had lost in such, and then the loss of a son, even a rebellious one weighed heavily on his spirit and mind.  David can think to ask for mercy for the thoughts he must have been thinking; always, had I done things differently, the outcome might have been different... - we're all guilty of those.  And David takes it farther; "If You, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?  As it turns out, forgiveness if Your habit, and that's why You're worshipped."  This modern paraphrase version captures truth in an interesting way; God's habit is forgiveness.  Even in our grief, we must cry out for forgiveness, sometimes asking God to forgive the deep sense of loss we have even when our hearts know that our deceased loved ones are in God's presence.  David turned his life into prayer, and most of his prayers written and published as the Book of Psalms; waiting, ever waiting for God's response.  "Waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning" David's routine during these tough times.  And he turns his attention back to the nation and reminds them to wait for the Lord, for the Lord's return would be a blessing of redemption.

Dear one, whatever pain you are feeling, whatever loss, it's okay to cry.  It's okay to feel sadness and to grieve; indeed it is part of healing; yet never lose sight of the big picture of God being the loving One in control, who holds the keys of life, eternal life even for us.  If this time has caused you to sin in thought, word, or deed against that plan, now is the time to ask for forgiveness.  It will come.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray for this dear reader and for all who mourn and weep during this day.  May Your comfort, joy, and peace be with them and those who surround them.  We rejoice in the promises You have made to us all.  Be glorified in us, loving Father; we pray in Your Son Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  May your life be a blessing to many today!

Eradio Valverde

Love for Children Even in Difficult Times...

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The king gave orders to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom. So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword. Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him. Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, ‘Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.’ The king said to the Cushite, ‘Is it well with the young man Absalom?’ The Cushite answered, ‘May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.’ The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, ‘O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!’ (2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33)

May this be a wonderful Wednesday for you and yours, dear friend is my prayer.  May time spent with God and His word speak to our hearts and needs; we seek to be more like Jesus in all our dealings. 

A long engraved image in my head is one from a children's Bible picture of the hair of Absalom caught in an oak tree.  It was an image that just struck me as sad.  I shared a few Sundays ago about my desire to have long hair and at the time of my first seeing this image I could not image such hair, having a flat top on good days.  The only thing my hair caught in those days were the hands of those who wanted to rub it.  Yes, it feels like a brush; get away!  

The story of King David and his life continues.  After his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, and the chilling words of the prophet that the sword would never leave David's house, this comes true; Absalom felt he could better lead Israel and sets up a rebellion against his own father.  David's army was far superior and with that thinking, the opening verses of today's passage has the king asking his generals to "deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom."  This fell on deaf ears.  A rebellion was a serious thing no matter who was doing it, and the generals and their armies were determined to deal with it in a way that sent a message to others who might harbor similar thoughts.  The battle was fierce and David's army defeated the rebels; twenty thousand men were killed.  The battle then spread throughout the country and more victims fell to the army's swords and arrows.  The young man Absalom was forced to flee and as he fled his mule goes under an oak tree where his thick hair gets caught in the low lying branches of the oak, and the mule went riding off.  Ten of General Joab's armor-bearers found him, surrounded him, and killed him.  A messenger goes with what he believes to be the good news to the king.

David mourned the loss of his son.  The sin of having disobeyed him to the point of leading an uprising against him mattered not; David loved Absalom and mourned his death.  His own life was spared, yet the love of this father for his son could not see beyond the loss that was now present in his life.  The story gets interesting in the next chapters (I couldn't wait and read ahead!).  It speaks in the present passage, of the love most parents have for their children.  It takes a lot for fathers and mothers to reach a point where they begin to not love their children.  Many were the things I did against my dad that got me some talking-to's and some shouts of disapproval, but never did they reach the point of my believing my dad did not love me.  I know it was my father's deep love of God and his desire to be a man of prayer and faith that kept our relationship strong.  The lesson we learn is to trust God to provide to us the love, wisdom, strength we need to faithfully deal with challenges that may come to us as parents or grandparents.  I am thankful I never brought my dad more than he could handle.  I knew enough to steer clear of the greater ills out there; I said no to drugs, even alcohol, tobacco, and the list goes on and on.  Some parents cannot say that; their children may have crossed some delicate lines and only God's grace can help parents and children in those situations.  All matters between parents and children should begin and stay handled with prayer.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, bless my children and the little ones around me.  I ask that You bless me with Your wisdom, peace, patience, and love.  May the difficult decisions that come my way be blessed with Your strength, to deal in ways that affirm our faith in You and the sanctity of life.  Always allow us to deal with things with Your mind and eyes.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  May we truly be God-like today in all of our relationships.  

Eradio Valverde

Live a New Life! It's Not Too Late!

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So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 4:25-5:2)

God is good, dear Friend!  "All the time!" you might want to reply; and it's true.  I trust this finds you well.  I am happy to report your prayers for Mr. Bob Clark and Mrs. Charlotte Wilson were answered in positive ways.  For Bob, his surgery went well.  It was a long, difficult surgery of removing a tumor and a bone, and rebuilding and all went well.  Bob is resting and starting his recovery in Houston.  Charlotte's surgery was postponed as the hospital she was in believed it was better for her to be in a heart specialty hospital and so she was moved to the Texan Hospital in San Antonio.  We continue to pray that her surgery do what needs to be done and that she be the better for it!  

Dear one, no matter your age, it is never too late to start a new and better life.  Never too late.  The writer of today's passage speaks that truth with his words.  He begins with what many find so easy to do, and that is not saying the truth.  We sometimes try to cover up a mistake or a sin and we share a lie.  No more.  Speak the truth to everyone, for as Christians we are one in the Lord.  We can get angry, but not to the point of sinning against one another.  The verse that says, "Do not let the sun god own on your anger, and do not make room for the devil," is one that I've used when counseling couples.  It becomes easy to say to oneself or to our spouse, "I'm sleeping on the couch!"  And off we go.  And if we are successful and spend the night apart from our loved one, another night might be easier, as would another, until we think, it's easier to live without this person!  And what we have done is simply opened the door for the devil to come in and make us think that.  It doesn't take much for the devil to shove open a door when all we wanted was a peek out.

Thieves should stop stealing; and find ways to make ends meet with honest work.  Even to the point of making enough to share with the needy.  Our voices should be used to share positive, build-each-other-up kind of talk; and do not live a life that makes the Holy Spirit frustrated with our behavior or words or thoughts. The Holy Spirit can seal us for good, which is what we should ask.  We should rid our lives of the "old stuff" that has made us not what we wanted to be:  bitter, wrathful, angry people who sought to slander and cheat one another; our call is to be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving people just like God in Christ Jesus has forgiven us.  Make God be the model of our behavior.  Live a life that imitates Christ Jesus; that will draw others to Jesus themselves.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, forgive me my old ways, and help me rid my life of things that marked me as bad.  Remove all the negative and fill me with the good, positive things.  Make me live as Jesus in a way that draws others to us.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Show your tender-hearted self out to others today!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus is the Bread of Life

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Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ (John 6:35, 41-51)

May this be a wonderful Monday for you, dear Friend!  As we start this day in prayer and God's word, I ask for prayers for Mr. Bob Clark, who is undergoing a seven hour surgery in Houston at MD Anderson Hospital.  This is a delicate surgery involving many hours and many areas on Bob's body.  We pray for the success of the operation and for Bob's healing and comfort.  Also, Mrs. Charlotte Wilson is undergoing heart surgery today in San Antonio.  She has undergone multiple leg surgeries and this one involves a heart valve replacement.  Pray for her healing and comfort as well.  Thank you for your prayers!  We pray because God answers prayers!

John wrote what many call the spiritual gospel; not that the others three are not spiritual, but John chose to focus on spiritual themes and claims of Jesus, such as this key one, that Jesus is the Bread of Life.  John's gospel also focused on the coming of the Holy Spirit, thus it being the dividing book between Luke and Acts which we are studying on Wednesdays at noon in our church.This passage is the one that follows last week's gospel lesson.  The crowds followed Jesus because they had been fed miraculously and hungered for more; Jesus spoke of the true bread of life and how those who ate it would hunger no more.  And here Jesus makes His declaration:  "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  You would think they would marvel and rejoice at hearing these words.  They did say they wanted bread that satisfied to the point of never being hungry again, but to hear Jesus say He was the bread of life made them question and wonder.  It is clear that Jesus was on one level, a much higher spiritual level, and the Jews listening to Him were on a lower, physical level, straining to understand what Jesus was truly saying.  And I wish I could say this is so different today.  I have preached many a sermon where the folks heard one thing when I meant another.  I spoke once of cleaning out our hearts, and people heard that they needed to clean their homes.  I know now to not preach such a sermon in the spring!

The people knew Jesus; He had grown up around them.  They knew Joseph and Mary, and here He is claiming to be bread of life.  Jesus knew the scriptures which instructed the day was coming when they would be instructed by God Himself; it was happening now, and used other scriptures to speak of the spiritual needs that He would be addressing and fulfilling.  Still, Jesus is on a higher spiritual plane and the folks were not quite reaching that level.  Sadly, many did not; and sadder still, many today still have not yet reached that level.

Jesus came for you, dear one, and me.  He died on the cross for our sins.  Jesus offers Himself for us so that we might come to life and have life in abundance.  Jesus came so that when we die we know we will not die forever, but we will have eternal life, with Him.  This is the good news that everyone should want and needs to hear.  The worries and challenges of today are fleeting ones; Jesus is with us and will never leave us; this is good news.  Whatever has come to seem insurmountable or un-moveable, Jesus can remove.  We have to but ask.

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, fill me til I want no more.  I believe You are the Bread of Life.  Believing in You I shall never again hunger or thirst for life; You are my life now.  In Your name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Share this Bread with someone today!

Eradio Valverde