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Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Exodus 34: 29-35)
Wonderful Wednesdays begin with time spent with God! I pray this is a great day already for you dear Friend! Dear friends, the Called General Conference 2019 is over. The conference approved the plan called the Traditional Plan. It maintains our orthodox stance on Scripture and its authority and addresses our long-standing stance on homosexuality. The other plans brought forth were defeated including the well-funded and Bishop-supported One Church Plan. The conference also adopted exit plans for those churches and pastors who cannot in good conscience stay within The United Methodist Church. The votes were close and you can imagine those who supported the One Church Plan and the Simple Plan were very upset and hurt. We must continue to pray for God to bring comfort to all who were present at this conference, and safe travel for all delegates who travel home today. I also ask that as we pray today, we pray for Mary Ckodre's sister-in-law Ingrid, who underwent surgery early on Tuesday. Also, a praise report on Peter Seale, whose tumor has not only stopped growing, it has shrunk in size! Praise the Lord! Peter must undergo chemo 5 days a month and get regular checkups, but we pray that the tumor continue to disappear! Pray for the family of Mr. Marden Barnes, grandfather of our son-in-law Eric Cortez, who died last night while on vacation in Mexico. He was with his wife, Lenore. Prayers as Eric and his parents, Joe & Cathy Cortez travel to Mexico to be with Lenore. Pray for each other; pray for yourselves.
In today's Old Testament reading, we see Moses having an interesting problem. The time he spent on the mountain talking with God would leave his skin glowing brightly. It was so bright the people were afraid to get close to him! Moses then got the bright (sorry pun intended!) idea to cover his face with a veil., removing only when he would go back to talk to God again.
Later in the book of Acts 4:13, the Pharisees could tell that the disciples had been in the presence of Jesus. Not so much the brightness of their faces, but the boldness of their actions and deeds revealed the connection they had with the Lord. As I shared on Tuesday, Paul addressed this too. And I believe if we spend quality time with God where we not only talk to Him but listen to Him, we get a rich and wonderful blessing, and that helps to bless others.
So, what does your face say about you? Are there worry lines or scowls of defeat? What does that say about your faith? Are there lines of joy because you smile a lot? That says positive things about your faith. Time spent with God is never wasted time; it is blessed time. Moses discovered that in his mission leading the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Jesus had that moment on the mountain where His face was transfigured; and Paul said those who belong to the Lord have the veil removed and one can see the truth of God's love.
So, thank you for spending time with God and His word in this devotional time; but it also involves talking to God later in the day and listening, really listening to God. This will increase your faith and bless your face!
PRAYER: Come, Heavenly Father and bless us. Help us radiate the love You have for us in ways that bless You and draw others to You. May we overcome darkness with light, fear with hope, and hate with love. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Use the mirror of God's word to help improve the blessings your face can share!
Eradio Valverde
