An Army Behind Me; the Sea Before Me! Yikes!

Image from flowvella.com

As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, "Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." But Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers." The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.  Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers.  At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic.  He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt."  Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers."  So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea.  The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.  Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.  (Exodus 14:10-31)

Good day and a Happy Friday for you and yours, dear Friend!   I pray this finds you well and enjoying the blessing of being alive to face a new day here on the earth!

The picture above does not to justice the image I have in my mind and heart of how God delivered Israel from the Egyptians.  I guess I also blame Cecil B. DeMille for using all of the power and majesty of Hollywood in that day, and casting Charlton Heston didn't hurt either, for his epic movie Exodus, is an amazing film and a testament to what humans believe that God can do.

Please keep in mind the thoughts of the average Israelite in that throng of people escaping Egypt in the middle of the night.  They probably kept thinking it was too good to be true, and today's passage shows that they were right.  Pharaoh and the people of Egypt woke up the the reality that life without their captives would be difficult, and off they go chasing them.  The sight of an army catching up to them caused some of them to scream, "Was it because there were no grave in Egypt that you have taken us to die in the wilderness?" And worse insults hurled at Moses for this predicament they found themselves in.  Poor Moses, all he can say is, "Do not be afraid..."  and that becomes a recurrent theme or intro to many of the powerful stories in the Bible.  Hard to not be afraid.  They knew the might of Egypt, the sharp edges of their swords and the swiftness of arrows in battle, and to keep running, well, the swimming lessons in the school gym were not enough to survive the crossing of the Red Sea!

God tells Moses to lift up the staff he was carrying and to stretch his hand over the sea and divide it, and the sea parted.  It's been many years since I have visited Universal Studios, but back on those days, the parting of the Red Sea was part of one of the rides; again no justice to the imagination, but a triumph of the wonder of what God did on Israel's behalf.

Perhaps you have had days where there was what seemed like an army behind you, and the scariness of an ocean before you, and you might have thought or said  something along the lines of the Israelites, and even hearing God saying through the Bible, or through your pastor or friends, you still were afraid, and then it happened!  You can't explain it, but you sure enjoyed it!  Your problem or challenge defeated by the unexplainable work of God in your life.  I pray that caused you to come to the point of faith that the passage closes with; "So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord."  May it be so.

PRAYER:  God of power and might, stretch forth Your protective hand over this dear reader.  Whatever army is chasing her/her, defeat it, and whatever ocean, be it debt, worry, illness, a sour relationship, part it, and let this dear reader walk through it unscathed. Thank You in advance, for your great glory.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Share this devotional with someone in need.  And view the one minute word of encouragement I recorded earlier this morning.  Click on the link below!

Love you all,

Eradio Valverde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igDNDJ4xUNs

Raise the Roof for God!

Image from missionventureministries.wordpress.com

Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be - you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. Count yourself lucky - God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.  Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to God." Suddenly the pressure was gone - my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.  These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we'll be on high ground, untouched.  God's my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.  Let me give you some good advice; I'm looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:  "Don't be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track." God-defiers are always in trouble; God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around.Celebrate God. Sing together - everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof! (Psalm 32 The Message)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend!  I thought it fair to share this short psalm also in NRSV form:

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.   Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the guilt of my sin.  Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.  I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.  Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.  Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

This latter version has more bullet points than the modern version, but still conveys the same message:  God is awesome to forgive us our sins, wipe our slate completely clean, lift our spirits and strengthen us for the day and its challenges.

I smile whenever I see that my slate has been wiped clean.  A vivid memory I have from first grade was whenever our teacher had to leave the room, she would leave this twice-retained boy in charge.  Which meant he held the chalk.  And holding the chalk meant that he could "take names."  And that meant if you laughed or talked while he was holding the chalk, there went your name on the board.  I don't remember the punishment for having your name on the board other than the sheer fright of having Mrs. Garcia mad or disappointed in me.  And yes, I did have my name on the board at least once, and oh the joy that filled my soul whenever she came back, look at the board, grimace, and then wipe the slate clean.  In the same way, God will wipe the slate clean for all who will confess and repent of their sins.

The image of today shows Jesus holding a little boy's hand.  His name is not on the board, but it is in Jesus' heart, as is yours and mine.  The promise made in that verse should be our guiding verse for today:  Jesus will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go; Jesus' counsel will guide us and His loving eye will be upon us.

That, dear one, is Good News!

PRAYER:  Loving God, how awesome are the words shared with us by Your precious and living word.  Bless me in the needs I have shared before You and be glorified.  Guide my steps with the pace and the peace that comes from You.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Show someone how joyful you are because your name is not on the board!

Love you guys!

Eradio Valverde

No More Baby Food!

Image from the-cartoonist.com

God said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt." That's why the place is called The Gilgal. It's still called that.  The People of Israel continued to camp at The Gilgal. They celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho. Right away, the day after the Passover, they started eating the produce of that country, unraised bread and roasted grain.  And then no more manna; the manna stopped. As soon as they started eating food grown in the land, there was no more manna for the People of Israel. That year they ate from the crops of Canaan. (Joshua 5: 9-12 The Message)

Happy Wednesday, dear Friend!  My prayers are that this finds you well and enjoying God's grace for you and yours.  I pray that the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ bless and guide you today.  May our decisions for today glorify Him!

The end of the forty years in the wilderness takes place in this special passage for today.  Joshua was selected by God to replace Moses.  Joshua found himself as the second "pastor" of a huge "church," and inherited all the glories and worries left to him by the first and founding "pastor."  It was this young man that took the people of God across the Jordan into the Promised Land, and coming to this site, God says, "Your days of slavery and its heavy burden have been rolled away; Egypt will become a distant memory for you and my people."  The place is called Gilgal and there's debate as to the actual meaning of the word, but suffice it to represent the place where Israel is now its own country, with much still before it, but not as great as that which they were leaving behind.  Keep the phrase rolled away in your mind, because on a Sunday not too far from today, it takes on a new meaning.  You'll have to go to church to find out!  :)

As the people stayed in Gilgal they reached the point also, where the anniversary of the Passover, about the 41st (?) celebration, they celebrated the act of God to free them.  The very next day, instead of the manna, bread from heaven, they ate the produce of the land.  That which they planted and that which was natural to the area became their food.  The manna supply from Heaven was over; they were now producing their own food; the days of "baby food" were gone.  Do you remember the first time you had to buy groceries for yourself and preparing your own meals?  Me neither!  Just kidding; I do.  I had two main food groups: chicken and peanut butter.  I would bake the chicken and feast on that for days, and when that ran out, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for me.  It was quite the scary but exciting day for me to know that I had to feed myself. The early years of Mom preparing most of our meals, and I mean most, since our economics didn't allow for too many meals in restaurants or fast food establishments, were over.  The rare occasion was the place in Corpus Christi, where hamburgers were ten for a dollar; and I use the word hamburger very loosely.  They were the size of cookies and did not fill up a hungry boy. Or two other boys, two girls, and mom.  The boys used to watch our sisters eat ever so slowly with the same question on our male lips:  You gonna finish that?

The day was a powerful day.  The cartoon at the top summarizes what we image could have happened.  In other one that I saw, but didn't select, was one of a man telling a man, "Good News!  No more manna!"  The man told that goes and tells another one, "Horrible news!  No more manna!"  The one at the top of this devotional was selected because of the Texas influence; chili con carne with unleavened bread (like crackers) would go good.  The Lord had blessed them with independence and on this day, complete independence was theirs.  God provided the way out, led them and formed them as a people, and this day finds them totally dependent on themselves.  God was still watching over them and guiding them, but that day God got out of the food delivery business.

Much like in your homes when your little ones were weaned and they could join you at the table; there was rejoicing and celebration.  God as Father had led them to this important stage in their lives.  

Where does God have you today?  I pray it is a place of celebration and learning; a place where you know you're where you are, because God has led you here; still much to do, but with God leading the way, you will be victorious!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for all the good You have provided in my life.  I receive this day as a day of celebration.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but all the way here and all the way to what's next, You have been with me.  Guide me and sustain me; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Help someone celebrate the goodness of God today!

Eradio Valverde

The new podcast is ready.  Use this link to hear it and to share it with someone!  

https://www.pimplesandwrinkles.org/media

Reconciliation with Christ Equals New Creation!

Image from calvarychapelcartagena.org

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (1 Corinthians 5:16-21)

May this be a blessed Tuesday for you my dear Friend!  I pray indeed all things be new in your life and in the lives of your loved ones.  Would you say you are a better, if not newer person than you were twenty years ago?  I hope the answer is a resounding YES!

I have always been amazed when I meet and work with people who later tell me, "You should have seen me years ago; no one would believe that I live this way now!"  Others are more honest, "I'm so glad you didn't see me at my worst!  You would not believe what I was capable of doing then, that I dare not do today!"  And in all cases, these were people who took seriously the need in their personal lives to be reconciled with Jesus.  And as Paul well knew in his own personal life, those who do reconcile themselves to Christ become new creations.  The old has indeed passed away, and our perspective becomes new and we see all things in a new way as well.  We now share in this "ministry of reconciliation," which helps people know that "their trespasses (sins) against them are now forgiven and forgotten.  Our work is that of an ambassador for Christ Jesus to share the simple message, "Be reconciled to God."  That was the message of yesterday's Gospel story of the prodigal son; Come home to God.

The "far country" may have been right in your kitchen.  It may have been at the corner bar.  It may have been places that now you're ashamed you frequented, or it may have simply been words or thoughts that ruined a relationship with someone meaningful.  The good news is that those confessed and repented before the Lord are forgiven and forgotten.  The old has indeed passed away, and the new is here with us!

PRAYER:  Loving Father we celebrate Your love and your willingness to forgive us our sins.  Lord, if anyone reading this prayer has not yet confessed and turned over to You their old lives and sins, receive them now; grant them forgiveness and make their lives new.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Help someone know about the home that awaits them when they turn their lives over to God!

Eradio Valverde

The Far Away Child

Image from youtube.com

By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends."  Their grumbling triggered this story.  Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons.  The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.'  It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt.  He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs.  He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death.  I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you;  I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.'  He got right up and went home to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.  The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'  "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here - given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.  "All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing.  Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on.  He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast - barbecued beef! - because he has him home safe and sound.' "The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen.  The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends?  Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'  "His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours -  but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'" (Luke 15:1-3, 11B-32 THE MESSAGE)

May this Monday be marvelous and magnificent to you and yours, dear Friend!  I'm excited to share with you another new aspect of my ministry.  Being retired is no excuse for not trying to reach as many new people as I can for the Lord Jesus Christ.  And thanks to the help of our daughter Carli, that ministry is about to take on another way to share the Good News.  I have a website called pimplesandwrinkles.org, which is the base of a new podcast by the same name.  As you listen to episodes one and two you will understand the name.  Please pray for this new ministry that it be accepted on iTunes and other podcasting hosts; for now you can hear it directly from the Media part of the webpage. I thank you for your continued support and prayers for me and my ministry.

I pray you have held steady to your personal Lenten Journey, the intent of which was to draw you nearer to the Lord.  I pray you have been "calling home" often as God, as our loving Father, like most fathers and mothers, loves to hear from you!  And this parable truly drives that point home.  And it comes at a key point of Jesus' ministry; when He was being severely criticized for those who came to Him for love and support.  These were, according to the "religious people" of there time, the undesirables; the ones whom others should avoid and not welcome.  Older versions name these as "tax collectors and sinners."  It made Jesus tell the following story that most of us have already heard, but need to hear it as often as it is shared.

Like all of Jesus' parables, it strikes a nerve with people as they hear it.  Everyone listening was a child of a parent or two so these related to the story.  The parents in the story also related.  And the story may have been more common than we think.  As happens with parables, you may identify with one or more of the characters, and it's also common to point fingers at those you know whom you think identify with one or more of the characters as well.  For us, on a Lenten Journey, let's be honest and see what jumps out at us and where God would have us be.

The youngest son (isn't it always the youngest?  Not necessarily!) can't wait to have "fun" spending Dad's inheritance.  From what we have read into the story we believe the man to be rich.  Sonny asks Daddy for his share now!  He can't wait for however long it was going to take for Dad to kick the bucket.  And so, Dad gives in, probably with a broken heart; Sonny packs and leaves.  He travels to a distant country (many think Las Vegas or the time-equivalent in that era) where he "wastes" his money.  (Some have argued what that really means, as some things are not "wasteful" I have heard it said).   In the hearing of this story through the years the loneliness factor was mentioned.  "As long as he had money, he had friends; when the money was gone, so were his friends."  That may have been true, but isn't in the actual story.  Sonny reached the point where he was out of money.  As as the story would have it, his bankruptcy comes as a famine has hit the land.  Everyone was hurting; he was hurting most.  What's a good Jewish boy to do?  To make the story really painful, Jesus says the only job this good Kosher boy can get is to work for a pig farmer.  You can draw your own parallels, but it was not the ideal job for a Jewish son.  Pigs were the worst animals in creation, and to have to feed them, well, you've reached rock bottom.  It's pretty bad to desire the corncobs in the pig slop, but that's where he found himself.  But then it hit him; Dad's got plenty of ranch hands; they eat three squares and here I'm not even offered slop!  He has the great idea of going home and reciting the speech he wrote for his dad.  "Dad, I have sinned against God and I have sinned against you.  I no longer deserve to be call your son, but please let me be one of your hired hands."  Yes, that would work, he thought and he returns home.

What I have come to read into the story is a man who spent every afternoon and evening since Sonny left, sitting on his front porch facing the road leading into his place.  It may have a rocking chair or it may have been a bench, but it was there that he sat praying, watching, and hoping for the day that Sonny would come home.  We don't know how long the son was gone, but as a parent I can tell you one day was too much.  Add to it many days, then months, and Lord forbid, a year or more - but the day came!  The Bible says, "When he was still a long way off, his father saw him.  His heart pounding, he ran out (you'd be surprised how fast some dads can run when they have to - I'd be super fast!), embraced him, and kissed him.  Does this sound like an angry dad that Sonny expected?  No.  In fact, as Sonny tries to get his little speech out of the way, Dad is calling for the servants to put together a great party of celebration.  "Get Sonny his clean jeans, his best shirt, his clean boots; put the family ring on his finger and let's kill that grain-fed heifer and barbecue it!"  And the crowing touch, "My son is here - given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!"  And the party began.  This is twice in the same chapter that Jesus says there is a great party in Heaven every time a sinner comes to faith, better said, comes back to God.  Celebration is a key part of faith.  You may have given up chocolate for these forty days, but each time you have gotten a bit closer to God, angels have opened boxes and boxes of Russell Stover chocolates (you can't have any yet!  Soon!) and celebrate the progress you are making to where God would have you be!

We can't forget that not everyone was celebrating.  This part goes to the first three verses of the chapter and those who were criticizing Jesus for those people who were hanging with Him.  The oldest son, Junior, was not too happy with all the ruckus being made over Sonny's return.  That's sounds like the Pharisees and scribes and all others in that category, doesn't it?  Junior's mad that so much is being made about bad boy's return home.    Father simply says, you just don't get it, do you?  You've been with me all this time, and everything I have is yours, but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate.  "This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive!  He was lost, and he's found!"  Someone write a hymn!  

What a wonderful story of God's great love for all people.  Yes, there was change needed in the heart of both sons, but they were still welcomed.  And that's part of the Lenten Journey; we walk with God and we reflect, we question, we evaluate our position and actions, and as we discover that in our lives that we know shouldn't be there, we remove it and move towards a closer and deeper relationship with our heavenly Father.

May it be so for me and you today.

PRAYER:  Loving Father, thank You for Your unending love.  Thank You for wanting us always, but thank You for the mercy You show us when we repent of our sins and draw closer to You.  Give us strength to finish the journey; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Remind someone how wanted they are by God!

Eradio Valverde

Listen to the podcasts and share them with those who might need to hear them!  Thank you!

(Matinee Edition of ConCafe) The Passover, the Final Plague

Image from wwyeshua.wordpress.com

1 The Lord said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you away. 2 Tell the people that every man is to ask his neighbor and every woman is to ask her neighbor for objects of silver and gold." 3 The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's officials and in the sight of the people. 4 Moses said, "Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out through Egypt. 5 Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the livestock. (Exodus 11)

Where does the time go, dear Friend?  Here it is Friday and late as far as certain non-farmers who keep farmer's hours go.  We had a late night, I was up at 3:50 (barely) and was nixed for a morning run, so I ran back to bed!  It's amazing waking up at 8:30; but don't feel that's a good hour in which to be productive!  So, here's the matinee edition of ConCafe, praying it blesses your day and life, and especially your spirit.

The last plague became a national holiday celebrated to this day by Jews around the world.  It's hard to describe it in modern terms; a Thanksgiving without all the food, but key foods definitely involved, a Super Bowl Sunday without the game and the usually hideous halftime show, and sadly no commercials that companies pay millions to air.  It is a sense of national pride and spiritual gratitude for the involvement of God in the lives and needs of His people.  The 11th chapter of Exodus explains the coming of that event, but chapter 12 goes into the story more fully.  All the plagues brought calamity to Egypt, and some of them may have cost people their lives, but Pharaoh in all of them saw this as an annoyance and it wasn't until death hit his home that he paid attention to God.  What may have seemed like collateral damage to his people, when it involved his son, he understood that God indeed meant serious business.

This final event involved funding from the Egyptians, as you can read in verse 2 above. Hebrews were to ask their neighbors for objects of silver and gold, the currency of the time what traveled well.  It also involved the death of sacrificial lambs, and pure and unblemished ones at that. The blood of the Passover lamb for each family would be used on the doorposts of each home.  The blood would be placed on the top and sides of the doorpost in a way that many say resembles the cross on which the true Passover Lamb died many, many years later.  That blood would serve as the symbol for the angel of death (aka "the destroyer") to pass over the home and spare the first born of that household.  Even cattle would lose their firstborn as a result of this plague.  At midnight, it happened as was foretold.  In Exodus 12:29ff:  "At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock."  This hit Pharaoh's home and heart.  He summoned Moses and Aaron to his palace and issued this decrees:  ""Rise up, go away from my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord, as you said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you said, and be gone. And bring a blessing on me too!" And their neighbors even joined in:  33 "The Egyptians urged the people to hasten their departure from the land, for they said, 'We shall all be dead.'"

The evening meal was unleavened bread and roasted lamb.  The side dishes would include bitter herbs as a memorial to the bitterness of those years as slaves under Egyptian control.  An answered prayer after only 430 years!  And off they went, freed men and women, boys and girls to return back to the land promised to Abraham and Sarah.

God answers all prayers. Not all as we would like or as we ask, but answered nonetheless.  And all prayers get answered in God's time, not ours.  The first prayer of "Lord, please free me from slavery" saw those praying that prayer answered only upon their death.  The ones who saw it answered in the way asked were the descendants of the first ones to utter that prayer.  And the answer involved great cost, in this event, the lives of the firstborn of the neighbors, and a journey away from the known comforts and discomforts of what had been home for so many.  Remember that as you continue to read the story of the Exodus!  But above all else, remember the love and involvement of God in the lives and stories of His people; a love and involvement that continues to this day even in your life and mine.  Lift your head and say thank You to God for all God continues to share with you and me.

PRAYER:  Awesome God, thank You for being our God.  You're a God of love and a God of action.  You answer all prayers according to Your will and in Your time for each of us.  Make us worthy, make us patient.  Guide us to faithfulness in all things; this we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Show gratitude for your freedom in God by sharing it with someone today!

Eradio Valverde

My Soul Thirsts for You, God!

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O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:1-8)

Have you ever been really thirsty, dear Friend?  I mean, really thirsty, like after a surgery and you saw NPO over your bed, and loved ones wiped your lips with a creepy spongy thing?  When the day finally came that you could have a drink of water, wasn't that the best feeling?

I had a dear friend in a church member of one of my churches who was originally from Panama by way of New York City.  He swore up and down that the best tap water was that found in NYC!  Some time later, Nellie and I got to visit New York and we tasted the tap water in a diner and it was among the best water we had had.  Now, water from your well, or your hometown may be your favorite and in your opinion it may be the best; but we know the true purpose of water - to satisfy one's thirst.  Has your soul ever been thirsty for God?  I started this devotional around this time, twenty years ago, because I heard fellow pastors, serving as campus ministers, say they were thirsty for God and felt they were dying of thirst because they no longer read the Bible as they should.  They saw the Bible as the source for sermons (and I was thankful for that), but since they no longer preached every Sunday, the Bible was set aside and their souls grew thirsty.  I said to myself and to Nellie, that I would read the lectionary texts every day for every week, to allow my soul to drink deep the living waters of God and to feast on God's holy word.  

As the psalmist knew, living in a desert region, one can grow very thirsty, and if drinking water is not found, one can faint, and if water is not found soon enough, one can also die.  David knew that drinking from the well of righteousness that is the worship of the Living God was exactly what he needed daily, and those days when he could enter the sanctuary of worship was a day of feasting and drinking, all while "beholding (God's) power and glory."  As necessary was to use his lips to praise God; which, thank God, we do every Sunday when in church, and every day when led by the Spirit.  Prayer is also a form of drink; and as often as we (should) drink water, we should pray and allow our parched lips to drink deep the water of life as found in connecting with God.

The Message Bible says for the closing verses, "I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises!"  Okay, it's early morning for me, so the idea of prime rib and gravy is not that appealing at this hour, but I can relate; God is a feast of fine food for the soul.  David continues,  "If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection."  Quite a contrast to staying up with worry and fretting, wouldn't you say?  Most of the great leaders have written that before bed, they take time to reflect on their day and to list that which blessed them, and that which did not, and make plans to address and correct the things in which they believed they failed.  Sounds like a plan to me!  And in the final verses, " Because you've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play."  Jesus said the Kingdom of God was for the little ones, so why not act like one from time to time, especially when one is in praise of God?  This closes the passage, "I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post."  And these are not FaceBook posts that he's talking about; these are the sturdy and steady posts that hold buildings together, and the kind that God provides to hold us together!

PRAYER:  Loving God, hold me together if I'm falling apart.  When I'm up at night, remind me of Your goodness and mercy, and may rest come to me.  But, above all things, let me drink deep the water of life and hope from Your well of mercy and love.  This I pray in Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be the "water boy/girl" for someone today, pointing them the way to living water!

Eradio Valverde

An Invitation to Abundant Life!

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Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,  and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:1-9)

Good day dear Friend!  I pray it is not "one of those days" for you, as it seems to be for me.  My older computer was off this morning so I went to my newer laptop and tried to move the large screen display to it, which I did (older eyes need such things you know, or you will soon know!), but I could not get an external keyboard work on the laptop.  After several tries I gave up, and now am typing on the laptop's keyboard trying not to be distracted by the smaller laptop screen!  Pray for me!

Imagine getting in the mail (remember snail mail?) a fancy invitation.  The envelope is unlike any you've seen in many years, the quality of it is out of this world, some sort of exotic linen, and the handwriting is perfect calligraphy and it is addressed to you!  You open it carefully with fear of tearing such a fine envelope to shreds, but you find it opens without much fuss.  In it are the words in all caps, YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ABUNDANT LIFE.  At first you think it may be a new church in town and you're about to discard it, but then you read on.  In it is detailed offers for that which you need most, at no cost!  You think again, how does a new church get that kind of money so fast?  We struggle with capital campaigns and stewardship sermons - and these guys and gals are offering free stuff.  But you keep reading, and it is not a new church per se, it's an invitation for you to be the Church and to rejoice in what the God of the Church offers to you!

This was what Isaiah heard from God and that which he wrote down as our passage for today.  To the people of God it was a welcome message; after years of disobedience and wanting to wander away from God, God is wanting them back.  The God of hope shares a powerful message of hope to His people.  Every need addressed!  "Thirst?  We have water!  You hungry?  Come and eat; I'm buying!  Wine and milk?  Sure!  Free!  You won't need money for that which does not satisfy!"  The invitation continues, "Eat what is good (you're thinking kale and other leafy green things, but wait!) Delight yourselves in rich food (God's words, not mine!). Open your ears and come to me; I will share with you words of life.  I'm asking you to be my partner in this sacred contract that I started with your ancestor David; the terms of that pact are still in effect, and even today, you shall call out to nations as my witnesses, and even nations that do not know you shall run to you, because they will see that God is at work in you and has made your name great!  But come to know me now; don't put it off; call me while I am near to you.  If you're thinking wicked thoughts, give those up, and not just for Lent, for good!  Return home to me.  Ask for mercy from me, and you will receive it; for my pardon is like the life I am offering to you, abundant!  You think things that are not my thoughts, nor are the ways you've been living the way I want you to live...  Just as the sky is beyond your reach, and how often have you tried to touch a cloud?  In that same way that they're high, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts much higher than yours."  Boom.

What an invitation.  Can you turn it down?  Sadly, some do.  And for foolish reasons (re-read the closing part of that invitation!).  But dear one, do not turn down God's invitation to live abundantly.  There is no better way to live.  Choose God's way as your way.  His offer of life as your life.  And what a difference it will make!

PRAYER:  Loving God, I accept Your invitation.  I want to live an abundant life.  I want to rejoice in the eternal and good things You have offered to me.  I repent of my ways, and ask You guide me to Yours.  May my thoughts become Your thoughts, so that I may think of You and be guided by You; this I pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Share your invitation with someone who's not quite living abundantly yet!

Eradio Valverde

A Warning & a Promise!

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Remember our history, friends, and be warned. All our ancestors were led by the providential Cloud and taken miraculously through the Sea.  They went through the waters, in a baptism like ours, as Moses led them from enslaving death to salvation life.  They all ate and drank identical food and drink, meals provided daily by God. They drank from the Rock, God's fountain for them that stayed with them wherever they were. And the Rock was Christ.  But just experiencing God's wonder and grace didn't seem to mean much - most of them were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert, and God was not pleased.  The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did.  And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did - "First the people partied, then they threw a dance." We must not be sexually promiscuous - they paid for that, remember, with twenty-three thousand deaths in one day!  We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes.  We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them.  These are all warning markers - danger! - in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel - they at the beginning, we at the end - and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were.  Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (1 Corinthians 10:1-13 The Message)

May this be a wonderful and tremendous Tuesday for you, dear Friend!   May the blessings and joys of the Lord be with you and yours on this day.

If you grew up in a big family, chances are the description given above of the people of Israel may describe you family.  "They all ate and drank identical food and drink, meals provided daily by God,."  Momma's menu was simple, eat or go hungry.  It was not a restaurant she said in later years, once we knew what those things were; all had the same food and drink choice.  We praised and thank God for His provision, for the food came from Him, and Daddy's hard work.  Yet, we sometimes complained, and certainly, we all came out different; just like the Hebrews.  Perhaps your family did as well.  Paul's warning comes as a way of instruction.  He sought to build up the people called Christians by reminding them of their ancestors in the faith.  The forty years in the wilderness were years of instruction; God sought to build a people out of all who left Egypt under Moses' leadership.  It was an arduous task, and even at times Moses was exasperated.  It is a call to a strong faith, with complete confidence and trust in God.  We will, and are, being tempted. Yet, Paul writes, "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face."  All we need to remember is "that God will never let you down."  We will never be pushed beyond our limit, and God will always be there to help us come through it.

Dear one, if you feel you're being pushed during this point of your life, mark it as an unopened blessing.  All can serve to build us up while teaching us new and marvelous things we did not anticipate.  Yes, it may be difficult at times, but we trust God and we claim the promise, God will never let us down.

PRAYER:  Loving God, I count on You, and I know You will never let me down.  Strengthen me so that I never let You down.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Tell someone about God never letting them down!

Eradio Valverde

Unless You Repent...

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At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’ Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’ (Luke 13:1-9)

Happy Monday, dear Friend!  I pray that the weekend brought time for renewal and refreshing in your spirit and life.  I pray this time with God in prayer, reading, reflecting, and rejoicing, will fill you with goodness enough to spare!

During the time of Jesus there we tragedies that affected most of the people, including the disciples and Jesus as well.  There had been a murder of Galileans by Pilate and his armies and when they had the chance, they mingled the blood of the dead with those offered too their gods.  This was unholy in so many ways, the 12 had to ask about it.  We live in a time when people at worship are mowed down in a senseless way; the most recent 50 Muslims in New Zealand murdered while in worship.  In the Philippines, 20 or more also blown in a bombing in a Catholic Church.  These beg our asking, like the disciples, why?  Jesus' response addressed part of the why; were these Galileans worse sinners than all other Galileans?  No, Jesus replies, "but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did."  Another tragedy struck down 18 people when a tower of Siloam fell.  Jesus asked if they were worst offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?  "No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."  Was Jesus talking about just the earthly part of death or was He addressing the eternal part of death as well?  I suspect it was both, for all stand in need of repentance.  Repentance is hearing that what we think is okay is really not in God's eyes; We all stand in need of repenting of our sins.  Jesus and John the Baptist had come with that message; The only one who can take away sins is God, and even John, when pointing to Jesus said, "Behold, He who takes away the sins of the world."  Yes, He still does.  It falls on us to humbly and sincerely turn to the Lord and repent of our sins.  The Lord is gracious and mighty, and will remove the sins from our lives.  Again, Micah 7:19 said that the Lord casts our iniquities into the deepest part of the sea, and John in Revelation 21:1, "and the sea was no more."  How more final can that be?

Hear the invitation from the Lord to ask of Him the removal of our sins, and He will do it.  He removes the burden of our sins and the weight of our guilt and frees us to live life in an abundant way.  That, my dear friend, is good news!

PRAYER:  Loving Father, speak to my heart and receive my prayer as I turn away from my sin and ask that You remove it from my life.  I am weak and heavy-laden by those things I have said, thought, or done against You and against others; free me for joyful obedience I pray, in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Live a life that blesses those around you with hope and joy!

Eradio Valverde

Just Another Day of Texas Weather! (Bible Stories You Should Know!)

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The Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand towards heaven so that hail may fall on the whole land of Egypt, on humans and animals and all the plants of the field in the land of Egypt.’ Then Moses stretched out his staff towards heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire came down on the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; there was hail with fire flashing continually in the midst of it, such heavy hail as had never fallen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck down everything that was in the open field throughout all the land of Egypt, both human and animal; the hail also struck down all the plants of the field, and shattered every tree in the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, there was no hail. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them—so that you may know that I am the Lord.’  So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. For if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country. They shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They shall devour the last remnant left you after the hail, and they shall devour every tree of yours that grows in the field.They shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your officials and of all the Egyptians—something that neither your parents nor your grandparents have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.” ’ Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.(Exodus 9:22-10:6)

Happy Friday, dear Friend!  I pray this finds you well and active in the service of our Lord!  This weekend is Saint Patrick's Day and it falls on a Sunday!  Depending on the toughness of the church you may attend, you might wear something green!  I remember Elementary school days were murder on my arms on those days I did not wear green!  "I'm not Irish!"  did not work!  And later on, a DNA test shows, well - what do you know grrrranddad?  In other words, please make plans to attend the church of your choice and worship the Lord!  God doesn't care what you wear.

The education of Pharaoh and the patience of Moses wears on.  After numerous plagues, Pharaoh is just not getting the message.  The days of his magicians matching what God was doing are long over, and these plagues are just disaster after disaster showing who really has the power in this God versus god contest.  The one thing Pharaoh was learning was that he was not God.  And he's nearing that point where he will realize that and give in to the demands of Moses.  Today's two plagues were hail and locusts.  The first is common in most parts of the world, but we Texans like to kid that if one does not like Texas weather, we should wait five minutes.  And it's true.  Yesterday was a wonderfully warm day, I was able to spend the day in shorts and short sleeves; today I'm wearing a hoodie as I write.  To make the hail extra special, God threw in flashes of fire, the Bible says, "such heavy hail as had never fallen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation."  The damage done by this was extensive; trees and plants destroyed.  But it made great business for chariot repair people.  These quickly went to the WalMart parking lot and set up Hail Damage Repair shops.  Chariot dealers had special Hail Damage sales.  But it was not enough to make soft Pharaoh's heart. Even his advisors were clamoring for him to let them go, for they saw the devastation that had come from the hand of God; but to no avail.   

The eighth plague was locusts; another pesky part of our regions here in this state.  Not quite weather, but there have been occasions when it was been like it was raining locusts.  This was the crowning touch to the damage done by the hail, but the locusts ate what was left of the trees and plants. It is interesting to note that in verse 16 of chapter 9, Pharaoh says, "I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, I pray you, only this once, and entreat the Lord your God only to remove this death from me."  It was a short time of contrition, but again, not enough to convince Pharaoh to let his slaves go.  

At the heart of this showdown is pride.  Pride was the force behind Pharaoh not giving in.  In his hands were the lives of these foreign people whose history he conveniently forgot.  The day came they feared the great number of Hebrews in their midst and so the decision was made to enslave them, and through free labor great monuments and buildings were built; all honoring Pharaoh.  To let them go would be a blow to his pride and to the control he had not only over the slaves, but his own people.  At the heart of our own showdowns with God we may often, if not always, find pride.  We sometimes think our convictions are better than God's.  We may even try to replace God with our own god, and yes, sometimes that little-g god is us.  But let us remember this, we can't outwit or out-wait God; and what comes before a great fall?  Yes, pride.  Friend, if you are facing a showdown with God, realize it may yourself you're up against.  I suggest you take a moment, pray, listen, reflect, pray some more, and then let God speak to you and the decision you have to make.  You may find you knew all along what was best, but didn't want to admit it.

PRAYER:  Loving God, speak to my heart.  Let me listen with joy and love to what You may say to me today.  As I face decisions and challenges, let me turn always to You to see what is best for me.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be a plague of love to someone who needs it!

Eradio Valverde

Stay with God!

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Light, space, zest - that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool.  I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet.  That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic.  God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God.  Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: "Be good to me! Answer me!"  When my heart whispered, "Seek God," my whole being replied, "I'm seeking him!"  Don't hide from me now! You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open.  My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.  Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on.  Don't throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats.  I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth.  Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God. (Psalm 27 The Message)

Good day, dear Friend!  May this find you well, and blessed, and filled with joy for the Lord!  I'll begin by giving a shout-out to the preacher's kids that read this devotional.  God blessed Nellie and me with four wonderful daughters, and I know there's a special place in Heaven reserved for PKs!  They have, more than likely, had unexplainable life experiences that the rest of the population never have had, or endured things that few others have endured.  To my girls, I love you and thank God for you, and I ask that God's grace be with you all always.  You went through a lot for the sake of a Dad who loved Jesus enough to work for Him.  And having you by my side made the journey so much better and blessed!  And thanks to my wife who blessed me with those babies, and whose counsel and presence continues to bless me even now!

With that in mind, I share again what may cause some embarrassment to my daughters.  One night our parsonage's air conditioning went out.  It was an older home, right behind the church.  The church I was serving was about half a block large, with the back part being a small parking lot, our driveway, and our home.  Summers in Texas get mighty hot and this night the heat in that house was unbearable, and guess where we slept?  Dad turned-on the church's air conditioning and there around the altar area we placed our blankets and pillows and slept, nice and cool and in the house of the Lord.  I thought of that event because of how the psalmist was feeling as he wrote this psalm.  I love the verse, "God took me in."  Wow.  That was me.  My parents never abandoned me, but I left for college at 18, ready for the call God placed on my heart to serve Him.  I would return home for summer vacation, find a job, work long hours, and then go back to school.  But as soon as I felt God's call, God took me in.  God provided a way for me to attain a university and seminary education, and always provided us with a place to live, food on our table, clothes to wear, and the blessings of coming to know some of God's finest people.  David had found the same.  (Although he had a nice palace to live in; but i bet he never had to take his children to school in the church van that day a tree fell across the driveway!)  But, this version of the Bible gives it an umph that others don't.  David is on fire as he's writing this, talking "fearless, afraid of no one and nothing," being "calm as a baby" (yes, babies are sometimes calm!)  He is "collected and cool," and asks that he might live in the house of the Lord his entire life long.  Well, our daughters can claim they lived in the house of the Lord for one night, which is pretty much more than the general population.  And yes, a one day experience of pulling up to their school in an old church van with the church's name as big as it can embarrassingly be on the side; no one can really claim that either!  David knew the beauty of God because he came to know God at an early age.  The word of God was his education, time in prayer and worship were those things that made him fearless and calm, and also allowed him to find "quiet, secure" places in a noisy world.  And it was God to made him feel like he was head and shoulders above those who tried to pull him down.

The psalmist also knew the power of prayer.  This version has it in modern language the way David prayed, "Be good to me!  Answer me!  I'm seeking Him!  Don't hide from me now!  You've always been there for me; don't turn your back on me now!"  Even if his mother and father walked out on him, David said that God took him in.  And from that point on, God blessed and guided his life.

Friends, the last words of this passage are for you and me:  "Stay with God!  Take heart.  Don't quit.  I'll say it again:  Stay with God."  Boom!  The other options lead nowhere but destruction.  You may seek to numb your pain in ways that kill, steal and destroy; but staying with God goes the opposite way:  Life, recovery, and strength. Claim those for yourself right now!

PRAYER:  Father, David has said it all, but we say it again, no matter what we're facing, You have it in perfect control.  I want to stay with you.  Some praying this may need You to take them in, and may it be in whatever way that has to be; but bring calm and peace to their lives.  God, be glorified in my life.  That's my prayer, in Christ Jesus, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Bring the joy of calm to someone not having a good day today!

Love you all!

Eradio Valverde

Here is the last chapter of Mark!  I pray it blesses you; share it!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4UB4hS8k-U&t=8s

Father Abraham. Mother Sarah.

Image from preceptaustin.org

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, (Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18)

A happy Wednesday to you, dear Friend!  May I take a moment to say how wonderful it is to have you as a reader of this devotional?  I pray that through God's word, through our time together you might find hope and peace.  If you feel down or discouraged, and need someone to talk to, please talk to your pastor or someone whom you trust, and share how you're feeling.  Or, if you know someone who's feeling low or sad, please reach out to them with words of hope.  A pastor in San Angelo, Pastor Scott Bradford, after reading this devotional shared there have been many suicides in that city as well.  Friends, life came that we might have life, and that in abundance!  (John 10:10).  Share a word of life with someone today!

Who would have thought that God would visit a card-carrying AARP member to ask him to become the Father of the Faith?  You might think, "Lord, You have a strange way of doing things!"  Your Son is to be born in a stable and have as his crib a feed trough? And You want the world to know about you from someone about to check into The Heights Nursing Home?  Well, God does work in mysterious ways.  And usually these ways are unexplainable!  But, rest assured that God knows what He is doing.  God can take the least likeliest of persons and do wonderful things.  And that includes you and me!  

Our story is the vision God shares with Abram and his wife, Sarai.  God promises a great reward and assures him that he will have an heir and it will not be his distant cousin from Damascus, with whom he had probably lost touch.  God leads the old guy outside and asks him to "look towards the heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them."  These, God told him, shall be as numerous as your descendants.  Again, Abram and Sarai had bought an RV and were about ready to go see the states!  They joined AAA and had a camping membership, REI had furnished their equipment, and Banana Republic (back in the day) had furnished their safari outfits.  And here is God telling them the day is coming when they would have to buy matching t-shirts that would say ABRAM & SARAI FAMILY REUNION!  And this to be held in Disney World.  

God meant business because He enters into a covenant with Abram; a very serious holy contract, where Abram provided the animals, sacrificed them, and then God works the wonders of the covenant as described in the passage.  The symbol of fire going through the sacrificed animals sealing the deal God was making with this man.  And with it, the promise of new land, a new territory, where he and his family would live.  We have visited Abraham before the name change, but already he is declared a father, and Sarah as mother; both of the faith and of those descendants too numerous to count.

What is God asking of you?  You're as much a child of the covenant as Abram or Sarai, and whatever God may be asking of you can be possible, if you would be trust God.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, visit us with Your peace and promise.  May we respond in faith to the tasks at hand.  We want to be a part of the growth of Your kingdom here on the earth; we want to increase Your territory; grant us those opportunities.  This we pray in faith, in Christ Jesus' powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Share a word of life with someone today!

Eradio Valverde

Here is Chapter 15 of the Gospel of Mark:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzR-Ra9lqcs&t=13s

Stand With & For Jesus; Or You'll Fall for Anything!

Image from hereadstruth.com

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. (Philippians 3:17-4:1)

May this be a Happy Tuesday for you, dear Friend!  May it be a day in which you are encouraged and you can be an encourager for others.  May we take time today to see how others are really doing.  Mention your appreciation and need for them.  I share this because last night, the second suicide took place in Gonzales in one week.  Our pastor, Rev. Matt Pennington was asked by Sheriff's deputies to accompany them to the scene.  Prayers for the family affected, for our pastor, and for all who are depressed or sad; may we be the spark of hope that someone needs to hear today.

I can't wait to travel where Paul traveled.  Here we get a glimpse of the strong conviction that he had in Jesus and in the way Jesus had allowed him to respond.  It's not everyone who can say, "Imitate me."  People, especially children, always well. I love pens.  And I usually choose shirts with pockets so that I can have a pen at the ready.  Why?  Who knows when someone might approach me with a check made out to me that I have to endorse?  Just kidding!  But, when our grandson Liam lived with us, very early in his life, he was wearing a shirt with a pocket and he had found one of my pens and there it was!  He was imitating grandpa!  I was touched by it.  I silently prayed that he would imitate the good that I strive to do.  Paul encourages us to live a life of example as followers of the cross of Christ, not as enemies.  "For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ."  It's sad to know that even today there are those who hate Jesus and His cross.  They mock it and reject it.  Paul, and we, know their end.  We don't rejoice in that, it should sadden us and make us respond with urgency to save them from such destruction.  Paul says these are guided by earthly things; "their god is their belly; and their glory is their shame; their minds are set on earthly things."  Instant gratification, pleasure at the ready; not great motivations for living, but there are those who are motivated by those very things.  Years ago, I really believed that late-night infomercials were true indicators of what motivated us, and there were two major groups:  Getting as skinny as we could, and as rich as we could.  Most of those commercials were geared towards one or the other.  And have things really changed?  Now they're pop-ups on our computers.

Listen to Paul's insistence on our heavenly citizenship.  One of the perks, besides an eternity with God and God's love, is that our heavenly body that Paul calls "the body of our humiliation" will be transformed into a body of His glory.  Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, he continues, "Stand firm in the Lord."  The title I changed a bit because it rings true.  If we stand with and for Jesus, we can overcome any obstacle in God's manner; if we don't stand with Jesus or for Him, we easily fall for anything.  Stand firm!

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, our prayers begin with asking Your comfort and peace with the family members of those two suicide victims in Gonzales.  Be with anyone anywhere contemplating an end to their life.  May You point them out to us and may we share a word of hope and encouragement.  Bring us wisdom, bring us courage; help us to stand for and with Jesus, our Lord, in Whose name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Stand firm enough to love those who need love!

Eradio Valverde

Here is the latest of my studies in Mark, done right before I wrote this.  Please view it and share it with someone who might need a blessing:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPyI6xsB2FA&t=20s

Jesus' Love for Jerusalem & You!

Image from 2X2virtualchurch.com

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’ (Luke 13: 31-35)

May the blessings of the Lord Jesus be with you and yours today, dear Friend!  I trust your Lenten Journey is progressing and that spiritual things taken up are still with you to make you stronger!  A Lenten Journey for some is like that point in the story of the Prodigal when the "son came to himself."  That point where he realized he had done it all wrong and now he stood in need of returning home to his father; "I am no longer worthy to be your son..."  Remember how the father greeted him!  God stands ready in the same way for you and me!

This past year probably during this very week, Dr. Jack Beck explained the wild beasts of the Holy Land.  The most fierce was the Siberian bear. It would roam in the wilderness and make its way, well, being a bear, pretty much wherever it wanted!  There was the mountain lion, who also could pretty much have its way with livestock.  And the least of these, was the fox; almost an afterthought of predators.  So, for Jesus to call Herod a fox reduces his power and influence.  It is interesting that Jesus also says that He loves Jerusalem and like a mother hen wanted so much to "gather her brood under her wings," an act of protection even against a fox.  

Jesus' concern was for the people of Jerusalem not the ruling person.  The Pharisees didn't so much want to protect Jesus as to run Him off, but He responds with a checklist of things He was busy doing for the Kingdom of God; "I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work."  Then He turns His attention towards the holy city; such a pearl of a city, even today; but when David and Solomon reigned, it was the city of the world.  A military stronghold, an economic center, an educational center, and a religious center, even today claimed by the world's three greatest religions.  Yet, Jesus knows it to be the city that kills prophets and stones those who are sent to it.  His love was so great He compares Himself to that mother hen that takes her children under her wings as protection.  And in this lament, Jesus hints of that which is to come to Him.

Dear one, there have come and may still come, those difficult times when we need wings under which to hide.  As baby chicks of the Lord's, we know there is no better place than under our mother hen's wings.  And this runs parallel to the other descriptions we have read during the past few weeks; angels to protect us, God as a refuge and shelter, a hiding place, a mighty fortress, etc.  Run to Jesus, hide in Jesus, find strength for the journey in Jesus.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, remind us where to hide when worried or scared.  But, push us out when it's time to serve!  Thank You for being our hiding place, but also the place where we get strength and energy for the journey.  Bless us to bless You and Yours is our prayer; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be a blessed baby chick today; may your song be one of joy!

Eradio Valverde

Moos and Boo-Boos! Another Bible Story You Should Know

Image from andrewkantor.com

 And the LORD set a time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land."  And on the morrow the LORD did this thing; all the cattle of the Egyptians died, but of the cattle of the people of Israel not one died.  And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the cattle of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.  And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of ashes from the kiln, and let Moses throw them toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.  And it shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt."  So they took ashes from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw them toward heaven, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.  And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.  But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken to Moses. (Exodus 9:5-12 Revised Standard Version)

Friday is here, so get fired up for a fabulous day, dear Friend! You can thank me now that I did not use any of the photos I found for the second plaque we are going to discuss today!  Whew!  I pray this finds you and yours doing well; from where I write the temperature is not in the 40s, so that for me is a great thing!  I trust it is for you as well.

The challenge for Moses representing God against Pharaoh continues.  Really, it was Pharaoh, who thought he was a god against the one true living God.  Pharaoh had magicians who could keep up so far with each plaque and Pharaoh could claim he was not impressed, and was not going to release the free labor force he had in the Jews who were his slaves.  God still persisted, and the two plaques we will study today were these:  The first was to hit the cattle of Egypt with a sickness.  God had told Moses that the cows of the Jews would not be affected, only the Egyptians cows.  And so it was.  We don't know the nature of the plaque though some scholars believe it could have been anthrax because of the other plagues' conditions, which made it right for these poor animals to have this disease.  It made for the cattle to become worthless and they died.  This affected the diet of the Egyptians, but still Pharaoh said no go.

Next, God tells Moses to take ashes from the kiln, and in the presence of Pharaoh to toss them into the air and it spread like a fine dust throughout the land and this caused boils to come upon the people.  Boils are not pleasant.  I had a couple when I was in high school and I'll sum it up in one word:  torture.  Painful blisters that can grow and make you miserable.  And I'm talking one boil.  I don't even want to image more than one boil on me, or even on my worst enemy; well, maybe... no, I kid.  The images on google image tell the story.  The boils got so bad the magicians called in sick.  They could not even put in an appearance before Moses and their boss to see if they could match the plaque or even remove it.  Yet, the hardness of Pharaoh's heart stayed, and again he said no to liberty for the captives.  They were still his slaves.

The entire book of Exodus is an exercise in patience.  Waiting on God's time is never easy for some, impossible for others.  The process we are studying right now took 400 years for that prayer to be answered.  And the process did not happen as many would have liked.  "Just send a big bolt of lightening and kill Pharaoh!" many would have, and probably, did say.  But, God works in mysterious ways, usually ways we can't and don't understand.  And for many humans, "patience is a virtue but (they) don't have the time!"*. Our time is usually dictated to be now, now, now.  The society that employs microwave, texts, emails - too busy to wait, and we want it now.

"Good things come to those who wait," said a person who just doesn't know us!  "Hurry up and wait," our fathers told us they learned in the Army.  If Exodus says or teaches anything it is, Wait upon the Lord.  The options were completely unbearable.  To remain under a ruler who hated them, the Jews would never realize how good they had it with Moses and his deliverance attempts.  Right now, in this story, they're part of an audience who is witnesses the supreme power of God against human will.  Each step or each plague was intended to show the people how God worked.  If you resist God and seek your will over His, you will discover the same.  I sought to hide from God and ended up where I shared some time ago, sitting across from another seminary drop-out.  "My will, not thine" will have me join the choir of those in Hell.  "Thy will, not mine" is the beautiful song that got those who are in Heaven there.  What will you sing?

PRAYER:  Patient Father, speak to me a restless and anxious soul.  Help me learn from these stories of Moses and You, how awesome you are, and what you are capable of doing on our behalf.  Bless us with patience and wisdom.  This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Show your patience in a way that blesses others!

Eradio Valverde

A Long Drink of Salvation!

Image from allure.com

You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,  Say this: "God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!"  That's right - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards.  His huge outstretched arms protect you - under them you're perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm.  Fear nothing - not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day,  Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses.  Yes, because God's your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can't get close to you, harm can't get through the door.  He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path.  "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God, "I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me.  Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.  I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!" (Psalm 91: 1-2, 9-16 The Message)

Good day dear Friend!  May the start of the Lenten Journey find you included, involved, and blessed!  This is a forty-day journey with the Lord.  May we talk, listen, and trust the Lord during these days, so that when Good Friday comes we can better understand why Jesus loved us so much, and Resurrection Sunday will be the most joyous and blessed event of our lives!

This is one of the passages that Satan knows.  Well, he knows them all, but this is the one he used to tempt Jesus.  He knew that each and every one of these words had a special meaning and truth to Him, and the devil hated that.  He also hates that we read and claim these words as well.  If we're in God's presence, we can easily say, "God, you're my refuge.  I trust in You and I'm safe!"  What a comforting thought!  The psalmist outlined each danger and the precise protection that God gives to those who trust in Him.  These very words might have been those Jesus read before going into the wilderness for those forty days.  During the day the wilderness is beautiful, but after dark, it is not a place you want to find yourself in.  Yet, the psalmist knew God's love and protection and wrote these words with that faith; with God with me, nothing can harm me.

The part that the tempter used against Jesus was having Him truly trust God and the verse that says, "He ordered His angels to guard you wherever you go.  If you stumble, the'll catch You; their job is to keep You from falling."  Jesus replies we should not put the Lord God to the test.  Yet, Jesus knew angels were coming to minister to Him after the ordeal was over, but for now, His job was to resist the devil, and He did.  So can we.  Trust in the Lord, and fast in a way that starves your sin and makes your tempters and temptations flee!  Enjoy that "long drink of salvation!" which will give you long life!

PRAYER:  Awesome God, may this time spent in prayer and Bible devotion, but a time of feasting.  Some of us have not yet tasted food for today, but the richness, and goodness of Your word is the true nourishment we need.  May this fuel our spirits for today and make us victorious in You.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Though you be fasting, show the world the great feast of which you are a part!

Eradio Valverde

First Fruits!

Image from cityofdavidng.org

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lordyour God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house. (Deuteronomy 26: 1-11)

May this be a wonderful Wednesday for you, dear Friend! I pray you are warm and safe; weather forecasts look better in the days ahead for us here in Texas. Again, please check on your loved ones who might be alone. Stay safe in this weather. Care for one another!

What a marvelous act of worship to return to our loving and providing God the first fruits of our labor. As I have shared with you, my mother taught me all about tithing and returning to God the first of my labors. In Israel's history, the story shared above is how it came to be. The Lord has fulfilled His promise to His people as He had first promised to Abraham and Sarah. And His instruction is that when the people entered into the land they were to return their visible thanks to God. God had promised a land of milk and honey, and that's what He delivered. And God prescribed the ritual of taking a basket and to put in it the first fruits of the land. Not the leftovers or the afterthought of "Oh yeah, God did this, guess I better give back a part of that." God wanted the basket filled with the first and best fruits, and He also wanted the hearts filled with joy; the prescribed ritual was a reminder of God's actions that freed and blessed them. "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, who entered Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in numbers, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous..." and the rest of the story. The ritual reminds them of the bitterness of being enslaved and tortured, and how it was God who delivered them.

Giving to God should be a celebration that involves all the family. Fridays when we had moved to Houston were paydays for my dad. He alone worked outside the home and when he was paid, he would come pick up the entire family, we would pile into the car and drive to Krogers and buy the groceries for the week. After a week of the closely followed ritual of school and homework, for me riding a city bus to my school, to leave the weekly routine and be out with the family was a joyful experience. I know that my mother paid the bills, writing the family's tithe check and presenting it on Sunday. Our litany would have said, A wandering Hispanic down on his luck and what seemed like nothing promising in Kingsville, made his way to Houston where he found employment. After six months of living on his own and coming home every weekend, he was able to move his entire family to Houston; where a new world of opportunity was opened to them.

The Jews were asked to celebrate with everyone around them. The Levites and the aliens who reside among you, together you will celebrate with all that God has shared with you and your house. God's provision was for all people; the celebration is for all people. This tradition carried over and Paul wrote about it when in 2 Corinthians he spoke of God loving a cheerful giver. Earlier the Lord Himself spoke of the faith of the widow who gave a penny, her all, in faith and gratitude and trust in the Lord.

How will you celebrate the fruits of your labor and the gifts that God has shared with you? Who will you include in your celebration?

PRAYER: Loving Father, we are indeed blessed. All that we have has come from Your loving arms. Help us to recapture the joy of celebration in our act of worshiping You through our tithing and giving. Help us to include all people in our returning thanks to You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Bless someone with the blessings God has shared with you.

Eradio Valverde