Mustard-Sized Faith?

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5 The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith." 6 But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it. 7 "Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'? 8 Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'? 9 Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him? 10 It's the same with you. When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'" (Luke 17:5-10 The Message Version)

Happy Monday, dear Friend! I pray this finds you well. I hope you had time to worship the Lord, have time to spend in prayer; learn more about God's Holy word, and had for your personal and spiritual renewal. I pray that plus this time in devotion bless and prepare you for this new week. As always, I encourage you to pray for one another, and to pray for yourselves.

We find the Disciples asking Jesus to increase their faith. We know they had faith. They had said yes to Jesus at His invitation for them to join Him. They had also experienced the teachings, the healings, the feeding, and the resurrections; something was making them think they did not have enough faith. Jesus in the previous chapter spoke about what happens after death, and on this day, they had heard Jesus speak about forgiveness and the number of times they had to forgive those who sin against them. "Increase our faith or give us more faith" is a legitimate request. Notice what Jesus says, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it.'"

We get caught up in that sometime don't we? We begin to compare the faith of someone to ours. We think that someone else can do more than we in terms of service or faith, and we begin to wonder if we have "enough" faith. Jesus is saying that if we have faith, we have faith. I know that sounds funny, just as funny as what John Wesley heard when he asked a mentor what he should do because he could no longer preach due to the feeling that he felt he lacked faith. The old gentleman said, "Preach faith until you have faith, and then you will preach faith because you have faith." This was an exchange between John Wesley and Peter Bohler.

Jesus I know smiled between this exchange. Both men were truly giants in faith, yet had those moments when they doubted the presence (and power) of faith. Jesus truly knew that once we have faith it should power our lives to face all things. Faith makes possible the "to-do" list God has shared with all of us. Faith is that which helps us take the first step forward.

PRAYER: Loving God, don't let the fear that we lack faith keep us from taking that first step towards doing what You expect of us. It was what blessed us into saying, "Come into my heart, Lord Jesus" when we first accepted Him as Lord and Savior. This we pray in faith because we have faith in His strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Be blessed; Be a blessing!

Receive my blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

If you haven't made plans for summer 2020, the Passion Play in Oberammergau Germany would be ideal on June 29-August 7, 2020. Click here for more information on taht trip: http://bit.ly/2m4oXiU

An Evening Prayer and a Shout of Victory!

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1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, 2 will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust." 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; 4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, 6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. 14 Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. 15 When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. 16 With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation. (Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 NRSV)

May this devotional find you well and enjoying the best of what God offers to you dear Friend, and yours. May this time in quiet calm your nerves, sooth your spirit, and refresh your soul.

I should have used both versions of this psalm, for both are very powerful. But The Message version says for us, "who sit down in the High God's presence," and it says, "Say this: 'God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!" 3 That's right - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. 4 His huge outstretched arms protect you - under them you're perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. 5 Fear nothing - not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, 6 Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon.' The first part is what I call a great evening prayer. Many times we're so tired, or worried, we don't know what to pray, and David says, "God, I can hide in You and I'm safe." And that is a wonderful prayer. The song, "Jesus King of Angels" by Fernando Ortega speaks of the power of Jesus to come into our dreams and keep us from harm. There are some nights I hear the song in my mind and I make it my prayer. And it does bless my sleep.

And prayer blesses my wide open days as well! The psalmist really outlined his faith in God's power to truly and completely watch over us. Verses five and onward are about what we can and sometimes do encounter at night, at noonday, or whenever. God speaks through David when He says that those of us who love Him enjoy His blessings of protection and deliverance. Again The Message version: 15 Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. 16 I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!" Nothing can beat knowing that God is a God who answers, who comes to our side to rescue and protect, and who rejoices and celebrates with us when we have victories.

What more could we want?

PRAYER: Loving God, our refuge and our fortress; You are our God and in You we trust. Grant us rest when we need it; strength when we lack it, and victory when it is Your will. We pray for those recovering from surgeries, we pray for the lonely, and we pray for the troubled. Make real Your presence. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Teach someone a simple prayer today!

My blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

True Contentment

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6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. (1 Timothy 6: 6-19 NRSV)

A very blessed and tremendous Tuesday be yours dear Friend. Today is a day of goodbyes for the Ploeger family as they will have the funeral of Lacey, their daughter. I ask prayers for Leslie and Deanie, and for Paisley, Lacey's daughter. I know this will be a difficult day and as we pray, pray also for Pastor Matt Pennington so that God may grant him the words that comfort the family. Prayers for the ones who will gather to be with them. Prayers also for Thelma Martinez, a woman from Detroit, MI, who needs prayers as she battles pancreatic cancer. Her husband has also been fighting cancer, and we pray both find healing and comfort in the Lord. Prayers for our brother, The Rev. Virgilio Vasquez- Garza, who on his way home from Spain encountered some bladder problems, was briefly hospitalized in Ontario, Canada, but is home now in San Antonio. We pray for his healing, and for Acacia's strength to be at his side. Prayers for Janet Robertson of Karnes City who is also battling cancer. May God's comfort and healing be with her is our prayer. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

The Apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé this letter of instruction regarding life and the Christian walk. Paul had learned in this lifetime and his work for Christ, that attitude goes a long way in helping follow Jesus. To have an attitude of contentment will bless one in more closely walking with our Lord. If we believe we don't have enough, and develop an attitude of lack, that spills over and affects our spiritual walk. Our attitude should tell us that we serve a God of abundance, who meets all our needs. If you ever heard, "We brought nothing into the world, and we take nothing with us when we die," that comes from this letter. To desire and strive for more leads us away from where God wants us to be. It is also here that we hear the true saying of "The love of money is the root of all evil," and not the oft-said, "Money is the root of all evil." Money in and of itself, is not evil; it is the love of money that ruins many a life. As Paul knew, many have left the Christian walk in pursuit of money. The things we should pursue are righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. This is a message for those who realize their true life is in the supernatural, not the natural world. Believers who have given their lives to Jesus, and who pray on a daily basis, have entered the supernatural realm, and know that the eternal realm of immortality is ours through Jesus. Ours is a call, as Paul writes, "to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share." This further supports what Jesus shared in yesterday's gospel lesson. To do as Paul and Jesus addressed, we are storing up an eternal treasure, a solid foundation for tomorrow, and to live a life that is, as Paul says, "really is life."

PRAYER: Awesome God, bring to life this passage in me. I strive to know what truly matters and to make it a part of this supernatural life that I need to live. Lift me above the realm of today and the pressures of daily life. Make me a generous person, who gives to bless others. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a person rooted in the supernatural; people will want to live like you!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Your support of prayers and forwarding this email bless the work of the Lord. Your gifts at paypal.me/eradiovalverde also bless us.

What Will You Wake Up To When You Die?

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19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24 He called out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' 25 But Abraham said, "Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' 27 He said, "Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' 29 Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' 30 He said, "No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " (Luke 16: 19-31 NRSV)

A very happy Monday to you and yours, dear Friend! I pray this finds you well. Nellie and I were blessed yesterday by the welcome and hospitality shown us by the Medina UMC in Medina, Texas. Our thanks to them for being so nice to us and a prayer for continued blessings on that congregation. And I pray all of you blessed one of God's congregations this weekend in worship and praise.

The late Rev. E. V. Hill once preached on a trip he and his wife took to a certain prosperous community where he had been invited to preach. As they drove into the community their prosperity was evident immediately. There were manicured lawns, beautiful homes, splendid cars on every street. E.V. turned to his wife and said, "Something is wrong in this place! Do you sense it too?" Mrs. Hill said, "Yes! I know what it is! There is no graffiti in this place at all!" So once he took the pulpit Rev. Hill shared that with the congregation and also added, "And with your permission I would like to take a spray can and begin a graffiti campaign of my own. I am only going to spray one word on each wall, car, and property you have. And that word is Temporary!"

One day, we will wake up to our death. And all we enjoyed or endured during this life will be gone. Jesus shares this parable to teach that lesson. He begins with the coveted position of a wealthy man. Dressed in the finest clothing, this man known only as "rich man," enjoyed his status and his wealth. He also enjoyed the finest dining experiences of the day. He also enjoyed the luxury of fine housing with gated protection. He lived in his fine world, separated from the harsher realities of the poor. Just outside his gate lay a sick and hungry man. His sickness was that his body was covered in sores. The sores attracted dogs which licked these sores. The man's name was Lazarus and he would have given anything to eat from the crumbs from the rich man's table. But he never did. He dies, and we believe from hunger. At his death, angels from heaven come and carry him to be at Abraham's side. The rich man also dies, and Jesus simply says, "was buried." Jesus also says that the rich man wakes up in Hades (a nice way of saying 'the other place.') and is tormented as we believe will be the expected of an eternity separated from God. The fires of Hades made the rich man thirsty and we realize that he can see Lazarus, who is alive and living well by Abraham's side. The rich man calls out to Abraham and says, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames." The man who may have been sick of the sight of a sore-covered, poor, hungry man, and who went out of his way from having contact with Lazarus, now wants the tip of his finger in his mouth to help cool his suffering. Abraham answers the rich man with the truth; "Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross from there to us." He begs then, "Please send Lazarus to my father's house - for I have five brothers - that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment." Abraham has to reply, "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them." The rich man persists, "No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent." Father Abraham says, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

The Bible says, "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6;23). To die in sin is to die separated from God. The evident sin of the rich man is selfishness; a self-centeredness that kept the rich man from sharing with the lesser blessed some of what could have kept the poor man from dying. We meet Lazarus during the last days of his life. We can only assume what his life may have been about; but that he died and was carried by angels to Abraham's side shows there already was a relationship with God, and as a result of that relationship, he was rewarded with an eternal life that would not end. The rich man's only true relationship was with his money and his possessions and once his life died so did that relationship. He was buried and from that burial spot he enters Hades where his torment begins. And the torment is so severe, his thoughts turn to his five brothers that they may have a relationship with God too. And regardless of the pleas lifted by him, Abraham replies with the truth; the scriptures stress the need for our relationship with God to be that which saves us from an eternity separated from God. And that is our reality as well. We have heard the Good News. We have heard about Jesus' desire to have us as His. There is no other real option.

The opening story from Rev. Hill applies here. Some people are so in love with their things they lose sight of what really matters; they begin to place things over people, and themselves over others; all of which are not Christian. Jesus' message was always of the first being last, and the last being first, and doing unto others as we would like for them to do unto us. The rich man clearly showed he came first, and others did not matter.

PRAYER: Loving God, as we pray, we ask forgiveness of those times we have been like the rich man, and have ignored the poor or less fortunate. Help us to share freely with others. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Do what you can to share with others about the chasm that exists between those who die in the Lord, and those who do not!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The new pimplesandwrinkles.org podcast on hymns features a brilliant musician and choral director, Dr. Sterling Allen of Good Shepherd UMC of Cypress, Texas. Please click on the media section to hear it.

Comfort Us, O God

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1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the air for food, the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth. 3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. 4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. 5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealous wrath burn like fire? 6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call on your name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name's sake. (Psalm 79:1-9 NRSV)

We read today that prophets are not the only ones who pray or cry out to God when things have gone exactly as God had said would happen. It's like the spouse who just signed divorce papers after insisting on a marriage a father/mother had said would not work. Stubbornness won, then lost. Or, the alcoholic who sees everything he earned for the week go to pay his bar tab. He fears having to face the wife for not having anything left for rent, food, or other payments that are due. And the illustrations could continue on, but we get the point. The psalmist is lamenting that what God had said and still praying in hopes that God would indeed comfort those in need.

As we have visited this in weeks past, all that God says will happen, happens. And it is usually our fault, not God's/. It is our willful disposition towards disobedience that gets us right where we know we should not be. The psalmist is sounding like the prophet, for he knows the heart and will of God and has tried his best to keep the people focused on the things of God; but the people have chosen to follow the wrong things. And here yet again, the prophet prays on behalf of the people asking God to come and comfort us. The psalmists and the prophets are the believers, who intercede on behalf of the fallen and the lost. It is you and me, and all who believe in God's mercy, who can't give up caring and praying for others. The prayer is already written here by David and can be prayed by us: "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Your name's sake," Amen.

Friend, your heart and mind know someone who needs to have that prayer lifted up for them in their name. It is worth offering that prayer on behalf of that family member or family friend who needs someone caring and loving enough to lift up a prayer in faith for their deliverance.

PRAYER: Loving God, as this dear reader and I pray, we name the person to You in our minds. We pray that You help this person, for the glory of Your name; deliver them, and us, and forgive us our sins, for Your name's sake, in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray again and again for people who come to mind as having that need.

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

Why the Prophet Weeps

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18 My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick. 19 Hark, the cry of my poor people from far and wide in the land: "Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her?" ("Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their foreign idols?") 20 "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." 21 For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored? 1 O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people! (Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 NRSV)

Wrong decisions bring consequences. To wander away from God leads to big losses, personal and spiritual. The people of God many times in their history chose wrongly; choosing other gods or selfish ways, they found themselves out of God's favor and as a result suffered great losses; sometimes even food and water. And it fell to the prophet to preach the truth to win the people back, and to pray to God for His mercy for these actions. One of the most compassionate and emotional prophets was Jeremiah, and from this passage we see why they called him the "weeping prophet."

Dear Friend, you and I have made wrong choices in our lives, and some of us saw the consequences of those actions. We would have liked to have blamed God for them, but it was our own choosing that got us into trouble. Someone once wrote that perfect song, "Nobody's Fault but Mine." Still, the hurt and pain was still there. As the prophet wrote, his joy and grief were with him and he was heartsick for the situation. The people prayed aloud asking where God could possibly be? The true response would have been where have i been; what had I done, that got me into this situation? The prophet could only pray for God to be merciful again, to His people. And he soon realized that all he could do was to cry with and for his people.

This passage comes towards the end of the passages for the week that began with a call for us to win all people to God. And that victory can only happen when people surrender themselves completely and wholeheartedly, away from passion and pleasure to the way of life of God. Our role is like that of the prophets, to speak the word of God, a loving, return-to-me invitation, and it has to be done soon. We have a responsibility to prayer, and to witness with a life that shows that we can live differently and away from the powerful forces of temptation and sin. Only then will we see the change God desires in this world.

PRAYER: Awesome God, I desire to be in the number of those who belong to You. I want to speak the prophetic word of Yours to win those who have wandered off. The cries of those who are lost, or have lost loved ones grows with each day. Hear our prayers and restore us back into the fullness of Your love. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a prophet of hope today.

Receive my blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

Bear Witness For Jesus!

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1 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. 2 Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. 3 This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. 4 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: 5 that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us - Jesus, 6 who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. 7 This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth. (1 timothy 2:1-7 The Message Bible)

Dear Friend, do you pray for people that you know? Of course, right! Do you pray for people you DON'T know? Well, of course you should! I pray that this bring blessings to your life and the lives of those you love, and even the ones who don't love you back. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

It just struck me that Paul the Apostle is featured almost every week in the Lectionary. The Epistle section of each week's readings features at least his writings every time. Talk about the impact one man had because he believed and said yes to God. It's incredible. As Nellie and I go over the photos we took in Greece, we pause to review the evidence we find in each of how Paul turned everything upside down. We visited the rich, exciting city of Corinth and Ephesus (which was known as the Las Vegas of its day), and Paul boldly prayed, and spoke on behalf of Jesus. Now Greece counts Paul as the 12th Disciple, who replaced Judas Iscariot. The Western Church does not agree, but this is the impact this one evangelist had on the entire nation and the entire Eastern Church. He is seen as the founder of that church.

We must listen to his advice. Read verse one again. "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know." I've shared how one church member in a former church angrily quit my devotional because I was asking prayers for people she didn't know. I replied that God knows them and who knows, when you get to Heaven, they may be among the crowd waiting to thank you for your prayers. Paul says we should pray for everyone, as the original versions says. We should pray for presidents, kings, prime ministers and governments; our prayers asking for those conditions that allow us to work for Jesus in getting to know Him and to come to Him; for God wants all people to come to Him. Jesus' example was to set free from sin all who were imprisoned. The "news" is going to get out, and people will know about God. And this all will start with prayer. Paul's work was based on the foundation of prayer as should be ours. We pray from and for, a simple faith, in hopes that all will come to know the love of God.

PRAYER: Loving God, bring blessings to my life as I pray. May my prayers be for all people, especially those in need. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that He may guide me to faithfulness in my prayer life. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a person of prayer in ways that bless you and yours.

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

The Potter's House!

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1 God told Jeremiah, 2 "Up on your feet! Go to the potter's house. When you get there, I'll tell you what I have to say." 3 So I went to the potter's house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. 4 Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. 5 Then God's Message came to me: 6 "Can't I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?" God's Decree! "Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel. 7 At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. 8 But if they repent of their wicked lives, I will think twice and start over with them. 9 At another time I might decide to plant a people or country, 10 but if they don't cooperate and won't listen to me, I will think again and give up on the plans I had for them. 11 "So, tell the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem my Message: 'Danger! I'm shaping doom against you, laying plans against you. Turn back from your doomed way of life. Straighten out your lives.' (Jeremiah 18:1-11 The Message Bible)

It is Wednesday! I pray it is a Wonderful Wednesday for you so far! I know it still may be early, but set your mindset to be Positive and God-Led, and God will bless you and use you! That's my prayer! Again, I ask your prayers for the brave travelers from Gonzales headed to Frankfurt then Athens. I haven't told my travelers, so please don't tell them this. The Apostle Paul was a great evangelist for Jesus. If you remember your childhood Bibles, in the back pages there were maps. I think a remark form a comedian made Bible makers change their minds about including them in the back. He said, "If you're ever traveling in the Holy Land and you get lost, don't bother using the maps in the back of your Bible! They won't help!" But, if you remember those maps, The Journeys on Paul featured dotted red lines that showed where Paul traveled. Well, the Greek Highway Department decided to roll those up and now they're no longer there. We're going to have to take the word of our local guides!

We visit the prophet Jeremiah once again. The man known as the Weeping Prophet because of what he had to endure, gets called by God (it may have been a text) "Get yourself to the potter's house and wait there." And bear in mind, the potter's house was not a Starbuck's. It was a place of business where the potter had things to do, but given Jeremiah's status and role, the potter probably thought, "Here comes Jerry again; wonder what he and God are up to? But I can't stop to just chit chat; I've got things to do!" And what he did was what God wanted Jerry to see all that was involved in the process of making pots. (He was a good student and very observant). Jerry saw hard work! He noted that when a pot didn't turn out as he wanted, he would take that same clay and start over, and make a good pot. It was then that God texted (or called, Jerry would answer!) and asked, "Can't I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?" And then God stressed, "In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel. At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. Yet, if they will repent (turn away) of their wicked lives, He would think twice and get rid of them." God also said, "I may decide to plant a people or country, but if they don't cooperate and won't listen to me, I will think again and give up on the plans I had for them." The warning was then given to Jerry to share with the people of Israel: "Beware, God may shape doom against you, laying plans of destruction against you. Turn away from your doomed way of life. Straighten out your lives." Ouch.

It was another of God's many "Don't make me come down there/Don't make me stop the car and you will regret that!" message to the people of Israel; you know the ones who act like me and you. One day we are good (and we know it) and another day we're not (and we try to hide it because we know it!). God's love is constant as is our ignorance and willful ways of being bad. God's love will win out over us, but the sooner we realize the errors of our ways, the sooner we enjoy the blessings of being right with God. My invitation to you? Now is the perfect moment to make a decision with and for the Lord.

PRAYER: Awesome God, speak to me as I await Your word. Like Your prophet Jeremiah, I await Your word and help and I will respond. I want to be obedient to You and faithful. May that bless us in being fruitful. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a potter with your words in helping others be shaped by God.

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

Reconciliation Through Forgiveness

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1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7 I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother. 8 For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9 yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10 I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15 Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.(Philemon. Yep the whole book! NRSV)

A tremendous Tuesday be yours dear Friend! My prayers for a great and blessed day. As you pray, I would ask prayers for the brave souls from FUMC Gonzales who are joining Nellie and me on a tour of Greece tomorrow! We fly out from Austin to Frankfurt, then from there to Athens. We are nervous and excited! The exciting part for me are the sites where we will experience the places where Paul the Apostle made his defense of his faith in Christ Jesus and did his preaching. Pray for traveling mercies there and back. We shall return on the 14th. We are excited! (Next trip is next summer to Germany! Please let me know if you're interested in attending the every ten year Passion Play in Oberammegau, Germany! June 22-30, 2020)

Did you know you must read a whole book in the Bible? If you took the time to read or listen to the 21 verses of Philemon, you have read one complete book in the Holy Bible. Please pat yourself on the back and tell yourself what a good boy or girl you are! You may still not believe me, and that's quite natural since it has no chapters, just twenty-one verses. And yet, it is a very important epistle (letter) from Paul, already a prisoner and soon to be executed for his faith, and as he himself says, "an old man (v 9) (and something my letters and emails say more and more these days! Hey, you young people; don't laugh! It'll be here before you know it!).

The matter is a quite serious one. Philemon is a Christian, called by Paul "a brother, dear friend, and co-worker" in Jesus' ministry. And yet, he is a slave owner. Yes, gasp if you want to; it was a terrible practice at whatever point of history one finds it. And the issue that Paul wants to resolve is a runaway slave. The man was named Onesimus, and he was owned by Philemon. And it got to the point where one day Onesimus ran away and may have sought Paul because he knew of his heart and conviction for all things Jesus. Onesimus made his way to Paul's prison and served him there as a prayer partner and helper for the aging prisoner. Paul writes this letter informing Philemon that his slave is coming home, in hopes that he is no longer a slave but a "son" of the Apostle, and this letter pleads with Philemon to welcome him back not as a slave but now as a brother in Christ Jesus, and with the promise from Paul that he will pay him anything that he may still owe him. It's funny how Paul jabs gently, "I say nothing about your owing me even your own self." A jab between loving brothers is how I see it. And the closing that says, Philemon will "refresh" Paul's heart in Christ by doing the right thing with this runaway slave. Paul wants Philemon to forgive Onesimus so that reconciliation can take place.

We are not perfect people even though we bear the name of Christ as Christians; we are forgiven yet struggling daily with our sins, and yearning to be made more perfect today than yesterday with Christ's help. Our actions towards others can either refresh and renew others, or we can kill and destroy others. Our aim should be like Paul's, to bring reconciliation where it is needed and working to make more disciples. Christ goes with us and makes this possible!

PRAYER: Awesome God, bring to my heart the joy and boldness to work among all of Your people, especially those hurting and in need of healing. Make us workers of Christ, in Whose name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Make someone smile with your love today!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

paypal.com/eradiovalverde

Jesus First!

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25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. (Luke 14:25-33 NRSV)

A marvelous Monday to you and yours, dear Friend! Praying that your weekend was a great one! As we spend time in God's word and as we pray, please pray for those on your prayer list, those of your church's prayer list, and for these: Hannah Keck underwent a procedure and we pray her recovery continues well. She is the grandbaby of Bill and Willa Keck. Prayers for Mr. Sammie Gibson and his health needs. Prayers for Rev. Michael Dobbs who has some health challenges. Prayers for Rev. Bill Henderson and some foot problems; may he recover fully as he has some tennis games scheduled for this week! Prayers for the people of Midland-Odessa and the horrific act of murdering innocent people. At last count 5 were dead and some 21 wounded. Prayers for the members of First UMC in Marble Falls, whose children's ministry director was killed in a traffic accident this past week. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

Have you ever driven by what was to be a new home, but the overgrown grass and weeds gives it away as something not planned well. Even sadder, have you driven by an abandoned church?

Jesus spoke of an uncompleted home or tower as a reference to a person who does not consider the cost of discipleship and all that is involved in following Jesus. Those who do not, may soon find themselves walking away from Him. I will never forget that night at Lon Morris College, Dean Virgil Matthews, the pre-ministerial coordinator and Dean of Students, gathered the 30 or so men and women who felt a calling into ministry. In his always loving voice, he said, "Friends, take a look around you. There are about 30 or so of you. Only two, maybe three of you will become ministers." Gulp. It was like a cold glass of water thrown in my face. "This is getting real!" I said to myself. I vowed, with God's help, to be one of those two or three. Dean Matthews was a prophet. He spoke God's word to us and it came true. Jesus had said, "Many are called, few are chosen."

Jesus wants us to put Him first. Anyone or anything else takes away from the importance Jesus should have in our lives, and we end up the weaker for it. To believe and serve Jesus is a serious matter. It is full-time work and a full-time joy. Yes, it has its ups and downs, but is it so rewarding and fulfilling.

PRAYER: Loving Lord Jesus, guide my walk with You today and all days. I ask your blessings on the dear ones mentioned above, asking Your will be done. Bring healing and comfort to all. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be one to tell others of the joy of Jesus!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio

paypal.com/eradiovalverde