Our Father Gave Us Bread. Happy Thanksgiving!

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25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30 So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " 32 Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:25-35 NRSV)

May the Lord bless you, dear Friend and yours with a special time with all with whom you share this day, and may we all rejoice in giving back to God our thanks for all God has given us!

On our plates should be filled to the brim with our thanks. We are to lift them up to God as He deserves. For it was He who blessed us with what we have. I have a tiny, but sad, memory of a movie I saw as a child. My days as a child in Kingsville would find me in the Texas Theater every Saturday. It was not difficult to find 10¢ to pay the admission. It also didn't hurt that my grandmother was an employee of the lady who worked the box office. If she was on duty, I would get in gratis. The movie was, I believe, Spencer's Mountain, starring Henry Fonda. What I remember was a prayer he said before meal time, where he basically said, "I did everything; I put this meal on the table." Even as a child I realized how wrong that was.

Today is a day to hear Jesus say again, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from Heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes from heaven and gives life to the world." May we say today, and all days, "Sir, give us this bread always." And may we hear again and again, Jesus' voice saying, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Happy Thanksgiving!

PRAYER: Loving God, we gather together around this table, thankful for the true nourishment You lovingly, and without fail, provide for us. We are aware, loving Author of LIfe, that some of our chairs are now empty, but we rejoice they are in Your presence. Make strong our hearts to remember those missing, with fondness and love. We await our reunion with You and them. And, we are aware that some differences in opinion and view may have alienated some of us from each other, but we pray that we can forgive, and move on. Thank You for all still with us. Bless us to be a blessing. Thank You for the food and fellowship. May our hearts and spirits be nourished and strengthened. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed Thanksgiving Day with the Lord!

Receive Nellie's and my love for you all.

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Got a God-Guarded Heart?

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4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 NRSV)

Are you ready, Friend for tomorrow? Yes, thanks Pastor Eradio, for the added pressure! We've done the 6 am run to HEB to find the right-szied turkey. Sunday we tried Walmart and they only had a 19.1 lb bird. We usually buy a larger bird for all the family to enjoy and take home if they so desire.

The goal for tomorrow, and today, and all days; is to be joyful in the Lord; a thing Paul stresses twice. He then encourages us to show others that we are gentle persons. And what makes us want to be gentle? That the Lord is near. I share again, one of my classic stories told by my wife, when she taught a Sunday school class of small children. mostly kindergarten age kids. She had asked them to clean up the room as the session was almost over, and one of them happened to look out the second story window to the hallway and he yelled, "Jesus is coming! Let's get busy!" Nellie didn't know what he meant by that until she looked out herself and saw me. And she remembered that many of the kids called me Jesus.

Then Paul addresses a key thing that I mentioned above; tis the season to be stressed, and anxious. Paul says, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God." Jesus said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 28:11). He was addressing the worriers. Do you remember Jesus addressing worry and what little good it could do to a person? It is like Jesus, and it is, Jesus saying, "It will all be alright." Prayer keeps us in contact with Him as does our giving Him thanks in all things; and this brings us the peace of God. And that peace, which we really truly can understand, but it serves to guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

That's a foundational blessing that truly passes all understanding. Most of us have learned long ago, the best and only way to receive God's blessings, is to thank God and forget trying to make sense of what God has done. That is Thanksgiving!

PRAYER: Lord, we may truly step back to just say, "Thank You" for all you do. May the joy and spirit of Thanksgiving bless my life in such a positive way, that others will enjoy that blessing as well. This we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a Thanksgiver today, and in every way!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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Make a List, Remember, and Give Thanks!

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1 "When you come into the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, and have taken possession of it, and live in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the LORD your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place which the LORD your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3 And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, 'I declare this day to the LORD your God that I have come into the land which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.' 4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 "And you shall make response before the LORD your God, 'A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7 Then we cried to the LORD the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression; 8 and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O LORD, hast given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God; 11 and you shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you. (Deuteronomy 26:1-11 RSV)

Gratitude is always on my mind and heart for all the miles I have traveled in my life and ministry. I am so very blessed. And the journey has always kept me blessed even through the good and the not so good. God blessed me with a good family, good educational opportunities, a wonderful wife, some wonderful children, awesome sons-in-law, some awesome and very loving grandkids and on and on we go. Nellie and I have been blessed to have been a part of some great churches with great people. That's just part of a list that I am compiling among the blessings for which I am thankful. We have been sojourners for many a time; meeting in Mission, TX, and living in many towns and cities of this great state. We have entered places as complete strangers, and later left as dear family members to many of the church families with which we served. During our whole sojourn, we have prayed and had all the prayers answered. And the passage for today was a compilation of Israel's many answered prayers, and the manner in which God was to be thanked. The liturgy called for a symbolic gift to the Lord by the priest, and this was followed by worship and rejoicing. Does this happen in your Thanksgiving setting? And the passage says this celebration should be done with all who are present, including "The Levite and the sojourner among you."

Dear Friend, plan to take advantage of this coming Thursday as a full worship celebration for all that God has done for you and the blessings you have received. Truly make it a day of returning to God what He deserves, our thanks and praise.

PRAYER: God of good gifts and answered prayers, prepare my heart for the coming days that You may be central to our worship and celebration. Make me mindful of all in my midst, especially those who may not be longtime residents of our towns or cities. May I be the answer to someone else's prayers. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

As we pray today, please pray for those who awaken in pain. A dear friend of ours awoke at 2:29 am in severe pain and my devotional arrived in time to bless her. Pray for all and others like her, who awaken to pain. Pray for Laurel Bradford who had second surgery in a few weeks in San Angelo. May she heal in comfort. Prayers for her husband, The Rev. Scott Bradford. I've also heard from some whose fur babies are seriously ill. Some have to make serious decisions about next steps and none of them are easy. May God bless them.

Have a great and blessed day in te Lord! Be an answer today!

Blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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Get Ready to Give Thanks!

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1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100 NRSV).

A most joyous of Mondays to you! Some schools are already on Thanksgiving break, and plans are being made now for trips from here to there, and from there to here. I pray the blessings and traveling mercies of the Lord be with you all. May these days with loved ones, family, and friends be a blessing to God and to you all.

I give thanks for you who read this devotional faithfully. This is the only pulpit I have access to, and I love to share these devotional thoughts with you in hopes they bless you and strengthen your walk with Jesus. Nellie and I love you and thank God for you. I hope you will make a list of all for which you are thankful and on that day (really, all days!) give God thanks for those people and things. Read both versions of this special Thanksgiving Psalm and see how the psalmist thought it was important to give thanks.

Here is the Psalm for this coming Thursday in the modern paraphrase of The Message Bible.

1 On your feet now - applaud God! 2 Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. 3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep. 4 Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

The modern version lists this as the way: Applaud God as one way of giving thanks. Bringing a gift of laughter, and the gift of a song. Sing in such a way that the music and the message take you from the usual realm into the presence of God. And he reminds us: God is God, and God, God. God made you and me - never forget that! We are God's people; we are well-tended sheep of God's flock. To enter God's presence we now know the password, which is "Thank You!" We should feel at home in God's presence; the topic of conversation should be how to praise God. And again, thank Him. Then, worship Him. For our God is "sheer beauty, all-generous in love. God is loving always and forever.

PRAYER: Thank You, Heavenly Father. We have much for which we should thank You. May the list we have received from Your word bless and prepare us for Giving Thanks. In Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a person of gratitude today!

Blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Strong is Our God!

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1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Selah) 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Selah) 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Selah). (Psalm 46 NRSV)

A happy and tremendous Thursday be yours dear Friend and yours, is my prayer. I pray the pace and peace of the Lord be with you as we enter a very hectic and busy time of year as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you're traveling soon, please be safe.

What's your favorite faith-boosting hymn? You know the one where when you hear it the hairs on the back of the neck let you know that this is what you needed to hear. Well, if you think about it, most of the psalms were hymns, and this one would have been the favorite of many a citizen of Israel. Hear the words and imagine how you would have felt to hear the words sung, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." That would have been enough, but listen to the next verse, "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult." Wow, you would have thought, the hymn writer knows the kind of week I've had and what I needed to hear, and it has blessed me!

The language the psalmist wrote is figurative of both good and bad. A changing earth, shaking mountains in the sea that make waters roar and foam; these are the unexpected scary things. Then the psaimist says there is a "river whose streams make glad the city of God," the good things, the power and strength of God's Spirit flowing among His people; and God is in the midst of the city, which means the people of God. That city cannot be moved, and God will help the city when the morning dawns. We move towards the promises that bless us: God is with us; the God of the living is with us, and can make all things good. The presence of wars could be done with God removing the weapons of war, and the chorus "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth," and "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

This morning we started our day with hymns from YouTube. Hymns from long ago, and images of sainted friends and family came to our minds and hearts and made both of us weep. The theme was that God is faithful and that God is with us. We knew and celebrated that Strong is our God!

Dear one, if your "city" has shaking mountains and roaring seas, sing affirmations of faith in your life today and on worship days. Listen to what others have written in response to their faith in hopes of praising God and blessing you. Don't suffer alone!

PRAYER: Loving Father, speak to the needs and fears of Your city; may this dear reader's concerns be lifted up to You as they sing and affirm Your goodness. You, loving God, are strong. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Sing to praise God and to lift your spirits today!

Blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valvere

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The Shepherd King!

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1 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord 5 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness." (Jeremiah 23: 1-6 NRSV)

Scattered sheep are sheep who are in danger. The real shepherds know that keeping the sheep in a flock is the best way to protect them. A child lost in a shopping mall or a lone child near a river or a cliff overlooking the ocean, is a child in danger. One can begin to see why the prophet has been told by God to warn those who destroy and scatter sheep. Is God only speaking to the leaders of the people, or is God speaking to all who are responsible for others? Could God be speaking to parents, pastors, Sunday school teachers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and others, who may have abused or mishandled their authority towards the young? We cannot dispute the reality that we have in caring for our young, in a wise and loving manner. Our hearts should direct their hearts towards God and all the ideals and solid principles we find in our scriptures. We, in our own way, are called to be shepherds for the Lord, and this passage outlines what is expected of us; free of fear and dismay, ever faithful and ever serving the Lord and His flock.

Then we see that the prophet was told to announce the coming true king. A Shepherd King who will reign wisely and guided by justice and righteousness; who will provide for the kingdom to live in safety. And His name is "The Lord is our righteousness."

What an honor you and I enjoy in having Jesus as our King. What a tremendous responsibility we have to live as His shepherds over those God has blessed us with. May we never fail God, for God never fails us!

PRAYER: Strengthen us dear Father, for the responsibilities You have entrusted to us. May we never fail You is our prayer. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live as a shepherd who loves and cares for others.

Blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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Reconciler; Through His Blood

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11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:11-20 NRSV)

I hear the voice of Sir Anthony Hopkins as I read the words of St. Paul, as Sir Hopkins played Paul in a movie of the 1980s called Peter and Paul. It was a great movie and if you ever run across it then you can enjoy a wonderful movie with the wonderful voice of this great actor. Do not remember him in the Silence of the Lambs! That'll ruin his wonderful voice in this powerful passage.

In this passage, Paul writes to readers needing encouragement. He begins with a prayer asking God's strength be made real to those reading or hearing the letter; and this precious power from God Himself, and on top of this a generous portion of patience to help them endure all things, as well as a dose of thankfulness. This because God has done all things that blessed them up to this point, and made them heirs along with the saints of light. God's rescue had been theirs out of the darkness of yesterday and into the Kingdom of Jesus today. Jesus is our Redeemer, who has forgiven us of our sins. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. In Jesus, all things in Heaven and earth were created. These things are visible and invisible, including thrones and dominions and rulers, and powers; all things were created through Jesus and for Him. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation, and the head of the Church. He is the beginning, risen from the dead, so that He might have come to have first place in all things. Jesus is King. He reconciled all things, in both places of heaven and earth; for His Blood has brought peace.

Jesus is a king we can believe in, for he puts us first before Himself. He values life and love, and shares both so that we can continue that legacy with all. Prepare Him room!

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Jesus our King. Make us loyal subjects and servants; ready to work for You in all things and all ways. This we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Help others to make room in their hearts for King Jesus!

Blessings of Love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

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Make a Joyful Noise!

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1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. 2 The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. 8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy 9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98 NRSV)

What kind of joyful noises do you make, dear Friend? I mean, do you whistle? Do you hum? Do you sing? Do you tap your toes? Stomp your feet? Slap your legs? The psalmist played a number of musical instruments and so as he praised God he was ready and used them all. I know a little music from my time in band, only treble cleft and I couldn't name the notes now if my life depended on it, but I can whistle and just now was whistling after having watched episode two of Ken Burns' Country Music on PBS (We recorded it and as time permits we watch it). As we read today's passage, we are aware of the responses that may come naturally for some while others may find it necessary to prod it out of themselves and still others who hide any musical response because of fear they may not sound good, etc. David is affirming what he loved to stress; God has done marvelous things and for that we should sing, hum, stomp, whatever, to make known our thankfulness to Him. And since most of the psalms were meant to be sung as hymns, David's favorite form of praise was making joyful noises with the musical instruments he had mastered.

In these hymns, David inserted the theological thoughts he wanted to convey. And what a list that is! God has done marvelous things. God has won many a victory, even to the point of vindication in the sight of other nations. God has remembered His steadfast love and faithfulness to the people of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. This merits our praise and worship; and nature will follow our example. The sea will roar, as will what fills the oceans. The floods will clap their hands, and the hills will sing together for joy at the sight and presence of the Lord; for He is coming to judge the earth with His righteousness and equity.

Someone once said, "When you sing, you pray twice." And some believe it was Saint Augustine that said it, but research on the Internet show most folks are skeptical that he said it or even wrote it. Yet, the sentiment for many holds true, that a heartfelt song goes as an extra offering, so a song equals two prayers. How about you? Is your praise music from your heart making its way to Heaven? Or, are you letting the distractions of this life silence your joy? Sister, Brother, let nothing stop your praise! Sing and sing loudly! We have a God that never quits who deserves our praise!

PRAYER: Loving God, hear my heart and hear my joy. You deserve all that I can possibly lift up in honor and praise to You. Help me to make a joyful noise wherever and whenever. I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Seriously, make a joyful noise!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

As we pray, please pray for Evelyn Clark's daughter, Vicki, whose biopsy found Stage 1 breast cancer; also Bob, her husband was back in ER with an allergic reaction. Also, Mr. Pal Lester is recovering from hip replacement surgery that he received yesterday in Gonzales. And why do we pray? Because God answers prayers! The Rev. Ellen Ely, of FUMC Marble Falls reported today that all spots and scares of a return of her cancer were gone and doctors at MD Anderson postponed further tests because she was all clear! We thank God for those news and we rejoice in our sister's recovery. Pray for one another and pray for yourselves.

God Never Quits!

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17 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord— and their descendants as well. 24 Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. (Isaiah 65:17-25 NRSV)

Have you ever noticed, that in our scriptures, God never quits? Many religions and some individuals believe in a God who created, then stepped back and let creation wind down like a clock; Not so our God! Our God never quits! His messages are always about the present, in the moment, and in the time yet to come. Don't you love how this passage reads, dear Friend? "For I am about to create..." Okay, our Texas Bible might have read, "I'm fixin' to..." but we would have known just what God meant! The Creator is still creating, and in the last days, will create yet again. "New heavens and a new earth." That's good news! The reality is that "the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind." And that does include all the bad and stupid things we may have done; gone and forgotten. God addresses all the past and present tribulations and worries. Weeping is to be gone one day. As will the cries of distress. Even infant mortality will be gone, as will the days when the old people do not live out their lifetimes. And even the 100 year olds who die, will be considered youth. God promises that construction, which is always a sure sign of life, will continue of new homes, new harvests from vineyards; for the days of new construction of homes that the builders would never inhabit are over, as are the days of hard-worked harvests eaten by others, for the days of labor in vain are over. And as the above picture shows, the peaceable kingdom is coming, where wolf and lamb shall feed together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the serpent shall continue but eating dust, never again to harm or destroy anyone. These are all words of promise from the Lord.

The signs should say that the earth is still under construction as are we; but the newness of all things, including ourselves, will depend on our faith and our trust in God. Years ago the bumper stickers said "Please be patient with me, God isn't finished with me yet!" Indeed.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for being a God who never quits! Thank You for never giving up on us either! I pray that we might be worthy of the new creation by allowing Your work in us to continue. We await the new creation in us. We pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live like a new creation; share a word of God's continuing work in others today!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Are You an Example Worth Imitating?

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6 Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 8 and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. 9 This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 11 For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday dear Friend! Praying this finds you well and enjoying God's blessings. I pray the cold weather did not affect you in any way. And I hope you found ways to help those not as fortunate as us.

What kind of work ethic do you have? Not just towards your salary-providing activity, but towards all things? Are you a work-aholic? Or, a with-what-little-I-can-get-away-with kinda person? In this letter, Paul is addressing the practical problems he had seen and heard about; what we can call unemployed saints, or under-employed saints. Paul is shaking his head about those so-called believers who lived in idleness. The example Paul shared was that of a hard-working evangelist and a tent-maker! He always found ways to support his work and the work of the Lord by staying busy in all things, even the side hustle of making tents. And as the worked, his desire would be to have a positive impact on those who watched him and his dedication to all things. He paid for all he received either wih money or labor. And in this passage we find the oft-quoted verse, "Anyone unwilling to work should not eat." A verse used and abused for gain; the basis is that one should contribute to the wellbeing of all, especially doing their own part in getting personal provision. It can be easily taken out of context and it usually does, but Paul meant it as part of the next verse, "For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work." The recommendation was for them to do their work seeking not attention, but earning their living, and the closing, which sounds a bit better in today's photo above, "Never tire of doing what is good." Amen.

PRAYER: Lord, in a few days we will pause and do what we should do every day, and that is to count our blessings and thank You for them. You have shared much with us, and we pray that we might be driven to share more and do more, for You and for Yours. Forgive me the times I have not done as You would have liked, and grant me new opportunities to serve. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be an example worth imitating today and all days!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Stay with It!

Photograph by Eradio Valverde at the Temple, Jerusalem

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5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” 7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” 8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life. (Luke 21:5-19 NRSV)

CORRECTION! Dear friends, the old man has failing eyesight and no concept of days! Christ the King Sunday is not this coming Sunday but the Sunday after this one. I apologize, but you have an advance edition of Monday-next. At no charge! Here this is the correct passage for this coming Sunday. My thanks to Jody Bagley, the choir director at one of my former churches, who caught the error. Happens to those not actively running a church!

Good day dear Friend! I pray God's blessings are upon you and that you are staying warm as we welcome this cold front. I confess this is being written on Monday night and it's 39 degrees here in Seguin. Nellie and I went to San Marcos to shop at Sam's Club and I checked my weather app on my phone and it said we were fine going in short sleeves and shorts. We shopped at Sam's, and had lunch. Then home to HEB and by the time we came out, it was raining and the breeze was freezing! And it was only 1:30 or so! Please stay warm. Prayers please for our brother from Gonzales, Mr. Bob Clark who is hospitalized with some cardiac concerns, but his wife Evelyn reports he may go home tomorrow. Please keep Evelyn's daughter, Vicki in your prayers as she undergoes a biopsy tomorrow. Pray for her results and for her healing. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

The photograph is one I took back in April, 2018, at the Temple in Jerusalem. Those are precisely the stones mentioned by Jesus when He said, "the time will come when not one stone willl be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down." It was an emotional moment for me as Dr. Jack Beck explained the passage and the fulfillment that came when the Temple was destroyed again. Compare it to someone who is touring the United States Capitol and someone would say the day is coming when the stones that made up the capitol would be destroyed and not one stone would be left upon another. It was not what the disciples expected to hear, and it made them quite nervous. "When will this be?" they asked. Jesus answers that there is not a definitive answer; rumors and hearsay will be what you hear, and news since that time have included "nation rising against nation; kingdom against kingdom, earthquakes, famines and pestilences, fierce events and great signs from Heaven." And Jesus warns, "But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you." Arrests of believers would occur, and believers would be handed over to synagogues, some would be imprisoned, some brought before kings and governors - all because of Jesus' name.

The day of sightseeing ends with news that would ruin anyone's day, but Jesus speaks about their need to stay strong and in faith. Jesus would stand with them and provide the defense; the words and wisdom needed for those days, Jesus would provide. Yes, Jesus says, you will be betrayed by your own parents, your own brothers and sisters, and some would even be put to death. Jesus even adds, "Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life."

Yesterday I preached about the Sadducees and the sad viewpoint on life and life beyond life they had. Sadder still are those real.life contemporary Sadducees who still walk among us, hoping they will be good enough to live on in the minds and hearts of those that live on after they die. We believe differently. We believe in what Jesus said, even in this passage; that God is a God of the living, not of the dead; and all who believe in Him will not die, but have eternal life. So, as we live our life we do as the title of today's devotional says, "Stick With It!" And life will be ours, forever and ever.

PRAYER: Loving God, as I walk among modern Sadducees and Pharisees, please count me among the faithful. Grant me stronger faith to see beyond the here and now, to the truth of life that never ends. Bless those who are worried due to illness and sickness, and lift them to life. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Walk and talk as a believer today!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The latest episode of my podcast is ready! The newest edition is called Handmade Gods and you can listen to it at www.pimplesandwrinkles.org under Media section, or on the Facebook page of Pimples and Wrinkles. May it bless you!

Christ is the King!

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33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:33-43 NRSV)

One may not normally assign forgiveness as a trait for a king. In the stories our daughters heard and read, the king was usually an evil person. I will never forget one summer we were at annual conference at Southwestern University in Gerogetown, Texas. This was a session of the Rio Grande Conference, and the choir of La Trinidad UMC of San Antonio was singing at the opening worship service. They were singing in English, "The King is Coming." My little daughter's ears perked up and she loudly said to my Dad who was holding her, "Oh my God, Grandpa, get me out of here! The king is coming!" People around her chuckled but Nellie and I understood why our Nellie was scared. The king in most of her stories was an evil man, with forgiveness as a missing trait in his life. Yet, here we hear our King, Jesus, on the cross, painfully attached to the tree that would claim his life saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Honestly, most of us would have to confess that given all that Jesus endured, forgiveness may not have been in our nature either. Jesus' clothing was being dividing up by the soldiers and the rulers, those near Jesus sneered at Him. They mockingly said, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is God's Messiah, the Chosen One." Jesus was thirsty, but He was given wine vinegar by the soldiers, and even more bitter, the taunts, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." And even a sign was provided for the area above His head that read, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. A sign that goes back to the time of Samuel when God warned Israel about wanting a king. God outlined all the negative things that the king would do against the people; taxes, conscription of young men and women into service of the nation, eminent domain, and on and on. The roll call of all of Israel's kings includes three, maybe one or two more, that we can truly say were good kings of the Jews.

At this point Jesus hears from one of the two criminals who asks Jesus to save Himself and them from the coming death. The other criminal rebuked the other by saying, "Don't you fear God? We're under the same sentence of death and we deserve it. But this man does not deserve to die in this way, for He has done nothing wrong. Then, turning to Jesus, he says, "Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom." A statement of profound faith, and quite a request that Jesus answers by saying, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Jesus is your king. Jesus is my king. Jesus is the King of Kings; one not limited to just the Jews; Jesus is the King of the Universe, and in the way He offered life to the condemned criminal, He offers it to us. What better gifts could a king give? Jesus, our King offers us life. This coming Sunday, most Christian churches will proclaim in worship, that Jesus is King as Sunday is, in the Lectionary, Christ the King Sunday. But instead of just being a one Sunday deal, where we say, "Christ is the King," we should view it seriously, as a way to live. We have a King and we are His subjects and His teachings as found in scripture teach us how to live, how to love, how to interact with one another, and how to be the people that our King would have us be. At least imagine the less political fights and arguments we'd have if we acknowledge that Christ's Kingdom matters more than any early Realm or Reign. Christ as King leads us to paradise.

PRAYER: Loving King, we humble ourselves as Your subjects. As we pray in the prayer You taught us, "Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory." Make that more real for us in our hearts and minds. Guide us to glorify You in every aspect of our lives. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day n the Lord! Be a loyal subject of King Jesus today!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde Our sincere thanks to our veterans who read ConCafe! Thank you all for your service. May you be blessed this day and all days!

God is Good!

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1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. 11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, 12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. 14 The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever. (Psalm 145 NRSV)

In some of his psalms, you can almost tell that David is feeling good. This is one of those psalms. It's as if David jumped out of bed with a huge smile, enjoyed his shower, and ate the greatest breakfast he ever had! And he went straight to his office, turned on his laptop and tapped out the words of this psalm. David was filled with joy and the word of choice that he uses over and over, is blessed. Have you ever had one of those days? Today? Never? Come on now! David's heart set his mind to Praise and the spirit did the rest. If we could just say to ourselves the moment our eyes opened in the morning, "God is good!" I believe the rest would fall into place. Now, I do realize there are some days when you're reluctant to face all that is before you, but even in the midst of challenges and trouble; God is always good, even when we're not, or the day is not so good either. Remember, David had good days and bad days. He saw all that life has to offer, good and bad, and he was hit in all areas; he saw love in his spouses, love outside of his marriage; lost loved ones. He won major military and political victories; he saw his reign as king challenged even from his own household. Through all he suffered and endured, he declares, God is good.

To say God is good is a form of worship and praise. As you say it, you're saying it to God. God is listening and being blessed by our ability and our willingness to say God is good. The psalmist said more than those words of "God is good", he said that in God we find all that we need. He is a faithful God, a gracious God, an upholding God, a God who raises up, and a God who provides all that we need.

Dear one, listen to the closing words of this soothing psalm: "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear Him; He also hears their cry, and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever."

Hear again: God is near to all who call on Him, but who call on Him in truth (Don't lie to God - you can't!). If you fear God, God will fulfill your desires and hear your cries, and God will save you. That part of the wicked, well, unless you're wicked and happy with that, it doesn't pertain to you, but I caution us to stay away from the side of wickedness. Use your strength to bless and praise God.

PRAYER: God be glorified in my life. Let the words of this psalm inspire me to live with a heart, mind, and spirit that says in all ways and in all days; God is good. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Tell someone today that God is good!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

I Know My Redeemer Lives!

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23 "O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book! 24 O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever! 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; 26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see on my side, (Job 19:23-27a NRSV)

When a child connects in his or her mind that there is something or someone out there, greater, stronger, wiser, and more loving, that's a precious and powerful moment. One of our nephews when he was just about 5 or 6 years old, called me to ask me for five Bibles. I asked him why he needed so many, and he said he needed God's power in his room to keep him from being afraid at night. When I met with him I gave him only one Bible along with a talk and a prayer. It made him calmer and allowed him to sleep in a more peaceful way. I also said he should read the Bible as best he could and weeks later when I saw him again, I asked how he's reading was going. "I read up to the book called Job. I couldn't understand it. I don't know if he needed a job or hated his job, but that's as far as I have gotten!" Indeed, Job, the man for today.

Job's problems arose because he was too connected to God. Job knew God and loved and trusted Him. He knew that all he had, had come from God; and when he lost all things, he knew that God was aware of it as well. Job is known as the man of great patience because of what he endured. Even with his wife's frantic advice to curse God and die, he didn't give in and held firm to his faith.

It is in today's passage that he exclaims out loud that what he has been saying should be written down; for he holds on to hope and believes that his words would one day bless those who have suffered or struggled in like manner. And even in the midst of loss and pain, Job stresses, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destoryed, then in my flesh I shall see God, who I shall see on my side." (vvs 25-27a).

Dear Friend, read those words as if you had yourself written them. You're writing as if you have reached the point where you can point away from the pain and loss, and affirm what Job affirms. Make it your Affirmation of Faith for your right now and for the days and years ahead. God's got this!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, lift us beyond the pain and loss that we may have experienced. Help us declare Job's words as ours; You live, and You live as our Redeemer, He who takes our place when it gets almost impossible to move forward. And we long for the day when we shall see You face-to-face! In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Shine a ray of hope into someone's day!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Lord Will Come Again...

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1 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? 13 But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 NRSV)

May this find you enjoying a great day, dear Friend! May the blessing of the Lord be rich and wonderful in your life is my prayer. As we pray, please celebrate the arrival of baby Adena Walden, born last night close to 8 p.m. to Ioana Walden and her Daddy, The Rev. Clay Walden. She weighed in at 7 lb 4 oz. We celebrate her arrival! Thank you to all who prayed for her arrival! On the flip side, The Rev. Ellen Ely, senior pastor at Marble Falls UMC, and colleague of Rev. Walden, tonight announced on Facebook that her cancer may have returned. We ask prayers for Ellen's healing and peace. Please keep Wade, her husband, in prayers too. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

One can only imagine the urgency that a face-to-face encounter with the Risen Lord would place on your heart and life, as it did the Apostle Paul. In his earliest writings, you can read the sense of joy and expectancy about Jesus coming again soon. And for years he preached and wrote with that excitement even in the face of strong persecution against him and other believers. The persecution raged on to the point where many believers began to lose loved ones and ask, "Where is Jesus and what's taking so long?" This passage is part of his response to those growing impatient and fearful, and also to us. What was happening to Paul's crowd was that false teachers and preachers began to spout things to, in their opinion, calm nerves and give hope, however false those things were. Paul boldly responds with his words in this letter. Hear his hope. Don't be quickly shaken or alarmed; for there is much to happen according to the biblical prophecy. God would send Jesus to the earth to gather all who believe in Him!

Paul also reminds them that through their faith they are being molded and shaped in the process called "sanctification." Our theology says that God operates in this way: Prevenient Grace comes when we are in the searching phase, seeking to know God. All that God shared while we are there is helping us come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. When we decide to accept God's invitation and make the confession of our sins and surrender our hearts to God, that is Justifying Grace. And from that instant of acceptance, we begin the final and ever-shaping process of becoming just the people God wants us to be. That is Sanctifying Grace. As the name implies, it is a holy process, as the root word sanctus makes up the word sanctification. Paul's instructions to the believers, and to us, "Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word or mouth or by our letter." The urgency is still there as Paul encourages the work to continue, for this would comfort and strengthen their hearts.

We affirmed in worship before our Communion sacrament, that Christ will come again. I believe that, and until He returns for you and me, we have a lot to do. Onward and upward. Marching, loving, helping, and bringing others to faith. As Paul closed his letters, Maranantha, Come, Lord Jesus!*

PRAYER: Eternal God, come now into my heart again, and again. Make my heart stronger and bolder for You. I pray that when the challenges of today seem more than I can face, remind me that You are coming again. And when that happens we will see things like we've never seen before. Until then, keep us in love with You and with each other. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

* Maranatha is an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming” or “come, O Lord.” The early church faced much persecution, and life for a Christian under Roman rule was not easy. The Romans required everyone to declare that Caesar was god. The early Christians knew that there is only one God and one Lord—Jesus Christ—and in all good conscience they could not call Caesar “Lord,” so the Romans looked upon them as traitors, persecuted them, and put them to death. Living under those adverse conditions, the believers’ morale was lifted by the hope of the coming of the Lord. “Maranatha!” became the common greeting of the oppressed believers, replacing the Jewish greeting shalom (“peace”). The followers of Jesus knew there would be no peace because Jesus had told them so (Matthew 10:34; Luke 12:51). But they also knew the Lord would be returning to set up His kingdom, and from that truth they drew great comfort. They were constantly reminding and being reminded that the Lord is coming (Luke 21:28; Revelation 22:12). Jesus taught several parables on this same theme of watching and waiting and being prepared for His return (Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 12:35-40).

To Be or Not To Be (In the End...)

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27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28 and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30 then the second 31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her." 34 Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."(Luke 20:27-38 NRSV)

Jesus' ministry was a difficult one. The religious leaders of His day and of His Father's House, were all out to trap him and silence Him. Jesus knew this and still loved them. As a prominent minister once told a group of us who thought because he had a large church that everyone loved him, he said his biggest detractors sat on the front row Sunday after Sunday looking for things they could use against him. His prayer every Sunday, he said, was "Lord, give me a heart to love these people." A prayer that i have used more than once; and since you know it now, you may use more than once too.

The two biggest groups within the Temple were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The latter ran the church because they held the leadership positions since the time of King David. The former were almost as bad, but at least taught some things that Jesus believed. The hangup for the Sadducees was they did not believe in another realm nor in a resurrection. So, on this occasion they seek to trap Jesus on their pet peeve, resurrection and Heaven. So, they had a plan which they had worked on for hours I bet. "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother." They had worked out that this was a family of seven brothers, with a common death thread; the first through seven died, and all had taken the first wife of the first brother, and none left a child for the other. Therefore, Teacher, "whose wife will the woman be?" Ouch. In truth, this was a good question for discussion; if you didn't believe in resurrection. Jesus then explains, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage." Jesus explains the question poses an earthly question and cannot be answered because it is from another realm; the realm the Sadducees do not believe in, and the answer might not be one they could understand. The children of the resurrection have entered a spiritual realm and the concerns of the spiritual world are not the concerns of the earthly world. The concerns of Heaven are on a level we, who are still on earth cannot begin to understand.

The images and language of Jesus address the limited vision of the afterlife by this sect of Judaism. Sadly, while the sect died out after the destruction of the Temple, the ideas about a limited afterlife live on in many people, not only Jews. I served a semester internship for a religion class at Southwestern at the Taylor, Texas, Community Center, where I served with two Master of Social Work students, one of whom was of the Jewish faith. She clearly said the only way anyone lived on, in her opinion, was in the memory of loved ones. Once everyone who knew you died, you were dead too. A very limited viewpoint, one with no hope.

Jesus is the Lord of Resurrection. When He spoke, he spoke truth. He knew that God when He revealed Himself to Moses spoke of those who still lived, but in Heaven, when He said He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Jesus declared, "Now He is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to Him all of them are alive." That's hope. That's truth. That's another passage written for us to encourage us, especially in the midst of troubling news and comments by those who don't believe as we do. It is His word of "Don't doubt, my child; I am with you - keep going!"

PRAYER: Loving God, we ask that this word bless all hearts who read and accept the words of Your Son, Jesus. May His hope be our hope, and may we share that hope with others today and all days; in Jesus Christ's powerful name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a person of blazing hope today!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

It's the Size of Faith in You That Matters!

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137 You are righteous, O Lord, and your judgments are right. 138 You have appointed your decrees in righteousness and in all faithfulness. 139 My zeal consumes me because my foes forget your words. 140 Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.141 I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. 142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is the truth. 143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me, but your commandments are my delight. 144 Your decrees are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. (Psalm 119: 137-144 NRSV)

The Lectionary has a way of bringing scripture full circle and in this case, the gospel lesson of Zacchaesus comes back to this psalm where the psalmist writes in verse 141, "I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts." That verse written so many years before the Lord visited Jericho and the tree where the small man climbed to see Jesus and that entire story is fulfilled in this one verse.

In my Confirmation Bible that I received in 1961, I remember underlining Ecclesiastes12:1, "1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;" never realizing in that day that one day those years would have been long gone. I know that youth and smallness are not always related, but it does speak to the feelings one can have either as a youth or a small child. We may think like the psalmist, that we are small and despised, but the "precepts" of God speak another word; we matter to God.

The story of David and Goliath, Zacchaeus and Jesus, the unnamed girl and Naaman, all tell the story of the huge faith in their small bodies. When given a chance they were able to show just how strong and big the faith was and what they were capable of. And so it is with you and me. When given a chance, and sometimes those "chances" look like problems or worries or obstacles, let the faith be bigger than the fight it appears to be, in order to allow God to bless you and me right through it. Yes, we are children of God and God will be glorified in us.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, shine in and through me, especially when everything around me seems dark and scary. Guide me to bless You and Yours. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Dear one, have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a giant of faith especially around those whom you think think you're small in faith!

Blessings of love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde