A Fresh Start!

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Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/3dcRM1O

17 Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! 18 All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. 19 God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19 The Message)

Happy Thursday! May this be a day lined with silver linings for you, dear Friend! As we gather to study God's word, we devote time to prayer and as we pray this morning I ask prayers for the mother of a dear friend. Her name is Beth Alm and she is Randy Leifeste's mom. She fell yesterday morning and broke her femur up high towards her hip. She might be having surgery sometime this morning. She has been in a lot of pain, so pray for her comfort and for a victory in this surgery. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

As we have spent this week discussing the life of John Wesley, I thought out of fairness, we would look at the life and ministry of a Roman Catholic priest who blessed me with his sermons some years ago as he preached on EWTN, the Catholic channel. His name is John Corapi. He preached on a regular basis and was a powerful preacher with a powerful testimony of how the Lord reached him when he was at his lowest. From that sermon I gathered that while not yet a priest, he was a very successful businessman and made and lost several fortunes. Sadly, he developed an addiction for drugs and that helped him lose the money he had made and soon he found himself living on the streets of Los Angeles. It was during this time that his mother sent him a Hail Mary card and asked him to pray that prayer daily. He eventually did, and soon found the courage to make his way home. "If your mother won't take you back, no one will," he said in his televised testimony. While there he stayed in his room until the day he told his mother he felt the need to confess his sins. "Now, I don't want to go to any old church, I want to go to a significant cathedral," and she took him to the national cathedral in Washington, DC. He arrived just as a retired priest was sitting in a rocking chair outside the rectory. He told the priest he needed to make his confession and the priest said he could hear it. He was led inside the church and Corapi joked that he felt surely the old man would die from what he would hear in his confession. He had not confessed for many years, and had led such a wicked life during those years, that he knew anyone who heard the confession would surely suffer a heart attack. Corapi, and he has since left the church, so I cannot address him as Father or Reverend; said that as he heard the words of forgiveness he heard on the marble floors of that basilica the sound of metal chains fall on it making a loud racket. When he finished his prayer, he told the old priest that he thought now he was being called into the priesthood. "That almost killed that sweet man!" Corapi shared. He went and received his education and ended up in Rome where he was ordained by Pope John Paul II in 1991. He said Mother Teresa was there and stood behind him while he was ordained. As he prayed and recalled his conversion, he said he came to know that God's name is Mercy and added, "It boggles the mind how far God can bring the soul, but that's the great goodness of God."

I love the Message version and the way it shares what we've read before as "17 Therefore if anyone be in Christ, they are a new creature; old things are passed away;" This version says, "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from God who settled the relationship between us and Him, and then called us to settle our relationships with others." Mr. Corapi came to know the new life in Christ, and he served the Lord faithfully for many years. Sadly, I have to add that several things happened in his life and he now finds himself inactive from ministry, but still speaks and writes for the Lord. As I re-heard his testimony I found a detailed account of defense from some of those who believe that Corapi was falsely accused and booted from the church. Many were the people whose lives he saved and helped transform through the Lord. I still believe that he is faithful to God. As we all know, there is no one perfect in this life except Jesus.

What we should learn is this; Jesus offers us second, third and millions of chances if we want. The story of the Prodigal Son was a story of new beginnings and new life. The loving father in that story is God, and you and I are at one time, or another, the prodigal son/daughter. If we want to get back into the family we just have to ask. And, just like the story, God lovingly welcomes us back into the fold.

Dear one, no need to stay living in a place where you know you don't belong. Step out of that dead-end place and step into life! Read the graphic again: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ; He or She is a new creation." Hear that? Brand spanking new creation! "The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new." I don't know about you, but I tire of smelling stale, and desire the fresh smell of the new in Christ Jesus that He has offered to me. And it comes just by asking and believing.

PRAYER: Loving God, in Christ Jesus we believe we are made new. We pray for those who have not yet decided to ask for themselves that which they need. Please bless them and allow us to be a blessing to them as well. Make new in us that which has grown old and stale, and restore the newness of faith and hope. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a blessing of newness with your witness to someone today.

Receive my blessings of love and compassion,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

PS. Hear my new podcast here on Living in Love! https://soundcloud.com/evalverde/live-in-love

Hope & Peace Are Ours for the Asking!

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Hear the Devotional Read Here: http://bit.ly/2nnDZRj

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday, dear Friend! I pray this finds you well and enjoying the blessings of the Lord.

I was a safety patrol guard in fifth and sixth grade at Flato Elementary School in Kingsville, Texas. I had grown up watching a lot of war movies and war TV shows and on rainy days as I walked around in a yellow raincoat I imagined I was a naval officer on a stormy sea on a warship. And, to make things interesting, I was not really a fan of deep water. I married a woman who began to say she wanted to go on a cruise. When we lived in Corpus Christi, we started a tradition of driving onto Port Aransas and on the free ferry and on one of those occasions I said, "Babe, that was your cruise." She was not happy. Finally, one year I had to work during our Anniversary Day and I told her, "Honey, I owe you big time; whatever you want I will give it to you." Without batting an eye she said, "I want to go on a cruise." Thankfully, our daughter and our son-in-law had gone on a cruise for their honeymoon and when they heard of our upcoming cruise, decided to plan it for us. So, we set sail on a voyage that I thought I would hate. Once back, I was the one who didn't want to get off the boat!

I say all that to share one of my favorite stories of another cruise. It was a cruise of sadness and despair. It set sail from Georgia to London. And midway home, the ship encountered what had to have been a hurricane, and this during the days records were not kept of these storms that now are assigned names. The ship tossed and turned and one of the passengers thought for sure he was going to die. He sought a place down in the hold where he might die. Instead, he heard joyful singing and found it annoying that people could be celebrating certain death. He asked them what was going on, and they said they were joyful because they were gong to die. The leader of the group asked the gentleman to step outside. He asked the man pointblank if he knew who Jesus was. The man replied, "I know Him to be the Savior of the world." The leader then asked, "Do you not know Him to be Your Savior?" And the man had to reply he did not. His reply was that he knew of Jesus, but he did not know Jesus personally. The leader of the group was a German named John Spandenburg, a Moravian. And the gentleman in question was John Wesley, who was on his way back to England after his failed ministry attempt in Georgia. It would be at that lay-led Bible study on Romans that Wesley came to faith. The lay person leading the study was reading Martin Luther's commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans.

Luther was a scholar and wrote what many might call dry, scholarly tomes; and Wesley preached what some do call dry, scholarly tomes; yet these were words of power that blessed and converted many through the years into the Christian faith. His words influenced Wesley and he influenced many. I used to say at the charge conferences I led, "If you think about it; somebody told somebody, who told somebody, who told somebody, who told somebody, who told you! Whom have you told?" This passage contains the hope and the peace that so many people desire, especially during this pandemic. Many see this crisis as a time of suffering. Paul knows, from personal experience, that "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us." Even though we were sinners that did not stop God from sending Christ to die for us, to save us. And this, dear friends, brought about our reconciliation with Him.

I really believe we are on the brink of a major revival thanks to the current situation and how many have been exposed to solid preaching and teaching from online preachers. We need to do our part by praying that God would use us and our witness to bless and grow the kingdom. Somebody has heard a little something and needs us to be the somebody to tell them. And once that somebody has it; that somebody will tell somebody, who will tell somebody, who will tell somebody who will bless the work of God.

PRAYER: Loving Father, as we pray we do so with hope that Your peace will be in more hearts than ever before. We pray that as a result of that peace, more will have hope and Your blessings will be freely shared with so many more people. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Be a somebody today!

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Here is a video on John Wesley's ministry that some say saved England from Civil War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwjdD_JbOok

How Low Can You Go?

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Hear the devotional here: http://bit.ly/2nnDZRj

1 Out of the depths I cry to thee, O LORD! 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If thou, O LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalm 130 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! We continue to mark the day we call Aldersgate Day in the life of John Wesley, the founder of the movement called Methodism which in turn led to the establishment of The United Methodist Church and many Methodist and Wesleyan churches.

We can learn from his life and example. Just yesterday morning Nellie and I were discussing Mr. Wesley and we talked about his imperfections and of those around him, and we of course, know that there were no perfect people in our history other than Jesus. But the example I shared about Wesley skipping Sophie and her new love during Communion makes a woman wonder why a man might behave that way during church! (Smile). But, to his credit, John was embarrassed when he realized just how deeply he had failed God, his congregation, and himself. He left the colony by night. And as he sailed home he did so with the deepest feelings of depression he had ever felt. In the morning of that day, Wesley read the words from today's psalms and he identified with the psalmist who had also had a bad experience and felt he was at the lowest point of his life. You and I have been there, no doubt, dear friend. A cross word. A bad decision. An action that should not have happened. Soon, we were thinking we could go no lower in our lives.

Hear David as he writes, "Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord! Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications...." The Message version says, "The bottom of my life has fallen out!" And indeed, we have been there. Nowhere to go, but up. And the only way up is through God. And so we pray, and plead, and ask. David even knows the reality of his actions and says, "Lord, if you truly kept records of my sins, I wouldn't have a chance! Yet, forgiveness is Your brand, and so I wait on You. I wait on You just like those who keep watch for the morning; and I call on all who feel the same way to wait on the Lord; for God will answer our pleas.

The book and life of Jonah showed us 1). There is nowhere we can hide from God. 2). There is no longer any place we can go where God will not hear us (think the depths of the ocean in the belly of a whale!). 3). God answers and we are freed. We should take heart in reading that third reality again: God answers and we are freed. Wesley, when hearing the words of this psalm later that day realized that God had not given up on him, and God has not given up on me, nor on you!

PRAYER: Father, lift us if we are among those feeling low today. Help us again to realize that You seek the lost and lift up the downtrodden. And once lifted, let us shine hope to those who feel as we once did. In Jesus' strong name we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Reach out in love to the lost and perishing today!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

A short video on John Wesley by Ravi Zacharais can be seen here. Very powerful! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdCgjZ51dsI

You Are Not Far from the Kingdom

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28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:28-34a NIV)

Happy Monday, dear Friend! I pray you and yours are having a safe and blessed Memorial Day. We thank God for the men and women who gave their lives in the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We ask God's comfort be with those who remember the fallen during this day. We pray for peace and for those who still are in harm's way to guard our freedoms. I pray that you pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

The Reverend Mr. John Wesley was a PK. For those who don't yet know what PK stands for, it stands for Preacher's Kid. I doubt it existed when John was a kid, but I'm sure they had something very similar to it. John was in awe of his father, The Reverend Mr. Samuel Wesley. Sam was the rector at Epworth, England, and along with his wife, Susannah, were dissenters about the way their church, The Church of England was going. They had a solid family life and both John and his younger brother, Charles, were influenced enough by Dad to become pastors themselves. Their mother was a wonderful educator and had prepared them for all the rigors of the academy. John soon finished his education and received ordination in the church and served alongside his father. As he grew older, he worried about his own soul. One of the worries he had was whether he had a strong faith or not. He asked a mentor about faith and preaching. Hmm, could the two go hand-in-hand? The friend replied, "Preach faith until you have faith; and because you have faith, you will preach faith." Okay. That makes sense, right?

John's life was a very interesting and effective one. Ever the adventurer, he was hired to come to the colonies from England to work with the company starting the colony of Georgia. Wesley wanted to help evangelize the Native Americans as well as care for the souls of the colonists in this new colony. Besides the need of his soul, John had a need for his heart. He and his brother were single, and John felt a connection with the only single woman in the colony, a Miss Sophie Hopkey. John had a rival in another of the colonists and the two tried to court Miss Hopkey and when John finally pressed her to make a decision, she chose the other man. Sigh. This may have been on a Friday and on that next Sunday, which happened to be a Communion Sunday, John when serving communion, skipped over Miss Hopkey and her new man. Not a wise move, but a move by a lovesick man who didn't know better. This did not sit well with the colony company founders and owners. Wesley was fired and he returned back to England as a defeated person. The issue of faith still weighed heavily on his heart and soul.

John Wesley was invited to attend a lay-led Bible study at Aldersgate Street. This was what he wrote by his own hand:

"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, " I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

This passage for today speaks of a teaching that Jesus shares with one of the teachers of the law who had asked Jesus which of the commandments was the most important. And the response from the teacher prompted Jesus to reply, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Just what John Wesley needed to hear, and what you and I have wanted to hear as well. I pray that of you reading this, you have had that encounter with Jesus and know from His own voice that our faith has brought us close to the kingdom of God. To the pilgrim on a journey hearing the words that we are close to our home or whatever destination has brought us on this journey are the words we long to hear. For the man who had a profound influence on the nation of Great Britain, to hear the words that Christ had died indeed for his sins, his trust in Jesus became real as did the flame that set on fire Wesley's spirit for the work he would undertake for the rest of his life.

Hear then, dear friend, the words from this devotional that our faith in Jesus will always lead us back to where we need to be. Jesus as our Shepherd and our Guide will lead us to life and the fullness thereof. You and I are saved from the law of sin and death, and welcomed into the reign of life.

PRAYER: Awesome Father, help us feel the assurance that comes to those who seek. As Jesus directed, Father, we are seeking, knocking and asking, that the fullness of faith and the splendor of life be ours. This we pray in His name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share your blessed assurance with those who need it!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Does It Fit Yet?

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Hear the Devotional here: https://bit.ly/3cQTbej

44 Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high." 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God. (Luke 24:44-53 RSV)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend! My prayer is that the calming presence of Jesus be real in your life right this moment. May the "big picture" of His grace and plan for your life overshadow the outstretched fingers of fear, worry, anxiety, and doubt. Please know that the strong embrace of Jesus is stronger than anything or anyone that can come against you. As we pray today, please remember our sister Mrs. Laurel Bradford and her eye surgery today in San Angelo. Please be in prayer for one another; pray for yourselves

I have a nice shirt in my closet that I bought some years ago with the hope that one day it would fit me. I've come close a number of times, but never could I say that I wore it comfortably and in public. I haven't. I was close when I bought it and thought with a little effort I would be successful. And I know some think buying a shirt or dress that is smaller than we wear makes as much sense as throwing that money into a trash can. And you may wonder why the shirt is still in the closet. And you may also be wondering why I'm talking about this. I want to talk about clothing and what that means in this passage.

Jesus is talking to the two grief-stricken believers on their way back from Jerusalem and He asks why they were the way they were. He saw beyond the sadness and tried to lift their spirits by teaching them about Himself as found in the scriptures. And Jesus also stresses again that He needs witnesses. And these witnesses will be "clothed with power from on high" once the promise of the Father falls upon Jerusalem. I like the imagery of Jesus' words. We know the power of the right clothing. If you're a beekeeper, there's nothing better than the suit one wears to be protected by it as you go about tending your bees. If you ever played football, the right feel of the helmet and the shoulder pads, cleats, and pads made you think you were indestructible. It might have been the dress you wore for First Communion, or the first time you wore a suit and you looked just like your dad; Imagine the clothing from the Holy Spirit upon you to be a witness! It wasn't that many years ago that in our denomination we added to the vows we took upon becoming full members of the church. We vowed to support the ministry of the Lord with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and the new one (duh!) our witness. There is nothing that say more about who we are, and Whose we are, than by the way we act; what we speak, and how we live our lives! I take it to mean that with the clothing given to us by God, we are to stand out, to be bold, courageous, and not afraid. We are to smack the devil in the face with the truth of God's love. And we are to do all we can to rescue as many we can from the clutches of sin and death. That's the power of our witness!

Are you clothed to be the best witness you can be for Jesus?

PRAYER: Loving God, we praise and thank You for the honor of sharing You and Your love for all people. We sometimes feel we are not worthy, but we pray You clothe us with power on high so that we have all we need to rescue just one more from sin and death. Make us worthy; make us strong. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray for that which you need to be a tremendous witness for the Lord Jesus!

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Ascension of Jesus

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Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/3e30MGO

1 Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. 3 After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but "must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. 5 John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon." 6 When they were together for the last time they asked, "Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?" 7 He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. 8 What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world." 9 These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. 10 They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared - in white robes! 11 They said, "You Galileans! - why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly - and mysteriously - as he left." (Acts 1:1-11 The Message)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend! This coming Friday, May 21st is the day recognized by the Church as the day Jesus ascended into Heaven. Today's text is one of the texts that speaks of that event. As we pray for today and tomorrow, I ask for prayers for Mrs. Laurel Bradford, wife of The Rev. Scott Bradford, both dear friends of Nellie and myself. Laurel is facing eye surgery this Thursday and we pray that all goes well with that. Prayers for those whom you know and love that need them; pray for one another, and pray for yourself in a positive way!

Luke wrote both the gospel that bears his name as well as this second volume of Acts. At one time, the two volumes were bound together as one account of the ministry of Jesus as well as the response to that ministry that started after He rose into Heaven. This passage is that account. As has been discussed, Theophilus could have been the name of an important Roman official, or it could literally mean "Friend of God." We won't argue that here, other than to say, please feel free to read it as a true friend of God!

The day of the Ascension was a sad day for the apostles. It was their day to say goodbye to the man who forever changed their lives. Jesus took them from their ordinary day-to-day affairs into positions of power and responsibility. None, save John, would escape a terrible death because of their position as the original and true disciples of Jesus Christ. Legend holds that the eleven suffered mightily for their faith and died as a result; John was exiled to Patmos where he wrote the vision he received from Jesus called The Revelation. This day is the fortieth day of His earthly presence after His resurrection. Every chance Jesus had to meet with His disciples, as this account says, He spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. Of all He shared, key was His insistence that they not leave Jerusalem in order to "wait for what the Father promised: the promise you hear from me (Jesus)," which was the coming of the Holy Spirit and His fire. At their last meeting together, they could not hide their curiosity about when all these things would be and so they ask, "Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?" Notice their concern still is on the earthly claims that Israel once had; will Israel be a powerful nation once again? They were not quite "getting it" in terms of all Jesus had spoken, done, and shown them. Jesus tells them point blank,"You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world." What they were hoping to hear was, "Hey, fellas, guess what? You know those thrones you've been wanting to sit on and be the kings and governors you've been wanting to be? Well, that's tomorrow!" Nope. Jesus said, "You get to be my witnesses soon, with the power of the Holy Spirit behind you and you'll get to share it with the people you know in Jerusalem, and you'll get to visit the next area of Judea and share it there; and you'll get to share my story with the folks in Samaria (Yeah, I know you ain't crazy about them, and they aren't crazy for you, either; but they have to hear it from you!)". Wait, Lord. You mean we still have more work to do?

The Bible contains in it stories of people who worked hard at something and expected something, but got something, and in the case of the patriarchs, someone else. Who can forget the story of Jacob who fell madly in love with Rachel and wanted desperately to marry her only to have his future father-in-law say, "Sure, son! You can have her after you work for me for seven years!" Gulp. And, who can forget that after seven years of labor (Which seemed only like a few days because he was so in love. Sigh.) he had the wedding feast and went to the honeymoon tent and found out the next morning that his new wife was not Rachel, but her older sister, Leah! What? "Uh, Dad, this is not the woman I wanted!" "I know, son, but we do things a little differently here in these parts; the oldest has to marry first, not the youngest! Tell you what, you want Rachel, you can have her if you work for me for another seven years; but you can have her right now; just keep working!" You get the picture. Good rewards and results sometimes require work on our part, and this was also true for the faith of these disciples.

The reality was that once Jesus had said these things, He was lifted up and taken to Heaven, disappearing into a cloud. They stood there, staring, at the empty sky, and might have stayed there a good, long time if not for the two angels who asked, "Why are you just standing around looking into Heaven? You've got work to do! Get busy!"

The Ascension of the Lord was a reminder that Jesus is from Heaven but left His Holy Spirit among us to bless us, guide us, and use us to share His story with a hungry world. We have work to do, but sometimes, we think we'd rather just stare up into a glorious sky, when those around us remain in their need, still with wants in their lives, families, bellies, minds, hearts, and spirits. They need someone who has heard and who knows the story of the Lord to share it with them. We should not be afraid, because Jesus promised us help and sent us the Holy Spirit. We should not worry about the words, because Jesus promised us the words and sent us the Holy Spirit. We should not fear the opportunity presenting itself, because Jesus promised us the settings and sent us the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Loving God, as we see the needs of Your people here on the earth, we are reminded that we need to share with them our stories, our accounts of how we have been blessed and so we ask for power from on high to fulfill that which was entrusted to us. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ today!

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Wide Awake in Prayer

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Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/3bKRgqv

12 Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. 13 Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. 14 If you're abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It's the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. 5 They're the ones who will be called on the carpet - and before God himself. 6 Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus. 7 Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. 8 Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. 9 Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless - cheerfully. 10 Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: 11 if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything - encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! (1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11 The Message Bible)

May this Tuesday find you blessed and ready to face the day and its challenges and opportunities, dear Friend! Please continue in prayer for many are the needs that people have and the challenges people face are great. Please pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

Some people came to faith in Jesus believing that once they were "saved," they were also "safe." Nowhere did Jesus promise that. What I can say is that once we surrendered ourselves into His arms we are eternally safe, but physically, we are still susceptible to everything that everyone else faces on this earth. And sometimes more so, because of the enemy we have. Friends, there is nowhere I'd rather be than in Jesus' arms, but still I know that all attacks that came at Paul has come on me, and perhaps on you as well. Yet, in spite of what we may suffer, Peter wrties, "God (is) on the job." And that should give us gladness, because like the Disciples said earlier, "we are found worthy to suffer for Christ." Peter says this is part of the "spiritual refining process," a sort of maturation with hope, that "glory is just around the corner." Some of us have even marked our lives with points where we've said, "Once I get this out of the way..." and then we add what it is that we long for before the "next thing." Peter's advice is to call ourselves fortunate; his "It's the Spirit of God and His glory in you that broght you to the notice of others." And it is those "others" that won't have the same experience for being those who have rejected God. Ours is to listen to The Message (Gospel), and to learn and blessed by it, for it is that Gospel that will get us into eternal life. And words from verse 7 that could have been written earlier this morning, "Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything." And as part of our "final exam" before God: "Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless - cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it." Others before self, for that is the Christian way. Thoughtfulness towards the plight of others; using our hands and arms to be the hands and arms of Jesus as we seek to bless the world. Peter then says, if nothing else, use words, especially the words of God to bless others. Be part of the people who shine brightly the light of God into the darkness of the world, and shine back that light on He who shines it on us, so that He get the honor and glory, for He is "mighty in everything -encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!"

Friend, if there is even a small spot of darkness in your life or home, know there is light available to us all, and it is the light of love from Jesus. And if we are truly wide-awake in prayer, that connects us to the light and we, in turn, can shine the light on others. Even when sleepy, we still need to pray.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us during our dark times. We pray for vision and strength to seek Your light. We ask that we might be wide awake in prayer; may this prayer be a part of the connecting we need to do with You. Help us to listen to You, and be blessed by You. You know our needs and we lift those to You. We continue to pray for a cure or vaccine for this crisis to be lifted. We pray for wisdom and patience, especially for those who believe there is no longer any danger to them; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be the light of Christ in the darkness of those who need it.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Jesus Prays for You!

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Hear the Devotional Read here: https://bit.ly/2X53ipp

1 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said: Father, it's time. Display the bright splendor of your Son So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. 2 You put him in charge of everything human So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. 3 And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail What you assigned me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor, The very splendor I had in your presence Before there was a world. 6 I spelled out your character in detail To the men and women you gave me. They were yours in the first place; Then you gave them to me, And they have now done what you said. 7 They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, That everything you gave me is firsthand from you, 8 For the message you gave me, I gave them; And they took it, and were convinced That I came from you. They believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I'm not praying for the God-rejecting world But for those you gave me, For they are yours by right. 10 Everything mine is yours, and yours mine, And my life is on display in them. 11 For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world; They'll continue in the world While I return to you. Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life That you conferred as a gift through me, So they can be one heart and mind (John 17:1-11 The Message Bible)

A Happy and Blessed Monday to you, dear Friend!

Is it easy for you to pray in public? I'll say it became easier for me with the years of college and seminary, and with the pastor I had while I was in college, who when he would see me in worship those weekends I would come, "We are so blessed to have Brother Eradio Valverde and he is studying to be a pastor, so I'm going to ask him to say today's pastoral prayer. Please come up here, Brother Valverde!" Mind you, this was happening in full blown Spanish, the kind one studies in school for many years, not the kind I learned at home and on the streets of a small South Texas town. We're not talking the formal lisp-type Castellano; gosh, the nervousness was enough for me to add my own lisp. Long time readers of this devotional may remember that I have shared how this one particular pastor had a PhD in formal prayer, and though I was in college, I was happy to pray at a GED* level (*Get 'er done!) Spanish. Spiritually, I was not yet mature in my walk, and I knew that prayer was a connection of my heart with God's heart, to openly and publicly pray was very difficult for me. I took the pastoral prayer time as one of the most important parts of the worship service; people gather after about a week away from worship, most with needs, questions, and doubts that needed someone to pray for them. I took that seriously and it only added to the nerves I was feeling.

Someone who did not fear prayer, but Who loved and hungered for prayer was Jesus. Jesus was a man of prayer Who thrived on prayer. Jesus loved the connection He had and felt when He prayed to His Father. Jesus taught the Disciples the prayer we call The Lord's Prayer, and this is but another of Jesus' prayers. The Gospel of John admits that not everything that could be written about Jesus was written, and if it were all the books in the world could not contain them all. And one can only imagine that those books would be filled with the prayers that Jesus lifted up on our behalf. And in this prayer, Jesus is praying for you and me. Jesus asks that the glory of God not be hidden from us. In Him we can see God and more so if we can see the glory of God in Him. Jesus also asks that God grant to those who believe in Him to have eternal life. Jesus prays also that we might know Him better and trust Him more. And Jesus asks God to guard and protect those who are still here in the earthly realm. And Jesus asks that we might all be of one heart and mind. The prayer is for peace and unity.

Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus intercedes for us; it is He who takes our prayers to the throne of God and presents them to God for God to answer. To me that speaks a personal touch that really works. One earthly example was a few years ago and Nellie and I were planning our first overseas trip to Europe. Her passport was about to expire and we had sent in our reapplication with plenty of time, but somehow it was delayed. As the days were nearing for us to board the plane, we finally called one of our senator's office and a woman there assured us that she would personally walk the application through the US Passport Office in DC and that she would demand they overnight it to us. The next morning, the passport was there! That was just an example of something that can happen here on earth, but imagine our prayers for healing, comfort, peace, for worries, for financial assistance, whatever that is, and to know Jesus, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, presenting our petitions before God; we simply have to pray, "Not my will, but Thine," and trust in the Lord.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we rejoice in knowing that the prayer we lifted up first thing this morning, and this one we lift up now, is in Your hands and You are personally presenting this to Your Father, God. May we be calm and secure in knowing that we can trust in You. May calm and peace reign in our hearts. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share a word of hope with someone today that blesses them with peace.

Receive my blessing of hope and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

A True Celebration of God!

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Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/2X7zVCX

8 Bless our God, O peoples! Give him a thunderous welcome! 9 Didn't he set us on the road to life? Didn't he keep us out of the ditch? 10 He trained us first, passed us like silver through refining fires, 11 Brought us into hardscrabble country, pushed us to our very limit, 12 Road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; Finally he brought us to this well-watered place. 13 I'm bringing my prizes and presents to your house. I'm doing what I said I'd do, 14 What I solemnly swore I'd do that day when I was in so much trouble: 15 The choicest cuts of meat for the sacrificial meal; Even the fragrance of roasted lamb is like a meal! Or make it an ox garnished with goat meat! 16 All believers, come here and listen, let me tell you what God did for me. 17 I called out to him with my mouth, my tongue shaped the sounds of music. 18 If I had been cozy with evil, the Lord would never have listened. 19 But he most surely did listen, he came on the double when he heard my prayer. 20 Blessed be God: he didn't turn a deaf ear, he stayed with me, loyal in his love. (Psalm 66:8-20 The Message)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend! I pray this finds you well and enjoying God's love in your heart. We continue to pray for those who have lost loved ones during this difficult time; who have lost jobs and all sources of income to support themselves and their families; for those who continue to labor in the frontlines of this virus and all it is causing. We hold on to hope and the promises of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Pray for one another, pray for yourselves.

I don't know many people who hate barbecue, least not from Texas. Most babies upon delivery are handed a rib as a teether in most Texas hospitals. Okay, just in some hospitals. But today's psalm seems to have been written in Texas, the land of celebrations. And most celebrations that I've known had some kind of barbecue meat with which to celebrate something or someone. Nellie and I went through the 90s attending weddings, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, bridal showers, where the menu was standard as if Moses had truly dropped the third tablet on which was written THOU SHALT SERVE BBQ AT ALL CELEBRATIONS WHERE GOD'S NAME IS INVOKED IN BLESSING AND DISMISSAL. I have the other fourteen commandments memorized and may preach on them some day! But that commandment, WHERE THOU CANST, SERVE BRISKET, POTATO SALAD, BEANS, PICKLES AND ONIONS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ALL GOD HATH DONE. And if one tries, you can almost see the celebration the psalmist is writing about; God is the honored guest. He is due a "thunderous welcome" because of all God has done for us, both that which blessed us and that which taught us. The main thing for the writer is that God set us on the road to life. (I dare not list the RM or FM because we'd have a civil war on the internet!). God also is to be praised for keeping us on the straight and narrow ("out of the ditch"), and "road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; but He finally led us to the well-watered places." And that's the gathering he's writing about. We have brought gifts of praise and worship and the celebration is all about Him!

Friends, we know that God is due all honor and glory for all things. We have indeed traveled far and wide, in the good and bad, and at times it even seemed like we wouldn't make it, but here we are and we praise Him for all. The above photograph is at a Samaritan worship center, where a real fire sacrifice is celebrated once a month to offer up the sweet smell of our gratitude in the form of a lamb or ox roasted as that which has taken our place for the death we surely deserved. We thank God that once and for all, Christ Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sinfulness and such worship is no longer needed, even among the Jews; but the Samaritans like celebrating in this way. (Ancestry.com might find some Texan in them I believe!).

We end with what the Psalmist wrote, "Blessed be God: He didn't turn a deaf ear, He stayed with me, loyal in His love." Amen!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, blessed are You for all You have done. We pray that we might today find a way to thank You for what You have done on our behalf. We pray for those still in need that together You and all of us, could find ways to help and lift them up. Bless us and use us; that's our prayer that we lift up in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Truly bless someone with a special prayer dedicated to them.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Make God Known!

Photo by Eradio Valverde, Jr., Athens, Greece at the Areopagus

Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/3brGRzV

22 So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-op'agus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, 28 for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring.' 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:22-31 RSV)

A Wonderful Wednesday be yours, Friend! I pray this finds you and yours doing well, and enjoying God's rich blessings upon your lives.

A wonderful pastor and preacher, The Rev. Dr. Zan Holmes of Dallas, TX, received a tremendous introduction prior to his preaching to a gathering of pastors in our old conference. The presenter had found all the right words and did a marvelous job of bringing Dr. Holmes to the stage. Zan, in his charming way thanked the presenter in an equally marvelous way and added, "May God forgive you for saying the things you said, and may God forgive me for enjoying it so much!" Our passage today deals with one of the most successful and persistent presenters of God, the Apostle Paul. Successful beyond his years, he had an encounter with Jesus and that forever changed his life and work. And Paul worked tirelessly for the sake of making God known to all through what Jesus had shared with him. And the photo above which I took, is the very place where Paul introduced God to the "Men of Athens." These men were known for their desire to learn as much as they could about all things spiritual and metaphysical. The Greeks were known for their desire to be faithful to their gods and so they had statues of every god they knew about, and just to be safe, made an altar with the inscription Paul mentions above, "To an unknown god." I know for sure Paul jumped with joy when he saw that opening and said, "I've got them now!" And he did. He made the one, true, living God, known to the people of Greece. "Ladies and gentlemen, the God who made the entire world and everything in it, Who is the Lord of Heaven and earth, does not need your shrines to live in, for He lives everywhere. Nor, can we claim to serve Him with our human hands, since God has all that He could possibly need, and likewise, provides all things for us." BOOM!

And Paul further said, "All God needs from us is our repentance, because the day is coming when we will be judged by Him. And, those who believe in Him and love Him, will be raised from the dead." Wow. This was something the Greeks had not heard before, and it was something that they needed to hear, and responded in faith to Paul's preaching.

When I was pastor at Trinity UMC in San Antonio, we brought down the Power Team, a muscle-bound group of body builders who used feats of strength to share the gospel with the community. I could write for hours on feeding this group! I thank God for a local Ford dealership who agreed to pay for their meals. We're talking two trays full of food per team member. And the trays needed to be carried by a muscle bound man. On one of those nights, the father of a young man who had been attending our church, heard the gospel message and surrendered his life to Jesus. About two months later, he died. At his deathbed he gave thanks to the church for having brought these men to share the truth about life, and he died a peaceful man. The son was also very thankful that someone made God's love known to his dad.

Who will you introduce to God? The best way is to just share what God has done for you and God will do the rest.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, for all You have done, we are thankful. WE ask that we would not shy away from making known Your love to those who need it. Grant us courage and strength and we know You will supply the words. We ask that You be glorified in all things! This we pray in faith in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Find a way to introduce God to someone today!

Receive my blessings of faith and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Always Give the Positive Answer!

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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3cqPRX1

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is right? 14 But even if you do suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong. 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. (1 Peter 3:13-22 RSV)

May this Tuesday be a tremendous one for you and for yours, my dear Friend! May it find you filled with joy and strength, calm and peace; that's my prayer!

Two examples of what I believe today's lesson asks of us: I had dropped out of seminary and I was hiding in the belly of the whale, i.e., AT&T-Houston with some 40,000 employees at that time. I was in a marketing class learning how to sell multi-line phone systems, and one day, out of the blue, one of my classmates said, "I want what you have!" I asked him what he meant by that, and he replied that he wanted the joy and calm that I had. I tried as best I could to tell him that it was not anything having to do with me, but with Jesus, Who lived in me and guided me. The second was a young man from Africa who attended Lon Morris College. He was always happy and every time we asked him how he was, he smiled the biggest smile and always said, "Pretty good, I guess." We knew he was happy in the Lord, but we also knew that he was homesick. I was 193 miles from my home, and I made it a point to go home every other weekend, as I worked alternate weekends in the school's cafeteria. He and I were both zealous for the Lord, as Peter writes above, and we knew that, as Paul wrote in Romans 8 (Hear that on my podcast below!) "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus." Distance from home in my case was not something that made me suffer more than I could endure, and I held to the promises of Jesus, that "whoever leaves home for my sake..." I kept the greater picture in mind; I was preparing for my life's service in God's plan for me.

Some suffer greater things than distance from home; some have no home to which return. One of the things I learned from some classmates was that they could not return home until holidays. That bewildered me, because some of these classmates were from Houston as well. Their parents were strict about their not coming home until Thanksgiving and later Christmas. My folks told me I could get home whenever I wanted. Thankfully, there was always someone headed to Houston every weekend, and one of them was a young man whose girlfriend lived in Houston, so he was home Friday afternoons. I tagged along every other weekend. Others suffer abuse at home; some suffer neglect. And the ones to which this letter was addressed, suffered the possibility of death at the hands of the powers that be because of their faith. Peter shares how through Jesus, we have a great hope and as part of that hope, we are to be prepared to give a good account for that hope (See the above graphic). Many people may already know the reason of your joy and hope, and the ones who want to know, may give you but a few seconds to reply with an enticing response that will make them want to know more about your faith. It is, after all, your faith that gives us hope.

Smile. Listen. Respond with joy!

PRAYER: Loving Father, as we go about our day-to-day routine, grant us opportunities to share our faith and hope with those who are in need of the very thing that has blessed us. We want to lift spirits, dispel sadness, and usher in the Kingdom. We pray we make it possible, in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Find an opportunity to bless someone with hope today!

Receive my blessings of love and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Hear my podcast here: https://bit.ly/2zfRyrC

Friends with Jesus!

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Hear this devotional read here: https://bit.ly/2Lls1A0

1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:1-15 RSV)

A blessed and joyous Monday for you, dear Friend! I pray all of the mothers from our group had a joyous Mother's Day! A belated Happy Monday's Day to you dear sisters! Your impact is beyond what can be measured on earth, so please continue to do what you do, in the loving and caring ways that you do that. We had a wonderful day with Nellie getting calls and/or drive-by visits from our girls, boys, and babies! We were a bit sad that our grandson, Liam, returned home to Houston yesterday and left us with a huge hole in our space! Even this evening (I'm writing this on Sunday night) Nellie said, "Right now our boy would be asking, 'Grandma, what are you making for supper?'" Overall, we are thankful he is with his Mom and with Jesse and with his dog, Charlie, who was very happy to have Liam home.

Do you make friends easily? Or, is it a bit of a challenge? My first friend was a boy close to my age that lived a couple of houses down from me in Kingsville. We migrated towards each other and became great friends for the time we lived in Kingsville. My moving away at 13 separated us and we lost touch with each other. What blessed my life was my going away for college. To be dropped off on a campus with total strangers made it easy to make friends. We identified with the purpose of our being on campus, and that united us as well. And being in deep East Texas, well, there were a handful of those who disliked me and others like me, just because; but we're talking about friends. I met on that campus as well as all the other campuses that I attended, some of God's finest people; people taught to love and accept, to work cooperatively, and to seek the good for all concerned. I could tell that of those who fit that description that they had traveled through the vineyard Jesus described in this passage. It's a journey that others will notice in us. Number one, we who are in Jesus, are in the "true vine." And the "vinedresser is God the Father." Those who journey abiding in Jesus bear fruit; that is to say, show that love is in their hearts and that they fit the description from above of love and acceptance, working for the common good, showing compassion and understanding for others. Jesus says we who fit that description are "clean by the word which (Jesus) has spoken to (us). We are invited to "abide", to fully live and breathe just like Jesus; for in Jesus we bear more fruit. And this is what glorifies God, our bearing fruit, much fruit, to grow the Kingdom of God. And this should bring us much joy. Jesus desires us to have "full joy" in Him. And the greatest joy comes in our loving one another, in the same way Jesus loves us. And if we do love Jesus and do what Jesus asks of us, we can bear the label of being friends with Jesus. And I can think of no better label I'd want to wear than be a friend of the Lord's.

The ancients said, "Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are." It was in Antioch, the ancient city, where residents there realized that those who professed faith in Christ Jesus were in fact, little Christ's thus the name, Christians. That fueled that city's desire to be the capital in Christianity, even challenging Rome for that honor. It went on to become the first of the Greek Orthodox centers of the faith in the East. Rome became the Western center. But, to live as a little Christ says a lot about who we are, or at least attempt to be. As friends of Jesus now, we know what Jesus has taught us (and there's more to learn), and for us to be friends with the world is to help them know Who and what we know.

Please never let it be said of us that we are friends of the enemy, but rather co-workers of Jesus, seeking to let the whole world know about His love and purpose.

PRAYER: Loving Father, we seek to be truly dressed by You as the vine we seek to be, in Jesus; guide us and grow us into faithfulness and fruitfulness. May the friendship we enjoy with Jesus attract us to others. This we pray in His precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a friend of Jesus and those who are not yet His.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

A Stack of Blessings!

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Hear here this devotional read by the author: https://bit.ly/3dlFlR5

1 I run to you, God; I run for dear life. Don't let me down! Take me seriously this time! 2 Get down on my level and listen, and please - no procrastination! Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff aerie a place of safety. 3 You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. 4 Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you. 5 I've put my life in your hands. You won't drop me, you'll never let me down. 19 What a stack of blessing you have piled up for those who worship you, Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world. 20 You hide them safely away from the opposition. As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces, you silence the poisonous gossip. 21 Blessed God! His love is the wonder of the world. 22 I panicked. "Out of sight, out of mind," I said. But you heard me say it, you heard and listened. 23 Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone. 24 Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon. (Psalm 31:1-5, 19-24 The Message)

Happy Thursday! Friend, you've made it this far! Way to go! And you thought you wouldn't! Please give yourself a round of applause! Okay, that's enough! You, Rick, please stop!

I love breakfast! And of all the breakfast choices I (used to) have, probably the one that tempts me most is a stack of pancakes. Now, I've come a long way. I used to love the image of a tall stack, well-buttered and accompanied by at least three or four strips of thick bacon. I used to love these with black coffee, a tall glass of orange juice and a no time-limit on how long I could enjoy this. Okay, I'm a man of a certain age, and my mouth now waters for whole wheat pancakes with sugar-free syrup, no butter, and two strips of turkey bacon. And I have not had any coffee for over 30 years; hot English tea is fine. But the first thing I devour every morning is a reading of God's word, and four devotionals that I read online. I read The Upper Room and Our Daily Bread first, play a game of Solitaire on my tablet, then have my real breakfast and read the additional two devos from my email.

And today's reading mentioned, in verse 19, "a stack of blessings You have piled up for those who worship You." And I pray this time spent in God's presence and word would bless our soul. I apologize to those who have not yet had breakfast and as you read this you smell coffee but suspect a cold bowl of cereal may be the meal that awaits you! It's all good!

David knew the source of all goodness was God. And to get in on the blessings of God it's best to get to them as quickly as we can. David ran to God for most of his life. He knew that in God he had a place where he could hide, rest, refresh, be renewed, and re-charged and ready for the challenges of the day. He also knew that God understood him and could relate to whatever it was that was challenging him. David compares God to a cave, a great image, and a granite cave at that. God was also David's "safe leader,'" and " true mountain guide," who knows how to "free (us) from hidden traps." And it is God who provides the stack of blessings for those who worship Him, because God hides us who want "to escape an unkind world." We are safely hidden from all opposition, mocking faces, and poisonous gossip.

I don't know about you but I needed that message. I find it necessary a lot of times to just run to God and hide in Him. No where else would I find a more loving welcome and awesome place in which to regroup and recharge. And the good news is that God offers that to all who seek Him. And no better way to end this devotional than the words God inspired David to share: "Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone. 24 Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon. " Amen!

PRAYER: Loving God as this dear reader prays, bless his/her heart in ways that will astound them. Let them know that You are in charge of them, loving and caring for them, and providing for them the way they should go. Please keep us from following our own way; save us from our arrogance and silly self-confidences that mislead us. Make us strong, make us brave; renew us to the point where we need to hear that we should not give up. You will be here soon! And we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a beacon of hope to someone today!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Seeing Hope in Heaven

Image from pilgrimatthecrossroads.wordpress.com

Hear this devotional read by the author here: https://bit.ly/2L1TyX5

55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60 RSV)

Happy Wednesday, Friend. I pray this finds you well and enjoying being alive! I know we all have had our moments of frustration and/or doubt, but overall, God is still in His throne and very much in control. And, these scriptures have blessed us with that hope, so I pray you will be blessed in reading this, and you will feel free to share it with others. I heard yesterday from my seminary roommate, who very much believes as I do, that his time of quarantine has exposed more people to the Gospel than in days before it all got started. I believe revival is coming!

Being with loved ones as they approach the gates of life is never easy, but some have been wonderful blessings. The one I will never forget was when my mother-in-law knew her fight against cancer was coming to an end, and while she and Nellie were all alone, she said, "My daughter, I am not afraid because I see Jesus with His arms outstretched, and I've talked to Him, and I know he is waiting for me." And almost immediately, she passed from this life into the arms of Jesus. Nellie had shared her faith with her mother and she was always open to hearing more about God and God's love. I have been blessed to have had new members to my church thank me right before their death because they now knew where they were going and they were not afraid, but very ready.

Stephen was the first person to die for his faith in Jesus. He was found guilty of being a believer in Jesus Christ. He was sentenced to death because of that faith. To his credit, he was able to preach a powerful sermon testifying to the love and grace of God as found in Jesus Christ, and here we find him as he faces his sentence. Stephen was always full of the Holy Spirit which made his ministry effective and powerful, and which attracted the attention of the Jews. While most would have been scared and fearing for their lives, this man of God gazes into Heaven and sees the glory of God, with Jesus seated at the right hand of God, and declares, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." This angered the accusers for they did not believe in the divinity of Jesus and to be told that He is standing at the sacred right hand of God, infuriates them even more.They could only stop their ears and rushed mightily at Stephen, whom they take out of the city and stone him to death. The required witnesses to this atrocious act left their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. Please remember who this Saul later turns out to be. As they stoned Stephen, they hear his prayer, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," and "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And having said this, he "fell asleep."

Stephen was the first of many who would die for the sake of Jesus, just as He had said would happen. Stephen took up his cross and followed Jesus, serving Him faithfully even until his dying breath. The young man who witnessed this murder would later write letters of encouragement and hope for others who would meet similar or worst fates because of their faith in Jesus. And what do we do? We sometimes feel like leaving the church if someone doesn't acknowledge us, or welcomes us. We know of people who leave because of a sermon that did not sit well with them. Others because the music we sing does not suit us. Friends, we are to be like Stephen, not Leavin' (okay, not a name but you know what I mean!). We are called to be witnesses of our faith and to continue to serve our Lord regardless of what others may say or want to/from us. Just as Christ is faithful, so should we be.

PRAYER: Loving Father, as we face the challenges of our faith, let us rise above what the world expects and demands to what brings glory to You. May our acts be those of love and compassion. May our words be those who honor You and bring hope to others. And our joy is to serve You, who will welcome us home when it is time. Until then, we have lots to do. Hear our prayer, Father, for we pray in Thy Son's name, Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Help someone bear their cross today.

Receive my blessings of love and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

My newest pimplesandwrinkles.org post is up, called "Nothing Can Separate Us from God's Love." Click here to listen to it: https://bit.ly/2zfRyrC

Living Stones!

Image by Nellie Garcia

Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/2SyURBi

2 Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; 3 for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 4 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; 5 and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame." 7 To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe, "The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner," 8 and "A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall"; for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:2-10 RSV)

May this be a terrific Tuesday for you, Friend. This is also Cinco de Mayo and you can bless the kingdom by not repeating the old joke of the sinking of the ship carrying mayonnaise! The main blessing of this day was the birth of my mentor in ministry, The Rev. José Galindo. He was my internship instructor, introduced me to, and officiated at the wedding to Nellie, and gave me confidence and encouragement that I needed, when I needed it. I had originally asked to be in El Mesias UMC because of the lack of preaching skills and the pastor there was known as one of the best, but as happens, he was made a district superintendent, and the outgoing superintendent, Rev. Galindo, was sent to Mission. I learned about preaching and every aspect of ministry because of his leadership. Sadly, Rev. Galindo died some years ago and I miss his counsel, wit, and humor more than I can say. But his witness blessed me and a multitude of others.

The above photo is of my now five year-old, Adabelle Grace Garcia. If you can't tell by her smile, she is one happy child, more so because in her pocket you can see a stone that she picked up. She went through a phase where every rock was "beautiful" and would help herself to all she could carry. This particular stone was from her daycare and her mom finally explained that if she took home all the rocks, the other kids would not have rocks to enjoy for themselves. This passage, from Peter, addresses Jesus as a "living stone," who though rejected by humanity then, was in God's sight, "chosen and precious." Peter goes on to stress that you and I are also "like living stones" to be built into spiritual houses, and to be a part of a holy priesthood, to live a life that pleases and glorifies God.

I remember our professor stressing the idea of a holy priesthood as a position of responsibility not privilege. To be a priest is to be an example of one set apart by God to live a life that demonstrates what all is involved in serving God. God initially offered this to the people of Israel so they could give witness to the other nations about God and God's plan for the whole world, but they chose not to. Jesus' coming was to re-establish the priesthood and use us for the important role. We began our journey as babes in the faith, enjoying the "spiritual milk" at our salvation and knowing the sweetness of God's kindness; but now as more mature believers we are living stones joining together to build a house, a part of God's kingdom. The people who rejected Jesus soon found out they were wrong, and they stumbled upon their own foolishness; but we who know Jesus to be the precious cornerstone will never be put to shame. Ours is the joyous task of sharing "the wonderful deeds of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light." And we have gone from being "no people" to "God's people," from not having received mercy to those who have received His mercy. And that should make us rejoice!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, By Your grace You have ordained the ordinary to do the extraordinary. You have filled our empty hearts with love and compassion to be pastoral in our actions as we reach out to others, especially the ones in need. Grant us Your strength to overcome all things; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! As a priest in God's kingdom, do some priestly things today!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Jesus the Way to the Father!

Image from davidould.net

Hear the Devotional Read Here: https://bit.ly/35x2M7s

1 "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:1-14 RSV)

Happy Monday, dear Friend, I pray God's rich mercies and blessings be upon you and yours today. Yesterday's service at our online church was a special blessing, with our graduating seniors participating in the worship service. We pray that God's rich blessings be upon them as they embark into a new world made a little different with this crisis hanging over our heads. May the Lord bring protection, healing, and peace to all, is my prayer.

It was 49 years ago that I graduated from high school. It was a meaningful thing for our family as my mother and father had not been graduates and as the oldest, I walked across the stage proud of the opportunity that God afforded me to complete that important milestone. I already knew that college was next and that I had to go; not going was not an option for my parents; they would find a way and I would graduate from college with God's help. The road ahead was not a clear one. One thing I knew that God had called me into ordained ministry and that my college years would lead me into seminary and into the field where God was leading me. So, I was not familiar with the road, but God had shown me the Way through Jesus.

Today's passage deals with the questions that death brings with it. Jesus was having a conversation with His disciples about His own death. They had just seen the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus in chapter 11, but now Jesus has made it clear to the 12 that He was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. This was not something the disciples wanted to hear and vowed to defend Him. So, Jesus speaks with His peace, the same peace we hear throughout the Bible, "Don't be afraid..." Jesus speaks to the place where death hits hardest, the heart. "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me." In other words, "You saw what God did with Lazarus; if you believed that, believe me!" And Jesus shares a word about Heaven, speaking of His Father's house having many rooms, and that if that was not true, Jesus would have told them so; and, Jesus says He is going to prepare a place for them, so "that where I am you may be also." Then Jesus speaks about direction He is to take. Thomas, the soon to be doubter, speaks up, "Lord, we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus then shares this truth; "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." We have heard this passage countless times, but how well do we know what this means? Jesus is the One who leads those who trust Him in the right direction in which they should go. We know from experience that life offers so many possible ways and options for our lives, and if we trust Jesus and walk with Him, He will lead us as we should go. Talk to me about how many ways a college offers; you know there are many. And not all of them are from God. And the same was true in seminary. I have to confess that I dropped out my first year, and tried to hide from God. But like Jonah, there is no where one can go where God is not. In addition to Jesus being the way, Jesus is the truth. Again, I say that life broadcasts loudly the many truths that one could choose. While in college I remember seeing a magazine with hundreds of young people laying down on the tarmac of Hobby Airport in Houston awaiting the arrival of their perceived Messiah. And that was but one of many who have presented themselves as God's anointed, bearing God's "truth." Not too far from here, the Branch Davidians followed a human who claimed to be their messiah. And Jim Jones is another; and we have not yet seen the last of those. Each brings what they claim to be truth. You and I know Jesus to be the truth. Finally, Jesus says He is the life. In an earlier chapter (10),and last week's gospel text, Jesus spoke about life in abundance; that in Him we go beyond merely existing; we go into the fullness of life. Please keep in mind that this conversation comes in the midst of a discussion on death!

Jesus and God are one. Those who believe that have access to the peace and power that comes with knowing God in that way. Jesus says, in verse 12, "He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he or she do, because I go to the Father." And the closing two verses are awesome as well; "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it." As the questions and challenges of life and death come our way, we are not helpless, nor are we alone. You and I know the Savior; the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is He on Whom we stand and against Him nothing will prevail.

PRAYER: Loving God, as we continue through life, we sometimes lose sight of the way, but in knowing Your Son Jesus, we know He is the one who guides us. I pray You lift up those who are feeling low; bring comfort to those feeling sad; and glory to those who have felt alone and abandoned. This we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Pray for those who need the way, the truth, and the life.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Life Priorities!

Image from ICMA

In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises spoke of the relation of work to one's other commitments:

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them- work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you're keeping in all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls- family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. It will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but where you are going.

Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Yesterday is HISTORY, tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a Gift; that's why we call it "The Present."