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Hear the devotional narrated here: https://bit.ly/38c5qk1
16 "How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, 17 'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.' 18 John came fasting and they called him crazy. 19 I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riff-raff. Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating." 25 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. 26 Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work." 27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. 28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11: 16-19; 25-30 The Message).
Happy Monday, dear Friend, and may all of God's blessings and joys be yours is my prayer. The worldwide count of Covid-19 cases hits 10 Million plus, and the number of deaths is approaching 500,000. Friends, this is serious and the thing that can keep us safe is to wear a mask, washing your hands , and keeping social distance to about 6 ft between you and others. This is affecting people we know and love and we need to be in prayer for all we know who have been hit with the virus, or are sick of other illnesses Brian Gibson, son of Sammie and Ginger Gibson, has tested positive for the virus; please pray for him and his family. A report on Lauren Williams is that she's off the ventilator, praise God! She's awaiting more results from tests. Pray for her healing and comfort for her family. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.
A meme I saw last night said that a deleted scene from the movie Back to the Future, has Doc Brown telling Marty, "Whatever you do, don't set the time machine to go to the year 2020!" This has been, for the most part, the most unexplainable year on record. None of what we have received and experienced seem like it was planned or intentional; what we have lived seems to have come straight from a wicked Hollywood script. And that applies to all areas of life, even the church. Jesus' opening question in this passage could be easily asked of us: "How can I account for this generation?" And His description might fit us a bit too snugly; "The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.'" Ouch. Are we guilty as charged?
Jesus came to reveal the hidden nature of God's love that the Church of that day did well in keeping it truly hidden. Jesus came with love, and a love worth celebrating; that we matter to God and because of that, sent Jesus to the earth to share that message with us.
Several years ago, there was a community of people living just outside the city limits of the town where I served as pastor. They were known for their distinct dress; men with western style shirts, the women with floor length dresses and long hair usually in buns. As a city, we experienced a lot, including a major vehicular accident that claimed the lives of nearly thirty school students. We saw the appearance of Satanic material in our city, and the police chief confirmed that there were several covens of witches in our town. I helped form the city's ministerial alliance, and as a group we knew we had to share the Good News with the town like never before. We set our sights on having a citywide parade called, "Mission for Jesus," which went with our city's name. We were to march as a presence and witness of the love of Christ for our community. The plan was to march down the city's main street to a pavilion in a park near downtown. There we would have music and singing and testimonies about Jesus' love. I will never forget the faces and smiles of those who took part and how God blessed that event. Sadly, I will never forget the conversation I had with one of the leaders of that commune. He never smiled and had a stern look on his face. "What's this all about?" he asked me. "It's all about Jesus and His love for us." He answered, "What kind of Jesus is that? Our Jesus is a warrior Jesus..." and the rest of the conversation was about views I did not share with him. Apparently, our public show about Jesus' love was not warrior enough for him or his group. Within a year that group disappeared.
Our Jesus wants a loving, intimate relationship with us; no secrets, no hidden agendas, just the open way of saying how He loves and cares for each of us; and He offers to us the kind of lifestyle that blesses us and allows us to find in Him real rest and recovery in our lives; a life defined by the obedient following of Jesus' "unforced rhythms of grace," unencumbered by that which is "heavy or ill-fitting on " us. And all this is ours, if we would just "keep company with" Jesus.
Those who keep company with Jesus are keeping company with the Author of Life. Those who don't, find themselves keeping company with the Thief of life, whose main desire is to "steal, kill, and destroy." Sadly, we know how that story ends. But the pen set to the paper of our lives is held by Jesus, who will write a story that impacts lives with hope, peace, and love. And why should we choose any other path or any other person with whom to keep company?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, if the pen on my life is writing the wrong ending for us, lift that pen and toss it away, and bring Your pen of life on our souls so that we can truly keep company with You. Help us be the means of grace, and instruments of peace, and the bringers of hope; so many stand in need of this, and we want to bring those gifts to the hurting world. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show others how blessed you are in keeping company with Jesus!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
