A Time to Plant, Sing, Be Happy, and Thankful!

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Hear the Devotional here: https://bit.ly/35KE2ZJ

1 Oh, thank God - he's so good! His love never runs out. 2 All of you set free by God, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, 3 Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas. 4 Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live, 5 Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. 6 Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time; 7 He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live. 8 So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. 9 He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat. 33 God turned rivers into wasteland, springs of water into sunbaked mud; 34 Luscious orchards became alkali flats because of the evil of the people who lived there. 35 Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water, arid earth into springs of water, 36 Brought in the hungry and settled them there; they moved in - what a great place to live! 37 They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards, they reaped a bountiful harvest. (Psalm 107:1-9, 33-37 The Message Version)

Happy Friday, dear Friend! I pray this finds you well and blessed. I received good news from Mr. Dick Goss, who underwent a successful surgery in San Antonio yesterday for his ankle replacement surgery! Let's pray for his speedy and painless recovery, and may God grant him patience and peace during this recovery time. Thanks be to God! Let us continue to pray for those on our prayers lists, our hearts and minds, and those whom see hurting or in need. Pray for each other; pray for yourselves.

This time of isolation and social distancing has helped many of us discover movies, documentary, comedies, dramas, and other things to watch. Yes, we should be reading more, and some of us are doing that as we find time. And some of us have settled into comfortable routines; some of us have new routines, and challenges. One of the documentaries we watched concerned a man from Mexico who lives in The Bronx, New York City. He is there alone, doing very hard and difficult jobs to eke out a living for himself and to send home to his wife and sons. He lives in a basement on a cot in a building he shares with rats, roaches, and other vermin. His first job is to clean that building in exchange for free rent and for some pocket money. When he finishes that, he goes with a shopping cart and black trash bags to rummage through trashcans to find recyclable aluminum cans. When he has a load or two of these cans, he goes and sells them to a Korean man. He has a small cellphone to call home. What he usually gets are distressing news from his wife about one of this sons. Did I mention he has a son whom he has never met? He came to the US when his wife was pregnant and it has been almost 14 years. He wants to go home, for of all he is learning in the US is that money is not that important to him; family is. The most striking thing about this whole existence was when he went and bought seeds to plant in an area just outside his room. He tilled the soil, planted the seeds, and cared for them. In later scenes in the movie, it shows him cooking a meal with some of the vegetables he was able to grow.

Planting says a lot about a person, as we read in this passage. It is a Biblical notion that to plant is to set down roots for oneself; to say, this is my home and it will be God who will continue to provide for me and my family. To work the soil and plant seeds is to say I continue to have faith in You, loving God. And to see those first sprouts of life coming forth, it is God answering back; I am with you. To plant and grow is to remember all one has gone through and yet still have hope for the coming of better days. Our history, though we pray never to repeat it, shares our trials and tribulations as well as our joys and victories. And to be thankful, we are mindful of where exactly we saw God's loving hands at work in our lives.

I have said many times, we need just to change the word Israel into our name, and we see our story shared, even in this passage. And this should cause us enough joy to sing!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, our history is rich with your handprints on our lives, our struggles and our joys. May we plant in the hearts of our loved ones that truth, so that they never forget we belong to You. May we learn and be blessed from the difficult times, so that when joyous times return we can truly rejoice in thankful ways. Remind us that our story is still being written. If we are not yet at the place we desire, we are not far from it. Bless those who are sick, those recovering, those seeking answers and meaning; may purpose and joy come to all hearts today; this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Plant a song of joy in someone's ear today! And you might even have to sing it out loud!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

God Will Do Amazing Things Through You!

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Hear the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3oHvrQr

7 The Lord said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. 8 You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, "When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.' " 9 Joshua then said to the Israelites, "Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God." 10 Joshua said, "By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: 11 the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. 12 So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap." 14 When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, 16 the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan. (Joshua 3:7-17 NRSV)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend! May this find you and yours doing well. We have this prayer request from FUMC Gonzales: "Dena Fritz has asked for prayers for her niece’s husband Chris Marek, her niece Rachel and their entire family. Chris is in the hospital in Houston in need of a liver transplant. They discovered a blockage in his heart that first had to be addressed, so he had a stent placed and is on blood thinners for 30 days. Please pray for him to stay stable and for a successful liver transplant when the time comes. Please also pray for their two little ones, Ryan & Riley." Indeed, let us pray for Chris, Rachel, Ryan, and Riley; for Dena and all their family. Please pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

Have you ever started your morning praying, "Lord, do amazing things through me!"? More than likely some maybe haven't prayed this, but have sort of wanted this, "Lord, just leave me alone today; don't want to walk on water, or part the seas, or even have to say hi to that person walking my way..." Okay, maybe not even that. But imagine if you were to do this first thing tomorrow morning? What would the results be? This passage shows that when God is involved extraordinary things can, and do, happen! It's easy to say, well, pastor, that was the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, so God had to be present! Yes, but the amazing things that might happen include touching a life that perhaps thought they were not touchable. Many have been the stories of those who had planned on ending it all when someone just greeted them and by that simple gesture saved a life. That's amazing, isn't it? There is a countless list of what we would call simple and insignificant that in the world of those who receive our gestures of kindness would argue and say, "You've saved my life, or touched my life for the better!"

We learn from this account of God's intervention that God can stop the flow of a mighty river (not to mention an ocean or two!) so that the sacred can continue through. Not to mention that God's intervention can also stop the flow of whatever "river" is starting to flood your mind with negative thoughts, or negative comments. And, who knows, your actions may remind people there truly is a God, and that might make them change their lives for the better. I heard a famous comedian say he became a Muslim because of the enthusiasm for life his Muslim friends had for life and how they approached their work in the pizza restaurant where he hung around with them. Have you made such an impact for Christ in your job?

PRAYER: Loving God, many, and way too numerous to count, are the blessings You have brought into my life. I pray that You would do amazing things through us starting this day. We may laugh at how simple or insignificant we may think what we are called to do will be, but we want to impact the worlds of others so they might have life, and the hope to face life. Father, it may be a phone call we make, or a letter we write, or a wave and a smile to someone; but use us to make the world a better, brighter place. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray the prayer that says for God to use you and do amazing things through you!

Receive my blessings of hope and success,

Pastor Eradio

God's Work Isn't Easy; But It's Rewarding!

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Hear today's devotional here: https://bit.ly/34AhM5v

9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. 11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday, dear Friend! As we gather for time in God's word, let us also gather to pray together for situations and needs. For a domestic situation in the Panhandle of Texas; for the Davis Family after saying goodbye to their son; for those awaiting surgery, for those recovering from surgery, for those planning weddings, those who are unemployed and desperate for work to make money for their basic needs, for the election happening next Tuesday. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

The hardest working man in church business would have to be the Apostle Paul. Filled with excitement and wonder, fueled by his time with the risen Christ, and seeing the successes of his ministry come through the power of God's Holy Spirit, Paul worked hard, and as he himself writes, "We worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God." Besides working hard, Paul and his team exhibited "pure, upright, and blameless" conduct towards the other believers and pre-believers; even saying that his conduct towards these new and soon-to-be believers could be compared to a father and his children; "urging and encouraging" them, and pleading they be living lives worthy of God and God's calling on them. And Paul was thankful these Thessalonians believers received God's word as being truly from God, and not an invention of human origin, made evident by the way it was made visible in these believers.

As we prepare to wind down the month-long pastors appreciation, I want to say the word I have heard from some dear friends still in active ministry is the word frazzled. One friend just lost his father to cancer. Another friend had to officiate the burial of a stillborn baby. Another one had chills and fever and thought he had Covid-19 but thankfully found out he did not, but still suffered those symptoms and the weaknesses that come with them. Another still has not yet opened their church for live worship because of the precautions they follow in their region of the state to mimic those of the schools districts; and all others who have to work longer hours to tape, edit, upload and stream their worship services and Bible studies through YouTube and Vimeo; FaceBook and Instagram. All not only share that sad common word, they also share the urgency, like Paul, to do all they can, to reach all they can. Add to that constant efforts to retain believers and not lose them; to prepare and deliver sermons that speak words of hope and encouragement, while most in the congregation, either in person, or at home, battle the effects of staying socially distanced and remote from others, especially loved ones. As the title says, "God's work is not easy; but it is rewarding!" Most of those pastors would not trade places with you or me because they are where they know God wants them to be, and they are doing what they know God wants them to do.

We cannot sit on the bench and not offer our assistance, even if it is to pray longer and harder for these pastors and their churches as well as the feelings that sometimes overwhelm each of us during these times of isolation and caution. Satan loves these settings to do his best efforts to distract and discourage; which he knows can lead to "steal, kill, and destroy." (John 10:10). Pray that Jesus lift these pastors' hearts and spirits, that Jesus bless and protect the hearts of the families behind these pastors, while not losing sight of the prize that awaits their faithfulness.

PRAYER: Awesome Father, hear our prayers for these men and women who labor long and hard hours to bless Your people and protect Your kingdom. May the Blood of Jesus cover each servant and each of us, so that the evil one not approach us. We do what we do, for You and Yours; may everything we share bring forth a crop of great return; in Christ Jesus' name we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share yet another prayer for your pastor(s), and for all pastors in your communities. They fight a real enemy, as do we.

Receive my blessings of joy and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

True Greatness...

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Hear the Devotional narrated here: https://bit.ly/2HBWwUg

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! Brittany Spears sang it first, and I don't know what the song was about, but the title sure is fitting for me; Oops, I Did It Again!" In my case, I shared with you yesterday, the gospel text for this coming Reformation Day, and not the Sunday gospel text. I did say I was older, didn't I? Yet, in my opinion, one can never get too much gospel! Dear friends, I ask very special prayers for Taylor and Blaine Davis and their family. I received word that their newborn son passed away before he could be born. This was a devastating blow to that family and we ask God's comfort and peace be with them during this very difficult and trying time.

I've shared with you in this devotional, photos of ancient Moses' seats that we encountered on our tour of Israel some years ago. The custom was for the person who was preaching to stand, receive the scroll from that day's attendant, read the scripture, roll it back up, return it back to the attendant, and then seat on Moses' seat, and then share what he had read from the scroll. It was very symbolic of it being the seat where Moses would have sat, for he was the one who spoke directly with God and received from God their law. In this passage, Jesus attacks those scribes and Pharisees, for though they had the privilege of sitting in the Moses seat, they did not have the right nor privilege to abuse their authority or worse, to fail it. In Monday's Upper Room devotional, the writer used the same gospel lesson as yesterday's, John 8, and he spoke about freedom because he had lost his. He's a prisoner in a prison, and he confessed he had been a pastor who did not adhere to what he was teaching and built us his own world, and that cost him that career, his wife, his children, and most everything else that he held dear that sadly, most of us take for granted, especially his freedom. He remarked that prison turned out to be the quiet place that one needs for reflection on God and God's word. He said he never thought it would be a prison where he would once again discover the joys of knowing and following God.

What an insult those so-called religious men received from that word from Jesus that day! Yet, sadly, what an insult to God to claim to be holy and not live a life that does not come near to being what it should be. These religious leaders abused of their authority for personal gain, and nothing for the good of others, especially the poor, the downtrodden, the neglected and the unseen. Oh, they loved the places of honor, the best seats, the respect and greetings that came from their position, but to live a life so far from God is so tragic. Yesterday with nothing else to watch on TV while we awaited the show we really wanted to see, I started viewing old music videos and saw one of The Rolling Stones in Ireland in 1965 and what stuck out while The Stones played "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," one of the men in the front row enjoying the music was a priest in a collar. I saw him as the video started and later when the camera panned to him Nellie exclaimed, "There's a priest in the audience!" We don't know his role in the concert, but if it had been simply as a music lover, so be it.

Jesus continued with His teachings; "But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father -- the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah." Jesus is stressing the seriousness with which we are to take being subjects to God and what God offers to us, for He closes this passage with, "The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." Bam.

Our call is to recognize our need and total dependence on God; if God raises us up, glory to God, but if we are in what we might consider a humble spot, glory to God nonetheless. John Wesley's Covenant Prayer reflects that perfectly, and this from a man who dedicated his life to learning and knowing as much as he could about God and how best to serve God. Wesley writes, "I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside by thee. Exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen."

Amen, indeed.

PRAYER: Loving Father, may the words of Mr. John Wesley be part of our words as we pray; but deeper still, take us to the depths needed to receive more and learn more; and as a result and with gratitude, to do more. May we never be guilty of being satisfied and content in serving You, because we know there is more yet to be done. May our prayers reach Your loving ears as we pray for our needs and for those who are in need; bring healing, comfort, peace and love to the dark corners of every heart for whom we pray; in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a humble life of serving God and all of God's people today and all days!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Truth Shall Set You Free!

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Hear this devotional read here: https://bit.ly/3mp6XJM

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36 NRSV)

Happy Monday, dear Friend! I pray this finds you well. This finds me a year and a day older! I am so blessed that my granddaughter Eliana Beth Garcia and I share the day and helps me keep track of her age. She and I both turned 8 yesterday! Of course, I only have 60 years on her! We are very much alike and I enjoy her company, though this Covid has kept us apart than we like. As we pray, please pray for Tiffany Itz of San Antonio, TX who tested positive for Covid yesterday. Pray also for her colleagues who were all being tested yesterday as well. Pray for those who are ill, sad, mourning, hungry, and in need. Pray for yourselves as well.

We find ourselves now in the Gospel of John. Of the four gospels, John is the more spiritual gospel. The other three, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called synoptic gospels because they tend to have the same general themes of Jesus in them, and it is believed that Mark was the first gospel written, Matthew and Luke borrowed from it, as well as other sources. John's is very much on the theme of God's Holy Spirit and several declarations made by Jesus in that gospel that the other three did not. These include several declarations that Jesus makes about Himself, such as The Light, the Gate, Bread, etc. In this passage we find Jesus speaking of truth, and as the sheep declare above, Jesus is the Truth, for it is He who sets us free.

This passage has Jesus wanting those Jews who believe in Him to stay in the faith. His parable about the sower shared the truth about how the word of God does not always find solid footing and soil in which it can grow, and knowing that to be truth, Jesus wants those Jews to stay in the faith. It is through maturity in faith they would come to deeper realizations of life and the fullness of life that Jesus was sharing. A key theme for Jesus is that in Him, we/they can find true freedom. This confuses them for they make a declaration that basically said that by being descendants of Abraham they had never been slaves of anyone. Did they conveniently forget that part of their history that they celebrated annually as the Passover, precisely celebrated being made free from slavery in Egypt? Jesus drives home the point that anyone who sins is a slave to that sin. And Who can set us free from sin? Only Jesus. And to further the truth of His statement, Jesus adds, "Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son or a daughter belongs to it forever." Who in their right mind wants to choose to be slave when they can be a child? And a big amen to the last verse of this passage, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." All of us who have experienced the freedom Jesus has given us from sin will resonate and celebrate that saying, for indeed freedom is better than enslavement.

We celebrate the power and love that Jesus has to set us free, and we should joyously tell others about what Jesus can do for them.

PRAYER: Loving Father, thank You for always wanting us to be a part of Your family. We thank You for having accepted us in, and we pray You would empower us to share in ways that others might come to You. May we see and speak to those who are still enslaved to sin in ways that sets others free. As we say in our Communion celebration, "Free us for joyful obedience!" In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Do something that celebrates your freedom in Jesus in such a contagious way someone will ask you why you're so happy!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

You Are God

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Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/35lKwxV

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You turn us back to dust, and say, "Turn back, you mortals." 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 7 For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh. 10 The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. 13 Turn, O Lord! How long? Have compassion on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands! (Psalm 90 NRSV)

Happy Thursday to you, dear Friend! I received word that Mr. Larry Ehrig's surgery went well, and on Friday undergoes another. Please keep Larry and Norma in your prayers.

When Dean Joseph D. Quillian, Jr., retired as dean of Perkins School of Theology, of Southern Methodist University (SMU), the first thing he said he was going to do, was throw away his wristwatch. At that time, I was still in preparation for my calling and I thought about what the Dean was saying with that statement. I can now relate to the captivity he must have felt during his busiest days as Dean of one of Methodism's leading seminaries and one which was very much a part of the university's overall mission and ministry. He had a boss, the President of SMU, and he served on his cabinet. And he retired just as personal computers were the glint in the eyes of those who came to champion information and communications in one device. There were no cell phones, and this was just about the height of the CB radio craze. I know that the dean was chained to paper letters (snail mail), phone calls, meetings, and traveling to speaking and fundraising events all over the country. And all coordinated by that small time keeping piece with a big hand a little hand that revolved around 12 numbers.

The way you and I keep time is so different from the way God views time. We have finite minds that say everything has a start and an end. Infinity seems an alien concept for many. We think of places and the number of people who can fit inside them; to think of God's realm, a heaven with room for God and all who serve Him seems to be beyond our real comprehension. Even the biblical writer set a limit on those who could fit in heaven at 144,000, and those seats are already called as theirs by the Jehovah's Witnesses; all others will have to find room inside of the new earth. If you divide that number by 12 you can see it is a representative number of Israel. And the longer this explanation gets, the farther we get from understanding the truth behind this psalm; God is God, and we are not, nor will we ever be. To me, this is just the beginning of trying to understand and appreciate the awesomeness of God. God is our Creator, and in Him we find our hiding place, meaning that we find our meaning and purpose for life.

We also see God as a God of mercy and love. While God does have a wrath, it is reserved for those who totally reject Him; the rest of us have received forgiveness of our iniquities and sins. And this is what the psalmist is celebrating. He is also instructing us on how to make the most of each day. We tend to be captives to calendars, but some of us still do a pretty good job of missing doctor's appointments, or arriving too soon for events. If you can't see me, I'm holding up my hand as among chief of those who with a digital watch, cell phone, email, a digital calendar on all my devices and I still mark the wrong day for seeing my doctor and getting needed blood work almost a month early. Yet, God still loves me and while He may laugh at some of my failings, I can read this psalm as a guide to better living each day.

Here's what I read in this passage; new every day are the opportunities to fulfill God's call upon our lives. All of our yesterday's ended at midnight; God has swept them out and has given us a clean slate on which to write our joint stories with God. We pray God's favor upon us and the work that we do, and blessed by God we can accomplish all that is before us. May I suggest that we read this psalm again later today, and again first thing tomorrow? Let the words be your words of praise, prayer, and purpose.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, anoint us with Your peace, and may these words of the psalmist be our words that guide us to a deeper understanding of You and Your world. May we be tied to You and not to our watches, phones, computers, calendars, schedules. Give us the peace that comes with Your pace, so that we truly enjoy each day as a gift and blessing from You. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Bless someone who's tied to a busy schedule in a way that God will show you!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio

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No Mo' Mo'!

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

1 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” 5 And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over. 9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:1-12 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday, dear Friend! As we pray today, I ask prayers for Mr. Larry Ehrig, who underwent surgery today; may his recovery be as pain free and as comfortable as possible. Prayers also for his wife, Norma. Also, the paternal grandparents of our grandson, LIam, Rick and Gracie Vasquez, of San Marcos, and Gracie's mom, all have Covid-19. The great-grandma had to be hospitalized on Tuesday. Pray for their recovery and wellbeing. Pray for all who are suffering from this dreaded illness; pray for one another and pray for yourselves.

In our passage we come to the end of the journey for Pastor Moses. Moses is allowed by God to see the promised land, but as God had told him that he would see the land promised to his patriarchs, but would not be allowed to "cross over into it." If we jump back to Deuteronomy 32;51-52, we read there that God had not allowed Moses in because of Moses' transgression at Maribah Kadesh, where God had instructed Moses to speak to the rock and instead Moses struck the rock; an act God saw as being disrespectful, and the punishment would be that Moses would only get to the see the land and not step foot on it. And, after seeing the land, Moses died. No mo' Mo.

As was the custom, the Israelites mourned for thirty days. When my maternal grandfather died, we observed a formal period of mourning the likes I was not accustomed. My mother and my grandmother wore black dresses for the entire 30 days, and Dad decreed with Mom's loud seconds, that we were not to watch television for 30 days, and we were not to hear another note of music in our home. We missed our dear grandfather, but the pain of this observation seemed to hurt us more. We followed that period of mourning for maybe a week, then the period of mourning was lifted as were the dark clouds of our sadness. The Jewish influence on our family was very evident in that demonstration; one can only imagine the mourning over God's prophet, whose obituary that begins with verse 10, merited. "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt -- to Pharaoh and to all his officials and the whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel."

This passage also shares with us that Joshua, son of Nun, is the one anointed by God to follow Moses as leader of God's people, and before his death, Moses transferred the leadership with the anointing of Joshua's head and the presence of God's indwelling Holy Spirit for the work that needed to be continued and completed. We close the chapter on Moses by noting the greatness found in this flawed human, taking inspiration that God desires our faithfulness over flawlessness, and our commitment to follow through to complete that which He has assigned to us. Is anyone perfect? No. Just our Lord, Jesus; but did that stop Jesus from calling others to serve Him? No. Jesus continues to call from among all who would respond, those who would commit their lives to serving and glorifying Him, in all the ways that He deserves.

PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for your willingness to look into our hearts and despite our flaws, You still continue to call us and use us. We have a million and one excuses for not saying yes, but still You invite us and deploy us into Your faithful service. May we seek to be faithful and fruitful, and we may seek to continue to serve You in ways that win others to You. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Help someone see the promises of God in places that perhaps we are not quite there yet!

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio CORRECTION: My thanks to my fellow world traveler and colleague in ministry, The Rev. Wade Floyd of Bay City, TX, who spotted an error in the years I shared about Paul. The extra zero on the 7 was not needed; Paul was removed from Jesus by about seven, not seventy years. Please make that correction in your hearts and minds! Wade and his lovely wife, were with Nellie and me in our tour of the Holy Land, seventy years ago, and since then Wade has been a gracious reader of ConCafe and friend to us.

Give of Yourself, for Christ's Sake

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Hear the Devotional Read here: https://bit.ly/35iSKXT

1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 The Message)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! May the Lord bless you and keep you as you study His word today.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and this text serves as a good reminder of the realities of the lives lived by those who have heard the call of God into professional ministry. We would have to list Paul among the first of those called in the manner of your pastor, and me. We were years from being eyewitnesses like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Saul, some 70 years distant from Jesus' death, had an encounter with Him, and was called by Him to serve Him. It takes tremendous faith to respond to a nudge, or tug, or push from God, to leave all other plans behind, and to, quite literally sometimes, "take up our cross and follow" Him. And that usually means to change one's educational trajectory and dedicate oneself to preparing and then serving the Lord among God's people. Some have called ministry among the loneliness professions. The work is done out of love for Jesus, and out of love for Jesus' people and those who will be Jesus' people. As Paul wrote, sometimes there is suffering and outrageous treatment, usually on the pastor; and many pastors face opposition to the work they do and the word they share. As Paul also mentioned, some parishioners do not want to hear what God has to say, but reinforcement to what they already think they need to hear (2 Timothy 4:3), and sermons that go against that are not usually met with joy. The majority of pastors share, not only sermons, but themselves, in hopes of winning new converts. This passage speaks of those who are successful are so because they give of themselves in authentic ways. Their motivation is love from and for Jesus, and that same love shared with all.

I urge those reading this, to give lovingly to God's messenger among you before the month comes to an end; because some ministers sometimes feel, like Paul wrote about such suffering, they sometimes walk away from ministry, and sometimes even away from God.

The truth is all of us who are believers are in ministry for Jesus. We should live our lives in genuine ways that impact people in positive ways, and seek to win others to His kingdom. Our calling is usually reinforced by our pastors' sermons, devotionals, books, etc. so that we evangelize others with our sincerity and devotional to the Lord Jesus Christ. We do so out of love and caring, because those things have become part of our nature. Paul's reference to a "nursing mother" and her care for her children, speaks of his love for those who need his care and attention. There is still much for us to do!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, speak to our lives in ways that make us respond. We pause to thank You for our pastors and pray Your care and attention be with each of them. Lift their heart when they feel heavy inside; and calm their souls when they feel overworked and burdened; and bless us to be faithful in our ministry among all who seek to know You better; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Send a card of appreciation to your pastor.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio

How Well Do You Know Your Bible?

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Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/347VjMQ

34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" 37 He said to him, " "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." 41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." 43 He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 44 "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet" '? 45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" 46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:34-46 NRSV)

A gracious Monday be yours, dear << Test First Name >> I pray the weekend blessed you with rest and rejuvenation and that you face this new week with new strength in your faith, and a deeper commitment to serve God in ways that God may offer you! I ask for continued prayers for the ex-husband of my first cousin as he battles for his life in ICU. Pray for those whom need God's blessings, and if you're one of those, pray for yourself!

The study of God's word should be a deliberate stroll of awe and wonder as if one were in a forest or woods of tremendous beauty, and not a jog through a familiar neighborhood. One tends to be blessed more and learn more as one seeks to draw closer to God. The truth is the more we know, the more is our strength to battle against doubt, fear, and temptations from Satan. When I was on the SMU campus many years ago in the early 70s, a local talk radio station sponsored an on-campus debate between Madalyn Murray O'Hair, noted atheist activist, and Rev. Bob Harrington, known nationally as the Chaplain of Bourbon Street. As the debate began, Rev. Harrington presented Mrs. O'Hair a red Bible, loudly declaring that "all Bibles should be read!" But, as the debate began it was clear that Mrs. O'Hair knew just as much Bible as Rev. Harrington. Both knew their scriptures, but one chose not to follow it, just as those who tried to trap Jesus in today's passage.

Jesus is asked by a Pharisee what is the Bible's greatest commandment? Jesus knew that answer easily, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." And He also responded with a "second commandment," that of "love your neighbor as yourself." Both of these commandments are the foundational stands of all the law and the prophets.

Jesus then asked them what they thought about the Messiah, and also whose son they thought He was. They reply that the Messiah is the son of David. Jesus, knowing His scripture, then asks how it was that David would, under the influence of the Spirit, call the Messiah Lord, if He was truly David's son? This is what trapped the Pharisees. And they have been silent since then; because the Messiah is the Son of God, for it is through God that He was born as Messiah and Savior of you and me.

As righteous and well-educated the religious leaders presented themselves, they did not know as much scripture as Jesus. Talk about joggers not knowing the scenery; these were they. And worse than just casual joggers, they did not know the author of the word. Jesus knew both the Author and the love behind the sacred word. And, if we say we know the Lord, we seek to know Him in ways that can bless our walk with Him and our walk through life. Life brings enough challenges that without the proper preparation and equipment we can suffer if not outright be defeated totally. Why risk it? Let us instead prepare ourselves for a faithful walk in the hands and care of the Lord Jesus.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as we lace up our shoes, help us lace us our faith, for we want to walk snugly on sure footing, for the pushes and pulls and strains of life try to knock us off course; steady our walk. Prepare our minds with the prompt and proper response against evil; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Bless someone who might need help with their unsteady walk with Jesus!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio

Never Forget!

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Listen to the narration here: https://bit.ly/3793jPM

1 The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he! 4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Extol the Lord our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy. (Psalm 99 NRSV)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend. I pray this finds you well. May our time together bring blessings upon blessings for our spiritual and physical lives. Please continue to pray for the needs of which you are aware, and make time to pray for one another, and for yourselves.

The psalmist's heart could never stop thanking and praising God. To read these words from the hand of Israel's great king and one understands why God chose him at a young age to be king over such a great nation. God used him to make Israel even greater because of his leadership. The man, who when he was a boy slew the great military giant, Goliath, is the same man who writes from his heart the praises of the living God. It is humbling to see a great king take second place to the true king, God. David never considered himself greater than God and that same attitude was found in his son, who succeeded him as king. Solomon was a true son of David, for when God asked him what he wanted to be a good ruler, the son knew to ask only for the wisdom to rule fairly and justly. The words of the son were first the words of the father; "lover of justice," "equity," and, "righteousness." Did not the father speak these words in the presence of the child while he was growing up?

And David knew and cherished his history and heritage, and wrote about Moses and Aaron, and Samuel. The story of the Exodus was a fresh story and memory in David's heart; and to know and speak of God's forgiveness is something we still have to mention and be thankful for even and especially today. All of which led David to be a worship leader and king.

What words have we taught our children? If they are grown now, are they themselves models for their children? What psalms would they be capable of writing and sharing? If nothing else, I would pray they are capable of praising and thanking God.

PRAYER: Awesome God, some of us have had to unlearn words we learned from parents and grandparents. Some of us have had to learn new behaviors from outside the home to be more like the believers we have learned to become. And some of us are still "under construction" and we pray for Your loving patience to be truly God-made and God-shaped. Visit us today with a freshness for life and a zest for being truly genuine in our worship and praise of You. We pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Use only praise words today in all of your sentences; yes, make folks wonder what you've been up to!

Receive my blessings of joy and life,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Let Me See Your Face

Hear the devotional here: https://bit.ly/2T5kR7f

12 Moses said to God, "Look, you tell me, 'Lead this people,' but you don't let me know whom you're going to send with me. You tell me, 'I know you well and you are special to me.' 13 If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don't forget, this is your people, your responsibility." 14 God said, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end." 15 Moses said, "If your presence doesn't take the lead here, call this trip off right now. 16 How else will it be known that you're with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we're special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?" 17 God said to Moses: "All right. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me. I know you by name." 18 Moses said, "Please. Let me see your Glory." 19 God said, "I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I'll call out the name, God, right before you. I'll treat well whomever I want to treat well and I'll be kind to whomever I want to be kind." 20 God continued, "But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live." 21 God said, "Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. 22 When my Glory passes by, I'll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I've passed by. 23 Then I'll take my hand away and you'll see my back. But you won't see my face." (Exodus 33:12-23 The Message Version)

A very blessed and wonderful Wednesday to you and yours is my prayer.

Moses is one of the first leaders we read about in the Bible. Moses was also a good student of leadership, as we know that from his father-in-law, Moses learned delegation and in today's passage we also learn that Moses lacked patience, which is key to great leadership. Now, in defense of Moses, his congregation was unruly, headstrong, impatient, and demanding. And that sort of rubbed off on this leader. We meet Moses when he's acting out his impatience and wanting to know answers to the question his flock had been asking for most of the journey; "Are we there yet?" Moses wants answers to question that only God knows, and he's sounding almost childish in his asking. Thank God we never do this (all the time!) and at a critical point, Moses asks for something of which he already knows the answer; "Please. Let me see Your Glory." Moses knew that a fundamental rule about God is that no one sees God face-to-face without dying. If you see God, you die was the understanding. God is so holy that the human cannot take the spiritual/physical impact of God's holiness upon our eyes, our skin, and our muscles and organs. As you read this, you're probably thinking this just can't be. Yet, God grants a partial concession to Moses' request; God says He will hide the people in the cleft of a rock and God would let Moses see God's back.

What hymn do you think of when you read or hear the word cleft? I think of Rock of Ages, for in this story, we see the strength, the refuge we find in Christ Jesus, for in Jesus we can hide from those things that can otherwise kill us and find God's amazing protection. Even way back then, among the people being formed, God is showing the what-was-to-be in His Son, our Lord and Savior. The Apostle Paul shared a partial list in Romans 8 of those things that cannot separate us from Jesus' love, for Paul knew Jesus to be the cleft, the Rock of ages.

A dear friend and colleague called me and we talked about a friend of his family who is dying. She wants to know what happens when we die? She asked, "Do we just sleep or do we immediately go into the presence of God?" We tossed theological ideas back and forth, and I said, you know, the honest answer is YES. If we live, love, and trust the Lord, when we die, we die in the Lord, and whatever may come next, who cares? We have lived and we have died in the Lord, the Rock of Ages, and in Him, we need not fear anything, for in Christ Jesus we have found life, and we know that life after death, is never will never end.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, hide us all in that Rock of Ages, in Whom we need not fear anything or anyone. Help us remind others of that which Christ Jesus promised to us, so that new believers may join us in this wonderful journey of faith and life; a life without end. For those mourning the loss of dear, loved ones, send Your comfort; for those needing healing, please send Your mercy of healing; but in all things, may Your will be done. All honor and glory is Yours, Lord Jesus, for we pray in Thy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show people that you have been in the presence of God today!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Here's that hymn with a different twist: Mr. James Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UznDZGOLTM8

Changed Lives as Imitators of Christ!

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

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming. (1 Thessalonians 1 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! I pray this finds you well and on your way to having a great week! As we pray, I invite us to pray for Mr. Larry Ehrig, Ms. Connie Avant, and Ms. Deannie Ploeger, who were hospitalized last week. I do not know their status as of this writing, but we pray they are better and out of the hospital soon. Also, we are saddened by the death of Mr. Garrett Miller, who died yesterday, Monday, 10/12, and we ask prayers of comfort and peace for his widow, Layne. His graveside will be on Wednesday afternoon. Please pray for one another and for yourselves. Look at the model set by Paul in his writings above, verse 2: We ALWAYS give thanks to God for ALL of YOU and MENTION you in our PRAYERS, CONSTANTLY remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. And as the nervous, new preacher preached at his first sermon, "Let us go and do likewise! Amen!"

It is very important at different points of our lives to imitate someone. Who did you imitate as a child? I had a couple of role models that I thought I should be like; my Dad for he was the real, true superhero in my life, and Zorro, who dressed really cool, or so I thought. I didn't quite have the cool round hat he used, nor the mask, not the tight-fitting pants, well at that age and given my eating habits, all of my pants were tight, nor the shirt; but what I did have was a towel that worked great as a cape! And with a wooden stick I had found I had my sword. And so I could be Zorro! And was, until that one day my Mom dropped me off at Primera Iglesia Bautista (First Baptist Church) where I was enrolled in Kindergarten with Miss Moreno. As we're driving up to the church, right across the street from the church was a kid in his backyard, dressed EXACTLY like Zorro! I mean, his mom and dad must have been super rich to have bought him the real costume. I mean, he had the mask, the hat, the real cape, and the plastic sword that might as well have been British Sterling Silver; I was crushed. Kingsville was not big enough for two Zorros. I would be like my Dad.

Now, as Paul and his two amigos did, I try to imitate Jesus as best I can. One of my short thought prayers as I dress is to say, "Lord, let me love as You love," and realize that is asking a lot, but I want a lot of love to be able to love all people. And as Paul and Silvanus and Timothy did, they lived a life just like Jesus and so it was easy for others, especially those among whom they ministered and worked, to want to live like them. Imagine, this was a difficult thing for these people of Thessalonica to understand; yet they saw the actions, heard the words, but felt the heart of love in these three servants of the Lord Jesus; they were contagious (in a good way; don't think Covid!) and they caught the joy and felt the zeal of serving God in this new way. And this during a season such as this, it is very necessary to see kindness and tenderness towards all people; for this is who we are! What reports would your fellow believers share about you? What reports would you share about them?

PRAYER: Loving Father, fill us with Your mercy and love! Help us be the models others would want to imitate, not repudiate. Help us to model ourselves as Your Son, Jesus. May our words, and more importantly, our actions give You away! Bless those for whom we are praying; we pray in His Holy Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Send someone a card today who might need cheering up or a blessing. May I suggest Mr. James Dorff, former bishop of this area? His address is 10031 Apple Creek, Dallas, TX 75243.

Receive my blessings of joy and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Another installment of my YourBestDayEver podcast is here! Choose to Rejoice! Choose to Dance! https://bit.ly/36Wwo0B

Who Gets Your Love? Your Money?

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15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22 NIV)

Happy Monday! May this day find you blessed and well is my prayer for you, dear Friend. This is the Gospel lesson for this coming Sunday. Yes, you may have read this last Monday. I pray the message is still as fresh and powerful for you and your daily walk with Jesus. I ask for prayers for Mr. James Dorff, former bishop of our conference. He has been battling cancer and has lost a lot of weight and is very weak. Pray for his comfort and peace. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.a

The political climate in Jesus' day was very charged with anger and distrust, similar to ours right now. The Jewish nation of Israel was no longer theirs; they had lost their land to the Romans and their government setup was distantly run by Rome, with the religious leaders of Judaism trying to govern their spiritual realm in cooperation and distrust from the secular Roman rule. In many ways, there was an overlap. To say the Jews disliked the Romans and their rules, laws, and presence, would be an understatement. And to ask them how they felt about paying taxes to a foreign government who was occupying their land, would be to ask them to punch you. The religious landscape had the priests, scribe, zealots, Pharisees, Sadducees, and an interesting group called the Herodians. These guys actually aligned themselves with Herod. Herod was a terrible man and ruler, and in no way a friend of the Jews. Still, they wanted to be in on all of the religious decisions of the day, and the chief one was to trap Jesus and find a way to kill Him. So, the Pharisees planned out what they believed would be a great, unstoppable plan to trap Jesus and thus bring Him to justice. Notice the smoothness of their language with our Savior.

"Teacher," a great way to try to disarm Jesus and try to lower His guard, "We know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth." Okay, we know the ones not speaking the truth are these so-called religious leaders. They continue, "You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are." They meant to say, you're basically ignoring us, and won't give in to the way we would like things to remain! "Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?" In our day, that's the same as asking, "Do you want to go to jail by not paying taxes?" In those days, they could have taken a "NO" answer straight to the government with known results from that being that Jesus would have been executed by the Romans as a traitor. The stage is set.

I love that the Bible says, "But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, 'You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They bring to him a denarius. Jesus asked, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" They only had one way to answer, "Casear's." Then Jesus says, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Boom! What could they say? They just walked away.

There was no love in the hearts of these leaders; they were evil, bitter men, devoted to their traditions and customs and to the position they had managed to achieve in their lives. Jesus posed a threat to them, for He came preaching a different way of seeing the law; a loving expression of God's intent to redeem, that is, call back His people. Their way was to continue their exclusive and elusive way of law; keep it for ourselves, the privileged. All others can stay where they are; as long as they pay what they owe to keep our way the way it is. Jesus, by contrast, was all about love. Which made me name the devotional, "Who gets your love? And who gets your money?" We should, by the title we give ourselves as Christians, love the Lord our God. And by that same token, we should love all people. And by logical progression, we share our money with that which blesses us and guides us. We should not make a fuss about tithing to the Lord, or to sharing assistance with those who need our support. It should be our way of life and faith.

PRAYER: Loving Father, help us prioritize our lives in ways that bring honor and glory to You and Your Kingdom. Forgive us the times we have allowed our anger or dislike guide our sharing. Make us people of a blessed abundance mindset to share with You and Yours. In Christ Jesus' strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share this devotional with someone who needs a blessing! Ask them to subscribe!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

God is Good! All the Time!

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Yes, narration today! Listen here: https://bit.ly/3lpvSw4

1 Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all his praise? 3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. 4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them; 5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage. 6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. 19 They made a calf at Horeb and worshiped a cast image. 20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. 21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, 22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. (Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 NRSV)

A blessed Friday be yours, dear Friend, is my prayer for you and yours. We begin with the sad news that Ms. Elizabeth Alegria Riley died on Thursday at 12:53 pm in Corpus Christi, as a result of Covid-19. She fought a long, difficult battle, and finally the disease got the better of her and she entered into the rest of the Lord. Also, I received word that Mr. Desi Del Pozo, Jr., died two days ago in his Sugarland, TX, home. We pray God's comfort and peace for both families in these sad days. Also, we have received a prayer request for retired local pastor, Rev Mike Thompson who had a abscess after a surgery and is now fighting the infection. We pray the Lord heal him quickly of this and allow him a full recovery. We continue to ask your pray for one another, and that we not let down our guard against this dreaded disease that is claiming, still, so many people. Please wear your masks, wash your hands, stay a safe distance from others, and do all you can to be healthy and well. Pray for yourselves as well, asking God's blessings on you and those whom you hold dear.

I remember the first time I heard a pastor say, from the pulpit, "God is good," and immediately, his congregation responding loudly and joyfully, "All the time!" Wait? What? Yes! That is so true! And I "borrowed" it as did so many others, that it is now a universal greeting and affirmation! God is known for His goodness and His persistence in His goodness towards us, in spite of what we have or haven't done. That greeting might as well be the shortened version of this psalm, as the psalmist declares again, his faith in an unchanging, always loving, always forgiving God. And he adds that those who can chant that affirmation, should also do it while living a life of justice and doing righteousness all the time. How would it sound if the pastor said, "God is good!" And his/her congregation responded, " All the time!" And the preacher responded, "And we live a life of justice and righteousness!" And the congregation startled might say, "Most of the time?" One or two, in a less loud voice, "Maybe once or twice?" You get the idea; the two go hand in hand; our declaring and our living a life called for us to live by God.

In those affirmations we say or hear from our churches, we should also be about acknowledging our sins before God. The psalmist did, and he even remembered his family's sins in verses 6, and 19-22. He was correct in saying, "We messed up, our ancestors messed up, and we don't deserve anything from God, yet, because of Who God is, we do get extra chances and are blessed for all eternity, if we confess and try to mend our lives to the way God intended. The Israelites had Moses, you and I had Jesus; with knowing that Jesus went beyond Moses' pleas to the Lord, He gave Himself as the sacrifice to save us.

PRAYER: Awesome God, we humble ourselves before You knowing we deserve nothing from You by the way we sometimes live our lives; but yet, we see that you have forgiven our ancestors and even us. Grant us new opportunities to truly shine our lives before You. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life worthy of the calling God has shared with You!

Receive my blessing of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio

How Soon They Forget!

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1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord." 6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. 7 The Lord said to Moses, "Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!' " 9 The Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation." 11 But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, "O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, "It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, "I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' " 14 And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people. (Exodus 32:1-14 NRSV)

Happy Thursday! May God's rich blessings be with you and yours, dear Friend.

The small Methodist Church in a small, rural community, prided itself on being a generous church. They were ahead in their monthly bills, paid their pastor a nice bonus twice a year, remembered that October was Pastor Appreciation Month and every Sunday of October did something special for her. And when one day a family of five kids showed up at their door, they were elated! The welcome committee took each of the kids to their respective classes, the man went to the Men's Sunday school, and the woman to the UMW class. When the welcome committee met after church, the only concern was the clothing the kids wore. They were clean and ironed, but they were old, and the shine of old clothing when pressed, was clearly visible and they decided they would surprise the family with new clothing. So the plan was set in motion, two ladies were to pick up the kids after school and with the parents' permission, took them to the Walmart in the next town, where they got them a couple of school type clothing, and proper Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes. That next Sunday word got out and so most of the church showed up early to watch the arrival of the properly dressed new family. They waited and waited. That Sunday, the new family was a no-show. The same two ladies who took the kids to shop decided they would check up on the absentees. After knocking on the door, the mother let them in and offered them coffee. They soon got to the subject of where they had been? The mother smiled and said, "We loved the clothes and so did the kids; and once they were all dressed up, my hubby and I said, 'They're dressed so nicely, they'd look really better at the Episcopal Church!'"

Yes, "that's gratitude for you!" And that's what this account of the wandering Hebrews is about in this reading. Being impatient people, Moses' time with God took way longer than they were used to; and on that particular day, the Cowboys were playing at noon, Luby's was having their special turkey and dressing combo for $3.99 per person, and if they didn't hurry, the Baptist Jews would beat them to the line. And what made it worse, was that the associate pastor, Rev. Aaron was in on the scheme; just because Lead Pastor Moses was late. In fact, Associate Pastor, all me A-A-ron, encouraging the making of this false gods by asking that all the jewelry in the camp be brought to a bonfire in the children's playground. Then he himself, yes, the associate pastor, formed the mold for this new "god." And the final product was a calf. Yep. There's your god, Israel! Never mind the fact, the one, true, living God who made you and loves you, delivered you from bondage and you're being formed into the people he wants you to be; fine. Be that way, and go that way! And the people did. They partied all night, having bought all the liquor in nearby Waco.

Well, guess who saw all that was going on? Yes, you're right! God. God saw the "festivities" and ordered Moses back down. And God was very clear about what was next; the complete destruction of the people, and God would start again with only Moses. And we see the true character of lead pastor Moses; he pleads with God to reconsider, reminding Him of what He had promised to the people. And God changed His mind!

Has this ever happened to you? Did someone in your life whom you thought would be loyal to you forever, turns around and then does a silly thing against you? Then you have an inkling of the feeling that God had when He, Who had delivered His people, gets betrayed by those same people. And all because, in their opinion, God was late. The heart not anchored in love with someone needs only a small excuse to wander. And this is made sadder when we realize that He Who made us, and saved us, gets betrayed every day by any small excuse. Yet, like Jesus taught in the chapter of the lost in Luke 15, God always welcomes us home. Where's your heart? Near to God, or far from home?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for being all about forgiveness and love, and not about harboring anger and vengeance. We seek forgiveness for those times we sought any excuse to wander away; but yet You welcomed back at any time. Help us guide others to find You; we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a guide of love to those who are wandering lost.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Do Not Worry About Anything

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

1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:1-9 NRSV)

A Happy Wednesday dear Friend. A prayer of peace and joy for you as you face the opportunities of this day. Take every opportunity to reflect the love and light of Jesus on this day.

This portion of the Apostle's writings reflect the awesome mind of a frenzied thinker, fueled still by the zeal of having met the risen Christ, and excited to be deemed worthy of sharing the gospel in Christ's commission to him. You can also tell there is much on his mind, and as he writes he goes in different directions; to his readers for them to stand firm in their faith. To two specific persons he urges unity in the Lord, and to his "loyal companion" he urges full cooperation and assistance of these two ladies; then to the general church; "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Given the circumstances of the life of a Christian believer in those days, rejoicing is a difficult command both to give, and to receive. I just read that there is a malady among some, because of the pandemic, that afflicts the soul. The symptoms mimic the Covid-19 symptoms. It affects the stomach, body temperature, body aches, headaches, and the writer of the article said it is a soul sickness. The effects of the pandemic, with a list too numerous to list here, cause the soul of those who fall prey to it, to feel a hollow in their soul. For Paul to say for believers to rejoice, he adds, "in the Lord always." The soul who shares space with Jesus does not allow much room for the soul to be invaded. And to this Paul adds, "again I will say, Rejoice." This is to affirm the positive in the midst of the negative; something the enemy hates. Satan wants weeping and despair from those whom he is afflicting, not joy and expressions of hope, which is what rejoicing is. And Paul then adds, "Let your gentleness be known to everyone." Rage seems to be the order of the day during this pandemic, not gentleness. Then he says, "The Lord is near," which fueled his drive for preaching and teaching Jesus; a key teaching of his which would allow those who knew Paul to remember his zeal for going against the times and its message; to teach Jesus and He risen, and He coming soon. The icing is his "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." A believer's soul who gets a regular dose of prayer fills up all empty spaces that others might invade and compete for; use prayer, is what Paul is saying, for it serves a lifesaving purpose. And it also brings what Paul describes next, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I will say it again, prayer serves a life-saving purpose, because it "guards" our hearts, and our minds in Christ Jesus; namely, the care and feeding of our souls is best done on a steady diet of prayer with Jesus.

Finally, Paul rounds up his thoughts with addressing our thoughts; we should think on those things that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, and whatever is excellent and worthy of praise, these will bless our lives and our souls. And our daily life should continue to be to mimic the teachings of Jesus that Paul taught, which brings peace to our souls.

PRAYER: Loving God, we pray for those who are suffering soul sickness brought on by the stresses and pressures of this pandemic. We pray for those whose souls have been affected by personal losses of loved ones and friends also as a result of this pandemic. We ask that those souls that are empty, be filled with those things that Paul said would; prayer, praise, positive reflection, and joy. Fill our hearts and souls with Jesus, in Whose name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Do your best in sharing Jesus with someone whose soul is close to being depleted.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Many Are Called; Few are Chosen!

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Hear the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3lhX93o

1 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:1-14 NRSV)

I swore I would not do it again! But, given my age, and several other factors, I wrote a devotional based on the Scripture, specially the Gospel reading for the 18th of October, and not the one for this coming Sunday!! Please forgive me, and just save yesterday's one for next Monday, and I will take the day off! And my thanks for a dear reader's sharp eye in catching the error; thank you, Mr. Ken Smith! And I pray this finds you well, dear Friend; I share some news. Our friend Dick Goss was set to have his ankle replacement surgery today, but an unforeseen need near the area to be operated made it necessary to reschedule the operation three weeks from today. So, thank God the surgeon found that area and we continue to pray for Dick as this means more pain until they can repair that ankle! Hang in there, Dick! I also got word that Mrs. Gwen Grout, dedicated Christian servant and widow of The Rev. Dr. Ted Grout, of the Rio Grande Conference, died on Monday in her nursing home in Bastrop, Texas. May God comfort the children and grandchildren of the Grout family. Please pray for their comfort.

The gospel for this coming Sunday, the 11th of October is a powerful parable that Jesus uses to try and explain further the kingdom of heaven. He said, "A king gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. He tries a second time, this time mentioning the menu of this lavish affair; barbecued oxen and fatted calves, with all the trimmings, and still no one wanted to come. This time, though, they laughed at the invitation and those who delivered it. Some of the invited guests did more; they grabbed the slaves, mistreated them, and killed them." You can imagine how the king felt about this rejection of this banquet. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and to burn their city. Then he said yet again, those folks were not worthy, go now into the main streets and invite everyone you meeting to come to this feast! The slaves found plenty of people, both good and bad and filled that wedding hall with many guests. When the king came into the hall, he saw a man who was not wearing a wedding robe, and asks him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?" The man was speechless. And the king ordered him bound and thrown out into "the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And Jesus ends His parable with this profound statement, "For many are called, but few are chosen."

The (late) Rev. Chuck McCullough and I were campus ministers are the same time; he at then-Texas A&I in Kingsville, and I at then-Pan American University in Edinburg, TX. We both knew well the challenges of attracting students at commuter campuses to return back after hours for events at our ministries. For the first years of our ministries, the fact that we taught university-level credit courses within a Bible department, helped us meet many students, who, either for a better grade, or so they hoped, or just for fellowship with other students, we would have some results in attracting some crowds, but we never truly knew how many. I remember him taking a church in Mission, when I was back in the local church as well, and his saying to me, "It sure is nice publicizing an event and having people show up!" We laughed because we knew exactly what he was talking about. To borrow the response of the prophet, somewhat paraphrased, "It wasn't so much a rejection of us, as it was of God and what God wanted to share with those who would show up."

Jesus knows that in the end of all time, there will be a lavish feast to which we all have been visited. In fact, it has been a life-long invitation that most of us have, I believe, already said yes to; while some are taking their time or just plain ignoring and others outright rejecting God's invitation. Many say, what is there to fear? I'm not sure there really is a God, and I know that there is really not a hell where we will be sent! Those are just stories made up to scare the children who don't behave. And sadly, many have been the pastors I long respected who have said very publicly they no longer believe in a literal hell. These include some pastors with huge churches and successful television ministries. And it was interesting to find on Youtube a video by a former Buddhist monk who died and spent time in hell. Yes, quite a departure from the beautiful and wonderful stories of heaven. This monk who served for over twenty years as a teaching monk, found that his mentor, a revered teacher and leader in Buddhism had ended up in hell. He also saw The Buddha in hell as well, for misleading people away from Jesus, whom he realized while there, was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. He also saw, what he called, "the biggest and tallest man I have ever seen with a wound in his forehead, who was suffering the fires of hell for having blasphemed the holy name of God." Once he became a Christian and started studying the scriptures, he learned that was the giant Goliath. I don't want to discount the validity or truthfulness of this man's testimony, but it serves as a reminder, that there will be eternal separation from God for those who do not accept His invitation to be in a relationship with Him. And that "man who was there in the banquet without a wedding robe" might just be the one who has started this rebellion and chaos that will lead many to him who will discover that he is indeed the father of lies, and quite the enemy of God as the Bible presents him.

Dear one, God cares for you, and loves you very much as the Bible says. We take the words of John 3:16 as just one example of many found in our holy scriptures of that eternal love that is ours for the taking. I share this in love as well, for your wellbeing, for your benefit, and for your future. To live a life that rejects God can lead to nowhere good; I say choose the goodness of God's love for you and yours.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as we pray, we pray for ourselves. We want to be found worthy of being in a loving and trusting relationship with You. We want to be among those You have invited to spend not just a meal, but an eternity with You. And we don't want to wait until our time in heaven, we want the fellowship to start now; so lead us on, by taking our hands and walking with us into the fullness of life. And this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Remind someone of the great banquet Jesus will celebrate with us one day in paradise if we but accept His invitation.

Receive my blessing of hope and joy,

Pastor Eradio