Friday Faith Feeding

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A LITTLE GIRL'S PRAYER

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator) and no special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. "All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?" As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, “Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything. The Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there?

The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home; anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the verandah, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas---that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out---yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle! I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted. Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?" That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child--five months before--in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."

Author Unknown

LETTER TO A COACH An Athlete's Dad

Dear Coach,

I just read your letter to my son and us (the parents) telling of your expectations for athletes under your tutelage. Johnny's mother and I couldn't agree more as we have long recognized the values deriving from high school athletics.

Judging from your record you must teach the game very well. That is important.

There is another phase of coaching, I believe, that is even more important. Permit me to explain what I mean.

Coach, John's mother and I are giving you our most prized possession to use for several weeks. During that time and throughout the next four years our son will make you one of our prime household conversations. He'll tell about how you could have made the Packers if only you hadn't hurt your knee back in '65. He'll tell us about your emotional half-time talk when you came from behind and beat Rivaltown. We'll hear about how you can still pass or kick the football. When we are hearing all this talk our son's eyes will shine. You see, Coach, he'll idolize you.

We don't have many heroes anymore. Joe Willie wears pantyhose! Many professionals would sell their souls for a buck it seems. Some college athletes made the news this year in a very negative manner. We know all college athletes don't shoplift, etc., but that is what we hear about.

You are our son's hero. We are relying on you. His muscles are nearly developed but his mind is still fragile and so impressionable. Your responsibilities are great. Impress him, Coach. Pour it on!

~~Author Unknown~~

“It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.” - W. Somerset Maugham

A person’s attitude is one of the fundamental determinants of success. The rudiments of success are to be found in the mind. It is a principle written in Scripture. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” These words from King Solomon, found in Chapter 23, Verse 7 of Proverbs, make the same point as Earl Nightingale, “you become what you think about!” Ralph Waldo Emerson updated the philosophy, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” And John Miller further modernized the concept, “The way we think determines happiness. It doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think.”

Think about what you think, for it provides a mirror to the world of your heart and soul.

If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don’t. If you like to win, but think you can’t, It’s almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost, For out of this world we find Success begins with a person’s will, It’s all in our state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are. You’ve got to think high to rise. You’ve got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize.

Cause life’s battles don’t always go To the stronger or faster man, But sooner or later, the person who wins Is the person WHO THINKS HE CAN.

The four keys to developing persistence and purpose

1. Rekindle and refire your vision and purpose everyday. Draw daily inspiration from the rewards you will receive when your vision is realized. 2. Anchor the following attitude deep within your mind and heart. “I can achieve anything I set my mind to, no matter how much hard work it takes, no matter how difficult it is, no matter how long it takes. I can and will achieve it.” 3. Realize that obstacles and setbacks will be set on your pathway as you strive to attain your vision and purpose. Realize that these difficulties are really opportunities from which you can learn new insights that will strengthen your resolve and increase your knowledge. 4. Turn your work into fun. Make what you have to do something you want to do.

* Failure is failure only if you fail to learn from it.

With the beginning of the New Year, many of us have resolutions to go on a diet and to become more physically fit. For those who really want to - you will do it. For those who just think they want to - we offer this tongue-in-cheek diet.

Dieting Under Stress This diet is designed to help you cope with the stress that builds up during the day

Breakfast 8 oz. nonfat (skim) milk 1 bowl oatmeal with 1 tsp. brown sugar 1 piece whole wheat toast

Lunch 4 oz. broiled chicken breast (remove skin before eating) 5 cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup steamed baby carrots 1 orange or apple 1 Oreo cookie Herb tea

After-work snack

Rest of the package of Oreos 1 quart Rocky Road ice cream 1 jar hot fudge

Dinner 1 large extra cheese and pepperoni pizza 1 loaf buttered garlic bread 1 large pitcher of beer 3 Milky Ways Entire frozen cheesecake (eaten directly from freezer)

You never work for somebody else. Someone else might sign your check but you’re the one who fills in the amount. - Anonymous

Tact is the ability to stay in the middle without getting caught there. - Franklin P. Jones

A survey of women graduates of prominent women’s colleges showed an average of 3.7 children per graduate. A similar survey of men’s schools showed an average of 2.4 children per graduate. The conclusion from these figures is apparent...women have more children than men.

Wholehearted Worship?

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Hear the devotional here: http://bit.ly/36iPywy

1 Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got - Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. 2 God's works are so great, worth A lifetime of study - endless enjoyment! 3 Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. 4 His miracles are his memorial - This God of Grace, this God of Love. 5 He gave food to those who fear him, He remembered to keep his ancient promise. 6 He proved to his people that he could do what he said: Hand them the nations on a platter - a gift! 7 He manufactures truth and justice; All his products are guaranteed to last - 8 Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof. All that he makes and does is honest and true: 9 He paid the ransom for his people, He ordered his Covenant kept forever. He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect. 10 The good life begins in the fear of God - Do that and you'll know the blessing of God. His Hallelujah lasts forever! (Psalm 111 The Message Bible)

Happy Thursday ConCafe Family! I pray this finds you, dear Friend enjoying God's wonderful blessings of life and the fullness thereof; and using every opportunity you have to return thanks to Him! May those opportunities include time for prayer, praying for the sick, the lonely, the isolated, the marginalized, those cast out, those imprisoned, and those who have wandered far from the embrace of God. I just received word that a dear lady from San Marcos, Kathie Patterson, died Wednesday morning. Please pray for her husband, Larry, their family and friends in your prayers today. And, let us pray for one another, and for ourselves.

Monday, we studied about the man sitting in worship who had a demon accompanying him. The sarcastic could say, "Well, he did his part in inviting someone to church!" but we miss the point! We invite those who may have evil in them to come and get Jesus to remove it from them. I truly believe the Jesus-centered church of today is the place where such powerful and radical transformations can occur. Yet, I also wondered, how many of us truly give our 100% to the worship of God when we are either watching it online or there in person? This demon-possessed man obviously had wandered off-course and into the realm of evil and so much so, that evil came to reside in him! The psalmist in this psalm of his is talking about wholehearted worship as evidenced in verse one, "I give thanks to God with everything I've got" and he adds that happens "wherever good people gather, " meaning worship. The original word for thanks goes further than a "thank you," it literally means like shooting arrows, which I take to mean, we draw back the bow within our spirit and fire off with relief and satisfaction, the arrows of thankfulness. We can even imagine the arrows being filled with our love and thanks and we fire them to where God will receive them and be blessed by them. Imagine having that mindset every Sunday; "Lord, I am here ready to fire my arrows of thanks, as I hear and receive Your arrows of love and blessing for me!" The psalmist knew that God never runs out of good things with which to bless us, and we count miracles among those things with which God shares with us when needed. God provides our food, and even delivers to us as defeated foes, those things which sought to harm and destroy us. Compare this to what the demon-possessed man sought to do while in worship!

God is faithful, and we should seek to be faithful to Him. May we totally give ourselves to all things God so that God may be more powerful in our lives. May our devotion to Him be so close that evil cannot find any space or opening in which to come and kill, steal, and destroy us.

PRAYER: Loving God, may we be open to Thy leading, O Father. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for victory in days like these! In Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Seek to be one who shines the commitment to God all people need!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Who Are The Modern Prophets Among Us?

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Hear this devotional here: http://bit.ly/2Mx2SXi

15 God, your God, is going to raise up a prophet for you. God will raise him up from among your kinsmen, a prophet like me. Listen obediently to him. 16 This is what you asked God, your God, for at Horeb on the day you were all gathered at the mountain and said, "We can't hear any more from God, our God; we can't stand seeing any more fire. We'll die!" 17 And God said to me, "They're right; they've spoken the truth. 18 I'll raise up for them a prophet like you from their kinsmen. I'll tell him what to say and he will pass on to them everything I command him. 19 And anyone who won't listen to my words spoken by him, I will personally hold responsible. 20 "But any prophet who fakes it, who claims to speak in my name something I haven't commanded him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die." (Deuteronomy 18:15-20 The Message Bible)

A wonderful Wednesday be yours dear ConCafe Family! I pray this finds the blessings of God to be too numerous to count and too wonderful not to share or pass on to others, dear Friend! Our prayers continue for the many who are still battling Covid-19, for those mourning the losses from the same, and for all who are undergoing major life changes this week. Among those, we count those candidates for ministry who have been recommended for commissioning and ordination. May God raise up fine, brave, Bible-based leaders who will boldly proclaim God's truth to a world who has built up layers of resistance to Him!

And speaking of Bible-based leaders who boldly and obediently share God's word, we count those who are in the process of preparing for professional ministry, those who are already in ministry, as well as those who are retired from ministry; but more importantly, YOU and others like you, who may not have prepared for professional ministry but nonetheless serve God in all that you say, think, and do!

Moses is giving his last sermon to the flock of God's people. It's been a long appointment at First Church Desert Mobile and the old man is not only retiring, but preparing to say goodbye to this earth. What every outgoing minister usually says to his/her congregation is usually some kind and encouraging words about the incoming minister. Most transitions of ministers moving are rarely bitter; although some have not been. In one of my churches I followed a minister who was not at all excited about being moved from the church to which I was going, or to the church where he was being sent. So, those things happen also in the sacred realm as well as the secular one.

We must not forget that a prophet is a mouthpiece for God. He or she is not a fortune-teller nor a prognosticator of things to come. Evidence one pastor who rang up an $800 phone bill calling a psychic hotline, as he was wanting to know how his ministry would fare in his new church. Oh, and he left the old church with that bill and was refusing to pay it. I don't believe the psychic told him he would lose his employment as minister for that offense! Yes, those things do happen. A prophet, who is connected with God, speaks about the outcomes that will come from their obedience or their disobedience from God. An obedient church as well as an obedient Christian will surely be blessed with good things; the opposite is true for those who disobey and try to follow their own paths outside of the realm of God. Moses had, for the most part, been obedient to God; yes, his offense of not fully following God resulted in his not being able to cross into the Promised Land, but he was allowed to see it from afar; but we do know that he did make it into Heaven for he was there to speak with Jesus during the Transfiguration with the prophet Elijah.

The promise seems to cover all the prophets that followed Moses as well as setting the foundational framework for Jesus, who was the final prophet with God's grace and redemptive word for all of humanity. There was nothing fake about Jesus or what He shared in His ministry. When I was in high school, I was very fascinated by television evangelists, among them one named A. A. Allen. He had powerful messages and when he brought his ministry to Houston I asked my Dad to take me to see him, which we did. Rev. Allen called several people to the stage for deliverance and all screamed and threw up on stage, demonstrating that the evil in them had been cast out. The next day both Houston newspapers did exposes on the "volunteers" who admitted they were paid for their "services," and given pills that allowed them to be "cleansed." Sadly, this man's ministry was fake. I wish he had been the last...

We can find God's word in His Word. We can hear God's word in the sermons our preachers preach. We can hear truth from our Sunday school teachers, and in various other ways if we are open to His leading and message. We have access to God's Holy Spirit and He can help us sift through all that is shared so that we can know what is truth and what is not. We can find God's word after we pray and listen. And we can hear God's word as we obediently do what God has asked of us. The key is our willingness to be connected to God.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us to listen obediently to You today in all the ways that were mentioned above. We seek to know You better and understand You more clearly. Help us be faithful to Your call upon our lives to serve others and to do Your will. Help us bring forth the renewal the earth needs; this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a prophet of God in sharing what God has shared with you!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Here is Monday, January 25th's narration of ConCafe: http://bit.ly/3a9G9Z9 And here is Tuesday, January 26th's narration of ConCafe: http://bit.ly/3qVmIdz

Love Above Knowledge

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1 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; 3 but anyone who loves God is known by him. 4 Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "no idol in the world really exists," and that "there is no God but one." 5 Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 7 It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 "Food will not bring us close to God." We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? 11 So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. 12 But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall. (1 Corinthians 8:1-13 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, to my ConCafe Family; Praying the blessings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you, dear Friend, during this day! We ask prayers for Ms. Mary Martha Ehrig, as she has undergone some medical exams and we ask prayers for her comfort and strength.

It is very interesting to read this awesome take of the Apostle Paul regarding knowledge and love; "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." It is an interesting question to ask a friend, "Would you rather go to a church where you learn a lot, or where you felt loved?" Several years ago in a major Texas city there was a preacher on television who seemed angry all the time. His sermons were solid with teaching, but the delivery was more of a rebuke or a tirade than a loving invitation from God. As much as I watched his sermons I rarely saw a smile. The man died and the family had a meeting to decide what to do with the church, for it was one of those family-owned businesses like some pastors do when starting a church. Of all the male children, it fell to one who was more comfortable behind the camera than to being in front of the camera, to be the new preacher. Though he claimed not to be a good preacher, soon the old building which had once been a feed store, was now too small to accomodate the crowds that were coming to their worship services. Many claimed they felt love in the worship services, and so the church grew and grew.

Paul is addressing the problem many believers had in the first century, and that was having rampant idol worship in every town and city. For example, the believers who lived in Rome had to put up with the worship off Caesar, who was considered a god, and so images/idols of him were everywhere and all citizens were expected to sacrifice to him. The meat used for the sacrifice was either eaten in the temple dedicated to the emperor or sold in meat markets. The dilemma for some believers was they did not want anything to do with meat that had first been offered in worship to a false god. Others, like Paul, had no problem eating meat that had been offered to a false god. Paul quotes "no idol in the world really exists," and uses "there is no God but one." But he was also a caring shepherd for the entire flock and so declares that he would be careful about eating meat in front of those who might be easily offended or might lose faith because of where the meat had first been offered. Paul's love for his people built up the church. He also knew that knowledge might make some puff up and declare they didn't care what others thought and would do as they pleased; and thus help to destroy the church. He even knows it is a sin to do such an act with full knowledge that it is.

Today we don't have the problem of idol worship, but we do have enough divisions within the body where we have to ask, "What serves the building up of God's kingdom in this situation? Is it knowledge, or love?" It is prayer and reflection, discussion, and love that will bless our actions and our fellowship.

PRAYER: Loving God, calm our minds and spirits to know what we need to know, as well as to fill our minds and hearts with Your love to know how best to address each situation and challenge; we seek to build up, not tear down. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show a little more love in all things!

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Even the Demons Know Jesus!

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21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. (Mark 1:21-28 NIV)

Happy Monday to you all, ConCafe Family! And may this be a day of wonderful joys for you, dear Friend! May we remember all for whom we are praying, and may we truly be people of prayer at all times. Pray for one another, and pray for yourselves!

The late Rev. Billy Graham used to respond to readers' questions in daily newspapers. One person wrote in to ask if Satan believed in God:

"Dear Dr. Graham: My friend told me about a passage in the Bible that says even the devil believes in God. Does this mean even the devil will be saved and go to heaven? I’m not sure I like that idea. — Mrs. A. McL.

Dear Mrs. A. McL: The devil and his servants certainly believe God exists because Satan’s sole purpose is to oppose God and do everything he can to block God’s plans.

The Bible says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder” (James 2:19). But I can assure you that you won’t see the devil in heaven!

For one thing, Satan would never want to go there, because heaven stands for everything he hates. Satan is for sorrow and death, but in heaven those will be banished."

Today's passage demonstrates that even in the sacred places, there could be and sometimes is, the presence of evil. Jesus, the One with authority, as He teaches is impressing the people, and annoying the demons. This man, whom all the people had probably known all his life suddenly interrupts the worship by declaring loudly, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!" Interesting that evil dares ask holy, what He wants with them? It's another way of saying, "Don't bother me! I am fine right where I am, doing what I do." We wonder, what would a demon want to do in a church? The answer is to disrupt, to interfere, to destroy, even kill all that the church stands for. Jesus answered this question in John 10:10: "10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Here it is happening! In a worship setting, the Son of God confronts a son of the devil. They ask if He has come to destroy them! No, that's your job, or it was until you met Jesus! Your job is threefold: steal, kill, destroy. Jesus' job is to bring life and that in abundance (or "to the full."). And He also drives out evil. Yes, even from churches, but especially from those who need deliverance from evil in their lives.

The people at First Church Capernaum were never the same after that sabbath worship time. They heard teaching as they had never had before, and they saw authority in action! Evil was driven out of someone's life. And guess what, that same Jesus, Who was present in Capernaum, still makes personal appearances, if invited. And, if further asked, He can drive evil out from our lives. And while some would say they don't have demons, they might have demon-like things in them that should be driven out! Insecurities about who they are and what their purpose is; any "ism-" that haunts their daily behavior, i.e., racism, ageism, sexism, etc. Hatred towards others, distrust of others. We believe the church exists as the arena where true transformation can take place, and we should take advantage of the One who still offers His services to retore and renew lives, beginning with ours.

What areas of your life do you need Jesus to change? Have you asked Him? May it be that today, a new life will be yours as you surrender the evil and negative in your life to the One who can turn your life around.

PRAYER: Loving Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit; may You make it new, pure, and holy. May I leave behind those realms of impurities and evil and may You lead me into the fullness of life. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Lead someone to Jesus today! And that someone may even be you!

Receive my blessings of peace and life,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

My Hope is in God!

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Listen here to the devotional: http://bit.ly/3p2EQlm

5 God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not? 6 He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I'm set for life. 7 My help and glory are in God 8 So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be. 9 Man as such is smoke, woman as such, a mirage. Put them together, they're nothing; two times nothing is nothing. 10 And a windfall, if it comes - don't make too much of it. 11 God said this once and for all; how many times Have I heard it repeated? "Strength comes Straight from God." 12 Love to you, Lord God! You pay a fair wage for a good day's work! (Psalm 62:5-12 The Message)

A blessed and tremendous Thursday to you, ConCafe Family! And may the full joy of the Lord bless and strengthen you today and all days! May this day bring answered prayers to you and yours. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

Some years ago, mothers would not let their children leave the house without a dime. That's right, ten cents. That's all you needed to make a phone call. You see, kids, in those days, God had not yet invented cell phones and the only way to call home was to find a phone booth or a pay phone. Now I realize I may have blown your mind with some unknown terms; a phone booth was either a wooden or a metal enclosure with glass windows and glass doors. Inside the booth, a huge contraption was the phone. You could find the coin slot and insert the dime and you would dial the number of the person you wanted to reach. Or, you could reach the operator, and she (usually) would connect you with the person you were calling. As soon as the operator answered, you would immediately get your dime back. The dime was immediately returned to the pocket, wallet, or coin purse as soon as possible for the next call. One could then drive without fear of getting distracted by a call, because as I said, cell phones were not yet invented. That dime was a security blanket of sorts for your mom and/or dad, and for you. As long as you had that dime you had the security of being able to make a call to each someone. Nowadays, our cell phones are much larger than dimes, but just as easily lost and misplaced. Yet, for some it is a security blanket.

Our greatest blessing when it comes to security, is the gift of prayer. God is as close as a thought or breath. Many of you reading this know the days before cell phones and could attest to the millions of miles we may have driven in the dark, in threatening weather, to get home, or to get to a destination, and the only assurance of our not being alone, was the knowledge that God was with us. In some parts of the world, including sections of our country, the dependence on cell phones would shock most adults. They would also be shocked to know that many of us are too attached to our electronic devices.

The psalmist shows us how it was with him and his prayer life. His knowledge of God, and love of God, allowed him to write these words. God was his hope and his assurance that in God, he would find all that he needed for all things. Our faith should reflect that same belief. Our "solid rock" under our feet, our "breathing room" for our soul, and "an impregnable castle," which has set us for life! In God, we have our help and glory; in Whom we can and should place all our trust. God is our safe place to be! We cannot see ourselves as more "than smoke" or a "mirage." Our strength comes straight from God and as such, we should be people who love and serve Him.

Let us close our devotional week with a commitment to trust God more fully and resolve to develop our prayer life. May this psalm serve as a prayer guide to aid us in this, as we pray:

Loving God, You are my one and only; my patience is found in Thee, and all the hope that I have for my future is based in You. Lord, I affirm that You are my solid rock on which I stand; in You I find room to fully live and breathe. You are my shelter and dwelling place; in truth, I am set for life. Lord, You are a safe place for me, and my hope is in You. May I glorify You in all that I say, think and do; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Pray for one another.

Receive my blessings of health, joy, and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Respond and Go!

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

1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nin'eveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nin'eveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nin'eveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he cried, "Yet forty days, and Nin'eveh shall be overthrown!" 5 And the people of Nin'eveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it. (Jonah 3:1-5, 10 RSV)

Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Family! May this day bring you blessings unexpected and joys unmerited, dear Friend! Make it a day of worship and blessings! We add the name of Jeff Massie, who today undergoes back surgery. Please pray for a successful surgery and a rapid period of healing. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves!

We have been studying the call of God for some time now, and this short book of the prophet Jonah is among the best known of call stories it may be so, because of the prophet's refusal at first to run rather than obey. Yet, it teaches that God is a God of second chances. Jonah, hearing God's call a second time, goes and does as he was told; entering the great city, which would require a three day journey to completely cross it, enters in and cries out the sermon God gave him; "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" The sermon, a tweet-length message says it all plainly, that the city only had forty days in which to repent because at the end of that time, the city would not be as they knew and loved it. The people of the city did not ask for further explanation! They believed and repented! All of the city put on sackcloth a clothing of the times that showed true repentance; and all of they city, from the richest to the poorest, changed their hearts away from was keeping them from God, to God! This impressed God so much that "God repented of the evil" which He had promised.

All to which we are called, we never go alone. God equips and God sends, and usually, God does! Yes, we're in there, and usually we're the only ones seen, but it is all God, all the time! It was Jonah's mouth, but God's words It was Jonah's feet that walked that long entry into the city; but it was God's Holy Spirit that gave him the energy. It was Jonah's willingness to go, but God's power that reached the people's hearts. I may sit behind the computer, but my heart and spirit write what I have experienced and known, but only as God directs; for I want Him to be glorified and honored.

So what has God called you to? To be more serving? To be more loving? To be friendlier? To be more giving? Whatever the task, please never look at the task as too big or too small. The same God who called you will equip you and will go with you. God will give you the wisdom, the boldness, the words; whatever it takes. So, go. And do. And be.

PRAYER: Lord God, send me. In Thy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Go!

Receive my blessings, so go! Do. Be.

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Make the Most of Time!

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Listen to the devotional here: http://bit.ly/2LzzT51

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31 NIV)

Happy Tuesday, ConCafe Family! It may yet prove to be a wonderful day of serving God and God's people in ways you ARE prepared for, dear Friend! Make the most of it!

What place makes you think that you are not there long enough to enjoy it? Some may say, my bed! Some may say, the dinner table. With my wife! With my husband! With my animals! Disney World! Whatever your answer, the question is why? We all know that life is short. Even if one gets to live over a hundred years, given the bigger picture of all existence, that is still a short time; yet, from one who pastored a woman approaching her centennial birthday, she kept asking me, as her pastor, "Has God forgotten me?" She missed her deceased husband and quite honestly was tired of living in this realm, and longed for the horizons of the heavenly.

As the Apostle Paul writes, he is repeating the above sentiments about life, but also with the certainty of that which was to come that would prove to be miserable for those who lived under the name of Christians. Paul was convinced that one should spend whatever time they had concentrating on the more important things, namely, those of God. Listen to The Message version of these short verses: "I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple - in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things - your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out." It is harsh to read to live a married life as though you had no spouse; and should you find yourself mourning, as if you had no reason to; if you are happy, live as if you are not, and so on. Paul is saying, if heaven is on its way to reclaim us, we should prepare and live for that day, not being distracted in things that will soon pass away. For, those whom God has called, to serve, serve! Those whom God has called to love, love! Those whom God has called to preach, preach! Teach, teach! etc. We get the picture.

Keep the main thing the main thing. Remember that from not too long ago? It is stating what Paul is saying; the things of God are eternal, so spend time on those; the things of earth, while pleasant and pleasurable, will pass away soon, and so, concentrate on those things that will last for all eternity.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying time with one's spouse or children, we should remember they have been shared with us by God, and to God we will all one day return. Until then, our job is to ensure that those entrusted to us are prepared for the journey there.

PRAYER: Loving God, prepare our hearts for the enjoyment of things here in ways that prepare us for our time there with You. Help us live productive lives that produce new believers of the new life available in Jesus Christ' in Whose name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Enjoy time with loved ones in ways that speak of the coming glory of God!

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

How Did You Know Me?

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43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." (John 1:43-51 NRSV)

A blessed and joyous Thursday be yours, ConCafe Family! And may you bless the kingdom of God today with all who need to see and hear a positive word from those who know and love the Lord, is my prayer for you, dear Friend. We continue our prayers for the world, our nation, our communities, our neighbors, and for those sick, in prison, hungry, thirsty, needing clothing and assistance. Our prayers continue for one another and for ourselves.

The summer of 1972, on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, I was in our family car, riding shotgun; my mother was in the middle seat, dad was driving, siblings in the back; windows open as we had no AC, and I hear my first name yelled. My Mom joked that they were calling me. Sure, I said, I've never been to Louisiana; first time in this place and someone knows me! Then the same voice yelled my last name. Yikes. They are calling me! I looked at the sideview mirror and saw a classmate from my college running as fast as he could to catch us. Dad stopped the car and I had a nice visit with a friend who was from Louisiana. It's nice to be known. And it's better when one is known not just by our name, but by who we truly are, as was the case with Nathanael.

Jesus is in Galilee, there He sees and calls Philip to "follow me." Philip accepts and joins the merry band of disciples. What's interesting is that he feels the need to tell his brother about Jesus. Such was the impression of Jesus on this man in a short amount of time. He tells his brother, "We have found Him about Whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nate then questions the hometown of Jesus; "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip simply says, just come check Him out. And the one who gets checked out is Nate himself. "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Hmm. Anyone know you like that? They don't buy what others may say about you; they know the real you. To hear this prophet say about you that you are an honest, straightforward person, that is quite something. So, naturally, he has to ask the Lord, "Where did you get to know me?" He might have expected a long story, for this was after all, someone written about by Moses and the prophets, so He must know a lot! And what does Jesus say, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nate's response makes you think that Jesus knew what he was thinking about under the tree even before his brother called him, because he says, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus asks, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?" Then, Jesus promises that Nate will see even greater things, much like Jacob saw; "the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

Jesus knows you by name. More importantly, Jesus knows you deep in your heart. He knows your potential, and He's on your side. We can stay under the "fig tree," or we can come out into the sun where Jesus will meet us, invite us, and prepare us, and send us to serve Him and His people. It's your choice!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, speak to us who sometimes love staying in the shade of the fig trees that comfort us and hide us. Let us come out boldly towards He who knows us and loves us; and Who will send us to where He needs us. Let us boldly serve You in all places; in His Name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Tell others that God knows you and them!

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Intimacy with God

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Hear the devotional here: http://bit.ly/3i7XTaW

12 Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims. 13 You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body! 14 God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power. 15 Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not. 16 There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." 17 Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever - the kind of sex that can never "become one." 18 There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. 19 Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. 20 God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. (1 Corinthians 6:12-20 The Message Bible)

Happy Wednesday, dear ConCafe Family! May blessings and wonders abound in your life, dear Friend! May all that comes our way today help us say, "Praise You, Lord God!" Pastor Matt continues to improve slowly, but in the right direction, and for that we can rejoice, but he is still in some pain and with no sense of taste, that makes it hard for one to eat. Pray for his complete recovery! And for all who battle Covid and other maladies. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

One thing that a child learns quickly is the word mine and what it means. Most of you know exactly what I mean, having perhaps experienced such behavior in your own homes. And making it more difficult are those grandparents that easily and wholeheartedly reinforce that in our precious, darling grandchildren, who can do wrong at all! Am I right? Eventually, some children do outgrow the "mine" phase. Some don't. From mine, they do graduate to "I can do this myself," to "I can do whatever I want," in whatever forms those may take in their lives. Ownership of things and the ownership of self sometimes linger well into adulthood. If left unchallenged, it makes for some difficult times in later years, especially in relationships and onto marriage. The person who never learned to share will have some difficulty in adapting to living in a shared home with a spouse; sharing resources and assets becomes a daily battle in some cases. And it is precisely this that the Apostle Paul is addressing in this letter. He witnessed and preached this message to those who lived in such a prosperous city such as Corinth; all the wealth and goods from the known world would come to its ports and with it those who would glady take it from their rightful owners. When the oil boom came to this area not too long ago, hotel prices skyrocketed to big city prices, and the development of housing areas called mancamps sprung up. And with the mancamps came teenaged prosititutes and drug problems; and the church was asked to minister to all, in ways that would help all to remember that God was still present and interested in all people.

The person who said what Paul quotes in verse 12, especially worded in more classic ways, such as found in the New International Version translation of the Bible, "All things are lawful for me," truly believed that she or he could do whatever they felt like doing, and that would be perfectly fine. To them, Paul says, "Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate," adding, "If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims." One of the most difficult counseling sessions with a young couple had to do with intimacy. The bride-to-be believed that all things intimate were proper; she was not one to believe in waiting until marriage. The groom-to-be was old-fashioned and had not had any intimate encounters. Once they started dating, she was pressuring him to be intimate with her, and he resisted. I had to admit that usually one expects the opposite to be true. She was very vocal about her beliefs and did not like to be challenged; he was the opposite. And the Apostle also encountered those who held beliefs about eating that were not in keeping with decency, thus his quoting a more modern saying, "Some eat to live, and others live to eat." Abusing intimacy and dining are things that Paul addressed in person, and through this letter as reports from that church reached him during his travels.

Who owns your body? Who owns your life? I love the modern way verse 13 says, "Since the Master (Jesus) honors you with a body, honor him with your body!" Paul reminds his readers and us, "God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave," and God will do the same for your body "with the same resurrection power." But until that time comes, we are to remember that our bodies are created with the same dignity as the Lord's body. How could we take His body to places where we know it does not glorify God? The gift of sex is a wonderful thing that our scriptures teach is part of a spiritual mystery, and not to be treated as a fleshly thing. If the Bible believes "two become one," and we seek to become one with God, how can we pursue activities that are not God-centered or God-led? We cannot violate or deviate from the sacredness of our bodies; our bodies were created for "God-given and God-modeled love, for 'becoming one' with another." The body is the temple of God, we are taught; ours were bought at a great price paid by Jesus, how can we dare squander it just for a moment or two of fleeting pleasure? He states and we should believe, "God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body."

PRAYER: Loving Father; make right in us that for which we were created. Remind us often, that we were created for You and You desire intimacy with us in ways that honor and glorify You. Bless us as we live to be those who inspire faithfulness; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Let, as the Apostle said, people see God in and through your body!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Called by Name!

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Hear the devotional here: http://bit.ly/3oDBwfY

1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for thy servant hears." (1 Samuel 3:1-10, Revised Standard Version)

A Wonderful Tuesday be yours, ConCafe Family! And may joy abound in your heart, Dear One, is my prayer. Please continue to pray for those with Covid-19; beginning with our pastor, Rev. Matt Pennington, for my cousin, Mr. Xavier Jimenez, Mrs. Katrina Sherman, and any and all whom we know that have this dreaded virus. Please friends, continue to wear a mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing, and do whatever it takes to be safe!

It's a connecting point when someone knows you by name and calls you that. If you've ever been in a crowd and you think no one knows you and you hear your name called from across the room, it brings a connection to the one calling you. The key to selling to big companies is to know the name of the person who does the buying. I remember the days of my childhood; my friend Alex and I could be anywhere in our town of Kingsville and just as it was getting dark my Mom's voice would travel miles and I would hear her calling me! I had NO choice but to stop what I was doing, and hurry home as quickly as I could, because a second yell from Mom would mean there would be consequences to be suffered, both at her hand and my Dad's hand. It's been a long time since those days. Now, we text our kids to get their attention. Email for some kids, is just too old; and getting some younger folks to answer a phone, well that's a challenge too.

We all know some of the boy Samuel's story. He was born to a mother who was thought to have been unable to bear children; and her prayer asking God to give her a son included her promise that she would dedicate this child to Him, if He would be grant her a son. When the boy was weaned, she brought him to the temple where he would serve God under the prophet Eli. The text says, "And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision." This reflects more on the people than it does God; the people had alienated themselves from God in worship and prayer; and the leadership of Eli also showed a prophet who no longer served God effectively. His own sons had become walking sermons on how not to serve God but how to serve and please themselves. It was in that environment that little Samuel gets introduced to God.

Eli is getting on in years, and the boy had finished his daily tasks and lays down for the night. It was while he was in bed that God comes and calls the boy by his name; "Samuel! Samuel!" The boy did not yet know God, let alone His voice, so he assumes that it is the prophet who called him. The boy knew to run when the prophet called, and so he does; but the old man says he did not call him. The Lord calls Samuel a second time. Again, the prophet says, "I did not call you." It was on the third call that the prophet realizes that it might just be God who is calling the boy and so shares these instructions; "Go, lie down; and if He calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears." And it was then that Samuel knew how to respond, and God speaks to him.

The rest of the recommended verses for this passage deal with the harsh reality to which the boy was being called. It was in that call that God has verbally "anointed" him as the new prophet; the new "mouth piece" for God, and the message that God had for Israel was that Eli and all his house would suffer because of their failings before God. Eli had not restrained his sons from doing what they did on a regular basis, and for that reason, they were removed from their positions. God made it clear that no sacrifice or offering would remove that judgment against them; their sins were severe and they would be punished for them.

The call from God when it comes, usually comes at some cost or sacrifice to the one being called. Some who answered the call after they had already married, have lost their spouse. A dear friend, who had been a very successful lawyer, lost his wife when she said she was not called to marry a pastor but a lawyer. Some have been disowned by their parents. And most of those who are United Methodists have said yes knowing that our itinerancy system will call them many miles away from home and from family. Yet, as the big picture becomes clear, the needed impact of presence and preaching on many, outweigh the sacrifices or cost; God is glorified and people are saved! So, if you are being called by name, there's only one answer that God wants to hear; "Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears." And have a child-like awe and wonder about that call coming to you!

PRAYER: Loving God, speak to us, especially those among us who are wrestling with a call from You. Help us understand that You are with us and will never abandon us. Grant us peace and patience, to respond in the affirmative to go forward with You to do Your work; this we pray in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show how God can use you today to those around you.

Receive my blessings and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

It's Nice to Be Known!

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Listen here to the devotional: http://bit.ly/3ovy1bn

1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 NIV)

Happy Monday ConCafe Family! And may God richly bless you, dear Friend in ways too numerous to count; and may you bless God in a special way today! May we continue to pray for all who have Covid-19, among them our pastor, Rev. Matt Pennington. Matt is self-isolated away from his home, and let us pray for his healing, and for protection for Brooke, Drew, Nate, and Grace. Pray for healing and for the vaccination of all who seek them. Nellie and I received our first dose of the vaccine yesterday, and in February we receive dose number two. Some of you have asked about my cousin, Xavier Jimenez, and I learned he had to be intubated today due to breathing problems with Covid-19. Please pray for Xavier and his family that God heal him quickly. I thank you for your prayers.

Who knows you the best? Some may say, "My spouse." Others might say, "My mom." Some might say, "My dad." And the list could grow to incude longtime friends, children, grandchildren, or any other number of people. The correct answer is God. God knows us best, and this psalm is a testimony to that. Our photo for today is correlated to verse 13, where the psalmist writes, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." I believe there is no better wonderful artwork than the work of a knitter who spends countless hours of time, knitting together yarn into marvelous blankets, scarves, etc. The ones which have blessed me have been those prayer shawls that some churches make for people facing special challenges, and all the while as each knit is made, it is more marvelous because of the prayers that are lited up with each knit; thus the name, prayer shawls. To receive a prayer shawl is to receive a garment of spiritual blessing, a knit testimony of those who cared enough to pray and knit, thus sharing a true covering of oneself with prayer.

The psalmist reached a point where he realizes that God knows us best. He says that God knows our going and coming, our sitting and our rising; even before a word is formed on our tongue, the Lord knows it completely. And, as a more completing statement, the writer affirms that God's hand is upon him, for our God is, after all, the God of loving touch. This, he says, is "too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Then the passage from above about knitting, where the psalmist affirms that God is like a knitter, Who put us together with love and blessings. "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

God's knowledge about us is, as the writer wrote, "too wonderul," and "too lofty" for us to fully understand, but our knowledge of God's love should be just as wonderful and lofty, and should serve to guide our lives in a path that glorifies God and inspires and invites others to come to that same knowledge. My eye doctor shares a daily devotional that features the borrowed items I share on Friday, and the one for today, helps illustrate faithfulness and fruitfulness, so my thanks to Dr. Richard Evans for this:

10 Little Christians.......

10 Little Christians standing in line 1 disliked the preacher, then there were 9 9 little Christians stayed up very late 1 overslept Sunday, then there were 8 8 little Christians on their way to Heaven 1 took the low road and then there were 7 7 little Christians chirping like chicks 1 disliked music, then there were 6 6 little Christians seemed very much alive but one lost his interest then there was 5 5 little Christians pulling for Heaven's Shore but one stopped to rest, then there were 4 4 little Christians each busy as a bee 1 got his feelings hurt, then there were 3 3 little Christians knew not what to do 1 joined the sporty crowd, then there were 2 2 little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done differed with each other, then there was 1 1 little Christian can't do much 'tis true brought his friend to bible study- - then there were 2 earnest Christians, each won one more That doubled the number, then there were 4 4 sincere Christians worked early and late Each won another then there were 8 8 splendid Christians if they doubled as before In just so many Sundays, we'd have 1,024 In this little jingle, there is a lesson true, You belong either to the building or to the wrecking crew!

--author unknown

May today's passage inspire us to live a life that comes a contagious agent of change for good in our lives and in the lives of those around us. You, and I, though sometimes we think we're outnumbered, or that because we are just one person, should know, that with God on our side, we can make a difference for the good, that maybe, with God's help, change the world.

PRAYER: Loving God, though we may not see You, You are with us; Your hand is upon us. Though others may not see them, an army of angels stands ready to fight the battle before us; and remind us that sight is not as important as faith, to do that which God intended us to do. Empower us, dear Father, with a faith that sees that all is possible for those who truly believe. Guide us, and bless; make us agents of love and agents of change in a world that seems devoid of basic human decency. Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory; forever and ever. In Christ's strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Shine the light of love, for love can overcome even the darkness of evil.

Receive my blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Baptism; It's What's for Life!

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Hear the devotional here: http://bit.ly/35fthPE

1 Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. 2 The first thing he said was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?" "We've never even heard of that - a Holy Spirit? God within us?" 3 "How were you baptized, then?" asked Paul. "In John's baptism." 4 "That explains it," said Paul. "John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you've been baptized in John's baptism, you're ready now for the real thing, for Jesus." 5 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. 6 Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God's actions. 7 Altogether there were about twelve people there that day. (Acts 19:1-7 The Message)

Happy Thursday ConCafe Family, and a special day for you, dear Friend as you spend time with God and His word. I pray it bring you blessings and peace as you fight the battles of life. As I write this, I do so with a broken heart as what many of us witnessed what happened at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. There is, in my opinion, no way to justify what we saw; we saw domestic terrorism against our country. I write this on Wednesday afternoon and I do not know what tonight will hold in terms of more violence. Let us pray for all people, and let us lift our nation in prayer. May God share His peace with all of us in these United States of America.

We continue our journey towards Sunday's celebration of the Lord's Baptism. And today's passage gives us an insight into the nature of baptism.

We, as United Methodists, have two sacraments; baptism and communion. And though other denominations may have the same number of sacraments, the interpretation and understanding of each may be as varied as the number of churches who hold the same beliefs. Take for example, the passage we just read. Paul and Apollos were co-evangelists for Jesus. They loved to baptize people after they came to faith; yet, their baptisms as this passage lets us know, were different. While Apollos was in they city of Corinth, Paul made his way to Ephesus. While there he happened to come upon some disciples there and Paul asks if they received the Holy Spirit when they came to faith. "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace Him with your heart? Did He get inside you?" Paul meant business; he wanted answers to know what his assignment from God was with this group. Their reply made him know exactly what he needed to do; share the Holy Spirit. They knew they had received the same baptism as John the Baptist had offered to all who gathered at the River Jordan, and that was known in the words that Paul uses; "John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. Paul pressed them to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, under the name of Jesus, and as he laid his hands on their heads, the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in different languages, exactly like Acts 2 (The Day of Pentecost); and they gave witness to God about His actions in their lives. And unlike that day in Jerusalem where 3,000 were present and baptized, there were twelve people there that day.

The baptism of John, the one which Jesus participated in, was for the forgiveness of sins; a symbolic washing of that which God was doing within the person's spirit; ridding the person of all his/her sins. Notice the reference above to "radical life change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him. The baptism at Pentecost was an empowering baptism; the disciples were from that point on, empowered to give witness to Jesus in all the world. The use of tongues showed that God could and would communicate with all people in their own language, so they could hear the marvelous things that God was doing even in their own communities. The baptism offered in our churches is first, a rite of initation, where the infant presented, becomes a member of the worshiping community; taking the place of the covenant offered to Abraham that God said would be for all, from the youngest to the oldest; which Wesley took to mean infants. The Confirmation that comes after baptism is a form of fully sharing with the baptized infant that which s/he under went and what it all means, and allows for the confirmand to publicly declare their faith in Jesus Christ. The baptism is done in the name of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, symbolizing the involvement and empowerment of the Godhead in this sacred, incarnational moment; where Christ is remembered for His participation in this rite offered at the Jordan River. Baptism is saying to those who feel unwanted; you belong to Me, and I am with you, I love you, I will walk with you, I will bless you, and I will protect you; thus my title for today: It's what's for life.

PRAYER: Loving Father, again, we hear of Your great love and we rejoice; truly we matter to You and we accept that willingly and joyously. Bless our nation witih peace, and fill our hearts with love and not fear. Let us work together for the good of this nation and the entire world. Make us truly worthy of what You have shared through the gift of baptism; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Remember your baptism and be glad!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

God Made It All!

Image from kingjamesbibleonline.org

Hear Today's Devotional Here: http://bit.ly/3rY5WvG

1 First this: God created the Heavens and Earth - all you see, all you don't see. 2 Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. 3 God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared. 4 God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. 5 God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning - Day One. (Genesis 1:1-5 The Message)

Happy Wednesday ConCafe Family! And may the blessings of this midweek day grant you, Friend, peace, hope, and joy!

First, a word about the recording of yesterday's devotional; From Sunday until Tuesday afternoon, I was in Houston. I had my iPhone microphone and thought I could record the devotional narration on it, but it did not make it on the app, and those of you who tried opening heard an older ConCafe. I am home now and will record today's devotional and yesterday's and links to both will be on the link above. Thank you for understanding.

The Story of Creation is where our holy scriptures begin. They point to only one Creator, God. The ancients as they recorded what they had heard from their forebears, made it a work of faith; God made it all. And they added, wisely, "all you see, all you don't see." The Heavens and the Earth were made by God's loving hands. "Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness." That pretty much sums up creation; a chaos of potential that took the power and presence of God to create into an orderly potential. The ancients said that God's Spirit "brooded lilke a bird above the watery abyss." God with the nothingness and with the power of the spoken word brings all things into being. "Light" was first, and God saw that this light was good; and separating the light from the dark; God named the light Day and the dark Night, and this was Day One with an evening and a morning. The foundation for all that followed, was grounded in Light. Given that Light was first in God's creation, and that God Himself called it Good, we see that this is what God wanted; a creation living in Light, and also being Light to the world. What we see Jesus doing in being baptized in water was the first calling to people in darkness to come to the Light of God's love. And to put it into incredible contrast, the waters of the Jordan have never been considered appealing or clean; remember Naaman and his declaration that the rivers in his country were way better than those of the Jordan, but the waters of the Jordan hold healing powers, and hold a very special place in God's heart.

Who holds a more dearer place in God's heart? YOU! All that God has done since that first day of Creation until now, has been for your benefit and mine. The Baptism of our Lord was mainly for our purpose, not His; but HIs love and concern for us allowed Him to be baptized, then crucified. What is our response to that?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for all You've done for us. May we never take for granted any of Your mercies. May we see the Light of day, the waters that run in and through our homes, in rivers and streams serve as reminders of Your presence and love. May we in turn be Light to others and invite them to come into the fellowship. Hear this prayer of faith in Christ's love and name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be Light, Share love today!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Hear Yesterday's devotional here: http://bit.ly/3pZbhRL . Hear Monday's devotional here: http://bit.ly/3hNCC6q

This is A Day of New Beginnings!

Image from livingwaterswineyard.org

Hear the Devotional read here: http://bit.ly/3pCKHNW

31 "When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. 32 Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, 33 putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. 35 And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, 36 I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? 38 And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' 39 40 Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.' 41 "Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. 42 And why? Because - I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.' 44 "Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?' 45 "He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me - you failed to do it to me.' 46 "Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward." (Matthew 25:31-44 The Message)

Happy New Year dear ConCafe Family! May the rich and wonderful, unexplainable blessings be yours, dear Friend is my prayer for you as we start this New Year. Please make sure you write 2021 on your correspondence and checks to your church. Be sure you start each day with prayer and worship of God, placing your complete trust in He whom we have said, "We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow." Amen.

Today is National Resolution Day; a day where many sit down (some have not gotten up much since last March!) and write out any number of desired outcomes they want for themselves. The number one resolution? Yes, it is to quit making resolutions; numbet two? To lose weight. I resemble this remark and resolution because the other day I stepped on my scale and I have to confess I bought a used talking scale and I hadn't stepped on it since buying it. I stepped on it and it said,"Elvis, is that you?" What did I buy this stilly thing in the Memphis Goodwill?! I had just thrown out the other scale that insulted me when it screamed, "One person at a time!" You get the picture, some of us have some work to do! Tomorrow, by the way, is National What Was I Thinking Day, when fully sober and of sound mind, we ask ourselves why we wrote down in barely legible writing something along the lines, "Lose Weight!"? Okay, I'm being unfair, I'll give us until the end of the week then. Which is... tomorrow.

Seriously, some people truly want change to come into their lives so that a positive improvement can take place within themselves. Losing weight is an honorable and necessary step for many of us for our physical wellbeing. What's unfair is that New Year's comes at the end of the Halloween to New Year's feast. We start with the leftover candy, and this year there was plenty; then work our way through Thanksgiving and its nonstop eating of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, etc. and etc. Then what seems like the very next week is Christmas where many repeat the exact menu from T-Day and on through New Year's Eve and the day after. My just having written the above allowed me to gain at least five pounds!

What we should truly resolve is to begin our transformation within. Jesus came to help us see this need in us, and to work a change within us for the betterment of all who are around us. After all, a New You should begin inside and that will radiate outward. And outward is key! Jesus did not come to preach for us to be more selfish and self-centered, or more convinced that we should love only those who look, talk, dress, and live like us; quite the contrary, listen again to the above passage; the emphasis is on others, and this version highlights the truth behind the love-in-action movement that He wanted to start. The final judgment will be all about how we lived with others and what we did, or didn't do, for them. The group we end up in, will determine where we will spend eternity. We will either be a lamb or a goat. And the lambs will end up with Jesus; the goats will not. And here's why: The sheep did what Jesus wanted; we fed the hungry, we gave water to the thirsty, to the homeless we housed, the cold and shivering were clothed by us, and those sick were visited by us, as were the prisoners. And here's the kicker; Jesus said that when we did it for those who are overlooked or ignored, we did it for Him. Imagine that. By the same token, Jesus said that when we overlooked and ignored those in need, we were ignoring Him. We will ask, "Why?" and Jesus will reply, "Because - I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited." The helpful and loving will enjoy an eternity of love and peace, while the selfish and self-centered will suffer an eternity separated from Jesus, loved ones, family and most friends.

Friends, may today be the first day of a new us living a new life, where we put others first, and we seek to find ways to meet their needs. When it comes down to it, life is all about realizing that we are all in it together. Yes, there are differences between us, but we either accept, or ignore them, and live life to the fullest helping others. And once we do that, love will follow.

PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for this New Year of 2021. As the hymn has taught us, "This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember, and move on, time to believe what love is brining, laying to rest the pain that's gone. For by the life and death of Jesus, love's mighty Spirit, now as then, can make for us a world of difference as faith and hope are born again. Then let us, with the Spirit's daring, step from the past, and leave behind our disappointment, guilt and grieving, Then let us, with the Spirit's daring, step from the past, and leave behind our disappointment, guilt and grieving, seeking new paths, and sure to find. Christ is alive, and goes before us to show and share what love can do. This is a day of new beginnings; our God is making all things new." Make it true in us, dear Father. We pray healing for the sick, hope for the lost, and for the hungry, thristy, sick, imprisoned, homeless and others, may we help meet their needs. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed New Year in the Lord! Live a life centered in Christ on others, and be a blessing!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde