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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
