Closing Prayer

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23 Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers; give glory, you sons of Jacob; adore him, you daughters of Israel. 24 He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there, listening. 25 Here in this great gathering for worship I have discovered this praise-life. And I'll do what I promised right here in front of the God-worshipers. 26 Down-and-outers sit at God's table and eat their fill. Everyone on the hunt for God is here, praising him. "Live it up, from head to toe. Don't ever quit!" 27 From the four corners of the earth people are coming to their senses, are running back to God. Long-lost families are falling on their faces before him. 28 God has taken charge; from now on he has the last word. 29 All the power-mongers are before him - worshiping! All the poor and powerless, too - worshiping! Along with those who never got it together - worshiping! 30 Our children and their children will get in on this As the word is passed along from parent to child. 31 Babies not yet conceived will hear the good news - that God does what he says. (Psalm 22:23-31 The Message Bible)

Happy Thursday to you, dear ConCafe Family; and a double portion of God's Spirit be on you, dear Friend! May the blessings of the Lord find themselves on your lips today, as you freely and willingly share them with so many others! Answered prayer for our dear sweet sister on her challenge; God is good. We continue to pray and wait on the Lord for all things; pray for those on your heart, mind, spirit, and tongue! Pray for other readers of this devotional, for God knows and loves them all; and pray for yourself, because you, better than anyone else, know that God loves you! And if I could, I'd like to take a personal privilege in thanking and praising God for on this day, just 43 years ago, a wonderful, beautiful, and extremely smart lady said yes to marrying me! Happy Anniversary to my love, Nellie Valverde!! Thank you for putting up with me for these years, which for me have been so blessed and wonderful! I love you!

Psalm 22, in the King James version begins in this way, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And we recognize those words from Jesus' last moments on the cross. You may have also heard some versions quote the original tongue, " Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" Sadly, most of us rarely, if ever, read beyond verse one of this powerful psalm and prayer of faith. For instance, today's passage dwells on praising God and taking reassurance in God's faithfulness always with us. And as we read in verse 26 we read the words, "Don't ever quit!" It is indeed a victorious psalm that speaks of what God will ultimately do. Yes, from here to there is a long distance, and the road varies from person to person, but the end result is that God is with us the entire way, and the outcome is always a check in the win column for God.

The image shared by the psalmist is end-times reunion among all people; from all walks of life, from the richest to the poorest, those who ultimately surrendered to God, find themselves, very un-Covid-like, elbow to elbow and sharing a feast of celebration and worship. (Think Thanksgiving with both sides of the family! In-laws and out-laws!); all there because, "God does what He says!" And this dear one, is indeed, Good News!

PRAYER: Journeying Father, hold our hand as we walk together. Some of us can see the end from here, others still caught up in the awe and wonder of the here-and-now, cannot. Yet. But, together, holding and supporting one another, we will make it. Some are so close, yet not completely in, some have indeed heard the Good News, all of us should be sharing those with all; so that when the day comes and we find our place at Thy table, help us now and then to shout and praise, God our Father, does what He says! Amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Help a fellow journey person on his/her way today! Lead, guide, follow, assist, love and embrace all!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Labor & Delivery Room at The Nursing Home

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I invite you to hear today's devotional! Click here: http://bit.ly/2P2i4N7

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, "I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! 2 I'll make a covenant between us and I'll give you a huge family." 3 Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face. 4 "This is my covenant with you: You'll be the father of many nations. 5 Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that 'I'm making you the father of many nations.' 6 I'll make you a father of fathers - I'll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. 7 I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. 15 God continued speaking to Abraham, "And Sarai your wife: Don't call her Sarai any longer; call her Sarah. 16 I'll bless her - yes! I'll give you a son by her! Oh, how I'll bless her! Nations will come from her; kings of nations will come from her." (Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 The Message)

A blessed and joyous Wednesday, dear ConCafe Family! And may God bring you just what you need to better serve Him today, dear Friend! Please continue to pray for the needs of your church family and those whose names appear on your church's prayer list. Pray for one another. Pray for yourself.

God reserves the right to share Good News when and how, He desires. Take for instance, the stars of today's passage; Abram and Sarai. These two had just placed their names on the waiting list for the Mount Zion Nursing Home. Their financial advisor had helped them plan ahead, and they were, well honestly, way past the age of waiting list; he also sold them on the idea of final expense insurance, to cover whatever mortgage was left on their tents, and to help them buy nice, adjoining plots at the Shade of the Sahara Memorial Gardens; it also paid off what they still owed on the matching new camels they had purchased some years ago. The plan also provided for new burial robes and matching sandals for the pair. The Red Sea cruise might have to be placed on hold; and Caravan Cruise Lines were understanding. But when God shows up, God shows off! Here comes God again, and the good news He brings is just incredible! His attorney produces the paperwork of yet another covenant, this one stating that the party of the second part, Sarai, would be a mother, and the party of the first part, that would be Abram, would be a father. And the attorney had in her briefcase, both It's a Boy cigars in blue bubblegum, and smelling salts. She was very well prepared! And add to this that the paperwork also had Change of Name affadavits that now read that Abram would now be known as Abraham, wich means 'the father of nations,' and his wife, Sarai, would now be named Sarah; still meaning princess but the princess mother of a son. The fine print said she and Abe would be richly blessed; nations would come from her as would kings of nations.

A short discussion followed as to what they would tell their family members on their next FaceTime call back home. Sarah just knew that her sisters and cousins would want to plan massive baby showers, putting on hold the special cookies they promised family they would have for the funerals of the old couple. And now the family back home, and the new friends here would have to risk flooding the internet ordering from Amazon the latest in baby boy swaddking clothes; highchairs, building blocks, Legos, Hot Wheels, "Wait Abe, don't ask for those, the baby might try to swallow them!" As well as her taunting him that the kind lady down the lane, Betty White might not accept to be the boy's godmother. And he insisted they order a Tom Brady jersey regardless of that team he might play for next season! And yes, Keith Richards could stand with Betty White as godfather.

The God of covenants struck again. His faitfhfulness knew no limits and no boundaries. God would stand with them whenver and however was best for them. His promised made earlier that had made Sarai laugh, was coming true; instead of making plans for a nice cozy suite at the nursing home, they would have to get a larger one with a crib, a symbol of God's faithfulness and of His sense of humor. Just as nothing is impossible for God; nothing is ridiculous when God is moving and acting on our behalf. The God who spoke of death centuries later, is not speaking of life, new life, as in the birth of a baby with promise. The same of Whom was said was capable of bringing life, as evidenced by Peter's words from yesterday's passage, "who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." Yes, this God can bring new life even from a womb long supposed to be barren, and new duties to a man ready for the golf cart races in Southern Florida; now he would be building downhill racers with his boy.

It's wonderful to me to just enjoy the brilliance of this passage and the explosions of oohs and aahs in our minds and hearts as we marvel at just what God can and does do, even among those who may have resigned themselves for those things reserved for those who anticipate death, not birth. Imagine, pampers and pablum instead of pain and pyers.

Are you expecting Good News? Or, have you given up on thinking anything good could happen or come into your life? I would say, be patient and rely on the Lord. Talk to Him and share with Him all that is on your heart and mind; then prepare to maybe be surprised in the wildest way possible!

PRAYER: God of life, speak to the life of this dear reader and all that s/he has shared with you about their need. Make real the joys and hopes that come from You. Bless them beyond stress, hold them in Your loving embrace; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a blessing to someone needing a surprise today!

Receive my blessings of life and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Believin' or Behavin'?

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Hear the Devotional here: http://bit.ly/2ZFIM09

13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants be." 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness." 23 Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. (Romans 4:13-25 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, ConCafe Famiy! May Gods' rich and special blessings be yours, dear Friend! I pray this finds you bathed in prayer, covered in love, and dressed completely and fully in Jesus! Please continue to pray for those in your heart (the good, the bad, and the silly!); prayers for those facing medical challenges, and for those who are completely well and don't know how to act. Thank you for the prayers for my sister-in-law, Mrs. Edna Cruz; the surgery was postponed until later. The surgeon has decided to only do a part of that which is most needed at this time. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

I have shared how during my years in campus ministry, I was able to teach several Bible courses for university credit; allowed in those years; it benefited the university financially, as they got to charge per course hour, and I had a ready congregation of students that would usually plug into the programatic side of our ministry. There was a house near the campus owned by the Diocese of Brownsville in which young men who felt a calling into the priesthood could live and receive instruction and guidance by a young priest. These young men were encouarged to take my courses because of a basic difference in theology we share with our Roman Catholic brethern; grace verse works. The Protestant belief, stressed in this pasage, is that salvation comes by faith; while the Catholic belief is that one must produce evidence of good works for salvation. In college I had a chance to address this with a classmate who was studying at Southwestern University in order to become a nun. In conversation with my classmate, she shared how when she was in high school, she would volunteer to help clean her church after school, and one day while she was alone, a priest came and kissed her. She blamed herself and believed that the only way she could atone for "her" actions was to become a nun and serve the rest of her life in service to the church. I held a mini-Bible study with her and shared how a) this had not been her action, as she had not grabbed the priest and kissed him; and b) the New Testament shares how salvation comes through faith and grace, not by works.

Paul, in this letter that many call, The Gospel According to Paul, he shares the story of Father Abraham; father of the faith and father to millions, not because he obeyed and kept the law, but rather because he had faith in God. Nothing Abraham could have done, or did do, resulted in that visit by God to promise him an heir, and many descendents as numerous as the stars; God's promises rest on grace and not works. How else would we explain a 100 year old man pacing the floor of the maternity ward? And what doctor or nurse would have believed that a "good" and obedient woman of 98 would be in the Labor & Delivery room in the county hospital? God shared a promise, and Abraham believed it. God delivered the promise, and Abraham was blessed by it. Thus the title of today's devotional; does God want our behavin' or our believin'? Jesus addressed this in the parable of the two sons. The dad needed some work done, and one son said, "Sure, Dad, I'll get right to it! And never did. The other son griped, "Why me, Dad? It's always me! I won't!" But he did. Which of these was righteous? The one who ultimately did because in his spirit believed he would bless his father by his faith and so completed the work that needed to be done. The first son might argue that he should have credit for having said he believed, and maybe more so, because he said first that he would do the work. But, when the crop was brought in, it was the faith of the one who got up, angry as he was, and performed the righteousness of faith.

So it is with us, dear friends; we must believe that this passage was written for us, "who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our tresspasses and was raised for our justification." It is believing in God's promise that Jesus died for our sins, and raised for our good, that will utlimately and eternally bless us!

PRAYER: Loving Father, speak to my heart and mind. Allow us to hear and to do that which we know is righteousness before You. We seek to glorify You in all things; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life that says "I believe" in all you say, think, and do!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace!

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Bible IS the word of God/Jesus Predicts His Death

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Hear the devotional read here: https://bit.ly/3bs8Npl

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:31-38 NIV)

A very blessed and powerful Monday to you ConCafe Family; and a hundredfold blessing be yours as you pray for one another. I ask prayers for a dear lady from our church in Gonzales, who faces major decisions for her health and wellbeing. The Lord knows her and will honor your prayers. Also, a prayer for my sister-in-law, Mrs. Edna Cruz, who undergoes major surgery today in the Valley. Pray for all to go well, and for a recovery that blesses her. Pray for the Church that her relevance and power increase; pray for pastors who share strength and hope in their sermons, pray especially hard for those pastors who have given up and no longer share hope and faith. Pray for yourselves, and pray for one another.

I was a member of a very active, though small, ministerial alliance in San Antonio. It was great fellowship, and the president of the alliance invited guest speakers that blessed me. One such guest was a missionary/evangelist from India, called by God to minister in the United States. Think about that for a moment! The young man shared how when he was little his father allowed an American missionary into their home; which was in itself a very dangerous thing, and he was not permitted to sit with the adults. The missionary had brought with him a Bible in his native language, and had left it on the bed where this young Indian boy could get to it. "I could not put it down!" he said, "I had never in my life read a talking book. This book was speaking to me! And by the time the visit ended, I knew my life had changed." And he, as I shared, was led by God to come to the USA to share the gospel here among us.

A recent graduate of an Ivy League school, who had majored in Social Work, was assigned to work in Albuquerque, NM. As he was walking past a United Methodist Church there, he went in to get acquainted with the pastor as part of his getting acquainted with the area. The pastor was in, and gave the young man a tour of the church. As he finished his tour and was leaving, he turned and asked the minister if he had a Bible. "I've never read a Bible before in my life, and I kinda want to have one of my own." The pastor, like most pastors, was delighted to be asked to give away a Bible. He gladly shared a Bible wtih this young man, and the young man took it home and began to read the Bible and could not put it down. By the time he finished that night he felt a call into ordained ministry. He went back to the pastor and asked him about ministry and about which seminary was the best in the country. The pastor, not knowing any better, said that Harvard was the best. The young man applied and was accepted and in three years graduated, and returned to Texas to minister in the same conference as the Albuquerque church, which was the Rio Grande Conference. The two pastors are friends of mine and dear brothers in the faith; the Rev. Emmanuel Burgos is the younger pastor, and The Rev. Dr. Noe Gonzales, is the pastor who gave Manny the Bible.

Compare these stories with the story that came out of Nashville this week. This church in Nashville made the news by declaring The Bible is not the word of God. The church shared a statement that read, ""The Bible, isn’t: the Word of God, self-interpreting, a science book, an answer/rule book, inerrant or infallible." 'Rather, it is': "a product of community, a library of texts, multi-vocal, a human response to God, living and dynamic." I thought I would address this before we get into next Sunday's gospel lesson as shared above.

I know there can be things in life that we can make sacred by the approach and appreciation we place on them, and they become sacred to us. But I believe the Bible is not one of those things; the Bible comes to us as sacred, powerful, and alive, and made more so by the love and time we spend with it. The meme I have seen about the Bible that says, "Those who say God doesn't speak any more have unopened Bibles." And that's true. The more we neglect picking up and reading the Bible the easier it becomes for us to say that the Bible is not the word of God. And in reality it has become no one's word. The power those who read the Bible have, have it because of the reading and the faith they place into it. The Bible does contain answers for those who seek them. The Bible contains nourishment of faith for the hungry. The Bible contains waters of living waters for the thirsty. And the Bible contains a plan of salvation for the lost. Yet, to read such declaration by pastors; and I'm including the more nationally known one who earlier this past year told his congregation that the Old Testament was no longer needed in our Bible; is suggesting that the struggle to make sense of life without the Bible is over for them and for those who believe them. What are we to say to ourselves about those who went before us in faith, who believed such nonsense as "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth?' Sorry, grandma, that part of the Bible is no longer needed. And the nerve of those to say such nonsense before surgeries and battles, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want," and the other foolishness in that same psalm about He leading us to places where we are fed and cared for? Sorry, grandpa, that just doesn't resonate well with this generation; it takes up precious screen space and time; your phone wasn't really meant to be for that! And to think those millions who died believing "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish..." Sorry to the children and the soldiers, and the pilgrims and pioneers, who perished believing that rubbish.

Friends, our hope is built on nothing less, so begins the hymn, and Jesus Christ and His righteousness. This time of Lent reflects the real and continuing struggle of faith and life; Whose story shares the real agony and pain that does come to Him in the pages of our Bible, and which sometimes comes to us as we struggle with our lives and the challenges that come to us. We have at times, the response of faith of Saint Peter, who rebuked Jesus for having shared truth with him and the rest of the believers of His upcoming death. We don't read where Peter said, "This is not part of the story! We cannot let that happen in this way; future generations want to only read positive stories of winning and success; where is that in this mess about death and dying, especially with the so-called Son of God?" This passage ends with Jesus speaking of what we truly consider to be the real success of life; "Whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." And equally telling, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."

Dear friend, I applaud those who cling to the cross and the messages of the cross; they will have splinters in their hands, but never their hearts; they will see blood and suffering, but it will not mean the end of them or their lives; for we believe the words of He who defeated death and promises to us eternal life. And may each day find us more and more in the pages of that book that many have, to their regret, written off as not being real, but when in fact so many more, each day, make decisions of life and hope based on what God has spoken through those words. May we continue to be among that number.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we pray for all pastors and all believers. We know for many the struggles have been so great they have abandoned their first love with You and sought something easier and quicker; bless them with renewed faith and stronger hope. We pray for the challenges that have come our way, and to our loved ones; bless and strengthen them in marvelous, unexplainable ways that soon their rejoicing be loud and clear. Grant us Your peace; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! May we make time today to pick up and read a Bible!

Receive my blessings of love and hope,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Sign of the Covenant

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

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." 17 God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth." (Genesis 9:8-17 RSV)

A warm and happy Thursday to you dear ConCafe Family, if weather permits! I rejoiced in 34 degree weather yesterday in Houston, knowing that though it was raining it would not freeze! Oh, joy for the little things. Smile. May God's blessings of joy and protection be yours, dear Friend. May our first full day of Lent bring us closer to the Lord, and closer to each other. For those of you on Facebook you may have noticed I try to place a daily Remedial Sunday School lesson. I try to make it simple and sweet, but with full intention of trying to help us all recognize that the way we acted before the General Election and in the days prior to the Inauguration, many of all political persuasions, did not act as "little Christs." It might be best to remember the basic attempts to guide us towards Godly lives in our Sunday school classes of days gone by. I may share a picture or two of those in the coming days.

Among the many lessons our Sunday school teachers may have tried to share with us, was the story of the Great Flood and the man we know as Noah. Of all the people in the world prior to the flood, only eight survived. This passage takes place after the waters had receded, and Noah and his family are trying to make sense of the world situation. And as in all situations, it is best to hear from God as to what God has in mind. And the first thing that God needs to ensure if that Noah knows what is first necessary. God establishes a covenant, a holy contract of sorts, where God, the party of the first part, and humans, the party of the second part, and all of creation, including all animals, the party of the third part; that God promises that He would never again "shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And to seal the covenant, God places in the sky a bow, and please note the deliberate use of the military weapon of the time, the bow and in bow and arrow. God promises this with the full power of His might. "When the bow is seen in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." And God tells Noah personally that this sign has been established between God and all flesh of the earth.

You and I have countless covenants in our lives. Some were spoken and entered into with vows; some were unspoken, but supported with love and actions of love; and all strive to make our lives more meaningful and thoughtful. The covenant of marriage, which is entered into with vows which spell out required actions, seeks to promote and provide for a lasting and meaningful partnership for as many years as both parties want and work for it to work. The covenant of being children, then later parents, entered into with no vows, but with loving words and actions, seeks to provide the arena where development of personalities, character, and other attributes that promote wholeness and wellbeing, is a covenant that has no bounds of time in most cases. A parent will always be a parent so long as they live; and a child remains a child so long as they live and are receptive to a parent's love and direction. Let me stress, no one is perfect, thus no human covenant is ever perfect, but patched together with bandaids, duct tape, staples, string, and glued with love, deserve our attention, our efforts of grace, forgiveness, and mercy. And all of these covenants work best if founded on the eternal covenant that God offers to us, as He did to Moses. God is faithful and true; and on Him we can rely. And from God's example we can learn and strive to imitate Him as well.

The Lenten Journey is a daily walk on the grounds of that reinforced covenant between God and all humanity. May the power and might of God, however it appears to remind us, reinforce our commitment to be like God.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may the bow of Your might and sign of Your faithfulness, remind us to show our faithfulness not only to You but to those with whom we have covenants. Truthfully, we are, or should be, in covenant with others, to make this world a better place. Guide us each day we pray, in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life showing your commitment to God's faithfulness today.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Hear the Ash Wednesday Devotional here: http://bit.ly/2ZpJizp

Jesus Has the Last Word on Everything & Everyone!

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

18 That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all - was put to death and then made alive - to bring us to God. 19 He went and proclaimed God's salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment 20 because they wouldn't listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact - saved from the water by the water. 21 The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus' resurrection before God with a clear conscience. 22 Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He's standing right alongside God, and what he says goes. (1 Peter 3:18-22 The Message)

Happy Tuesday, dear ConCafe Family. I trust this finds you warm and safe. I know some who have been without electricity in their homes for many hours. Our daughter Carli and our neighborhood in Seguin has not had power since about 4:35 am. Please pray that by the time you read this they will once again have warmth from the electricity that they so desperately need. Nellie and I are in Houston and we have been enjoying the warmth of central heat while outside it is too cold for native Texans! Please pray for the needs of your community and church, dear Friend, and for any personal needs you may have as well.

I failed to mention that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and this coming Sunday is Lent 1. Tomorrow, weather permitting in this area, some churches will have an Ash Wednesday worship service; where we will be reminded of our mortality and ashes from the burnt palms of Palm Sunday will adorn our foreheads as a reminder of what scripture says, "We are from dust and to dust we shall return." Our Lenten journey reminds of all Christ Jesus suffered and endured for our sake on Good Friday and to further our celebration of what Resurrection Sunday (Easter) means to us as believers.

Hear this important reminder; Christ Jesus, in all that He did, he did it for me, Eradio Valverde. I was on His mind and in His heart with every blow, every insult, every lash of the whip, and every nail; such was His love for me. And guess what, you, dear Friend, you were too! Jesus, the Righteous One died for the unrighteous (that's us again!); "He went through it all - was put to death and then made alive - to put us to God." Jesus even, as the ancient Apostle's Creed declares, descended into hell and shared the gospel there "to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment." Every soul, every body, matters to God; even though in the days of Noah, as patient as God was, only eight were saved from the waters of that great flood. Though God did use water as a way to clean our souls before God in removing our sins. And here the powerful word: Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He's standing right alongside God, and what He says, goes." Amen and amen!

As we begin our forty day journey, may we walk with Him leading and sometimes, supporting us, meaning holding us up when we feel faint or weak. Jesus even carries us when we do fall. Why? Because we matter to God! And God wants His Son to have the last word on you and me! Why waste this journey when we can have the times of our lives as we walk with Him?

PRAYER: Loving God, lift my soul as I pray. Father, You have examined me and you know my faults and weaknesses; forgive us our sins, and remind us that You forget our sins as well. We're not that good as we sometimes let sin haunt us and taunt us; but that is not Your voice, it is the voice of he who is already defeated, and he knows it; Satan. Let us walk past the negative and into the positve; away from darkness and into the light; this is our prayer and it will be our journey! In Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a light life that glows radiant and helps others find their way in the Lord!

Receive my prayers of blessing and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Little Sermon

Image from agnusday.org

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

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:9-15 NIV)

Brrrr and Happy Monday, ConCafe Family! May the warmth of the Lord's love warm your heart, dear Friend, and may you seek to warm the hearts of others still in the cold of no-love. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

We believe that Mark wrote the first gospel of the four. We also believe that he wrote it with an urgency for Jews to come to faith in Jesus Christ as soon as possible. His gospel does not contain all the information the other two gospels of Matthew and Luke contain, and John, as the spiritual gospel, stands alone. Mark sets out the facts as he remembers them; Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan; when He comes up out of the water, a dove descends on Him like a dove, and a voice came from Heaven saying, "You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased." Jesus is then driven into the wilderness for forty days where He was tempted by Satan. After the forty days, angels attended Him. John the Baptist is arrested, Jesus goes to Galiee where He begins to proclaim the good news of God. The sermon? Short, sweet, to the point; and very much like John's; "The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

One of the most noted preachers in my old conference, The Rio Grande Conference, was known as the best preacher of his time. A friend of mine has several recorded sermons of this legend and he boasts that the thing that made him such a good preacher was that he never preached more than fifteen minutes. I once preached in Reynosa, Mexico, and on our drive there with our United Methodist Men, one of them leaned over to me and said, "Now you know pastor, if you don't preach for at least an hour, they will say you are not saved!" Gulp!

I suppose if we were to ask a congregaton of two hundred, their definition of a "good sermon," we might get at least 200 different answers. Some would comment on content, others on theology, and still others the length. Their responses might give away a little of themselves. Here is a sermon, preached first by John the Baptist, later by Jesus, and it has only twelve words. It starts with a declaration; (And for argument's sake we are not looking at the four words attributed to Jesus as his opening). Jesus' declaration is sound; God's Kingdom is near. This requires action on the part of those who wish to be in it, or a part of it; repentance. A turning around from and away from that which we know should not be a part of our lives. It is unspoken, but it is known, that we should repent of our sin. Sin is that which is leading us to a certain death if we do not ask for it to be removed from our lives. Sin is a spiritual cancer; if not removed, it grows and begins to affect other areas of our lives with spiritual death being the end result. For this very reason He came to the world. God sent Jesus into the world, to save the world. And that last part, is the good news the world needed, and still needs, to hear!

What else did this sermon need for it to be truly good? Would several stories add to the power and point of this message? No. The sermon, as preached, stands. And still stands. The messages of love stand the test of time, as does this one. This is a timeless message, written by God Himself, speaking to His love for all people of all time, of His desire to have a relationship with us all.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Your love and for the Good News that saved us. We pray for those not yet saved, that in You they might find life, love, and all necessary to love and serve You. Call us into faithfulness and lead us into fruitfulness; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life that invites people into the fullness of life!

Receive my blessings of joy and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Religious Without Power

Image from joeiovino.com

Hear the devotional here: http://bit.ly/3a8UNkX

1.The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. 3 Our God comes, he does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest. 4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! [Selah] 7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. 8 I do not reprove you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are continually before me. (Psalm 50:1-8 RSV)

Happy Thursday, ConCafe Family! May God's blessings renew and refresh your life and spirit, dear Friend! I pray you are blessed beyond your wildest needs! Remember those who need prayers abd pray for them! Pray for other readers and pray for yourselves.

The graphic at the top is a quote from The Rev. John Wesley, founder of Methodism. It was an answer to questions people had about this life-changing movement that some credit with being so powerful that Britain never had a civil war because lives were being transformed for the Lord. His simple answer was that he feared that in the future, the people called Methodists might "exist only as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power." In reading the psalmist today, that was precisely what had happened with Judaism at that time. They were a religious people but not powerful as they once had been. Even today, we hear notable people of that faith declare they are secular Jews but do not practice their faith or attend worship. It is a very sad indictment on any one who says and believes that, but more a tragic rejection of God.

The psalmist knows God to be a God who is fully in control from the dawn of each day until the setting of the sun. To see the sun rise from behind a mountain, like Mt. Zion, was to see the beauty and power of God shining forth on the earth. That sunshine is seen as being a loud declaration, for as he writes, "God does not keep silence, before Him is a devouring fire, round about Him a mighty tempest. He is a God who calls out to creation to bring forth the people whom He will judge. God desires His faithful to come before Him, who have made and maintained the covenant with God; but even they will not escape the anger God has towards those who practice religion but no longer love God or God's people, and "play" church without the meaning and purpose of being truly God's people.

Bishop Ray Owen served as a pastor in Oklahoma before being elected bishop. He loved to share stories of his pastorates as well he should for he was very successful and blessed in reaching the unchurched. In one of those churches, he lived next door to a very rough man who was gruff and almost brutal in his treatment of his own children. Bishop Owen trembled when he heard the loud voice of a father who demanded much from his children. So, being a pastor, he went over to try and share with him the gospel of Jesus. The man did not hide the fact he had no time for religion because he knew too many from his church who only "played" church. That did not deter the bishop from sharing Jesus. The man came to faith and a change came over his entire life. No longer did the man come home from work and yell at his children, now he gathered them up and spent time with them in the playground across the street, and soon began to take them to church with he and his wife. The power of love became the driving force in this man's life. It wasn't too long before this man came to knock on Rev. Owen's door to ask how he might become a preacher too. The man did not have a high school diploma, but his pastor knew how to motivate the man to get his GED, enter into a licensing school and subsequently into a summer course of study and soon the man had his own church.

The days today call for more people to abandon the play of church, for the power of God. Changed lives and transformed hearts are what the world needs to see so that they too may come to the power that is freely available to all in the gospel of Jesus Christ. How do you see this in your life, dear one? Are you still one who "plays" by checking all the boxes we've been led to believe makes us "religious" without having that power-encountering experience that can change us for the better? Until we open our heart to allow Christ Himself to check the box of love, we will continue to wander aimlessly and away from Him. It's not too late to take stock of our lives and to allow us to invite Jesus to make Himself real to us and bring life, love, and power to our homes, our families, our churches, our communities, and ultimately our nation, and eventually the world.

PRAYER: Awesome God of love and power, fill the emptiness of our hearts with the reality and power of You, so that we may find in You meaning and purpose like we so desperately need. Change us fro the better so that we can change others too. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life that is power.ful. It begins with Jesus.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

You can hear yesterday's narration here on this site. https://soundcloud.com/evalverde/the-awesome-prophet-of-god

One Foot in Glory, One Here.

Image from comolakeunitedchurch.com

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

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (Mark 9:2-9 NIV)

Happy Monday, ConCafe Family! And a blessed and rested post-Super Bowl Monday to you. A blogger I follow says he tries, every year to see how long he can go without knowing who won, or what the score was. He challenged a friend, and that friend claimed he went a full year without knowing either the winner or the score. Could you? I want to thank you for your prayers for my friend, Mr. Paul Morales, of Denver, Colorado, whose surgery went well and he is doing well in his recovery. Nellie and I had mild side effects, but we are doing well after our second dose of the Covid vaccine. We continue to wear our masks and to maintain a safe distance from others. We urge you to please continue to wear your masks, keep a safe distance, and wash your hands.

This passage speaks of a mountaintop spiritual retreat like none other. If you've been blessed, you have attended a retreat that has blessed you like no other. Not all the disciples had the opportunity to attend, though we could argue the three years they spent with our Lord was unlike any spiritual experience any other human had had before, or since. It was Peter, James, and John, the inner circle of the 12, who Jesus invited to be with Him when this event took place. Let's set the stage for this event.

It takes place on a mountain. The mountain is believed to be Mount Tabor, which is in a place called now Armageddon Valley. The mountain is not very high, not even 2,000 feet high, but it is strategic and offered views from strategic points crucial for defense against enemy invaders, views of traders passing through, etc. The Transfiguration comes after not long ago, Peter has declared his faith that in Jesus we have the Messiah. The 12 have seen and experienced many unexplainable things that have them believing something's up, and it takes God doing an Old Testament thing, of speaking (again) words that confirm their suspicions.

The appearance of two biblical characters is an awesome touch that only God could pull off. And the fact that the three recognized them meant they were caught up in the experience by the Holy Spirit. Elijah and Moses, last mentioned in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi 4:4-5. The first covenant closes with God speaking of the law of Moses, and the return of the great prophet Elijah, whose ministry furthered the work of God. The appearance of these two key OT persons catches the three by surprise; so much so, they did not know what to do. Peter thinks of building them a place to rest or sleep; nice that he thought about hospitality. But before he can start the building, a cloud comes up and a voice from the cloud that says, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!" BOOM! God speaks, the disciples listen. God has confirmed that what they suspected is true; Jesus is the Son of God and thus the Messiah; the Anointed One of God; the Lamb of God, Whose death would take away the sins of the world.

And just as suddenly as the event started, it was over. The biblical duo was gone; only Jesus remained with them. The retreat was over, but the work was just starting. Jesus gave them orders to tell no one about what had just happened, until Jesus had risen from the dead.

What Jesus demonstrated was that His ministry, all his ministry, was about His having one foot in Glory, one here. Jesus was fully God and fully man, but the connection Jesus demonstrated that can happen between God and humanity is still possible, and very necessary. The 12 would never return to their homes or their normal lives again. They left wives, children, parents, jobs, friends, for the sake of God's mission as disciples of Jesus. What would happen next and ultimately, was more than mortal strength could endure; but they spent time with God's Son and then from God Himself, As we know the legends behind their lives, all endured and overcome all obstacles, even their deaths. All for the sake of helping the world come to know the love of God. Where are our feet? Our hearts? Our spirits? Have we done and given enough to make a difference in the lives of others coming to God?

PRAYER: Awesome God, may our lives be part of a spiritual advance that blesses others into coming to know You and Your love. May our words, actions, and thoughts glorify You. May our eyes see the possible that may be only in the divine but made real here in the earthly; this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Seek a spiritual retreat during today in which to bless and be blessed!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Renewal Comes From God!

Image from thinkandletthink.com

Hear the devotional read here: http://bit.ly/2MsUWXg

21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nought, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hid from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:21-31 RSV)

Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Family! And may a day filled with unexpected joys and blessings be yours, dear Friend! May this time spent with God be frutiful and joyful. Remember to keep praying for one another, and for yourselves.

If you're like most people, you have probably underlined verses 28 through 31, or maybe just verse 31. Evangelist Luis Palau once said, "If your Bible reading has become stale, read the un-underlined verses of your Bible!" And that is so true! Many of us have so many favorite verses that we sometimes forget there's a whole lot of verses that we have not underlined and are in the Bible for a reason! And so, let us look carefully at those verses that come before verse 28!

The prophet in his calling, had to remind the people of God about God. Sadly, many tend to forget about God with the hustle and bustle of daily life, when it is precisely the hustle and bustle that calls us to have more faith! Isaiah is reminding people about the basics of their faith. He begins with the big picture; God is the one who sits above the circle of the earth; and compared to Him, we are like grasshoppers. God can stretch the heavens like a curtain and can make a tent of them if He so wishes. It is also God who can take those in power out of power, and into worse situations if He so pleases; and nothing is certain, except God and God's will. Can anyone be compared to God, God asks, through the prophet? Uh, no! All you have to do is look around and take a notice of what is all around you. This morning, when it warmed up a bit in Houston, Nellie and I took our grandson Eli for a ride in his stroller and though the sun was bright he enjoyed the outdoors. While walking along a man-made canal in this sub-division, among the trees that line the canal I saw a small bird. At first I thought it was a sparrow, but noticed the color on it, and it was a finch. What a blessing to see this bird fly from tree to tree for a few feet as if to say, "Enjoy the view of me; God has placed me here!" And indeed, if we take the time to truly see, we understand what the prophet is emphasizing; God has made all things, and those things are awesome! God has made these things, and knows them all by name; and all are accounted for, for nothing ever goes missing from God. The prophet dares ask, "Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way is hid from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God?' Then the awesome concluding verses that have blessed so many through the years: God is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

In God, we can find that extra boost of strength and energy to go ever forward, even when we feel we have already done and given all we can. The prophet knew for he himself had been a recipient of God-power and God-strength when he needed it the most. Even as a young man, he knew what it was to feel faint and be weary, and even to fall exhausted; but in waiting/asking the Lord, God will renew their strenght; they will seem like eagles with power to soar; running will be without tiredness, and walking will be pure joy. Such is our God!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as we meditate on this verse, You better than we, know just how we feel and know what exactly we need; grant to us all that we need to move ever forward in following and serving You. May we serve as examples to those who feel ready to give up, when they see that we have not, and will not, because You are our fuel and our strength. May it be so, for we pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Get that extra punch of power from God today in ways that bless those who need to see it in action!

Receive my blessings of hope and strength,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

The Urgency to Preach & Witness!

Image from agnusday.org

Hear the devotional read here: http://bit.ly/3crvr33

16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel. 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law--though not being myself under the law--that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law--not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ--that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Revised Standard Version Bible)

May this be a tremendous Tuesday for you all, ConCafe Family, and may this day serve you, dear one, as a day of full service to the Lord! May we pray, share, and give in ways that bring honor and glory to God.

Upon entering Perkins School of Theology for my seminary education, incoming students were told to be self-evaluating and to come up with what we perceived to be our weaknesses, so that upon our internship time, we could seek a church setting where we could address that weakness. Preaching was my weakness. Being a shy person, I refused God's call to preach on that basis. God convinced me that He could change me and use me if I would but surrender to Him, and I did. As the time neared for my internship, I asked my classmates from the Rio Grande Conference, who they believed to be the best preacher in the Spanish language. The answer was almost unanimous and this pastor, The Rev. Francisco "Pancho" Gaytan, was senior minister at El Mesias United Methodist Church in Mission, Texas. I knew Mission to have been my father's birthplace, and an aunt of mine lived near the church, but I knew very little about the church. Little did I know the most beautiful single woman in the world was a newly received member of El Mesias! Arrangements were made, and as much as I looked forward to learning how to preach under Rev. Gaytan, God called him out of the pulpit and into the district superintendency in the next town! I then learned about preaching from The Rev. Jose Galindo. More importantly, I learned that a good preacher has a great wife praying and supporting him (and the same is true for female preachers!), which worked out in my marrying that beautiful woman, Maria Nellie Rosales de Valverde. I also say, "Good morning" to Pancho and Elisa, who enjoy breakfast time with ConCafe. I also say, "Good morning" to Joel (Jody Galindo, Rev. Galindo's second son, and a devoted, faithful reader of ConCafe and prayer warrior for all the persons for whom we ask prayers.

Preaching is such an awesome responsibility that the true preacher fears every step he or she takes into the pulpit. They know that every word must ring true with what God has asked them to preach. In the same way, the layperson felt called to witness his or her faith, should live a life that glorifies God and each act or story shared with someone should bring that person closer to God. My first assigned day to preach (for a grade) at El Mesias, I spent throwing up at my aunt's house, as fear had gripped me and I feared that I would let the Lord down. When I arrived to the church, I shared with Rev. Galindo that experience and he shared what he had learned at Perkins from his preaching professor; "The day you no longer fear preaching is the day you should quit preaching." That comforted me, as it does to this day. As true a statement as I have ever heard. If we were to read into what Paul writes, we would assume that he was never afraid, but I believe we would be wrong. Paul feared the Lord with much love and respect; he knew that he HAD to preach the gospel. And as he preached, he knew it was solely to proclaim that which God had placed in his heart; thus "no ground for boasting," because his obligation is to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. His motivation was to fulfill his obedience to Christ, for thus was why he was "commissioned" to preach; not for a personal reward, but a fulfillment of his calling. The late Rev. D. T. Niles, a prominent evangelist and preacher, once wrote, "Evangelism is one beggar telling another where to find bread." Paul lived that for he found in the Bread of Life, the bread that sustained and nurtured him all his life. And the aim of every preacher, nay, every believer, is to help feed the spiritual hunger so many face. Much in the same way, if we eat at a new and special restaurant we tell as many people about it, so should we urgently share where we have found the Bread of Life that is Jesus Christ.

Paul also knew the key to preaching and witnessing was to become all things for all people; he knew how to relate and adapt the message to the audience, all in order to win people to Jesus; all for the sake of the gospel. To share is to bless, and to bless is to also share in the blessings. The more we win for Christ, the greater our blessings, and the greater the blessings the world receive from souls who have given themselves to God. We find or should find ways to relate to others in the place where they are, the way to move away from there to where Christ would have them be.

PRAYER: Loving God, speak to our hearts; make us bolder and braver to share You with the world. May we share our lives as living, loving sermons that meet people where they are and lead them to where You would have them be; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be the best sermon someone will hear today!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Come Receive Healing Here!

Photo by Eradio Valverde, Jr.; site of the ruins of Peter's home

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

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (Mark 1:29-39 NIV)

Happy Monday Con Cafe Family! And may this day prove to be your best day ever, Friend! We pray you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed time with our God in worship and may it provide blessings for you this week! Please continue to pray for those battling Covid, those who are receiving their vaccines, and those who are tending to the ill and afflicted. On a note of personal privilege, today Nellie and I rejoice for on this day, some years ago, God blessed us with our firstborn, Nellie Maria Valverde de Garcia. We thank God for this wonderful daughter and her husband, Jorge, and three awesome children, Caleb Eradio, Eliana Beth, Adabelle Grace! Happy Birthday, Nellie!

The above photo was taken by me at the actual site believed to be the actual home of Simon Peter, where this miraculous healing took place. Many men say this was a miracle because of the stereotypical attitudes towards mothers-in-law. I cannot say that because my mother-in-law was truly like a mom to me from when I first met her and started dating her daughter, until her dying day. But as happened many times in the Holy Land, this actual site was deemed worthy of having a church built on top of it while preserving the archaeological site as well. The grey beams and concrete structures are the foundation of this church. The stones under it are what are left of the home from the first century.

The story as told above contains Mark's first recorded healings, and it is on a family member of one, if not His chief, disciple. Given our current pandemic, we all know the severity of a fever or fever reading. Most of us have had multiple fever readings upon entering clinics or other establishments that administer them. A high fever reading may mean your entry to said establishment will be denied. A fever in those days was considered very serious, believing many that a fever could indicate a deadly disease, much like it does now. Jesus, from this account, goes to her bed, takes her hand, and lifts her up from the bed, and the fever is gone. So strong was the healing that she began to serve the disciples food and drink. Somehow, the word got out that Peter's MIL was healed, and the town brought "all the sick and demon-possessed." All the town gathered at the door and Jesus healed "many who had various diseases." Please note that not all were healed; this is important because we all know many who have prayed and did not receive the healing they wanted; the reasons are not known to us now, but still we trust God.

The evil spirits among those afflicted were driven out and were instructed not to speak, because "they knew Who He was." This is to show the level of complete defeat Jesus had over them; they were silenced. The next morning, Jesus leaves the home alone and sought a place where He could connect with God. Please never forget that Jesus had two holy habits; one was prayer, and the other was worship. This fueled Him and strengthened Him, much like they do to us who practice both. The disciples once they were awake, discover He is not with them, and set out to find Him. When they do, they begin with the usual, "Everyone is looking for You!" Jesus responds with what they did not expect Him to do; he said they should go to another place, to the villages where He was not yet known, and His word was not yet heard; Jesus explaining this was the reason for His time on earth. And the passage ends with Jesus going throughout Galilee preaching and driving out demons.

There exists even today, a great need for the love and message of Jesus' love to be known among all of us. His message is still the only thing that will transform and mend hearts. The other part of Jesus' work was to drive out evil; those who oppose God and God's work face a losing situation; God will win out and God's goodness and peace will prevail in the world. It is our job to help facilitate that message and work.

PRAYER: Father, as You search our hearts, help us drive out hatred and evil from our thoughts, words, and actions and feelings. Make us people of purity and peace. Fill our hearts with love for You and for Yours. Fill our mind with thoughts of goodness and kindness, and use our hands to help and heal. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! May we speak life to all we meet today!

Receive our blessings of peace and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde