Worship As a Way of Life!

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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 22:25-31 The Message Bible)

Happy Thursday, ConCafe Family! I praise God for you and your faithfulness! I pray this day be a special, wonderful day in every regard; may the healing you have been needing, and the peace you have been seeking, be completely and totally yours; in the name of Jesus I pray, amen! Please be in prayer for Mr. Jim Dorff, former bishop of our conference, who is in hospice care in Dallas. Prayers for his wife, Barbara and their family. May God share peace and comfort to all should be our prayer. And in a word of personal privilege, Nellie and I give God praise for the blessing He shared with us in the birth of our fifth grandchild, Adabelle Grace Garcia. She has blessed our lives and brought us much joy! And I'm happy that she's very much a Grandpa's girl! Happy Birthday, Ada! God bless you with many more! Also I ask that you please continue to pray for those who weigh heavily on your heart; for those on your church's prayer list, and for you and your needs.

When did you realize that you truly enjoyed worship? My realization came on that Sunday morning when I invited Jesus to come into my heart to become Lord and Savior of my life. I was 8 or 9 years old, and the sermon and invitation shared with us by our pastor made sense and I wanted what God was offering. No longer did I have to trudge along with the family; now I was excited that I could attend church and be a part of a larger faith community. I felt bad when we would study or hear about parts of the world where people could not freely worship, having to hide their religious services from government authorities, risking death by just being a believer. I heard about those same countries where unannounced visitors would be part of a government raid. I remember hearing from and later becoming friends with a man from one of those countries who was arrested and jailed in a federal prison in that country because he was a believer in Jesus Christ. For many days the soldiers would take this man out to the firing squad area, blindfold him, give him a last cigarette and then they would loudly assemble the firing squad where the commander would give the usual, "Ready! Aim! Fire!" shooting blanks in his direction. They did this repeatedly and then allowed him his freedom and granted him a trip to the USA. I cannot imagine having to undergo what that man did; but it made my faith stronger as it did for this man who became a United Methodist pastor as a result of this new, strong faith.

The psalmist had a heart for worship; where he loved to be in the presence of God and other like-minded worshipers, and sing, pray, listen, sing some more, and rejoice that they had been able to worship God. Their celebration also allowed for various expressions of spiritual nourishment to take place so that he was able to write, "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.'" Many have been the times I have gathered to worship as spiritually hungry as I could be, feeling like he said as a down-and-out-er; and then being filled with God's nourishment and me eating my fill of that delicious word and leaving full and renewed and recharged. The psalmist adds a prophetic word of hope; that people from the four corners of the world would come back to God. Long-lost families would rejoin and fall on their faces before the Lord in gratitude for new life and peace. This coming new day, he writes, "God has taken charge; from now on He has the last word." And an amen to that; that applies to every aspect of our lives; when the doctors have said one thing, we rejoice that God may have another word. My dad had a first cousin that three times had been checked out of hospice care! When the world had written him off, God has the last word. When the bank said you don't qualify for this type of vehicle, God has a different opinion, and off you drive in a better car.

This coming new day, and again, God knows when it will be; we do not; but even "power-mongers are before Him - worshiping!" And others, far socially and economically from others such as power mongers; they too will be there, worshiping! "Our children and their children, will get in on this," and even those not even yet conceived will hear the good news - that God does what He says." Amen.

Dear one, I pray that whatever uncertainties have plagued your peace recently find this these words that which brings hope and comfort for you. God does what He says; not just in the past or from the pages of the Old Testament; even from the pages of the New Testament to the pages from our lives, God writes a new story for us; a better story, where God has authored a narrative that brings blessings to what we thought was already written in a terrible or tragic way.

PRAYER: Amazing God, Father and Comforter of us all; speak life in our lives especially in those areas where we thought the story had already ended, and give us new life, new hope, and a new peace. And may we receive it with the attitude that allows us to not only receive, but share with others. We know that You do what You say; and we praise You and love You, and we pray in faith, and in the name of Jesus our Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Make this a day of hope with all you say, think, and do with all people.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Filled with Jesus & Led by His Spirit

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26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." 34 The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" 37 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40 NRSV)

May this Wednesday find you in a wonderful place; anxious to hear God speak to you in marvelous ways. Use this opportunity, dear one, to find new ways to serve Christ in your life. Make time for demonstrating God's love with all people. Use that time also in prayer, lifting up the names of those who need God's blessings on and in their lives. Please pray for one another; pray for yourself as well.

We meet Philip the Evangelist, whom some believe we first met in Acts 6:5, who along with Stephen was chosen as servants known as deacons. He was a faithful follower of Jesus, and as such was filled with God's Holy Spirit. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be ready to be taken to the next big adventure; and this story clearly shows us that when the Spirit says move, we move! At least Philip did! God sent an angel who told Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." Here we find the four key words in God's commands to His people; Get up and go! We find this in almost all passages where God orders a major move or action from one of His followers. It takes faith to say yes and double faith to get up, then triple faith to go! Imagine being sent down a road without a real clue as to what to do or whom to meet. But as always happens in God-ordained situations, the need makes itself very obvious. In this case on this isolated road, he meets up with a foreign government official who, while seated in his chariot, he is reading the prophet Isaiah. As Philip nears the chariot, the Spirit said to him to join the chariot. Getting closer, he hears the official reading out loud the words from Isaiah, "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open His mouth. In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who can describe His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth." So, naturally, Philip asks is he understands what he is reading. The official replies with a question, "Who are they talking about?" And this was why Philip was there because he took the opportunity to share the good news about Jesus. And Philip did such a good job, the official was ready to be baptized at that point and time. And he asks for baptism for himself by pointing out some water. The chariot is ordered to stop, and the two of them enter the water and Philip baptized him. When he comes up out of the water, Philip is snatched away by the Spirit, and the official saw him no more. Philip finds himself in another setting where he begins to share the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Philip, along with Stephen and the other deacons, volunteered to wait on tables. This was not a menial job, it was an important task of believers for new believers. This could be considered front-line ministry of the Spirit-led kind as we read about in the opening verses of chapter 6 in Acts. As a result of a complaint about unfair treatment of one racial group over another, the entire community met to elect those who were Spirit-filled people of strength and wisdom to help in the distribution of food. Those elected were commissioned by the laying on of hands and they began their ministry. It's very interesting to see how some of them were actually deployed. Stephen was a gifted preacher and used that gift to give witness to the Lord Jesus Christ and as a result, like Jesus, was killed for his faith. Philip, a gifted evangelist; one who shares the good news, is sent by God to convert a man from Ethiopia. We don't read any one of the deacons saying that work was beneath them or not worthy of their being there; these were faithful disciples who put Jesus first and His ministry first, and sought to serve Him however He felt was worthy and necessary. Interesting that upon receiving his call to get up and go, he didn't ask where, or is there at least a Walmart in that place? Will I be within driving distance to an HEB? Can my spouse find decent work nearby? No, we read of faithfulness and fruitfulness because of trusting obedience.

If you love Jesus, you know Jesus loves you and seeks only the best for you; opportunities will come and our willingness to serve will bless others and you will also find, they will bless you. So, what are you waiting for?

PRAYER: Faithful Father, send me where Thou will; and put me to doing whatever it is Thou would have me do. Let me in all ways seek only honor and glory for Thy name; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Find a moment today to say, "Here I am, Lord; Send me!"

Receive my blessings of peace and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

You've Got to Love Both!

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7 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. 8 The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love - so you can't know him if you don't love. 9 This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. 10 This is the kind of love we are talking about - not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. 11 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. 12 No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us - perfect love! 13 This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. 14 Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. 15 Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. 16 We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. 17 This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day - our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. 18 There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life - fear of death, fear of judgment - is one not yet fully formed in love. 19 We, though, are going to love - love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. 20 If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? 21 The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both. (1 John 4:7-21 The Message Bible)

Happy Tuesday, ConCafe Family! I admitted to a friend that about 30 years ago I gave up coffee. It was a difficult decision and an even more difficult ordeal to put up with headaches and withdrawal pains from the strong caffeine supply I was ingesting daily. I felt an obligation to drink a whole pot of coffee once I started serving churches with secretaries that would make it for me. And pretty soon I realized that much coffee wasn't doing me much good. So, this friend said, so you're changing the name of ConCafe? Nope. Although, I said, ConTé gives it a different meaning. Those who know Español know that conté, means counted. But, let's leave well enough alone, for now! May God's blessings be yours today, dear Friend, to enjoy and to share! Please remember to pray for those on your heart, mind, or spirit; for one another, and say a prayer for yourself and your needs.

Before the pandemic, most people were not used to receiving many packages; in fact, it was somewhat of a treat to find a box by the door, or in your mailbox. We live in a neighborhood where we get our mail at a certain location in a box, and if a package larger than the letter box is required, we get a key with the letter that corresponds to the bigger box. Once we were asked to be home-bound, that all changed. We had seen curbside delivery of groceries and laughed about needing that; soon we were griping about the difficult hour choices given to us. We even went as far as Luling, Texas, to shop at the HEB there that offered more decent hours for curbside pickup. And sometimes we did go past 10:30 pm to pick up needed provisions. It seemed that most of us would go anywhere and do just about whatever it took, to get things to eat, to clean, and to entertain us. I'm old enough to remember our family doctor coming to the house to see us (and usually to give us a shot!); the milkman would bring us milk, butter, cheese and ice cream; the small grocery store where I worked would even deliver groceries if you requested such. And there weren't many in those days who wanted such. But guess what comes right to you? Love from God! Look at verse 7 again; "My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God." Yes! And it comes ready to share! Notice the description of those who share love, in that same verse; "Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God." Amen! Notice the next verse, though; "The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love - so you can't know Him if you don't love." I would add an exclamation point to that verse! In one of my churches we would do reception into the church membership in a way that is different from more churches. We would mug our visitors with a new coffee cup (mug) from the church and then invite them to a once-a-month Coffee with the Pastor. There, I would introduce myself and my staff and we would tell a brief history of our church, the ministries we were involved in; staff would share their work, and then I would offer an invitation to join the church right then and there (after a 5 minute break for the couples who needed to talk about it); then in our chapel, we would have the ritual of church membership; take a photo of the new members and show it on the screens the following Sunday. We started to receive a significant amount of new members because many said, "Pastor, I am so glad we had this option because I'm a shy person who would not normally walk down during the singing of the last hymn to join - so I would not have joined!" Well, as usually happens, a few people were upset about this "new" arrangement and a special council meeting was called to discuss this. And among the most ironic comments came from a woman not known for her loving or kind ways, and she said, "We don't get to see the new members in person! How will I know who to be nice to if we don't present them in the usual way?" This caused some laughter and snickers among those present. (Think about her comment!). We have just read that we should be people of love (and kindness) to all people! Not to select people; or new people.

God demonstrated His love in this way, the apostle writes; by sending His only Son into the world so we might live through Him. (Remember yesterday's "abide in me" passage?). John writes that Jesus came to break the blockages, such as sin, that prevented us from loving all people as we should. In fact, he writes, "My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other." To have God living in us, He will fill us with perfect love, the kind others see and helps them see God! He has given us from His life that extra blessing that fulfills John 10:10 "abundant life, or life to the fullest." And this makes accepting Jesus as the Savior of the world easier; and allows us to enjoy an intimate relationship with God. I love how this version says, "This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day - our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. Verse 18 is beautiful and powerful. The story goes that a couple planning their wedding wanted a Bible verse to use on their wedding cake. They chose this one: There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear." (Please check your favorite version to get a fuller meaning). Well, tears flowed and some of them got on the napkin where they had written the verse; but they showed it to Mother, who also cried and her tears further imprinted the verse; and on the day of the wedding, the baker, thinking they had written John 4:18 wrote on the cake, "You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband." Oops! You can't blame the baker! But focus on the correct verse; if we have perfect love in us, there is no room for fear or dread; the crippling effects of imperfect love have no room to survive. We love because God first loved us. God showed us how to love; no one can boast "I love God," and continue to live a life that demonstrates nothing about love. The apostle asks, "If we won't love the person we see, how can we love God we can't see?" And this passage concludes, "The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both."

Indeed!

PRAYER: Awesome God of love, fill us 'til we want no more, with Your precious love; may love overflow into us and out of us to those who desperately need love, so that You can be seen in us and the things we show and do for You and Yours. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show love to all people today in dear ways.

Receive my blessings of joy, peace, and love,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Let Christ Live in You!

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1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8 NIV)

Happy Monday, dear ConCafe Family! And a day filled with God's affirming message be yours, dear Friend, is my prayer for you! May you seek His face and may His face shine upon you in ways that make you glow! May our prayers bless those whom are hurting, healing, and in need of God's favor. Make time to pray for one another; pray for yourselves.

Jesus is a wonderful communicator. He excelled at teaching and preaching because He knew how to connect on levels that others could not. He lived and worked among the common people, using illustrations and stories that quickly connected to the point and purpose of each of His messages. Today's passage is no exception; Jesus speaks of the connectedness we need with Him and God. Jesus identifies Himself as the "true vine," and God, His Father, as "the gardener," whose purpose is like that of an earthly gardener; to prune and cut branches according to the needs of the vine. The unfruitful branches face being cut off; the fruitful ones get pruned to allow for more growth. We know the purpose of the vine of God is to grow with fruit that blesses God and God's people. Those who regularly study God's word, attend worship, study in fellowship with others, pray in regular times; these are the methods of pruning; Jesus says those of us who do such things, "are already clean." The invitation though, is for us to "remain in (Him), as (He) also remains in (us)." Apart from Him, we can do nothing, and certainly not bear fruit. If we center on Christ, He becomes our all; our focus, our strength, our direction, our purpose and meaning; and from that we can glean a harvest of new souls for His kingdom. If we seek to remain in Jesus, we will bear much fruit, and should realize that apart or away from Him, we can bear no fruit. In fact, Jesus says that the future of nonbearing branches is not very bright; cut off and thrown into the fire, where branches will burn. Yet listen to additional gifts for remaining in Christ; "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

So, then, are we remaining in Christ? Are we truly living our lives connected to God through Christ? Are the fruits of our lives visible to the Lord? Are we bearing much fruit for Him? At the very least are we showing more love and affection to all people? Can people truly see the love of Christ in us radiated out to them? I pray so, for Jesus wants us to show ourselves as His disciples, and in so doing, we bring honor and glory to Him.

Make a difference by being the difference!

PRAYER: Loving God, I seek to remain in You and I invite You to remain in me. Guide me and bless me to be the disciple that You have called me to be. Fill me with love so that I can love others, especially all who need love; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Smile a smile of love to all today.

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Jesus Is My Shepherd!

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1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 he restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (Psalm 23 King James Version)

Happy Thursday, Little Lamb! Hear again, for the first time, the words that will bless your life as a lamb. Hear them with awe and wonder. Breathe in the fresh spring air of a wonderful flower-laden meadow, while you enjoy hearing just how much you are loved by your Shepherd. May each word speak to your heart, replacing any hatred or indifference you may have in it, with the unconditional love that only a loving God could place in you. Hear each word as an affirmation for your mind, allowing doubt, despair to be replaced by the bright hope of joy in knowing just Who your Shepherd truly is. And by hearing each word may your faith be stronger than ever.

Here's the Good News! God has chosen you as His lamb. Hear again these timeless words, as if you were indeed a lovely, unblemished lamb; made so by the precious blood of His Son. That blood erased your sin and made you brand new! Any thought you may have had that you were bound down the road as a goat should be gone! The sign on Matthew's gospel in the closing part of the 25th chapter reads clearly: NO GOATS ALLOWED! It's not that God doesn't like or love goats; it's that in Jesus' assessment of behavior, lambs obey and do; goats take and hoard. And we're talking the supernatural understanding of goats and sheep; not necessarily the physical barnyard kind.

Hear the second part; "I shall not want," means you do not have any needs for which God cannot provide. We serve an all-purpose God Who created all things, and as the psalmist says "God owns the cattle on a thousand hills", and the truth is that God owns the hills! God has a knack for helping us find shelter in the right places, as good shepherds do for for their flocks; God knows where the best drinking water can be found in safety, and God knows how to restore our souls. The pressures and strains of the day have found more than their match in the restorative power that God has and that we need. God also has a way of leading us down the right paths, true as His name is, and that is what He is known. Even when we find our way to the places that frighten us, God is there! And where God is, fear is not! The strong presence of the Lord embraces us and holds us like a baby fearful of the unknown and new. God possesses all to protect and rescue us. As the shepherd uses the rod to fend off wild animals, and the staff with which to rescue us; God uses the same to bless and protect us.

When it comes to celebrations, no one throws a banquet like God! We waste no time in describing His feast, for His presence is satisfying enough; but God knows to invite to watch those who wanted us to starve ( or worse!). And, to put icing on the cake, God knows to anoint our heads with oil as a symbol of God's favor towards us in the presence of our enemies; and that oil overflows, just like His love. Our present and our future are secure in God, for God's favor bestows us with goodness and mercy; and beyond the future, our home will always be with God. Amen, and amen! Praise God's name forever.

I don't know about you but every time I read this psalm in the winter it reads my soul as if I were in front of a nice fire, covered in a warm blanket, sipping a hot chocolate; in summer, it's a t-shirt and shorts, sipping cold lemonade in a nice cool breeze; whatever image works for you, receive it as strength and nourishment; as the fuel we need to move ever forward and every upward!

PRAYER: Loving God and Shepherd of those who love and walk with You; speak these word not only into our ears, but into our hearts and spirits. Renew us and remake us for faithful living; this we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share this psalm in your own words to a soul in need!

Receive my blessing of hope and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

By the Name of Jesus Christ!

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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3elf2g4

5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:5-12 New King James Version)

Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Family! Blessings upon blessings for you, Friend, and ways in which to share them with others this day and all days!

One of the great pains I carry from my childhood is that I was responsible for the destruction of an immaculate collection of model aircraft assembled lovingly and carefully by my father. I remember the first time I was allowed to see the collection; my memory says he had Flying Tigers, Mustangs, and another assortment of WWII fighter aircraft of the propellor type. I never saw him put them together, but he did a marvelous job. The decals and every aspect of their assembly screamed devotion and time. But to a little boy they screamed "Take me for a spin!" My mind could not yet comprehend that these plastic aircraft could not really fly. The hardest part was to answer, "Who did this?!" Well, maybe the spanking after I had no choice but to admit that moi was responsible.

That same question is posed to Peter and John for what they did to heal a man who had been unable to walk since his birth. This was the man who went leaping and jumping and praising God for what the Lord did to him through the two disciples. Word of this action got to the religious leaders and they were not at all pleased about this healing and certainly not on a Sabbath day. Their question reflects the threats they perceived by such an action. Healings were rare in those days, and certainly not at their hands. "By what power or by what name have you done this?" It is Peter who answers, filled with the Holy Spirit; "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole." Certainly not the answer they wanted to hear. Their efforts were to destroy Jesus and all He had started, and here they hear that it is by the name of Jesus that this supernatural power to heal has come to do this miracle; an unexplainable act of restoration of that which was as good as dead. How could the dried out leg muscles of this man come back to life? How could these eternally weak joints and limbs possibly support the weight of this man? How could a man that never learned to walk like "normal" kids now jump, leap, and run? And instead of asking for alms, how could his voice now praise God? Everything is beyond explanation! But, for this man and those who witnessed it, it was not beyond enjoyment. If you or me had been that man, we would be loving every minute of it! Too many years at floor level to now deny joy to being eye-to-eye with people. Too many embarrassing and humiliating days of asking please give me some of your money to now stop screaming, "Praise You, God!" and "Thank You, Lord!" Yet, for the religious leaders, again, not what they wanted to hear. How could a dead man, who died in the most terrible way possible, now have His name used as a power to heal? And why here outside the Temple on this sacred of days?

We know that everything that God does is of a sacred, usually unexplainable nature; usually meant to bless, to be enjoyed rather than explained. That happens in our lives when God brings us a blessing or we discover a blessing that God has shared with us and we just now truly understand it as such. How we respond is a great question. It was once presented to me by a new disciple who had come to faith in my church. He showed up in my office asking to be re-baptized because he now realized how much God loved him and he loved God. I was thrilled, but given our nature and understanding of baptism, I said, "We do not re-baptize people for we hold the sacredness of that first baptism to never wear off; but, let me ask you this; do you ever have days when you realize just how much you love your wife, or that she loves you? Do you say to yourself, I must get her to the church and we shall be married again? No, you know that that first ceremony still holds and your option is to show you how much you love her and you buy her something, take her to supper, get her some flowers; can't we do the same for God?" Indeed. He understood; as should we, to show our love and appreciation to God.

Peter goes on to share his faith in the same scriptures as his religious leaders, that Jesus is the "stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone." Ouch. Not what they wanted to hear; and certainly not something they wanted to believe. Peter further adds, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Double ouch! In Jesus we find salvation power; though Him we can find the right and proper relationship with God; in Him we find the removal of our sins, doubts, hurts, etc., removed once and for all. I would add, by the way, that the Jews were not known for their messages of salvation and restoration. It was only in Jesus that this becomes what is true and necessary for all humanity that hopes to find wholeness and meaning.

I have been witness to many a healing that has happened in this day and age through the Name above all names, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Our being supernatural people need to find that in supernatural things, unexplainable things occur, but only through the name of Jesus. That is why we pray and believe in the name of Jesus. It is the name that opens doors, provides opportunities, and solutions; not any other name, no matter how holy and sacred that name might be held by others; only in the name of Jesus can miracles still happen.

PRAYER: Loving God of all things wonderful and unexplainable; come to our needs as we pray in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth; for healings of loved ones, for the healing of marriages, for the deliverance from evil on the lives and bodies of close ones, bring deliverance and peace. For this nation and all nations, bring Thy peace; and we pray in the only name in which we believe these are possible, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Use the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth today in supernatural ways that will bless others!

Receive my blessings of peace and hope, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

Pastor Eradio Valverde

How Can I Help? What More Can I Do?

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Listen to our devotional: https://bit.ly/3v2DZU1

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. (1 John 3:16-24 NIV)

Happy Tuesday, dear, strong ConCafe Family! May this day be the day in which you, Friend do what God has asked of you, and you receive from God what you have asked of Him!

Mister Tim Bird probably does not consider himself a hero, but if you read what he does most nights in San Antonio, you will disagree with his own assessment. Mr. Bird, of Seguin, began by volunteering at the Freeman Coliseum with the over 2,000 immigrant children who are being housed there until their future can be determined. You can read the story by clicking on the link below. I share this because in a time where the people who are reacting in anger to real needs by threats or claims, "If anyone tries to come and take my stuff, I will kill them!" it is refreshing to see those who see the Christ-like need we have in our midst today. Please re-read verse 17 again: "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" John asks a timeless and very good question. When a real need, and usually of the life or death situations, how can we do anything other than the caring Christ-like response to our brothers and sisters? If more people would come to Christ, and more importatnly, come to having the mind of Christ, we would see the best response in most situations is "How can I help?, or What more can I do?" I've been very proud of young people during this pandemic who post social media spots where they have raised money to help those who might otherwise not have any help. Some will go and buy out street vendors entire merchandise for the day and let them keep it wile giving them large sums of money that followers and supporters of that particular blogger have shared with him or her to do just that. On FaceBook I addressed the kind of things prophets have to say even when the majority voices might say otherwise; there are real needs in our country even today; hunger, thirst, need for clothing, care, compassion, hospitality - the very things that Jesus said we would be judged on when He comes back on that day when all will stand before Him and God. The example and role model for us is Christ Jesus, Who loved all people, and showed them care and compassion. One example was the woman caught in the act of adultery. Sentenced to die by stoning, Jesus said whoever was without sin could throw the first stone. Jesus also wrote on the ground something we will know when we get to heaven that made all the accusers thrown down the stones and walking away. Jesus then asked the woman where her accusers were; and for her to go and sin no more.

The example set by Christ was not for political purposes or even to showcase Himself as a good person; Jesus lived how He lived so that we too, could live like Him. Re-read the passage for today; "Believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us." Nowhere do we read, "Well, that woman deserved to die! She was in clear violation of the law!" Yes, she was. But Jesus showed compassion and forgiveness, and He also reminded those present on that day that no one there was innocent of all sins. Jesus knew they would get more out of life by loving more than they would if they were angry and condemning of others. "The one who keeps God's commands lives in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us."

Dear one, this is not a political message; this is a prophetic message. If the Holy Spirit truly lives in us, we are called to be, and truly should be, different from the way we used to be. The corners of our hearts that once burned with anger and resentment should be gone. The thoughts that ruled our minds of condemnation and hatred, should be transformed into thoughts of love and charity. The questions we once asked of trying to get answers for justifying what we once considered justice, should now be those questions posed in our title for today; How can I help? What more can I do?

PRAYER: Lord God, Compassionate Father of all people, transform us into those whose lives have tired of the negative and want to be solidly for life and compassion. Remove from us the negative and fill us with Thy Spirit so that we can do more and be more. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show love and compassion today in all ways.

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Click here to read more about Mr. Tim Bird: https://seguintoday.com/2021/04/14/seguin-man-steps-in-to-help-migrant-children-currently-sheltered-at-sas-freeman-coliseum/

Jesus, Our Good Shepherd!

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Listen to our devotional here: https://bit.ly/3mZDpUf

11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father." (John 10: 11-18 NRSV)

Happy Monday! May the God of all blessings, bless you, ConCafe Family and you, dear Friend is my prayer.

Here we have it, from the Master's lips, His declaration about Who He truly is. Jesus was not one to claim to be king, or even the Son of God; His was a mission of love from God to God's people, and here in ways that the common person of the day could easily and readily identify, He declares, "I am the good shepherd." And as a good shepherd, He shares how He would lay His life down His life for us, the sheep. And being our shepherd, He is not like a hired hand; He will not run away at the first sign of danger, especially from wolves (the most likely danger of sheep in His day and region); and like a good shepherd, He knows us and we know Him. We know the importance of knowing God's voice, and not only knowing it, but listening to it.

And Jesus knew, as He said these words, how his mission here would end, and that was through His death, but He plainly says at out of that great love, He would willingly give His life for you and me. We also know that Jesus had the choice and the power to have said no, but He didn't. Jesus was under His Father's command, and He was faithful to God.

Please go through this day with these words of our Lord in your heart, mind, and spirit; Jesus loves you and is with you. As our good shepherd remember the words of the 23rd Psalm; He leads us to the right places at the right time; He cares for us and provides for us. We cannot go wrong with all the Lord does for us!

PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for Your faithfulness, and the way You guide and provide. May we never take You or Your love for granted. Help us to insprire others to join You on this awesome adventure called life in faith. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a good little lamb today!

Receive my love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Choose a New Life!

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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/32eoqwq

12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you,15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. 17 "And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, (Acts 3:12-19 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Family! Blessings upon blessings be yours, dear Reader! Use them, share them, multiply them, and enjoy them! Pray with them, so that others may receive blessings on their needs.

Not too long ago, there was a resurrection of sorts. It was new life given to an old, presumed dead outfit. During its heyday it was a standard fixture in most communities of any size. It was the go-to place for hard-to-find electronic doo-dads, like plugs, adapters, wires, and yes, some appliances of the musical kind. It was there that my parents bought me my first stereo to take with me to college. And if you can't guess what the outfit was, I'll tell you, it was Radio Shack. It was a Texas Company based in Fort Worth and it was known the world over as a place to get needed things for your audio and some limited television needs. The day came when word got out that Radio Shack's days were limited and we saw former RS stores boarded up and soon even the familiar signs were gone. Here in Seguin we had one and in every city I served as pastor we could count on a RS to be the place where we could buy things to keep our music going. And then after a time away, it appeared as an online company making itself known again through texts. I remember getting a text and asking if I wanted to be informed of things they were offering. I typed Y for Yes and soon I got their first offering; a radio. Hmm, I thought, if this is a new life, it's not going where it should be going. Terrestrial radio is not what it used to be and most people are listening not to the radio, but to digital music. You've probably followed the evolution of how music is played, and I'm old enough to remember owning and enjoying a transistor radio that I took with me everywhere in hopes that it would be in range of the nearest signal and maybe, just maybe, I could hear my favorite song of the day. Then records were still around, and kids, run and ask grandma or grandpa to explain those to you. Then cassettes came along, then several digital things like mini-discs, then the compact disc, then the iPod and MP3s and soon those were replacing Walkmans and Discmans. The transistor radio was long dead; yet, Radio Shack was offering a portable radio. And the next day they offered headphones with radio capabilities. I shook my head and thought, I hope they know what they are doing; kids riding bikes with headphones to listen to radio stations might not be enough to help truly resurrect your company. A new life should be one in touch with God and any future that God may have for that life.

Peter, in today's passage, has been a part of a miracle that baffled a lot of people. A man who had never walked in his entire life, confined to begging for his daily existence, asks Peter and John for money. The two stop and ask the man to look at them; the man thought that their gifts might be enough for a meal, but they offered him what he probably had stopped hoping for, and that was new life in his legs. Yet, that was exactly what he received; a way to stand up and walk. And the beauty of this man's new life was that he not only got up and walked, he inspired a song that celebrated that this man went leaping and jumping, and praising God! (verse 8). There was excitement in this man now. Daily and slowly his limited life was now brimming with hope and promise; the possibilities now seemed endless to a man who can now jump and leaps and whose heart can now praise God with joy. The excitement was not shared by everyone; and guess who were the least happy about this? The religious leaders of the day. But those who knew this man were amazed and astonished that such a newness could come to an old life. Peter uses that as his text for his short, but powerful sermon, on God's ability to make strong the weak; who could take the lifeless body of His Son, Jesus, and give Him new life, and as a byproduct of resurrection, bring healing and wholeness to places where that was not expected. And Peter uses that to say, this is a good time for everyone to get right with God; God has been preparing this event since the beginning of time, and now you all have the opportunity to turn away from your sins, and turn to God, so that God can wipe away your sins, and truly give you too, a new life! The spiritually lame, the spiritually blind, the spiritually deaf, all could now have the wholeness of hope that only God can share. And that same power is still God's. God can work miracles even in us these thousands of years later, and make our lives new. The death-causing sin can be wiped away by God's grace, and God's hope will fill your life with a newness of perspective towards life. What is holding you back?

PRAYER: Awesome Father, speak to our hearts and make us all new. You better than anyone know our needs, and to You we turn those over so that You may make us new. Hear the prayers of all who ask, and empower us to share that hope as well; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Bring hope to many today with your lives!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

What Great Love!

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Listen to today's devotional: https://bit.ly/3mFKZmW

1 What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it - we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. 2 But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him - and in seeing him, become like him. 3 All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own. 4 All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God's order. 5 Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. 6 No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They've got him all backwards. 7 So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from the truth. It's the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. (1 John 3:1-7 The Message Bible)

Happy Tuesday to our ConCafe Family! Praying God's blessings be with you during this day for you, dear friend, in ways that will amaze you and bless you.

What is your earliest recollection of feeling love? Was it something you learned from your mother? Father? Do you remember the first time you felt you loved someone? Your spouse? Your children? Do you remember feeling love from God? I suppose every single one of us would have a different way of describing or explaining love, maybe more so when it comes to explaining God's love. I don't remember the exact date, nor my exact age of my knowing that God loved me through Jesus Christ; I do know I was about 8 years old. It was on a Sunday, during a sermon in Spanish when the minister said we had to invite Jesus into our hearts, which I did, and Christ would come in, which He did. I never did grow wings or receive a halo, just the quiet and blessed assurance that Jesus was mine, and I was His. God became real, and so did His love. The more I understood Jesus' ministry and His passion and death, the power of resurrection blessed me with the solid notion that God did love me and had sent His Son to die for my sins. I was truly now, God's son. Jesus' mission was to find 12 men who would be His followers, and whom He could train to be witnesses of all that God wanted to do on the earth through their testimony and their service. And the more I know about the 12 the more blessed I am to know that not one of those original twelve ever grew wings or received halos on the earth. God took them warts and all; pimples and winkles, scars and blemishes. God knew their hearts, as He knows ours, and still He loves us and wants to work in us. Evidence the writing of one of them, John. He knew that this love from God was anything but ordinary; he called it a "marvelous love" from "the Father," so perfect and awesome that he writes, "Just look at ti - we're called children of God! That's who we really are." He knew enough to know that not all the world will run to us just because we say we are God's children; most, as John wrote, won't recognize us or even take us seriously, because they do not know Who He is. John celebrates that being God's children is but the starting point; what we will eventually will become is not yet known; but he's excited about it, and so should we be as well.

John knew and believed that God would come again; and in the meantime, we should live as those who know just how much we need Jesus in our lives. "Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in Him, and sin is not part of His program." In fact, John writes, If we live deeply in Jesus, practicing sin is not a part of who we are; we are the opposite, we seek to run away from sin and straight into the waiting arms of Jesus. The world and our enemy the devil know at least a million and one ways to get us off the path and away from the truth; it's up to us to live and act right, so much so they will see in us, our Messiah and Savior, who is righteous!

PRAYER: Loving Father, in Jesus we have found true love and acceptance; as we live out our lives, make us more and more aware of that so that we can tell and show others. May we be all about love, especially around those who do not yet know real love from God. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show God's love to all people today in all ways!

Receive my blessings of love and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

A Hungry Ghost?

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Hear the devotional for today here: https://bit.ly/3d6eqvc

36b Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:36b-48 NIV)

Happy Monday, ConCafe Family! May this time of Easter serve to strengthen your faith, dear Reader in ways that will surprise you and others! We continue to lift up those battling Covid-19; those who love those suffering from that dreaded disease, and those who attend to their needs. We lift up doctors, nurses, specialists, NPNs, hospital staff, et al. May the Lord bless and protect them all!

Friends, I cannot emphasize enough how powerful is that television series on Jesus called The Chosen. I discovered that if you have the Peacock TV app on your television, you can download The Chosen app within Peacock, and watch the series on that. It is amazing! I do not get any thing from those who air that show, but I do get a lot from watching the drama of those around Jesus. I have to say that Nicodemus has taken on a new appreciation from me; which is amazing because he rates high in my book to begin with. He says some things, that though fictionalized for the sake of this series ring true about how we should see the wonder and the "more" behind the Law. He and his wife have an amazing discussion about Jesus' power to drive out demons. Also, the disciples are shown to be, and we should know this but we tend to forget, fully human. They argue, fight, carry on, and then get blown away by the way Jesus proves Himself to be Who He truly is. The catch of fish after an all-night fishing excursion is what makes even Simon declare himself to be in the presence of the Messiah. Fishing is also shown to be alive, which it was, but the importance of a good catch is stressed for economic and personal reasons. So, the broiled fish that Jesus eats here is of some significance.

We are in the Easter season and the part of that which stresses that after He arose from the dead, He appears to many. And His message stayed clear; proclaim the Good News to all. And the prelude of that message, "Peace be with you." To see a man once dead, especially if you were a witness to his death, would scare many. And the idea that people back then, like now, that there might be ghosts, is shown when the disciples think that Jesus Himself is a ghost. And unlike ghosts, Jesus knows their hearts and minds, and asks them why they were troubled? They had been in the presence and power of the Living God, and to have seen Him rise from the dead should have made them stronger people, but human thoughts and fears got the best of them. Jesus also asks them to see and touch His body and bones; yet they still could not believe what they were seeing. Then, to further prove He is not a spirit being only, asks for something to eat. And chances are that Jesus knew exactly what they had to eat; fish! Grill tilapia (we can make it grilled catfish for my true Southern brothers and sisters! Sorry, fried catfish was not on the menus yet). He sits at their table and eats the fish. And when finished, He continues with attempts to explain Himself and His ministry to them. "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." He opened their minds so they could fully understand the Scriptures. Have you ever asked God to open your mind before you read His word? It helps! Then Jesus shares where in their scriptures where it says that "the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at the Jerusalem." And He states to them, "You are witnesses of these things."

Witnesses. They had seen, and felt, things that could not be fully explained. They were there at miracles they would never fully understand. In the series, the first miracle is shown in a way that truly blessed me; Jesus and His disciples go to this wedding, which has shown the behind-the-scenes pressure on the groom's parents in getting all the final details worked out, hiring the right wine stewards, who are shown to be a young couple just starting to build their wine business and they were told that only "about 40 guests" would be there; soon they realize that the truer number to be double that. The in-laws are shown to be arrogant people, who are not yet convinced their daughter has married the right guy. Then the wine runs out. You can feel the pressure on the host family, who in turn pressure the wine stewards; add the arrogant in-laws who are wanting more wine. Jesus is shown a bit flustered by His mom's request that He "do something!" It happens in a way that no one knew how. They only understood the end result; a wine unlike any wine they had ever tasted. Much in the way God has taken our lives and done with them things that have blessed and astounded others when they did not expect much to begin with. And whatever that has been in your life, you are a witness. You have seen and heard and experienced what God only can explain, but you can say, "Look to God and trust what He can do." And in so doing, you will bring a blessing to many.

PRAYER: Loving Father, increase our faith, grant us boldness, and use us as wonderful witnesses of what You can do, and will do in the lives of those who ask; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Tell someone about what God has done in you!

Receive my blessings of love and joy,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Unity!

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

1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalm 133 NIV)

Happy Thursday ConCafe Family! Blessings of peace and understanding to you, Friend, so that this passage become power and a tool for your use today and all days. Prayer Request for Mrs. Hannah De La Garza of Boerne, whose baby is in breech and faces a C-Section tomorrow. Her Dad, Chet Marko is my mentor in the insurance business. Prayers for a safe delivery, for Mom's safety and wellbeing; for the Dad, the baby, and the grandparents. May God be glorified.

The Resurrection of Jesus brought unity to the early church we read about yesterday; and it resonates with the ancient church as it made its way to the Temple in Jerusalem. Imagine walking with your neighbors to church singing, "We are One in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord" joyfully and meaningfully? That would be a sight; much as was the pilgrims singing this psalm as a preparation for unity in worship. They sang, before worship, about the beauty and specialness of God's people living, which involved all the aspects of life, including worship, meals, etc.; and all done in the unity of love. And the image of the rest of the psalm is it is like precious oil running down the beards of ancient leaders; and the fresh dew on Hermon falling on Mount Zion; where there is unity, the psalm says, God bestows His blessing, including eternal life.

The psalm becomes a prayer of preparation and repentance and pleading; God, remove from our hearts old wounds, old hurts, old sentiments, so that the closer we get to temple (church) the more love we feel towards each other in ways that prohibit Satan from bringing any sort of attack on God's faithful. How many of us pray on the way to church a prayer like that? Imagine if we did?

PRAYER: Loving God, pour out Your grace on us so that we might be people of grace, love, and peace. Rekindle unity in our hearts and spirits so that all time with fellow believers is precious and powerful. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a bearer of unity in all ways today to all!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

All Things In Common

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Hear today's devotional here: https://bit.ly/2RfYpdN

32 The whole congregation of believers was united as one - one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't have it." They shared everything. 33 The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. 34 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale 35 to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person's need. (Acts 4:32-35 The Message Bible)

A wonderful Wednesday be yours dear ConCafe Family! And may new doors and windows open to you, Friend, in which you can serve the Risen Savior! May our prayer time be filled with blessings for all who are on our prayer list, as well as blessings for us and our needs.

The Christian way of life is way different from what the world teaches and expects. It's gotten so blurred lately, that what was once forbidden and considered sinful, is now tolerated and sometimes celebrated. And to talk about sin upsets some people! But I never said yes to God to serve Him as a people-pleaser; I seek to honor and glorify Him and to serve His people in ways that draw them closer to Him. Among the first words a baby learns, usually NO is the number one; a close second is MINE! Babies are born with an innate sense to protect what is theirs, and to do all they can to prevent others from taking possessions or even people away from them. Our first grandbaby was with us at a Christmas event in San Marcos, TX, when we saw the newborn baby of our church secretary. Nelllie asked to carry her and our baby just glared at grandma holding a baby that was not her. It took a few hours to finally allow grandma to touch and/or carry her! She made herself clear; "Grandma, other babies are not to be carried by you! Just me!" And the same was true for the rest, especially when it came to the only high chair we own. At meal time, the previous "owner" of the chair will usually make clear that s/he is the only one allowed to sit in it; but even though they may not fit in that chair any longer; it is theirs! Some babies outgrow it; some babies stay babies and spoiled ones at that. So, to see that the Resurrection Faith is now growing and glowing, it is awesome to read these new believers in the Risen Christ now were truly united as one, with one heart and one mind. As this version says, "They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, 'That's mine; you can't have it.' They shared everything." In so doing, "The apostles gave powerful wintess to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them." They basically wiped out poverty among them; hunger was gone, as was homelessness. All physical and spiritual needs were eradicated. Everyone who believed, belonged; and to those who belonged they were fully blessed.

Where are you in this journey? Has the power of Easter helped you mature and outgrow the old nature that may have held you back from truly blessing others? I thank God that in my years of pastoring I have seen tremendous changes come over people and their perspectives on life and the things of life dramatically change. They no longer want to have sin in their lives or to be sinful people; they love more, share more, and give more; they go the "second mile" in all things. And speaking of second mile; that comes from the Roman law that said Roman soliders had the authority and power to demand a civilian, usually the Jews, carry their packs and other heavy equipment for one mile. The "invitation" was for them to tap you on the back with the flat part of their spear. If you refused, the sharp end would find your heart and you would be killed for refusing; thus Jesus' teaching on going the second mile. I have to share with you a show that I have discovered that truly paints a vivid picture of actual life in that era of Jesus called The Chosen. It is an app you can download onto your smartphone or tablet and view it there or if you know how to cast that onto your television you can watch it there. Some TVs also have ways to download apps and this app is called The Chosen. It has caught my attention and I've only seen the first two episodes and have learned a lot about customs, dress, the hidden agendas among some soliders and Jewish religious leaders. I recommend it. This show is filmed in Texas and it offers a unique way to pay for it, namely a method called Pay It Forward. You can choose to pay for each episode and thus allows someone else to watch it free; or if you don't have the money you can watch each episode free, thanks to someone who has paid it forward for you. Interesting how that goes with the lesson of this passage!

A shared ife is a blessed life. A blessed life is the best life one could hope to enjoy here on the earth. Jesus taught us the way, but it is up to us to accept it and employ it. A shared life is also a witnessing life; that first church we read about in today's passage grew and grew because they learned to rise above what the world teaches and expects.

PRAYER: Loving Father, thank You for this dear and faithful reader; may she or he be blessed today in unexpected ways; may they draw closer to You and to others around them in ways that bless Your Kingdom. Accept our prayer of faith that we lift up in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a sharing life today! Don't hold back! Give!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Cleansed From Sin!

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1 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 1:1 - 2;2 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, ConCafe Family! And may the wonders of God continue to instill in us childlike awe and wonder. Make this the blessed day you need, Friend! Please seek to recapture the power of prayer for the areas of your life where it is most needed. Pray for other ConCafe readers; forward this email to someone indicating you are praying for them; and pray for yourself!

Studying this passage made me remember the dirtiest day of my life. Yes, there were many, but this one stands out. It was a hazing i received my first year at college. So, I asked for it. And I got it. You name it and it was poured on me, usually started with my head. Catsup, honey, mustard, so many things I cannot remember; oh did I mention this was in a rodeo arena behind the college? And did I mention the arena floor was, well, not a floor, but dirt and dirt hosed down with lots of water turns into mud. Thick, stick-to-your-skin mud. I thank God it was not a cold day, because I knew after all the "fun" was over, we would be hosed down with cold water. The one thing I remember was that i was not alone. I was with a group of equally mud-caked men. All of had been laughed and jeered at; and the crowd gathered could hardly wait to see us be hosed down. I remember the pre-mudding instructions being, "Wear only those garments you want to get rid off, because you will never get them clean again. And bring a change of clothes to wear home." I tried to select the toss-out garments with my Mom in mind; for she was a keen inventory-keeper and had initialed every garment of mine with red thread. Today that makes me smile. I disliked the thought of some how that being discovered; but hey, times were tough, money was tight, and we couldn't afford for me to have my clothing stolen! Being a person who shopped in the Husky department meant chances another husky guy wanting my clothing were slimmer, ha! great word, than most!

Yesterday, the gospel lesson spoke about the Holy Spirit giving the disciples the power to forgive sin; and equally strong, to retain sin. And I can only imagine if our eyes could see the spiritual impact our sins have on our souls, images not far from the young man pictured in today's graphic above or your mental images of me in mud, well, we would be on the right track. This passage stresses the importance of having Jesus remove our sins. The seventh verse of this passage sums that up, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." In my hazing, I mentioned I was not alone; many times our sins involve other people; sometimes we convince them or they convince us that sinning is alright; yet we know we will both or all, stand in judgment caked in sin with no hope of getting a shower of grace to remove them because we failed to ask for it while alive. And unlike clothing, our decisions to sin sometimes lead us to throw away important things or people in our lives, relationships, children, employment, and the list is too long to list; suffice it to say, John wrote this with love in his heart for you and me, urging us to take advantage of Easter and the removal of sin and the resurrection of a new creature (us) when we repent and walk after and with, the Lord. Notice how he closes the passage, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." Friend, do not let this day end without asking the Lord to wash us clean from our sins; our spirits cannot fully function caked in sin; let the atoning blood of Jesus make us truly new!

PRAYER: Father, You know full well the places where we have gone when we knew better. You were there, though we tried to hide from You when we said, or did, or thought the things that damages us while breaking Your heart. Grant us a new chance to truly enjoy the freedom that comes from new hearts created by You once sin is removed. We pray in Your Son's powerful name, Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Shine your light into the darkness of those whom you know need to hear about freedom in Jesus!

Receive my blessings of love and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Supernatural Events of Easter

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Listen to the podcast of this devotional here: https://bit.ly/3dzunJp

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20: 19-31 NIV)

Happy Easter Monday! For the record, we're still celebrating Easter! And the power of Easter continues to be with us and all that we face, Friend. As I shared yesterday, we were blessed to hear that Austin Police Officer Elijah Neely has come out of his coma, and we rejoice in that news. We are asked to stll be in prayer for his complete recovery. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves.

Easter is a supernatural event, for what we believe happened here defies explanation from the natural. Resurrection from the dead is something only God can do; and the events of this passage show that the power of God continued to be at work in the world where Jesus is present, and we believe, that continues to be the truth for us and what we face.

The first event involves the appearance of the Risen Lord in bodily form behind closed doors to the disciples. As we can imagine even though the Lord is risen, the ones who put Jesus to death, still wanted to completely shut down this new movement that Jesus started. The disciples were aware of that anger and were fearful for their lives as well. They were still in the Upper Room when Jesus appeared to them and shared, "Peace be with you!" Those words were precisely what I would need to hear from a man who had been dead and is now alive! And Jesus shows his hands and side as evidence that He was indeed the same man whom they had seen dead on the cross, and whose side had been pierced by a Roman solider's sword. The hands had been pierced by the nails. This realization that He was alive brought much joy to the disciples. And for a second time Jesus shares a "Peace be with you!," but also adds a commission; "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you," and breathes on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." This is an important event in the lives of the disciples, for the Holy Spirit brings His power and guidance to them, and fulfills the promise of Jesus that He would not leave them as orphans. Added to this, Jesus speaks of what they can now do; "If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." So, we see that the good news mission continues; Jesus spoke against sin and how important it is to have our sins forgiven and removed from our lives. WIth the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were to continue to preach God's liberating love for us to set us free from the power of sin.

Thomas has the luck of some of us. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We do not know where he was, but we do know that he missed out. Thomas was a twin, thus the Didymus name given him, but ancients gave him the name Doubting because of his response to the news his brother disciples gave him about missing out on seeing Jesus. He could not accept the fact that a) Jesus was still alive, b) that He showed up to visit them; his fear was that he would soon die at the hands of the same authorities that killed Jesus. And Thomas set his standards for maybe believing that it really is Jesus who showed up. Remember, Jesus was not there, but upon His next appearance in that same room, He directly addresses Thomas and his requests. And tells him, "Stop doubting and believe." Thomas goes on to declare His faith, My Lord and my God!" Jesus tells him and the others, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." And that means us!

Many were the other things that John says that Jesus did in the presence of His disciples; but the main thing is for you and me is to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you and me may have life in His name. Amen!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, increase my faith so I may truly be a supernatural person who though living in a natural world, can see and do things

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show your supernatural side tomorrow in sharing what God did for you today!

Receive my blessings of joy and peace,

Pastor Eradio Valverde

Good Friday

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1 Jesus, having prayed this prayer, left with his disciples and crossed over the brook Kidron at a place where there was a garden. He and his disciples entered it. 2 Judas, his betrayer, knew the place because Jesus and his disciples went there often. 3 So Judas led the way to the garden, and the Roman soldiers and police sent by the high priests and Pharisees followed. They arrived there with lanterns and torches and swords. 4 Jesus, knowing by now everything that was coming down on him, went out and met them. He said, "Who are you after?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." 5 He said, "That's me." The soldiers recoiled, totally taken aback. Judas, his betrayer, stood out like a sore thumb. 6 7 Jesus asked again, "Who are you after?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." 8 "I told you," said Jesus, "that's me. I'm the one. So if it's me you're after, let these others go." 9 (This validated the words in his prayer, "I didn't lose one of those you gave.") 10 Just then Simon Peter, who was carrying a sword, pulled it from its sheath and struck the Chief Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Malchus was the servant's name. 11 Jesus ordered Peter, "Put back your sword. Do you think for a minute I'm not going to drink this cup the Father gave me?" 12 Then the Roman soldiers under their commander, joined by the Jewish police, seized Jesus and tied him up. 13 They took him first to Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the Chief Priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people. 15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That other disciple was known to the Chief Priest, and so he went in with Jesus to the Chief Priest's courtyard. 16 Peter had to stay outside. Then the other disciple went out, spoke to the doorkeeper, and got Peter in. 17 The young woman who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, "Aren't you one of this man's disciples?" He said, "No, I'm not." 18 The servants and police had made a fire because of the cold and were huddled there warming themselves. Peter stood with them, trying to get warm.19 Annas interrogated Jesus regarding his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered, "I've spoken openly in public. I've taught regularly in meeting places and the Temple, where the Jews all come together. Everything has been out in the open. I've said nothing in secret. 21 So why are you treating me like a conspirator? Question those who have been listening to me. They know well what I have said. My teachings have all been aboveboard." 22 When he said this, one of the policemen standing there slapped Jesus across the face, saying, "How dare you speak to the Chief Priest like that!" 23 Jesus replied, "If I've said something wrong, prove it. But if I've spoken the plain truth, why this slapping around?" 24 Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to the Chief Priest Caiaphas. 25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was back at the fire, still trying to get warm. The others there said to him, "Aren't you one of his disciples?" He denied it, "Not me." 26 One of the Chief Priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Didn't I see you in the garden with him?" 27 Again, Peter denied it. Just then a rooster crowed. 28 They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor's palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn't enter the palace because they didn't want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and spoke. "What charge do you bring against this man?" 30 They said, "If he hadn't been doing something evil, do you think we'd be here bothering you?" 31 Pilate said, "You take him. Judge him by your law." 32 (This would confirm Jesus' word indicating the way he would die.) 33 Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" 34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?" 35 Pilate said, "Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?" 36 "My kingdom," said Jesus, "doesn't consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But I'm not that kind of king, not the world's kind of king." 37 Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?" Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice." 38 Pilate said, "What is truth?" Then he went back out to the Jews and told them, "I find nothing wrong in this man." 39 It's your custom that I pardon one prisoner at Passover. Do you want me to pardon the 'King of the Jews'?" 40 They shouted back, "Not this one, but Barabbas!" Barabbas was a Jewish freedom fighter. 1 So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. 2 The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, 3 and approached him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they greeted him with slaps in the face. 4 Pilate went back out again and said to them, "I present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not find him guilty of any crime." 5 Just then Jesus came out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe. Pilate announced, "Here he is: the Man." 6 When the high priests and police saw him, they shouted in a frenzy, "Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate told them, "You take him. You crucify him. I find nothing wrong with him." 7 The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God."8 When Pilate heard this, he became even more scared. 9 He went back into the palace and said to Jesus, "Where did you come from?" Jesus gave no answer. 10 Pilate said, "You won't talk? Don't you know that I have the authority to pardon you, and the authority to - crucify you?" 11 Jesus said, "You haven't a shred of authority over me except what has been given you from heaven. That's why the one who betrayed me to you has committed a far greater fault." 12 At this, Pilate tried his best to pardon him, but the Jews shouted him down: "If you pardon this man, you're no friend of Caesar's. Anyone setting himself up as 'king' defies Caesar." 13 When Pilate heard those words, he led Jesus outside. He sat down at the judgment seat in the area designated Stone Court (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). 14 It was the preparation day for Passover. The hour was noon. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king." 15 They shouted back, "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!" Pilate said, "I am to crucify your king?" The high priests answered, "We have no king except Caesar." 16 Pilate caved in to their demand. He turned him over to be crucified. 17 Carrying his cross, Jesus went out to the place called Skull Hill (the name in Hebrew is Golgotha), 18 where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate wrote a sign and had it placed on the cross. It read: jesus the nazarene the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. 21The Jewish high priests objected. "Don't write," they said to Pilate, "'The King of the Jews.' Make it, 'This man said, "I am the King of the Jews."'" 22 Pilate said, "What I've written, I've written." 23 When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, 24 so they said to each other, "Let's not tear it up. Let's throw dice to see who gets it." This confirmed the Scripture that said, "They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat." (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!) 25 Jesus' mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. 26 Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." 27 Then to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother. 28 Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, "I'm thirsty." 29 A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. 30 After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done . . . complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit. 31 Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn't stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. 33 When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn't break his legs. 34 One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out. 35 The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe. 36 These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, "Not a bone in his body was broken," 37 and the other Scripture that reads, "They will stare at the one they pierced." 38 After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. 41 There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. 42 So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it. (John 18:1-19:42 The Message Bible)

It is the day. The day Jesus dreaded. The day Jesus knew was necessary. It was the day Jesus died a painful, excruciating death. It was what the world needed, though many did not, and still many do not know it was for them. These two chapters of John make up what we call the Passion of Christ. There are several things we should know about His passion. The first is that this was God-directed and God-ordained. It was an act in which Jesus surrendered His will for His Father's will. This drama of passion is filled with faith, fueled by prayer, and powered by grace. It has all the marks of a well-scripted drama; love, passion, betrayal, arrests, a trial and a rush to judgement. It begins at night and ends even in darkness at 3 in the afternoon. Roman soldiers assist religious authorities in the arrest of Jesus. Judas, a hand-selected disciple, keeper of the ministry's treasury, for his own profit, decides to call Jesus' hand into doing what the crowd expected on Sunday; an open and successful revolt against Caesar so that the Jewish nation could return to its glory days of David and Solomon. During the arrest, the hot-headed Peter draws his sword and cuts off the right ear of the servant of the High Priest; only to be rebuked by his Master who says He was obedient to God even to the very end.

The scene shifts to stand trial, where the twelve follow cautiously. One disciple, known to Caiaphas was allowed to enter with Jesus, but Peter has to stand outside. He undergoes his own trial by a young woman who questions if he is one of the disciples. He denies that he is. This line of questioning would continue until Peter would deny Jesus three times before the rooster could crow once; just as Jesus had foretold. Inside it was worse for Jesus. Jesus maintaining the truth; He openly taught "out in the open" with nothing being said in secret; which leads to a policeman to strike Jesus across the face, with Him saying, "If I've said something wrong, prove it. But if I've spoken the plain truth, why this slapping around?" Jesus is then tied up, and sent to the home of Caiaphas, who was Chief Priest for that year. Nothing that His accusers wanted worked out, so to the home of the Roman Governor's palace, they take our Lord. Most of the religious ones do not enter the palace for they would have been considered unclean and thus not worthy of eating the Passover meal. Pilate asks what charge they were bringing against Jesus. The only answer they can think of will get most people out of jury duty; "Why would we arrest him if he wasn't guilty?" Pilate orders Jesus into the palace where he questions Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus responds, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?" Pilate replies by asking if he looked like a Jew; Jesus then says His kingdom is not from this world. And He further explains that He entered the world to speak about the truth, to which Pilate asks his famous, "What is truth?" He decides that Jesus is not guilty of anything and so tries to offer to the crowd the opportunity for them to decide to free Jesus or a known "freedom fighter" named Barabbas. The crowd chose Barabbas, and so Jesus is whipped. The Roman soldiers braided a crown made of thorns and places that on Jesus' head, and added a purple robe as well, and mocked Him with taunts, "Hail, King of the Jews!" The hail they offered were slaps in Jesus' face. Pilate then publicly says that he finds no guilt in Him; but the appearance of Jesus dressed as a mock king drives the high priests and the crowd crazy with anger and begin to shout, "Crucify! Crucify!" To which Pilate says they must do it themselves; and the Jews respond that Jesus was guilty of claiming to be the Son of God, and thus deserved to die. Pilate, to his credit, tries to pardon Jesus, but was overruled by the crowd, and tuns Him over to be crucified.

The actual crucifixion took place outside of town on a hill named Golgotha, which means, "Skull hill," and it was there, between two criminals, Jesus is nailed to the cross and left to die. Pilate now joins in wholeheartedly with the Jews by making a sign that read, "King of the Jews." This angers the religious leaders, but Pilate sticks to his decision of leaving the sign as written. The soliders took Jesus' garments and divided them up four ways; but Jesus' robe was seamless, and they threw dice to determine who would keep it. In so doing, Roman soldiers validated Hebrew scriptures.

The only ones brave enough to stand at the foot of the cross were Mary, Jesus' mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Upon seeing His mother, Jesus utters one of the seven last words attributed to Him on the cross, "Woman, here is your son," and to His disciple Mark, He says, "Here is your mother," fulfilling an appointment of responsibility to him and to her. Jesus then says, "I'm thirsty." And to His thirst, He is given sour wine; and then Jesus says, "It's done...complete." And bowing His head, He died. Being the eve of the Sabbath, the Jews could not properly prepare the body for burial. The Jews demanded the legs of those on the crosses be broken; and the two criminals had their legs broken, but seeing that Jesus was already dead, the soldiers spared Him that action and instead speared Him in the side, and blood and water gushed out. Many scholars believe this was a sign of a broken heart. Scripture that read "Not a bone in His body was broken," and "They will stare at the one they pierced," were fulfilled.

Joseph of Arimathea, a secret undercover disciple of Jesus, believed by some to have been the rich young ruler who approached Jesus to ask how he might inherit eternal life, asked permission of Pilate to take possession of the body of Jesus. And Joseph took the body and placed it in a new, unused tomb. And then we meet Nicodemus, "Nite at Night," who came to Jesus by night to ask about Him, who has come forward with a mixture of myrrh and aloes, believed to be about 75 pounds worth, with which he wanted to prepare the body for burial. And wrapping Jesus in linen with spices, they laid Him to rest.

There Jesus would lay for three days. Tradition holds that upon His death, He was able to go into hell and preach there to those who had not had an opportunity to hear the truth about God, and many accepted Him and were given eternal life. Another tradition says the true meaning behind "he ascended into hell" refers to the pain and suffering He endured prior to His death on the cross. Whatever you may believe, or not yet believe, the story does not end here.

PRAYER: Father, shine light in those dark places and spaces of our lives. May doubt, sin, and despair be removed from us; guide us into the fullness of life; prepare us truly for Easter. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Friends, I ask prayer for Wil and Bonnie Blayney, of San Antonio, Texas. Their only remaining child, a daughter died unexpected this week. Bonnie believes that in her dedicated care for them, she neglected herself. Pray that God's comfort be with this loving couple during their grief.