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Listen to the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3ez9oYN
9 If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. 10 Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:9-13 NRSV)
Happy Tuesday, ConCafe Family! Wonderful things come to those who trust in the Lord, and I pray you are one of them, Friend! As we pray, please pray for a dear friend, Mr. Rob Rocha of the Dallas area, who finds himself in a lot of pain in one of his ears and as a result cannot hear out of that ear; pray for his healing and his peace. Prayers also for Ms. Joyce Harris of Gonzales, TX, who has fallen and broken her hip and awaits surgery in San Marcos. Pray for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. Prayers also for Ms. Mary Martha Ehrig, who awaits an appointment with an oncologist. May she be blessed by our prayers for healing and strength. Pray for one another, and make time to pray for yourself and your needs.
David Letterman on his television show had a Christmas tradition of having on Mr. Jay Thomas, a radio personality, who would tell the same story each year of hosting a new car dealership opening at which, Mr. Clayton Moore in character as The Lone Ranger. After the opening was over, Mr. Thomas was to drive Mr. Moore to his hotel, and on the way there, in heavy traffic, they could not move. Mr. Thomas is in his 10 year-old Volvo which he said was filled with fast food trash all over. The man in front decides he will not wait and so backs up and breaks the headlight of Mr. Thomas' car. He doesn't stop and takes off. Mr. Thomas and his friend, a music industry representative who had come to visit him, give chase. I should mention that Mr. Thomas said he was the only white guy in town with a huge Afro, and his friend had super long hair. They finally catch up to the guilty party and they cut off his car and confront the man. "You broke my headlight!" The man responds, "I did not!" Mr. Thomas says, "Oh yes, you did!" "What are you going to do about it?" Mr. Thomas says, "I'm going to call the cops!" "Oh yeah, and who do you think they're going to believe? A couple of drug-crazed hippie freaks or me?" At that moment, out pops The Lone Ranger from the car and says, "They'll believe me, Citizen!" David Letterman said it was the best story he had ever heard and thus every Christmas would have Mr. Thomas retell it.
John writes that the best witness we as humans can ever have, is God. When it comes to the matter of eternal life, the witness of God cannot be beat. God has borne witness that His Son died for us, rose from the dead and lives so that we, too, could have eternal life. Those who believe, John writes, have this testimony in their hearts. "Those who do not believe in God have made Him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son." And we know what the testimony is, "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." And John wrote these things so that we might believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, so that we might know that you have eternal life."
I have shared how many of us, at times, confess we are not sure that we will make it to heaven. "If I get to heaven we say," or "I don't know, I haven't been that good in my life, so I don't know where I'm going when I die." Friends, the witness is ours, from God, that those who have Jesus as their Lord and Savior, have eternal life, which means a life in heaven in the presence of God. Nowhere does the Bible say, "If you are perfect and have never sinned, never had a bad thought, said a bad word, or done a bad thing, then, you just might, and I repeat might, get into heaven..." Nope. That's not in the Bible. Why would the hymn writer write a hymn called "Blessed Assurance?" Why do preachers preach a better way to live and a better way to die, if we were not sure of a better place to which we will go if we belong to Christ Jesus? Doubt and distractions are not from God; they are from the one who would like enough of us to doubt so that we would give up, quit trying to better live our lives, and resign ourselves to the old way of living. Do not be deceived. You and I belong to Christ Jesus and as such should model our lives after Him. God will take care of the rest.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, lift our spirits and our hopes towards You. Guide us on the path that leads to life and let us not be deceived or sidetracked by the enemy. Help us model lives that give witness to what is ours! In Christ Jesus we pray, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Give proof of your faith in uplifting ways to those around you, especially those who live in doubt!
Receive my blessings of hope and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
