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9 As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 13 As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. 14 To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14)
A blessed and supernatural day be yours today, ConCafe Family. And may you, dear Friend, be blessed richly as you seek to bless God and God's people today. I ask prayers for The Rev. Jacinto Alderete, a retired pastor from the Rio Grande Conference, who served as the director of a Wesley Community Center in Amarillo, and how is now in failing health, notably Parkinson's Disease. Rev. Alderete was a faithful servant of God and blessed my life as a youth. May God bring him comfort and peace during this time, and may God's comfort be with his wife and family. Pray for one another, and lift up your needs to the Lord.
I pity the souls who believe that there is nothing after we die. Yes, I know several, who believe we live on only in the minds and hearts of people we love. My Jesus says otherwise, and I tend to believe Jesus more than those who have given themselves a title of theologian. We not only believe in an afterlife, in the region of the world in which we live, we celebrate it! Joyously! Proudly. Yes, we mourn, hurt, and grieve at the loss of loved ones, but we also believe that even in the tears, we can feel the One who is the author and sustainer of life, who holds us up when we are down; Who gets us through when we think we are at the end; and who receives us home when it is our turn to leave this earth. You see, where we live, we have just finished a time not all the world experiences. We are blessed here in this area with those who celebrate Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a unique holiday that pays homage to loved ones who have died, and the entire day reinforces the idea of supernatural beliefs, practices, and realities. My first exposure to this day and its importance was when I was an intern minister in Mission, Texas. This was the time there was a certain young woman whom I was pining after, but she did not want to affect my acadmic standings; but that's another story for another day. I took a day trip, alone, to Rio Grande City, and I was blown away by the vision of what was a gaily decorated cemetery at the outskirts of RGC making it look like it was going to host a birthday party, rather than be a resting place for the dead. I put two and two together and figured out it was for the Dia de Los Muertos. I later found out that families head to the graves of loved ones and enjoy a meal and a time of fellowship in honor of the deceased. In their homes, these families have altars or memorials to the loved ones, decorated with photos, favorite things, favorite foods and drinks; all are reminders of the loved one's likes, and the time it is up it is for joyful purposes. This is closely related to the Protestant All Saint's Day, but the two differ in some areas, but still affirm there is a realm of life we don't yet fully see. The passage we are studying today affirms that too.
We meet up again with the young man named Daniel; a faithful man of God. His entire story is amazing and this prophetic word from him serves to help our coming celebration of Christ the King Sunday. You see, kingdoms have thrones, and courts, and palaces, and power and majesty; and in all of that we find He who sits in the only eternal throne that the universe holds, and that is the throne of God. God's realm, God's kingdom, is a powerful realm where there is purity and holiness and other things we can't yet fully understand. It truly is a realm of love and awe. The stage as set by the prophet paints an awesome picture of that heavenly court. God on His throne, and those who worship and serve Him number in numbers so high it does us little good to try to assign any number to them. His court is a setting of judgment, where books will be opened, and assignments and rewards will be given to all who have ever lived; and before God will come His Son, Jesus, our Lord, Who has been given "dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him." And this dominion is unlike any the earth has or will ever see, for it will know no end; it will never pass away; and Jesus' kingship is one that shall never be destroyed. And those whom the King knows will rejoice in being in that presence, for they know, they too, will live forever.
May this glimpse of Glory gathered during a brief devotional fuel us into action, to reach more for God's touch to be with them as He lifts them up from the pits of despair and suffering, and restores those who believed they were beyond repair, and their hearts filled with love and hope, where once they were empty and void. And the time to start is now.
PRAYER: Awesome God, fill our hearts, souls, and spirits with everlasting joy and peace. Help us reach those whom we have not yet reached, and let us bring honor and glory to You in all that we say, think, and do; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen and amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Witness to your faith in life-affirming way of love and compassion; put away selfish and self-centered ideas from you now!
Receive my blessings of hope and peace!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
