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20b we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 1 As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 NRSV)
A tremendous and terrific Tuesday be yours, ConCafe Family, is my prayer. May the joy of God bless you in new and marvelous ways is my prayer for you, dear Friend. As we pray, may our top priority be prayers for Pastor Matt Pennington of FUMC-Gonzales, who yesterday shared some unexpected news of a health challenge that has come into his life. A growth on his kidney will be removed and a pathology report will determine the course of action best needed for our pastor. We trust God to provide healing for Matt, and comfort and hope for Brooke, Drew, Nate, and Grace. Please pray for all of the Pennington family. Please continue to pray for Hector Rosales, Baby Hudson, Dan Hisey, and so many others who have asked prayers for us. Pray for one another, lift and share your prayers with the Lord, and pray for the world and its needs.
As some prepare to say goodbye to loved ones, some pastors like to ask, "What was one thing that your loved one said over and over again?" Some are very touching, loving words or phrases, and some are hilarious. In the Apostle's case, his message was soiidly on Jesus and Jesus' love for the world. To hear him say, "Be reconciled to God," is to hear his life's drive. His encounter with the risen Christ changed his entire life. And his message changed severely; from "A good Christian is a dead Christian," to "Come to life in Christ," was possible only because of the power of God to bring about such a change in his life. Christ Jesus took our sin, and became sin, even though He was sinless, so that we might become "the righteousness of God." And once we become God's righteousness we work together with Christ to redeem the world. And this is difficult, even agonizing work. Paul lists a partial list of that which he and some of this companions endured in order to bring salvation to the world.
Here is that list. Afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; all for the sake of sharing Jesus with the world. And the blessings that came as a result of such are purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God, added to the weapons of righteousness to fight off that which had come against them. It was that rootedness in Christ Jesus that helped his perspective of life, seeing the positive even among the negative, so that he could keep moving forward the goal of winning the world for God.
Our rootedness in Christ is that which fuels us to have the same attitude as Paul, and the same faith; to view all things as either blessings or lessons. And whether a blessing or a lesson, everything is possible through Christ Jesus. We begin to truly belive that that which seeks to harm us can teach us; and all these things should be turned over to God as soon as they come so that God can handle those for, and with, us. The goal is in sight, and we are armed with might. Let's make a difference for God one person at a time, and let that first person be me!
PRAYER: Awesome and loving Father, into Thy hands we commit ourselves to fully serve You. Make our hearts strong, and make our spirits soar. Bring blessings to whom we have mentioned as having needs. Forgive our sins and our doubts and lead us onward and upward; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share the victory of Jesus with those who seem defeated today!
Receive my blessings of love and hope,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
