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Hear the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3w8FfZS
1 Remember our history, friends, and be warned. All our ancestors were led by the providential Cloud and taken miraculously through the Sea. 2 They went through the waters, in a baptism like ours, as Moses led them from enslaving death to salvation life. 3 They all ate 4 and drank identical food and drink, meals provided daily by God. They drank from the Rock, God's fountain for them that stayed with them wherever they were. And the Rock was Christ. 5 But just experiencing God's wonder and grace didn't seem to mean much - most of them were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert, and God was not pleased. 6 The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. 7 And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did - "First the people partied, then they threw a dance." 8 We must not be sexually promiscuous - they paid for that, remember, with twenty-three thousand deaths in one day! 9 We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. 10 We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them. 11 These are all warning markers - danger! - in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel - they at the beginning, we at the end - and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. 12 Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence. 13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (1 Corinthians 10:1-12 The Message Bible)
Happy Tuesday, ConCafe Family! I kick myself for forgetting that yesterday was Pi Day! I told Nellie, we had NO pi! I guess I've been thinking that I might forget St Patrick's Day that I forgot all about pi day. Oh well, life goes on! May the blessings of the Lord, dear Reader, fill you with joy and hope today! I ask prayers for Mr. Earl Ray Floyd, uncle of Sherri Schellenberg, who is battling panceratic cancer for over 20 months. He is currently hospitalized and in need of prayers. Our pastor, The Rev Dr Matt Pennington is now back home and recovering and resting. Please pray for all to go well. Pastors are an unusual lot when it comes to R&R, so pray that God's hand be strongly on Pastor Matt. It is his time to re-gain his strength and health. Pray for one another, pray for your needs; pray for peace in the world, especially Ukraine and in those hearts which are restless right now.
Prayer meetings have a special place in my life. It was, after all, at a prayer meeting on an August night in 1977, that I met the love of my life, Nellie Rosales. I saw her and shook her hand. Six months later we were married. That was forty-four years ago. In 1902 at a prayer meeting, an eldery lady said these words, "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord -- just have your way with our lives . . .." Adelaide A. Pollard is the woman who uttered those words. She had felt a strong desire to be a missionary in Africa, but due to poor health and other challenges didn't quite live out the call. While seeking to raise funds to go to Africa, she composed the words of this beautiful hymn. From an online history we read, "Her unsuccessful attempt to do this left her experiencing a 'distress of soul.' This crisis of the soul and the simple prayer of an elderly lady provided a setting for personal reflection on the will of God for her life. After the prayer meeting, she returned home and wrote the hymn as we sing it today."
Paul had a marvelous way of sharing Old Testament stories with a Christ-centric theme and this passage is no exception. His knowledge of Jewish history and his love for Jesus combine to bring about a powerful statement of faith for each individual who expresses a love for Jesus. In the OT, God provided both the way towards the promised land and the training that the people needed to become truly God's people. And Paul wants us to take seriously our call and commitment to follow Christ Jesus. Paul knew that a majority of the Exodus people failed in their journey towards their development truly to be God's people. And Paul warns that that could also happen to us. And he writes, "The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did." We could end it there, but here it goes, "And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did." The purpose for Christ coming down was for Him to serve God and getting us to serve God as well; not for us to expect Christ to serve us. We are to be wise, committed and resolved to serve Him together. As Paul says it in this modern way, we could fall flat on our face as easily as anyone else. Instead of building self-confidence, we must build up God-confidence. He sums it up well, "(God) will never let you down; God will be there to help you come through it."
Indeed, friends, we can hear no better Lenten encouragement. God is with you and me, and is prepared to help us see it all the way through. I believe hearing what is shared here will help us see Easter in a more powerful way.
PRAYER: Loving Father, share with us on what we need to more fully realize that You are King and in You we will find what we need. As the hymn says, let us say it also, 'Have Thine own way, Lord, Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me After Thy will." Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show others the places where the Potter has made you new after suffering some cracks and breaks in your life.
Receive my blessings of peace and joy,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
