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Hear the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3i4K2Dq
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ” (Luke 13:1-9 New International Version)
Happy And Marvelous Monday, dear Friend! May the joy of the Lord be your strength! I am very blessed to report that our pastor, Rev. Dr. Matt Pennington has been discharged from MD Anderson, Sunday, and will spend the night in Houston and should return home today. He will need this month to fully recover and we ask prayers for his continued rest and blessings as he mends. We thank God for this surgery to be over. Also, Ms. Allison Davis, reports this week she and her husband finish their training for an in-home dialysis treatment. The following week all the needed treatments will be at her direction and convenience. Please pray for this treatment be successful for her. Sammie Massie reports Jeff is home and recovering from his hospital stay. Also, our continued prayers for the Eppright family as David's brother, Richard, from Fredericksburg, died suddenly from a heart attack. We pray for the family's comfort. I also ask prayers of comfort for the famiy of Nellie's nephew, Hector Lee Garza, who died unexpectedly after surgery in Corpus Christi. Also, Kathleen Borrer who underwent foot surgery this past week was in church this morning. Prayers for her continued recovery. Please pray for all who are on Spring Break this week. Please be safe on our roads and highways. Please pray for one another, for those on our prayer lists, and for those who have asked us to pray; remember we pray because God answers prayer!
The question asked of Jesus are like questions still asked today; why do some people die in sudden unexpected ways? Their example were some Galileans who were murdered and their blood was mixed with the blood of sacrificial animals. Why? Were these people such horrible sinners they deserved this? Jesus answers, "Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way?" Jesus continued, "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." We can pretty well replace that example with countless in our lives or stories we have heard or read about. We note that what Jesus is concerned about is our personal relationship with God; are we asking for forgiveness from God for our sins? That we will all die is a given; most people know that, but not all who die perish in the eternal sense. All will die, but not all will perish. And what Jesus came to do was to save the world. God knew that the religious leaders of Jesus' day were failing at their calling. The emphasis was on the do not part of the law and commandments and very little to any emphasis on the love others, and compassion for all part of God's plan. Thus, Jesus' remark on the vineyard. The trees were empty of fruit; and as in the parable, God has given Jesus this opportunity to come and save the world.
In our household we are still numb after getting a late night call on Saturday about Hector Lee. He and Nellie are close in age, and we called each other cousins, but he was the son of one of Nellie's first cousins, so in more common understandings of our culture, he was a nephew. Nellie and I visited him in the hospital some years ago when we lived in Corpus and Nellie and he spoke not too long ago and during that conversation he said he knew he was going to die soon. He sensed something was not well within him and this turned out to be the case. Hector for some time was an active member of the Falfurrias United Methodist Church but had become inactive in recent years. I believe during his time he made the right decisions about his relationship with God, so that though he died, he did not perish. A major part of the fullness or abundance of life that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10 has to do with the peace that comes from knowing that we do, indeed, belong to God because He has forgiven us and taken away our sin. Our Lenten journy is about that trip that takes us deeper into reflection and honest evaluation of our walk with Jesus. I pray that today, we would take time to do that precisely about how we know Jesus and all that Jesus offers to us.
PRAYER: Loving God, we pray for our walk to deepen with You during this Lenten season. May we realize that this season allows for us to ask forgiveness of all that we have done against You. Make us clean and draw us closer to Your embrace; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show the joy of the Lord with others today.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
