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Hear the devotional here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/Worthy-of-The-Call-e1pnd4m
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring. 11 To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 NRSV)
A happy and blessed Tuesday to your, dear Friend. I pray that God bless you in wonderful and awesome ways, and that you do the same for Him! This coming Sunday most churches will commemorate All Saints Day, and the saints who died this year will be remembered. The one thing that I appreciated about our charge conferences when I was the district superintendent is that we would also ask for a reading of the names of those who had died since the last time we had been together. And to make it interesting one year, God had me ask, "Who is taking their place?" And it is still a great question as every year when a saint dies, they have left a vacancy that needs to be filled.
This passage emphasizes that indirectly; Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, appreciate the church in Thessalonica (Now the modern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, which is now one of my favorite cities). These evangelists thanked God for these faithful and fruitful people because of their faith and, as one version called it, their perseverance in holding to what God had shared with them. Their love of "everyone" for "one another," remains a model for all churches. Their love increased each day. I know of some churches where love left a long time ago! And a church with little to no love, is not a growing church. In fact, their reason for existing is questioned. This morning I heard a story I had heard from Protestants, from a Jewish comedian. He told of a Jewish sailor who was shipwrecked and for thirty years lived alone on a deserted isle. When a passing steamship saw his fires they stopped to rescue him. His rescuers asked how he had survived. He credited his faith by exclaiming, "Let me show you" and walked them to a path which led to a clearing where there stood a magnificent synagogue. "Wow!", the rescuers exclaimed, "This is magnificent!" The man said, "It took me fifteen years to build!" Then he led them to another clearing and there the found another, super magnificent synagogue. "This worship space helped your faith as well?" the rescuers asked. "Why, I wouldn't dare set foot inside that church!" the rescued man exclaimed.
Are you one of the saints that blesses your church? Will your absence (Many years from now) be a difficult one to fill? Have you been ever faithful in spite of what has come in your life? Or, have you been alienated away from fruitfulness because of challenges? The Thessalonians were praised by Paul for their "steadfastness and faith during all (their) persecutions and the afflictions" that they were enduring. It was prayer, both personal and those of outsiders, like Paul, Silvanua, and Timothy, that kept the church going onward and upward. Paul's prayer included the request that God help them be "worthy of His call." Lord, how I relate to this need. Many pastors face doubt and even question their worthiness of being servants of the Lord. Many were the times I thought I would simply walk away and start over in a different line of work. I was shocked as I made friends among colleagues, how often they too thought about leaving ministry for something less stressful. I read of one who left ministry to become an undertaker because his new "Church" did not talk back, or question his every move." He also mentioned the dead were more cooperative.
Our weaknesses are known by our enemy and those are the areas he attacks. I believe if we know our weaknesses and turn those over to Jesus, He can make us stronger and more resistant to whatever wiles the devil may throw our way. I was told I would be a boring preacher by a fellow youth, and thank you very much, did that ever stay with me. I sought to study under my internship with the best preacher in our conference in those days, and he graciously agreed to mentor me. I was excited to be an intern under The Rev. Francisco Gaytan, and to do it in a church that would bless my life for many years, El Mesias UMC. As summer approached I got a call from Pancho and he said, "I have good news and bad news; which do you want to hear first?" Good news, of course. And those were that he was being made a DS and thus leaving at the time I would be starting my internship. (Those were the bad news), but it also meant that I would learn under The Rev. Jose Galindo, who had been the DS that Pancho would replace. I would end up doubly blessed as Pancho would be 5 miles away and I got to see him on a very regular basis. The blessing of Rev. Galindo was that he was an encourager and a man who understood where I was and so addressed my needs and the two helped me turn into an okay minister and preacher. Those two are now saints that I miss, but for whom I am eternally grateful. They made me worthy of my call, strengthened my power and helped in my work of faith.
May this be a week of our asking God to strengthen us and help us better understand the call to which we were called so that we may truly be worthy of that call.
PRAYER: Loving God, for those who have died this year in our churches, we thank You and ask Your comfort and peace on their families. We ask that we might find ways to fill all vacancies left by those who have been called home. We also ask that we might better understand our call and be made worthy by You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Love those whom nobody seems to love, especially in your church! And while you're at it, love yourself in ways that glorify God!
Receive my love and blessings of peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
PERSONAL PRIVILEGE: I am so thankful to God to having let me go around the sun 70 times! I am richly blessed by all the people in my life, including you all! God be glorified!
