Come Now, Let Us Reason Together

Image from newlifenarrabi.wordpress.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/3J2RSxS

View devo: https://bit.ly/455s39d

1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; 13 bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation— I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. 14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday! May this be your day, dear Friend! Make it a day of prayer, enrichment, discernment, and decision; decide to follow Jesus because you're in love with Him!

How were your raised? With a list of do's and don'ts? Or were you given free reign to do and act as you wanted? I know that different ages meant different eras of beliefs and ideas about how to raise your children. I was from the strictness of parents, teaching respect towards others and our failings were met with a spanking. Maybe yours was the time-out phase of child-rearing? Or something different. You can leave you comments on different formats or you can email me at eradiovalverde@yahoo.com to share your thoughts and experiences. I remember the strictest place for us was church. My parents took worship and participation in church activities very seriously. The worst spanking of my life came when I expressed my anger to my mother in a major category, I believe the ranking about be a 7. That was thanks to my grandfather Popó, my Dad's dad. He thought it would be cute and fun to make me trilingual; Spanish, English, and Maldiciones, not an island controlled by Great Britain. Though I was still a baby, the memory of that spanking will follow me to eternity! I was being a baby and walking up and down the pew enjoying the smiles I was bringing to those who should have been listening to the sermon, which in the canonical books of childrearing, Portatebienotemato, that was a strict no-no. So, Mom pinched me and I believe she added a twist or twirl, which was meant to drive home the point. I, without malice or much thought responded with a "Me duele, Ch-----". Immediately upon arriving home I was taken to the bathroom and given a severe spanking with a brush. Did that rid me of saying such things? In church, mostly yes.

What this passage is talking about is the internal and eternal change that should occur in us inside. If our inside is right with God so will our outside be. God is a bit upset and I know He so wants to pinch and twirl the soft part of the upper arm of those to whom this passage is directed, but He won't. But God is expressing His displeasure with the outward expressions of repentance and obedience, but God knows full well, that inside nothing has happened. Think of televangelists who say they need a fifth jet to spread the gospel, while boasting of living in the largest home in the state, and later claiming that Jesus' Second Coming has been delayed because people (viewers) are not giving as they should. Hmm. God said all that is for show and means nothing to Him and even less to us. "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the oprhan, plead for the widow. Then HIs famous invitation, "Come now, let us argue (reason) it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall become like wool."

Isaiah’s opening oracle is a sobering summons. It’s a wake-up call to a people who had kept the rituals of religion but lost the heart of it. The Lord’s words through Isaiah cut deep: offerings without obedience, prayers without justice, worship without repentance—it was all noise in God’s ears. The people of Judah, though going through the motions of faith, were spiritually adrift.

Yet within this stern rebuke, there’s a staggering invitation: “Come now, let us reason together.” The Holy One of Israel, the righteous Judge, extends a hand not to condemn, but to reconcile. He doesn’t cast us away in our guilt—He calls us to reason with Him. He invites us into a conversation that leads to transformation.

God doesn’t want religious performance; He desires surrendered hearts. The call to “cease to do evil, learn to do good” is not moralism—it’s covenantal living. It’s a call to realign with God’s heart for justice, mercy, and humility.

And here lies the challenge: true faith isn’t just expressed in temple courts or church pews. It must show up in the streets, in the way we treat others, especially the vulnerable—orphans, widows, and the voiceless. Isaiah reminds us that faith devoid of justice is hollow. But God offers grace that is never hollow. It cleanses. It changes scarlet-stained souls into garments of white.

The promise remains: If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. Will we come to God with open hearts? Will we let His grace confront and cleanse us?

PRAYER: Righteous and merciful God, we confess that we have often clung to form without faith, ritual without repentance. We have heard Your call to justice and turned away too quickly. Forgive us. Cleanse us. Teach us to do good, to seek justice, to defend the oppressed. Thank You for the grace that meets us even when our sins are scarlet. Help us not just to hear Your Word but to respond to it with obedience, humility, and faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Open your heart to God's reasoning. Step away from empty rituals and step into a living, active faith that reflects His justice and mercy.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Let Go and Let God

Image from sermon.logos.org

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/40LbxIO

View devo: https://bit.ly/4fnWpHm

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:32-40 NIV)

The South Indian Monkey Trap is a story of villagers in South India who will take hollowed out coconuts and fill them with cooked rice. These are placed where monkeys are and a monkey will come, put its hand in the coconut and will grab a handful of rice. Once it has the rice in its hand it will not let go thus making it easy for the villagers to catch the monkey. This story sounds a lot like what happens in Walmart's toy section every day! A child, more specifically, a grandchild, will grab a hold of a toy that that child really needs and will not let go and any attempt to pry it away from said child will result in high decibel screaming or crying or both, and thus Walmart stock goes up every day. This story can be repeated in a car or boat dealership or a jewelry store.

The gospel is all about letting go of precisely those things that can completely separate us from the things that really matter, and Jesus addresses it in this passage. In this chapter Jesus has been talking to people who were truly worried about staying alive; having food to eat, clothes to wear; mostly what we in this part of the world take for granted. If we're hungry we go to the store to buy food to cook or we drive to a restaurant or fast food joint and get something to eat. And thanks to Covid, we can use DoorDash and order same fast food delivered right to our door for incredibly high markups. Jesus speaks a comforting word about believers getting access to God's kingdom while we do what others might not do or expect anyone to do like selling our possessions and giving them the profits to the poor. The treasures that truly matter namely treasure in heaven, and the awesome truth of the statement that He shared, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Our clothing should reflect our willingness and readiness to serve, and we should be prepared at all times. Even today, Pope Leo was attacked by a Fellow from Oxford for the Pope having said, ""Even today there are many contexts in which the Christian faith is considered an absurd thing, for weak and unintelligent people; contexts in which other securities are preferred to it, such as technology, money, success, power, pleasure." The Fellow said, 'How dare the Pope suggest that the gods of tech, wealth, fame, clout, and pleasure are counterfeit securities? How dare the pope critique those, in this scholar's words, “whose values or priorities differ from our own.” For this Oxford Fellow, the real scandal is that the Pope fails to realize that “Not all who seek truth answer in the same way.” Rev. Leonard Sweet, a professor and author said, "Welcome to your world, church, a world where . .Truth is a choose-your-own adventure. Jesus is a lifestyle brand. Faith is optional equipment. When the Gospel offends, it’s often doing its job."

Jesus speaks these words with tenderness and assurance. He knows that we live in a world full of uncertainty, where fear often takes hold—fear of not having enough, of missing out, of what lies ahead. But here, He calls us His little flock, cared for by a good and generous Shepherd who gives us not scraps, but the kingdom.

What does it mean to live like that’s true? Jesus invites us to loosen our grip on possessions, to trade anxious hoarding for generous living: “Sell your possessions and give to the poor… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This isn’t just about money—it’s about trust. If our treasure is in God’s hands, our hearts will follow. If our eyes are on His kingdom, we’ll live with a readiness that runs deeper than fear.

Jesus urges us to be watchful and alert, like servants waiting for their master’s return. The point isn’t fear of being caught off guard, but joy in being prepared to meet Him—eyes open, hearts expectant, lives shaped by grace.

Whether you’re deeply rooted in faith or simply searching, the message is clear: You are not forgotten. The kingdom is near. Let go of fear, and live ready.

PRAYER: Gracious Father, thank You for giving us the kingdom—a gift we could never earn but freely receive. Help us loosen our grip on fear and trust You with our heart, our plans, and our future. Make us ready, not by our own strength, but by Your Spirit alive in us. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, choose one way to trade fear for trust—whether through an act of generosity, a moment of prayer, or simply by speaking hope into someone’s day. Let that be your step toward living ready.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The God Who Turns Things Around

Image from hellobeautiful.wordpress.com

Hear devo here: https://bit.ly/40LXfrj

View devo: https://bit.ly/40LbxIO

1 Oh, thank God - he's so good! His love never runs out. 2 All of you set free by God, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, 3 Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas. 4 Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live, 5 Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. 6 Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time; 7 He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live. 8 So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. 9 He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat. (Psalm 107:1-9, 33-37 The Message Bible)

A blessed and tremendous Thursday to you, dear Friend! I pray God surprises us with new and wonderful opportunities to shine His love and grace to all people today and all days! As we pray, let us pray for Mrs. Marie Currie who is having surgery on Monday, Aug. 4th, and on the 11th for Mrs. Pam Lester. I believe both are having knee surgery. And speaking of knee surgeries, please add my name to the list. I don't have a final or official verdict on that but my MRI showed serious damage to muscles and meniscus which will require surgery. I'll share more when I know more!

The three most popular prayers are 1) Help me, 2) Thank you!, 3)Wow, Awesome! And most of us have personal experiences with those prayers, Mostly number one! Many, many, many are the times we have cried, screamed, yelled, whimpered, "Help me"? When one reaches rock bottom and there seems to be no other way to go but up the only One to lift us is God. David in his life as we have recorded in Scripture shared the highs and lows, and it was thanks to his lows that he did some of his finest writing which serve to inspire and rescue us. The theme for this week given all the scriptures we have read has to be Never-ending Love, and this is the psalm that backs that up.

We could call this psalm the Anthem of Gratitude for David shares his thanks and praise to the God of neverending love. But this isn’t just poetic praise from someone who’s had an easy life. It’s a cry of joy from people who’ve wandered, hungered, thirsted, and found themselves lost—physically and spiritually. David had a long road from the pasture to the palace, including times in the palace where his life was in danger from the king who supposedly loved him.

The psalm tells the story of a God who doesn’t ignore the cries of the desperate. “Some of you wandered for years in the desert… you couldn’t find your way… but you called out to God in your desperate condition, he got you out in the nick of time.” Sound familiar? Maybe you’re in a dry season now—emotionally, spiritually, or even physically. Maybe your soul is weary, your heart is hungry, or your hope has been running low.

But this psalm reminds us that God is a God of turnaround. “He changed rivers into wastelands… then changed the wasteland into fresh pools of water.” He brings life where there was drought, hope where there was despair. He doesn’t just fix what’s broken—He transforms it into something fruitful.

Whether you’re a longtime believer or someone still unsure about God, this psalm offers an invitation: cry out to the One whose love never runs out. He hears. He helps. He heals.

PRAYER: Faithful God, thank You for hearing our cries and never giving up on us. You meet us in the desert places and make streams flow again. Turn around what feels lifeless in us. Make us new. Let our lives be a testimony to Your unfailing love. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take a moment today to name one area of your life that feels dry—and invite God to bring new life to it. Then watch for signs of His love at work.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Love That Will Not Let Go!

Image from seekgrowlove.org

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4lKRjHw

View devo: https://bit.ly/41ixS0m

1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. 4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them. 5 “Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? 6 A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans. 7 My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them. 8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. 9 I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. 10 They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. 11 They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,” declares the LORD. (Hosea 11:1-11 NIV)

Those of us blessed with good loving parents have an inkling of just what this passage is addressing. Good parents do not easily let go of their love for their children no matter what it is they do or cause. I was the wanderer of my family. I was the first surviving child of my parents, preceded by two or three other boys, and one after my birth. Yes, there were, I believe, two other Eradio Valverde, Jr.s born, including one that lived for a day or so, then died. I was given his name I pray that in Heaven we won't fight about that; after all, neither of us had a choice! Given the year and times of my birth, I was given free roaming rights over most of out small town, Kingsville. I loved the railroad tracks and used them to walk on to all things downtown; for other trips I used my bicycle. When I graduated from high school I went away to college, to the East Texas town of Jacksonville. From there I went to Georgetown, then Dallas, then Denver, back to Dallas and upon my ordination to a lot of places. No where I roamed did I not feel the love of my parents. I knew I always had a home to return to, and that's what Nellie and I have told our daughters, that they will always have a home with us should they need. I don't know if spats with sons and dads is common, but if it is, we had our share. Many were the times that I disagreed with my father and we hurriedly left, sometimes in the middle of the night, back to whatever place was our home at the time. One spat lasted through Grandparents Day in September and as I did the children's sermon that day I asked the kids how many had grandparents and all but my youngest raised their hand. Gulp. I called my dad right after church and we both cried as we said our I'm sorries.

Yes, I even wandered away from God when I felt I was not worthy to pursue a career in ministry. I walked away and tried to hide anywhere but in God's house. I left seminary in Dallas and tried to hide in the belly of the whale that was AT&T in Houston. I've shared before that in Houston AT&T had 60,000 employees and I was hired to be a salesperson with them and after sixteen weeks of training I get assigned to sit directly across from another seminary dropout! I knew then I was trying to go up against God. After almost a year working together we both left Ma Bell to return to our seminaries because of a God Who never will not let us go! Try as we might, hide where we will; God will not give up. God will find us (actually He's been with us the entire time!) and will embrace us when we return.

Few passages in Scripture reveal the heart of God more tenderly than Hosea 11. Here, God speaks not with judgment or wrath, but with the pain and love of a parent whose child has walked away. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” This is not distant affection—it’s personal, intimate, and full of longing.

God recounts how He taught Israel to walk, lifted them in His arms, and led them with cords of kindness. But despite all of God’s care, His people kept turning away. They chased after idols, ignored His voice, and rebelled against His love. Still, God’s response is astonishing: “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?” And how can we not mention Jesus' most powerful parables in His story of The Prodigal Son?, His third story in Luke 15 which we call the Lost Chapter of the lost sheep and lost coin.

This is the God of relentless mercy—one whose compassion “is aroused,” even when His people don’t deserve it. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. Instead of lashing out in anger, He speaks words of restoration and hope: “They will follow the Lord… I will settle them in their homes.”

This passage is both comforting and convicting. For the believer, it’s a reminder that God’s love remains steady, even when we falter. For the skeptic or seeker, it’s a glimpse of a God who is not cruel or cold, but heartbreakingly faithful. Whether we’ve wandered a little or a lot, God’s invitation still stands: Come home.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for loving me with a love that does not give up, even when I wander. Forgive me for the times I’ve turned from Your kindness. Draw me back to You with Your mercy, and teach me to trust Your heart again. May my life reflect the beauty of being known and loved by You. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time today to reflect on where you’ve wandered—then respond to God’s love by turning back, trusting His arms are still open wide.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

A New Way of Living

Image from bible.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4mkmHwz 

View devo: https://bit.ly/3H3QRFg

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:1-11 NIV)

Happy Tuesday!  Better yet, a blessed and secure Tuesday geared to your spiritual needs and growth.  May our time together bring us exciting, unexpected blessings.  Let us journey foward into the future holding tightly onto God.

Most pastors will have some requests they have no way to explain or understand; some will be asked questions to which we have no ready answers.  Most simply need a ready and loving listening ear.  We tend to forget we are supernatural people; spiritual beings in an earthly body, doing and saying spiritual things many times to a crowd that wants little to nothing to do with the spiritual.  I have seen and experienced many things of a spiritual nature that I would be hard pressed to explain.  I believe the true definition of a miracle is an act of God that is meant to bless and to enjoy without the need to explain it.  Think of the blind men who received their sight; the line, "I once was blind, but now I see" from scripture and the famous hymn relates that profound truth; what do I have to gain to sit here and try to explain how it is that I now can see?  I just received the most precious gift I could think of and to sit here and debate anything robs me of what I want to do - to go and see!

I once got a call from a family who had bought a home with a swimming pool sold by the family whose baby boy had drowned in that pool.  The family loved the home until they began hearing the giggles of a baby in another room and upon exploring found wet toys on the bed.  They removed the toys only to find the next day the area around the same toys wet and the toys themselves dry.  "Reverend, what is causing this?"  I said I would come right over and pray for them and pray a blessing over the home.  Beyond that I had no answer for them or even for me. I've served churches with unexplained noises and footsteps and my theory is that some people die without knowing Jesus and not knowing Jesus their soul knows only to go to the church and no farther.  The soul, I believe, must know and love Jesus, so that when death comes, they know to Whom they belong and Who will be there to receive them.  I know there is no biblical foundation for that other than the disciples' fear of seeing Jesus walking on water and they exclaim that it is a ghost.  (Matt. 14:26) and again when they saw the Resurrected Jesus they, full of terror exclaim that Jesus is a ghost; Luke 24:37.  

This is a passage that invites us to set our hearts on the spiritual things where Christ is, "seated at the right hand of God (Sound familiar like something we say every Sunday or time we affirm our faith in the Apostles Creed?).  Our thoughts should be on things of above, not on earthly ones.  We as believers truly believe that when we came to faith in Jesus, we died with Him and now our lives are hidden in Him.  When Jesus returns, we will see Him and go with Him.  Meanwhile, we are called to put to death those things that belong only to the earthly realm; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed.  We are to flee the coming wrath of God and by killing these things in our thoughts, words, and actions, prepares us to be holy.  Paul further adds to the list anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language.  Just two days ago our four year old said the word idiot after hearing our daughter use the word to describe another driver.  She immediately told him that she only could use that word since she went to college to which our grandson said, "I can't wait to go to college!"  Sigh. 

For the believer, this is a call to live with eyes fixed on eternity, not just the here and now. For the seeker or skeptic, it’s an invitation to consider that there is more to life than possessions, success, or even self-improvement. Paul describes an old life—a life weighed down by greed, anger, bitterness, and deceit—and he calls us to leave that behind. He also paints a picture of a new self, one renewed in the image of God, filled with love, compassion, and purpose.

This “new life” isn’t about following a list of rules or becoming religious. It’s about letting God transform your heart, bringing freedom from what once defined you. Whether you believe or are simply curious, the question is the same: What are you setting your heart on? Are you living for what will fade or for what will last forever?

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, You see my heart and know where we place our hope. Teach us to set our minds on what truly matters—on You and Your ways. Remove the things in us that weigh us down, and create a new heart that reflects Your love and truth. Help us to live with the freedom and peace only You can give.This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let your heart and mind shift toward what truly lasts—choose one way today to reflect Christ’s love, whether through kindness, forgiveness, or seeking Him in quiet prayer.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

Treasures Towards God

Image from workingpreacher.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/3IGWARZ 

View devo: https://bit.ly/46ZvwXZ

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 16 Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God." (Luke 12:13-21 NRSV)

It's Monday!   And we're still alive!  Yes, give thanks for another day, another week, another opportunity to serve the Lord and the Lord's people.  So, do it!  With love and compassion, no less!

Back in the day, almost every single person in America hoped secretly that their doorbell would ring and that he would be there holding a big ole check.  You see kids, there was a company that used to push magazines for every single magazine publisher in the world and their company was called Publishers Clearing House and twice a year or so, they would hold a sweepstakes worth millions.  Supposedly, the late Ed McMahon, co-host of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, would show up in a van with balloons and flowers, and of course, the big check. Of course one's chances of winning this sweepstakes were as good as winning the major lotteries, but the Clearing House advertising was written in marvelous ways that led many to believe they had already won!  One had to read and re-read the letter so that you realized that there may be a winner, but it is not me.  Unfortunately, in one of my churches, a gentleman came to my office early one morning with said letter and excitedly told me he had won and wanted me to help him collect the prize money.  He was serious and he wanted me to call the headquarters of said sweepstakes to help him collect the money.  Tried as I did, he would not take my word that I too, had received the exact same letter and I kept underlining the word MIGHT, but he would not hear of it.  Thankfully, his son came and together we helped him realize, much to his sadness, that he was not a millionaire.  

Let me repeat what Rick Warren, who did become a millionaire with his books, that "it is not a sin to be rich, but it is a sin to die rich."  And then there was Jesus who spoke more about money and possessions than he did about prayer.  Why do you think that was?  Someone said if you don't control your posessions they'll eventually possess you.  And we come to this passage.   

Jesus shares a powerful warning about greed and misplaced priorities. A man approaches Jesus, asking Him to settle a family dispute over inheritance. Instead of dividing the possessions, Jesus points to the deeper issue of the heart: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

Jesus then tells the parable of the rich man who, after a great harvest, decides to build bigger barns to store all his grain. He convinces himself that he has secured years of comfort and ease, but God calls him a fool, saying, “This very night your life is being demanded of you.” His possessions cannot save him, nor can they give his life true meaning.

This passage challenges us to consider what we treasure most. Are we building barns of temporary wealth, or are we investing in what is eternal—faith, love, and the things of God? Being “rich toward God” means aligning our hearts with His purposes and trusting that true life is found not in what we have, but in who we are becoming in Christ.

PRAYER:  Generous and loving God, teach us to guard our hearts against greed and self-reliance. Help us to see the value of eternal treasures over earthly possessions. May we grow rich in love, faith, and kindness, storing up what matters most in Your kingdom. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  OUR CALL TO ACTION:  This week, practice generosity. Look for one way to bless someone with your time, your resources, or your encouragement, and in doing so, build treasure that lasts forever.

I love you and I thank God for you,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Remember for Revival and Renewal

Image from biblia.com

Listen to devo: https://bit.ly/3UqE1DZ

View devo: https://bit.ly/3INqfZz

1 God, you smiled on your good earth! You brought good times back to Jacob! 2 You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people, you put their sins far out of sight. 3 You took back your sin-provoked threats, you cooled your hot, righteous anger. 4 Help us again, God of our help; don't hold a grudge against us forever. 5 You aren't going to keep this up, are you? scowling and angry, year after year? 6 Why not help us make a fresh start - a resurrection life? Then your people will laugh and sing! 7 Show us how much you love us, God! Give us the salvation we need! 8 I can't wait to hear what he'll say. God's about to pronounce his people well, The holy people he loves so much, so they'll never again live like fools. 9 See how close his salvation is to those who fear him? Our country is home base for Glory! 10 Love and Truth meet in the street, Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss! 11 Truth sprouts green from the ground, Right Living pours down from the skies! 12 Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty; our land responds with Bounty and Blessing. 13 Right Living strides out before him, and clears a path for his passage. (Psalm 85 The Message Bible)

A blessed Thursday of opportunity and adventure for you, dear Friend! May God bring blessings to your life the kind you love to share with others.

When I was in college one of our classmates lost his older brother in the late 1950s. I believe his death was due to an illness. What my friend who was. his roommate and I could figure out is that that event froze his life, meaning that the music that followed that era was never good enough, nor the dress or movies or television shows, etc. His life for all intents and purposes ended the day they committed his brother to the grave. I suppose it was his grief that kept him living there. If you can call that living. Grief is one of many factors or events that can paralyze one's life and many are the ones who have stopped growing and living because of them. Sin is also a factor that has power to cripple. God has the power to restore the fullness of life through Jesus Christ.

In this passage we see a nation whose actions of rebellion against God kept them from progressing like God expected during several eras. The psalmist remembers this era and also knows how important it is for the nation to pray for renewal. As we've mentioned before, the prophetic cycle is a circle that show the highs of their national life as well as their lows. The people sin and fall; they cry out to God for deliverance and forgiveness; God forgives and restores and again they sin and fall and cry out; with God providing a prophet at each key step as part of their coming back. The funny thing is that that cycle or circle could also be used in our lives; our highs and lows, forgiveness and repentance, etc. and etc.

The Message paraphrases verses 8-9 this way:

“I can’t wait to hear what he’ll say. God’s about to pronounce his people well, The holy people he loves so much, So they’ll never again live like fools. See how close his salvation is to those who fear him?”

This is the posture of trust—waiting, listening, expecting God to move. It’s the hope that even when things fall apart, God is still near. The psalmist believes that mercy and truth will meet, that justice and peace will kiss—that what seems impossible in the world becomes possible when God shows up.

We live in a time when we too need renewal. In our personal lives, our communities, even our churches, we long for healing and reconciliation. Psalm 85 reminds us that real restoration doesn’t start with our strategies but with our surrender. It begins when we listen for God’s voice and look for His presence.

God is not done with His people. He specializes in fresh starts. He is ready to breathe new life into what feels lost. But we must be willing to listen and respond—to turn from foolish ways and walk toward peace and truth.

PRAYER: God of mercy and justice, thank You for Your patience and faithfulness. We long for Your presence to renew what is broken in us and around us. Help us to listen closely for Your voice and follow in Your ways. Let truth, peace, and righteousness take root in our hearts and in our land. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time today to listen. Find a quiet moment to ask God where He wants to bring renewal in your life. Pray for His peace to kiss your path and commit to walking in His truth.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Living Sermon Prop?

Image from livinghopebiblechurch.org

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4m9J0F8

View devo: https://bit.ly/4lAgeNU

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord." 3 So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the Lord said to him, "Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. 7 But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen." 8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then the Lord said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God." 10 Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." (Hosea 1:2-10 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday, dear Friend! May the Lord bless you and keep you! May your journey be one of joy and blessing for all! Seek to bless God and to have God bless other through you and your love!

Many preachers from time to time, use props when preaching. If I were to preach this week, which I won't or can't, I would truly need props, like my crutches! A prop is a support used to further draw attention to the theme or main message of the sermon. I am guilty of using many props, like the infamous throwing of tortillas during a sermon on the bread of life. I gained a new family that Sunday thanks to my boldness in doing such a thing. I may or may not have hit a church member during that sermon. (It was so many years ago, but I was so much older than now). One Sunday, during the series The Ten Commandments, I had my janitor bring in an old easy chair from another part of our campus and I wore a running suit under a bathrobe while reading a Sunday newspaper and sipping tea. I may have lost the choir at that point. My idea was to always be unpredictable which one Sunday almost backfired as a homeless man known for holding posters up against the president, asked to preach. His presence and his walking right up to me while preaching caught my ushers thinking I had asked him to do this. I finally had to raise my voice and ask him to sit down. Finally the ushers caught on!

But imagine being Hosea. A prophet called to bring Israel back to the Covenant, he lived in the northern kingdom and he may have been in his mid-20s or 30s when God called him to marry a living sermon prop. Please keep in mind that the Bible is a very honest book filled with unexpected surprises, none more so than for the young Hosea. God told him to marry the type of girl that momma would not approve of and the kind that might bring a smile to grandpa and grandma to her grave. And to be fair, significant number of scholars are not sure that Gomer was necessarily a prostitute, but certainly an adulteress and a promiscious one at that. This version uses the certain word of professionalism, for God wanted Israel to know this woman was them! "For the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord." Ouch. The prophet takes Gomer, daughter of Bilaim, as his wife, and she conceived and bore them a son whose name was Jezreel, a name that means judgment on Israel is coming! What would be the English shortcut name for Jezreel? WhoopinSoon? WaitTilWeGetHome? Okay, it's a lot more serious than that, because God is mad!

Hosea and Gomer have another child, this one a daughter, and the name given her by God is Lo-ruhamah which means "No Mercy" showing Israel that God would no longer have His compassion. With this child, Israel reached the point that God said that He would show pity to Judah and would save them, but not with military might. After Lo-ruhamah was weaned, a third child comes along and this one is named Lo-ammi (“Not My People”): Signifying a broken covenant. Wow! God ain't playing now. Not my people and I'm not your God. "How could God do that?" Uh, God didn't. The people of Israel did. But yet, God says, "Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' it shall be said to them, 'Children of the living God,'"

God’s love is fierce and relentless. Even when His people turn away, He refuses to let go. His heart aches for restoration, not rejection. This story is ultimately not just about punishment—it’s about divine mercy, and the deep, painful, determined love of God who longs for His people to return.

We, too, stray in ways big and small. But God’s response is not to abandon us. In Christ, we see the full measure of God’s faithfulness—taking our shame, restoring our name, and calling us once more: “My people. My beloved.” Their family becomes a living parable of divine love: broken, betrayed, but ultimately restored.

PRAYER: Lord God, Your love both humbles and astounds me. Even when I fail or wander from Your path, You remain faithful. Help me to return to You with a whole heart. Thank You for calling me Your own. May I live today as a child of the living God. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time today to examine your heart. Where have you drifted from God? Confess, return, and trust that His love is ready to receive you again. Let His mercy shape how you live and love.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Fall In Love with Jesus!

Image from etsy.com

Hear the devotional: http://bit.ly/45e4NWl

View devo: https://bit.ly/4160jP0

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. (Colossians 2:6-19 NRSV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! As we pray today, please pray for the family of Mr. José (Joe) David Martinez, who died this past weekend in Edinburg, Texas. Mr. Martinez was a friend of mine since his birth, being the son of a dear friend and active lay leader of the Río Grande Conference of the United Methodist Church. I knew of and worked alongside Mr. Samuel Martinez for many years, and Joe David was active in UMYF and later in campus ministry at UTPA. May God bring comfort and peace to the Martinez family.

A pastor shared how his life changed when a mentor of his told him in reponse to the pastor sharing how he read at least six chapters from the Bible a day. "Give all of that up and just fall in love with Jesus!" he told him. At first he did not know what that meant or what that involved, but he started to understand what the older minister meant. How do you interpret that?

Falling in love is an earth shattering experience. No longer does much matter outside of the object of your love. Your every thought, your every desier is on that person! You long for a note, a text, an email, a letter or a phone call - just to connect and once again enjoy each other's company. When Nellie and I were talking on the phone during her I-can't-go-out-with-you phase, how I longed to have her sit with me in church! I even asked her to read a responsive reading for our midweek service (which we never did, but intern minister here thought "She'll have to sit with me since she's on the program!"). Nope. I sat alone. And when I called on her she came from the very back where she normally sat, stood in the lecturn, enduring the giggles of those-in-the-know, read the leader's part, we responded, and back to the back she went. FAIL. But I got to see her up close and later that night by phone I asked why and she again said she didn't want me to get in trouble with the internship committee that might affect my grade! Sigh. I tried. And that's what love is, isn't it? Trying? And trying again? And never ever feeling like giving up because of the power of love.

The Apostle Paul helped new converts come to faith and show them all they needed to know about Jesus and in this passage he urges believers to live their lived in Jesus, rooted in Him and established in the faith and whose strong foundation has allowed for them to have grown in Him; spirits blessed and filled with faith; hearts filled with love and overflowing with thanksgiving for this new life. Paul says this is something to celelbrate for in celebrating we stay grounded and rooted and not easily swayed away by idle philosophies or empty deceits or as the modern Message Bible says, "Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him."

Paul also reminds us of our spiritual transformation: we have died with Christ and been raised to new life through faith in God’s power. The rules, regulations, and systems that once condemned us no longer define us. Christ has “disarmed the rulers and authorities” and triumphed over them (v. 15). In Him, we are truly free. And freedom, as we discuessed yesterday, means our moving forward to do all God expects and be exactly what God has called us to be truly and deeply in love with Jesus!

We’re encouraged not to let others disqualify us or pull us into legalism, false humility, or spiritual showmanship Instead, we hold fast to Christ—the Head of the body—through whom we grow, not by effort alone, but by grace and connection. May we learn to boldly express our love for our Savior in ways that draw others to do the same.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for rooting me in the love and truth of Christ. Help me to remain grounded in Him when the world offers substitutes. Let my life reflect the fullness I have received in Jesus. Strengthen me to grow in faith, love, and wisdom as I follow Him each day. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take a moment to reflect: Are you drawing your strength and identity from Christ—or from something else? Re-center your heart on Jesus today through prayer, Scripture, or conversation with a fellow believer. Let your roots grow deeper.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Lord's Prayer 2.0

Image from achristianpilgrimage.wordpress.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/3GUHgk0

View devo: https://bit.ly/44X8YV4

1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’ ” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”(Luke 11:1-13 NIV)

Who taught you to pray? Who was the model of prayer that inspired you to want to learn how to pray. Or have you reached that point? It's interesting to note that Jesus' disciples, the men asked to follow Him by the Son of God Himself, had not yet been trained to pray. Some of Jesus' disciples had been disciples of John the Baptizer, and John had taken time to teach them how to pray which is why we hear one of Jesus' men say, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

I was blessed to have been born into a family that prayed.. I heard my parents pray and I had a dear grandmother who also prayed and when my dog was hit by a Coca-Cola truck and was dying she quickly did a prayer lesson with me. Sadly, and of course, the dog died. She was no match for the huge truck; but even as a grieving child I felt a peace in knowing that I had connected with God; God had heard me and God's heart grieved with me.

Jesus teaches the disciples the prayer that Matthew recorded and as was shared to Lucanus, Luke as we commonly know him, wrote this account down for his book. You and I know the prayer and most of us for many, many years. It's called the Family Prayer, for all who learned it and prayed it often. God is Father. We learned that when we learned the prayer. And Father is holy for His name is holy. God is not only Father, He is king with a kingdom. His kingdom is a work in progress and it is always in motion and it is coming to full realization in God's timing.

God is a giving God, Who gives good things to those who love and trust Him. And the main thing God gives is our daily bread, that staple of nourishment known the world over; God wants those who love him to have that which keeps them going. The more I write the more I'm hearing this prayer needs the name of the Going Prayer, for it has elements that ask for freedom to move and go and do! Forgive us our sin says that God can remove the chains that bind us to a place or memory or location from which we cannot move; sin is paralyzing! And so is forgiving! Thus the next part: "For we also forgive everyone who sins against us." Not always easy to do so, but as we forgive others, we are allowing ourselves to be forgiven and freed for whatever needs to come next. And the direction we ask not to be sent is to temptation. That is where it all begins all over again; sin all wrapped up to our delight calling us by name to unwrap it, enjoy it and do it as often as we can.

Luke did not write down what Matthew ends his prayer with: "But deliver us from evil." Yet another direction we seek and need to go; away from the bad. Evil leads to death and we seek to go to life. This prayer never contained what is called the Doxology of "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen." Recent updates to editions of the Bible do not contain this and some publications like The Upper Room no longer print it either for scholastic research believes it was never taught by Jesus. Some in the Christ Seminar came to the conclusion that the only words that Jesus may have taught were "Our Father." So much for deep scholarship! Okay, they also said "give us our daily bread,' "hallowed be thy name."

But Jesus doesn’t stop with a pattern for prayer. He goes on to tell a story—about a man knocking on his neighbor’s door at midnight. The message? Be persistent. Be bold. Keep knocking. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (v. 9).

This is not a promise of instant results, but a call to relationship. Jesus is inviting us into a life of prayer that is consistent, trusting, and honest. God is not annoyed by our prayers—He is eager to give. “Which of you fathers… would give a snake… or a scorpion?” He asks. Then comes the assurance: “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (v. 13). God desires to give us His very presence.

This passage is both an invitation and a promise: Prayer is not just something we do. It's the place where we meet God, again and again, and find that He’s more generous and faithful than we ever imagined.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for inviting me into prayer—not as a task, but as a relationship. Teach me to pray with honesty and trust. Help me to ask boldly, seek faithfully, and knock persistently, knowing You are near and willing to give good gifts. Let my heart rest in the joy of Your presence. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. OUR CALL TO ACTION: Set aside intentional time today to pray—whether with simple words or in quiet listening. Ask God not just for things, but for more of His presence and guidance. Keep the conversation going.

I love you and I thank God for you,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Better Choice

Image from missionventureministries.org

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4lCoxbS

View devo: https://bit.ly/44Mj3EA

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)

Happy Monday, dear Friend! I pray the weekend was for your benefit and that you're preapred and ready to face and bless this week with your faith, love, and grace!

Ah, siblings. If you have them, you know. So many dynamics in this story; who was the oldest, the middle child, and the baby? Many of us will guess that it was Martha, for she shows all the traits usually associated with the oldest child: Determination to serve and her being the one who "opened her house" to Jesus, and her making all the preparations to truly serve Jesus. And she being the one to complain to Jesus, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

Mary had to be the baby. Dare I say, spoiled? Self-centered? Okay, I may be overstepping and meddling. And not in the picture, Lazarus, may the middle child? And he had the nerve to get sick and die in a later story! But Jesus tells Martha, "You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed -- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Jesus isn’t criticizing service—He’s redirecting attention to what matters most: Himself. In a world full of demands and distractions, this story reminds us to slow down and sit with the Savior. Our to-do lists are never-ending, but so is His grace. What we truly need is not more accomplished days, but more surrendered hearts.

Mary’s choice may have seemed passive to Martha, but it was deeply intentional. She recognized that the best thing she could offer Jesus was not her effort, but her attention. And that’s still true today.

What's holding you back? What distractions have you allowed to take center stage in your life and away from time with Jesus? Make time to swing your attention back to Jesus and reap the benefits!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, in the midst of all the noise and tasks that fill our days, help us to choose what is better. Teach us to pause, to listen, and to rest in Your presence. May we not be so distracted by serving You that we forget to simply be with You. Center our hearts in Your love, and let everything else flow from there. This we pray in Thy name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, take a moment to sit quietly with Jesus—no agenda, no checklist. Just be still, listen, and let His presence become your priority.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

God is a Just God

Image from kcis630.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4lEfN4K

View the devo: https://bit.ly/3TsV0Fp

1 God calls the judges into his courtroom, he puts all the judges in the dock. 2 "Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough, you've let the wicked get away with murder. 3 You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break; 4 Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them." 5 Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven't a clue to what's going on. And now everything's falling apart, the world's coming unglued. 6 "I commissioned you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God, 7 But you've betrayed your commission and now you're stripped of your rank, busted." 8 O God, give them their just deserts! You've got the whole world in your hands! (Psalm 82 The Message Bible)

I tranferred from Memorial Junior High school in Kingsville, Texas to Lanier Junior High in Houston. The Houston school was not at all like the Kingsville school. Let's compare the differences. In Kingsville, in those days, was that for PE (Physcial Education) credit, being in the band was considered PE enough. In Houston, no such luck. Well, to be fair, Houston junior high bands do not march. And, Lanier JHS had a pool used for PE. I got there on a Thursday which was. a swim day. I walked downstairs into the basement where the locker room for PE was located and sat on a bench. I noticed all the guys showering. I thought, "Before PE these guys are getting clean?" A guy said, "Hey, you new here?" yes. "We're going swimming!" I said that's nice but I didn't bring any swim trunks. Everyone laughed. "Take your clothes and start showering." Gulp. So, I did. On the other side of the showers a huge metal door opened and there was the pool and here we all were without appropriate pool clothing. Dutifully, all us walked in, in a perfect line to sit on the edge of the pool with our legs in the water. The coach, full dressed, came in with a paddle. A paddle? thinks I? The coach then reminded us that we are not to push anyone into the water. And if one is pushed, that person gets a swat. Gulp. Wait. What? And sure enough the littlest guy there got pushed in, and the poor kid walked over to the coah, bend over and swat! The sound of the wooden paddle against a wet behind was not a nice sound. And neither was the red mark the coach left on that poor guy's backside. I couldn't laugh because I could easily be the next guy but I knew I would not go into the pool without a fight. I wanted to cry. Fridays were also swim days and poor kid of the paddle showed up and still had the red mark from the previous day. I thought all of thsi was so wrong and so many levels. The idea of the victim getting punished for a bully's acvtion was not just. And the severity of that swat was not justice, it was abuse.

The psalmist shares his paslm on justice that sounds very much like it was written this week in my opinion. God has assembled those persons whose careers and callings to mete out justice and puts them on trial. Justice was not on the menu for them; corruption was the soup of the day. Those who should have been punished were not; they got away with murder. Those who needed defending were not. The powerless had no one to stand up for them; they were exploited and received no justice against the oppressors. The judges who by training should exhibit wisdom are called ignorant by God. Instead of being in the know are known for having their heads in the sand. They are deemed clueless by God, helping to destroy that which should hold everything together. The glue of society has no power. These so-called judges have not lived up to their commission and so God has stripped them of their rank. The psalmist prays for God to give them what they deserve.

This is not gentle. It’s not theoretical. It’s God confronting those who hold power—anyone with influence, authority, or voice—and demanding to know why justice has been neglected. He charges them with turning a blind eye to the weak, the poor, the voiceless. It’s not just a call to notice suffering, but to do something about it. This is a cry for divine intervention—but also a call to action for every believer. We are God’s hands in the world. Justice isn’t someone else’s job—it’s ours. So many people around us depend on us and our commitment to God to love justice and love mercy and walk humbly with God.

PRAYER: God of justice and truth, wake me up where I’ve grown numb. Give me eyes to see the injustice around me and the courage to do something about it. I don’t want to be silent when You call me to speak, or passive when You ask me to act. Help me reflect Your heart for the powerless, and make me bold in love, deep in mercy, and strong in faith. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Look honestly at your sphere of influence—your home, work, community, or church. Where can you stand up for the powerless? Ask God to show you, then take one courageous step in His name.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Stand Straight with God

Image from somuchbible.org

Hear devo: https://bit.ly/4kwpqBA

View devo: https://bit.ly/403KZlO

7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.” 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying: “ ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’ ” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.” 14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ (Amos 7:7-15 NIV)

In the city of Harlingen, Texas, there is an all-boys boarding school named The Marine Military Academy. It is for boys in 7-12th grade and has been serving the community since 1965 as the only private school in the world based on the traditions and values of the U.S. Marine Corps and MMA has been home to thousands of young men from across the world and is home to the historic Iwo Jima Monument. A dear friend and member of First Methodist Church was the president of the school during my years as pastor of that church. One thing, of many, that I deeply admired of Col. Glenn Hill was his posture. It did not matter the setting, all the folks in the room would be in different postures, but Col. Hill was the Marine in the room. And in the community, when the young men of that school in stores or dining establishments, were always seated in straight postures. One time we were dining at a fancy restaurant and there was a family near us, and at the head of the table was a MMA student, whose posture and commanding presence was very evident. Thinking about plumb lines, I couldn't help but think of the way all associated with the MMA did not need a plumb line to sit and walk straight. For those who might not know, a plumb line is a tool used to measure vertical alignment—it ensures that what is being built stands straight and true. And now, God is using it to measure His people.

God is not interested in appearances; He cares about integrity. The plumb line represents His standard of justice, righteousness, and faithfulness. Israel had strayed far from that line—neglecting the poor, twisting justice, and turning their backs on His covenant. God’s message through Amos is clear: what is out of alignment must be corrected.

But here’s what makes this passage so powerful. Amos was not a prophet by profession. He wasn’t trained, nor was he from a priestly family. He says plainly, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” (vv. 14–15)

Amos didn’t volunteer for the spotlight. But when God called, he said yes. And in saying yes, he became a voice for truth in a time of complacency and corruption.

Maybe you don’t see yourself as a “prophet” either. Maybe you feel unqualified or unseen. But God often calls the ordinary to speak into the extraordinary. He places people where they are needed—not because they are perfect, but because they are willing.

PRAYER: God of justice and truth, thank You for calling people like Amos—people like us—to stand with courage and speak with grace. Help me to align my life with Your Word, to listen when You call, and to respond with faith no matter where You send me. May I stand with integrity, speak with love, and live as one who belongs to You. in Christ Jesus' strong name we pray, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask God to reveal where your life may be out of alignment with His truth, and listen for where He may be calling you to speak up or stand firm—even in small, quiet ways.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Walking With The Lord

Image from Instragram.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/44loETa

View the devo: https://bit.ly/4kwRdC3

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:1-14 NRSV)

A blessed and gracious Tuesday to you dear Friend is my prayer for you. May you know how close God really is to you, how He loves and listens to you, and provides that which you need at all times.

The past few days have saddened us and made us aware of how unfair and how short life can be for some; death came quickly in the lives of the little ones lost in the flood waters of the recent rains in the Hill Country. Our hearts ache for those parents who not too long ago dropped off their little ones to have great days in a summer camp only to now have to come to grips with the loss of life. The stories of some who have died have made it all the more painful, including one who was considered a little preacher for her love and knowledge of the psalms and the Bible in general. Many could call on her to pray and recite psalms and she would. Many thought her future would involve ministry. She did provide ministry in the few years of life that she enjoyed. Unfair and hard to explain why she had to die. The list is quite long of others who were special and loving and caring, now gone. What I shared on Sunday I have kept in my heart and mind since I first read the story I shared in worship: The Reverend William Sloan Coffin was the pastor a Riverside Church in New York City when his son Alexander died by drowning after driving his car into the waters in Boston. A well-meaning lady said to Rev.Coffin that she did not understand the will of God. Angrily he replied,"‘I’ll say you don’t, lady!’ I said. > For some reason, nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent people to get it through their heads that God doesn’t go around this world with his fingers on triggers, his fists around knives, his hands on steering wheels. God is dead set against all unnatural deaths.” God is a receiver of souls, not a "gardener who needs another flower for His garden, so He takes a life. Where was God? God was there, and His was the first heart to break."

Paul addresses the comfort and hope we have in Heaven. This passage speaks of the growing hope that comes from those who accept the truth as found in the gospel and they are able to live a life worthy of the peace.

Paul then shares his prayer for the believers: “That you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”. His desire is not only that they know God’s will intellectually, but that they live it out—“so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him”. This kind of life is marked by good works, spiritual growth, endurance, patience, and joyful thanksgiving.

It’s a high calling, but not one we carry alone. Paul reminds us that God “has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son”. Our strength to walk worthy comes not from striving but from the work of Christ, who redeems and forgives us.

In a world that often pulls us in different directions, Paul centers us again in the grace of God. We do not live to earn His love—we live because we have received it. And in receiving it, we grow. We bear fruit. We endure. And we give thanks.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for the hope laid up for us in heaven, for the gift of faith, and for the love You pour into our lives. Fill us with the knowledge of Your will, and help us walk in a way that honors You. May our lives bear fruit, grow in understanding, and be rooted in joyful gratitude for all You have done through Christ. May Your comfort surround those affected by the flooding in the Hill Country; bless the grieving parents and families and bless them with the peace that only You can. This we pray in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Ask God today to fill you with spiritual wisdom, and choose one way to walk “worthy of the Lord” through a small act of love, patience, or gratitude.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Healing in Humility (The Unnamed Girl)

Image from newlifenarrabi.wordpress.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/3TRNhAJ

View devo: https://bit.ly/4l3q4HO

1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me." 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:1-14 NRSV)

Happy Wednesday Friend! May God's blessing be upon you in marvelous ways; and may people marvel at the ways you will share those withj them.

The star of this story is, of course, God; and right behind him is an unnamed little girl of faith. I learned that on a Wednesday night in a midweek worship/Bible study led on that night by a distant relative of my bride, it was the late Mrs. Clotilde Nañez, wife of The Rev. Dr. Alfredo Nañez, a long-time leader of the Rio Grande Conference, both of whom retired to Edinburg. She did a study on this passage and shared how this little girl, who leads to the healing of a commander of a foreign army, named Naaman. Naaman was all that and a bag of chips being in high favor with the king of Aram whose leadership gave many victories blessed the kingdom of Aram. His outward success could not protect him from inner need. Now this little girl was a prisoner of war, a captive of this commander, taken against her will from her native Israel. It was she who told Naaman's wife that if her husband would travel to Samaria there the prophet would cure him of his disease. The commander goes to see the king just what the little girl shared with him and the king agrees that he should indeed travel to Israel, adding that he would send a letter to the king of Israel, and quite the treasure of money and garments for the king and prophet. Now, keep in mind that this is an enemy of Israel so any letter or visit by Naaman would be very suspicious. And the Israeli king's response gives that away. The king misreads it and freaks out about what this could mean for his country because he says he is not God and healing is not in his job description.

The prophet hears of this, he sends a message to the king asking that the commander come to his house to "Learn there is a prophet in Israel." So Naaman makes the trip to Elisha's home, complete with all the chariots and horses and is greeted by a messenger of the prophet with instructions: "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean."

What’s striking in this story is how God begins to work through the unexpected: a captive servant girl who speaks of a prophet in Israel, a reluctant king, and a message that comes not through ceremony, but through simple instruction. Elisha, the prophet, doesn’t even come out to greet Naaman. Instead, he sends a messenger to say, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan” .

Naaman is insulted. He expected something dramatic—some act worthy of his stature. But healing would not come through spectacle. It would come through obedience and humility. When Naaman finally surrenders his pride and dips in the Jordan, “his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy”.

This story reminds us that God often works through what seems simple or even beneath us. Sometimes, healing and transformation begin when we’re willing to humble ourselves, lay down our expectations, and trust God’s ways over our own. His power is not limited by our understanding—it is released in our obedience.

PRAYER: Merciful God, thank You for seeing past our pride and reaching us with Your healing grace. Help us to trust You even when Your ways are not what we expect. Teach us humility, and give us a heart that listens, obeys, and responds in faith. Wash us anew in Your mercy, and make us whole. This we pray in Jesus' strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time today to release any pride or resistance in your heart. Trust God’s instructions—even the simple ones—and let humility open the door to healing.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Prayerfully consider supporting this ministry!

http://paypal.me/eradiovalverde

Bear With One Another

Image from biblia.com

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/3ZVQ3Zp

View devo: https://bit.ly/447AoZo

1 My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads. 6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. 7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:1-16 NRSV)

Loving God of mercy and peace, bestow on us Your grace that we might become those who bless others. Forgive us our sins and embolden us for Thy service; in Jesus we pray, amen. This has been quite the year for transgressions of a pastoral nature. It seemed that every other week a pastor in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex was found guilty of something or other and they stepped down. To be fair this has been going on since day one, but it's still something that we should address. Paul is addressing it in the first verses of this passage. His recommendation is to help the transgressors be restored with a spirit of gentleness. That one sentence screams Jesus' presence and power because far too many of us usually scream, "Crucify him/her!" Those of us who have been shaped by the world will have worldly responses; the ones shaped by Christ will have Christian responses. And logically, Paul follows it with the wise warning, "Take care that you yourselves are not tempted." Amen. Jesus said that it's easy for us to point out the speck in our brother's eye but ignore the plank in ours. This is the same thing.

Paul’s words in Galatians 6 remind us that life in the Spirit is not a solitary journey. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (v. 2). In a world where independence is praised, Scripture calls us into mutual care—a community marked not by competition, but by compassion.

Paul warns against self-deception and pride. We’re each called to examine our own lives honestly (v. 4), to carry our own responsibilities (v. 5), but also to help lift others when they fall. Restoration, not judgment, should guide our response when someone is caught in wrongdoing (v. 1), always with gentleness.

The principle of sowing and reaping runs through the heart of this passage: “You reap whatever you sow” (v. 7). To sow to the Spirit means investing in what leads to life—acts of kindness, generosity, love, and truth. Paul encourages us not to grow weary in doing good, “for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up” (v. 9). Faithfulness today plants seeds for a fruitful tomorrow.

The letter ends with a strong affirmation: it’s not outward marks or appearances that define us, but the “new creation” (v. 15). In Christ, we are made new—and from that place of grace, we are called to live with humility, integrity, and love.

PRAYER: God of grace and truth, thank You for the new life You’ve given me in Christ. Help me to sow to the Spirit in all I do, to bear the burdens of others with compassion, and to live with integrity. Keep me from growing weary in doing good, and remind me that the harvest You promise is worth every faithful step. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, look for someone whose burden you can help carry—and sow seeds of kindness that reflect the love of the new creation within you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.