Sometimes God Whispers

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1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. 9 And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, (I Kings 19:1-15 NIV)

I've shared my horror stories of churches who a) wanted to place a Complaint Box on the altar table so church members could share their complaints against their pastor. b) Announce loudly during worship that if anyone had a complaint against their pastor to them. This passage would please these folks. Ahab was the president of the church council, and his wife Jezebel, was the chair of the pulpit committee. They had no love loss for their pastor, The Rev. Elijah Truthteller. Old Elijah did not put up with any stuff and even stood up against false prophets that the two chairpersons wanted to hire after they fired Rev. Elijah. They put their 400 pastors up against one, and they cried and yelled to their flase gods and Elijah calmly defeated them and after that showdown, unalived all 400. Yes, this was a brutal church! Jezebel did not hide her anger and threatens Elijah with death, and so the old man starts to run for his life, as would you and me! What follows next is pure human drama.

Elijah has reached the boiling point and confesses to God; "I have had enough , Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." And Elijah lays down and falls asleep; expecting God to take him in his sleep. But God had no such plans; an angel immediately awakens him and orders Elijah to get up and eat some of the hot bread that was fresh baked, and to drink from a jar of fresh water. Elijah eats and drank and went back to sleep again. A second time this is repeated with Elijah eating and drinking again. He then starts a 40-day journey which led him to Mount Horeb, where he goes into a cave and spends the night there. In the cave the Lord asks Elijah what he was doing there? Elijah reports he has been very zealous for God and God's people have revolted against God and against Elijah's ministry. They tore down the altars, rejected the covenant, put other prophets to death, and I'm the only one left and now, they're out to put me to death. God says and stand out on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. And then the great drama occurs: A great and powerful wind comes by, destroying the mountain, but God was not in the wind. Then an earthquake comes, again, the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a fire, God was not in the fire, but then a gentle whisper and God asks again of Elijah what he was doing where he stood. Elijah repeats his speech and God simply says for him to return the same way he had come.

God’s response to Elijah’s exhaustion was not a rebuke, but rest. He gave him food, allowed him sleep, and sent him on a journey—not to punish him, but to meet him.

And when God does meet him, it’s not in the windstorm, the earthquake, or the fire—all things that had previously represented God's power. This time, it’s in a gentle whisper, or as the text says, “a sound of sheer silence.”

The presence of God met Elijah not in spectacle, but in stillness.

Sometimes, we look for God in the loud, the grand, or the dramatic. But God often meets us most powerfully in the quiet—through solitude, rest, or a soft word spoken in prayer. He listens when we cry out. He speaks when we feel empty. And just like Elijah, He reminds us that we are not alone.

God doesn’t just restore Elijah; He re-commissions him. There is still work to do, and God still trusts him to do it.

PRAYER: Lord, You are not only the God of fire and thunder, but also the God of silence and stillness. Thank You for meeting us in our weariness and reminding us that we are not alone. Speak to us in the quiet moments, restore our hearts, and help us trust Your voice even when it whispers. Strengthen us to rise again and walk in the calling You have given us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Make time for silence today—God may be closer than the noise is letting you hear.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Clothed with Christ

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23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:23-29 NIV)

Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! I pray your day is going favorably and that you are influencing your world in a favorable manner. Smile more! Laugh often! Pray without ceasing. Love without wincing.. And as we pray, pray for this old man as I prepare to preach in First Methodist Gonzales, Texas the first Sunday of July. May the Lord give me the Word for that day!

For those of you who now consider yourself fully adult, do you remember the day when you realized, "Gulp. This is it. I'm the adult now. I'm on my own; win or lose, gain or fail, it's on me now."? Paul the Apostle is saying the same thing in the opening part of this passage; we're no longer under the guardianship of the law; we live in Christ Jesus now, and He has justified us by faith. No longer are we looking in; we're in! I've shared how in seminary they showed up an old 16mm film that had to be thread just right into the old projector and it showed a black and white movie of a small boy who had been orphaned in a fire, and not only having lost his family, he lost most of his looks in the flames of the fire, and now he has been accepted into a new family, the family that the orphanage will become to him as the priest opened the door and urged the other kids to welcome him, which they do with wide grins and much hugging. Justified by grace. Nothing required, just his willingness to become a part of this new family. Paul knows all about this for he was adopted, just as he was and had been, and made new as the newest member of this family called the Body of Christ. At his baptism, Paul put on Christ, as did we, as our outer covering was Christ Jesus.

This passage is a radical declaration of unity and identity. We are no longer defined by who we were or what we’ve done. We are defined by who we belong to. Through baptism, we have been “clothed with Christ,” wrapped in His righteousness, covered in His grace. Like a new garment, Christ becomes the way we present ourselves to the world—not in pride, but in freedom, love, and belonging.

Paul’s words dismantle hierarchy and elevate our shared identity: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is not a denial of our uniqueness, but a celebration of our unity in Him. We belong to God’s family, and as heirs of the promise, we are called to live like it—with humility, justice, and grace toward all.

In a world that still builds walls, the gospel calls us to tear them down.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for making us Your children through faith. Thank You for clothing us in Christ, for covering us in His righteousness and calling us Your own. Help us live out this identity with confidence and compassion. Tear down any walls we’ve built in our hearts, and let us walk as one family, united in Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Live like one who’s clothed in Christ—let your life reflect His love, His grace, and His unity.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

From the Margins to the Mission Field

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26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me"— 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:26-39 NRSV Bible)

Happy and Holy Monday to you, dear Friend! May the grace and peace of the Lord fall upon you with a double portion of power to make you the greatest blessing someone will receive from you! Okay, confession time: I so wanted to name this devotional GO HOGS in honor of my hometown university's team, the Javelinas of Texas A&I (now A&M) where for years they had a sign that read: Jesus said, Go Hogs! Luke 8:33. It was funny and appropriate, don't you think? My childhood weekend ritual in Kingsville was Friday night, go see the Brahmas play in A&I Stadium. Saturday go see whatever movie (and it really didn't matter, usually!), then Saturday night back to A&I Stadium to see the Hogs play, and play they did! It seemed they never lost a game! And every time they scored a TD they fired a super loud cannon! BOOM! It was a nice and blessed childhood, thanks to God!

What wasn't nice was the life this poor soul lived. It happened one day, when he made a mistake in his spiritual life and let enter into him a legion of demons. No one, I would hope, sets out to invite demons into their life, but it happens. In the 1980s I was campus minister and Bible professor at Pan American University, no UT-RGV in Edinburg, Texas. In one of my clases, Intro to the New Testament, I assigned each student a short passage for them to write a simple reflective page on what that text means to them. In the class was a student who appeared to be troubled; many of his remarks were off-base and far from reality. On the day he was to present, I called on him and he snapped. "Why are you always picking on me!!?? You're picking on me because I am _______________ (his denomination), and I resent that!" And he packed up his things and stormed out and as he's leaving, his voice dropped and instead of English he started speaking in an unknown language and it sounded evil. He left the building yelling and the front metals doors which were very heavy, slammed shut and open with the force that he used to close the door. The class ended and as I'm going up the stairs two young ladies came in and they were crying. I asked what was wrong and one said, "A Bible professor cussed at us in some Bible language and scared us!" I said, "That was not a Bible professor, and that was not a Biblical language; just a troubled young man who is a student." I then went to my office and soon he was back in my office and still yelling and this time he said he was going to destroy me. He also said, "You think I'm demon possessed, but I'm not, you are, and your name is Legion!" He finally felt he had said enough and left. I perceived his destruction remark to be a threat and I called the Assistant Police Chief of Edinburg, who was from our church and a friend of mine. The chief asked if I had his SSN, of course, he was a student and he said he would call me back. He agreed his remarks were to be taken seriously. When he called back he asked, "Reverend, why is he a student at Pan Am? He has a rap sheet a mile long!" Gulp.

Demons serve one purpose, like their boss, to kill, steal and destroy as Jesus warned in John 10:10. Jesus, on the other hand, came to restore, heal, and make whole, which he does in this story. Jesus took this man from a living death among the dead, to a full life among the living. Demons are no match for Jesus' power. Jesus took the legion of demons living in that man and sent them, at their request, into the swine from the nearby hillside, and, yes, "Go hogs," but they decided to drown themselves as they rushed off the hillside into the lake. This entire event rocked the village and they were further rocked by the testimony of this new believer and now preacher of the Gospel! No better witness than to share what Jesus has done for you.

This once-bound man becomes the first missionary to the Gentile region. His testimony is simple but profound—look what Jesus did for me. He doesn’t need a seminary degree or a long resume. He just needs his story.

No one is too broken for Jesus. No place is too far gone. And no story is too simple to be used by God.

PRAYER: Jesus, You are the restorer of broken lives. Thank You for seeing us when others overlook us, for healing what we cannot fix, and for calling us to be witnesses of Your grace. Help us to share what You’ve done in our lives with courage and compassion. May our story lead others to Your saving love. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Don’t underestimate your testimony—someone needs to hear what Jesus has done for you. Tell it boldly.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Voice of Wisdom

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1 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice? 2 She's taken her stand at First and Main, at the busiest intersection. 3 Right in the city square where the traffic is thickest, she shouts, 4 "You - I'm talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets! 22 "God sovereignly made me - the first, the basic - before he did anything else. 23 I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start. 24 I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. 25 Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn; 26 Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, 27 And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, 28 built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, 29 When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said, no trespassing, And then staked out Earth's foundations, 30 I was right there with him, making sure everything fit. Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, 31 Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family. (Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 The Message Bible)

You and I may have heard Wisdom speak softly to us at key times in our lives. Your first date with your intended. The birth of your first child. Each graduation of your children; then of your grandchildren. The birth of your children, or nephews and nieces; their baptisms, their confirmations, their many graduations from Kindergarten up to university; their weddings, the birth of your grandchildren. All truly amazing things. And that, dear friends, is like seeing a molecule droplet of the wonder that Jesus experienced at the creation of all things. And if you think about the motivation of that creation, you will know it was love. The Father's Love was in the Son, and also in the Holy Spirit. All things that were created by God for us, and we for Him. The cycle is not complete until we all return back to the right relationship that God designed us for, and desires us for.

This is all part of the preparation we should do as we prepare for Trinity Sunday, so we look at King Solomon's book and find in there a prophetic word about Jesus, who is, as the graphic above says, "Wisdom Personified." Before Christ made His appearance on earth, ancient writers, such as Solomon, knew wisdom to be female and addressed it as such. As he writes, we begin to see the characteristics of Christ in the words of Solomon. What the ancients knew to be true, that of God and His Heavenly Court present at Creation, we now see the revelation that it was Jesus Himself present and active in the creative process, with God the Father at the beginning of all things.

In Proverbs 8, Wisdom isn’t just a helpful guide for ethical living. She is portrayed as eternal, present before creation, rejoicing with God in the formation of the world. Wisdom was there when the seas were given their boundaries and the mountains took shape. She was, in essence, the joyful heartbeat of creation’s design.

What does this mean for us today? It means that God's wisdom is woven into the fabric of everything —not just the cosmos but our own lives. When we feel uncertain, Wisdom stands near, calling us to walk in understanding and reverence. Her voice echoes through Scripture, through the Spirit, and through the lives of those who walk closely with God.

This passage is also profoundly relational. Wisdom "rejoices" in God’s presence and in the inhabited world. There is delight, not just design. This reminds us that God's wisdom is not cold or distant —it is joyful, dynamic, and deeply engaged with creation and with us.

PRAYER: God of all creation, we thank You for the gift of wisdom that has been with You since the beginning. Help us hear her voice in the noise of everyday life. Teach us to live with insight, humility, and joy. May we walk in paths that reflect Your design and bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Listen today for Wisdom’s voice—in Scripture, in nature, in wise counsel—and dare to follow her call toward the life God has beautifully designed for you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Begin in Peace...

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1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11 NRSV)

I remind you that this letter from Paul to the believers is called The Gospel According to Paul," for in it he pretty much addresses the entire good news of Jesus Christ and is a serious theological treatise of all he learned while a Pharisee and then later what he learned at Jesus Seminary, meaning the three days he spend blind, fasting, and feasting on teachings of the Lord Himself. In this passage, he addresses our justification or the moment of our salvation or acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior; and he plainly says that our starting point is one, not of perfection, but of peace. Jesus accepts us just as we are when we surrender to Him and He immediately gives us peace. Peace is a great starting place for faith; that we are accepted, loved, and affirmed as His regardless of where and how we arrived at that starting point. Each additional step is guided by Him. We gain immediate access to grace and permission to share our hope in the glory of God that we have received through our salvation. And, we can also boast of our sufferings. We can be transparent about all we've been through, done, experienced, and then follow the progression that Paul shares as a systematic progression of character building and maturation. Our suffering produces endurance, that strength that comes as we endure the pain and suffering of whatever came our way. This endurance, or ability to continue forward brings us character, a clear definition of who we are and how we present ourselves as more Christ-like in our everyday dealings. That character or outward presentation of ourselves leads us to hope, which, Paul adds, does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been shared with us. Then Paul shares this truth: "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." He further adds, "Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die."

Paul shares further truth which serves us as hopeful and powerful, "But God proves His love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us;" and that our salvation came through Christ's blood and this salvation saves us from the coming wrath of God. We are now fully reconciled with God, thus no longer enemies; and through Christ's death we have been given life. We can also boast in God because of Jesus, who has given us reconciliation.

God’s love comes to us while we are still weak, still sinners, and even while we are enemies. That’s the radical center of the Gospel: God moves first. Christ died not for the cleaned-up versions of ourselves, but for us as we truly are. That is grace.

PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for loving us before we even turned toward You. Thank You for the peace we have through Christ, for hope that endures suffering, and for Your Spirit who pours love into our lives. Teach us to live not from fear or guilt, but from grace. Help us be people who carry peace and hope into a hurting world. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let grace define your worth. Let suffering shape your hope. Let God's poured-out love spill over into the lives of those around you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Trinity Sunday

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12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 10:12-15 NIV)

Happy Monday, Friend! May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus be with you and yours is my prayer. I pray you have a restful weekend and are ready for the week. May you live a life that becomes a blessing to others. May others see the risen Christ in you and me!

In an ancient movie Heaven Help Us, about boys and girls in a Catholic school, one troublemaking student is asked to explain the Holy Trinity by a very strict teacher/priest, who uses the ruler quite liberally. The student did not expect to be put on the spot responds, "The Trinity is, has been, and will always be a mystery." The priest is not happy and uses the ruler to show his displeasure.

On Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the deep mystery and beauty of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit —not three gods, but one God in three persons. It’s a doctrine that can challenge our intellect but also deeply nurture our hearts.

In this passage, Jesus prepares His disciples—and us—for life after His earthly ministry. He doesn’t leave them alone or uninformed. Instead, He promises the Spirit of truth, who will guide them into all truth. Not a truth invented, but truth given—truth from the Father, through the Son, delivered by the Spirit.

Think of a relay race. The baton of divine truth is passed securely from the Father to the Son to the Spirit, and ultimately to us. The unity among the Trinity ensures that what we receive is consistent, trustworthy, and filled with grace. The Spirit doesn’t bring a new message but helps us understand and live the message Jesus already gave.

This is good news. You are not expected to figure out faith on your own. God is with you—in every moment, in every question, in every act of obedience or doubt. The Spirit gently illuminates the way, guiding you into deeper understanding and love.

PRAYER: Holy God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—thank You for the mystery and gift of Your unity and love. Thank You that we are not alone, but that the Spirit guides us, glorifying Jesus and revealing Your heart. Teach us to listen, to follow, and to trust. Lead us in truth, that our lives might reflect Your glory and love in a confused world. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let the Spirit guide your heart and mind today. Listen closely. Walk boldly. Trust that the God who speaks through the Trinity is still speaking to you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

When God Breathes Again

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24 How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. 26 There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. 27 All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works— 32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. 35 But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, my soul. (Psalm 104:24-34, 35b NIV)

Remember trying to hold your breath longer than your sister and/or brothers? We didn't know what the point was of such a challenge, but it was fun until you reached the point where an intake of air might be a great idea! Then the challenge moved to the pool; and funny how instead of enjoying water in a pool for swimming we felt the need to hold our breath under the water. And guess how it ends? Yes, again, taking an intake of air is what we needed to stay alive. The interesting thing about breath is the role is plays throughout the Bible. When God made the man God breathed into his hostrils the breath of life, and when it concerns the Holy Spirit, it's about breath. In the Upper Room when Jesus first visited the disciples after His resurrection, He breahted on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." And on the Day of Pentecost, the rush of wind was how He arrived. Yet, it's different in this Psalm. The writer invites us to have a view of a quieter, yet equally powerful arrival of the Holy Spirit. Here, He's not only the force that empowers speech but the very breath of creation, the renewing life of the world.

The psalmist stands in awe of a world teeming with life: mountains, trees, birds, lions, and Leviathan—each sustained by God’s hand. Beneath the poetic language is a foundational truth: God’s Spirit animates everything. When He sends His breath, life begins again.

This is Pentecost through the lens of creation. It is not only about a sudden spiritual event in Jerusalem, but about God’s ongoing act of renewal. Just as creation bursts into being through the Spirit, so the Church is born and continually renewed by that same Spirit.

And here’s the beauty: what God breathes into the world, He also breathes into us.

Have you ever stood in nature and simply breathed deeply? That peace, that awe—that’s not just a feeling. It’s a reminder of the presence of the Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis and filled the house in Acts 2.

Psalm 104 is a hymn of holy wonder. It reminds us that Pentecost is not a one-time celebration—it’s the rhythm of God bringing dead places back to life. We’re invited to not only witness it but to join in: to be signs of renewal, healing, and joy in a weary world.

PRAYER: Creator God, your Spirit gives life to all things. Breathe into us again this Pentecost. Where we are tired, renew us. Where we are scattered, gather us. Where we are dry, pour out your Spirit. May your glory endure forever, and may we sing your praise all our days. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Pentecost, step outside. Breathe deeply. Notice creation. Then ask: where can I be part of God’s renewing Spirit today? Let that breath move you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

¿Hablas Humble?

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1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." 5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the Lord said, "Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1-9 NIV)

Happy Wednesday, dear Friend! I pray God's grace and peace are filling your life with meaning and purpose! There's much to do and God needs us to chip in and give our all to reach the world.

It seems like full circle week in terms of language, doesn't it? This passage tells us the story of how all the languages came to be; and yesterday's passage from Acts 2 told us how God allowed the Disciples to speak different languages to share God's mighty deeds to all people. Languages can divide as well as unite. I love the YouTube videos of an American kid from NYC who studied in China for two years and mastered several dialects of China and he records himself ordering food in their particular dialect and the people go crazy with joy especially if theirs is a small regional dialect and they can't do enough to show their delight in him. I've shared how one year we were in Epcot at Disney World when the Mexico Pavilion when it first opened. Our youngest was a baby when we walked up to a take-out window and we greeted the young lady in Spanish and she flipped out with joy! She said she had just gotten to Orlando and there was no one who spoke Spanish (in those years) and she gave us free food for "la bebita!" And most of us have had those memories of being frustrated at not knowing the language of someone who wanted to communicate with us.

The sin in this story is pride. The people were not satisfied with the name of God being what it is; they wanted to make a name for themselves. This was a move towards humility rather than allow people to be self-centered and self-serving.

At first glance, the story of the Tower of Babel seems like the opposite of Pentecost. In Genesis 11, humanity—unified by one language—attempts to build a monument to their own greatness. Their ambition? To “make a name for ourselves.” God intervenes, not in anger, but with purpose. The languages are confused, the tower is abandoned, and the people are scattered.

But here’s the deeper truth: Babel was never about punishment—it was about protection and redirection. God saw how quickly unity, when fueled by pride and self-interest, could lead people away from divine purpose. The scattering wasn’t a curse; it was a course correction.

Now fast forward to Pentecost (Acts 2). In a moment that mirrors and reverses Babel, God brings people from every language and nation together—not to build a tower, but to build a Church. This time, the unity doesn’t come from human effort or ego. It comes from the Holy Spirit.

At Babel, one language became many. At Pentecost, many languages were understood as one.

God is not threatened by diversity—He creates it. But He also longs for unity—not uniformity—in the Spirit. Pentecost tells us that God’s dream is not to reverse the scattering of Babel by forcing sameness, but by bringing all people together through love, understanding, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

In a world still scattered by division—language, politics, prejudice—Pentecost invites us to become translators of grace. People who speak in ways others can hear and understand, not to make a name for ourselves, but to lift the name of Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, in a world of confusion and clamor, give us ears to hear your Spirit and tongues to speak your love. Heal what divides us and fill us with courage to carry your message across every barrier. May our lives become places where heaven and earth meet. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Look around. Where there is confusion, be a voice of clarity. Where there is division, bring understanding. Let the Spirit speak through you.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Reach the World

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/3Z9lcbl

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1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' (Acts 2:1-21 NRSV)

Dear Friend, welcome to Tuesday! May this be as day of wonderful blessings to you which you can pass on to others. Make this a Tuesday of Touching Lives. Do all you can to share Christ's love with a person in need. Pray for our nation and all of our needs. Pray for your needs as well.

Pentecost was very much a God-moment. The people who came to Jerusalem for the usual, got an extra order of the unusual and unexpected. The usual was to celebrate the giving of the Law, to get to church expecting the usual and you get a double-order of the "I was not expecting this!" One such day in my life was to attend my first event as intern minister which was a prayer meeting never realizing that my prayers were answered on that day in meeting my future wife. Or, was it the day you went to worship and met the Savior, Jesus Christ? Or, the day your child presented themselves for confirmation or baptism? Such wonderful surprises are awesome as was this one. The faithful were in the temple courts. The disciples were in the Upper Room when the event began. They knew He was coming, they did not just know exactly how. They were told to wait and while waiting, boom! The heavens opened and all glory broke out. In what appeared to be tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit landed on the Twelve and empowered them to speak in languages not known to them, but known to those from those areas as the Disciples began to speak about God's great deeds of power. The list was impressive and more impressive was the fact Galileans were speaking these languages. Most were impressed, but as happens, some were cynical about it and said that the disciples were drunk at nine a.m. It fell to Peter to stand and address the crowd and remind them of what the prophet Joel said, "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spiri; and they shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy." And he closes today's passage with a promise of salvation.

Pentecost wasn’t the arrival of a new religion; it was the launch of a movement. It marked the moment the Church became a Spirit-filled, outward-facing community of people who would carry the Good News to the ends of the earth.

We often look for God in the quiet, the gentle, the predictable. But Pentecost reminds us that God sometimes moves in power, in disruption, in holy surprise. Are we open to that kind of movement?

The miracle wasn’t just in the tongues of fire or the multitude of languages. The deeper miracle was that people understood. God’s message of love and salvation crossed barriers and spoke directly to hearts.

In our world still divided by language, class, background, and belief, Pentecost speaks a bold word: the Spirit still speaks, and everyone can hear.

Are we listening? Are we willing to listen and do what God has asked? To win the world for Jesus?

PRAYER: Come, Holy Spirit. Fill our hearts again with the fire of your love. Break down our barriers and help us to see each other through your eyes. May your Word find a home in our hearts, and may we be bold enough to speak it with clarity and compassion. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Listen for the wind. Watch for the fire. Be open to the Spirit’s surprising call. And when the moment comes—speak.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Big Day

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Hear devo: https://bit.ly/45yGbbq

View devo: https://youtu.be/T7pxnMgZkmM

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.(John 14:8-9, 25-27 NIV)

On the day I was ordained a Deacon, the first step towards full ordination into The United Methodist Church back in the day, my family and I drove home to Houston. I sat on one of our couches and my little sister sat across from me and was just staring. I laughed and asked why. She said, "Well now, you're ordained and I'm wondering what change has come over you and how you're different that you're a minister." I laughed again and asked, "Should I get up and hit you?" Then she laughed and said something to the effect that I had not really changed. I do admit that as I sat down I was praying and thinking about how my life would be different and what would come next. I still have my remaining years of seminary, an internship, and the continuation of ordination requirements for full ordination. One thing I knew; God was with me and God would guide and bless me.

This passage is kinda about the unknown and the yet-to-come. The disciples were on-board with Jesus and knew their lives were still to change in ways they did not expect, but the questions still flowed; Philip asks to see the Father, and that would make him content. Jesus asks him that after being with Him all this time they still didn't understand? "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father;?" What Jesus revealed He could only while He was with them and speaks of the coming of "The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

This Sunday is when we celebrate Pentecost which is often seen as the birthday of the Church—a dramatic arrival of wind, flame, and the Holy Spirit. Yet here in John’s Gospel, we are experiencing an encounter a more personal and intimate moment: Jesus is comforting His disciples before His departure.and speaks not of spectacle, but of promise—of the Holy Spirit, whom He calls 'the Advocate:

Jesus knows the disciples are anxious, confused, maybe even afraid. He knows what’s coming. And yet, He assures them (and us) that we will not be left alone. The Spirit will come not only to empower us, but to teach us, to guide us, to remind us of who Jesus is and what He taught.

Imagine a friend walking beside you every step of the journey, whispering encouragement, truth, and peace when you forget. That is who the Spirit is. Not a vague idea, but God's very presence, active within and around us.

And the gift that comes with this Advocate? Peace. Not the fragile kind we see in the world, but Jesus’ peace— steady, holy, soul-deep. It doesn’t erase trouble, but it anchors us in the middle of it.

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, thank You for coming into our lives as Jesus promised. Be our Advocate, our Teacher, our Comforter. Remind us of the words of Christ and fill us with the peace that passes understanding. On this Pentecost Sunday, breathe new life into us. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Today, let the Spirit remind you that you are not alone. Walk in the peace Jesus gives. Listen for the Advocate’s voice. Speak boldly, love deeply, and live Spirit-led.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Joy of the Lord's Reign

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1 God rules: there's something to shout over! On the double, mainlands and islands - celebrate! 2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle 'round him; Right and justice anchor his rule. 3 Fire blazes out before him, Flaming high up the craggy mountains. 4 His lightnings light up the world; Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear. 5 The mountains take one look at God And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord. 6 The heavens announce that he'll set everything right, And everyone will see it happen - glorious! 7 All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry - And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods! On your knees, all you gods - worship him! 8 And Zion, you listen and take heart! Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out: God has done it all, has set everything right. 9 You, God, are High God of the cosmos, Far, far higher than any of the gods. 10 God loves all who hate evil, And those who love him he keeps safe, Snatches them from the grip of the wicked. 11 Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. 12 So, God's people, shout praise to God, Give thanks to our Holy God! (Psalm 97 The Message Bible)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend! Make it a wonderful day sharing Jesus' love to alll people. Our psalm today is from The Message Bible, a modern paraphrase of The Bible written by Dr. Eugene Peterson.

Psalm 97 in The Message translation is full of movement, color, and celebration. It opens with an unmistakable command: shout, celebrate, rejoice! Why? Because God rules. That truth alone is meant to stir joy in every corner of creation—from islands to mountains, from clouds to fire.

This isn't a quiet, polite acknowledgment of God’s authority; it’s a vibrant, full-body response. The earth dances, nature trembles, and light bursts forth because God is present. And yet, this joy isn't lighthearted because everything is perfect—it’s a deep celebration that justice and righteousness are the foundation of His throne.

Verse 11 is especially powerful: “Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.” What an image! God is gardening joy and light into our lives. But like any good garden, it takes time, patience, and the right conditions. Sometimes we walk through darkness, but the promise is that God is always planting something in us—something that will bloom in His time.

In a world that often trades in fear and cynicism, Psalm 97 calls us to a bold, beautiful response: Rejoice in God. Love what’s good. Celebrate what is right. This isn’t about ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine. It’s about knowing Who is truly in control, and choosing joy even when life is uncertain.

PRAYER: God of Light and Justice, thank You for ruling with love and righteousness. Plant Your joy deeper in my heart today. Teach me to rejoice—not because life is easy, but because You are good, faithful, and near. Let my soul reflect Your light. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Wherever you are today—on a quiet island or a busy mainland—take a moment to rejoice. Let the seeds of joy and light planted by God grow into praise.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

My Chains are Gone; I've Been Set Free!

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16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." 29 The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God. (Acts 16:16-34 NRSV)

HAPPY Wednesday! May God's grace be sufficient for you, dear Friend! May this truly be the day the Lord has made and may we rejoice and be glad in it! Seek to bless the Lord and His people in all that you say, think and do! Update on Rev. Dana Hamilton: She's been in Cedar Park Regional Hospital and may go home today (Tuesday). Please continue to pray for her.

Evil is real and it is everywhere, usually taking shortcuts to making money or making people uneasy. In this passage, Paul and Silas encounter two men who were making easy money with a slave girl who was possessed by a demon that allowed her to predict the future. A funny but sad story I heard while a district superintendent from another district was a pastor who was unhappy in his appointment so he ran up an $800 phone bill for calling 1-800 psychic hotline wanting to know where he was going to be sent after this unhappy church! The slave girl knew who Paul and Silas were saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." Wow! And every time she saw them she would repeat that statement to the point it annoyed Paul and he turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." Bam! Out! But that also meant the money-making hustle was over. No bueno for the evil men who owned her. The men grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the magistrates and announced that they were disturbing the city and that they were Jews and also advocating "customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." Ouch! Evil but smart in manipulation. They used the right hate words and the other citizens joined in attacking Paul and Silas, and soon these two believers were stripped of their clothing and were ordered to be beaten with rods. Then they were thrown into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them locked up. Theyh are placed in the innermost part of the jail and had their feet placed in stocks.

At midnight, when most people are sleeping, Paul and Silas were in worship/praise mode. They were singing hymns of praise and praying to God, and this had the attention of the other prisoners. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors of the jail were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened! This woke up and scared the jailer, so much so he drew a sword to kill himself, for the Roman law stated that he needed to die because a Roman prisoner escaped. But Paul, knowing the law, shouted at him to stop for no one hd escaped. The jailer calls for lights and saw that indeed no one had escaped so he asks what he had to do be saved. The example of Paul and Silas had an impact on this jailer, and so after the word is shared with them, they asked to be baptized, and the entire family was baptized. He had Paul and Silas over for supper and the passage ends with the phrase, "and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God." Amen. God specializes in breaking chains. Sometimes they’re physical. Sometimes emotional. Often spiritual. But always, when we choose to worship—even in our hardest moments—God moves, and others take notice.

PRAYER: Lord, when I feel bound by fear, pain, or uncertainty, teach me to sing. Help me trust that Your power is greater than any prison I face. Let my faith be a light to those around me, and may my life echo the good news that You are still breaking chains today. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: When you find yourself in a difficult place, worship anyway. Your song might just be the spark that sets someone else free.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

And So It Ends? Nah!

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12 "See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 16 "It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." 17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let everyone who hears say, "Come." And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. 20 The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. (Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 NRSV)

These are the words that close out the entire Bible! I hope you have read the Bible from cover to cover at least once in your life; it's quite the experience! I've shared how my nephew when he was five years old was going through a scary time in his life, thinking there were monsters under his bed, etc., and so he called me and knowing that I was a pastor and had always said that if anyone needed a Bible I could get them one, and he asked me for five! "Why five, Mijito (my child) I asked?" "Because I'm really scared. I told him if he received the one I could give him and if he promised to read it, he would be fine." Some time later I checked on it and asked how he was doing in his Bible reading? "I read Genesis and most of the other books, but when I came to Job I couldn't figure out if the man needed a job or wanted a job and I felt like giving up!" Thankfully, his fears went away. As will ours if we trust God's word.

I know some people who will read the first and last chapters of novels they buy so they can have an idea of what's to come in between. I also once heard of a man who in the early days of satellite tv had on his dish, the Eastern coast feed, meaning while he lived in Hawaii, he could watch shows from New York on satellite, then later on regular television feed. One day his favorite college football team was playing and he watched the game on the satellite then re-watched it at home and his wife was bothered by his yelling and screaming and loudly worrying about how his team would fare! "Honey," she said, "You already know how the game ends! We win!" Many are those who have read the Bible and still worry about how it all ends; more are the ones who have not read and really do not know how it all ends; we do! Jesus wins! We win! As we examine the text again hear the highlights; Jesus is coming back, and that, soon. He is returning with His reward; meaning what we sowed we will reap; the good things will be rewarded; the bad things not. Jesus reminds us that He is the beginning and the end. Those of us who had our "robes" washed, means those who have surrendered to Jesus and His washing away of our sins, we will be allowed to enter the city by the gates, and we will have the right to the tree of life. Jesus again identifies Himself again and declares that He is the Messiah who will say to those allowed in, "Come," and we will be allowed in. The thirsty will be allowed entrance and access to the living water that will satisfy our thirst; and again Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon." We should say as did the narrative, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" His grace will be with all the saints (you and me if we are in Him). This as a yearning for restoration, a desire to see all things made new. It’s also a commitment: to live each day as people who believe He is coming soon. All of this is a message of hope, not fear; in Jesus we will have life.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we hear Your promise and echo Your invitation: Come. Teach us to live with watchful hearts and hopeful hands. Remind us that You are the beginning and the end of all things, including our own stories. Help us walk in Your grace as we await the fullness of Your return. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Live today as one who believes the final word belongs to Jesus. Extend the invitation: “Come.” Let your life speak hope to the thirsty.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Unity in Jesus

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Hear devo: https://bit.ly/3SnLYJc

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

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:20-26 NIV)

Happy and Blessed Monday, dear Friend! May we continue to pray for one another; praying for the Hamilton Family as they grieve the loss of Mr. Dick Hamilton. Rev. Dana was taken to the ER after Dick's graveside and it was determined she should be transferred to a heart hospital in Austin. That's the last word I got, so please pray she is well. Prayers for the families of 42 persons affiliated with the Global Methodist Church in Nigeria, Africa, murdered by an Islamic terrorist group. Pray a prayer of gratitude for The Rev. Scott Bradford who underwent kidney stone surgery on Saturday and was released home on Sunday. May his recovery be comfortable and rapid.

Imagine churches having names that told a story; make it an honest story, like, I don't know; The Church of the Perpetual Fight? The Church of the Eternal Judgment? The Don't Sit in My Pew Methodist Church! The First Church of Eternal Stewardship Campaigns? Or, I as I would joke with pastors when offering them a church in my district; "It's a church with few miles on it, used only on Sundays, and is owned by two little old ladies...." Ouch! I write this because Jesus is stressing unity among believers. Nothing more painful than a worship space where people do not get along nor agree on anything. Jesus says that He wants all of them (us) to be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one. If we can present ourselves as united, Jesus states, then the world may just believe that we have been sent by God. And Jesus shared His glory with us so that we may be united in that glory; further evidence that we are from God. And Jesus stresses the importance of love. Love is the foundation of unity in my opinion. And whoever does not love is not really from God. Apply that where you will.

This passage draws us into the heart of Jesus' final prayer before His arrest. It’s a prayer not just for His disciples then, but for every future believer—including us. He prays not for safety, success, or even courage, but for unity.

In a world often marked by division—families torn by politics, churches split over preference, societies polarized by ideologies—Jesus speaks into the chaos with a plea: “That all of them may be one.” This isn’t a superficial call for agreement but a deeply spiritual unity that mirrors the relationship between the Father and the Son.

Think of the Trinity like a perfectly choreographed dance—each person of the Godhead moving in love, purpose, and harmony. Jesus desires that same rhythm for His people. When we live in that kind of unity, it becomes our most powerful witness. “Then the world will know…”

We often think the world needs more compelling arguments, bigger churches, or trendier services. But Jesus said the world will recognize Him through our oneness. That’s a challenge. Unity doesn’t mean uniformity; it means holding Christ at the center, even when we don’t all look, vote, or worship exactly the same.

Jesus ends this section of prayer with longing: that we would see His glory and know the depth of God’s love. That’s what sustains unity—not just commitment to each other, but confidence in how much we are loved.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for including us in Your prayer. You saw us even then—our struggles, our hopes, our disagreements—and still prayed that we might be one. Teach us to love one another in ways that reflect Your heart. Break down the walls we’ve built, and build within us a deep desire to live in unity. May our love for each other point others to You. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let someone see the love of God in you today—not by how loud you speak, but by how deeply you live out the unity Jesus prayed for.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Open Your Heart and Discover Your Destiny

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Hear devo: https://bit.ly/3Fgiudq

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9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. (Acts 16:9-15 NRSV)

In 2019, a group of friends from our church in Gonzales, Texas, were blessed to visit Greece in a tour called In The Footsteps of the Apostle Paul, and one of our stops was at the place mentioned in verses 13-15. We saw the river where Lydia and others had gathered to worship God and Paul shares the gospel with them and they were baptized, with Lydia becoming the first European to become a Christian. This painting is inside a beautiful temple of the Eastern Orthodox Church; where Lydia and Paul hold revered places.

The Apostle Paul had his heart changed in the most direct way; Jesus knocking him off his horse and asking him by name why he was persecuting Him. In a telephone conversation from a former seminary roommate and dear friend we were talking about his years in the Perkins Seminary Singers, who toured during the off-days like spring break and they were a huge two-bus choir, where the buses were divided as the saints bus and the sinners bus; the difference being sinners could smoke. Yes, it was that long ago! But he did remember the song where they had to whisper the lines "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" As he said the lines he confessed it still gave him goosebumps as he said them again. Imagine the way Saul reacted? Evidentially, after his time in prayer and fasting, Paul's heart was open to Jesus and his new destiny was revealed. Do you think the zealous Pharisee prosecutor imagined becoming one of the persecuted? I highly doubt it. And given his position and privilege there in Jerusalem; that he would travel the known world for the sake of Jesus? What has always gotten my attention was that during his time with Jesus for those three days the Lord revealed to him most things including the way that he would die. The Lord also revealed to him the joys of his work and that set the man's heart on fire for evangelizing the world.

Even in his dreams, the apostle hears from God through a vision of a man in Macedonia who stood and begged Paul to come to Macedonia and assist them. That was all he needed for him to set in motion a tour of the Macedonia region with the good news of Jesus Christ, and in that tour he meets Lydia and the women of that area, setting the stage to make Europe a Christian continent.

Paul's obedience and willingness to open his heart to the opportunities of God made possible the conversion of Lydia and so many others. Lydia’s conversion was not dramatic in outward signs, but deeply powerful in its simplicity. A heart opened, a household baptized, and a new home for the Gospel was born. Her story reminds us that God's work often begins with quiet, willing hearts and unexpected people. She was not a preacher, but her hospitality and faith helped establish the Philippian church—one of Paul’s most beloved communities.

We often think of God’s call as something loud, urgent, or grand. But here we see that faithfulness often starts with a quiet "yes" -- yes to listening, yes to opening our homes, yes to offering what we have for God's use.

Lydia’s riverbank moment became a turning point in the story of Christianity in Europe. Who knows what God will do with your next “yes”?

PRAYER: God of quiet invitations, Thank You for the ways You call us—through visions, voices, and the gentle nudging of Your Spirit. Open our hearts like You opened Lydia’s. Help us listen eagerly, respond faithfully, and offer our lives for Your purposes. May we be people who welcome others, who nurture faith, and who believe that no act of obedience is too small in Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Be attentive to the quiet invitations of God today. Say yes to listening. Say yes to hospitality. And say yes to being part of something far greater than you can see.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Real City That Does Not Sleep

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Hear devo: https://bit.ly/436ZTJV

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10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 NRSV)

There is an indescribable peace in the City of Jerusalem. I've mentioned that my wife, Nellie, loved the city so much during our only visit there, that she wanted to move there. I told her that I doubted there were any Methodist churches there in need of pastors, but such was the peace we felt there we did not want to leave. The city is special. It has thousands of years of historical and religious significance to three world religions; Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. There is a spiritual presence felt there that we've yet to feel in any other city; and for the people of Jesus' day, Jerusalem was the happening place for all things God. For the old disciple to be longing to be in worship at his home church and then to be visited by Jesus, this passage shares what Jesus did for him on that Sunday morning. He was carried off by the Spirit to a great mountain; definitely an E-ticket ride (Kids, google it!) experience; exhilarating and awesome. And for him to see "The Holy City, Jerusalem, " come down from Heaven was part of that same awesomeness. It is interesting to note there was no temple in the city because the realization is that the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple. The ruins of the temple in the city now still represent God and God's court, even though the walls and most of the structure is gone; but the reminder is still powerful. And John notices that the city does not need sun or moon because the glory of God shines on it, and the brilliance of the Lamb is the light as from a lamp. So great will be this light that all nations will do their daily living based on that light, and the kings of the earth will also go towards it with the splendor they bring. The city gates will no longer be shut because there will no longer be night there. Everything impure will be kept out, and all shameful and deceitful things will be kept out. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be allowed in.

The river of life will be a crystal river which will flow from the throne of God and from the throne of the Lamb, and this river will flow through the middle of the great street of the new Jerusalem; each side of the river will have the tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit, a monthly produce; and its leaves will be for the healing of the nations. What we should also note is that Jerusalem as a city will on that day become a city filled with glory, life, and healing. A promise of what is to come thanks to God's gracious love, as well as a direction for how we live today.

This passage doesn’t just point us toward eternity; it is an invitation for us to live now as citizens of the coming city. We are to be truly bearers of that light, ambassadors of that peace, and agents of that healing. In a world often shaped by fear and despair, Revelation reminds us of our calling to live in hope, to shine with love, and to long for a future that is more than wishful thinking—it is God's promised reality.

PRAYER: God of Light and Life, Thank You for the vision of a world made whole, a city where You dwell fully with Your people, where healing flows freely, and where darkness is no more. Give us the courage to live in that light even now. Shape our hearts to long not only for heaven, but to help build glimpses of that city here on earth. Use us to bring Your healing, Your peace, and Your truth to the places You’ve called us to serve.In the name of the Lamb who reigns forever, Amen.

Have a great and blessedd ay in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let your life today reflect the light of that eternal city. Offer healing where there is hurt. Choose truth where there is confusion. And live with hope that the best is not behind us—but ahead.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Peace for the Journey

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23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. (John 14:23-29 NIV)

Happy Monday, my dear Friend! A Blessed Week of Worship and Wonder be yours is my prayer. I pray that you have been a blessing to many already in this day as early as it may yet be! But there's still time!

In this chapter Jesus has already spoken to His disciples about His upcoming death. "Let not your hearts be troubled," Jesus said, and spoke about His Father's house and the many rooms it has, and how He will return to His Father's House to prepare a room for us; so that where He is, we may be also. Yet, there was much still to do and miles yet to travel on this journey to which Jesus had invited and brought His band of disciples. In addition to the hope He is sharing, He is also stressing the need for love and obedience. Love from the Father will come to those who do love God and others; and the promise is that God, both Father and Son will come to them (us) and make their home with us. Then Jesus shares the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus calls the "Advocate," Who will teach us all things and Who will remind us of all things Jesus shared with us, and peace will come to us; thus they disciples would have peace for the rest of their journey to Jerusalem and for all that would be theirs til their return Home.

This was the peace that was mine when I set out to complete the beginning of my call into ministry. It first took me to Jacksonville, TX to a small college, then to Georgetown, TX, to a small university; then to Dallas for my seminary, then my journey of running away from God, to Denver where my journey would begin again, and it was because I was never alone. It was a calm feeling of knowing no matter the darkness of night on a lonely road in Colorado or dry, long open roads in Texas, God was with me. Then God blessed me with a beautiful woman willing to ride with me and we then felt that same peace of God with us.

This peace is not like the world’s version—fragile, dependent on circumstances, and easily broken. Christ’s peace is resilient. It is the kind that walks with you through doubt, carries you in suffering, and anchors you in love. It is the steady heartbeat of the resurrection echoing into our present moment.

He promises the Holy Spirit—the Advocate—to remind us of His truth, to be His continuing voice and presence. Easter is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a Spirit-led life. In this new life, we are not abandoned, but empowered. Not fearful, but at peace.

PRAYER: Risen Lord, Thank You for the peace that only You can give—peace that calms our fear, quiets our anxious hearts, and steadies us for the journey ahead. Remind us that Your resurrection is not just a past event but a living power within us today. Help us receive Your Spirit, walk in Your truth, and live as people of the resurrection. In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take a moment today to welcome Christ’s peace into your life—and then offer that same peace to someone else who may need it. Let the Easter message become your daily mindset: new life, Spirit-filled living, and unshakable peace.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Days Without a Car

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

View devo: https://youtu.be/Pt6TLF1x2PI

1 Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; 2 Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars; 4 Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; 5 Praise, oh let them praise the name of God - he spoke the word, and there they were! 6 He set them in place from all time to eternity; He gave his orders, and that's it! 7 Praise God from earth, you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps; 8 Fire and hail, snow and ice, hurricanes obeying his orders; 9 Mountains and all hills, apple orchards and cedar forests; 10 Wild beasts and herds of cattle, snakes, and birds in flight; 11 Earth's kings and all races, leaders and important people, 12 Robust men and women in their prime, and yes, graybeards and little children. 13 Let them praise the name of God - it's the only Name worth praising. His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky; 14 he's built a monument - his very own people! Praise from all who love God! Israel's children, intimate friends of God. Hallelujah! (Psalm 148 The Message Bible)

I can identify somewhat with the Apostle John on that first Sunday morning that found me working in the school cafeteria. It was my freshman year, away from home, and having to get up super early, shower, head to the back entrance of the Lon Morris College cafeteria, serve myself a nice hot breakfast, joke with the other lucky work study scholarship kids, take our trays to the window, don an apron and gloves and become the crew behind the window. I wondered at the appropriate times where my church might be, what hymn they might be singing and knowing that someone behind the window might start singing "I'm in the mood for love" to make the others of us laugh; the occasional drama major might come to the window, linger as he held the tray as he started into Bobby Vinto's Mr. Lonely. More laughs; but still the pain of not being home in worship hit hard. Hey, I was a pre-ministerial student after all. The shift would end soon enough some Sundays, others not too soon. Repeat at lunch with a very nice meal, and then supper we were on our own. That lunch however I asked the crew if any wanted to walk with me to First UMC downtown for their evening worship. Kids, ask your great-grandparents what those were! And surprising enough about six said they would and so we would meet in front of the cafeteria and we would walk to church. None of us owned cars and so this was fun, talking, walking, laughing our way to worship. Once there Dr. Gilpin would greet us warmly and we worshiped with a congregation that now does that on a daily basis in Glory. Tears streamed down some cheeks as we remembered the hymns from home. I knew the tunes, but the words were new to me. But God was the same and so the words of this psalm spoke to my heart.

The psalmist had a wonderful world view of who and what should be in worship and praise of God; everyone, everything! Angels, warriors, sun and moon; morning stars (afternoon stars who slept in), high heaven, heavenly rain clouds; a long list. All praising God, Who is worthy; His name is worthy. The monument He created, us, should be praising Him. All who love God, praise God!

This psalm reminds us that praise isn’t limited to a worship song on Sunday or a whispered prayer before a meal. The entire world is a choir, and our lives are meant to harmonize with the beauty of God’s ongoing creation. When we praise God, we join in a song that echoes from the galaxies to the garden. Whether you’re walking the dog, doing the dishes, or sitting with someone in grief, your life can echo praise when it’s rooted in gratitude and grace.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for the many opportunities and places where we can worship You. Thank You for all days, especially the days without cars when we could walk and be in Your house to lift high your name. Thank You for kind heart and souls who opened the doors and welcomed us in to worship. Thank You for the memory of dear friends who make the trek possible and thus shared a wonderful blessing. Thank You for the servants then and now who prepared and led us to Your presence. Let our lives become praise songs, offered not just in words, but in how we love, serve, and hope. In the name of the Risen Christ, who makes all things new, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let your life be a melody of praise today. Find one moment—however small—to offer God thanks in word or deed. When we live with gratitude and awe, we tune our lives to the rhythm of the Creator—and that’s a song worth singing.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.