Fan the Flame!

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1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us. (1 Timothy 1:1-14 NRSV)

Dear Friend; Happy Tuesday! As we pray today, pray for the family of Ms. Sally Storey, who passed away on Sunday; may God's comfort be with her family and all who Ioved her. Also, prayers this morning for Mr. David Marroquin, of McAllen, Texas, as he undergoes kidney surgery; may God restore full function to his kidneys and healing mercies for David. Prayers also for his wife Norma, and their family. Pray for one another. Pray for this old man as I go for an update from my orthopedic surgeon on where I am after this long period of healing. I undergo X-rays at 8 and the appointment at 9. Thank you all!

Do you realize that somebody told somebody who told somebody, who told somebody, who told somebody, who told somebody, who told somebody, who told you about the wonderful love of Jesus. Okay, there may have been more somebodies than I listed in this list, but you understand; that Jesus was that important and awesome, that they told you about it. It may have been your pastor, but that counts too! It may have been your parents or grandparents, or a family relative, or a school friend. In Timothy's case, Paul shared the faith with Tim's grandma, and his mom, and in turn, they shared it with him; Paul laid hands on Tim to give him the gift of the Holy Spirit. He also gave him, what Christ has given us, "God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline."

Timothy wasn't a spiritual failure. He had been personally mentored by Paul, had genuine faith inherited from his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, and had received spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands. Yet even with this impressive spiritual pedigree, he needed to be reminded to fan his flame back into fire.

This challenges the assumption that once we receive God's gifts, they maintain themselves. The reality is that ministry is hard, opposition is real, and even the most dedicated servants can find their initial enthusiasm dampened by difficulty and discouragement.

Paul identifies the real issue: "God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline." Timothy's fading flame isn't due to God withdrawing His Spirit—it's due to fear creeping in. The Greek word for cowardice suggests timidity, a shrinking back from what's difficult or dangerous.

Paul reminds Timothy that the Holy Spirit within him produces three specific qualities: power (the ability to do what seems impossible), love (the motivation to sacrifice for others), and self-discipline (the wisdom to manage ourselves well). These aren't natural human traits that we work up—they're supernatural gifts that the Spirit produces in us.

The challenge is profound: When we're operating in fear, we're not operating in the Spirit God gave us. When we're shrinking back from God's calling because it feels too hard or too risky, we're living beneath our spiritual inheritance.

The phrase "do not be ashamed" suggests Timothy might be tempted to distance himself from Paul now that association with the apostle has become dangerous. Paul challenges Timothy to stand firm even when it's costly, to remain faithful even when it's unpopular, to continue proclaiming truth even when it leads to suffering.

This isn't theoretical theology—it's a call to courageous action in the face of real persecution. Paul is essentially saying: "Don't let fear of suffering silence you. Don't let concern for your reputation compromise your testimony. Don't let the world's opposition extinguish your flame."

The gospel is described as "good treasure" that has been entrusted to Timothy (and to us). This treasure isn't ours to modify, improve, or update according to cultural preferences. It's ours to protect, preserve, and pass on faithfully to the next generation.

The challenge is real: every generation faces pressure to compromise the gospel, to soften its edges, to make it more palatable to skeptics. Paul calls Timothy to guard the truth with the help of the Holy Spirit—not through human effort alone but through divine empowerment.

In an age that prizes innovation and novelty, Paul's words challenge us to value consistency and faithfulness. The most radical thing Timothy could do wasn't to come up with something new but to hold fast to what he had been taught, to guard what had been entrusted, to preserve what had been revealed.

This requires both courage and humility—courage to proclaim unpopular truth, humility to recognize we're stewards rather than authors of the gospel message.

Paul's letter to Timothy is essentially a call to stop drifting and start deciding. Stop letting your fire fade and start fanning it into flame. Stop shrinking back in fear and start stepping forward in power. Stop being passive about your calling and start actively guarding the treasure you've been given.

The beauty of Paul's message is that it's not all on Timothy. He's not expected to rekindle, guard, and preserve in his own strength. The same Holy Spirit who gave the gifts in the first place provides the power to maintain them. The same God who called Timothy to ministry provides the grace to continue in it.

But partnership with God requires our participation. The Spirit provides power, but we must choose courage over cowardice. God guards the treasure, but we must actively protect what He's entrusted to us.

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, rekindle the gifts You've placed within us, replace our spirit of fear with Your spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, and help us faithfully guard the good treasure of the gospel we've been given. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, honestly assess whether any spiritual gifts or callings in your life have diminished to embers, and take one specific action to "rekindle" them—perhaps through renewed prayer, recommitment to service, or seeking encouragement from other believers. Ask yourself where fear might be causing you to shrink back from God's calling, and choose one area where you'll step forward in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than retreat in timidity.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God, and you matter to me. Share that with those who think they don't matter.

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Mustard Seed Faith

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5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. 7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” (Luke 17:5-10 NIV)

Happy Monday, Friend! So glad you're with us today! Let's journey towards the Lord as we seek to the Lord's will and purpose for our lives.

It was years before I saw for myself, a real mustard seed. Imagine my surprise that you can find thousands of them in the spice department of your grocery store! In a bottle no less! Okay, to be fair I hadn't frequented the spice aisle in our little grocery store in Kingsville, nor later when we had moved to Houston. Okay, I really didn't cook for myself much and the cooking that I did never really called for mustard seeds. My go-to spices are cumin, oregano, salt, pepper. I had been told, taught, and preached that a mustard seed was small. It's actually tiny.

We hear the Disciples asking for an increase in their faith. Interesting request given that since they said yes to Jesus to follow Him, they had been there at the source of faith for 24/7. They saw, heard, touched, and experienced things that many would have loved to, for they were watching faith in action. But even in the face of God at work, it can be easy to have doubts and fears. And as the Disciples realized the seriousness of what Jesus would undergo and maybe with them as well, their request to have more faith makes sense.

This request comes after Jesus has given them some challenging teachings about forgiveness and the cost of causing others to stumble. Perhaps they're feeling overwhelmed by the demands of discipleship, wondering how they could possibly live up to such high standards. Their response isn't to lower the bar but to ask for supernatural help to reach it.

There's something beautiful about acknowledging our spiritual limitations. When we admit we need more faith, we position ourselves to receive what God wants to give us. The disciples' request invites us to be equally honest about our own need for increased faith.

Jesus' response is surprising: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." The disciples ask for more faith, and Jesus essentially says, "You don't need more faith—you need to use the faith you have."

A mustard seed is tiny—about one to two millimeters in diameter. Yet Jesus suggests that even this minuscule amount of faith can accomplish the impossible. The problem isn't the size of our faith but our understanding of faith's power. We think we need mountain-sized faith to move mountains, but Jesus says mustard-seed faith is more than sufficient.

This is incredibly liberating. You don't have to wait until you feel supremely confident to step out in faith. You don't need to overcome all your doubts before you act on God's promises. Even small faith—faith mixed with uncertainty, faith accompanied by questions, faith that feels inadequate—is enough to move trees into seas.

Jesus' illustration of the mulberry tree reveals something important about faith. The tree He mentions would have been deeply rooted, firmly established, seemingly immovable. Yet He suggests that even this stubborn obstacle would obey faith as small as a mustard seed.

This isn't about the intensity of your belief but about the object of your belief. A mustard seed's power doesn't come from its size—it comes from its connection to the life force within it. Similarly, faith's power doesn't come from how much you have but from whom you're trusting. Small faith in a big God accomplishes more than big faith in a small god.

The key is not working up more faith but directing the faith you have toward the right target. When your mustard-seed faith is placed in an almighty God, mountains become moveable and trees become transplantable.

Jesus' teaching invites us to stop making excuses and start acting on whatever faith we do possess. Instead of saying, "I need more faith before I can..." we can say, "I'll use the faith I have and step out now." Instead of waiting for doubt-free confidence, we can move forward with mustard-seed certainty.

This means praying for that impossible situation even though you're not sure God will answer. It means offering forgiveness even though you don't feel particularly forgiving. It means taking steps of obedience even when you can't see the whole staircase. It means trusting God's character even when you can't understand His methods.

The beautiful truth is that God doesn't despise small beginnings. He delights in using inadequate people with inadequate faith to accomplish His adequate purposes. Your mustard-seed faith is enough to get started, and God will grow it as you use it.

The servant parable isn't meant to discourage us but to ground us. When we understand our proper role as servants rather than superstars, it actually increases our faith rather than diminishes it. Why? Because it takes the pressure off our performance and puts the focus on God's power.

When you know you're just a servant using the Master's tools, you don't have to worry about whether you're qualified enough, experienced enough, or faithful enough. You just have to be willing enough. The Master takes responsibility for the results—you just have to show up and be available.

This humility is liberating. You don't have to manufacture great faith—you just have to use the faith you have. You don't have to be a spiritual giant—you just have to be a willing servant. You don't have to move mountains on your own strength—you just have to trust the One who can.

Jesus' teaching is ultimately an invitation to stop waiting and start walking. Stop analyzing your faith and start acting on it. Stop measuring your confidence and start moving in obedience. Stop asking for more faith and start using the faith you have.

Maybe there's a relationship that needs forgiveness—exercise your mustard-seed faith and take the first step. Maybe there's a calling you've been avoiding because you don't feel qualified—trust your inadequate faith to an adequate God. Maybe there's a prayer you've stopped praying because you don't feel like you believe strongly enough—offer your small faith to your big God and see what happens.

The beautiful truth is that God isn't waiting for you to feel more faithful before He starts working through you. He's waiting for you to use whatever faith you have, however small it might seem.

Jesus' teaching contains both promise and process. The promise is that small faith can accomplish big things. The process is that faithful servants do their duty without expecting applause. Together, these truths create a beautiful picture of how God works through ordinary people who are willing to trust Him with extraordinary situations.

You don't need to be a spiritual superhero to see God work powerfully through your life. You just need to be a faithful servant willing to use whatever faith you possess, however inadequate it might feel. God specializes in using small faith from willing hearts to accomplish His purposes in the world.

PRAYER: Lord, help us stop waiting for more faith and start using the faith we have, serving You faithfully as unworthy servants privileged to participate in Your miraculous work, in Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, identify one area where you've been waiting for "more faith" before taking action, and instead choose to step out with whatever mustard-seed faith you currently possess, trusting God to work through your willingness rather than your confidence.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Invest in the Impossible

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1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah. 3 Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’ 8 “Then, just as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’ “I knew that this was the word of the LORD; 9 so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— 12 and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard. 13 “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: 14 ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. 15 For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’ (Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 NIV Bible)

Happy Wednesday, Friend! May the joy of Lord be your strength. May your smile to all people to be one that reflects His.

When I was a sophomore in junior college, my Sociology professor, announced to the class that for the first time in many years, Americans could own gold. Gold at the time was $32 an ounce. Mr. Oliver said we should buy as much as we could afford and hold on to it, for he was predicting a sharp increase in price. I got excited! I had saved up $500! I started doing math and thinking riches. I soon graduated and I was in Houston and shared with my Dad my plans for my $500. Dad nixed the plan and said I should instead buy a car for the final two years of university. The plan sounded great in my mind, but I trusted God and on I went.

God was similarly involved with a weeping prophet. Picture the scene: Jerusalem is under siege by the Babylonian army. The city is surrounded, supplies are running low, and defeat seems inevitable. In the middle of this crisis, the prophet Jeremiah sits in prison—not for any crime, but for telling the uncomfortable truth about what's coming. King Zedekiah has locked him up because his prophecies are "bad for morale."

It's in this context of total hopelessness that God asks Jeremiah to do something that appears completely insane: buy a piece of land. Not just any land, but land in Anathoth, a town that's either already captured or about to be captured by enemy forces. It's like buying beachfront property during a tsunami.

But here's what makes this story remarkable—Jeremiah doesn't hesitate. When his cousin arrives with the deed, the prophet doesn't laugh, doesn't argue, doesn't point out the obvious foolishness of the transaction. He buys the field. Sound investment? Would you have made the same purchase?

From every practical standpoint, this purchase makes no sense. The Babylonians are about to destroy everything, cart the survivors off to exile, and leave the land desolate. Any reasonable financial advisor would have told Jeremiah to keep his money, that this was the worst possible time to invest in real estate.

But God's economics operate on different principles than Wall Street's. While everyone else sees only destruction and defeat, God sees restoration and return. While others focus on the immediate crisis, God is already planning the comeback. This land purchase isn't about current market conditions—it's about future kingdom realities.

Jeremiah's willingness to buy the field becomes a prophetic act, a physical declaration that the story isn't over, that God's promises are more reliable than current circumstances, that faith sometimes requires us to invest in what seems impossible. It was a public transaction so that everyone could see it and maybe, receive the hope that God shared with them.

"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land." God's message through Jeremiah's purchase is clear: this isn't the end. The siege will end, the exile will conclude, the people will return. What looks like permanent destruction is actually temporary displacement.

This promise must have seemed absurd to everyone watching. Jerusalem was falling, the temple would soon be destroyed, and the people would be marched off to Babylon. Yet God is talking about a real estate market revival, about normal life resuming, about a future so certain that it's worth investing in today.

God's perspective always extends beyond our present crisis. When we see endings, He sees new beginnings. When we see destruction, He sees reconstruction. When we see the closing of chapters, He sees the opening of new ones. A foolish investment? No, an inventment made with God's help will make them realize God was at work in their lives and would bring desired results.

God invites us to join Jeremiah in making investments that don't make sense from a purely human perspective. Maybe it's continuing to pray for someone who shows no signs of changing. Maybe it's giving generously when your budget says you can't afford it. Maybe it's pursuing a calling that others consider impractical.

These acts of "illogical faith" become our own prophetic declarations—testimonies that we believe God's story isn't finished, that His promises are trustworthy, that His kingdom is worth investing in even when we can't see immediate returns.

Like Jeremiah, we're called to buy fields in enemy territory, to invest in God's future when everyone else is focused on present problems, to act on hope when circumstances suggest despair.

PRAYER: Lord, give us Jeremiah's courage to invest in Your promises even when current circumstances make such investments seem foolish, trusting that Your kingdom economics always prove wiser than human wisdom. For it is in Jesus' strong name that we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, identify one area where God might be calling you to make an investment—of time, resources, or faith—that doesn't make sense from a worldly perspective but aligns with His promises and kingdom purposes.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and God has invested in you! Use it wisely!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

WARNING: Reading the Bible May Change You! (For the Better!)

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19 "There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption.20 A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. 21 All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man's table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores. 22 "Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. 24 He called out, 'Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It's not like that here. Here he's consoled and you're tormented. 26 Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.' 27 "The rich man said, 'Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father 28 where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won't end up here in this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham answered, 'They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.' 30 "'I know, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but they're not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.' 31 "Abraham replied, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the Prophets, they're not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.'" (Luke 16:19-31 NRSV)

While we were still living in Kingsville, making it sometime before 1965, one of my Dad's younger cousin, who was an Air Force airman serving in Italy, died in a Jeep accident. It hit the Valverde famly hard. This young man was the son of the oldest of the Valverde brothers, of which my grandfather was a part. As we left Kingsville and started down the highway to McAllen, my thoughts were on death. I was young enough to know it was something, but what exactly I did not know. I also suspected it was pretty final, given the sobbing and crying it brought with it. We were driving in the family car, a blue 1955 Chevrolet BelAir and I remember seeing part of the dash was a round decor and I began to wonder if a machine could be invented to bring departed souls, okay I didn't know that word at the time, but if a dead person could come inside that machine and be spun around and around, maybe, just maybe, it would be made to come alive again. And this passage addresses the reallity of death as shared by Jesus.

I sometimes think the Bible as a book, our book, should come with a warning: "If truth scares you or confronts you, put the book down and walk away. Anything that you perceive to be political and opposed to your beliefs may just be God's way ot asking you to think twice about where you are and just who you are." Sadly, in reality, many do not even pick up the Bible because of that fear, or rely on others to teach them about what they think the Bible should be about. Sigh.

This is a brutally honest parable, like all parables that Jesus shared, to get us to truly and honestly examine ourselves; after these parables were about life and death with Jesus wanting all of us to chose life. He begins with speaking about a rich man whose name Jesus does not share. It's like the warning we used to see in the movies when they started: "The events are real. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Any similiarities between the characters in this parable and people in real life are coincidental." The temptation is to insert a real person's name in the slot where the rich man's name should go; and depending on your era it would have been Rockefeller, Astor, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Bezos, Musk, Jobs, etc. But we won't insert a real name here today.

We have a brief description of what he was like; dressed nicely in the latest and greatest fashions, and his days were classified as "consipicuous consumption." Heard enough? Jesus then introduces us to a poor name whose name we do have, Lazarus. Lazarus—lies at the gate. Not just poor, but destitute. Not just hungry, but covered with sores. So desperate that he would gladly eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table, yet even this small mercy is denied him. In the very classic Communion ritual, we heard, "We are not worthy to eat the crumbs off thy table." Hmm.

The rich man isn't portrayed as particularly evil—just oblivious. He doesn't actively harm Lazarus; he simply doesn't see him. This may be the most chilling detail of all. The greatest sin isn't always active cruelty but practiced blindness to the suffering right outside our gate.

Death brings the ultimate plot twist, The Great Reversal, as it were. Lazarus, carried by angels to Abraham's side, finds himself in comfort and honor. The rich man, in Hades, experiences torment and discovers that the beggar he ignored is now the one looking down on him.

But here's what makes this more than just a revenge fantasy: even in torment, the rich man's mindset hasn't changed. He still expects Lazarus to serve him—first to bring water, then to run messages to his family. Even in hell, he can't see Lazarus as an equal human being deserving of dignity. The heat makes this rich man so thirsty that he asks something he would not have done while alive; "Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire." Ouch. The idea this rich man so repulsed by the health state of this poor man, with sores licked by dogs, would never allow Lazarus to touch him, let alone dip his finger in cool water to touch his tongue!

The chasm that separates them in the afterlife isn't newly created—it's simply the eternal manifestation of the chasm the rich man created during his lifetime through his indifference to suffering. For me, it shows the separation that comes at our death. Those who loved, lived, and died in the Lord, get to go to Abraham's bosom; Jesus' way of saying Heaven. Those who chose to love themselves, and a hand selected few, will find themselves separate from God. And Jesus does get a brief graphic; it's hot, people are not dead but they're thirsty! The good will be consoled for their earthly suffering, and those who lived in comfort will be tormented like they did to others. And there is no crossing from here to there.

When the rich man pleads for someone to warn his brothers, Abraham's response cuts to the heart: "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them." The rich man protests that resurrection would surely convince them, but Abraham delivers the story's most sobering line: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

This isn't primarily a story about the afterlife—it's a story about the present life. We already have everything we need to know about how God wants us to treat the poor, the marginalized, the suffering. Scripture is filled with commands to care for the vulnerable, warnings about the dangers of wealth, and calls to justice.

The problem isn't lack of information; it's lack of transformation. We don't need more proof—we need more obedience to what we already know.

Every day we encounter our own version of Lazarus at our gate. Perhaps it's the homeless person we step around on our way to grab coffee. Maybe it's the single parent struggling to make ends meet in our neighborhood. It could be the refugee family in our community, or the elderly person in our church who sits alone.

The question Jesus poses through this parable isn't whether we're rich or poor in absolute terms—it's whether we have enough to help but choose not to see. It's whether we've become so comfortable with inequality that we consider it normal, natural, even necessary.

The rich man's sin wasn't having wealth; it was having wealth without compassion, abundance without awareness, comfort without concern for those literally dying at his doorstep.

This parable calls us to examine not just our bank accounts but our attention—what we notice and what we ignore, whom we see and whom we step over, whose suffering moves us and whose pain we've learned to tune out.

Jesus is warning us that the way we treat the vulnerable in this life reveals the true condition of our hearts and determines our eternal destiny. There's no neutral ground when it comes to justice and mercy. Our indifference is a choice, and it's a choice that God takes personally.

The good news hidden in this difficult story is that we still have time. We still have opportunities. We still have chances to see, to act, to care, to give. The gate is still there, but so is the choice of how we'll respond to who we find lying beside it.

PRAYER: Loving God, open our eyes to the Lazarus at our gate—help us see not just with our eyes but with our hearts, and move us from comfortable indifference to costly compassion. Let us live with our lives and actions as witnesses to Your power in the world; in Christ Jesus' strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, identify one specific person or situation of need in your immediate circle—your neighborhood, workplace, or community—and take one concrete action to help, moving from awareness to actual assistance.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me.

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Why He Wept!

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Hear the devo here: https://bit.ly/42jcusL

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

1 “ ‘At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. 2 They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground. 3 Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the LORD Almighty.’ 4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: “ ‘When people fall down, do they not get up? When someone turns away, do they not return? 5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. 6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle. 7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. 8 “ ‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? 9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have? 10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. 12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the LORD. 13 “ ‘I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them. ’ ” 14 Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him. 15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror. 16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there. 17 “See, I will send venomous snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,” declares the LORD. 18 You who are my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. 19 Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they aroused my anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?” 20 “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” 21 Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? 1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people. (Jeremiah 8:18-19:1)

A common line in social media is "Here I am crying again with strangers," meaning the video clip has made most people who have watched it weep. I'm raising my hand as I am an emotional person. Long ago I got rid of the old saying, "Boys dont' cry." In Spanish it was rougher, "Los hombres no lloran." My Mom's younger brother at age 14 had grown his first mustache and decided to go downtown to see about the girl situation in Mission. They had come down from Bishop, Texas, to visit my aunt in Mission, and off he went to the Mexican downtown and soon he was seen running back, crying. Everyone laughed and teasingly told him, "Men with mustaches don't cry!" And he sobbed, "I not crying with my mustache!" Weeping is a natural emotional reaction to things; some people cry easier than others, some pride themselves that they don't cry. Pray for those! My Mom liked to ask me and my siblings when we were crying if we thought we were Jeremiah, el llorón. And yes, Jeremiah is the weeping prophet and this passage shows us why.

The scene is horrific; the imagery of graves and tombs being opened and bodies and human remains taken out of their resting place and placed out in the sun and the moon, and God says, "Which they had followed and consulted and worshiped." They're not worthy of burial is what God is saying, such was their sinfulness.

Jeremiah's words overflow with a pain so deep that ordinary language can barely contain it. "You who are my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me." This isn't theological discussion—this is raw anguish from someone whose heart has been shattered by watching God's people destroy themselves.

The prophet sees what's coming: judgment, exile, the collapse of everything his people hold dear. But instead of saying "I told you so" or maintaining professional distance, Jeremiah's heart breaks. He doesn't celebrate being right about their rebellion—he mourns the consequences of their choices.

This is what it looks like to have God's heart for people—to grieve over their self-destruction even when they've brought it on themselves.

Jeremiah hears something heartbreaking—the desperate questions of people who suddenly realize they've lost what they took for granted. In their exile and suffering, they're wondering if God has abandoned them, if He's still present, if He still cares.

These are the questions people ask in crisis: Where is God? Why doesn't He intervene? Has He forgotten us? They're the cries that emerge when comfortable assumptions about God's protection and provision are suddenly challenged by harsh reality.

The tragedy is that they're asking these questions from "a land far away"—physically and spiritually distant from God because of choices they made when times were good.

God's response reveals His own heartbreak: "Why have they aroused my anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?" This isn't petty jealousy—it's the anguish of a Father watching His children chase after things that will ultimately destroy them.

The word "worthless" captures the tragedy perfectly. His people traded the eternal for the temporary, the substantial for the empty, the life-giving for the death-dealing. They chose idols that couldn't help them over the God who longed to save them.

God's anger isn't separate from His love—it's an expression of it. He's angry because He loves too much to watch His children destroy themselves without feeling the pain of their poor choices.

"Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people." Jeremiah's wish is both beautiful and heartbreaking—he wants an unlimited capacity to grieve for those who are spiritually and physically dying around him.

This desire to weep continuously reveals a heart that has been shaped by God's own compassion. Jeremiah doesn't want to cry because he's weak—he wants to cry because love demands it. When you truly love someone, their destruction moves you to tears.

The prophet models something we often miss in our culture of quick fixes and moving on—the ministry of sustained grief for those who are lost, broken, and dying.

Jeremiah's anguish challenges our typical responses to others' spiritual condition. We're often frustrated with people who make poor choices, annoyed with those who ignore wisdom, quick to write off those who rebel against God. But Jeremiah shows us a different way—the way of holy grief.

Holy grief doesn't excuse sin or ignore consequences, but it feels the weight of what rebellion costs—both to the rebel and to the God who loves them. It weeps over what is while holding onto hope for what could be.

This kind of grief is actually healing, both for us and for those we're grieving over. It softens our hearts toward the rebellious, increases our compassion for the lost, and aligns our emotions with God's own heart.

Even in this passage of overwhelming sorrow, there's hidden hope. The very fact that Jeremiah grieves reveals that love hasn't died, that God hasn't given up, that restoration remains possible. Grief implies that what's lost still matters, that what's broken can still be fixed.

Jeremiah's tears are actually a form of intercession—crying out to God for people who may not be crying out for themselves. His weeping becomes a bridge between divine justice and divine mercy.

Jesus embodied this same heart when He wept over Jerusalem, grieving over a city that would reject Him and face destruction. Like Jeremiah, Jesus felt the weight of people's spiritual condition, mourned over their rebellion, and cried for what their choices would cost them.

We're called to have this same spirit—hearts that break over sin's consequences, eyes that weep for the spiritually lost, voices that cry out to God for those who are destroying themselves through rebellion and idolatry.

Having Jeremiah's heart doesn't mean walking around depressed or feeling guilty for experiencing joy. It means allowing the spiritual condition of those around us to affect us deeply enough that we're moved to action—to prayer, to witness, to service, to love.

It means seeing people's rebellion not as an annoyance but as a tragedy, viewing their spiritual lostness not as their problem but as our burden, understanding that love requires us to feel the weight of what others' choices will cost them.

When our hearts break like Jeremiah's, we become part of God's answer to the pain we're feeling.

PRAYER: Lord, give us hearts that break over what breaks Yours—people living in rebellion, choosing worthless idols, and facing the consequences of turning away from You.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, choose one person in your life who is spiritually lost or living in rebellion against God, and instead of feeling frustrated with their choices, spend time in prayer grieving over what their condition costs them and asking God to reach their heart.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Love All People

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View devo: https://bit.ly/3K5rjbZ

Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/47Q6cEx

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity 3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all —this was attested at the right time. 7 For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-7 NRSV).

When we said yes to Jesus we were saying yes to Jesus Himself and His entire worldview and mission. It was saying yes to an other person-centered love and care and a commitment to reaching the world with love and kindness. Anything less is not of God. We see with Jesus' eyes, not ours. What we may have learned from our parents that goes against this should be thrown out of our living and we try to become more like Jesus. And Jesus was all about serving God and God's people. We should have set about emptying our hearts of fear, ignorance, hatred, and indifference towards those whom we do not yet know and set about working way to better our world for each other. And as Paul stated in this opening of this passage, he reminds us that the only and best way to do these things is to pray and rely on the strength of God to help us do and be what God has asked.

Not programs, not politics, not protests, but prayer. This isn't because prayer is easier than action, but because prayer is the foundation that makes all other action meaningful and effective.

The scope of this prayer directive is breathtaking: "for everyone." Paul doesn't qualify this with "for everyone who agrees with us" or "for everyone who deserves it." He means everyone—the difficult people, the opponents, the strangers, the enemies. This kind of comprehensive prayer reflects the comprehensive love of God.

When we pray for "everyone," we begin to see the world through God's eyes—not as us versus them, but as beloved souls for whom Christ died.

"For kings and all who are in high positions." In Paul's time, this would have included Caesar—the emperor who claimed divinity, who persecuted Christians, who represented everything opposed to the gospel. Yet Paul instructs believers to pray for him and all who govern.

This challenges our natural instincts. We're quick to criticize leaders we disagree with, slow to pray for them. We're eager to point out their failures, reluctant to intercede for their success. But Paul calls us to something higher—to pray even for those whose policies we oppose, whose character we question, whose decisions we find troubling.

This doesn't mean we become passive or stop working for justice. It means we engage with the world from a foundation of prayer rather than a posture of mere opposition.

"So that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." Paul's motivation isn't political quietism or comfortable withdrawal from society's challenges. He's describing the conditions that allow the gospel to flourish—stability that enables evangelism, peace that permits discipleship, order that supports community growth.

When we pray for leaders, we're not necessarily endorsing their policies—we're asking God to work through them (or despite them) to create conditions where people can encounter Christ, where families can thrive, where the church can fulfill its mission, and where justice can prevail.

This prayer is ultimately missional, focused on creating space for God's kingdom to advance and His people to flourish.

Paul grounds the call to universal prayer in the reality of Christ's universal sacrifice. Jesus didn't die only for some—He died for all. His mediation isn't limited to the deserving—it's available to everyone.

This truth should humble our prayers and expand our compassion. If Christ gave Himself as a ransom for the political leader we can't stand, shouldn't we at least give a few minutes in prayer for them? If Jesus intercedes for our enemies, can't we join Him in that work?

The cross levels all our categories and makes universal prayer not just possible but essential.

When we pray for everyone—including those we disagree with—we become living testimonies to the same truth. Our prayers witness to a God whose love transcends politics, whose grace overcomes hostility, whose mercy extends beyond our natural affections.

This kind of prayer becomes evangelistic, demonstrating the character of the God we serve.

Praying for everyone challenges us at multiple levels. It forces us to confront our prejudices, to examine our hearts, to acknowledge our own need for the grace we're asking God to show others. It's easier to pray for people we like than for people who frustrate us.

But this difficulty is also an opportunity for spiritual growth. When we pray for someone who irritates us, we often find our irritation softening. When we intercede for someone we disagree with, we begin to see them as God sees them—not as opponents but as image-bearers.

Comprehensive prayer doesn't make us naive about evil or passive about injustice, but it does make us more like Jesus.

The call to pray for everyone isn't just about formal prayer times—it's about cultivating a heart that naturally thinks in terms of blessing rather than cursing, intercession rather than criticism, hope rather than cynicism.

This might mean pausing to pray when you hear a news report that frustrates you, asking God's blessing on a leader whose policies you oppose, or interceding for the coworker who makes your life difficult. It means viewing every person you encounter as someone for whom Christ died and for whom you're called to pray.

PRAYER: God our Savior, thank You for Your heart that desires everyone to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth. Help us to pray with the same comprehensive love You show—for leaders and citizens, for friends and enemies, for those close to us and those far away. Transform our hearts through our prayers, and work through our intercession to create conditions where Your kingdom can flourish and all people can encounter Your grace. In Jesus' strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Choose one specific person in authority—whether political, workplace, or community leadership—whom you find difficult to appreciate, and commit to praying for them regularly this week, asking God to bless their life and work through them for the common good.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to me, and you matter to God!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

God's Hope and Our Folly

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4gp6556

View the devo: https://bit.ly/3JVJfG0

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. 4 Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the LORD. 5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! (Psalm 14 NIV Bible)

Happy Thursday, dear Friend! May God lead us to a closer and deeper understanding of His love and plan for us as we spend time together with Him. May we continue to pray for brother Dieringer's son-in-law as he faces cancer treatments. Let us pray for Mr. Rafe Jackson and his wife, Pam, who cares and drives Rafe to Austin for this treatment. May God bring healing and peace to the Jackson family. Also, please pray for the family of The Rev. Bill Nogues and his wife, Lillian, both died in the last few days of a respiratory illness. Bill was an early leader of the Walk to Emmaus retreats in the Southwest Texas Conference of the UMC, and I was honored to have served alongside him in those days.

David has a name for those who do not believe in God, fools. He pulls no punches, and he's honest about his assessment about those who choose to not believe in God; fools. He also says they are corrupt and are vile people because of the deeds are vile. And then he groups with these fools, those who are not capable for doing good. And he further says that God may hold that same opinion about that group of people.

If you're like me, I was blessed to have been raised in a household where the reality of God was never doubted. I am thankful for that. Have I ever doubted? I have had my doubts about circumstances or events, but never about God not being real or ever present with me. Do I have a list of questions that I have for God? No, I'm not that well organized, nor has my faith wavered to the point where I still question or would question God. I'm more in the Paul camp where I see myself still marveling about God's love and grace towards me, me another one who could stand with the chiefs among sinners. But I would stand alongside those who would say that God is the source of hope.

We can believe in God intellectually while being practical atheists in our daily choices. We can affirm His existence on Sunday while ignoring His presence Monday through Saturday. The fool is anyone who compartmentalizes God out of the decisions that really matter—career, relationships, finances, priorities.

David's evaluation is devastatingly comprehensive: "They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good." This isn't hyperbole—it's reality. Left to ourselves, without God's transforming presence, we naturally drift toward selfishness, pride, and moral compromise.

"The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." Picture this cosmic scene—God scanning the earth, searching for hearts that genuinely seek Him, minds that truly understand what life is about, lives that reflect His character.

What does He find? "All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." This isn't God being pessimistic—it's God being realistic. The human condition apart from divine grace is universally broken.

But notice something beautiful: God is looking. He's searching. He's hoping to find those who understand and seek Him. This isn't the distant observation of an indifferent deity—it's the loving gaze of a Father looking for His children to come home.

"Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord." David identifies a particular kind of foolishness—those who exploit the vulnerable while ignoring God. They "devour" God's people with the casual indifference of eating a meal.

This challenges us to examine our own hearts. Where might we be taking advantage of others' weakness or vulnerability? Where do we consume blessings without gratitude, enjoy privileges without responsibility, benefit from systems that harm others while never calling on the Lord for wisdom or justice?

The oppressor's greatest folly isn't their cruelty—it's their assumption that God isn't watching, that He doesn't care about the marginalized, that there will be no reckoning for injustice.

"You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge." Here's the psalm's first note of hope. While the powerful may oppress and the wealthy may exploit, God positions Himself as the defender of those who have nowhere else to turn.

This is both comfort and challenge. If you're among the vulnerable, the marginalized, the powerless, know that God sees your situation and offers Himself as your refuge. If you're among the privileged, the powerful, the comfortable, remember that God's heart beats for those you might overlook.

The Lord's commitment to justice isn't abstract theology—it's personal reality for those who cry out to Him from places of pain and powerlessness.

While Psalm 14's diagnosis is harsh, it contains a profound invitation. If we're all fools by nature, if we've all turned away, if none of us does good—then we're all equally in need of grace. The psalm levels the playing field: we're all broken, and we all need the same salvation.

This creates space for humility instead of judgment, for compassion instead of condemnation. When you recognize your own foolishness, you can extend grace to others caught in theirs. When you acknowledge your own tendency to live as if God doesn't matter, you can invite others into the life-changing reality of His presence.

The beautiful truth hidden in this psalm is that while we were not seeking God, He was seeking us. While we were turning away, He was drawing near. While we were doing wrong, He was planning our restoration. This is the gospel in miniature—God's relentless pursuit of those who don't naturally pursue Him.

If you've experienced God's transforming grace, you've become part of the answer to David's prayer. You're evidence that salvation has come, that restoration is possible, that there are indeed those who understand and seek God. Your life becomes a testimony that the universal diagnosis of foolishness doesn't have to be the final verdict.

PRAYER: Lord, we confess that we have all played the fool, living as if You don't matter, making decisions as if You're not watching, treating others as if You don't care about justice. Thank You that even while we were turning away from You, You were seeking us. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and complete the restoration You've begun. Until that day, help us live as people who know that salvation has come out of Zion, who rejoice in what You've done, and who long for what You will do. In Your name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, examine one area of your life where you might be living as a "practical atheist"—making decisions as if God's presence and perspective don't matter. Ask Him to transform that area and to help you live with the consistent awareness that He sees, He cares, and He will ultimately set all things right.

I love you and I thank God for you,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Experts at Evil, but Klutzes at Good

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/41OzyPD

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

11 At that time, this people, yes, this very Jerusalem, will be told in plain words: "The northern hordes are sweeping in from the desert steppes - 12 a gale-force wind. I ordered this wind. I'm pronouncing my hurricane judgment on my people." Your Evil Life Is Piercing Your Heart. 22 "What fools my people are! They have no idea who I am. A company of half-wits, dopes and donkeys all! Experts at evil but klutzes at good." 23 I looked at the earth - it was back to pre-Genesis chaos and emptiness. I looked at the skies, and not a star to be seen. 24 I looked at the mountains - they were trembling like aspen leaves, And all the hills rocking back and forth in the wind. 25 I looked - what's this! Not a man or woman in sight, and not a bird to be seen in the skies. 26 I looked - this can't be! Every garden and orchard shriveled up. All the towns were ghost towns. And all this because of God, because of the blazing anger of God. 27 Yes, this is God's Word on the matter: "The whole country will be laid waste - still it won't be the end of the world. 28 The earth will mourn and the skies lament Because I've given my word and won't take it back. I've decided and won't change my mind." You're Not Going to Seduce Anyone. (Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 The Message Bible)

Happy and blessed Wednesday, Friend! May the blessings of the Lord Jesus be with you in amazing ways. Make people say you've made their Wednesday wonderful! You've made my days in healing wonderful by your prayers! Yesterday we moved the brace to 20º up from ten last week and zero since the day of my surgery. Next Tuesday we move to 30º, Lord willing. I ask prayers for The Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza who's in Spain visitng family and has contracted Covid. May the Lord bring healing to our brother and to all who are suffering this uptick of Covid cases. How may I pray for you today?

We've talked about the Apostle Paul claiming he was chief among sinners. This passage reminds us that among the nations, Israel at many points in her history was the chief among nations when it came to sinning. The story of Israel is easily my story and yours as well. We have our high points, when we're polishing apples to give to the teacher; later we're waiting in the principal's office to await punishment for our misdeeds. I've shared how I would start each school year with my Dad's "If you get punished at school, you'll get punished at home." Gulp! Isn't that against the Constitution? I remember being in first grade and our beloved teacher had to leave the room and she left a kid rumored to have been kept behind for two years, in charge meaning he would write our names on the board. I wondered if the extra two years in first grade helped him learn to write and spell correctly our names. Well, he spelled my name right on the board when he thought I was talking. Only problem was that I was not talking. I began to fear the coming punishment; surely a severe spanking by my first grade reacher, whom I loved and respected so much! How would I feel about her after she punished me, me, an innocent child, for those brief fleeting moments? She came back and ignored the list on the board. I was able to celebrate another perfect day of no swats or whatever punishments were the order of the day.

Jeremiah's words hit like a desert wind—hot, relentless, and impossible to ignore. God speaks through His prophet with brutal honesty about the spiritual condition of His people. They've become experts at doing wrong but completely clueless about doing right. They've mastered the art of selfishness but forgotten the basics of relationship with their Creator.

This isn't just ancient history—it's a mirror held up to our own times. We live in an age of incredible technological sophistication yet profound spiritual confusion. We can split atoms and map genomes, but we struggle with basic questions of meaning, purpose, and right living. We're clever enough to create complex problems but seem baffled by simple solutions of love, justice, and faithfulness.

What makes this passage so haunting is its vision of creation itself responding to human spiritual failure. "I looked at the earth—it was back to pre-Genesis chaos, an empty wasteland. I looked at the heavens, and hey, no light! I looked at the mountains—they were quaking like aspen leaves, And all the hills rocking back and forth!"

Jeremiah sees something we often miss: our spiritual choices don't happen in isolation. When we turn away from God, the very fabric of creation feels the impact. The earth itself mourns when God's people abandon their calling to be stewards and image-bearers.

This ancient vision feels remarkably contemporary. We live in an age when our moral failures are written across the landscape in climate change, environmental destruction, and ecological crisis. The prophet's words remind us that spiritual health and environmental health are deeply connected.

God's assessment through Jeremiah is harsh but not hopeless. "My people are fools—they don't know me from Adam." The word "fools" here isn't about intelligence—it's about spiritual understanding. A fool in biblical terms isn't someone who lacks brains but someone who lacks wisdom, who doesn't understand what life is really about.

This creates an invitation for honest self-examination. Where have we become experts at the wrong things? Where have we developed sophisticated skills for self-serving while remaining kindergarten-level in loving others? Where have we mastered the art of accumulation but failed basic courses in contentment and gratitude?

The good news hidden in this harsh diagnosis is that recognizing our condition is the first step toward healing. God doesn't speak this way because He's given up on us—He speaks this way because He wants to wake us up. Even in this dark passage, we hear the voice of a God who is still engaged, still caring, still speaking. His judgment isn't the silent treatment of an indifferent deity—it's the passionate response of a loving Father whose children are destroying themselves and their inheritance.

Buried in this passage is a profound challenge to our values and priorities. If we've become skilled at doing wrong but clueless about doing right, what would it look like to reverse that equation? What would it mean to become experts in love, justice, compassion, and faithfulness?

This isn't about becoming religious rule-followers. It's about rediscovering what it means to be truly human—people who reflect God's character in the world, who serve as bridges between heaven and earth, who help creation flourish rather than contributing to its groaning.

The path forward isn't through more sophisticated wrongdoing but through returning to the basic, beautiful calling of knowing God and making Him known through lives of integrity, mercy, and truth.

Jeremiah's vision of creation in chaos echoes the opening of Genesis, when the earth was "formless and void." But we know that story didn't end in darkness. God spoke, and there was light. God worked, and there was life. The same God who brought order from chaos the first time is still in the business of bringing beauty from brokenness.

Our world may be groaning, but it's groaning with birth pangs—anticipating something new, something better, something redeemed. And we get to be part of that story of renewal.

PRAYER: Lord, Your words through Jeremiah are hard to hear but necessary to face. Help us to see ourselves and our world honestly—where we've become experts at the wrong things and beginners at what matters most.

Forgive us for the ways our spiritual failures have contributed to creation's groaning. Help us understand that our relationship with You affects everything around us—our families, our communities, our world.

Give us the courage to change what can be changed and the wisdom to know how to live differently. Transform us from people who are skilled in selfishness to people who are experts in love. Teach us to do right with the same creativity and persistence we've shown in doing wrong. In Jesus' strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, honestly assess one area where you've become "skilled in doing wrong"—perhaps with your words, your priorities, or your relationships—and deliberately practice doing right in that same area. Consider how your spiritual choices might be impacting the people and environment around you, and make one concrete change that reflects better stewardship of God's creation.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Chief Among Sinners?

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/46e17TY

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

12 I give praise to him who gave me power, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he took me to be true, making me his servant,13 Though I had said violent words against God, and done cruel acts, causing great trouble: but I was given mercy, because I did it without knowledge, not having faith; 14 And the grace of our Lord was very great, with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a true saying, in which all may put their faith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to give salvation to sinners, of whom I am the chief: 16 But for this reason I was given mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might make clear all his mercy, as an example to those who in the future would have faith in him to eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, ever-living, unseen, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. So be it. (1 Timothy 1:12-17 BBE)

There are many things we shall come to know when the time is right. The other day I mentioned Jesus' conversation with Saul of Tarsus and today I think about what Jesus wrote in the sand when men were ready to stone the woman caught in adultery. What did Jesus write? What words made the angry mob of men ready to stone this woman? Was it a single word or several or two, or several that connected with the heart of those men that made they drop their stones and walk away without "fulfilling the law." Was there another woman's name on the list that made one or more of those angry men blush with shame? Or did Jesus start a list with names that reminded the men of their sin?

There's the old story of little Johnny who accidentally killed his grandma's favorite goose. His older sister, Becky, saw the whole thing and told him so. Johnny saddened by this accidental killing asked her to please not tell their grandma. "It will cost you," she smugly replied. "What?" Johnny asked in tears. "You must do the dishes every time it is my turn." "Sure," said Johnny glad that he could keep hidden his sin from his dear grandmother. At the end of the week, having done twice the number of turns he normally took at washing the dishes, his grandmother asked, him what he had done that he was under Becky's control now. He sobbingly confessed his sin and the grandmother replied with love, that she knew but it was not a reason to be under the control of anyone, especially his sister. And her grace ended Becky's control over him.

Paul had his own list as he lists in verse 13, here in the NRSV: " I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence." But he was shown mercy each time, having acted out as a man without faith in Jesus; Jesus' grace was bigger than his sins. Paul's words here are breathtaking in their honesty and humility. This is the same Paul who planted churches across the known world, wrote much of the New Testament, and suffered beatings, imprisonment, and shipwreck for the gospel. Yet he doesn't call himself the greatest apostle or the most faithful servant. He calls himself "the foremost" of sinners—the chief, the worst, the most notorious.

This isn't false modesty or spiritual self-flagellation. Paul is making a profound theological point about the nature of grace. The very person who might seem most qualified to earn God's favor declares himself most unworthy of it. The man who accomplished more for the kingdom than perhaps anyone declares that mercy, not merit, is the foundation of his relationship with God.

Yet Christ didn't just forgive Paul—He appointed him to service. He didn't just pardon him—He empowered him. He didn't just save him—He made him an apostle. This is grace that doesn't just cover sin but transforms the sinner into a servant, the persecutor into a preacher, the enemy into an ambassador.

Paul's story reveals something stunning about how God works: He doesn't just recruit the naturally good or the already religious. He specializes in taking the most unlikely candidates and making them His most powerful witnesses.

"I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence." Paul doesn't minimize his past. He was actively working against God, hunting down Christians, breathing threats and murder against the church.

If you've ever thought you're too messed up for God, Paul's story is your invitation to think again. If Paul—who dragged Christians from their homes and watched Stephen die—can become an apostle, then your past doesn't determine your future. If God can use the chief of sinners to spread the gospel across the Roman Empire, He can use you too.

Paul's testimony shatters our categories of who's worthy and who's not. It demolishes the myth that God only uses the naturally good or the lifelong faithful. Instead, it reveals a God who delights in taking broken vessels and filling them with His glory, who loves to write straight with crooked lines.

Your failures don't disqualify you—they might actually be your greatest qualification for experiencing and sharing God's grace.

Paul's reflection on God's mercy naturally flows into worship: "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." When you truly grasp what grace has done for you, worship becomes inevitable.

Paul piles up descriptive phrases—King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God—as if no single title could capture the majesty of the One who showed him mercy. This isn't casual appreciation; it's overwhelming gratitude that spills over into adoration.

The deeper our understanding of our own sinfulness, the higher our appreciation of God's grace. The more clearly we see what we deserved, the more amazed we become at what we received.

Paul's testimony challenges us to live with the same kind of radical humility and overwhelming gratitude. If Paul—the accomplished apostle—could call himself the chief of sinners, what does that say about our own need for grace? If Paul—with all his ministry success—could trace everything back to mercy, how much more should we?

This perspective transforms how we relate to others. When you truly believe you're the chief of sinners saved by grace, you can't look down on anyone else's sin. When you know you're an example of God's utmost patience, you become patient with others who are still on their journey toward Him.

Paul's story also encourages us to see our past differently. Your worst moments don't have to be your defining moments. Your greatest failures might become the foundation for your most powerful testimony. The places where you've experienced the most grace might be where you're most equipped to offer grace to others.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Paul's honest testimony that reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of Your grace. Thank You that You didn't come to save the naturally good but sinners—of whom we all are foremost in our own understanding. Help us to have Paul's humility that sees our constant need for mercy, and Paul's gratitude that responds to grace with worship. When we're tempted to think our past disqualifies us from Your service, remind us that You specialize in using the most unlikely vessels for Your glory. To You, the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever, in Christ Jesus' strong name we pray, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, reflect honestly on your own story of grace—how has God shown "utmost patience" with you, and how might your testimony encourage someone else who feels beyond redemption? Consider sharing your story of God's transforming mercy with someone who needs to hear that no one is too far gone for His love.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Don't Stay Lost!

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

View devo here: https://bit.ly/45UUlnf

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:1-10)

Friend, don't stay lost or get left behind! I hope you're having a good day today and are seeking ways to deepen your faith and strengthening your walk with the Lord today!

I hope you don't tire of my personal stories; I am a man of a certain age and as an example of that affliction, the other day I was talking on the phone with an old friend and as we were wrapping up, one of us said, "One quick story before we hang up," and after the ten-minute story, the other of us said the same thing, "One quick story before we hang up," and another ten minutes of story-sharing; and after about 45 minutes of story after story, we finally hung up.

We were living in Kingsville, and my Dad's only sister and family had moved north to Victoria. They had a home on the outskirts of Victoria and she wrote my Dad inviting us to go and spend a Saturday with them. I was ten years old at the time and as the oldest I got to sit in the front seat with Mom and Dad. On this trip, Mom had brought my aunt's letter as she had drawn a map on how to get to her home from the highway from the south from Kingsville, Out of curiosity I pulled the letter down from the sun visor and read the map and memorized it. We arrived at their home and they had planned for us to go to the Victoria Zoo. That was a treat as Kingsville did not have a zoo, and we had a good time there. My aunt and uncle had four kids, we had five, so the trip to the zoo necessitated using both vehicles; the boys in one car, and the girls in the other. We had two girls, and three boys, and my aunt one boy and three girls; my aunt drove the girls and my Dad drove the boys. We had a blast seeing the animals in the small zoo. Being a working "man" at the time I had my own money. And as you exited the zoo, there was a snow cone stand. It was a typical hot Texas day and so a snow cone sounded just right. I took out my money and stood in line for the snow cone, not bothering to let any adult know of my plans. I ordered my snow cone and immediately started to savor its sweet, fruity taste. As I looked around I saw no one I knew. None of my cousins nor any of my siblings. Wait. I got left behind! But I wasn't lost.

I wish I could tell you that I ate my delicious snow cone calmly and without crying. So I won't. But I knew where I was and where I needed to go. Did I tell you the snow cone was delicious? It was but it was quickly gone. And on I walked. I knew the side streets and I knew exactly where I needed to be. Soon I was out of town and I could see my aunt's subdivision as I near the turn into it, I saw the two cars and my Mom jumping out of her car and running, crying, to get me and hug me. I was scolded but overall I felt the love of both parents for having been lost from them.

If you've ever felt lost, forgotten, or beyond redemption, these parables are Jesus' personal invitation to you. You're not too far gone. You're not too damaged. You're not too shameful. You are the one sheep worth leaving the ninety-nine to find. You are the precious coin worth turning the house upside down to recover.

God isn't waiting for you to find your way back to Him—He's already looking for you. He's not angry that you wandered off; He's determined to bring you home. The very fact that you feel the tug of His love, the stirring of spiritual hunger, the longing for something more—that's evidence that the Good Shepherd is already on your trail.

But Jesus isn't just speaking to the lost—He's also addressing the found, the religious, the ones who have been following the rules. The Pharisees represent those who have never strayed far from God, and their grumbling reveals a heart problem: they don't share God's joy over the lost being found.

If you've been a faithful follower for years, these parables challenge you to examine your heart. Do you celebrate when someone far from God comes to faith, or do you secretly resent the attention they receive? Do you welcome new believers with joy, or do you think they should have to earn their place like you did?

These parables reveal something profound about God's character: He is actively involved in seeking the lost. He doesn't sit in heaven waiting for sinners to get their act together and come crawling back. He pursues, searches, seeks until He finds.

This means that every person who feels far from God is actually being pursued by God. Every stirring of spiritual hunger, every moment of conviction, every longing for meaning and forgiveness—these are signs of the Good Shepherd's presence, drawing His sheep back to safety.

You might feel like you're the one seeking God, but the truth is, He was seeking you long before you knew you were lost. Your spiritual journey isn't about finding God—it's about being found by the God who never stopped looking for you.

Both parables end the same way: with celebration. The shepherd calls together his friends and neighbors. The woman gathers her friends. The implication is clear—when someone is found, it's too good to keep quiet. It demands to be shared, celebrated, proclaimed.

This is how we should respond when we witness God's rescuing work in people's lives. When someone comes to faith, when a prodigal returns, when a life is transformed by grace—these are moments that call for celebration, not judgment or skepticism.

The religious leaders grumbled about Jesus eating with sinners. Jesus responds by showing that heaven itself throws parties for these very people. The question is: will we join the celebration, or will we stay outside, grumbling about grace?

PRAYER: Good Shepherd, thank You for being the God who seeks rather than the God who simply waits. Thank You for coming after us when we wander, for pursuing us when we're lost, for carrying us home when we're found. Help us understand the depth of Your love—that we matter to You individually, specifically, irreplaceably. When we feel lost or forgotten, remind us that You are already looking for us. When we feel beyond redemption, show us that we are worth the search. Give us hearts that celebrate when the lost are found. Help us resist the older brother syndrome that resents grace given to others. Make us people who welcome sinners as You do, who rejoice over transformed lives as heaven does. Thank You that our worth isn't determined by how far we've wandered but by how much You love us. Help us live as people who have been found by the God who never gave up on us. In Jesus' strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, if you feel lost or distant from God, remember that He is actively seeking you—respond to His pursuit with openness and trust. If you feel secure in your faith, look for opportunities to celebrate God's work in someone else's life, especially someone who might be taking their first steps toward Him.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

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Hear the devo: https://bit.ly/4lRXoB7

View devo: https://bit.ly/3JRoQ4J

1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 NIV)

Dear Friend, if you've never lived out of state, you owe it to yourself not to. Okay, I jest. I blame God, I mean, I thank God, for leading me out of Texas into the wilds of Colorado back in the day. Not black and white days but you could see them from there. The days then were so different from today. Not necessarily simple, but not yet complex. I had been hiding from God, thinking I was useless in His plan, but true to His nature I got a letter from my scholarship program in New York that I was still a Crusade Scholar in the United Methodist Church and could return to seminary if I wanted. I tossed that letter aside and the very next day, the next day! I get a letter from a seminary of the UMC kind, in Denver, saying they learned I still had a Crusade Scholarship and if I wanted to resume my seminary education I did not have to apply for admission, just call their number and I was in! Wait. What? This is God we're talking about; and I, of course, dialed the number and became immediately a student at Iliff School of Theology, and I resigned my high paying job at Southwestern Bell Telephone in Houston. God had been with me the whole time I was hiding and God knew my thoughts, doubts, fears, worries about me being a minister. And this came as an affirmation that said loudly, "I still believe in you; you can do it; just come back." Oh, David had it right when he wrote, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." I soon found myself in the Mile High City, enjoying nose bleed reminders that this South Texas boy was not made for high altitude cities. And when homesick for some Mexican food, I kid you not, I was sitting in a so-called Mexican restaurant watching in horror as the waitress brought me a bowl of Fritos and catsup. I'm not lying! Gulp. This was 1975 Denver. I've been back since and have been blessed to find that my people have found their way there and have changed the cuisine culture for the better.

In a world where we often feel anonymous, overlooked, or misunderstood, Psalm 139 offers us one of the most intimate portraits of God's relationship with us. David begins with a stunning declaration: "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me." This isn't the casual knowledge of an acquaintance or even the deep familiarity of a close friend. This is the complete, perfect knowledge of the One who made us.

God knows when you sit and when you rise. He perceives your thoughts from afar. He's familiar with all your ways. Before a word is on your tongue, He knows it completely. (Quit thinking that Santa Claus song! It's too early for Christmas!) This isn't surveillance—it's love so deep and personal that it encompasses every detail of your existence.

Sometimes this level of divine attention can feel overwhelming, even uncomfortable. We're used to hiding parts of ourselves, editing our image, presenting our best face to the world. But with God, there's no hiding, no pretending, no need to perform. He sees it all—and loves you anyway.

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." David acknowledges that being fully known by God is beyond human comprehension. How can we wrap our minds around a love that knows our darkest thoughts and deepest fears yet never withdraws?

This complete knowledge might terrify us if we didn't understand the heart behind it. But this isn't the cold observation of a distant deity—it's the tender attention of a loving Father who delights in His children. Every detail He knows about you is held with care, not judgment.

Being fully known means you never have to wonder if God understands your struggles. He knows the weight you carry that others can't see. He knows the battles you fight in private. He knows the dreams that seem impossible and the fears that keep you awake at night. And in knowing all of this, He loves you completely.

The psalm shifts from God's knowledge of our present to His involvement in our past: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." The imagery is breathtaking—God as the master craftsman, carefully knitting together every fiber of your being, attending to every detail with the skill of the ultimate artisan.

You are not an accident, a mistake, or a random collection of atoms. You are a deliberate creation, crafted by the hands of the Almighty with intentionality and love. Every aspect of who you are—your personality, your gifts, your struggles, even your quirks—were woven together by God Himself. I believe you were made for a purpose, great or small, but important to God, so live up to it or work yourself up to it!.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." The word "fearfully" doesn't mean with fear, but with awe—you are awesomely made. You are a wonder, a marvel, a testament to God's incredible creativity and skill. When you look in the mirror, you're looking at one of God's masterpieces.

In a culture obsessed with self-improvement and comparison, this psalm offers a radical perspective. You don't need to become wonderful—you already are wonderful. You don't need to earn God's attention—you already have it completely. You don't need to make yourself loveable—you are already deeply loved.

This doesn't mean we become complacent or stop growing. Rather, it means we grow from a place of acceptance rather than desperation, from love rather than lack. When you know you're fearfully and wonderfully made, you're free to become who God created you to be without trying to become someone else.

The psalm challenges our tendency toward self-criticism and comparison. When you catch yourself focusing on your flaws, remember that you're critiquing God's handiwork. When you wish you were different, you're questioning the wisdom of the One who formed you with perfect intentionality.

"How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you." God's thoughts toward you are not occasional or fleeting—they are constant, precious, and countless.

Imagine trying to count the grains of sand on every beach, in every desert, on the ocean floor. It's impossible. That's how often God thinks about you. You are never far from His mind, never forgotten, never overlooked. Even when you sleep, His loving thoughts toward you continue.

This means that in your darkest moment, when you feel most alone, God is thinking about you. When you feel forgotten by the world, you are remembered by the One who matters most. When you question your worth, remember that you occupy the thoughts of the Creator of the universe.

Understanding God's intimate knowledge and love transforms how we live. When you know you're fearfully and wonderfully made, you stop apologizing for taking up space. When you understand that God's thoughts toward you outnumber the sand, you stop begging for His attention—you already have it.

This knowledge frees you to take risks, to be vulnerable, to step into the fullness of who God created you to be. You don't have to hide your authentic self or pretend to be someone you're not. The God who knows everything about you delights in who you are, not who you're trying to become.

You can rest in the security of being fully known and completely loved. You can find confidence not in your performance but in your position as God's beloved creation. You can face each day knowing that the One who formed you is with you, thinking about you, caring for you in ways too wonderful to fully comprehend.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing me completely and loving me perfectly. Thank You for the incredible truth that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Your own hands. Help me to see myself through Your eyes rather than through the lens of comparison or criticism. When I feel unknown or forgotten, remind me that Your thoughts toward me outnumber the grains of sand. When I question my worth or purpose, help me remember that You knit me together with perfect intentionality. Give me the confidence that comes from being fully known and completely loved. Help me live as someone who truly believes they are Your masterpiece. Free me from the need to earn Your love or prove my worth—I already have both in abundance. May the security of Your love transform how I see myself and how I relate to others. Thank You that when I awake each morning, I am still with You, held in Your loving thoughts and surrounded by Your presence. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: When negative self-talk arises, remind yourself that you're critiquing God's handiwork and choose instead to thank Him for the specific ways He has crafted you uniquely and purposefully.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.