I Trust in You, O God, and I'm Safe!

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You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow, Say this: "God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!" Yes, because God's your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can't get close to you, harm can't get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God, "I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!" (Psalm 91:(1-2), 9-16) The Message

Those who know and love the Lord know the truth of this psalm. Written by one who did sit in God's presence and one who loved to stay in God's shadow, knew the power and protection of God. It was natural for the writer to say, "God, you're my refuge. I trust in You and I'm safe!" I remember with great fondness the developmental stages of my children, especially their learning to crawl. They would be on a blanket and they would raise up on their little arms, then their knees and once they started to crawl, they would look around to make sure either Mom or Dad was watching them, smile or giggle, and get near to the edge of the blanket. The trick for them was to decide if stepping off the blanket was safe. They would try it with a hand and then put weight on that hand, and again, would look back to make sure they were not alone, smile and laugh, and off the blanket and down the hallways they would go. Then teaching them to cross the street reminded me of how safe I felt holding my mother or father's hand. We would look both ways, but completely trust our parents for making the dangerous trek across the street. Again, those who know and love the Lord know the truth of this psalm. How powerful to read that neither harm nor evil can come close to us or get through the door. God's angels have been ordered to keep watch over us, to keep us from stumbling or falling. God's promise is to bless us with life and protection come what may. And when the challenge is over, God says a party is ours, long life, and a long drink of salvation!

What more could we want?

PRAYER: Loving God, grant to us the promises of this psalm. Let us love you more and walk with you always to feel the warmth of your presence and strength. Keep us on the path, prevent us from stumbling or falling; grant to us long life, and that long drink of salvation. In Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

We Are Healed!

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:4-12)

There is no greater healing than the permanent, eternal healing of our sins and transgressions against God. In re-reading the Gospel of Mark this week for my own personal growth, I am amazed again and again by the awesome, unexplainable healings that Jesus offered to people, and that some people demanded. The deaf and mute could hear and speak, the lame could walk, withered hands were restored, even the dead were raised; all truly miracles and rich, wonderful blessings for those who received them and for their families, friends, and neighbors. Yet, the prophet Isaiah heard the word of the Lord about the healing that really mattered: Getting right with God and ourselves. In this word about the coming crucifixion and its pain and agony, there was One coming Who would bear our infirmities, carry our diseases, be "wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities," whose punishment made us whole, and whose bruises made us "healed." That eternity-wide gap between God and us because of our sins was closed by Jesus. Jesus paid a terrible price by His suffering and death, but because of God's love, all sins, yes, all sins, even mine, and even yours, dear friend, were paid and removed. Their memory may haunt us, but for that there is no need; remind the Devil that Jesus paid it all.

The Old Testament book of Micah, chapter 7, verse 19 has these words: "You (God) will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sin." I live by the sea, and I drive by it as often as I can, and I know it's a deep place and there at the bottom of it lay the things that used to separate me from God. Now, listen to the last book, Revelation, chapter 21, verse 1: "Then I saw a new haven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." Boom! The day is coming, dear friends, when the sea will be no more. And guess what? With the disappearance of the sin, our sins will also eternally disappear.

Do you want your sins at the bottom of the sea? Confess them to God, ask God to remove them, and God will handle the rest. Then drive by the sea and pray the fish don't die from our sinfulness!

PRAYER: Eternal God, for this passage and promise, I thank You. I confess that I am a sinful person and I ask that You remove my sins. Please handle them as You wish, just get them out of my heart, mind, spirit, body; and let peace and joy replace them. Let me love You for that. In Jesus' strong name, He who paid it all, I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:1-10)

I remember the moment when the thought hit me. I was about to officiate a ceremony, and I thought, "Who am I to do this special service?" If I'm remembering correctly, it was a baptism and I looked at my hands and knew that it was not me doing a thing; it was God, but yet, who was I to be "put in charge of things pertaining to God," among humans, for among them I was called and set apart to do such celebrations. This verse comes right in the middle of Pastor's Appreciation Month and it speaks about what happens among the call from God among clergy. "Chosen from among mortals," "put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." We are called to deal lovingly and gently "with the ignorant and wayward," since we ourselves are "subject to weakness." Yet, we serve the one true high priest, Jesus Christ. Called by God, Son of God, yet came to be servant among us, offering prayers and supplication, ultimately offering Himself for us to save us from death; the ultimate example of one who was reverent and submissive to God. The ancient word for priest was pontifex, based on the word for bridge; a priest, especially the high priest was the bridge between us and God. All we have has come from Him, and what we offer up to God goes through Christ.

Jesus was obedient to God, learning through suffering, yet made perfect and became our source of eternal salvation for our sake, if we are obedient to God. Jesus remains our model for all believers, to be obedient, committed, faithful and fruitful to what God has called us to do.

PRAYER: Loving God, we thank You for Jesus, our High Priest. For those who are servants of Yours among us, we give You thanks. We pray Your blessing and protection upon our clergy. For those who love You and serve You among us as laity, we pray the same blessing upon them. We pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Why Worry? Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God!

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"No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?' or "What will we drink?' or "What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:24-34)

You may have learned a song that goes, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you; Alleluia." Simple, but powerful. It's the first thing that came to mind as I read this Gospel passage from Matthew. Again, Jesus addressing money and material possessions; the truth is, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." In other words, if your possessions come to possess you, then you're done. God deserves His rightful place in your life and heart. But, Jesus goes on to talk about God's provision for our lives; God provides what we need, when we need it. Jesus knew the worries of the day, and they're not much different from today. What shall become of my life? What will I eat? What will I drink? What's going on with my body? What will I wear? These and other questions still get asked. Jesus knew that and so He adds how we need not look far to see the provision of God all around us. Birds are taken care of; look at the flowers of the field and how beautifully dressed they are; what do we gain by worrying about such things? What we should worry about, Jesus says, is to be the people God wants us to be; people of righteousness, seeking to be true citizens of God's kingdom right here and now; and once you have those, you'll have all the rest.

Say it again, Jesus: "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." And God is with us all the time, even to the end of the age. Amen? Amen!

PRAYER: Loving God, it is easy to fall into a pattern of worry. Will I have enough to pay my bills? Will I have enough to provide for my children? And the list goes on, but stop me whenever my mind takes one of these unnecessary field trips; guide me back to Your comforting words, that God does provide and I should not worry. I need that and I claim that for my life. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed, and worry-free day!

Eradio Valverde

Seek the Lord and Live

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Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it. Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground! They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:6-7)

No one likes to lose something. And as careful as we are, we sometimes misplace keys, phones, purses, pens, etc. And we panic and we seek here and seek there, throwing cushions, pillows, picking up rugs, putting our hands in places where sofas sometimes swallow things. Have you ever lost the Lord? I mean, with the busyness of life and the demands of family and work, it sometimes becomes too easy to seek everything else, and we forget how near and dear the Lord truly is for us. Amos the prophet heard the words, "Seek the Lord and live." In seeking everything else but God, the people of God were lost, not God. And they were wandering down a road that would soon lead to their death. The word from God was to seek God and live. Nothing beats having the Lord in our lives and hearts, nothing. But seeking the Lord means surrendering all to God, and becoming a person of righteousness and justice. This week's gospel lesson is on the rich man seeking eternal life. What he heard from Jesus disappointed him, for he had found riches and wealth, and the thing that eluded him was the assurance of God's love for him and his life, even beyond this life. It may have been that his life up to that point had been all about finding the riches of this world at any cost, and he had not sought justice and compassion in that undertaking. Our job is to seek to be and do good, and avoid evil at all cost.

Seek the Lord and live. Everything else will pale in comparison.

PRAYER: Loving God, may I seek You and Your righteousness for my life. Help me to know what is truly important and I know the fullness of life will be mine. Keep my heart and vision on You and serving You; let me surrender all to You. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.

Eradio Valverde

Approach the Throne with Boldness

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Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4: 12-16)

In these few, short verses are found some powerful truths for our lives. The first is that in God's word, we can find a living and active word, one that still speaks to us if we would be pick up our Bibles, open them (Some of you would have to dust them off first!), and listen as you read to what God may be saying to you. Some of what you may read may cut to your heart as you read the truth about where you are, and where you know you need to be. The Bible is very much your mirror to your soul. Sometimes, we don't like what we see looking back at us. The second is that we cannot hide any part of our lives from God; the Bible speaks to our need and also how to get right with God. The third and very key, is that we have Jesus Christ as our high priest; the bridge between God and us. Jesus has made our access to God possible and it's ready even now. For through Jesus we can confess our sins and find forgiveness; for we have in Jesus, One who understands and sympathizes with us and our condition. And last, we have access to God's throne though prayer, and we should use it with boldness. Since God knows all things, why should we hem and haw about what we need to share with Him? Be bold!

PRAYER: Loving God, thank you for all You have done and all You have shared with us. We thank you for the Bible, for prayer, and for access to Your throne. Hear my dear *|FNAME|* as hearts confess and share with You what You already know. But, bring us forgiveness, bring us boldness for life. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Stuff or Salvation?

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As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.' " He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible." Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first." (Mark 10: 17-31 NRSV)

The United State of America leads the world in storage rental places. It is a strong indication that we have been blessed (or cursed) with too much stuff. It's a sad note to me personally, to know that if I have no room in my house, then I can rent a place where I can store the stuff. Nellie and I have been blessed in having lived in parsonages which are usually blessed with plenty of space in which to store unused (and really, unwanted) stuff. When we moved from our parsonage to our first home, we had to get rid of a lot of it, so that our home would have just what we needed. We're back in a parsonage and we find we have the same problem; too much stuff.

This is a powerful story about Jesus and about us. This "rich" guy, could be me, or you. He has a troubling question; "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" We don't know his age, but given the place and times, this man had seen more than his share of deaths. We jokingly read of those who read the obituaries first thing in the morning along with their morning coffee, and say, "If I see that I'm not in there, I can have a good day!" But we are faced with our mortality, as was this man. Jesus answers the question: Whatever you learned in Sunday school, just do that, and you'll be fine! The man replies, "No problem I've done all those things." But Jesus knew that death was still nagging this man. But Jesus, notice, "Looking at him, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." That was more than he wanted to hear. You see, his problem was his possessions; they possessed him. Stuff? Or salvation? It will be easier for camels to walk through the eyes of needles than for those possessed by possessions to enter the kingdom of God. Those who are willing to, and do, leave their possessions to follow Jesus will find the joy of fullness of life here, and the joy of eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven.

The second part of Jesus' explanation has come true in my life over and over. I made a difficult decision early in my life to leave home to serve the Lord. I was sent to wonderful places at the cost of leaving my mom and dad, brothers and sisters, all for the sake of sharing the good news. I have been blessed with countless moms, dads, brothers and sisters during all of my ministry; yes, even more than a hundred. Dear, kind ladies who would do things for me in loving ways like a mother. Sweet, strong men, who lovingly counseled and guided me, like a father. I set Jesus first, and Jesus blessed me. I have sought to be last, and Jesus has blessed me.

The decision is not easy. It is hard for those possessed by possessions to take leave of them. Many would rather rent more storage space. Stuff? Or salvation? Yes, we can be saved from too many things into the joy of knowing we have enough.

PRAYER: GOD of all provision, thank You for the blessings that have come my way. Help me to know the times and seasons, rhymes and reasons for the time to rid myself of too many things, to enjoy You and the eternal things You have shared with me. This I pray in the name of He who loves me enough to bless me out of false blessings; Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

God's Name Echoes Around the World!

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God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name. Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble. I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps. God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world. (Psalm 8 The Message Version)

This is the same passage in the New International Version: 1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This psalm is best known for the question asked in verses 3 and 4, and the declaration by the psalmist in verses 5 through 8, and the praise of verse 9. Who hasn't stopped to consider the works of God's hands? If you're one who hasn't; you're too busy or too silly. The artwork for today captures a modern scene of someone sizing us up against God's creation. The blood red moon of a few nights ago made some of us ooh and aww at how awesome this world, and things near our world, are to us. But it still comes down to what Jesus asks His disciples and what the psalmist declares: What about you? What say you about me and my creation? The modern version of this passage has the psalmist declaring that the name of God is a "household name" so much so that even infants still nursing "gurgle choruses" about God; "toddlers shout the songs" that even drown out thoughts that seek to bring us down. We should join their singing and shouting as we consider how close and how loving God truly is in our lives.

Dear friend, God is mindful of you, and God cares for you. Just take some time and look around. And if that doesn't get you excited to the point of singing or shouting, I don't know what will.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You! Let me join the songs all around me that are praising You and Your work here on the earth. Thank You for caring for me and sharing Your love for me. I praise You in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Hand Made!

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Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.(Genesis 2:18-24)

During my life I have seen some things made by hand. My earliest memories saw my mother and grandmother in the kitchen making flour tortillas by hand. Each one uniquely and specially made, thrown onto the griddle, hand turned and lovingly shared with us. I tried a couple of times in the making of those tortillas only to have my tortillas called maps by my mom, for the ability to make a perfectly round tortilla was not my ability. I also own a couple of pairs of handmade boots. Custom made just for me; I put my socked foot on a manila folder and the bookmaker traced the outline of my foot, measured with tape different parts of my left and about six weeks later I had the most wonderful, beautiful pair of boots I had ever seen. I guess seeing my initials on them made me a bit biased. But nothing compares to the handiwork of God in this story. Seeking to provide company and companionship to the first man, God decides the man needs a helper and partner. Ancient humor comes in as the next scene is the man receiving from God all the animals and birds, the man names them and probably wonders which of these might be that helper and partner. Talking birds? They're only fun for a bit. A giraffe? Too tall for the house, though Adam did not yet have one. Monkeys? Nah. Not a partner nor helper in the bunch. The story goes that God proceeds to cause a deep sleep to come over the man and God removed one of the man's ribs and from that rib made a woman. The divine surgery was so successful that the man turns poetic as he declares, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken." Ah, yes. Perfection. Did you expect anything less from the Creator? In the Hebrew "ishah" for woman, taken from "ish" the man. And then the declaration: "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh."

The gospel text for this coming Sunday deals with the question of divorce and in Jesus' response to those seeking to trick Him, He quotes from this beautiful passage. Told by the ancients to explain things that we've asked as children, and later as wondering (and wandering) adults: Where did we come from? Why is there such a thing as marriage? The writer points to God. God made all things and God made you and me. We are uniquely and wonderfully made, and in the creation of woman, God brings her to the man and the man declares her perfect and the writer shares how this is how marriage came into being. Poets and poster makers have tried to explain the rib as being that which is next to the man, not under him, or above him, behind nor before him; ribs protect the vital organs, especially the heart and we can make of that whatever we want. (Just go to the next wedding and see how creative the pastor makes the ceremony.)

The question becomes what do couples make or create from their marriage? Nellie and I sought to create an environment for God in our lives and we sought to bring children into our lives. We created great memories and great children, who are making a great difference in their own lives and each in their way contributing to the good of the world. We still work at marriage, trying to create all that God would allow from and for us; seeking to be continually in service to humanity. We do have some "agreement issues," but we work those out and we seek to stay always in love with each other, because our first love is God.

What are you creating in your life?

PRAYER: Lord, for those in marriage, bless and protect them. Help the truth of Your handiwork and love be ever present in us. For those seeking marriage, bless and protect them and provide that which is from You for them. We seek Thy will. For those suffering from a broken marriage, we pray healing and comfort. If there are children involved, may their memories be gracious ones; bless and protect them O Lord. And we pray with faith all these things, in Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Centrality of Christ Jesus

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."(Hebrews 2:5-12)

Who is the center of your life? As babies, our mothers and fathers were the center. A shift may have occurred during your toddler years, and one or the other of your parents was the center; and during adolescence, none of those were important because you discovered friends. As you matured, you may have made your intended the center of your life. If you married, she or he became the center of your life. If you had children, each was special and important, and they may have become the center of your life. But, if you matured in faith, and made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, Jesus should be the center of your life. There can be no room for anyone, or anything, taking center place.

The writer of Hebrews understood this and declares the centrality of Christ in the faith: He is the Son of God who is heir of all things; He reflects the glory of God and has the exact imprint of God's very being, paid for our sins, and sits at the right hand of God Almighty. Jesus is superior to the angels, and controls all things, and yet, is not ashamed to call us "brothers and sisters," and will one day be our Advocate before the Father, when He judges between the "quick and the dead."

Dear friend, if you have not yet made Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life, right now would be the best time to make the best decision of your life. For too long you have stood on the outside looking in, and as this passage says, seeing Christ for Who He is is better from the inside. A prayer of invitation is but the first thing you can do for the betterment of your life. Faith will follow and that faith will help you do the things that are expected of a believer. We are saved by Jesus by faith, away from our sins, but saved to a new life of abundance, where we work to help bring others to faith, care for the hungry, sick, imprisoned, naked, and alone. And we work within a community of believers to help transform the world.

PRAYER: Loving God, I confess that I have not yet made Jesus the center of my life. I confess I am a sinner and have not yet asked for forgiveness of all my sins. Take them away, make my heart and mind new, and put me to serving You lovingly, faithfully, and fruitfully, so that this new life may be one truly lived in abundance. This I pray in His name, Jesus my Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Did Something Die For This Meal?

The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at."Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord, "Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, "Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child,' to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, "Give us meat to eat!' I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me see my misery." So the Lord said to Moses, "Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you.So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again. Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, stop them!" But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" (Numbers 11: 4-6, 10-16, 24-29)

I have a dear friend very dedicated to his being a carnivore. Whenever we attend a meeting where lunch is provided he hopes for, and seeks, meat. His favorite question to those serving is "Did something die for this meal?" I tell him that I can hear lettuce screaming as we bite into it. The start of this passage reminded me of him as Moses is having to hear the people of Israel complain about what God is not providing. They yearn for the past even if it meant slavery and imprisonment as slaves! Their cries included their old menu; fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. And they dared to complain in the face of the divinely provided bread from heaven called manna. The people wept for the old, and all in the entrances of their tents. This attitude angered the Lord and displeased Moses. Moses then shares some gripes of his own, questioning where he was to find meat to share with these people, but it was God who spoke of what He was about to do. What God did was to share His Spirit with others besides Moses. He directed Moses to gather seventy elders to join him at the tent of meeting, which they did and "the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to (Moses), and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the 70 elders;" Once this was done, these elders joined in speaking for God among all the people. This served to prove that what they were all experiencing, even without meat, was of God and was for God's good purpose in their lives.

We sometimes find ourselves facing or doing what we didn't expect or like, but it is hardly a basis to become a complainer or whiner about what God is or isn't doing. It becomes a basis of prayer seeking God's understanding and wisdom for whatever we think we are facing is difficult. Once God's Spirit comes upon us, we begin to not only understand, but to speak to what God can and is doing among us.

PRAYER: Loving God, whatever my dear reader is facing right now in life, make clear Your presence, peace, and love. May Your Holy Spirit come upon all of us so that we can share Your wisdom with others. This we pray in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Power of Prayer

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Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:13-20)

Who taught you how to pray? I had several great teachers, my grandmother Petra, among the chief teachers. I credit my mother and father with having much impact on my life and prayer life. I must also say that learning to pray is a daily lesson, one in which we constantly learn, not to the point where we say, like some, I don't pray because I don't know how, but rather, prayer is such a wonderful journey that I seek every day to learn more about God and myself, and others, as I talk to and list to, God. One of my earliest prayer memories is a sad one; I had a beautiful Collie, she looked just like Lassie in the TV show. Her desire was to catch a car, getting as close to the tires as she could until that sad day she went up against a Coca-Cola truck there alongside our home on a caliche road. The truck ran right over her and my grandmother and I saw the whole thing. My grandmother dragged the still breathing dog to the side of the curb, I remember just crying away. All my grandmother could think to say was for me to pray. It helped my crying, and helped my grieving, but it gave me that assurance that even against such a foe as death, we had a voice and a ready audience in God.

James starts this passage with a question that many of us can answer yes to; "Are any among you suffering?" The answer is yes. Suffering never seems to stop for some, and suffering takes all kinds of shapes and forms. James offers the solution knowing the answer: "They should pray." Prayer is that connection of hope and love with God even in the midst of suffering.

James then asks, "Are any cheerful?" answering again without awaiting a response: "They should sing songs of praise," knowing that singing is a blessing to the heart; and songs of praise are double prayers of gratitude and thankfulness. If you're truly cheerful this morning, roll up the windows of your car and sing as loud as you can to a song that praises God this morning!

James asks if any among us are sick. His response is that we should call for those mature and faithful in the faith to pray over the sick, even anointing the sick with oil in the name of the Lord; for we have no other name by which we can pray; and as the hymn says, there is power, wonder-working power in the name of Jesus. James knew and thus he shares that the prayer of faith would save the sick, and the Lord would restore them; and those who confessed their sins in prayer, would be forgiven. His call was to confess our sins and pray for one another, and we would be healed. Hear this line: "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." He cites the example of Elijah and his dealings with drought and rain. The passage closes with a call to help one another stay on the path of faith; praying for and welcoming those who might wander off, seeking to win back those who were lost, even to the point of covering up a "multitude of sins."

PRAYER: Loving God, set me on the path of faith with prayer and singing. Let me pray for those with whom I live and work. Help me pray for those with whom I play. Let me know the power of prayer in such a way I that can bless You and Yours. Help me not to wander away, but to help bring others back to You. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Play Well with Others!

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John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. , And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. "For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." (Mark 9:38-50)

Oops! Or as the young folk say, "My bad!" I shared next week's gospel lesson yesterday, and today I try to correct that error by sharing my thoughts on the right lesson for this coming Sunday. Please forgive me! I know those who may be relying on my thoughts for your sermon may have had mild heart attacks, but I prayed for you, so you're fine!

The first part of this passage has to do with brand. Jesus was the brand for the twelve and they identified with that brand. Jesus was known for miracles, feedings, teachings, unexplainable things, and the essence of God's love in all that He said and did. Jesus had power and the name of Jesus had power as the disciples discovered. "Teacher, we saw someone outside of the brand using your name to cast out demons! What's up with that?" Jesus calmly says, Play nice with others, especially those on the same team; he or she who uses my name to do something extraordinary won't soon be my enemy or speak bad of me. Even those who give you a drink of water because of my name will share in the reward reserved for those who believe in the name and person of Jesus.

Then Jesus speaks of self-control and what was expected of those who believe in Him: Don't be a stumbling block or place stumbling blocks on those who would follow me! Don't lose control of your actions; watch and control what your hands do. And watch where you go; don't lose control of your feet. And watch what your eyes see; don't let them wander off into areas where temptation is great. The passage speaks of cutting off hands and feet, and plucking out of eyes as a way to stress how serious this teaching was for Jesus. And He speaks plainly of "the other place" where those souls who are alienated from God will end up. Jesus wants us to live our lives as those who are salt; who add flavoring and insulation to mundane lives. Keep salt within you and be at peace with one another, Jesus says to close this passage.

As humans we find ourselves even it it's just mentally, competing with others, even other Christians. Jesus says this is not right nor expected. We also find ourselves sometimes doing, going, or seeing things we shouldn't. This is also not right nor expected of believers. And Jesus speaks of a real consequence for those who choose to disobey and alienate themselves away from God - that decision may be an eternal one. Seek self-control and seek the best for our inner, spiritual lives to be a blessing to others.

PRAYER: Loving God, guide my path to faithfulness. I seek to be Your positive flavor in the lives lived away from flavor; help me to go, do, and see what is Yours, rather than seeking only that which pleases me. This I pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Seriousness of Our Relationships

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Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, "God made them male and female.' "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:2-16 NRSV)

"You're not my friend!" These words used to hurt our daughters when growing up. The order would go something like this, one day, they'd come home and say how wonderful it was to have a new friend. Then, a day or two later, and sadness would be upon their little eyes, and when we'd inquire of them, they would share with us the words their "friend" had shared with them, "You're not my friend." Relationships matter and sometimes these relationships can bring great hurt and pain into our lives. Those relationships that we enter into with vows before God, matter the most before God and should to us as well. The Pharisees, seeking, like always, to tempt Jesus asked him about the very delicate subject of divorce; "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" The pain of divorce had probably touched lives even in that era, and Jesus answers with a question, "What did Moses command you?" They replied with the standard answer that with a certificate of divorce it was lawful. Jesus further says that it was because of "hardness of heart," that this commandment came into being. Jesus and the Pharisees knew the history of divorce. During the Exodus, as the new people was being formed in the wilderness, the standard way to divorce was to throw out the wife's belongings from their tent. When the wife would return, she would know, but still wonder and want to make sure, that their marriage was over. This led to Moses having to issue certificates of divorce, to finalize the breakup of that relationship.

Jesus takes His explanation right back to the one found in Genesis where we find the beginnings of marriage. Jesus states, "But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." It was a bit later in the day, when the disciples had Jesus alone that they ask about divorce. Jesus then stresses the importance of marriage teaching that if one divorces his wife and marriages another, that man would be guilty of adultery, as would the woman who divorces her husband. The understanding here is that Jesus is speaking of those who decide one day they would rather have another spouse other than the one they have now, and divorce them just to remarry another. As Jesus saw the children being brought to Him for His blessing, He teaches again on relationships saying, "Let the little children come to me, do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs." And the stern warning continued, "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." With that said, Jesus took the children up in His arms, laid hands on them, and blessed them.

There is pain in the breakup of any relationship, but more so in divorce. The children being brought to Jesus right at the moment He was teaching on it illustrates the ones who most times suffer from the pain of divorce. Jesus is teaching about the seriousness we must give all our relationships, beginning with the one we should have with God. If we enter into a full, loving and trusting relationship with God, we will receive from God that which we need to stay in relationship with ourselves and with others. It is key to know that from God comes the love we need to share back with God and with ourselves and with the people in our lives. As we bring children into our lives we should be teaching and sharing with them the importance of God's love in their lives as well.

PRAYER: Loving God, forgive me for taking some relationships too lightly. Grant me strength and wisdom to dedicate myself to You and the people in my life. Bless those who have gone through the pain of divorce, and especially bless and protect the children of divorce. Guide me this day into a more trusting childlike relationship with You, this I ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Ready for Worship

God, for your sake, help me! Use your influence to clear me. Listen, God - I'm desperate. Don't be too busy to hear me. Outlaws are out to get me, hit men are trying to kill me. Nothing will stop them; God means nothing to them. Oh, look! God's right here helping! God's on my side, Evil is looping back on my enemies. Don't let up! Finish them off! I'm ready now to worship, so ready. I thank you, God - you're so good. You got me out of every scrape, and I saw my enemies get it. (Psalm 54 The Message version)

Sometimes it seems our enemies are on every side. Real or imagined, we have forces at work to distract and side track us; and we need God's power at work in helping us fight those off. I can think of countless Saturday nights when I should have been happy and ready that Sunday was coming, but the phone rang or the doorbell rang, or a child hurt themselves. And I can't count the Sunday mornings when it was worse than Saturday night - trying to get to church becomes almost impossible and sometimes we easily give in and say, "I won't go today." The psalmist had real enemies, and our enemies are just as real even if they are not real persons, but distractions, temptations, verbal attacks, and the list is too long for us to continue; but, we hear what the psalmist is saying, "God, for your sake, help me!" We've said that prayer. There are those out to get us in their own way; hits come from men and women sometimes, and the wounds are necessarily those of blood, but deeper within our souls. Yet, there comes the moment when we realize, God is at work right here where I am hurting. God is destroying all that would keep us from staying faithful in our service to God.

Look at his resolve when he said, "I'm ready now to worship, so ready." Yes. We have been there too. We may have arrived to worship all beat up and feeling like warmed over burnt oatmeal, but once worship began, we said, "I thank you, God - you're so good. You got me out of every scrape, and I saw my enemies get it." Yes, thank You, God.

PRAYER: Lord, as the weekend begins, let me be strong in my resolve to attend worship. I pray the defeat of any enemy that might come against me or my family to distract us or sidetrack us from going to Your house to worship You. I claim the victory of a successful worship where You are praised, You are blessed and I can give You all honor and glory; this I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Try Praying

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It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. And I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered!" But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. (Jeremiah 11:18-20)

The life of a believer is not easy. The life of a prophet was even harder. The Old Testament prophets were called on to preach things that went counter-culture. They shared words from the living God, not from the pages of People magazine. The word of God was a difficult one to share, and most people did not want to hear what God thought about their behavior. Try living a pleasure over purpose life, and see where you get. Try believing self-satisfaction over self-sacrifice. Try being god for you life. Most of the prophets had their lives threatened; all a foretaste of what Jesus would encounter, and a sampling for believers in our age. The prophet heard these people plotting against them, and it was God who shared these thoughts and words against the prophet. The prophet confesses he was like a gentle lamb being led to the slaughter, not knowing at first, that it was he whom they had plotted against. Their intent was simple: Destroy the tree with its fruit, and cut him off form the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered. And what could the prophet do, but pray? What can we do as we face the challenges and enemies of our lives? Pray!

All the prophet knew to do was to commit himself to God through prayer. It was how he was called into prophetic ministry, and it was prayer that had sustained him thus far, and prayer would see him through even this. In the same way, think back to how prayer has gotten us through some tough times. Remember the faithfulness of God, and pray for His strength and peace as we face the things we may face. God will see us through if we have committed ourselves to God in and through prayer.

PRAYER: Loving God, You better than me, know what I am going through; strengthen and bless me, so that I may see beyond what I am seeing, to what You would have me see, and be. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Prayers for the family of Mark Johnson of Refugio, Texas, who died this week at age 36. The cause of death is not yet known, but the pain of this unexpected death is present with his mother and father and younger brother. Thank you for holding this family in your prayers.

Draw Near to God

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James 3:13-4:1-3; 7-8a Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Where are your roots? I'm not talking about where you were born and/or raised - where do you get what makes you, you? Sometimes our places of birth and our environment help shape us and those influences stay with us all of our lives; but those who belong to the Lord find in Him new roots and new, positive, strong influences that help shape our lives for the better. Look at what the writer is sharing as good versus bad qualities: wisdom, and understanding, gentleness in our work - these are from being rooted in Christ. But if we live a life with bitter envy and selfish ambition in our hearts, being boastful and false to the truth - these come from earthly, unspiritual, unchanged devilish roots. Nothing good comes from trusting other humans, but if we trust God, we get wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, full of mercy and good fruits - a great and wonderful harvest of righteousness for peace from those who work for peace.

What are the symptoms around you in your setting? Is there anger and discord, arguing all the time? Could these be rooted in your desires for things you should not have? Why not submit to God and reap the harvest of goodness from Him? The devil is always tempting us and trying to trip us up; the writer says for us to resist him and he will flee from us. And here's the key verse for us today: Draw near to God, and God will draw near to us.

PRAYER: Come every closer, loving God, as I draw near to You. Put to death in me the things that should not be in me; fill me with You and Your purity,wisdom, and love. May I amaze others by loving them in a new way; this I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Last of All; Servant of All

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Mark 9:30-37 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

Being a follower of Christ many times means our going against our human urges and impulses. Many seek to be first and to win at everything. And the Disciples were not exempt from that either. As Jesus is agonizing with sharing details of his upcoming suffering and death, He discovers the disciples arguing about who among them was the greatest. Can you imagine that conversation, being held in whispers bordering on yelling? "It's me! I walked on water!" Peter may have said. "No, it's me, Jesus called me first!" said another. "I keep the money!" Judas chimed in. "I run the fastest!" said John, "And He loves me more - I'm the beloved!" Jesus sits them down and says, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Ouch. So, it's not about being the greatest is it? Jesus is talking about all believers putting others first, and caring for one another. This is miles from what you hear children says as they learn to talk, "Mine!" Some also learn to run as they're desperately holding on to what someone else may want. And, speaking of children, Jesus takes a child and puts it among the disciples and easy, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

Our love for God is a love that should include all people and all of creation. Our love should be an active, working love, that seeks to please God and to bless those in need of blessings. Our love should be a welcoming love that welcomes the child and the childlike; all are welcome to the love of God. And as we welcome those, we are also welcoming Jesus, and as we welcome Jesus, we are welcoming God, who sent Jesus to us.

So, resolve today, to put God first, others second, and ourselves last. Jesus said we must be last of all, and servant of all. We're got work to do! Let's get busy!

PRAYER: LOVING God, help me to love You and Yours. Put me to work for Thy good; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

I LOVE GOD!

Psalm 116:1-9 (The Message version) I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy. He listened so intently as I laid out my case before him. Death stared me in the face, hell was hard on my heels. Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn; then I called out to God for help: "Please, God!" I cried out. "Save my life!" God is gracious - it is he who makes things right, our most compassionate God. God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me. I said to myself, "Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you've been rescued from death; Eye, you've been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling." I'm striding in the presence of God, alive in the land of the living!

You and I should have a list, perhaps a mental one, of all that God has done for us. In the movie, WarRoom, there was a framed list on the wall of a woman's prayer room entitled "Answered Prayers," and on it were handwritten, the prayers that God had answered. It's a lovely thought, but I soon thought, too small! God answers all our prayers, and soon a wall-sized list would not be enough if we are truly honest with ourselves.

The life of David, the psalmist is laid out in most of the psalms. In this one, and in this version, we see his gratitude towards God and God's action and involvement in his life:

I love God, because God listened to me. Check, God's done that for me. I love God, because God listened as I begged for mercy. Check. I love God, because I laid out my case before Him. Check. I love God, because death stared me in the face. Double, or triple or million checks. I love God, because hell was hard on my heels. Again, many checks. I love God, because when I didn't know where to turn, God helped me. Check. I love God, because I called out, "Please, God!" Check. I love God, because I cried out, "Save my life!" Many checks. I love God because God is gracious. Check. I love God, because God makes things right. Check. I love God, because God is compassionate. Check. I love God, because God takes the side of the helpless. Many checks. I love God, because God was there when I was at the end of my rope. Check. I love God, because God saved me. Check. I love God, because God helped me rest. Check. I love God, because God has showered me with many blessings. Check. I love God, because God has rescued my soul from death. Multiple checks. I love God, because God has rescued my eyes from tears. Many checks. But it's okay to cry. I love God, because God has kept my foot from stumbling. Check. I love God, because God has me striding in the His presence. Check! I love God, because I am alive in the land of the living! Many checks. I love God, because God first loved me. Millions of checks.

PRAYER: I love you, God! Amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

I love you, too!

Eradio Valverde

Prophetic Word

Isaiah 50:4-9 The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me.

Those who love and trust the Lord, can awaken each day and incline the ear to hear what God may be sharing. Such was the life and practice of the prophet Isaiah, who heard many a Messianic prophecies concerning the One who was to come. He knew the words from God would serve him as he served as a teacher. He knew that God would share with him words of encouragement to the weary. The prophet heard the word and shared it. And the word becomes that which describes how the Messiah was to react to the tribulation he would face; beatings, insults, the beard torn out, even spitting; all without fear of shame coming his way. Truly and fully trusting that God was the source of his help and strength.

We, too, have that source of hope and encouragement and we, too, can share that with those who are weary. It may come to us directly from inspiration from God or through time in prayer, or time spent reading the sacred word; as believers we are called to help sustain the weary. Seek to hear and seek to share.

PRAYER: Loving God, guide me to faithful listening and sharing. May I be the source of hope for those who are weary. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

By Our Speech We Can Ruin the World

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James 3:1-12 Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything - or destroy it! A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue - it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?

The old adage, "Sticks and stones may break my bone, but words can never hurt me!" is not true. It was meant to build up character and strength against things said against us, but words do hurt and can cut deep. You and I have mental scars of words said to us that we did not expect nor deserve, and cannot be easily erased. Jesus in a recent gospel lesson said it was not what went into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out. James takes this and expands on it by blaming the tongue. Comparing the tongue to the rudder of a large ship or the bit in the mouth of a horse, even saying, "By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell." James gets it right when he says in the next verse, "This is scary." Scary indeed. What James is saying is that we should watch what we say. We should be aware of the power of words and know that words can hurt and kill if we are not careful; we should seek to build up and heal with our words. We should use our words to bless God and bless others. There is far too much hurt in the world already, and we as believers in the God of love, should use our tongues to assist the work of the Kingdom here on the earth. As Jesus taught, we should have our hearts right with God, right with ourselves and right with others. We should fill our hearts, minds, and souls with the things of God so that we become blessers; people who bless others with life and hope, compassion and love.

The only way to tame a tongue is to tame your heart. Get your heart right with God, and your tongue will flow forth living waters for those who are thirsty.

PRAYER: Loving God, guide my heart to a deeper love of and from You. Let me be one who blesses others as I speak. Tame my heart and help me tame my tongue. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Self-Help or Self-Sacrifice?

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Mark 8:27-38 (The Message) Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, "Who do the people say I am?" "Some say 'John the Baptizer,'" they said. "Others say 'Elijah.' Still others say 'one of the prophets.'" He then asked, "And you - what are you saying about me? Who am I?" Peter gave the answer: "You are the Christ, the Messiah." Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive." He said this simply and clearly so they couldn't miss it. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works." Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for? "If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I'm leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you'll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels."

Who do you say Jesus is? I heard a preacher say last night on a video on YouTube: "You don't open up the trunk of your car and say to Jesus, 'Get in!' nor do you open the back door of that car and say, 'Here you go, Jesus, ride there!' nor do you open the passenger door and invite Jesus to ride there. You open the driver's door, hand Jesus the keys, and say, 'Lord, take over!'" For many, we are content when Jesus is out of sight and out of mind. We are content to leave Jesus at church and we holler to Him as we drive away, "See you next week! I'll call you if I need You!" Peter, James, John, Judas, Matthew, all of the Twelve wrestled with the question Jesus posed to them when it came to Him. They all knew what people were saying about Him, but when Jesus got personal and asked, "And you - what are you saying about me? Who am I?" they heard first from Peter, who confessed, for He knew, or thought he knew, "You are the Christ, the Messiah." Then a moment or two later, when Jesus confesses the suffering that was coming His way, Peter again is visible in his "wavering, wondering what to believe." (Older versions say Peter rebuked Jesus), Jesus tells him, "You have no idea how God works." Then, the instruction: If we are to follow Jesus, we must let Him lead or drive in the above example; If we follow Jesus, He will show us how to live, with self-sacrifice as the way to follow best.

Surrender the car keys of your life to Jesus. Surrender your life to Jesus. Die to self, place Jesus first and start to follow Him as we should.

PRAYER: Loving Lord Jesus, take the keys of my life and drive me to service, self-sacrifice and the places where I can be serve as witness and servant to You. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Finding Happiness

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Psalm 146 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!

If you're seeking happiness, open the cans! And get rid of the can'ts! Happiness comes with an attitude of giving and gratitude. Notice the first verse; twice it says to "Praise the Lord," with your "soul." Praising is a gift. You can't praise God if you say you can't or won't. You give God praise for what God has given you. And, if you want this happiness to last, do this for as long as you live. For the believer has found that one's trust is best place in God and not in other mortals. Mortals have a tendency to disappoint, to fall through, or not show up. Those kind of mortals have a short shelf life, and the psalmist says, they just end up in the earth, dead. Happiness comes to those who know God and God's awesomeness to surprise, astound, and amaze. Just look around today at all that God has made, and you'll see that this same God of creation, is your God of the challenges and chaos in your life right now. God never disappoints, for God is the God of faith. And look at what God has done for you, me, and so many others: Given justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, freedom for the prisoners, and here is that key thing of this week: vision to the blind. If you're feeling low, God will lift you up. If you're feeling outnumbered, God will turn the tables when God sees your attempts for righteousness in your life. God even watches over the strangers, the orphans, and the widows; God will and does deal with those whose ways are wicked. God is awesome!

Sit quietly and think on all that God has done for you. Does that discourage or encourage you to face today? Think of the awesomeness of God in previous experiences in your life and receive true happiness. Now, practice a smile. Bigger! That's it! Show your pearly whites today and let your soul show the joy that has come from God.

PRAYER: Loving God, may I seek to be the person you created me to be. Let me shine brightly the joy you have placed in my heart. May my content come from righteousness and seeking to be a blessing to You and Yours. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Streams even in the Desert

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Isaiah 35:4-7a Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water;

I stand amazed at reading first the gospel text and seeing the miracles of Jesus, then a couple of days later, I come to the prophets and there see words of things to come, and realize, yes, Jesus is the Messiah, for He has fulfilled prophecy. This ancient prophet, listening and dreaming with God, heard words that he wrote down perhaps not having a clue as to what they meant and if he did, when they would come true. The prophet knew that God knew His audience and their need; who among us has not been fearful? Who among us has not needed to hear again and again, that God was with us and that we should be strong? Who has not needed to hear that there was salvation for us?

But then in both the spiritual and physical realms, there are those who are blind and deaf. Spiritually, there are those who have not yet seen nor heard about what God offers to all. Physically, our hearts ache for those who have no sight nor hearing. But here the prophet writes about the God who will open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf. Physically, many, many years later, Jesus does that very thing and that amazed many. Spiritually, every day, God continues to open eyes and unstop ears to hearts that become new and filled with God's grace. Spiritually, God continues to bring cool, refreshing water even in the midst of dry, parched lands and lives, and even the lame jump like dear and the tongues of many open in praise to God. Yes, the "burning sand" has become pools of water, and it is for our own good.

For what you have, give thanks. For what you need, ask. Pray that God would open all of our eyes and unstop all of our ears to His goodness and love. Then, because we have drank from the water of God's grace, share it with those still parched and thirsty.

PRAYER: Come, Living God, and quench our thirsts. Fill us with You as we empty ourselves of us. Help us to share with all, this we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Basic Instructions for a Great Life

James 2:1-17 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For the one who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

If you're at all familiar with the Book of Face, you will know that almost every single day there is a quiz or test you can take to prove how Texan you are, or how much you know about this or that. And if you live with someone who takes some of those, you will end up taking them as well. Imagine with me then, this "quiz" from James:

Do you show favoritism towards others? Yes or No? If no, why not? If yes, do they show your personal belief in Jesus Christ?

If you serve as an usher at your church, do you show special attention to a fine dressed person over a poorly dressed, obviously poor person? Yes or No? If yes, where do you take them to sit? Or do you make them stand next to you?

How do you feel about the poor? Do you show them honor?

Do you live the saying, "Love your neighbor as yourself?" If no, why not? if yes, good for you!

Do you try to live a "good" life? Is this life based on the Ten Commandments?

Do you freely and willingly share with those in need such items as food and clothing? Or do you dismiss them with a short prayer and a "God bless you?"

Does you life show your faith?

PRAYER: Loving God, help me to live as You would have me live. Let me show love to all. Let my life be a witness of Your peace and presence in me. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde