God's Love is Awesome! Do You Know That?

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For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Good day, dear Friend!  This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  I pray that be true to you, especially since we have chosen to start our day with prayer, devotion, and study of God's precious word.  May you be blessed to the point of overflowing and blessings from you will be for others.  

This passage is known as the Apostle Paul's prayer for his readers in Ephesus.  It was a strong, growing church, but it had its problems.  Paul believed that once someone forgets about the love God has for them, they soon forget almost everything else.  Once a church forgets about God's love, they might as well close down and sell their building.  Paul shares that he prayed kneeling before the Father, and he reminds them that every family in heaven and on the earth has taken its name from God.  So, not only are we made in God's image, we have taken God's name.  He was using a play on Greek words; pater is Greek for father, and patria is Greek for family. Paul prays that out of the eternal and wonderful riches of His glory, we might be strengthened in our inner being with spiritual power for beginning, or continuing, and completing His work among those around us.  His prayer asks that we be grounded and rooted in love.  Love is that strong river of faith and hope that nourishes our roots and grounds us to overcome all obstacles and challenges.  This follows yesterday's gospel lesson on the benevolent king that Jesus is; caring enough to provide for all people, starting with the poor.  At yesterday's miraculous feeding of the 5,000, no questions were asked by Him as to who was there rightly or wrongly, no check was made on their credit or background - everyone was fed.  Paul is saying basically the same thing; out of the love of God, who is the author and fountain of love, we supply physical, emotional, and spiritual love to all people, no questions asked.  Paul is hinting, that if we truly knew how awesome God's love was, we would in awe share it with all people.  "The breath, length, and height and depth" of that love that surpasses knowledge.  It's like asking how many teaspoons of water are in the oceans of the world; and even then, that would be just the beginning of how awesome God's love truly is. The key is to receive it, enjoy it, and share it.  Then, and only then, will God's work be fully accomplished in us and in the work we have been called to do.

Dear Reader, may Paul's prayer be just for you today.  Receive it and begin to receive God's love like never before.  Put away whatever in you has torn you away from that love, or from the love of others for you.  This will bless you, your key relationships, your life's work and purpose, and the joy you can share with others.

PRAYER: Loving Father, thank You for Your awesome love.  Share in me that which I need to be an awesome carrier and bearer of Your love.  Bless me to overflowing, so that I may help quench the thirsty souls around me.  Deepen my roots and ground me firmly in Your love; this I pray in the Name of He who blesses me with love, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  The weather in these parts reminds us that the coolness of God is necessary for the fullness of life; share it with someone today!

Eradio Valverde

A King Who Cares

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After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’ When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.  When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going. (John 6:1-21)

Good day dear one!  I pray this finds you doing well and enjoying the afterglow of having been in God's presence yesterday during worship.  We have much to pray about, mainly joys that were shared with us in our church  yesterday; chief on my list, the presence of my bride in worship after a month and a half of recovery at home.  I thank God for that.  I believe the Lucas family had visitors from Nebraska and Russia with us!  There were birthday people and anniversary folks with us as well; and some kind souls dedicated the morning flowers to our church staff, which was very meaningful to Pastor Matt and myself!

I love sharing ConCafe with you each morning, because I learn from the word of God each time I open it.  I find words or phrases that I had just glanced or or didn't pay enough attention to them.  Today's passage is a case in point.  I noticed that after this awesome miracle, the people wanted to force Jesus to be their king!  Why hadn't I noticed that?  But, after years of having to try and praise God for the miracle as shared, I also share some of the scholarly work that has tried to reasonably or rationally explain how this miracle could occur.  In other words, some do not really believe the Son of God; the son of the Creator, could take five barley loaves and two fish and have enough food to feed 5,000 people; at the disciples' reasoning, a feat that would have cost about $25,000 in today's money.  Obviously, they did not have that kind of money.  And some had said, what happened was, that when others saw the generosity of the little boy, they shared what they had brought and presto change-o, they had enough food.  Close, but no cigar!  Others have said, the Roman soldiers, who were everywhere, must have been watching the crowd to make sure they didn't plan a revolt, so they shared their sack lunches with the crowd and enough was had for 5,000.  Hmm.  Nice try.  How about this; God's power was with Jesus, Jesus saw a need, and with His prayer and power, multiplied the loaves and fishes so that everyone ate and at the end, there were 12 baskets of left overs?  You're free to believe whatever you like; I'll stick with the story.  The awesomeness of God does not lend itself to be limited.  As God sees a need and God responds, unexplainable things tend to happen.  We call those events miracles.  And guess what, they still happen today!

The awesomeness continues. After many years of not knowing a benevolent king, and with the recent years having been under Roman control, with Roman puppet heads as kings in the area, the idea of a king who cares enough to feed the hungry in miraculous ways is enough to convince the people that Jesus would make a wonderful king.  Even if He didn't want to!  Jesus walks away from that to continue the real work that would address the most pressing need; people getting right with God.  The disciples see a second miracle, Jesus walking on the water, and the Lord responds with the words so many still need to hear today, "It is I; do not be afraid."  God told this to Adam and Eve in the Garden after their sin, and God would share it again after Jesus' death; truly a message we have to share with so many, especially in times like today.

Jesus is our King.  Jesus is a benevolent ruler.  Jesus cares for, and takes care of, us.  Jesus comes as He who takes away our fears and it is a message that we should share with others.  And we should start with us.

PRAYER:  Loving Father, thank You for Jesus.  Thank You for the unexplained wonderful things that happen in our lives every day.  We are a blessed people.  Help us become the blessed people who bless others with words, deeds, actions, and love.  Grant us courage and boldness to witness to the truth.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be one who shares what you have now, with those in need now.  In Christ Jesus' name, amen!

Eradio Valverde

Those Who Said Yes to Jesus: Thaddaeus

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and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, (Mark 3:18)

Jump up and down; it's Friday, Friend! Whatever it may mean to you, it's here!  I pray it is a day of blessing and renewal, and that this devotional time would bless you into being a great blessing to someone today.

Dear One, we come to the end of this series; we have covered the Twelve and all their different names and qualities.  Let us never forget that at one point in their lives, they made the most important decision they could have, and that was to say YES to Jesus Christ!  I would hope all of us had we lived back then and had we had the invitation from Jesus, knowing that it might change our lives forever, would have said, "Yes, Lord."  I love the hymn line that says, "Yea, the sturdy dreamers answered, 'to the death we follow Thee." (Are Ye Able, UMH 530).  Even now, we can still say yes to the Lord and we should know it would change our lives forever; need I add, for the better, too?

Jerome called Thaddaeus Trinomius, which means the one with three names.  He has different names in the different gospels.  Mark, as we saw above, calls him Thaddaeus, which auto-correct wants to remove the second "a."  Matthew calls him Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus (Mt. 10:3); Luke calls him Judas the brother of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13); which I believe I covered when we talked about Judas the son of James.

Again, the first three gospels say nothing about this man, other than his name.  It is John's gospel where he makes one appearance under the name Judas, not Iscariot.  At the Last Supper he has a question for Jesus:  "Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" And Jesus answered, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him"  (John 14:22-23).  One Latin manuscript has reference to Thad being a Zionist, who was intense and violent, with a dream of world power and domination for the chosen people.  That is why as the days drew to a close for Jesus, he could not understand why nothing alone the lines of what he expected had taken place; thus his question above.  "Lord, show them something!" is basically what he was saying.  Jesus' response was for the faithful to have an obedient heart for Him.

The name of Thaddaeus is connected with one of the most romantic and beautiful legends of the early Church.  It is Eusebius and Jerome, who write, among others (Eusebius The Ecclesiastical History, 1, 13; Jerome, Homily on Matthew, 10, 4).  This legend concerns correspondence between Jesus and Abgarus, King of Edessa, which was a city in Northern Mesopotamia near the Euphrates River.  Eusebius claims to have seen this correspondence in the archives and public registers of Edessa and it is believed he translated it himself from the Syriac language.  The correspondence began with a letter from Abgarus to Jesus.  In it he calls Jesus, savior, and recalls hearing reports that Jesus was healing the blind, and making the lame to walk; cleaning lepers and casting out demons; and the conclusion that either Jesus is God and having come down from Heaven can do these things, or Jesus was the Son of God.  And he also includes in his letter the desire for Jesus to come and heal him and a disease; all the while saying he was aware the Jews were plotting to kill Him.  Jesus responds, "Blessed art thou who has believed in me without having seen me.." and that He could not go and see him because of all that was expected of Jesus where He was.  The letter does say, "But after I have been taken up I will send to thee one of my disciples, that he may heal thy disease, and give life to thee and to thine."  The story goes that after Jesus' Ascension, Thomas sent Thaddaeus -- called an apostle and one of the seventy-- to Edessa.  There Thad took up residence with a man called Tobias and healed so many that the report came to Agbarus and he knew that Thad had been sent for him.  And Thad healed him.  Agbarus said he wished he could have sent an army to destroy "those Jews who crucified Him," but could not because of the Roman dominion.  Aggie wanted to know more about Jesus and invited him to come and speak to him.  Thad said, I'll speak to all the city!  It was arranged that Thaddaeus would speak, and afterwards, the king offered him much gold and silver, but Thaddaeus refused saying, "If we have forsaken that which is our own, how shall we take that which is another's?"

Another legend grew out of that one; Aggie wanted to see a painting of Jesus, and Anaias tried to paint one, but the light and glory which flowed from Jesus' face did not allow that, so Jesus put a garment on His face and the image stayed on it, and that was sent to Aggie, and became the means by which many miracles were brought about.

Thaddaeus went on to preach the gospel in other places and that finally he was killed with arrows in Ararat.  His life is a model for us; we should live and know Jesus, and then to share with all who will hear, the light and the healing which Jesus brought to the world.

PRAYER:  Lord, keep me close to Thee.  Let me learn more about Your love so that as I share with others, they will see the light You have blessed me with and may healing and wholeness come through my words about You to those in need.  In Jesus' strong name we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

If you don't have plans for Sunday and find yourself in our area, I will be preaching at FUMC-Gonzales:  Here's the video sent to our church:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUt7LJNTMlo

God's Promise To David

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I found David, my servant, poured holy oil on his head, And I'll keep my hand steadily on him, yes, I'll stick with him through thick and thin.  No enemy will get the best of him, no scoundrel will do him in. I'll weed out all who oppose him, I'll clean out all who hate him. I'm with him for good and I'll love him forever; I've set him on high - he's riding high!  I've put Ocean in his one hand, River in the other; he'll call out, 'Oh, my Father - my God, my Rock of Salvation!'  Yes, I'm setting him apart as the First of the royal line, High King over all of earth's kings.  I'll preserve him eternally in my love, I'll faithfully do all I so solemnly promised.  I'll guarantee his family tree and underwrite his rule.  If his children refuse to do what I tell them, if they refuse to walk in the way I show them,  If they spit on the directions I give them and tear up the rules I post for them - I'll rub their faces in the dirt of their rebellion and make them face the music.  But I'll never throw them out, never abandon or disown them. Do you think I'd withdraw my holy promise? or take back words I'd already spoken?  I've given my word, my whole and holy word; do you think I would lie to David? His family tree is here for good, his sovereignty as sure as the sun, Dependable as the phases of the moon, inescapable as weather." (Psalm 89:20-37 The Message)

Dear friend, I slept in!  I awoke on my own at 6:10 a.m.!  I couldn't believe it.  Nellie and I went to bed with the knowledge that today early, we had to travel to Gonzales to have our blood drawn for our annual checkup.  And we just built up on that first appointment of the day.  When one has to fast until that blood is drawn, you want it done so you can eat!  So, here is what I hoped would be a matinee edition of ConCafe, but it comes as Vespers.

This psalm is written as God writing it, even through the eyes and voice of the prophet Samuel, who anointed David.  God's declaration is there as it was in yesterday's passage from 2 Samuel.  This one is more specific; God spelling out all the details of this promise to Israel's great king.  God calls David his servant, anointed by the hand of Samuel, but with God's hand upon that hand.  The promise of God is to stick with David through thick and thin, with the added promise that no enemy shall prevail against them.  And that's a mighty promise given the reality of constant battle that David experienced throughout his life and especially as king.  God promises to set David on high, with the promise of God's love forever upon him.  David's lineage is promised and assured.  Even punishment upon David's children is mentioned, showing the favor God is showing upon David.  God's favor upon David would know no end.

The good news about this passage is the favor of God is upon those who trust Him enough to call out to Him all the time, in the good and the bad.  We may not be kings in this earthly realm, but to reign in the afterlife is a bit of what we can expect according to scripture.  And to face the challenges and opportunities of this life with God's favor with us should be enough to motivate us to move forward confident that God will bless us in whatever it is God would have us do.  Our motivation should be to stay in God's favor each day, with each step.

To stay in God's favor involves our willingness to constantly connect with God through prayer and Bible study and all the spiritual disciplines - abiding in Christ in all things and all ways.

PRAYER:  Amazing God, bless and protect those whom I love and those whom need You to the point they show little or no love towards me or others.  May we seek Your loving favor on us is our prayer, which we lift up in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Show others that God's favor rests upon you!

Eradio Valverde

When God Builds the House

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Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’ But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever. (2 Samuel 7:1-11)

Good day dear Friend!  May this be a wonderful day in the Lord for you and yours.  May you be a blessing to those who need one the most.  I pray that time with the Lord in prayer and study will be the start of that blessing for you.  As we pray, thank the Lord for a successful surgery in Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza's eye!  What the procedure was meant to do worked!  Pray for Cari Hornung who undergoes surgery this morning in Austin.  Pray for a successful surgery and a wonderful recovery time. Pray for yourself, and for one another.

Years ago, two dreamy lovers, engaged and set to move forward in their relationship towards marriage, the woman turned to the man and said, "I don't care if I have to live under a mesquite tree with you; I'll be happy."  Wonderful words that blessed the man's heart.  And, yesterday after a long morning at the Social Security Administration office, the man was ready to say, "That mesquite tree is looking better and better!  The way the gubment figures out how to give us OUR money back, that'll be all we can afford!"  Okay, I made a joke of a very serious conversation many lovers make when they talk about the future. Having a home is an important matter; to be homeless and living on the street is something most of us can truly understand.  Many say, "As long as I have a roof over my head..." and that's true too.  A home is an important thing to God as well.  And unless you want God to only consider your home for yard of the month, invite Him in!  Let Him be a part of your family!" And as you will see in this story shared in the passage, invite God to build your home!

This is shared so that you can have an idea what King David was thinking.  He had some down time between wars, and he was relaxing in his home.  Netflix had nothing good on; he had written a couple of great psalms, was enjoying some iced tea, sweet of course, David's a true Southerner!  It suddenly hit him.  Here I have this nice home, but the ark of the Lord sits in a tent.  (David was thinking that was maybe a step up from homeless.)  I need to build God a home!"  The prophet Nathan at first says, "Go head on; God's with you."  But God appeared to Nate and said, "Hold on, Nate boy!  Here's what you're going to tell the king..."  And the plan was set aside by God.  God's intention was even bigger and more personal for David.  And this is the way God is; we set out to out-give God, and we discover we cannot.  We plan something doable, and God blesses us with the unthinkable.  We see that maybe we will be blessed and whoosh, God floods us with blessings.  God said that He would build David a house.  We're talking permanent residence.  No more tents or RVs or mobile homes.  This is your land, set down roots.  And the house for David involved a lineage of kings to rule over Israel.  The kingdom would be David's.

Reflect on David's life. From the pasture to the palace; from pastor to prince - God was with David and blessed him in incredible ways.  God has done the same for me, for many, and quite possibly for you!  If we invite God to come and be a part of the planning and process.  Many a plan we have set out for ourselves that we did not run through the Planning and Prayer Dept get sided-track when God weighs in on our decisions.  God wants the best for us and provides us the opportunities to take advantage of that; but we must be open to inviting and involving the Lord.  The house God builds for you may not look anything like you planned; the co-occupants will all be blessings to you in their own way through faith.  God is a God of surprises and joys.  And God is a great strength when the not-so-good days arrive to visit (but only for a spell!).

PRAYER:  Loving Father, build the home that we need.  We've tried it our way; now have Your way.  Many of us want houses protected from others; and we may realize you want our homes to involve others as we share the joy of faith with them.  Grant us the vision and dream to bless You.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name.  Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Be the home-builder that blesses your family and so many others!

Eradio Valverde

Once We Were Outsiders; Now We're All In!

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So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God. (Ephesians 2:11-22)

May this be a wonderful day for you dearFriend! May the joys of the Lord start flowing fresh into your heart, mind, and spirit as we devote time to Him through our study and prayer. I would add that Satan have nothing to do in your life or mine, in the Name of Jesus! I thank you all for the prayers for my dear brother in Christ, Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza. His surgery went well and the doctor will evaluate him tomorrow. Pray that that go well. Jenice Benedict has asked that I share this with you: "After 5 months of being in a cast and then in a walking cast boot (because she shattered her tibia in 20 pieces while skiing in February and had surgery to repair), our daughter Alison is now using just a leg brace to do her walking and physical therapy. Going through this ordeal has been hard not only because of the great pain but being a single person (with no helper) in a state so far away from home while continuing to do her job in dental sales. Now, she has new aches and pains all associated with using the leg and muscles. The whole process has been a battle mentally and physically. Please continue to pray for Alison's complete healing and restored leg function. Thank you. Please pray for Alison and her Mom and Dad.

My dad's best work friend was a man named Jim. It didn't start out that way, because Jim decided, without knowing my dad, that he hated him. My dad was a wonderful man in the regard he loved all people and had a sense of humor that broke down walls and barriers. Jim was blunt in telling my dad that he had no use for him and before too long, Jim and my dad were carpooling to work together. Later, when Jim's daughter committed suicide, the only one Jim sought was my dad. I have shared with you that our oldest one day went to talk to Mom with a conversation that went something like, "Not everybody likes Dad, right?" It helped explain why she no longer wanted to attend Sunday school in the church I was serving. Nellie had to tell her that not everyone would always like her either. Sad reality.

Imagine being on the outside because of the way you were born. I can't remember the day before I was born being asked by God what I wanted to be in terms of my race or nationality. Neither can you. But the problem is still with us. Christ came so that we could break down those barriers and instead of having walls, use the bricks to make homes or stoves or fireplaces; useful things like shelter, feeding the hungry, and warming the poor with no resources with which to stay warm. In the church at Ephesus, the problem was very much alive. The question was, "Do you have to be Jewish to be a Christian? Or, can you become a Christian without becoming a Jew?" You can imagine, some said, "Yes, you have to be a Jew; in fact, you must be circumcised for you to accept Jesus as your Lord." Others, "No, you can accept Jesus as Lord without having to become a Jew first." The biggest issue for the ones who wanted people to be Jews first, especially believed that the males had to have been circumcised in the flesh before becoming Christian. The once top Jewish persecutor, Paul, who before meeting Jesus, now argued for the ones who were Gentiles to not be Jews first. The reality, Paul argues, is that before Christ, we were aliens and outsiders; Christ opened the door for us to come in, and now we're all part of the same family. Where we were once far away from each other, now we're close; all because of the blood of Jesus. Once we were living without peace; now He is our peace. Once we were two separate groups; now we're one. Once we had a wall separating us; Christ broke down that wall. Jesus came to put to death the hostilities we have felt for one another. Paul believes, as should we, that Christ came to do away with not only the labels, but the practices that once separated us; strangers no more; aliens no more - we are all citizens and saints, members of the same household of God. If we would practice that radical love, the world would begin to change immediately.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that I among all people, sometimes build walls so that others can stay out of my life. Help me to tear those walls down, and to use those materials for the good of others. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Smile at those who frown at you. Not only may they crack a smile, you might just crack a wall...

Eradio Valverde

Just Touch Jesus

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The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56)

I pray you're having, or about to have, a wonderful day, dear Friend!  May time spent in prayer and Bible study be an investment in rich blessings that are coming your way!  As you pray today, please remember to lift up The Rev. Virgilio Vasquez-Garza of San Antonio undergoing needed eye surgery.  May the Lord work through the surgeon and all who will tend to Virgilio today, to bring him health.  Thank you!

Years ago, I was serving a church in Mission, Texas.  We had a wonderful member who worked with the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.  She was the "go-to" lady in international relations as well as business relations. And she called me and asked, if the church could allow a new pizza company to park an 18-wheeler kitchen in front of our educational building.  The company was Little Caesar's and they were making their national debut.  Their idea was to bring a huge mobile kitchen to several areas, set up shop and just hand out free pizza.  Those two words together are enough to start a buzz in any neighborhood.  Heck, just say one of those words around my grandkids and contentment arrives with a huge smile on its face!  Thinking evangelistically as well as realistically, I said yes!  And so I started calling church members whom I knew would come and help out in whatever ways we could, adding those two magical words for their own families, "Free Pizza!"  The truck came, as did the people.  The realistic side of me knew there were people with not enough to eat in our neighborhood, and soon they were all in line.  Not a bad deal.  A large, pepperoni pizza to go.  We soon had crowds in front of our church.  Word got out.

The same thing always happened to Jesus, who by the way, beats free pizza any day of the week!  His messages, His healing touch were what the crowds wanted and needed.  This passage for today shows the impact the crowds had on Jesus.  "They had no leisure even to eat."  That's busy.  And when they try to get some down time to themselves, they're followed or word gets out that He and his band were in a certain place, and there come the crowds again.  Jesus loved the people with His eyes of a shepherd; "They were like sheep without a shepherd."  And as the Good Shepherd, He taught them about life and its fullness that He offered and still offers today.  The crowds were drawn to Jesus and more so when they discovered that even touching the fringe or hem of His garment, they could be healed.

Most of us will fight a crowd to get free pizza.  All of us will fight a crowd to be made whole.  But how many of us will seek the quiet place for prayer to just touch Jesus' heart with our prayers?  Jesus is within reach; we have but to reach out and seek to touch Him.  We may think, He's too busy, when in reality we're saying we're too busy, or we're unwilling to make time to touch Jesus.  Make time.  Share with your Savior that which is making your sick.  It may be a mental issue like worry, or a symptom of an illness - give it to Jesus.  It may be an emotional issue; a precious relationship is in peril - give it to Jesus.  Whatever it is, Jesus has dealt with it before and He will surely deal with yours.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, behind my busyness, I sense the weakness in my life.  You better then me know what it is, and I turn it over to You.  May this be the touch I've been searching for; may your garment of peace, healing, and truth be that which touches me as I seek to touch You.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  May you lead others to the touch of Jesus!

Eradio Valverde

Those Who Said Yes to Jesus: Bartholomew

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Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; (Matthew 10:3)

Happy Friday to you, Friend!  Here's trusting your plans to this weekend include time with God in God's House!  And, today will be great if we listen to God as He speaks through His word and perhaps through this devotional.  May our prayer time today include prayers for Mr. Doug Smith as he undergoes a long surgery today in San Marcos.  He's set to be under the knife for 5.5 hours.  This is part of the battle against cancer.  Pray for his wife, Autumn, and their children.  Doug and Autumn have been a joy and a blessing to Nellie and our girls since we met them while I was serving First UMC in San Marcos.  May the Lord be glorified in this day with the Smith family.  Prayers for the family of Mrs. Olga Molina, a longtime family friend, servant of the Lord's from McAllen, Texas.  Olga was very active in all areas of the church; we came to know here through her involvement with youth and later through the UMW.  Prayers for the family of John Nieto.  John was the son of my first district superintendent.  He was also a known painter of Indian art in the Southwest.

All we know about this apostle is his name.  Bartholomew.  And what makes it interesting, is that some scholars believe that was his surname.  The possibilities are high that his first name was Nathanael.  Surname because it's more than likely that it follows the Jewish tradition of bar, meaning son of, and in this case, a man named Tolmai.  Although, his first name may have been Nate, we will deal with that next week.

The first three gospels never mention Nathanael.  The Fourth Gospel, John, never mentions Bartholomew.  Hmm.  In the lists in each gospel that reference Bart, it is also with Philip; and since it was Philip who brought Nate to Jesus (John 1:45), and since Philip is closely identified with Bart and Nate, it may be they're the same person.  But certain proof falls short, and Nate has been identified with many other people in the Gospel story.  

We go to tradition and legend to see what we can find out about Bartholomew.  The most interesting comes from Jerome.  Jerome shares how he believes Bart to be of noble birth.  We find in 2 Samuel 3:3 there is the mention of a Talmai who was king of Geshure, whose daughter was called Maacah, and she becomes the mother of Absalom, whom she bore to David.  And the possibility is that Bart descended from this lineage, which is a royal lineage.  The other possibility is that Bart may have been connected to Ptolemy, thus the son of Ptolemy, and the Ptolemies were the kings of Egypt, and that Bart was connected to the royal house of Egypt.  While this cannot be proved completely, the thought at the apostolic band lived in perfect harmony with the humble fishermen of Galilee.

Legend also tells us that Bart may have gone to preach in India.  Pantaenus, a stoic philosopher from Alexandria, when converted to the Christian faith went to India to preach.  He found there were already Christians there who also possessed  the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew.  He wrote, "For Bartholomew, one of the apostles, had preached to them, and left them with the writings of Matthew in the Hebrew language, which they had preserved until that time."  

He is also believed to have preached in Phrygia.  The Acts of Philip records how Philip and Bartholomew preached in Hierapolis and how Philip was martyred there; Bartholomew escaped and went to preach in other places.  These include Armenia, where the Armenian Church claims him as their founder.  It is said he met his martyrdom there in Albana.  This death was brought about because Bartholomew's preaching rendered the heathen gods powerless.  He performed many signs and wonders there, including the healing of the king's lunatic daughter; exposing the emptiness of the king's idol, and the banishing of the demon who possessed it.  The king and many others were baptized, but their priests became hostile and went to the king's brother, who had Bartholomew arrested and beaten with clubs, flayed alive, and crucified in agony.  And so, Bartholomew died a martyr for his Lord.

There exists an apocryphal Gospel of Bartholomew that tells us four questions Bart asked of Jesus and Mary between the time of Jesus' resurrection and ascension.  First question:  Where did you go Jesus from the cross?  The answer was that Jesus went to the House of Hades, scourged Hades himself, and bound him in chains that cannot be loosed.  Thus the "descent into hell" that we have.  The second question:  How many souls die and are born each day?  The numbers vary from the different manuscripts that exist; but the number is 30,000 souls die each day, and only 3 are found righteous.  30,001 souls are born each day in the world.  Bartholomew asked Mary about the Annunciation, and Mary answers that in the book.  Last question: Bartholomew asks to see the abyss and the adversary of man.  The devil is revealed to him, and Bartholomew is allowed to place his foot upon the devil's neck.  He asks about the sin agains the Holy Spirit, which Jesus answers, and at the end of the questioning, Bartholomew "took hold of the hand of the Lord the lover of men," and uttered a magnificent ascription of praise:  "Glory be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that giveth unto all the grace that all we have perceived.  Alleluia.  Glory be to Thee, O Lord, the life of sinners. Glory be to Thee, O Lord, death is put to shame.  Glory be to Thee, O Lord, the treasure of righteousness.  For unto God we sing."

Truly, a man who knew the Lord intimately, loved Him, and lived to preach and died for the faith.

PRAYER:  Loving God, grant us a stronger faith to live and share You!  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Let the name of Jesus be known in you today!

Eradio Valverde

The Less Popular Sibling...

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The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. (Psalm 24)

Good day dear friend!  May this find you blessed, refreshed and ready to go!  If not, may your time with the word of God and time in prayer re-connect you in an awesome way with the Awesome Power of God.  That's my prayer and I'm sticking to it!

Dear one, may we start our time with prayer?  I visited yesterday with The Rev. Sheldon Johnson in his hospital room.  With him was The Rev. Bill Henderson.  We spoke of old days and good times.  We prayed.  Sheldon is in good spirits, all things considered; but today will be a difficult day.  His wife, Sharon, and his 13 year old son, Ray, will be laid to rest in Mason, Texas.  Sheldon is still too weak to travel, so he will watch the committal service by FaceTime.  Pray the Lord strength and comfort Sheldon during that worship time.  Also, The Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza is facing eye surgery this coming Monday in San Antonio.  Pray for his healing through this surgery.  Tomorrow, Mr. Doug Smith, will undergo surgery in San Marcos.  Prayers for his healing as well.  Thank you for your willingness to pray!

Our passage today is Psalm 24.  As I was reading it this morning I had to tweet:  "Poor Psalm 24; the overlooked younger brother of the MOST FAMOUS psalm. I won't say it's the Billy Carter of Psalms, but man, people LOOK for the 23rd Psalm. Poor 24! 'Oh, it's right before this one!' Just saying..."  I'm aware there may be younger readers who will ask, "Who's Billy Carter?"  I dared not use one of his pictures online, so I'll leave it to Aunt Google to explain it to them.  Please do not get me wrong!  PSALM 24 IS AN AWESOME PSALM!  It is a psalm of praise of the Lord, and sings of God's mighty power and battle-readiness.  (I suggest you read it in the Message Version which is available online through biblestudytools.com).  I say again what Nellie and I learned back in March in Jerusalem:  The Bible is a book that tells God's story using geography.  It's different from most, if not all other, holy books; ours tells the important story of God connecting it to important places.  This one psalm mentions the seas, rivers, hills (mountains), ancient doors (of the Temple), gates of the holy city (Jerusalem); and the need for those gates, and those to our hearts and lives, be open to the Lord.  And it makes sense for us to read this psalm after the one who says the Lord is our shepherd!  He cannot be our shepherd if we do not open the gates of our lives to Him.  This 24th Psalm also calls us to be aware of what it takes to stand in God's holy place:  Clean hands and put hearts.  Think about those two.  Every time I celebrate the sacraments I clean my hands with hand sanitizer, but also spiritually.  I pray the Lord remove anything not holy and pure from my heart, and my hands, so that I may be the hands of God in celebrations and in life.

If we are to serve the King of Glory, we must surrender to Him on a daily basis.  The laurels of yesterday serve only as foundation for what we do today.  The echoes of past errors should have ended last night at midnight; and the new day should be the beginnings of opportunities to glorify God.  May that be our prayer based on the prayer that is Psalm 24.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank You for all the Psalms.  May the words to today's psalm fuel my day into being a day of victories in which I praise You and share You with those who are in need.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, lifting up the names above who need Your special touch and power today.  Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Open the gates of your heart and life to God today and all days!

Eradio Valverde

This was shared with the members of FUMC- Gonzales and it's an invitation to you all as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdPUZhjtTWk

David Gets Down! Momma says, "Get Up!"

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David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. It was told King David, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.’ So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the Lordhad gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. When David had finished offering the burnt-offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes. ( 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19)

Good day dear Friend! I hope this finds you ready, willing, and excited about the day's opportunities and possibilities!  "New every morning is the steadfast love and mercies of the Lord" says the book meant to lament all things!  So, start the new day with God's love and mercy for us.  What was yesterday stayed there as of midnight last night!

Ah, King David.  Slays a giant for the Lord and his country, gets a lot of money, a life-long Get Out of Jail card from the king, and, he gets the king's daughter as a wife!  The polls show him way up, and this is while he's still a boy!  As he grows older, he's now king and as part of his efforts to unify the country, he turns to an important spiritual matter; the ark of the covenant.  It's so important it inspired a series of movies with Indiana Jones!  The ark was built as a throne or chair for God.  God never wanted anything that would limit Him to one place; He wanted the world to know that He is everywhere (and He is!).  At that point in their history, the Israelites were tent people and they wondered what they could do for God.  God responds that they can build him a chair.  The ark came to represent all that was holy about their faith and in this ark, they placed the tablets of the Ten Commandments.  The ark had wondered from place to place, David finds out where it is and believes it is his duty as king to retrieve it and place it in the holy city.  So, with 30,000 of his best friends he heads to where the ark is located and brings it back.  Remember, the ark is very holy.  Only certain men would touch it and only certain people could walk in front of it.  Everything was right in the world as David leads the procession of victory as the ark is being brought back into Jerusalem.  The setting was ripe for a glorious parade; trumpets were blowing, people are cheering and waving palm branches, and David, moved by the excitement begins to dance.  The graphic above shows how the king is dressed.  It was a hot July day; Texas style, humid and hot.  The king wears a linen ephod.  He would not have been seated at most restaurants with the sign, No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service.  David wore no shoes, nor a shirt, nor anything else; he was in a festive mood!  He wanted to praise God and so as they approach Jerusalem, he begins to dance and leap!  As they walk by the palace, the first lady, Michal, daughter of Saul, the grand prize for having slain Goliath, looks out and sees her husband jumping and leaping and praising God, and does not like what she sees.  I'll leave it to your imagination or read further in this chapter to see what the conversation was like later at the parsonage, uh, I mean palace.

David had every right, I believe, to celebrate in the way he did.  This was the long-awaited victory parade in downtown Jerusalem, with news bigger and better than the Astros winning the World Series!  This was the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Championship, World Cup, and Fourth of July parades all meshed into one.  Macy's store windows are not big enough to fill all that would have been in them for this special day.  Yet, in the heart of one person, one from his own household; all was not right in the world.  David was not yet aware of this, and so he continued the celebration.  He led the sacrifices and religious obligations tied to it, then helped hand out a blessing to all the people, as well as bread for each, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.  Parade over, people happy; everyone went home.

Our worship celebrations center on God.  It is the hope of most pastors to plan and lead those services which call people to worship and praise God, united the church into a common vision and purpose, and then to send all out into the mission field to serve the Lord.  Humanly speaking, we know that not all people receive the same thing.  I won't waste time listing whines and complaints that I have heard in my over 40 years experience as pastor; I simply say, Praise the Lord and set everything else aside.  

PRAYER:  Loving God, You call us to love and serve You.  You invite us to worship You and You deserve it.  May our celebrations bring us closer to You and closer to each other.  Bless this dear reader with a renewed vision of purpose and hope; much yet still left to do.  Help us accomplish that to which we are called.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  When you have time, and nobody's watching, leap for the Lord (For some it may be only in your heart, but that counts too!)

Eradio Valverde

It's in Christ We Find Out Who We Are & What We're Living For

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How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.  Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.  Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!  He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ,  a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.  It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living,  part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.  It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free - signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit.  This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. (Ephesians 1:3-14 The Message)

Good day dear Friend!  Praying that this devotional bless and fuel your life for a marvelous day in the Lord!  Focus on Christ Jesus and His love for you; set aside any worry or doubt, anxiety or pain you feel in your spirit, and let Him bless you.  As we pray this day, please remember those who are hurting, in pain, needing health, and hope.  I ask prayers for the family of Jack Todd, a member of my former church, FUMC-Harlingen, who at 51 died of a massive heart attack. He leaves behind his wife and three daughters.  May God's comfort be with them is our prayer.

We are on the mind of God!  Thanks for reading; have a great day!  What more could I possibly add to this powerful verse?  Well, the rest of the verse might be nice, "the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love."  And this, through our adoption by God into His family.  We also need to read that we're "free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by our misdeeds." And we add, "And not just barely free, either.  Abundantly free!"  Wow!  We matter to God so much that we are on His mind, and He loves us so much we are on His heart.  And through that love we have found freedom from penalties and punishments.  What a great adoptive parent we have!  As we explore that, stop to read again the title of today's devotion, and to reflect on who we are in Jesus Christ; that will help us understand what we are living for.  Jesus freed us from our sin, and from that life that goes with sin, and He opened the prison doors to a whole new world of possibilities and opportunities to serve God and God's people.  Our mission team just got back from Costa Rica and they have returned home with much more than they gave.  That always happens; we think we're going to bless someone and we end up leaving that person or site with more blessings than we thought were possible.  As an intern minister many years ago, I had a hesitation to visit nursing homes.  In those days, they reeked to high heaven of foul odors, and were not really inviting places.  But, I had church members in those places and I wanted/needed/was ordered to visit them.  Almost every one of those people blessed me more than I thought I was going to bless them.  I went with hesitation and reservation, and left with blessings and motivation; to see more people and share more the love of God.

What we have received from God is only the tiny beginning of a huge blessing that awaits us.  This version says, it's a "signet from God," a "first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life."  Share what you have, and share it with joy.  And do it not for what you will get back, but the blessing that comes with sharing!  Someone is waiting for you.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have already shared with me.  Let me use that which I have from You to bless others and make them aware of the great gifts You have for them and me.  Give me strength and courage, give me the words.  In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Make someone's day by smiling and sharing with them.

Eradio Valverde

The Death of John the Baptist

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King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some weresaying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’ For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb. (Mark 6:14-29)

Good day dear Friend!  Here's trusting God has richly blessed you this weekend and now you're ready to bless God!  May this time of prayer and devotion speak to your head and mind, in Jesus' name, amen!

Today's passage deals with a sad chapter in Jesus' life.  His cousin, John, whom we know for what he did; John the Baptist or Baptizer, meets with an early death because of his boldness in speaking the truth.  John was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, but with the zeal of that call, he also knew to address the evils of the day, including the fact that their king, Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, was living with the wife of his brother.  They were married, but still, John saw and called it adultery.  It seems that Herod could have cared less for any label thrown on him, but his wife, Herodias (poor lady and her parents' choice for a name) did not care to be called an adulteress.  Yet, it was the truth and John shared it to the point that he was arrested.  "Honey, I'm sick and tired of that wild man outside the palace calling us names!  Have him arrested!"  was probably how that day went.  And still, the hatred festered in her heart.  We'll rewind a bit, for the passage begins after John's death with news of Jesus' power reaching Herod.  He believes him to be John the Baptist brought back to life.  There was something about John that touched Herod's heart.  He knew John to be a man of God and his messages "perplexed" Herod; yet he liked to hear him preach.  But the day of his birthday would be the day of John the Baptist's death.  Herodias, the daughter of Herodias (huh?), came and danced for her step-father, and some have said it was the Dance of the Seven Veils,  I should mention  other gospels have her named as Salome.  Either way, the dance pleased Herod and he offered to give her anything she wanted for having danced that for him, including up to half of his kingdom.  The girl goes and asks Mom what she should ask for, and for the elder Herodias it was a no-brainer; she wanted John dead.  "Ask for the head of John the Baptist."  And so it went.  Herod hated to do it, but not willing to lose face in front of his guests, has a soldier go and fulfill the task of beheading Jesus' cousin.  The humiliating touch was that Herodias wanted his head on a platter, which she got.  The disciples of John came to claim his body and buried it in a tomb.

This death greatly affected Jesus as it would have any of us.  Jesus loved his cousin and loved his ministry. He had been baptized by John and Jesus respected his work and word.  And though John was now in God's presence, the absence here touched Jesus in a sorrowful way.  John loved God so much that he was faithful to his calling and purpose, and not even the thought of death caused him to waver in that plan God had for his life.  Yesterday in church, we studied Daniel, whose faith also let him continue with faithfulness towards God, and not even death in a lions' den scared nor stopped him.  We, on the other hand...  Some of us care about what people may think, or what friends may say.  We don't want to lose our jobs or the respect of coworkers.   Many are willing to compromise their faith for the sake of face, and saving face.  That is not the Christian way.  We place God first and we seek to please God regardless of what people may say.  On that day when we stand before the Lord we want to be able to say that we stayed faithful and we spoke on God's behalf with courage and boldness.  Great will be our reward, far greater than a momentary smile or nod in our favor by our so-called friends.  

Seek then, dear friend, to live a life that blesses God and may perplex others.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, be blessed by my life.  Strengthen me to live boldly and courageously.  I seek to please You and not those around me.  Let me be the voice of reason and truth, even in the face of common held misconceptions.  When I feel down, lift me up with Thy encouragement.  This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  Smile a smile of truth as you seek to please God today!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUESTS/UPDATES: It was wonderful too see  Mr. Bob Clark was in church yesterday and his treatments for cancer continue.  May the Lord bless Bob with health.  Rev. Sheldon Johnson continues to need our prayers and if so led, our support.  A GoFundMe account has been started for him and if you're on FaceBook you can access it through my page.  Valorie Daniel's children came up to request prayer for her during the close of worship in second service.  Valorie was bitten by a copperhead this week.  She is recovering at home after an overnight hospital stay.  Nellie Valverde continues to heal, but has severe pain and nausea; prayers for her continued healing, please.  Pray for one another, pray for yourselves.

TWSYTJ: James, The Brother of John

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James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder) (Mark 3:17)

Good day dear Friend; may the blessings of the Lord Jesus and His grace be with you and yours is my prayer.  May your plans for this weekend include time to worship with other believers in the house of God.  I ask your prayers for me as I preach both services at First United Methodist Church of Gonzales.  Our series is Superheroes of the Bible, and this week's superhero is Daniel.  May the Lord bring a blessing to His Church is my prayer.

The book, The Master's Men by William Barclay begins his treatment of James with this sentence:  "James, the brother of John and the son of Zebedee, is the most tantalizingly vague figure among the twelve."  Thank you? The one thing we do know about him is that he was the first of the Twelve to die a martyr's death as recorded by Luke in Acts 12:2:  "He (King Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great) had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword."  We do know that in all the list of the apostles, his always in the top three in the list.  In two of the accounts, his name comes before John's and scholars believe it is because he was the eldest of the two.

His life is difficult to study individually, because his name always appears alongside that of John.  The two were fishermen, who worked for their father, Zebedee; apparently well-to-do because he was able to employ other men in the business.  And both James and John were called by Jesus to be His followers; and the two were part of the inner circle of Jesus on the most sacred occasions.  The two were typically impulsive and quick-tempered, a trait long associated with Galileans, and this outburst type of anger earned them the nickname, "Sons of Thunder, Boanerges."  We have read how they wished to blot out an entire Samaritan village which had refused them hospitality, and we know they asked Mommy to secure for them the two spots next to Jesus in His kingdom.

What we do have are legends about the man in other writings.  Eusebius shares a story about James in the seventh book of the lost Hypotyposes of Clement of Alexandria:  He says that the one who led James to the judgment seat, when he saw him bearing his testimony, was moved and confessed that he also was a Christian.  They were both, therefore, Clement says, led away together; and on the way he begged James to forgive him.  And he, after considering a little, said: Peace be with thee, and kissed him.  And thus they were beheaded at the same time."  So John was one of that army of noble martyrs whose faithfulness to the Lord converted even those who accused him.

Another legend has to do with magicians by the name of Hermogenes and Philetus.  The two worked together casting spells and deceiving people out of their money, but Philetus was converted by James' preaching and told Hermogenes that he was leaving that life behind.  Herme bound Phil by magical incantations and Phil was able to get word back to James.  James sends a kerchief and that cloth set Phil free from Herme's curse.  Herme then sends devils to bind James to bring him to him, but the devils returned saying they were powerless to touch "not even an ant in his chamber."  James sends the devils back to bring Herme bound; which they do and he asked to be free.  James said he would release him because he did not do "evil for evil."  Herme went home and destroyed all his books of magic and retuned back to James to ask forgiveness.  James sends him back to undo all the evil he had done and to spend in charity what he had gained in his art.  He obeyed and grew in the faith to the point he was able to perform miracles.

The above two legends point to the greatest we have about this disciple.  To this day, James is the patron saint of Spain.  The legend holds that James went to preach in Spain.  He returned back to Palestine and was executed by Herod.  His two old friends, Hermogenes and Philetus took his body on a ship from Joppa.  The next morning the ship was off the coast of Spain.  They landed at a place called Iria Flavia, today called El Patron.  James' body lay there for a long time and wonderful miracles happened just by its presence in that area.  In the 8th century, the body was lost in the barbarian assaults on Spain, only to be found in the 9th century and taken by King Alphonso the Chaste to Compostella, where it is said, it still lies.  It is also believed the Virgin Mary appeared to James when he was alive and preaching Christ, to give him strength.  An image of her still has hundreds of candles burning for their respect for what she did in their country.

We conclude  with these things:  James was a man of courage and forgiveness.  James was a man without jealousy; it was okay with him to live under the shadow of his younger brother John.  James and his brother were both men of great faith, who even though they knew Jesus to be a homeless Galilean preacher on a course bound to collide with the powers-that-be, they never doubted that Jesus was a king.  Lastly, James and John both asked for places of honor.  Jesus asked if they were willing to drink from the cup He was to drink; both said yes.  John goes to Ephesus and lives to be almost a hundred years old, dying in peace; James dies young and by the sword - yet both drank from the cup of Christ.  The Romans had a coin which had on it the picture of an ox facing an altar and a plough with the words, "Ready for either."  The Christian, like the ox, must be ready for either sacrifice on the altar, or the long routine of the plough.  One Christian died in one heroic moment; the other lives a long life of fidelity to Christ, both drank from the same cup.  Not one was superior to the other; the Christian must be ready too.

PRAYER:  Grant us faith like James, loving Father. May we serve You in all ways and in all occasions, seeking not honor nor glory, but the presence of Your company until that day we enter into Your kingdom forever.  In Christ Jesus we pray, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  May we serve Christ in all ways today and all days!

Eradio Valverde

Here's a video that I shared yesterday in case you missed it!

Great is the Lord, Worthy of Our Praise!

Image from new.goisrael.com

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.  Then the kings assembled, they came on together. As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;  trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,  as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. (Selah)  We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory. Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments. Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers, consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever. (Psalm 48)

Let the celebrations still continue!  Dear friend, may our celebrations of the greatness of God never end!  I trust you had a safe and happy Fourth of July, and as the work week continues may it be one that blesses God, us, and those who can be blessed by our thoughts, words, and actions.  

Yesterday, we read where David was asked to be king of Judah, later of both Judah and Israel, and how he moved his capital to Jerusalem from Hebron.  This is a psalm he wrote about that beautiful and significant city.  I have to confess that I never felt the need to go to Israel, but a blessing allowed Nellie and I to be there in the first part of March.  I have shared how Jerusalem so blessed us, that Nellie said she wanted to live there.  It is a beautiful city, filled with people from all over the world.  It is the center of three of the world's major religions; Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.  It is a city that allows one to feel secure; never once did we feel we were in danger.  Yes, it is a big city, so like big cities, there are places where one may not be safe; but the tourist areas are the most secure, for the residents and officials of the city recognize the impact the tourist money brings in to them and blesses them-they will take care of their tourists.  And they seek to take care of their residents.

The city is a reminder of God's presence.  To walk along its streets is to emotionally be stirred by all that happened in that city as recorded in the pages of our Bible.  To see the City of David, a small section within the city that has the remnants of David's palace is enough to make your mouth gape with wonder as to the place where this great king lived and died.  And the place where many of the psalms were written.  Jerusalem, as David wrote, "is the city of the great King," meaning God.  It is the "city of the Lord of hosts," "the city of our God, which God establishes forever."  A steady and constant reminder of God's love, and a call to worship the Lord as often as we can.  And it serves to remind our children and their children about God; who serves to guide us forever."

The photograph in today's devotional is the rebuilt wall of the old city.  It is precisely the place we took on our first and subsequent days when we walked from out hotel to the university and to begin our tours of that famous city.  One can never see it again as a place never visited, for we visited it and it blessed and touched our lives; and we praise God for that blessing, for the ones who made possible that blessing, and for all God has, is, and will do, for us.  What remains is to ask what we will do to bless the Lord in our lives?

PRAYER:  Loving God, we rejoice in the knowledge that You are everywhere; and we love that You reside in our hearts.  May our glad hearts praise You today and all days.  May You guide us to faithfulness and fruitfulness is our prayer, which we lift up in faith, and in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  May you be a source of motivation for someone to praise God today!

Eradio Valverde

King of All Israel

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Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, ‘Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. David occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inwards. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. (2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10)

Happy Fourth of July, dear Friend!  I hope your plans for today include prayers for our nation, the United States of America, and its needs.  We see a story about an important nation in the Bible in today's Biblical passage.  May it bless our hearts and minds to better serve the Lord Jesus!

The story of Israel and Judah has been an interesting one.  Made up of twelve tribes, it was in the meeting held with David in Hebron, that the northern and southern kingdoms came together as one nation, keeping the name Israel as the name of the country.  I have long seen the star of David, shown above, as the symbol of the northern and southern kingdoms having come together.  Apparently I can find no proof of this, there are about a hundred different explanations for why it was chosen; I use it as a guide or reminder of what happened in Hebron.  (And if you put that down in an essay on a test, it will be marked wrong, probably!)

Unity was what the nation needed and finally wanted. Their approach to David was, "We're all related; we're all in this together; you saw the mess we had with Saul and while he was still on the throne, you were the one doing the real work - be our king!"  Well, David was already anointed by Samuel as the next king; this made it official.  And they sealed the deal with a covenant, a three-party holy covenant, with the party of the first part being God, then Israel, then David.  I imagine the covenant was a simple one:  You shall be our king and we shall be your nation, so help us God.  Then the 30-year old is now the king of Judah, which he was for seven years; the unification of both kingdoms took place and David ruled a total of forty years.  During his reign, he moved the capital from Hebron to Jerusalem, which he named the City of David.  (Two points if you know what other city in the Bible holds that name as well?)  And the key verse:  "And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him."

God should always be involved in our lives and all aspects of our lives.  As Israel found out, David was a man of God, and to have him as king meant the presence and power of God in all the dealings of the nation. Imagine a life without God?  I cannot.  The blessings and peace in a life lived in God far outrank anything; money, power, prestige, etc. and etc.  A life lived in God is a life well lived.  It may be said of you that "you became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with you."

PRAYER:  Loving God, we thank You for all the blessings you have shared with us.  As a country, The United States of America is richly blessed and we pray for Your guidance in how we are to best live out our purpose not just for ourselves, but for the whole world.  Bless this dear reader and all that they are facing; bless the sick, the hungry, the naked, the thirsty, the lost, the prisoner, and those who should minister to them.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  May you be a blessing of life blessed by God to all you meet!

Eradio Valverde

For Whenever I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong!

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I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:2-10)

Dear one, I am thankful that last year, which was yesterday is over!  It seemed like a year; I even slept in today, arising at 6:05!  If I were a farmer, I'd be fired!  I am a sower, and so please dock my pay.  I'll share what made last year, I mean yesterday, what it was.  I awoke with the reality that that was the day of Nellie's second surgery in such a short time; June 5th foot surgery, July 1, wrist surgery to repair what came about because of foot surgery.  Then the text with the photo of a posting that I had to read three times before I could even grasp that it was real.  A dear friend and colleague in ministry, Rev. Sheldon Johnson, had in one accident on Sunday night; the first day of his retirement, lost his family.  His wife and son, killed, and he badly injured, as was his sister-in-law.  No way!  Interesting how our minds go to that or similar phrases when confronted with news you don't want to hear or read about.  No way!  I thank God, Almighty God, that Nellie's surgery went well, with the exception of a high pulse rate at the end, that medication brought down quickly enough and we were home.  She's still sleeping.  Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers.  It made last year, I mean, yesterday so much easier to endure.

The Apostle Paul had worse days that last year.  Yet, through it all he had his eyes and mind on two options all the time.  Reread the first verse above again; he's thinking of the first option that he looks so forward to - Heaven.  He heard from a man he knows, tell of a near-death experience or vision of some sort, that gave that man a glimpse of something Paul had already experienced and he knew to be his final and eternal destination; that made him so happy he wanted to shout and boast about it; but he refrained.  He did write it down so we could know and we could be comforted; there is a reality that awaits those who live in the Lord; for they will die in the Lord and be with the Lord forever.  Paul had a joy about life since he met Jesus (as should we!).  He was a very aggressive man, a successful man in his first career - that of putting Christians to death and in prison; and he took the same oppressive skills and made them evangelistic skills.  But something troubled this dear servant of God, something scholars have no real idea what it was, and something we add to the list of People to Look Up and Ask Questions About:  "Say, Paul!" which I would say with the same tremble and fear that young girls used to say to The Beatles, but it's not Sir Paul, but THE Paul, the Apostle Paul, "What was the thorn in your flesh?"  I would also ask, if the answer did not satisfy me, "What made you call it 'a Messenger of Satan'?"  And, as we further read, he prayed to the Lord three times about it, and God's answer was that His grace was sufficient for him, as it is for us; and that His power is made perfect in weakness.  Ponder that.  There are some days, like yesterday, that we cannot ever fully explain nor understand, but at our weakest, Christ is His strongest.  And we can brag on that so that that power of Christ Jesus be in us.  Paul's list of "years" that he endured for the sake of the Gospel is long, but he shortens it for our sake:  Besides weaknesses, there were insults, hardships (too numerous to list), persecutions (imagine both your former colleagues and your enemies trying to kill you!), and calamities.  Then the title of today's devotional, and that which blesses us: "For whenever I am weak, then I am strong."  Bam!  Nothing can come out way that will ever weaken Jesus in us.  Our pains may still haunt us, but not our memory; those things we have turned over to the Lord.  Our walk may not be the spring in our step that we once enjoyed, but we move steadily forward and upward.  Paul could see, as should we, the outstretched arms of a loving Savior; for He both embraces and strengthens our walk and guides us to that for which we long.

PRAYER:  Loving God, for the "years" we have had to endure in the last month or so of our lives, we are thankful above all else, for You.  Stay with us.  Put up with us.  Be strong in us. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.  Even if it seems a year, today is the present God gave us; make the best of it for His sake.  Nothing will ever make Jesus weak in us!

Eradio Valverde

PRAYER REQUEST:  Please continue in prayer for Rev. Sheldon Johnson.  He underwent his first surgery yesterday to repair his left ankle, today at 10:50 or so, he undergoes his second surgery.  There are others he will have to endure and the reality of having lost his family will be his soon; pray the Lord make him strong and share with him, His comfort.  For our brother Bob Clark.  I spoke with him late last night; he is in Houston and shared how today will be a long day of treatments as will Thursday.  Tomorrow he gets a day of rest.  May he beat this cancer!  And continued prayers for Nellie Valverde as she recovers.  She received a nerve block which deadened his arm for about a week, and has it in a sling; her fear is the pain that will come when it awakens.  Pray for one another, pray for yourself.

You Are the Equipment!

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He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Maryand brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. (Mark 6:1-13)

Dear Friend!  Thank you for starting your day with God!  Actually, any time with God is a blessings; but I find I start my days off better if I spend time in prayer and God's word.  I pray you made time to worship the Lord with other believers at the church of your choice, and that you're planning even now to be in church next Sunday.  As we pray today, please keep Mr. Bob Clark in prayer as he has started cancer treatments; also for my wife, Nellie, as she undergoes surgery this afternoon at 1 pm in San Antonio.

There are two parts to this passage; the rejection Jesus received from His hometown, and the sending of the Twelve out to do ministry.  It seems that on the pain of rejection can come mission and purpose.  Let's focus on the rejection.  I wonder how many of you still live in the same town?  How many of you have never left for any reason?  And if you did move, did you have a say in that move?  I've shared how economic realities of the mid-60s made necessary our move from Kingsville to Houston.  Had I had a vote I would have voted to stay.  Given the wisdom of the move, now I would change my vote.  How many of you still attend the very same church you did as a child?  Again, because of the impact my tiny church in Kingsville had on my life, I would have voted to stay in Kingsville precisely because of the church; however, looking back it was an awesome move.  If you've moved away for any reason and then come back, your experiences may have varied, but some of you may identify with Jesus' dilemma.  Jesus returns home and does His thing.  The hometown folks praise Him in one breath and with another they criticize Him.  They would never forget that Jesus was the son of a carpenter, nor who HIs family was.  All the wrinkles and pimples had been counted and never forgotten; and Lord have mercy on those families where a member, however distant, ever broke the law or committed a deed that would never be forgotten!  The oppressive spirit of that crowd kept Him from doing His thing in the way folks expected.  I almost titled today's devotion, "Is Jesus amazed at your unbelief?" because of the verse that says, very sadly, "And He was amazed at their unbelief."  

Jesus continued His mission going from village to village teaching.  And He reached a point where He decided the disciples were ready to go and try their hand at ministry.  Sending them out two by two, with complete authority over unclean spirits, he prepared them by saying they needed no special equipment for this ministry, for as The Message version says, "You are the equipment."  In other words, use your gifts to bless people.  Open your mouth and words will flow out with God's words.  Visit with all you can, and stay as long as you feel there is a need, and then leave.  Early in my days as a superintendent I received a call from a church who had a "serious" problem.  Their pastor did not know how to have short visits with families.  Now, some of you would welcome that, others, not so much.  I remember my professor saying these words about home and hospital visits, "Leave them wanting more!"  And I try to still practice that.  Jesus said that if any place did not welcome them, the disciples were to leave, shake the dust off their feet "as a testimony against them," and go start over some place new.  Their mission was a success; many repented of their sins, many demons were cast out, and many who were sick were made whole.

You and I have a daily mission service project to do.  Just like the disciples, everywhere we go, whomever we see, we should find an opportunity to share God's word with them.  It may just be a word of hope or encouragement; it may simply be an "I understand, and I'm praying for you" phrase.  There is lots, I repeat, LOTS of work still to be done and in some of the least likely places you can imagine.  One may just simply need to walk across the room or across the street.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, for the joy of Jesus, we are thankful.  Help us to share with those in need that same joy You have shared with us.  This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!  You are the equipment; use it!

Eradio Valverde