Break Free!

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10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." 15 But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. (Luke 13:10-17 NRSV)

Eighteen years. Let that number settle in your heart for a moment. Eighteen years of looking down instead of up. Eighteen years of seeing feet instead of faces, dust instead of sky. This unnamed woman carried not just physical affliction, but the accumulated weight of social invisibility, religious exclusion, and daily humiliation.

Yet something remarkable happens in this passage: Jesus sees her. In a culture where women, especially disabled women, were often overlooked, Jesus notices. He doesn't wait for her to cry out, to push through crowds, or to prove her worthiness. He simply sees her need and acts.

But here's where the story gets uncomfortable for us. The religious leaders are indignant—not because a woman suffered for eighteen years, but because Jesus chose to heal her on the Sabbath. They had grown so attached to their interpretation of God's law that they couldn't celebrate God's mercy when it appeared right before them.

How often do we find ourselves in the same position? How often do our rigid expectations of how God should work blind us to how God is actually working? We can become so invested in our theological boxes, our denominational boundaries, our cultural preferences, that we miss the very presence of Christ moving among us.

Jesus calls the religious leaders "hypocrites," pointing out that they would untie their animals to give them water on the Sabbath, yet they begrudge freedom for a "daughter of Abraham" who has been bound for nearly two decades. The logic is devastating: if compassion for livestock is acceptable, how much more should we celebrate the liberation of a human being created in God's image?

This challenges us to examine our own hearts. What have we allowed to become more important than human dignity and freedom? What rules, traditions, or comfort zones have we elevated above love? Where might we be hindering rather than helping God's work of healing and restoration in the world?

The woman's immediate response to healing is profound—she stands up straight and praises God. There's something beautiful about the connection between physical healing and spiritual worship. When we experience God's liberating power in our lives, praise becomes as natural as breathing.

But notice that her healing doesn't just affect her—it affects the entire community. The religious leaders are put to shame, and "the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing" (v. 17). Freedom is contagious. When one person is liberated, it creates ripple effects that can transform entire communities.

We all have our bent places—areas where we've been curved inward by pain, fear, shame, or simply the weight of living in a broken world. Some of our ailments are visible, others hidden. Some we've carried for eighteen years, others for eighteen days. But the same Jesus who saw and healed this woman sees us too.

The question is: Are we willing to let him straighten what has been bent? Are we ready to stand tall and praise God, even if it makes others uncomfortable? And perhaps most challengingly, are we prepared to celebrate when others experience the same liberation we long for ourselves?

PRAYER: Gracious God, like the woman in this story, we come before you carrying the weight of our bent places—the areas where pain, fear, and brokenness have curved us inward and downward. Open our eyes to see your presence among us, even in unexpected moments and places. Give us the courage to stand straight when you call us to freedom, and help us celebrate liberation wherever we encounter it, even when it challenges our expectations. May we be people who see others as you see them—beloved children worthy of dignity, healing, and hope. Through Christ our liberator, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, look for someone who has been "bent over"—perhaps by circumstances, systemic injustice, or simply the weight of daily struggles. Practice the ministry of seeing: notice them as Jesus noticed the woman in the synagogue. Then ask yourself: How might God be calling you to participate in their liberation? It might be through advocacy, practical help, a kind word, or simply the gift of being truly seen and valued. Let the healing of this ancient woman inspire contemporary acts of compassion and justice in your own community.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Restoration God

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1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! 8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; 11 it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River. 12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. 14 Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15 the stock that your right hand planted. 16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. 17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. 18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 NRSV)

Our God is a God of Life. Newness and Life. Compassion and Love. Fresh Starts and Second Chances. The Author of the unfinished book, but Who is still writing; each stroke brings something wonderful and unexpected. Our God is the God who calls and sends. Our God equips the saints willing to serve and some of the transformations are incredible. Our God has heard all the excuses in the world and counters those which need changing. The call may not be to lead a mega church or preach in arenas; but a call to love your neighbor is just as important if not more. The call to walk across the aisle in church to shake the hand of the brother or sister you've come to consider an enemy rather than a spiritual sibling; can and should be made. You may be called to spend time with your family and away from the phone. The psalmist is sharing his call to God, Who has been calling us all along.

Ask any honest preacher why she is a preacher and she will tell you a story of transformation. Ask any honest lay leader, Sunday school teacher, youth counselor, etc., and you will hear the tales of God's involvement in lives, many unsuspecting, and how God brought those changes and the blessings began flowing.

The psalmist cries out to the Shepherd of Israel—the One who led His people like a flock and planted them like a choice vine. God had tenderly uprooted His people from Egypt, clearing the land and allowing them to take root and flourish. But now, the vineyard lies vulnerable, its walls broken, its branches ravaged by enemies.

This passage forces us to wrestle with two truths:

God is both the loving planter who delights in His vineyard and the righteous Judge who allows it to experience the consequences of neglecting Him.

Restoration is possible, but it requires honest repentance and a turning back to Him.

The refrain “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved” is more than a poetic cry—it’s a declaration of dependence. It says, “We cannot fix this on our own. We need Your presence, Your mercy, Your power.”

Our lives, too, can be like that vineyard—once flourishing under God’s care, but vulnerable when we let down the walls of prayer, compromise our obedience, or pursue self-reliance. The good news is that the same God who plants and prunes is also the One who restores and revives. But He calls us to return, not halfway, but fully—our hearts, our wills, our lives.

PRAYER: Lord, You are my Shepherd and the Gardener of our souls. We confess the places where we have allowed the walls to crumble and the weeds to grow. Shine Your face on us again. Uproot what is harmful, strengthen what is weak, and cause us to bear fruit that lasts. Restore our joy, renew our faith, and make our lives a vineyard that honors You. In Jesus’ strong name we pray, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Identify one “broken wall” in your walk with God this week. Bring it before Him in prayer and invite His restoring work to begin there.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Song of the Vineyard

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1 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. 3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” 7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. (Isaiah 5:1-7 NIV)

Friends, as we pray, please pray for the family of Mr. Hector Cruz, beloved neighbor and friend, who died Sunday of a cardiac arrest. May God's comfort be with his wife, Terri, and their beautiful family. Hector will be laid to rest in his beloved Colorado.

My father found time to plant and grow trees and shrubs and plants of all kinds in our yard in Kingsville, Texas. One time it was a China Apple tree, or so we called it; tiny, semi-sweet apples would come forth and soon were gone. Hmm, I wonder why? We had a huge pomegranate shrub that yielded very sweet pomegranates that we enjoyed thoroughly consuming. We had carnation plants that brought forth nice flowers that my Mom and grandma loved on Mother's and Father's Day. I once planted watermelon seeds and had a nice watermelon that was slightly bigger than a football and very sweet. There's something to be said about the earth bringing forth new life, more especially edible life or life that can fill the air with awesome aromas. And for Israel, nothing said more about its own life than that of a vineyard, which were common to them. In 1962, a Yale School of Divinity professor, Dr. B. Davie Napier, wrote a book with that name, Song of The Vineyard, as an introduction to the theology of the Old Testament. The author went on to become president of Pacific School of Religion; and it sets out a way for people to more fully understand God's work among the people called Israelites. God is the owner and planter of the vineyard. He loves it. And later in scripture we meet God's Son, Jesus, Who says He is the true vine. The writer of this passage has him singing to God a love song about this vineyard. It sits on a fertile hillside and it has been cleaned up and made ready for its purpose. A watchtower is set in it as are winepresses; the only thing missing is a crop of good grapes. The poor vineyard could only bring forth bad fruit, aka sour grapes. I pause to mention this is the right season in our grocery store for the most sweet and delicious white grapes, which I personally prefer; but the days leading to the perfect crop some days bring not-so-good, not so sweet grapes.

God, as He talks with those living in Jerusalem that He has done all He could yet the crops are not what God desires. The only thing left is to bring about destruction, headed towards a wasteland; an unpruned non-cultivated land that will soon share its fertile land with briers and thorns and clouds will only pass over that land. The reason? The nation gave up being a just land choosing instead to be a land of bloodshed. God looked for righteousness and only heard cries of those in trouble, hurting; giving up.

This isn’t just ancient poetry—it’s a sobering reminder of the deep relationship God longs to have with His people, and the disappointment when His care is met with rebellion or neglect. In the story, the vineyard is Israel, but today it could easily be us—our lives, churches, and communities. God has given us everything needed to bear the fruit of justice, mercy, and righteousness. What are we producing?

Bad fruit comes when we lose our focus on Him, when our priorities shift toward self-interest, or when we grow complacent. Good fruit grows when our roots sink deep into His Word, when we are attentive to His voice, and when we love as He loves.

Isaiah’s warning is clear: God expects His vineyard to yield fruit worthy of His care. The question is—what will He find when He comes to inspect the harvest in our lives? When will we begin to truly do what God wants from us? What will it take for us to become the desired vineyard of the Lord?

PRAYER: Lord, You have poured out Your love, care, and provision over our lives. Forgive us for the times we’ve allowed weeds of sin and self-interest to grow in our hearts. Tend the soil of our souls. Prune what is unfruitful. Help us to bear fruit that honors You—fruit of love, justice, mercy, and humility. May our lives be those vineyards that brings You joy. In Jesus’ strong name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Examine your “vineyard” this week. Ask God to show you one area where He desires more fruit—and be intentional in nurturing it through prayer, obedience, and love.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio.Valverde, Jr.

Run With Perserverance

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29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 11:29-12:2 NRSV)

A tremendous Tuesday, Friend! Make it a day of prayer filled with power and passion for Jesus! Lift high His name with those who seek healing, new lives, new opportunities, new relationships, and new ministry venues. Make it a day you spend with Jesus so that others may come to know Him.

As a child I ran everywhere I could. I loved to run but I also loved to eat and thus my body never really reflected a discipline life of exercise. Oh well. I enjoyed running and riding my bike. And years later in Houston as I tried out for the school's football team I was told I needed to run a mile under seven minutes. Upon hearing it it scared me a bit, but as I thought about it and talked to others interested in the team as well, we decided that if we could keep a certain pace we would make it. The pace we determined would be one, two, three, four, and repeat, one, two, three, four. I started to have faith in myself, that with God's help, I could make the team. And I did.

The writer of Hebrews continues with his masterpiece on faith. It's an encouraging who'w who and what's up of what things faith made possible in the Old Testament. The people of Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry land; the Egyptians were not so lucky. Faith saw impenetrable walls fall; and women of questionable morals had her life turned around to be included in the lineage of Jesus! And on and on reads the list of what could happen, happen because of faith. Even to the prophets who endured suffering—each story testifies that faith is not passive. It moves forward, even when the path is costly.

By the time we reach chapter 12, the imagery shifts to a race. We are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses”—those who have already finished their course. Their example is meant to inspire, but not to distract. The focus is clear: fix your eyes on Jesus, and run the race at God's pace.

The race of faith requires both endurance and shedding. Each of us can and should run that race. Endurance is needed because the road is long and often uphill. And as we run, we need to shed those uncessary burdens be they sins, fears, or distractions because they will weigh us down and will slow us down if we cling to them. The call is to travel light, unentangled, and wholly focused on Christ.

Jesus is not only the one who begins our faith (“pioneer”) but also the one who brings it to completion (“perfecter”). He ran His own race with joy, even when it meant the agony of the cross, because He knew what lay beyond—the redemption of His people and the glory of God.

The challenge for us is to run with that same focus. The invitation is to remember that we do not run alone. The witnesses cheer us on, Christ runs before us, and His Spirit strengthens us every step of the way.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Thank You for the cloud of witnesses whose lives inspire us to endure. Help us to lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely. Strengthen our hearts to run with perseverance, eyes fixed on You, no matter the cost. May our lives bring glory to the Father as we follow Your path. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Run your race with endurance—eyes fixed on Jesus, heart free from all that would hold you back.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Jesus: The Fire in Your Life

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49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” 54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? (Luke 12:49-56 NIV)

Dear Friend, As we pray today, please add to your prayers, Mr. Clay Pace has asked "Please pray for a friend of mine Pete Jauer. He's 84 years old and has become weaker to the point of his Dr's hinting to him that he's just winding down. He called me yesterday and told me he will live or die and he's alright with either as he a man of strong faith." May God's will be done in Brother Jauer's life. Pray for one another; pray for your needs.

Just yesterday I heard the story of the most insignificant, but most influential man in Christian history. It concerned a revival being held by the Evangelist Mordecai Ham who had filled his tent with interested people from North Carolina In November, 1934. Two fourteen year old boys were walking by intrigued by what they were hearing, but when they peeked inside the tent they determined there wasn't any room for them and so continued walking away. An usher saw the boys and ran after them and said, "Boys, I can find you two seats near the front!" The two stayed and followed the man to their seats. As they heard the bold proclamation of God's love, they both walked to the front and surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus. The two boys were Grady Wilson and Billy Graham. Billy, as you well know, became an evangelist who preached the gospel to almost a billion people around the world. Grady became a key associate in The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The person sharing the story asked what would have become if that one usher did not take it as his job to bring the boys back? The fire in the usher's heart for his job is precisely what Jesus is talking about in this passage. The usher's fire brought about the first in Billy's heart that led him to preach the word that reached the world. My bride shared how when she knew that Billy was going to be on TV she would not miss a broadcast of Mr. Graham's sermons.

Slave-trader John Newton is another figure in history, whose life was changed for the better when he realized the importance and power of God in his life. It led to his conversion and his rejection of humans owning other humans, and eventually he gave up his job as a ship's captain and led him to writing the famous hymn many of us love, Amazing Grace, a personal reflection on God's power to transform.

These words of Jesus are jarring. We often picture Him as the gentle Shepherd, the Prince of Peace. Yet here, He speaks of fire, division, and urgency. This is not the soothing language of comfort—it is the sharp call of confrontation.

The “fire” Jesus speaks of is both purifying and refining. Fire reveals what is true, burning away what is false. When Christ comes into a life, things cannot stay the same. His presence forces a choice: Will we align with His truth, or resist it?

Jesus knew that His mission would divide even the closest of relationships. The peace He offers is not the shallow peace of avoiding conflict, but the deep peace that comes through surrender to God—sometimes at great cost. Following Him will mean parting ways with values, priorities, and sometimes even people who pull us away from obedience.

The crowd listening to Jesus could predict tomorrow’s weather but failed to recognize the spiritual moment right before them. The challenge remains for us: Do we see what God is doing in our time, or are we distracted by everything else?

This passage is both invitation and warning. Jesus is inviting us to be part of His refining work, to let His fire consume our self-reliance, our compromise, and our comfortable faith. But He warns that ignoring the urgency of His call is dangerous. The time to choose is now.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are the refining fire our souls need. Forgive us for wanting a comfortable faith instead of a courageous one. Burn away everything in us that resists Your will. Give us discernment to see what You are doing in our time, and the courage to follow wherever You lead—even when it costs us. Kindle Your fire in us, and let it spread. In Your powerful name, Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Don’t settle for a lukewarm faith. Let Christ’s fire refine you, awaken you, and set you wholly apart for Him.

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Come Now, Let Us Reason Together

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Let Go and Let God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The God Who Turns Things Around

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Love That Will Not Let Go!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

A New Way of Living

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

View devo: https://bit.ly/3H3QRFg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

paypal.me/eradiovalverde

Treasures Towards God

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

View devo: https://bit.ly/46ZvwXZ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Remember for Revival and Renewal

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Message paraphrases verses 8-9 this way:

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Living Sermon Prop?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

Fall In Love with Jesus!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Lord's Prayer 2.0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you,

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Better Choice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love you and I thank God for you!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

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