PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - February 1

2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

The promises in God's word are for our benefits. He is faithful and he knows that as we go through times of uncertainties we will react with fear. We need his strength so that we can get through the hard times.

God's protection of us goes all the way to the very source. God protects us from the evil one. In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples ended with, 'deliver us from the evil one'; the Apostle Peter wrote that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

Let us always remember that we never have to face evil or the source of evil alone. The Lord is
faithful .

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 31

Ephesians 2:6
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,.

For the believer Christ Jesus is everything we want and need. To be raised up with Christ we had to die with him. He became sin who knew no sin so that we may become his righteousness. This was the greatest exchange ever. He took my sins and gave me his righteousness.

Not only did we rise with him but God seated us in the heavenly realms with him. He transferred our citizenship from earth to heaven. He gave us a new nature and we passed  from death to life.

We have a glorious heritage; there is no need to bow our heads in shame; when we are being persecuted we have no reason to fear death because we already have our reservations in heaven.

When we know for sure that we are in Christ Jesus, we can be confident that we have nothing to fear.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 30

Luke 12:7
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

There have always been troublesome times in earth's history. Every generation has some horror story to tell. Wars, natural disasters, famines, violence in our neighborhoods, fear, incurable diseases and list goes on.

World empires rise and they fall. Kings and rulers are only temporary. Life on earth is temporary. How are believers supposed to deal with the uncertainty of living in this changing world?

God's word always has the answer. Jesus told his followers that not even one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father's knowledge and we are worth more than a whole lot of sparrows. Whatever is happening to us he already knows. Our Father continually and consistently watches over us. We don't ever have to be afraid.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 29

1 Corinthians 15:51
Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.

Here is a verse that contains an absolute statement: WE WILL ALL BE CHANGED. We will not all die physically but we will all be changed. Our bodies will be changed from this weak, mortal, sinful body to a perfect, immortal, righteous body.

As long as we are living in our physical body here on this earth we will never achieve spiritual perfection. We have to fight our human nature constantly as the war within continues. The things we do not want to do supersede the things we want to do.

By the grace of God we will win the war one day. Our change will come and our battles will be over. If we die before the return of our conquering King he will reunite our souls with our perfect bodies but if we are still alive we will be changed into our perfect bodies instantly.

What a glorious future awaits us!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 28

Psalm 139:13
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

The sovereign hand of God can be seen in our lives from the miracle of conception to the birth of a child and from the cradle to the grave. Many things could go wrong as we are being formed - from miscarriages (intentional or unintentional) to being stillborn at birth.

It is only by the sovereign will of God that we can take our place in this world as functional human beings navigating the pitfalls of life from childhood to adulthood.

God is sovereign over all life and all life is important in his eyes. The hungry homeless child is just as important as the child being formed in the mother's womb. God continues to form and shape us throughout our entire lives.

We are considered worthy servants when we seek to protect all lives even the lives of our enemies because life did not originate with us. Life is a gift from the sovereign hand of GOD.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 27

Psalm 52:8
For I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.

The Psalmist also wrote, 'Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trust in him.' When I look at my personal relationship with God I sometimes ask the question, 'do I know deep in my soul and in my heart that God is truly good?'

Growing up in a religious environment we sometimes tend to take these words for granted because we hear them all the time and it is always a good practice to examine our relationship with God.

Is it a secure, loving, trusting relationship?
When life gets a little rough do I know that I am sustained by God?
When my life on earth is over do I know for sure that I will meet a loving Father who is waiting to welcome me home?

Let us taste and see that the Lord is truly good and that His love never fails.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 26

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

What is the price of forgiveness? It cost Jesus everything he had to be able to forgive us of our sins. Forgiveness is a gift from God, totally free on our part because the price was paid at Calvary.

The exhortation is to be kind. It takes kindness to he able to forgive. When we have been wronged by someone the last thing we feel is kindness but in order to forgive we must first be kind.

We are asked to be compassionate. We have to feel a compassionate stirring in our souls for the person who have wronged us before we are able to completely forgive.

We forgive each other the way God forgave us. Totally, completely, unconditionally and accepting the other person back into our lives in Christ. If we cannot forgive the relationship is broken.

When we truly forgive we are allowing the other person the choice to wrong us again.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 25

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.

There are times when we feel misunderstood, all alone and as if we don't belong with a certain group or in a certain place. Jesus words to his disciples make it clear that no matter the circumstances on earth, as long as we believe in him we will always belong to him. We do not ever have to feel like orphans.

The Psalmist wrote that even if our parents forsake us God never will. He will never leave us. When I became his child I chose to belong to him.

One of the greatest feelings in this world is to know that there is always somewhere I can call home. Knowing that I am not an orphan means that there is always somewhere I belong. I am always kept safe in the arms of Jesus.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 24

Romans 8:24-25
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

What's in a name? I can only imagine the despair and agony that caused this mother to name her baby, 'Little Hope'. But then again, perspective is everything. Her name was not 'No Hope' but 'Little Hope'. The truth is: the size of your hope really doesn't matter. As long as you have HOPE you will have a reason to go on.

The Apostle Paul is telling the believers in Rome that as creation groans for perfection there is hope that the change will come. As they hope for a perfect body they had to be patient waiting for it.

Hope is seen in the promise of the rainbow. The storm may be fierce, the rain may seem unending but when the rainbow appears we know that the worse is over. Heaven touches earth and gives us hope.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 23

2 Chronicles 20:17
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing. There is something inside us that says 'we must fight, we must get involved, we have to take care of it'. Sitting or standing still is not the answer we want to hear. Courage calls for involvement except when it calls for a different approach.

The army of King Jehoshaphat was ready to fight knowing that they would probably all be slaughtered in a couple of hours. They would go down fighting. God had a different plan. His plan included being prepared for battle but turning it into a praise and worship session.

'Give thanks to the Lord for his mercy endures forever', they proclaimed over and over again. And as they sang, the Lord turned the hearts of their enemies against each other.

The Lord is still capable of fighting our battles today!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 22

2 Chronicles 20:12
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you."

There is a raw, emotional honesty in these words. 'We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you'. As we face life situations we come across many instances that will make us repeat these words again and again.

As we face losses due to death, divorce, unemployment and poor health, we may look around many times and cannot find the answer. It is only when we look up and turn our focus on God that we are empowered to take the next step.

When we are raised with a somewhat legalistic view of God, we may hesitate to bring our problems to him because we feel that it is somehow our fault that we are suffering. Choices we made may have caused the problems but our God is merciful, loving and forgiving. We do not have to suffer needlessly when the answer is in our grasp the whole time.

Let us keep these words in the forefront of our thoughts. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 21

2 Chronicles 20:15
He said: "Listen King Jehosaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's.

What a timely reminder today for the believers' heart! We look around and for a moment we may lose sight of the promised victory because of what is temporary. We get so caught up in the world's affairs and somehow think that we have to do something about what we feel is wrong and unjust.

Let us be reminded today that no matter what we see happening around us, THE BATTLE IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE LORD'S. He has not walked away from us and we may not fully understand his ways. But as long as we are on the Lord's side which is always the side of mercy, justice and love for the suffering masses of humanity, we will be victorious.

May we not lose heart today but like the army of King Jehoshaphat let us hold on to God's promises for we know that His words never fail!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 20

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

I try to read into this verse the idea that sins should always be exposed, we should confess our sins openly, know that whatever is done in the dark will come to light, be sure our sins will find us out.

I am not sure this is what Peter is trying to tell us. He was present with Jesus when the woman who was caught in adultery was dragged before him. His accusers were urging Jesus to make a decision about whether she should be stoned or not as Moses commanded. Jesus replied, 'he who is without sin cast the first stone', ignored their questions but started writing in the sand. One by one they left and the woman was alone before Jesus.

What I am learning from this verse is that when I acknowledge I am a sinner and you do the same, judging each other becomes a lose/lose situation. When I extend to you acceptance and forgiveness, we both win.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 19

1Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him for he cares for you.

Worry and anxiety are part of our human experience. The news is usually not about good things but always information that causes more questions, more sorrows, more fears. There is not a single day that we can say, 'I have no concern or worry today'.

In the midst of this here is a verse from the heart of the Apostle Peter. He has had more than his share of anxiety. He knew what it felt like to be a wanted man by the Jews and the Romans.
He was with Jesus the night he was arrested; he witnessed his crucifixion and his resurrection. Not a day went by that he didn't wish to be with Jesus. He remembered clearly his words, 'Let not your heart be troubled'.

Peter knew exactly what he was talking about when he wrote these words. The only way to get rid of our anxiety and worry is to cast them like a net into the vast ocean of love and care that comes from Jesus. When we pull that net back in the catch of the day will be joy, peace, love and abundant living.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 18

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

This is the best motivation to get through those rather challenging tasks made even more so because of dealing with difficult people in our lives.

There are many situations from which we would like to walk away but when we remember that it is Christ we are serving our attitude changes.

If we do everything with a grateful heart, a positive mental attitude and an optimistic point of view, we find that it is easier to get through each day.

There are lessons to be learned from all our experiences preparing us for bigger tasks. Let us not waste our valuable time lamenting and complaining. The reward that is coming our way for a job well done will be worth more than we can even imagine.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 17

Isaiah 42:3
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.

This prophecy was foretold about the coming Messiah, the anointed one, God with us, Immanuel, Jesus. He did not come to this world to condemn or judge. He came to bring forgiveness of sins, acceptance of sinners and salvation to all who asks.

He met many bruised people in his three years of ministry - lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, adulterers, sick, paralyzed and even demon possessed and he never turned them away. He fulfilled this prophecy over and over again.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and he is still taking care of bruised people today. He is careful not to break us when we come to him bruised.

Let us be like Jesus as we deal with the people God brings into our lives. Let us not be quick to condemn and judge but accepting and welcoming all in Jesus name.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 16

John 14:27
My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus, as he was getting ready to complete his purpose and mission was encouraging his disciples with these words. After living in this world for close to 33 years he knew how easy it would be for his followers to get discouraged.

Following the world and living according to its principles is not a good idea if you are looking beyond the temporary. The peace the world gives has an expiration date like everything else. The new car promised guaranteed satisfaction and it works until the new car smell is gone or a newer model is rolled out. The dream job on which people spend years of preparation becomes a minefield of office politics; the perfect mate turns out to be someone that is human after all. Temporary satisfaction and momentary peace is really this world's motto.

The peace that Jesus is talking about is far different. It is a lasting peace because it comes from above. It is a peace that does not depend on this world's philosophies. In fact, it is a peace that defies human understanding. It is a peace that takes away fear and keeps our hearts from being troubled. It is a peace that looks beyond temporary satisfaction. It doesn't take away earthly troubles but it directs the heart to the only ONE who can give permanent peace because he created it. The way to have this peace is to humbly ask for it by faith.
Do not be afraid, do not be troubled! Seek this gift of peace today.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 15

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

What wondrous words on which to meditate each morning! 'The Lord's compassions never fail.' We can go to the throne of grace every day and know that there is nothing that can separate us from his great love.

We may be lured into tempatations; proved unfaithful; failed to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and may even forget that we are citizens of God's kingdom. But God never forgets who we are. His faithfulness is great. His forgiveness flows from his unending streams of mercy for his children.

The Apostle Paul asked in Romans 8:35 'Who can separate us from the love of Christ? The answer is NOTHING. There is nothing past, present or future that will ever change the heart of God towards his children.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 14

Exodus 33:14
The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Moses was tired! He was weary in his soul, stressed that he was given a task that he did not choose. He was content being a shepherd. He had gotten used to life away from the luxury of Egypt.
Moses had  reluctantly obeyed and accepted his role as the leader of the Israelites but they were a hard people to lead. At every turn they lamented leaving Egypt and they blamed him for everything that went wrong.
As a result of this, Moses had developed a close relationship with God and depended on HIS PRESENCE to give him peace and reassurance that everything would turn out great. The people would eventually reach the Promised Land and all would be well.
He was not prepared for God's burning anger against the people for worshiping the golden calf; he was not prepared to hear that God was thinking of starting over with a different plan; he was not prepared for God's Presence to be taken away.
He knew that God's Presence was the only thing that made it all worthwhile. He was not prepared to go anywhere without God's Presence.
Do we feel the same way about God's Presence today? Do we know that the only way to have rest is to be in HIS PRESENCE?

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 13

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Where did we get the idea that the Lord God is a mean, punishing God who is always on patrol trying to catch us doing wrong?

Where did the lie that God gleefully waits to get us for every wrong thing that we do come from?

I have been a student of Scripture since I learned to read at 4 years old and I have never come across this horrible mean God.

The God that I have discovered is a God of bountiful love, compassion and mercy. He cares more about ME than he cares about my sinful habits and behaviors. When I go to him in tears because 'I messed up again', he reassures me that one day this fleshly, weak body of mine will be transformed into a glorious body and sin will be a thing of the past.

He tells me in the meantime, not to fear because he is with me, not to be discouraged because he will strengthen and help me, he will hold me up with his righteous and steadfast, loving hand.

Seriously, where did this mean, horrible, 'can't wait to get you' false god come from?

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 12

1Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

It brings great delight to the child of God to read these words. What joy to know that we are chosen. We did not happen by coincidence or happenstance. God chose us!

The apostle Peter went on to call us a royal priesthood. We have royalty running through our veins. Don't let anybody look down on you. You are royalty!

We are also called a holy nation. As children of God, we are called holy and we are being transformed continually as we wait for the change that will bring us into the presence of God, clothed in righteousness.

God chose us to be his special possession so that we can praise him for calling us out of  darkness into his wonderful light.

To God be the glory, the honor and the praise!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 11

Colossians 1:13
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

Our value and worth is measured by how much
someone is willing to do or pay to rescue us from a dangerous situation.  We read stories of people going into burning buildings to rescue loved ones. Siblings will give up vital organs to ensure the continued health of a brother or sister. Parents are willing to die for their children.

Love is a great motivator in determining value. God so loved us that he sent Jesus to die in our place so that we would be rescued from the kingdom of darkness.

God sees our value and worth even when we don't see or comprehend it ourselves. It took the death of the perfect Son of God, innocent of any wrongdoings but willing to become sin, to pay the price for our rescue.

YOU and I must be very valuable to GOD!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 10

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Israelites were in fear as they embrace their new life of freedom. They were walking away from everything familiar, everything they had known for over 300 years. It was not a good life for them as they were enslaved by the Egyptians but they knew how to survive, they knew where to find food, they knew which slave masters were lenient and they knew Egypt. This familiar became their point of reference for the next 40 years and all new experiences were filtered through their life in Egypt. It was hard to embrace the new as thy held on to the old.

God did everything to show them that although the unknown was scary HE would always be with them. They were facing kings and their armies, their lives were threatened and fear ruled their hearts. The Lord God made the only promise that was needed. He told them not to be afraid because he would always be with them. He would never leave them or forsake them.

Jesus made this same promise to the disciples when he was leaving. ' I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you ; I am with you always, even to the end of the world'. The writer of Hebrews repeated this promise of God as he encouraged the believers to be faithful, 'I will never leave you or forsake you'. Hebrews 13:5

What timely words for us today as we embrace the new year with its struggles and challenges. Let these words be our anchor, security and comfort. GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 9

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

What a wonderful privilege to know that our lives have purpose. We didn't just happen to be born, happen to have a certain color, be of a certain race, live in a certain place, have a certain education etc. No, we were created by God to do the work HE has called us to do.

We were planned, molded and filled with his goodness, love, power and presence so we are fully equipped to do this important work everyday.

May we never feel insignificant as we look around and see the accomplishments of others. May we always look above with gratitude and be thankful that we have been given a specific work to do for our Creator. A work that no one else can do because HE prepared this work in advance for us as individuals to do.

It is a wonderful privilege indeed to be God's handiwork!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 8

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The principle of living each day to the fullest is always encouraged in the Scriptures. In the Lord's Prayer we read, 'Give us this day our daily bread'. Jeremiah declared, 'God's compassion and mercy are new every morning.' The Israelites were told that they must gather their 'manna' every morning with the exception of Friday when preparing for the Sabbath.

Worrying about tomorrow or living for tomorrow is futile because we do not have the ultimate control of our lives. We cannot say with 100% safety that we will be alive at the end of the day.

It is far better to do all the good we can, love as hard as we can, laugh as loud as we can, enjoy life as best as we can each moment of every day.

Worrying about tomorrow takes away precious joy from today.

May we practice the principle of living our lives to the fullest each and every day.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 7

Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

In the midst of  the chaos and conflicts, the uncertainty and instability, the wars, the violence, the fear -  one truth must always stand clear. GOD is still in control. Without this truth written in our hearts, souls and minds we would have no hope left. We have to be anchored in our faith and belief that no matter how difficultit it may be to understand and deal with the depraved minds of humans, there is definitely 'Somebody bigger than you and I'.

These words must echo in our minds over and over again, 'Be still, Be still, Be still, and KNOW, KNOW, KNOW that I AM GOD!

God has not abdicated his throne and left us as orphans. He is going to be exalted in all the earth. In his time, in his choosing. One day we will stand still and see God's awesome power and glory fill the earth from one end to the other.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 6

1John 4:9
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

In the beginning God breathed into man's nostril the breath of life and man became a living soul. God then gave the instruction that eating the fruit of a certain tree would bring death. When man ate the forbidden fruit he died and death was passed down to all mankind.

God showed his love for mankind by sending Jesus to give life back to us. When we accept this gift of love we become alive again.

Here is the full circle: GOD'S BREATH OF LIFE  >>> MAN'S CURSE OF DEATH >>> GOD'S LOVE FOR MAN >>>GOD'S GIFT OF JESUS >>> MAN'S ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS >>> GOD'S GIFT OF LIFE

The constant will always be God's love for mankind. That love will always manifest itself in HIS gift of LIFE to us.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 5

Psalm 16:6
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

As God's children we can enjoy HIS blessings no matter where the paths on our life's journey lead. When we know that we are secure in God’s love and protection, our boundary lines and fence posts will keep us within pleasant places.

If our life's journey take us down some rough and rugged path we can rest assured that his blessings are still with us guiding us back to the pleasant places as we look forward to our delightful inheritance.

Let us always seek to find our boundary lines of pleasant places and live within them so we can always enjoy the wonderful, delightful blessings of God!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 4

Proverbs 16:20
Whoever give heed to instructions prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

If you are like most of us, instructions are optional. 'When all else fails read the instructions' is how we deal with most things. Somehow we feel like we already know how to do it, why waste precious time reading the manual.

There is a reason instructions are given by the designer. He or she knows best how the product was designed and how it is supposed to work. When we follow the instructions it will be to our benefit as we get to have a product working exactly the way it was designed.

Our lives work the same way. We have a book of instructions, called the Bible, that will allow us to have peace, joy, love, patience, goodness, gentleness, self-control, faith, kindness and everything else we need to live fulfilling lives. We just have to read, follow the instructions and trust in the Lord.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 3

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

Jesus called his followers the 'light of the world' and he told them that when their light is shining people will see good deeds and give the Father glory.

There is a relationship between our light shining, doing good deeds and who should get the glory. The light does not originate with us. We are called to shine. We are like the glass bulb that needs the filamen to shine; the glass lamp shade that needs the burning wick to give light to the room.

The good deeds that we do as a result of the filamen and flame comes from our Father so he alone deserves the glory.

When we allow the Father's light to shine through us, good deeds will result, 'for all good gifts come from the Father of heavenly lights.' James 1:17.

The only response we should have when we are praised for doing good is, 'To God be the glory'.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 2

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.

Sometimes it may seem very simplistic to encourage others with the words,'rejoice in the Lord'. It is not practical to always greet every situation with a smile. Paul also tells us to weep with those who are weeping. We should not have a disconnect in our Christian walk.

I like to think of JOY as a principle. If I set Joy as HOME on my GPS I can always find my way back to it. We may go through many situations that do not call for joy but we can always find our way back home to JOY!

When we allow joy to permanently reside in our inner beings no matter what happens on the outside, our life will always reset to joy. So it is possible to do what Paul says when Joy lives in our hearts.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - January 1

Happy New Year! Welcome 2017!
Let us praise our Creator for another day to be alive and for bringing us through 2016. Thoughts of inspiration for this first day of the year is from the words of Paul as he spoke of a very important goal to him.

Philippians 3:13-14
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

As we read this chapter in the book of Philippians we see that Paul had some clear goals in mind.

In verse 10 he states - I want to know Christ. He did not just want a superficial relationship with Christ, he wanted to know Christ intimately.

He said he wanted to know the power of his resurrection. He was not ok with just the knowledge that Christ rose from the dead, he wanted to know the power behind that resurrection.

Paul also wanted to know how he could attain the ability to participate in Christ suffering, becoming like him in his death and obtaining the same resurrection from the dead.

Paul wanted to go deeper in his relationship with Jesus.  The ultimate prize for Paul was resurrection from the dead. What is it about Christ that makes a mortal body come to life again?

Knowing Christ intimately is what it takes to win the great prize of resurrection from the dead. One day, along with Paul, we will attain this goal and this great prize as our mortal bodies are resurrected from the dead.

John 17:3  states, 'And this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.'

May 2017 be the year when we will seek to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom HE sent to reveal GOD to us.