PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 30

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

As believers we are alive in Christ. We are no longer dead in our sins. We were born again by the Holy Spirit's life giving power and the old creation is gone forever, we now live in the eternal life of Christ.

Living the victorious life in a sinful world presents challenges and difficulties because we are strangers and foreigners here. We look at things with a different perspective as we seek to serve and please our Father.

Being discouraged, impatient and the temptation to give up is real because we live in a physical body and sometimes our faith grows a little dim. We are encouraged to do what it takes to guard and stand firm in our faith. It takes courage to hold on and we must be strong when we are tempted to doubt.

May our doubts never be stronger than our faith.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 29

Psalm 118:23
... the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

When we make this verse one of the abiding principles of our lives all things fall in place.

Knowing and trusting that God is good; knowing that he loves us and gives us good gifts; knowing that he holds our future in the palm of his hands and he knows the beginning, the end and everything in between is the foundation of our faith.

The God we serve is an awesome God!

Sometimes we need to zoom out of the micro view of the circumstances and situations of our lives to see the big picture. We will discover that the goodness of the Lord has been with us all along.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 28

John 12:26
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

It is a joy and a great feeling of accomplishment to be honored. It is good to feel appreciated especially when we know that we sacrificed to earn it.

Jesus desires our love and service. When a very rich young man asked Him how to inherit eternal life he was told that after giving up his earthly attachments he must also choose to follow and serve Jesus.

Earthly honor is good but it can never be compared to the honor received from up above. The honor of God, our Father, is the greatest honor we will ever receive. This honor is bestowed on us when we are serving Jesus.

May we continually seek to serve our Lord Jesus today.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 27

John 11:40
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Believe! Faith! GOD! Only words unless they originate in our hearts.

Jesus said that all things are possible if we believe. He also said, 'Do not be afraid, only believe'.

There may be things going on in our lives that we may not understand, we spend days and nights in prayer, the answers are not coming and we are not seeing the breakthrough.

When this is going on we need to make the words Believe, Faith and GOD real in our lives.

We will see the glory of GOD!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 26

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God has a plan for each of our lives. A plan that originated from the foundation of the world. With God there is no past and no future there is only eternity. He lives in a dimension where time does not exist.

He sees our lives and know everything that will ever happen to each one of us. He knew the moment we would be conceived and from that moment he put in motion the plan for our lives.

Nothing ever takes God by surprise.
He knows every action before it is taken.
He knows every word before it is spoken.
He knows everything about us,
And everything fits into his perfect plan for us.

Let us trust in God's prosperous plans for our lives today.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 25

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Our Heavenly Father always give perfect gifts to his children. We may question the timing and the reason but all the Father's gifts serve a purpose.

Sometimes, the gifts are primarily an encouragement to our own hearts and at other times we can bless others with the gifts he gives us.

We know that all his gifts are good and even when we may not see the 'goodness' in the gift at the time received, we know that all things will work out in perfect completion.

May we always be thankful for the gifts of GOD.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 24

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Peace is not elusive. Peace that defies all understanding is ours as long as we trust in God. He has the peace that we need in every situation and in all circumstances.

Jesus left his peace with us when he said goodbye to this world. The Father gave us the Holy Spirit as our Comforter.

When the disciples had turmoil, anguish and fear in the midst of the storm Jesus stayed in perfect peace, fast asleep in the bottom of the boat. He is the Prince of Peace, our Prince of Peace!

Trusting God in every situation brings us complete, total peace.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 23

Psalms 59:16
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

It makes a big difference to my day when I start it with purpose, deliberately taking time in the morning to sing songs from my heart to the Lord, praising him for a new day.

Starting the day with reflections on God's goodness, prayer and praise keep my attitude and perspective in balance throughout the day.
When the unexpected happens I have the strength of God to rely on.

May you also find strength in the Lord in your time of trouble by reflecting on his goodness to you in the morning.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 22

Psalm 145:2
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

When we meditate on the goodness of God and his wonderful kindness in our lives we cannot help but praise him.

We know that we do not deserve any good thing and that no matter how much we do we will always be unworthy servants.

We are nothing without God and we can do nothing without him. He certainly deserve all our praise everyday of our lives.

Let us meditate on his goodness today!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 21

John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

There is nothing more welcoming than the sense of belonging. Knowing that there is a place where we are always welcomed. We seek this belonging in the friends we choose and in the places we go.

The sitcom, 'Cheers' achieved tremendous success by developing the theme of 'belonging'. The bar became  the home of the characters.
When we are visiting and the host says 'Make yourself at home or mi casa su casa' immediately we seem to relax.

This is the way Jesus wants us to be with him. We know him, we listen to him, we follow him and even more importantly, he knows us and he welcomes us. His home is our home.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 20

1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

It is wonderful to wake up each day and know that we are children of GOD. He does not love us stingily but lavishly! He can't get enough of loving us!

What does it means to us to be children of God?
To answer this question we must first find out who our Father God is. He declares, 'I am God, there is none else'. Our God has no equal. This means that we, as his children, are in a class of our own.

Our Father God also declares, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love.' As his children we should never be afraid that one day we may lose his love. His love for us will last forever.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 19

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

These words are a timely reminder that we do not have to carry stress and anxiety on our shoulders. Jesus cares for us!

Let us meditate on these words today as we face anxious moments. Let us take them to heart and truly know that he cares.

Our heavenly Father knows and sees it all. He longs to give us rest.

May we invite him into our day and leave all our anxieties with him. HE CARES!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 18

1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Love should be sincere and it must come from the heart. The Apostle also tells us that we should love each other deeply. Superficial love is not enough.

When someone gets the news that they have a few months left to live they do not need superficial love.

When senseless violence takes away a mother's only child she does not need superficial love.

When divorce is hitting someone between the eyes superficial love will not ease the hurting.

When you see your spouse slowly dying a little everyday superficial love will never do.

May we seek to love one another deeply from our hearts.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 17

I Peter 1:17
Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

It is wonderful to know that our heavenly Father does not show favoritism when he weighs our thoughts and behaviors.
We cannot hope that by doing more good works, making more sacrifices that this will make God deal with us in a kinder way or will ignore our rejection of him.

God knows the intents of our hearts and he judges our motivations. There is nothing hidden from his omnipresent eyes. There is no changing his attribute of righteousness so we can be sure that everything he does is good.

His ways is higher than our ways and we can rest secure in his judgment.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT -April 16

Luke 24:6
He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:

Three words, 'HE HAS RISEN'! A proclamation that has resounded throughout history. Death was defeated! The tomb could not hold him! He arose as he said he would!

The work of redemption was completed at Calvary. And like he did at creation when his work was completed he rested on the Sabbath. When the work of redemption was completed, he rested in the tomb on the Sabbath.

Resurrection Day was the start of a new historical era! The Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 2:14 that he freed those who all their lives were held enslaved and paralyzed by the fear of death.

Resurrection Day means that we have been set free from even the very fear of death and we can now live forever in Jesus.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 15

Hebrews 12:2
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.

Jesus knew what was waiting for him in Jerusalem but he had his heart set on accepting his mission. He knew that there would be betrayal; there would be denial, there would be loneliness; there would be weeping, suicide, torture, a cross and death.

But Jesus also knew there would be love, acceptance of who he really is, salvation for all mankind, a borrowed tomb and RESURRECTION MORNING!

There was sorrow awaiting him, rejection from his Father and unimaginable suffering but JOY was also awaiting him.

I always like to think that Jesus looked down through the ages and saw you and me in relationship and fellowship with him, our sins forgiven, everlasting life and that thought also brought him JOY!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 14

John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Three words! 'IT IS FINISHED'. When the Lord of all creation speaks these words we have no choice but to take heed. There is no greater authority! No one can overrule! There is no second guessing! 'IT IS FINISHED', He declared and then bowed his head and gave up spirit.

He faced torture and the most cruel punishing death there was in Roman world but he died when he chose. He gave up his spirit. He was always in control!

He was here on this earth for this moment. Mission Accomplished! Redemption for mankind was guaranteed!

There is nothing left to do. Jesus paid it all.

IT IS FINISHED!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 13

Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

These words were written more than 600 years before Jesus was born. They speak of immeasurable pain and suffering. Even more amazing is the fact that this suffering was a choice.

Jesus did not suffer because of anything he had done; he was not being punished for his own wrongdoings. He chose the path to Calvary. We read that he set his face towards Jerusalem knowing exactly the fate that awaited him.

The only question left is one word,'WHY'.
What would motivate someone to go through all that torturous suffering for something he didn't do? The answer is one word, 'LOVE'.

Love for you and me!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 12

Psalm 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

Throughout history people seek to worship something or someone who is different in some way from themselves.  It seems that a 'need to worship' has been placed in our hearts. Many people group worship nature, others make images of who or what they think God is.
Still others equate him to majestic animals or birds. Religious beliefs exist in every culture.

As believers in God we seek to know him so we can worship him. The more we get to know the Creator God the more we realize that he is more than just a force or a higher power. Our God is a steadfast and dependable God who seeks a personal relationship with us.

He shows us that he is unchangeable and that his principles of righteousness and justice, love and faithfulness are unchangeable as he is. We can always depend on our GOD!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 11

Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Rest and Hope are two beautiful words that we can use everyday in our lives. When things are not turning out the way we planned and we find ourselves fighting a losing battle, rest and hope are ingredients that we need. For the believer we find our rest and hope in God.

Rest allows us to pause even if just for a moment to get a fresh perspective, to breathe and temporary leave the anxiety and worry behind.
If we make rest a part of our daily routine we may find that there is always a place that we can go when we find ourselves too tired to go on. That place is in the loving arms of God.

Hope allows us to go on when all seems lost. Hope keeps us moving forward knowing that the next moment may the break-out moment; knowing that the next step may bring the answer or the next phone call may be the one we are waiting for. As long as our hope is in God it is never in vain.

May we rest and hope in GOD today!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 10

Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Praising God in the morning is a great way to start the day. We know that he brought us safely through the night, protected us while we slept and continually provides a safe place for us to rest.

There is no better place to be when we are in the midst of trouble than safely wrapped up in his arms. He is our refuge and strength. He is the safest place to be when the storms of life hit.

Let us bow before our God with thanksgiving and praise as we show our gratitude for all he has done.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 9

Romans 3:24
... and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:23 is a very popular verse in teaching the gospel. 'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'. This is the pronunciation of God on all mankind. The Prophet Jeremiah asked the question, 'Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard his spots?' And concluded with, 'neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.' And here again is the verdict: mankind cannot do good. This is a foregone conclusion.

Thank God the story does not end there. As our verse this morning states, 'all are justified freely by his grace'. There is nothing we can do to change who we are but God through Jesus' shed blood at Calvary established the way for us to be reconciled to him from before we were even created.

Now through the law of faith (Romans 3:27) we can draw near to our God. And since we cannot do good on our own God is changing us from the inside.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 8

Luke 18:27
Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

The disciples asked the question, 'who then can be saved?' after Jesus told them how hard it was for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus replied that what men finds impossible is possible with GOD.

There are times we look around us and see people doing horrible things and we may think there is no way these people would ever find peace with God.

When they have hurt and abuse us the only thing we think about is revenge. The last thing we want is for them to be saved without paying for what they did.

Let us always remember that God reads the intention and motivation of the heart. He always knows how to bring good from every situation. Our only work is to trust him. He will continue to surprise us by doing impossible things.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 7

Psalm 25:15
My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

There are times when we get in situations that cause us to feel trapped and ensnared. It may be consequences of our own choices or the consequences of living in a fallen, sinful world.

It is always good to know that the Lord sees us where we are and he will not leave us trapped or ensnared. He alone knows how to release us from the trap without causing pernanent damages.

May we keep our eyes on the Lord so that we may avoid the snares and traps. But if we still become ensnared, we know that the Lord can release us from the traps.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 6

Luke 18:7
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

Jesus told the parable of a persistent widow who continually asked for justice. The judge ignored her requests but she never gave up. Her persistency paid off because the judge got tired of her pleas and eventually granted her requests.

It may seem easier to give up when uncomfortable situations do not change, when our loved ones continue to make wrong choices and when we suffer injustices time and time again.

As long as we continue to pray we are keeping hope alive. We are saying we believe that a change will come. When we give up and stop praying we are taking our eyes off the finish line and the goal and we forget why the situation needed our prayers.

May we remember that God hears our prayers and he will bring about justice for his chosen ones.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 5

Psalm 105:4
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

When it seems like everything is wrong with the world we are living in; when it seems like everything is turned upside down; when the very foundation of what we believe is being shaken, we cannot give up, we must look to our God and to his strength.

He is able to do the impossible. Nothing ever catches him by surprise. Whatever is happening in our world he saw from the beginning of time.

We must hold on to his promises, look to his strength and seek his face always.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 4

Psalm 103:10
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

One of the challenges of growing up in a religious environment is always being aware of how holy God is and of how we can never measure up to his perfection.

As our knowledge of him grows so does our awareness of how awful our sins are compared to his righteousness.

We can deal with this awareness by living in constant fear of his justice or total acceptance of his love.

As his children, there is nothing you and I can ever do that will make him change how he feels about us and how much he loves us.

NOTHING can ever separate us from his love and this is what a relationship with GOD is all about. It is not really about DOING, it is about ACCEPTING.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 3

Psalms 103:2
Praise the Lord , my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
May we never forget the blessings that we receive from the Lord. From the moment our eyes open in the morning our daily blessings start flowing.
If we can get out of bed, we are blessed.
If we are able to have meals during the day, we are blessed.
If we have a job, we are blessed.
If we don't have to work, we are blesed.
If we have a place to call home, we are blessed.
If we have access to transportation, we are blessed.
If we have companionship and friendship we are blessed.
And the list goes on and on..
May we never forget how blessed we really are!

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT -April 2

John 14:2
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

We all need to get away from our regular routine and take a vacation somewhere different. A place where we can rest for awhile and let our minds relax and leave the stress behind.

As Jesus was getting ready to say goodbye to his disciples and this world, his temporary home for 33 years, he made a promise to them.

He was leaving his closest friends but in his absence he would be doing something special for them. He would be preparing rooms and not just for them but for all who would believe their words and trust in HIM.

The thought of a room in Paradise sounds good but the truth is: Jesus has promised to give us rest right here, right now. He invites us to lay our burdens, stresses, fears, anxieties all on him. Refreshing living water is flowing through our souls right now since the Holy Spirit lives within.

May we enjoy the Presence of our Lord today and faithfully hold on to his promise of rooms in Paradise with our names on the doors.

PAUSE FOR A MOMENT - April 1

Daniel 12:4
But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

The challenge of prophecy is that it can be interpreted in many different ways and have different meanings depending on our perceptions and points of references.

I grew up in a religious environment where the prophecies of the end times held great prominence and I was fascinated with the idea that somehow I was privileged to know the future and in the arrogance of youth felt that knowledge of the future made me wiser.

It is good to have expectations of the future and lately I have heard comments like, 'we are living in the end times; Jesus is coming soon; all the prophecies are being fulfilled.'  I can't say it is not true because I am not privileged to the timetable of God.

The one thing I do know is that knowledge is exponentially increasing. It feels like my brain is exploding with all the knowledge that consistently bombards us.

May our hearts and minds continually seek to increase in the knowledge of who God really is and how much he loves and accepts us as his children.