God bless!

    Many people see being busy as a bad thing, but the truth is that being busy is a sign of production and something that shouldn’t be looked at as punishment but rather joy. Why joy? When you are busy it means someone trusts you with taking on and completing a task. There is a saying if you want something done, give it to the busiest person you know. It simply means that business is a sign of responsibility. I’m not saying we should be soo busy that we can’t breathe but, I am saying that idle time causes major trouble and births poverty. The moral today is keep busy and thank God you are busy because many people wish they had what you have and that only came by working for it!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God bless!

     Who said you can’t walk on water? Who told you, you can’t be successful? Who said you can’t have a happy marriage? Who said you won’t find joy? It wasn’t God! He tells you the exact opposite. Who will we believe? Will we believe the truth of God or the lie of the devil? Today is the perfect day to start to believe His truth, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Pastor Joell A. Perez

John 3:16 “ 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.”

God bless!

       So what does your salvation depend on? Many people get caught up on the idea that being part of a “certain” type of church is the only way to be saved. I would venture on saying many people actually think that their church alone will be saved. I know that sounds crazy but many times as Christians we begin to walk away from the body of Christ and merge to the “doctrine of a church”. The thought that only this group can understand me or only this group will love me. This thought process is the reason that there is such a great division within churches today. Let’s be real for a moment. There are some city blocks that have up to 10 churches in a a few blocks radius that you can chose to attend. They are all separated by “doctrinal” beliefs, but in the end whose doctrinal beliefs do we support? Don’t we serve the same God? Why the division? If we serve the same God how can we not co-exist? I’m not speaking from a point of view of someone that has surpassed every barrier (trust me I have my issues) but rather from the perspective of someone that realizes that this division will not help us end up in heaven. We could all do so much more if we simply put our pride, ego and selfishness to the side and did as Jesus did. He loved all, even those that were not as close to Him. He instructed all of His disciples to love the same way! Are you and I not one of His disciples? Am I saying to go church hoping? No. What I am saying is we need to respect and support each other as we would like to be respected and supported. I’ll leave you with this: would you punch your own face? Why not? You will hurt your own body and no matter where you punch you will feel the pain. What about when we “Punch” our own body (the body of Christ)? Shouldn’t we feel it? If we are not feeling the pain when we gossip or back bite against the body of Christ (the church) then maybe we are really not part of the body? Hmm… remember our salvation is not about the church we go to, it’s about the lifestyle we chose to live out…

Trying to get my lifestyle in order (this devotional is for me!)

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God Bless,

Have you ever had a mouthful of raw honey? Yummy! I can’t think of anything sweeter. We have many substitutes in this day in age, manufactured artificial flavors that have taken us away from natural sweeteners like honey in the raw. Why am I talking about this? Well in ancient civilization honey was the sweetest thing out there and it was a delicacy. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to get a honey cone with no proper equipment? Imagine when it was obtained it must have been valued and appreciated at a higher level than how we might view it in our generation today. I said all of this to give us a better understanding on how valuable, delightful, refreshing and delicious it is to hear a pleasant word from someone. The heart of the wise fills his mouth and the end result is a substance that is compared to honey. How silly you might say! Words are not tangible? They are not a substance? To that I say, you are absolutely right, words are not tangible, but they create a more impacting result in the heart of people that hear and are exposed to them. People are attracted to a sweet and kind hearted person, they are a pleasure to be around and many people gather around just to hear them speak or just to be around them because of the sweetness that exudes them. The same opposite to those whose words are harsh and abrupt they are like vinegar and no one can stand their presence and find any excuse or reason to stay away! If we think we are wise then our heart should be exhibiting goodness that teaches are mouth to speak and pour out words like sweet honey that in turn will be like medicine and goodness to our soul and health to our bones.

Proverbs 16:23-24 “The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
and adds learning to his lips.²⁴ Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Trying to fill myself with a handsome share of Honey, Pastor Elizabeth Z. Perez

God bless!

Have you ever felt like the things you were going through in life were simply not fair? You push and push through issues and feel like you just can’t get by? Have you ever heard yourself in these moments preaching last Sundays sermon and then in frustration saying "I just can’t do it! I'm not Jesus!" Many of us get frustrated because we feel like we are in this alone but we are NOT! Not only did God provide us with support (the church) but He also sent His Son to prove that He practices what He preaches. The verse below confirms that what we are going through is not unique but many have been through it and gotten past it. With that said Hold on to Hope! He knows your struggle and He is right by your side to help. If He can do it then you can do it!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

Hebrews 4:15 AMP

"For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning."

God bless!

        Have you ever felt like your mouth has put you in situations your body can’t handle? Maybe you have shared your dreams with people that don't merit to hear them or maybe you've exposed your heart to people that have stepped on it. Whatever the case may be, the source of your issue has probrably been your mouth. It's not the people, they are just being reactive to what we share with them. The verse below is a perfect example of someone that got his life in danger because his mouth gave him up. So what do we do to stop this cycle? Zip our mouth :). When the enemy asks us questions we need to value our self enough to not disclose our strength. We are too good for the devil and anyone else that can’t appreciate our value!

Shutting my mouth and realizing my worth,

Pastor Joell A. Perez

6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and with what you might be bound to subdue you. (Judges 16:6 AMP)

God bless,

Math is a subject that in all honesty I really do not like. I will avoid it and steer away as much as I could. It was never my strength and a cause for severe frustration while I was in school, but there is something I cannot take away from math and that is, that a number or equation will give its determined result. You can’t be a little wrong or a little right, you are either wrong or right and even a decimal in the wrong place or a coma in the wrong place can be the era in your equation. Just the same in the verse below there is an equation that will surely equate to something. Once pride shows its ugly face, there is destruction that follows and as soon as prides ugly cousin haughtiness comes out to play then a fall is not too far away. Let’s stay away from these equations and better yet follow humility and generosity as its companion and enjoy this mathematical state of being instead!

Revisiting Math 101, Pastor Elizabeth Z.Perez

Proverbs 16:18-19 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
¹⁹ Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.” (NKJV)

God bless,

It is peculiar how wisdom is determined in this day and age. You have to have certain credentials, diplomas, doctorates, work experience and referrals from high esteemed people before you are considered wise or even acknowledged. You have to fall into a certain social bracket or have exposure to certain crowds before anyone will look twice or consider listening to anything you have to say, but all of that preparation does not guarantee people to have it all put together. It is a sad reality, but that is the society we are living in today and it doesn’t matter what culture, race, country or even what language you speak, you have to be someone and have something for you to be considered worth listening too.

Wisdom or to be wise is learning from your experiences and those of others around you and then taking those lessons learned through those experiences and teaching them to others through your works (testimony). How were the great people in history remembered? They were remembered because of what they did (action) not by what they said and how they affected (positively) those around them. It is wonderful to get a great education, doctorates, diplomas, certifications etc. These will give us knowledge in the specific subjects studied, but if we want to gain wisdom, we need to seek God and live His Word and our testimony will be enough to draw people to the wisdom God gives us and we won’t even have to open up our mouth because our conduct will be sufficient!

Help me to gain your wisdom Lord, Pastor Elizabeth Z. Perez          

James 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” (NKJV)

God bless!

                Life is very difficult for those of us that are big on routine. When we become stern about certain things in life we tend to go through some major turmoil when changes occur, can you relate? I’m personally known to be a creature of habit, I like certain places, foods and things. Since I like them, I tend to migrate to them whenever possible. If I don’t go or deal with one of them I  put up a great resistance to anything different, why? I like to know what I’m dealing with, when I’m out of my zone I become uncomfortable, a bit paranoid and defensive. Wow it’s too early for this isn’t it! Why am I talking about this today? Many of us become “comfortable” where we are, even if that place lacks our promise. Even if that place is hurt, abuse, poverty or neglect. It’s all about what we grow comfortable with. Comfort at times in life could be the biggest curse we carry. As Christians we have to learn to adapt to whatever and whenever. Discomfort births growth, it births opportunity, it births change! Don’t believe me? Ask any mother who has given birth! Did they go through any pain to bring that gift to this earth? How we adapt to these things will determine how much we take advantage of these opportunities. Feel stuck in life today? Then make a change and be open to adapting and you will see how your life will be different for the good!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God bless!

       Don't we find pride in having the name of something we love? Whether it be the pride of your last name, fraternity name, church name, job title, etc. at the end of the day to be identified by that name causes a pride that you belong to that "entity". Now that this is clear what about the pride in knowing that we have His name (God)? What about the fact that we have the "Right" to be His children. The "right" is a big deal, it doesn't mean you may have, but you do have, the authority, the option, the capacity. Shouldn't we thank God for that? You and I have been given the Right to be happy, to be blessed, to be prosperous, to be healthy. It's not chance it's reality. As you start your day today realize your right!

I am a Child of God!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

John 1:12 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"

God bless!

      If we don’t think big we will never reach big or great levels. Why do so many of us limit what we do and at what level we do it? Are we not spiritual royalty? Start your day today with a revised view of things. You deserve more than the share you have been getting. Stop letting others enjoy what God predestined you to have. Who am I speaking to besides myself? Let’s get going today with the right attitude and we will see the right blessings!

Getting further into the Truth!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God bless!

     Have you ever said the wrong thing or made a mistake and wish you could go back and change things? Well you can’t! So the only option we have is to push forward and forget it. We did it, we all make mistakes! If the people around you can’t understand that then you are in the wrong group of friends or acquaintances. What is the moral today? Though you have made mistakes your life isn’t over yet so make the best of what you have left. Why waste time thinking of what you should have done when you can change your present situation? It’s not over yet so let’s get moving in the right direction. I dare US!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God Bless,

Have you noticed that people who are miserable in their own lives rarely ever have anything good to say or add to any conversation and will even at times discourage you into believing that you can’t or will never accomplish your goals and dreams. They look only to criticize and have a negative opinion and will find the small error and point it out in the midst of your victory and/or accomplishment instead of applauding your success and accomplishment. Why is this you might ask? “For as he thinks in his heart so is he…Proverbs 23:7 amp.” Because you will only give out what you have and not what you don’t have or what you have not yet acquired. Do not be discouraged by nay Sayers and haters because encouragement cannot flow from a discouraged soul, just as a source of water can only be fresh or salty. Choose to surround yourself by people who will encourage you to do good even though at the time, it might not be what you want to hear but will lead to a happy prosperous life, instead of those who encourage you to do wrong even though it seems good, but the end result will only lead to calamity and separation from God.

Surrounding myself with up lifters,

Pastor Elizabeth Z. Perez

God Bless,

As our children grow and the older generations die out and next generations step in, we are continually seeing shifting in the order of things all around us, from technology, to fashion, to what’s acceptable and what is shunned. There are new things being accepted into society or adapted into society, and old things being casted out and looked upon as wrong. The normal becoming the odd and the odd becoming the normal, the good being looked at as the bad and the bad as being something acceptable and good. Our children or upcoming generations think that they are choosing how to live their lives and they think that they are making choices based on what they feel is right, but little do they know or understand that those views, perceptions and decisions are being influenced by their surroundings and by the media. Whose eyes are we seeing through? Are they the eyes of God and how He intended His creation to be or through Snake Eyes (Satan) and all of his deceits? Every day we are exposed to subliminal messages that take route in our mind and in our heart which will then influence our opinion on the subject or matter subconsciously. It is there where we make an (apparent?) decision on our (own?) and think that we made our own choice, not realizing that it is what society has fed us to believe and adopt. We are influenced through our education, media, music, culture, society, leaders, employment etc. We are subliminally bullied into having a belief structure from birth to adulthood and then we think that is what we decided to believe. As we live our daily life let us be more embracing of how we were originally created to be and how we were formed and fashioned to live our lives and let us be more careful on evaluated those things we should reject, even if it is what society has now adopted as the norm and let us do all that we do in the love of Jesus Christ.

The Fall

Genesis 3:1” Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Taking back my original formation,

Pastor Elizabeth Z. Perez

God bless!

       Many of us have been standing in place for way too long and there is no better day than today to get ourselves in motion! Sure we can look around and make excuses why we should stay put but that won’t change them from being simply excuses. Your success is dependent upon your ability to work! If you won’t work then you can’t play. Get moving today!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God bless!

        You may read the title of this devotional and assume I’m talking about your emotions but I’m not. I want to speak to your ears today. Yes your ears! Our heart is controlled by what we hear and our eyes see what we believe. Is this deep? No, I’m not going for deep today I’m simply trying to keep things real. What we hear whether it be from our mouth or the mouth of others will steer our heart. If we allow our heart to be directed by negativity we will live in that fashion, but if we begin to speak positive and surround ourselves by positive voices we will turn things around for good. How do I know? Experience. During the hardest times of my life the only thing besides God that has gotten me out has been my words and those of the mouths around me. If it wasn’t for positive words I would not be here today. Thank God for those around you today that encourage and bless you. It’s hard to find people that encourage you so when you do hold on to them. Remember encouragement is not found at the bottom of a bottle or from the tip of a needle, it's found in the midst of an impossibility.

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God bless,

Many of us have come to where we are today because of something we did, didn’t do or because of something that was done to us. We grow up and think; maybe I was born this way? I’m good for nothing. We think we were born a certain way and take on forms and ways of being in lieu of that and then we say “I was born this way”. We think we were born that way because we remember or others remember us being a certain way from very early on, but what we fail to remember is that we were created in His image (the image of God our Creator). You are not garbage and behind that facade of hurt and distraction that you have allowed to overtake your true form, there is the real you. The man and woman that God created you to be! Just like a pickle, before it was a pickle it was a cucumber but instead of being used in its natural form it was pickled and stored and given a new identity, image, taste and name, but it is still a cucumber under all those layers and so are you a true child of God in your natural state of being. Search deep within and study what truly happened to bring you to where you are today and if it is not who you were destined to be in God’s image, then turn it around and ask God to help you be who the Creator, created you to be: in His image!

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them”.

Pastor Elizabeth Z. Perez

God bless!

       As a Christian we are told we are supposed to share the good news but sometimes things seem to be everything but good, or do they? Have we become so negative that we don’t appreciate the small things in life? Or better yet the big things that we take for granted? Do we look at the consistent things in life and not truly value them? Now I’m sure most of the married people think I’m talking about them and their spouses but, I’m talking to all of us. Married, single, tall, short, and on and on! The Son shines on us all no matter when, where or why, what we must do is appreciate all the things that happen even those that seem to be bad as they are simply bumpers pushing us away from being lost and guiding us back to the source of life. GOD!

God bless!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

God bless!

         Have you ever been on a roll-a-coaster and felt sick because of the constant changes in direction and altitude? While on this roll-a-coaster during the flat portions or slow portions did you still feel sick? Of course not, the source of nausea isn't birthed from consistency but rather changes. Now if we relate this to our life, who creates the changes? God? Of course not He specifically says in His word that there is no variation in Him. His ideal journey for us is a straight path higher and higher, but we deviate based on choice. There are verses in scripture like the one below that we all want to apply to our lives but they won’t  apply if we keep changing direction! Want to stop whatever shaking you have going in your life? The answer is simple: get back on Gods track and STAY there. Then we can read, apply and enjoy His Word!

Pastor Joell A. Perez

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalm 55:22 NIV)