Lies Lies & more Lies

Too many white lies can lead to color blindness. – Anon

Jesus not only called Satan a liar, but the father of lies. I wonder how He really felt about him. Hmm!

White lies - we call them little, we call them insignificant, we call them a fact of life – but in reality when we willingly tell them they are just lies. It’s easy to stretch the truth just a bit so that we don’t look so bad, or have to go the extra mile, or have to be imposed upon, or give someone false hope, but when we knowingly do so and leave others with a false understanding, we’ve lied. And when we begin to make concessions in one area of our life, it usually creeps into other areas as well. That’s just the way sin is. Just as smoke never stays in the ‘smoking section’ sin never stays little or hidden – it grows, and it branches out into all areas of our lives to blur the lines of distinction between right and wrong. In a world that desperately needs the truth spoken and lived out, God is expecting us to lead the way. We must not settle for easy over right.

I'll be on vacation a while so this keyboard will be silent……  

Pastor Botts

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:37

Focused Ambition

Mountains are not meant to envy. – J. Piper

John the Baptist never tried to overshadow the ministry to Jesus, he just prepared the way. Hmm!

The Grand Canyon – it’s a beautiful creation and gift of God that inspires awe. It was not intended to create a desire for one to dig a hole just like it. Truth be known many folks often wish they could sing, preach, pray, write, etc. like the Great ones; and they envy their skills and talents. But comparisons like this are really a doorway into selfish ambition, it leads us to a place of competition and confrontation rather than God’s design for harmony and unity. Ambition is a great thing, but we should seek to keep it focused on bettering ourselves through the gifts and opportunities God grants us individually, not trying to make ourselves a carbon copy of some other God-gifted saint.  For if we fail to be who God made us to be, who will fill in for us?

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” – Philippians 2:3

Room for God to work

Happy people plan actions, they don’t plan results. – D. Wholey

The little lad packed a lunch for the day. He just didn’t know it was enough for 5000 plus. AMEN!

It’s a true saying that if you plant tomatoes you will get tomatoes – not carrots or peas, etc. But the fact of the planting is you won’t know how many tomatoes you’ll get or what size they will be, or if they will be flavorful. You just plant and let God do the rest. Too often we begin with the end result or expectation in mind and grow frustrated when it doesn’t work out the way we planned. All we can be responsible for is what we do. It’s the only arena of life we can control. Now we may expect results, but we can’t demand them. We must leave room for God to operate in our lives to bring about His purposes. After all, any results He brings are always for our good.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.” – Acts 20:22.”

Remain in Him

If you want to have a horizontal reach, you need to have a vertical focus. - Robin H.

Paul had great success in his ministry because he 'counted everything loss for the sake of Christ,' which is all he preached. Hmm!

Some things in life are so simple that we often overlook the obvious. We attend programs, seminars, classes, buy the latest bestsellers, trying to learn the latest insight, methodology, or buzz words  on how to be successful for Christ. This is all noble and good, but the obvious is overlooked. When we plant a seed the first thing it does is break through the dirt reaching upward to the sky. Then as it grows it begins to spread its branches and leaves outward. That's the key, we need to look up first, and make sure we're hooked up properly. The point is that anything we attempt to do for Christ and His church must begin with Him. Meaning we need to be connected to Him, filled with His spiritual presence, and submitting to His leading. The work of Christ has always been empowered by His Spirit and always will be. If we're struggling with success for Him maybe we need to make sure the connections are in proper order.

Until Monday.....

Pastor Botts

"...I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5  

Patience Please

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster; one moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. – Chinese Proverb

In all of his affliction, Job would not curse God. He waited patiently for an answer. He got more than he could hold. AMEN!

There’s an old cliché I’m sure we’re all familiar with ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ It intimates that it took a great deal of time to build that great city. We can take from this that noble lives also take time to perfect. Unfortunately it seems to be a lesson that is lost on most people. We are constantly on the go, in the mix, forging ahead, making it happen. We have no time for preparation, planning, discipline, or delayed gratification. 'Just do it' is the motto of the day. But if God is leading the way in our lives we should never run ahead of Him. And often He expects us to wait or be patient for His response. What He has planned is always greater than what we could ever achieve on our own. Life may happen fast but our response should be at our own pace.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” – Hebrews 6:12

The Bright Side

An optimist is a fellow who believes a housefly is actually looking for a way to get out. – G. Nathan

Throughout all his afflictions Job looked for God’s response and insight. He was well rewarded. Amen!

Life pays back in kind, and much of what we will receive is based upon how we respond to the stimuli in life. The key is to trust that no matter what God brings into our lives today via work, family, friends, or even strangers; He is going to work it out “for good.” The truth is we have Christ, so we should always have hope and look for the best, whether it be with people or circumstances. And just as God sees us as we can be, not as we actually are; we too should also see others in the same way. The trick is not to get rankled, riled up, or fly off the handle, but believe.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” – Genesis 50:20

Procrastination: Growing Trouble

Procrastination is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow. – J. Maxwell

Because the Israelites didn’t think they were ready to take the Promised Land it cost them 40 years in the desert wilderness. OUCH!

Small projects that have become monumental tasks. Small issues that have become mega problems filled with drama. All because we did not attack them when they first surfaced. The truth is all problems grow if we don’t focus on them immediately and plan some course of action. The first step is always to remember who we are and who we belong to. And since there’s nothing too hard for our God, we should trust Him for the strength, wisdom, knowledge, and other resources we will need. Since tomorrow is not promised today is a good day to start.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“….and my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19

Striving for Perfection

Change the changeable; accept the unchangeable; and remove yourself from the unacceptable. – Denis Waitley

The bible says Jesus couldn't 'do' any miracles in his hometown so he left. Hmm!

“Close enough for government work!” It’s a phrase we’ve all heard and possibly used. With so much bureaucracy we marvel at anything that actually gets done. But this way of thinking has not only crept into our vocabulary, but into our daily lives as well. We don’t’ really strive for perfection, just “close enough” to put us in line with all the other average Joes’s. But God calls us to a higher degree of perfection and maturity. I’m praying we will all be extended beyond ourselves a little bit today.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“And he gave some, apostles;  and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:11-13

YOUR Attitude

Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you. - Anon

Once she set her mind to it, the Canaanite woman was treated with indifference and insults in coming before Jesus. Nevertheless, her daughter was healed. AMEN!

Athletes call it 'putting on their game-face.' It's attitude. Our attitude impacts everything we do. It determines whether we give it our all or try to skate by with feebleness. Like the outer clothing we wear, our attitude cannot be hidden, it's in plain sight, molded by what we've let into our hearts and spiritual thinking. Attitude is what motivates and drives us. The question is where is it taking us right now? God has placed us right where we are right now to make a difference for his kingdom, whether that is interacting with others, or just being an example of righteousness. It's not too late to take charge of what is rightfully yours.

Until Monday......

Pastor Botts

"...But even if [God] does not rescue us, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." - Daniel 3:18

Trust Faith Love

It is impossible to go through life without trust. It leads to being imprisoned in the worst jail cell of all, ‘oneself.’ – G. Greene

God ‘trusted’ in man. Jesus ‘trusted’ in the apostles. There seems to be a pattern here. Hmm!

Were we to look back over our lives, each of us could see progress made in several areas, maybe not as much as we would have liked, but progress nonetheless. And if we look a little deeper we can see we did not do it alone, we had help. Help from God and help from others. But to receive help we had to trust the one giving the help. Trust is one of the foundational pillars of faith and love. If we had no faith we could not trust anyone in even the simplest things (doctors, cooks, drivers, spouses, etc.) for we could never be sure their intent was not to harm us. And if we have not faith in someone it would be impossible to love them. It’s a very refreshing thought to know that God loves us and has faith in us.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

Decisions and Consequences

Whether your tomorrow holds fond memories or regrets, it will come from today’s decisions. – Anon  

In Luke 16 the rich man and Lazarus the beggar both die. One opens his eyes in eternal torment, and one to eternal joy. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Hmm!

One of the greatest gifts God granted us was the ability to make our own decisions. However, each decision, no matter large or small carries consequences that come with it. And though we may try, you cannot DETACH the consequences from a decision. They may not come instantaneously, but they will come. But God has gifted us also with His Word, His Spirit, and His Presence, that we might make the right decisions and have many fond memories and few regrets. May we decide in wisdom.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” – Galatians 5:16-18

God Opportunity

What we call adversity, God gives as opportunity. – Anon

Jesus once asked Philip if they had enough to ‘feed’ all the people. Philip begrudgingly calculated how much it would cost them. It wasn’t about money but faith.

Rise AND shine, hope AND pray, rejoice in ALL circumstances. Sometimes admittedly we seem to do okay on the front end, but not the other. We wonder why do we have to be cordial, why should I pray one more time or why should I be happy this is happening to me. It is then we need to take off our ‘glasses’ and put away our ‘thoughts’ and seek what God is trying to work out in our lives. He never wastes an opportunity for us to grow into maturity, for in so doing we give Him even greater glory. So today is the day, may we not miss the opportunities.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” – James 5:11

God's Glorious Glory

A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him, than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on a wall. – C. S. Lewis

The religious leaders heaped all the darkest insults, derogatory remarks, shame and reproach they could muster upon Jesus while He was on the cross. But, His GLORY still leaked out. AMEN!

It has been scientifically proven that a single drop of liquid can contain thousands, if not millions of living organisms. Though we cannot see it with the naked eye, under a microscope it comes to life. The glory of God defies all logic, and is vividly seen in every detail of life to the person who has eyes of faith and a spirit of understanding. He’s there all the time, friend.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory, and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” – Hebrews 1:3

P.S. Don't forget the Sunday School Devotional time this Sunday at 9AM in Parmes Hall.