The Pursuit of Better

If you are good, be better. – Anon

Cornelius lived a righteous and devout life and loved giving alms to God. Peter told him how to live even better. AMEN!

A wise Elder of ours lived his life by the credo “education begins the day you’re born and ends the day you die.” Many of us often live our lives as if we’ve peaked, we’ve reached a certain age or status and so we’ve settled in there – “good enough” we say. Some of us have accomplished major goals and aspirations and we’ve settled there – “I made it” we say. But just as the products we buy are often ‘New and Improved’ God is always at His work in our lives, trying to better shape, purge, refine, and polish us that we may shine even brighter for Him. So no matter how far we’ve come and how miraculous our change for the better has been, He’s not finished so neither should we be.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.” – Proverbs 21:21

God At Work

What we see depends truly on what we're actually looking for! - Anon

Many folks saw Noah working on the ark but none of them believed God was with him. Hmm!

Jesus said "my Father is always at His work!" So the question I guess is how often throughout the day do we actually see God working? It's all a matter of perspective and understanding. Many people look at a tree and just see a tree. A person of faith sees 'God at work' with all that the tree provides - homes for birds and other animals, shade/shelter, food - not to mention greenery for beauty and to aid in the production of oxygen for us. Many people see children at play and that's it, but a person of faith sees 'God at work' reminding us to choose joy and happiness in the midst of an imperfect world. Our perspective is shaped and informed by what we know. So the more we know of God and His Word the more we will see Him 'at His work' in and around our lives. Praying today may be eye opening and breathtaking to us all.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." - Psalm 27:13

Peace of Mind Control

If you want peace of mind, start controlling what you allow into it. - Rick Warren

King Saul would often summon young David to play the harp before him to calm his troubled mind. Hmm!

Capital One "What's in your wallet?" wants to get into your wallet! At least they're upfront about it. See, the enemy knows the battle of our will is waged in the mind. And he seeks to control our mind or way of thinking through all sorts of subversive, subliminal, and deceptive media, via every possible distribution outlet (TV, Radio, Internet, Social Media, etc.) available. Anxiety, stress, life disorders and so forth are often brought about by a worrisome mind, a heart with no peace or rest. But there is a way to overcome the enemy's assault on our mind. Choose carefully what we consume in our media diet. The benefits are tremendous. As has been said: "No Jesus, No peace! Know Jesus, Know peace"!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - II Corinthians 10:5

Life As Advertised

Make yourself an honest person, and then you can be sure there is one less rascal in the world. – T. Carlyle

Paul said he was ‘determined’ to know nothing among those he fellowshipped with except Jesus Christ. His life proved his point. Hmm!

“Betcha can’t eat just one!” That was the Lay’s Potato Chip ad slogan from years ago. It was good advertising, deceptive; but still good. Mind you, you had to buy a whole bag to try and best the slogan, and that meant sales. We are in a sense all in sales, advertising for our Heavenly Father through our lives. And our story, just like everyone else’s, has a few dark spots or less-than-desirable chapters. But God doesn’t want us to be deceptive in our presentation, nor does He want us to hide behind the dark moments. His desire is that we treat them as any good marketer would, in a positive light. Tell others how we’ve become wiser, more disciplined, mature, experienced, and of course more dependent upon Him who forgave us and restored us. Good trustworthy advertising makes good sense and good business, and God is still in the people business.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God….” – Genesis 39:9

What Do You WANT To Eat?

Fine dining is really a matter of choice! - Anon

Manna from heaven for 40 years! Yet they never lacked anything vital to their healthy well-being. Hmm!

Candy! Popcorn! Chips! Hamburgers! Hot Dogs! Pizza! Pepsi or Coca-Cola. Oh, the foods we loved when we were younger. Many of us thought we could live on them forever, and some of us are still trying to. But as we aged and our bodies changed, we realized we needed a better diet, one that helps to aid our mind and bodies, rich in nutrients, vitamins, proteins, etc. It's a scriptural parallel, as the bible tells us in our faith walk we should eventually move on from 'milk' to solid food. Unfortunately, many of us still live on the 'milk'. We try and face life's problems and circumstances with our early on 'Sunday School' answers when a faith more meaningful and well-nourished in God's Word is required. It's a given we're going to grow physically through the biology God placed within us, but it takes a daily desire and discipline to grow faithfully, to become who God made us to be. Is a diet change in order?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." - Hebrews 5:14

The Future Happens Everyday

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. – Abraham Lincoln

Jesus went from manger to cross in just over 33 years, living day by day. It wasn’t supernatural, but He was. Hmm!

Today is the future of yesterday. Tomorrow, if granted will be the future of today. That’s how God has planned it since the beginning for us. We often think of the future as some time ahead - months, years, decades, etc. – and often we make our plans that way. But the future happens every day. True, life may go on hundreds of years after today before Christ returns, but we’re not guaranteed to be here beyond today. And because God knows how much we can bear, His mercies, compassion, kindnesses and other blessings are only given us for the day, so we are not overwhelmed. So if we’re planning on living happily ever after, today would be the day to start.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once….” – Deuteronomy 7:22

P.S. - Don't forget to bring in your Gift Cards for our CA Wildfire Relief contribution.

How to Survive in Hard Knock U

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas Edison

Paul refused to lose; he said he “became all things to all men” just so he could win them. Hmm!

Life – it’s often called the ‘School of Hard Knocks.’ And guess what, we’re all enrolled, free of charge. And the lessons just keep on coming. And it matters not how young or old we may be, how experienced or new, there’s always a chance we will possibly slip up. But, when we take time to learn from them, new doors and opportunities are opened up to us. And the good thing about attending the University of Hard Knocks is God has surrounded us with classmates who’ve potentially tried a few things we’re thinking about. Why not swap some stories and seek some advice from them. After all, life is an open book test (bible) and God put others in our lives for good reason.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” – Luke 22:32

Do Good In Spite Of

It is not possible for us to be what we ought to be until we do what we ought to be doing. – Richard Murray

Jesus had to ask Peter three times “Do you love me?” before it finally dawned on Peter what Jesus was after. Hmm!

Growing up most of us did the things we were supposed to do (diet, exercise, education, etc.) to reach adulthood. The problem is a lot of us stopped here. God’s plan was for us to grow into mature, productive, kingdom building individuals. Many of us have an idea of who we really should be by now for we know the truth, and we know how to apply the truth to our lives, but yet we refuse because of what we perceive others to be doing. Jesus told Peter to take his eyes ‘off’ of John and focus on his own relationship with God. What others do in their life should not impact the righteous life we are called to live. And we can never be all that God wants of us unless we do all that He asks of us. True faith doesn’t depend on others actions, it’s active alone.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

First, Love

We sin not because we do not love Christ at all, but because we do not love Christ above all. - Anon

The moment Eve ate and offered the fruit in the Garden to Adam, he had a major decision on his hands. OUCH!

Freewill - it's a gift from God. The ability to choose one thing over another, make this decision over another. And each new day God gives us is full of opportunity to exercise it. It is the very foundation of love. Yes, love. Most times we use the word love as a noun to 'qualify' something, but in truth it is a verb, a word of action. It is seen in the things we do, the actions we take and the attitude that we attach to them. Dare to love someone and challenges will arise, just as they did in the Garden. In our time here on earth God gives us opportunity to perfect our love for Him through the situations and circumstances of life. His desire is that we truly understand the 'Great Commandment' and our place within it. So whatever we're faced with today, may God be first!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second command is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31

Peace Be Still

It is always darkest before the dawn. - T. Fuller

The Israelites looked back and saw the Egyptians coming, Moses looked up to God and the Red Sea parted before them. Hmm!

Beloved football announcer Keith Jackson had some euphemisms when calling a game. From a 'barnburner' - meaning this will be exciting, to his famed "Whoa Nellie" - meaning lookout, beware, something big is loosed and headed our way with potential to do damage. With the happenings of today in our Nation's capital some of us might feel like saying "Whoa Nellie!" But I think even when confronted with such a scene in our time and lives the words of Jesus still have power and ring true if we remember them: "Peace, be still!" These words calmed a raging, surging sea, and Jesus promised such peace to us. So, no matter what comes upon us from the White House, the economy, world crises, even family disagreements, we can all say "Peace, be still" and trust God to work it out. Just have faith and trust Him and see what He will do. Trust that no matter what we're going through He's already working it out for our good and His glory.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." - Isaiah 46:9-10

Improving Our Aim

Failure to hit the bullseye is never the fault of the target. - Anon

The Pharisees and religious rulers of the day 'missed' Jesus because they had their minds already made up. Hmm!

Generally, when 'X' marks the spot, 'X' is not mobile or ambulatory. That's the one constant we need to hone in on to make sure we hit the bullseye. Interestingly enough, God and His Word never change, they are both the same 'yesterday, today, and forever' yet we continually seem to miss. Biblically speaking, sin is described as 'missing the mark.' Missing at times is okay, for God is truly gracious, but when we continue to miss in the same area, it should be a strong indicator to us that we need to improve our aim. That may mean learning to control the desires of our flesh and the lust of our eyes, to the point of letting go of certain friends, habits, routines, or conveniences that hinder our ability to concentrate and focus on the bullseye. True God's patience is long, but we never want to be found 'trying it.'

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"...You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart...." - Jeremiah 29:13

Just Plant. Results Will Follow

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.”

Focusing on Following the Father of Our Future

Most people want a roadmap to their future rather than a relationship with the One who holds tomorrow. – H. Blackaby

The religious leaders and Gentile of Jesus’ day were always seeking signs to follow, while the Way, Truth, and Life stood right before them. Hmm!

Though we say we live by faith very often we are people of certainty. We want guarantees, warranties, and pre-arranged end results in our lives. So for us it often seems easier to follow a ‘plan’ than to cultivate or build a relationship based on trust. We become more concerned with what lies ahead in our future than walking intimately with God day by day. But the same future we’re looking to reach is still in the hands of the One who is with us right now. He holds tomorrow and the day after, so maybe we should focus on knowing Him. He’s promised the plans He has for us are good.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.” – Numbers 14:8

Prison Release

Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner! - Max Lucado

Though Daniel spent the night in the lion’s den, King Darius was the one held prisoner in his own heart. Then morning came and he was relieved. Hmm!

Prisons are ominous places. True they house some vile people, but they also house those who have to keep watch over them. It is a tough grueling job with little if any benefits. This is also a true picture of us when we can’t practice forgiveness. The thing is when we refuse to forgive someone, when we decide to harbor ill will or hatred toward them; it is really ourselves that we keep locked up. We have to make sure that person never gets free to have a pleasant life or ruin someone else’s life. We in essence become jail keepers in the dungeons of our own heart. That’s why God ‘commands’ us to forgive one another as He forgave us. Life is too short to be locked up of your own will. Forgiving is not necessarily forgetting what happened, but it is allowing yourself to live freely and fully for God, and it works wonders for your heart and spirit.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:14-15

P.S. - Hope to see you at our Prayer Meeting tonight at 5:30pm.

That "Can Do" Attitude

A true victor sees himself winning even before the race or battle begins. - Anon

Gideon was the scrawniest kid in his family line but God somehow made him a fierce warrior. Hmm!

The Little Engine That Could! A childhood favorite, tells the story of a little blue train engine that has to overcome a 'rough passage' to get a load of toys to its final destination. The moral is the engine has to go from an 'I think I can' attitude to an 'I know I can' mindset. Truth be known it has a biblical concept that many of us actually know but don't fully adopt. The scripture says "I can do all things through Christ...." It doesn't say attempt or try and give up. It says we can accomplish or overcome. That means anything in our lives that we know hinders our relationship with Christ and God the Father, there is power within the Holy Spirit given us to help us be victorious. To know we can change it. Our only need is to surrender ourselves - flesh and all - to that power within and watch God 'work it out' for our good and His glory.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"For we live by faith, not by sight." - II Corinthians 5:7

Living With TRUE Faith

Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want, it is the belief that God will do what is right, ALWAYS! - Max Lucado

It took Caleb 40+ years to get his blessing but he kept his faith through all the ups and downs. AMEN!

Most if not all of us have probably been disappointed one time or another in purchasing a product that did not deliver on its promises. We had hoped upon purchase it would do exactly what it said in the advertisement. We had instantaneous faith. Hebrews 11:4 tells us what true faith is: "The substance of things 'hoped for' the evidence of things not yet seen." But if we're being honest here, many of us don't live with that kind of faith. We have instantaneous faith. We want and task God to answer all of our prayers in our lifetimes, visibly, the way we want them answered and exactly when we need them answered. Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah and many generations believed He would come in their lifetime. But they died without seeing the promise come to pass yet their faith 'lived on' (Heb. 11:39). Our 'faith' should be in God's perfect plan of redemption - for that's why Jesus came - not so much in our personal pleasures and position. As the bible tells us if we "seek God's kingdom and His righteousness first...." that God will add to us in our lifetime unlimited blessing and favor. Now that's real faith.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"Abraham believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6

Perceiving the Potential

Where we see a block of cement a sculptor sees a work of beauty to unveil. - Anon

The disciples saw nothing good or worthwhile in Paul until Barnabas put him under the light of Christ. Hmm!

There is one profound truth we must all accept: the truth that God loves us more than we love ourselves. Being made in His image, He always sees the 'true' person we can become. He works in our lives through trials to strengthen our faith and trust in Him, struggles to help us fix our focus and dependence on Him, and oppositions to help us realize no one is greater than Him. He allows sickness and pain to remind us He is a healer and comforter, and even allows us to face sorrow/grief to remind us He is greater than death. The reason for all this is He sees in us the same 'character' traits that were in His Son Jesus, and He wants to perfect them in us. Why? That we may be like Jesus and help 'turn' others to Him to be saved. In this New Year, let's not waste any opportunities, let's remember that no matter what is happening in and around us God is at His work, because He knows us and loves us more than we love ourselves.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." - I Timothy 1:15

Embracing Change

The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there. – Vince Lombardi

David was Israel’s greatest king, but he had many battles before AND after he took the throne. AMEN!

We like to think life should remain constant and our situations should never change, but change is really the one constant in life. We’re up today and down or under attack tomorrow and wonder why. God never promised us an easy or comfortable life. He promised us a life filled with His presence. If we stop and think about it; life would be pretty boring without any battles or friction to help smooth out our rough edges and remind us we can’t do it alone. If we truly expect success or significance in our life the only way is by dedicated effort and obedience to God’s will.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” – Daniel 2:20-21

Faithful to BEing

Men climb great mountains but yet stumble over pebbles. – E. Cady

Peter preached a sermon that brought 3,000 new souls to Christ, yet he found it hard to get over his prejudice of Gentiles. Hmm!

Without a doubt, most of us would have no problem signing up to do something great or noteworthy; it’s what we live for. The big job, the special assignment, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – count us in. We love being able to deliver the goods for everyone’s praise. But God never asks us to climb great mountains, or seek fame and fortune or praise; He only asks us to be faithful to Him each day, and for some reason it seems to be the hardest thing to do. Maybe therein lies the problem – we want to DO, we’re good at doing - but God says BE. If we realize that being faithful is the greatest thing we can DO maybe we can somewhat cure our stumbling problems.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;…..Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.” – Proverbs 3:21,23

Slowing Down the Pace

“I’m not tired yet!” – Song refrain

Interestingly, when God led His people out of Egypt He was never in a rush or hurry, He knew they needed a steady pace and more time with Him. Amen!

We all seek it! We even plan for it! That thing that God even told us we needed – REST. Oh we relax, or slow down at times, but it seems we just don’t get it at the heart level that we need it. Just think, here it is a week into the New Year and truth be told many of us are already tired, worn out. Why, because we’ve missed the secret of gaining God’s wisdom for the peace, rest we seek. God told us “in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Isaiah 30:15). It’s right there for the taking but as is true of so many of us, we want to go our own way and chart our own path. We can continue to chase that ‘fictitious’ utopian dream or enter in and accept the peace, joy, happiness, satisfaction, AND rest God has ordained for us by just living out His Word. It’s not a new resolution, it’s just plain old obedience.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” – Proverbs 19:2