The key to playing God is Don't

A blank page is God’s way of showing you how hard it is to be God. – Anon

Left to their own devices the best the Israelites could do was to make a ‘golden calf’ for their god. It only got them in trouble. Hmm!

Creativity – it’s a beautiful thing when done right, but it is oh so hard at times. I’m sure we can all think back to times we had in school when we had to write 6, 10, 12+ page essays and all we could do was just look at the blank pages. Or maybe you had to do a job performance review and tried 12 different ways to define ‘meets expectations’ in a positive creative way. It’s not easy. But yet we often quickly believe we can play God in most circumstances in ours and others lives. God wants us in His story, He doesn’t want a story by us. Each day He is writing a part for each of us to fulfill, and if we seek Him out, our lives won’t have so many erasure marks on the page.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” – Job 40:2

Handling Heartbreak

A broken heart is what makes life so wonderful – 5 years later. - R. Murray

The birth of her grandson Obed renewed a long dormant spirit in Naomi’s heart. Hmm!

Live long enough and you’ll learn sooner or later that life hurts sometimes. The truth of the matter is life will break our hearts a few times. God does not always give us what we want or ask for. He in His divine wisdom knows what’s best for us – but He will always, always show us or tell us why He did not answer in the way we desired if we remain faithful and give Him time to show us His much greater plan or vision. We must remember life doesn’t all happen in the here and now moment, and that God is much more concerned with our eternal destiny than our immediate temporary comforts, but even still in this, He will not put more on us that we can bear. So, no matter where we are or what we’re going through right now, we just need to hang in there and hang on to God.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” – Philippians 4:4

Discovering the Spirit

If God doesn’t belong in a box, maybe we don’t either. - Anon

‘Deacon’ Philip had no idea what to say to the Ethiopian eunuch, so he just preached Jesus. Hmm!

“Where did that come from?” It’s a question we often ask ourselves. While we may think that we know ourselves quite well, we sometimes surprise ourselves. Hidden within us there are levels of not-knowing or not understanding that can only be revealed to us in our moments of great crises. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit as we give it authority within us to bring new life - dormant gifts come alive, deeply suppressed interests emerge, new abilities begin to develop. Even in areas and abilities where we were once certain, that security begins to slip away as a new more meaningful reality is unveiled. The key is not to grieve over what we may have lost but to rejoice in what we are discovering in how God wants to use us.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“…In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 6:11

Go to: thewordsearch.com/puzzle/4736/ to play the word search image.

Keeping the Focus

To hold fast to one’s goals means to dismiss many others. – R. Murray

No matter the number of miracles he performed, Jesus constantly reminded his disciples his goal was the cross. WOW!

It is so easy to become distracted in the Christian life! The moment we seem to grasp what God wants or calls us to do, it seems as though everything and everyone around us requires our time and attention. It takes a strong resolve not to lose focus or get sidetracked by the issues or cares of life, and the enemy is crafty at bringing such things in our periphery. Discipline or dedication is a very, very hard thing. Like Jesus, our resolve to go where God is calling us ought to be clearly evident to those around us. We should never let temptation or ‘opportunity’ keep us from obedience to God’s calling.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” – Proverbs 4:25-27

Life's Legacy

Most people simply accept their lives - they don't lead them. - Anon

Until God called him 'mighty warrior' Gideon was content to hide in the winepress. Hmm!

Most of us know the frustration of driving or walking behind someone who's just plodding along aimlessly, purposeless, just plain in the way. It's aggravating. Truthfully, most people live this way. They seem to have no purpose, no direction, and no thought for those coming behind them, or those looking up to them. Every one of us will leave some sort of legacy or lasting impression in all our relationships be it good or bad. The key is to know what kind of legacy you want to leave and begin to live it now. Life is the most precious gift of God, and His expectation is that we will live to influence and lead others to him. Today is a gift from God, how we use it is our gift to him others. Live On!

Until tomorrow....

Pastor Botts

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord......bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God...." - Colossians 1:10

What we need to be

We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are. – J. Maxwell

Paul says he spent 3 years unlearning what he ‘thought’ was the right way before he met Jesus. Wow!

No doubt about it, most people; present company included, are resistant to change. Often, if we’re not careful we let complacency set the order of the day for us. We say we desire improvement but tend to firmly resist changing any of our routines. That’s a problem because we all know that old maxim ‘if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.’ The fact is life is all about change, but for us to grow in new ways we have to be more than just open to change, we have to actually and physically pursue change. It’s much more than wishful thinking, it takes dedicated, consistent application and review. We must remember, though God takes us as we are, He is not going to leave us that way. Perfection is His goal and sometimes He needs us to be a bit more ‘moldable.’

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“….I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven…” – Matthew 18:3

The Scales don't Balance

The symbol of the religion of Jesus is the cross, not the scales. – J. Stott

In Luke 18 the Pharisee wanted God to see how well balanced and pious his life was by his acts of service. God was not impressed. Hmm!

All too often we’re like the Pharisee, we’ll do just enough to balance things out, give God just enough time, offering, praise, etc. to cover the blessings He gives. But we miss the boat. The cross represents the symbol of our Lord’s suffering. It is where He was hung and crucified with OUR sins. Nothing we do can atone for His sacrifice or “balance out” the deed. We are forever in His debt. Jesus did not call us to balance the books but to “take up our cross daily” and follow Him.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat?’ Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink…So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty,” – Luke 17:7-10

How you look at it

No man has ever injured his eyesight by looking on the bright side of things. – T. T. Crabtree

Though sold in into slavery, falsely imprisoned, accused, and forgotten by man, Joseph was never down in Spirit. He knew God was still at work. Hmm!

Bad Weather, bad news, sickness, family problems, you name it; we’ve all had it at one time or another in our lives. And we’ll have it again in the future. Jesus said “in this life you will have trouble.” Our challenge is not so much the ‘trouble’ itself but how we respond to it. Maybe God wants us to learn to look at these situations and circumstances for the opportunities they bring to deepen our faith, and increase our praise and worship of Him. You’ve got nothing to loose and everything to gain by looking at it this way, and it does make life more bearable.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you....." - I Thessalonians 5:18

P.S. - Don't forget Prayer Breakfast tomorrow at 9AM and our Annual Business Meeting Sunday after morning services.

Law of Attraction

Who you are is who you attract. – J. Maxwell

The Three Mighty Men. The Thirty Chief Men. Though David was king of Israel, he was a warrior at heart and attracted other warriors. Simply Amazing!

Science teaches us that certain animals emit pheromones to attract or warn others of the same species. It’s a natural body function for sustaining the species. When it comes to our life and relationships the same chemistry applies. The people and the problems we attract are not determined by what we want, but by who we are. If we’re selfish, non-committal, and drifting, that’s who we’ll attract. If we’re honest, self-less, and God-fearing; that’s who we’ll attract. If we want to attract a better class, then we need to improve ourselves first. The good news is we don’t have to stay the way we are unless we feel we’re already perfect. God has granted us this day for changing.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love……as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1,2  

Enjoying the Journey

If you’re not enjoying the journey, you probably won’t enjoy the destination. – J. Tye

Many of the Israelites didn’t make it to the Promised Land. They couldn’t handle the daily walks with God through the desert. Hmm!

One of the great benefits of traveling by car or train is that you get to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way. True, it’s slower than other modes of transportation but it is refreshing in its own way. Life is a journey for us as well, one we should enjoy day by day. Even though we may have ‘deserts’ along the way or ‘ride’ with those we sometimes have disagreements with; we should still be able to enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised. If we’re not enjoying God in our daily walk here maybe we need to rethink our desires for heaven.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us and eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” – II Corinthians 4:17

What's Inside

We may be better than our reputation, but we are never better than our principles. – Anon

Biblically speaking, most people refer to Job as a man with a reputation for enduring great suffering. Actually he was a man of great principle – he never doubted God! Amen.

It happens every morning. It happens pretty much the same every morning. We get up, wash up, and spend time in the mirror preparing the external outlook of the person the world will see that day. We want to look our best for much is at stake. But no matter how good we look externally we can we can never be greater than who we are within. Life is lived from the inside out, what is truly in the heart will come to the forefront of our lives; which is why God is so adamant about transforming the heart of man, for it is the seat of all living. Men may know us by our reputation, but God will know us by our principles.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45

Fix your eyes...

I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. – C. Bronte

God was a ‘cloud’ by day and a ‘pillar’ of fire by night leading the Israelites. He’s still looking for a few good folks to lead today. Hmm!

As anyone who has ever been on a guided tour knows, you always keep your eyes and ears on the Tour Guide. They know the way, what’s important along the way, how much time should be spent at a station and so on…to lose sight of them is to risk getting lost, getting in trouble, or missing out on the tour’s main offering. Life is very similar to this as we journey each day. To keep looking back is to live with the shame, regrets, pain, and heartache of the past, which drastically lessens our hope and encouragement that things will get better. To keep looking into the future is to run the danger of moving beyond God’s stride and direction, running ahead of His plans and purposes and ending up unfulfilled. That’s why it’s imperative that we keep our focus on God, walk at His pace, never letting go of His hand. He will allow us to take time and enjoy His creation, but also ensure we never get lost, never have need to fear, and never linger longer than necessary at any point.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…..Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith….” – Hebrews 12:2

Every time I try to do right...

It’s amazing how quickly an emergency arises the moment you start saving for one. – Sparks

After healing Peter’s mother-in-law and many others, Jesus slipped away to pray. Or so he thought he did! Hmm!

Good intentions – we all get started on them but often find ourselves falling short. And it’s truly amazing what things, circumstances, or situations appear when we try to do right by God. These are not by chance, they are designed schemes of the enemy to keep us out of contact with Almighty God. Jobs that take us away from church and/or bible study. Sunday morning illnesses that keep us home, interruptions that keep us out of the Word or our prayer closet. These are all tools of Satan to keep us from ‘storing up treasure in heaven.’ But God expects us to be wise to the deceptive practices of our enemy, and not lose focus. God will never put a hindrance to us coming to Him, so maybe we need to re-evaluate the emergency.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:20