Who's the Judge

God himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should we? – Sparks

Peter judged all Gentiles to be inferior and beneath him. God put him in a situation with Cornelius that increased his VISION. Wow!

Truth be told we are often quick to pass final judgment on those we know and meet as if we have the actual keys to heaven and hell. And we do it with little rhyme or reason. But God calls us to be witnesses for him, not lawyers OR judges; but witnesses. And like our Supreme Creator we should hold out hope for all mankind to be redeemed. Regardless of where they stand, God wants to use us to make a difference in their lives today, for tomorrow their change just may come. Let us all remember our role.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many….” – Hebrews 9:27-28  

We, Ourselves & Us

You cannot pray the Lord's Prayer and even once say "I." You cannot pray the Lord's Prayer and even once say "my." Others are included in each and every plea. From the beginning to the end of it, it does not once say "me." – Anon

The ‘rich fool’ in Luke 12 came down with the me, myself, and I disease. It only cost him everything. OUCH!

The motto of the common world is ‘Survival of the fittest.’ Where it’s take care of yourself first and if you have anything left over and any compassion you might consider the other guy. And we often, even as God’s chosen fall into this mentality; working long and hard to provide for our needs. The truth is we cannot provide for our needs – only God can. He provides us with the means and the strength. His desire is for us to be concerned about His kingdom and His people – that should be the crux of our living. When we fix our eyes on our own blessings or woes we miss the point – for it is not about us, we are a part of His story. As you enter today remember it’s a lot larger than you.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

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

Walk the Talk

Too many folks have a big Christian vocabulary but little Christian experience. – C. Banning

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because their big talk didn’t match their walk. WHOA!

When we were born we spent at least a few years just taking things in, experiencing life’s joys and disappointments, learning basic motor skills and preferences. It’s as if God was giving us time to really experience life before we had anything to say. Truth is, we really should speak from our experiences for in them we have a depth of knowledge and wisdom to draw from. It seems this is lost in our Christian walk. We often walk in the sinful ways of the world, hold fast to a secular worldview, and spend little time with God – but yet we seem to know the lingo, scriptures to cite, and way to appear ‘holy’ to others. We must be careful in our thinking this way because it is the common ploy of Satan (he masquerades as an angel of light). It’s good to praise God verbally, but a life well lived is the grandest example.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Where words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” – Proverbs 10:19

Slow Work

Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid of only standing still. – R. Murray

Jesus was twelve when he stymied the teachers of his day, but didn’t start his ministry until he was 30 – he needed the time. Hmm!

When it comes to change too often we want it now, in the dramatic, miraculous fashion; and grow weary and ready to give up when it doesn’t happen that way. But if we look around and understand God and His nature He always takes His time in developing or growing plans. He made man on the 7th day, not the first. Christ came as a ‘baby in a manger’ not a full grown man. God is always at work, ‘He neither slumbers nor sleeps,’ so He is working on us. Our role is to be patient, steady, and persevere under the circumstances in which He has placed us. None of us are where we truly want to be maturity wise, but if we look back we should see a steady pattern or progression of betterment in our lives and with that - REJOICE!

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

Doin Too Much

Devoting a little of yourself to everything means committing a great deal of yourself to nothing. – M. LeBoeuf

The Israelites tried serving the gods of their neighbors and Almighty God. Eventually they found themselves with neither. Hmm!

We live in a world that says you can have it all, and unfortunately many believe just that. Sacrifice is not a part of the vocabulary. Many of us are stretched thin, involved in every “in” thing, going to every “in” place. And like our fashionable attendance to these major events (arrive late, leave early) we do the same with our God walk. But God has indeed called us to humbly submit our whole heart to Him alone, and has promised us all other things will fall into place if we do. And if we give it some serious thought, doing less but with a more defined purpose is really not half-bad.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

Best Medicine

God’s best for you today may not be your preference. – Anon

Though there were cleaner pools of water near his home, Naaman had to dip in the ‘muddy’ Jordan to be cleansed. HE DID!

Castor oil, hog hoof tea, vapo-rub, cod liver oil, etc. – I’m sure we can remember these and other home remedies from our early childhood. Though we would have preferred a visit to the doctor, maybe a few days off from school and so forth; our parents ‘forced’ these remedies on us. And you know what; we are so much the better off today because they did. In truth, their intentions were right in line with the way God deals with us. Just as medicine is not always pleasant and easy to deal with, it is what is best for us when we are ill. The situations or circumstances God allows into our lives may seem harsh, unappealing, and distasteful to us; but He is always working in our best interests. So though we may not like the ‘state of things’ as they are right now, remember God knows what is best and has a plan for how it will all turn out for good.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – I Thessalonians 5:18

Rise Above

No one is free who is not master of himself. – Claudius

Joseph would not let himself stoop to levels of sin and indecency before his master and God with Potiphar’s wife. He considered the whole idea “wicked.”

One of Satan’s lies is that you can do things in secret that no one will know. It’s a clever little ploy to keep us in bondage to sin. Temptation to sin comes to all of us, but for us as Christians so does the power and opportunity to escape the sin. We must remember in all situations that it is not about us and our desires, but our heavenly Father and His will for us. God will not withhold any good thing from His people. I pray we will rise above all selfish desires today.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Therefore I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – I Corinthians 9:26-27

Caution: Temptation Ahead

If you truly want to know how far you’ve gotten away from the devil, just try praying. – Anon

Paul admitted in his daily life that no matter what time of day he tried doing good, or what type of good he tried doing – evil was ever with him. WOW!

Oftentimes, because of our wisdom, years of being faithful, or certain experiences we feel we’ve arrived at maturity; we’ve reached a level where we are untouchable by the enemy and he’s no longer on our trail. The truth is – saint or sinner – the enemy is never going to leave us alone. His main goal is to keep us disconnected from our power source – God. Temptation is a fact of life for all of us, everyday of our life; and even more so right now because TODAY is all God promised us. So as the day unfolds – beware – just keep praying.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” - I Cornithians 10:12

Name Calling

“I am the LORD, that is my name!”  - God (Isaiah 42:8)

Though Saul became a corrupt king, David continually addressed him as ‘God’s anointed.’ Hmm!

The way we address someone is of utmost importance. It shows the level of respect we have for them, and it sets the tenor for the relationship and conversation that follows. Calling people, our children included; out of name only invites an unhealthy attitude and conversation that can quickly become the enemy’s opportunity to pounce, create dissension, or even entice one down the path of sin. As often as we’ve fallen short there’s never been a time God has called us out of our name, He continually calls us His ‘beloved,’ and He expects us to show the same courtesy. Over the next few days BEWARE, there will be surprise exams everywhere you go.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the righteous rescues them.” – Proverbs 12:6

Lights for the World

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. – J. Baldwin

Isaac, like his father Abraham, was willing to call his wife his sister when it was convenient. Oh, thank God for grace!

Were we all to take a moment and look back over our life I’m sure we’d find a high percentage of truth in the above statement. In a lot of instances good, bad, or indifferent we have become ‘like parent, like child.’ The phrase “don’t do as I do, do as I say,” carried very little weight, if any at all. I think that is why the word of God continually commands us to be "light," or "examples" of righteousness not only for our children but for the world, as many will not hear our testimony but they will see it if we live it. May we all imitate Christ today.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2

Don't Miss the Good

Some people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold. – M. Setter

Though the ‘agreed upon’ wages were enough to support them and their families, some vineyard workers were upset when the paymaster paid everyone in full. The key is they were paid.

We are truly a blessed people, moreso than we will ever know. We live in a land of plenty with great freedoms, yet we are often upset or angry at life. But everything God allows upon us has a place in His perfect plan – because He’s working it out for our good. So even in the valley of despair we can have hope and joyful expectation that ‘good’ is ours to find for He works ‘all things’ together that way. The key is to see it from God’s point of view and not our own. He never promised our walk would always be easy, but He did promise to walk with us. And besides, all that glitters isn’t gold anyway!

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Living or Existing

You don’t grow old by living, but by losing interest in living. – R. Murray

After Joseph’s ‘perceived death’ Abraham lost a lot of his zest for life. God later ‘revived’ him. Wow!

Life comes one day at a time, and as we accumulate the days we grow older. That’s been the formula since the beginning of time. But though our bodies age our zest for life need not, for there is ever excitement and wonder afoot in God’s creation. The sad truth is though, most of us aren’t even living, we’re just existing. Going through the paces or routines of everyday life, in a rut. Not expecting anything different to happen, not expecting to make a difference because we’re so focused on ourself. God gave us life and He receives glory when we live it for Him, and the same is true for us. Our lives will be fuller and much more meaningful when we learn to live them with, and for others, in such a way that they see the goodness of God, and we live without thought of being compensated for all we do. Life is God’s gift to us and it should never feel like a sentence or prison. Each day should be seen as an opportunity to see just what God is up too.  What will you do with today’s gift?

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…as long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no man can work….” – John 9:4