Choose Happiness

Even God Himself can't give a man happiness; it's a choice you must make yourself! - Anon

Zacchaeus was rich, but yet unhappy. Hmm!

Happiness! It's quite possibly the #1 goal on everyone's wish list, but yet it's the least visible trait you see displayed. You see anger, aggression, fear, depression, insecurity, and on and on, but rarely do you genuinely see happiness on full display. Could it be because the enemy has deceived us into believing happiness can only be achieved or enjoyed by 'things' and 'possessions' and 'activities?' Yes, life has a lot to offer, but with these offerings come ups and downs, health and illness, gains and losses - happiness isn't one of them. True happiness is right before each of us, it's ours to choose each and every day no matter our circumstances or position. And when we believe this and choose to live it out, life is so much easier to bear.

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." - Psalm 68:3

It just doesn't add up

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. – E. Hoffer

David had the kingdom and wanted more (Bathsheba). The widow gave her all (mites) and was satisfied. Strange math. Hmmm!

Often, because we don’t have unlimited resources or palatial residences we feel we’re on the short end of life. We tend to look only at what we can physically put our hands on – materialism – as blessings from God, but this is such a narrow view. Life itself is the greatest blessings one can have, whether healthy or with a few ailments. Family and friends who care about us is another great blessing. The country we live in, the freedoms we have, the opportunities before us – all great blessings that take not a cent to purchase or enjoy. Our ancestors were led to the Promised Land ‘flowing with milk and honey’ and we’ve inherited far greater. We need only open our eyes to see what God has wrought.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers…a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt out of the land of slavery.” – Deuteronomy 6:10-12

Playing with Fire

Most of us keep one eye on the temptation we pray not to be led into. – M. H. Waldrip

David ‘looked’ a little bit too long at Bathsheba on the rooftop, and you know the rest of the story. OUCH!

Fire. We all know its benefits. It purifies precious metals, forges steel and iron for building, as well as warming our homes and cooking our food. In scripture fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit at times – all good stuff. Ironically though, fire is also a destroyer, it destroys buildings and homes, possessions, and figuratively speaking, lives and relationships. And again scripturally speaking fire is the agent that makes hell hot. But the one truth about fire whether literally or figuratively speaking is ‘if you get too close you’ll get burned!’ It is not something to be taken lightly. To some extent, each one of us is probably tempted on a daily basis to play with fire knowing the results could be disastrous (flirting, cheating, lying, gossip, etc.), but yet we play; often not even feeling the heat. The enemy tempts us in many ways but the end result is always the same, fire. God asks us to be constantly vigilant in our daily activities for eternity hangs in the balance.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet? – Proverbs 6:27-28

Deadly Beauty

What is beautiful is not always good, but what is good is always beautiful. – Anon

Samuel wanted to anoint Jesse’s son Eliab because of his stature and appearance, but God told him to anoint ‘little ruddy David’ because of his heart. Hmm!

If there is one lesson we learn from nature it’s that beautiful can be deadly. Many plants and animals are very colorful, vibrant, and inviting – but deadly. In fact it is often their beauty that aids them in self-survival. We have an enemy that often operates in the same manner, masquerading as that which is beautiful but with evil, harmful intentions. But everything God brings to us is for our good, everything He brings us through is for our good. It may not look appealing or inviting at the time of occurrence but its purpose is designed for our good – that in the end we may bring glory to Him - and that is a most beautiful picture.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” – Galatians 1:6-7

Sensible Preparation

Yes, men do make counterfeit money, but more often than naught, money makes counterfeit men. - S. Harris

Rehoboam's focus on more taxation made him a lesser man than his father Solomon. OUCH!

The love of money, the attraction, the affectations it brings, the power it yields, the satisfaction and happiness it promises - it's all smoke and mirrors. Yes, we need money to survive in this life, exist in this culture, but no matter how much we have it does not and should not define us, nor should others measure us by it. Jesus told us we should use 'worldly wealth to gain friends' (Luke 16:9) so that one day we 'might be welcomed into eternal dwellings.' So I think the question we should sometimes ask ourselves is: what are we doing with the other 90%, how is that portion showing out in my life? That does bear some thought, doesn't it? Will anybody be in heaven based on my spending patterns? The best use of your dollar$ and ¢ent$ is to be $en$ible in preparation for tomorrow.

Until Monday.....

Pastor Botts

"....for where your treasure in there your heart will be also..." - Matthew 6:22

Note: The Discipleship class will be meeting this Sunday at 9:15AM.

Men's Bible Study will be at 4pm.

Getting Better

Practice without improvement is meaningless. – C. Knox

David learned to sling stones long before he came upon Goliath. Amen!

Ask any athlete, coach, musician, or even doctor, and they’ll tell you the whole idea of practice is to get better, quicker, stronger, more adept, etc., at their craft. It’s not just spending time ‘on the field’ its practice with a purpose or intent. The same is true of us as Christians. The whole idea and principle of our faith is to bring us into a closer communion and fellowship walk with God, and make us more like Christ. But often we’re content just to go through the motions of church activity to appease our conscience, and convince ourselves we’re godly, growing complacent; without any intent on improvement, overcoming sin, growing in faith, or letting go of our worldly ways. The one thing we must always remember every day of our lives when it comes to our faith is, it’s not ourselves we have to convince – it’s God.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“This has been my practice: I obey your precepts. You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words.” – Psalm 119:56-57

Reminder: all articles for the newsletter are due today.

Share the Wealth

Sharing is caring! - Anon

Just because we can't beat God giving doesn't mean we shouldn't at least try! - WOW!

"Mine, mine, mine! Go, go, go! Back, back, back! It's my treasure, my good fortune, my hard work paying off!" Yes, this often is our way of thinking and example in life. We hoard God's great blessings to us. Like the rich man in Jesus' parable (Luke 12) we build 'bigger' barns to hold our bounty, so we can live the 'good life.' The truth is we have it backwards, we don't really understand the ways of this great God we serve and receive our blessings from. The reason God loves to lavish His love on us is because of the tremendous joy that comes from generosity. God loves to bless us because it brings Him great joy; and we being made in His image this way can have such joy as well, if we learn how to share.

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

"......the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."" - Acts 20:35

Visionaries

Visionary people are visionary partly because of the very great many things they don't see. - B. Rice

Early in his ministry others saw Paul as trouble, Barnabas the 'Encourager' saw him as a god-man. Hmm!

Our enemies greatest and really only feat is deception. Getting us to focus so hard on one thing, that we miss out on everything else going on around us. God is busily showing and giving blessing upon blessing and we miss them because our focus is elsewhere. In our busyness, stress, times of difficulty, unforeseen circumstances, we fail to see all the good things and blessings God is providing going on all around us. The support of family, friends, provisions from God. While under house arrest in Philippi, Paul realized how blessed he was as this occasion in his life helped advance the gospel - which by the way is our main purpose - being bearers of the good news. Whatever our situation is today, maybe we need to take a moment to see just how blessed we are. I'm sure praise will follow.

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

At the Name

"Perish the thought!" - Anon

When Job's wife told him to 'curse God and die..." he pretty much said "NO WAY!" - Hmm!

Does the name of God, the thought of God, or the mention of His name cause us to adjust our lives at all? Does it cause us any spiritual or emotional reaction at all, like the mention of other names might? Honestly, if you're like me you sometimes get a little too comfortable with God, forgetting He is not only the Creator of the Universe, but the Very One who gives life and breath to you, sustains you, and keeps you. Though we do want to be intimately connected to Him, we should never forget who He is and what He's done. Maybe we need to remind ourselves of the song we sang as children: "we're you there when they crucified My Lord, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble....." May we remember His presence always requires a certain decorum on our part. TREMBLE indeed!

Until Monday......

Pastor Botts

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." - Psalm 34:7

P.S. - Hope you can join us Sunday morning at 9AM for our weekly bible reading discussion time.

Also, we WILL NOT be having Vesper Services this Sunday, but why not pack a lunch and help us set up for VBS - it's here!

Great Expectings

The future has a way of arriving unannounced. – G. Will

Shortly before leaving them for good, Jesus told his disciples The Comforter would come and ‘remind’ them of all He taught them. They were never the same afterward. Hmm!

We are an impatient people by nature. We don’t deal well with uncertainty or loose ends. We want concrete answers and timetables. We want to know when things will be done. But our asking God ‘when’ He will do a certain work in our life or the lives of others presupposes what He will do, or to put it in other words ‘what we expect Him to do.’ We often expect God to do something miraculous to mark the change we seek so that we may attribute it to Him vs. coincidence. In reality, God is always at His work in our lives, therefore the ‘when’ is up to us, not Him. He gives us everything we need to defeat every sin we encounter and unlimited access to Him for strength to overcome all spiritual wickedness. The real question we have to answer for ourselves is do we believe God has given us what it takes, and do we have the desire to do it?

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him….” – I John 3:2

Impaired Judgement

Impaired vision isn't only an eye problem. - Anon

Naomi wanted to be called 'Mara' or bitter. God showed her that name didn't really fit. Amen!

DUI/DWI. Acronyms that no one really wants associated with their name. It means being caught operating a motor vehicle while your judgment has been impaired by alcohol, drugs or medications. Though we do all we can to ensure this is not us, we often find ourselves equally guilty of impaired judgment when it comes to others. We see and assume the worst of people just by their appearance (heavily tattooed - must be a gang member, unkempt or dirty - must be homeless, etc.). The fact of the matter is Jesus tells us not to judge anyone, for we all have issues and shortcomings. The good news is God is not finished with us yet. So ours should not be a comparison game of who's better off, but a prayer moment of "Lord, help us both, that you might be glorified!" As we greet this new dawning called today, may this be our prayer throughout.

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"....do not judge, or you too will be judged...." - Matthew 7:1

Breath Taking Views

The things that take our breath away were created by the One who gave it. - L. Fasking

God used and earthquake, fire, and a mighty wind to get Elijah's attention so that he could hear Him whisper. WOW!

A double or triple rainbow. The Northern Lights, the Grand Canyon, or Petrified Forest. The very 1st cry of a newborn baby. We can all think of instances or moments in life that took our 'breath away.' Those times when we realized the overwhelming grandeur of all that was happening and the fact there had to be a grand designer behind it all. When we consider all of God's creation, and the intellect required to design so vast a highly interrelated universe, and the power and strength needed to carve out and create such beauty; then we can understand why 'day after day and night after night' the Heavens declare His glory. So should we. Why not start today!

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

".....All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you." - Psalm 145:10

Bear Witness of God's Holiness

We need to get a sense of worth of our own selves and understand that no one is more deserving of our best behavior than we are. – R. Pennington

Though Saul sought to slay him, David couldn't even formulate in his mind a thought to harm God's anointed. Hmm!

If a tree falls in the middle of the forest and no one is around to see it, does it make a sound? A somewhat silly question, and one we often answer with “who cares." But the logic of the question is pure. And if we were to apply it to our daily living it sounds a powerful truth. Regardless of where we are or who we're with, how good or bad the situation, the greatest benefactor of our righteous, holy living is US, not God. Why, because we can't make God any holier than He already is, we can only bear witness of His holiness by the way we live. I pray you may appreciate yourself today!

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

I do not run like a man running aimlessly; 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

Trust the Process

Our task is not to do the master planning, but the planning of the Master. – Richard Murray

God gave Noah exact measurements on the ark, it worked. Jesus gave two of the disciples exact instructions on preparing for the last supper, it was just as he said. Maybe we should just listen and obey. Hmm!

Midlife crises! Biological clocks ticking! Lifetime achievements. It’s truly amazing how many lives are impacted by such events, and the great strides we take and hurdles we leap to make such inroads to the life we dream about. Dreams and aspirations caused by our own man-made thinking and desires, which cause us to cast aside the purposes of God for our own. True, life as it is now may not have panned out the way we planned it, but it may be going just the way the Lord planned it. The great thing is our life is still going, so the sky is still the limit and untold blessings are still possible. When it comes to God’s plan maybe we need to try it His way, on His terms. History has proven Him right every time.

Until Monday……..

Pastor Botts

“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm.” – Psalm 37:23

The Right Decision

Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right. – MLK, Jr.

David neither wanted in the army, nor the armor of Saul, or in the battle with Goliath. He really just wanted God to be praised. Hmm!

One glaring truth about life is that it is filled with decisions. Day in and day out we make them, else we stand still. However, the issue is what ‘basis’ do we use in our decision making process. As much as we are tempted by the world to think issues are not ‘black and white’ but contain a shade of ‘grey,’ we must adhere to the tenets of the One we profess as Savior and Lord. There is no specific time for truth or righteousness, their time is always NOW, including those times when it would be an inconvenience to us to stand firm. Right will always be right, and truth will always be truth, the question is: Will we? Today will require your decision on this many times over.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.” – II Thessalonians 3:13

Sinfully Good

It’s a sin to be good if God has called you to be great! – T. Ranier

The Apostle Paul bore on his body the “marks of Jesus.” Not because he was good, but because he was pursuing greatness. Amen!

We’re all taught in our upbringing to be good, get along. And unfortunately we carry that same attitude over into our service for Christ. But Jesus was a radical, he often “bucked” the worldly trends of his day, and he serves as our example. God is not looking for us to be good, this world has seen good and not been impacted by it; He needs us to be great. Great in our attutude, great in our work ethics, great in our praise, and great in our speech bringing forth the good news. Have a GREAT day!

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:46-48

Enjoy the Day

Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren’t enjoying today’s sunshine. – W. Feather

Martha was so busy making preparations for Jesus’ visit to their home, she never really got an opportunity to visit with him when he came. OUCH!

Though the calendar on the wall or in our pocket may show a 7-day weekly period, or 30-day month, today is all we have. All the other days have either disappeared into oblivion or darkness, or not yet emerged from it. It is wise to plan for the future ahead of us but never at the expense of sucking all the joy out of right now. We cannot fully experience or praise God unless we take time out to enjoy Him and His creation right now. The ability to ‘earn our keep’ by the work we do is a grand opportunity to experience God working through us. Rainy days or hardships may come or may already be upon us, but nevertheless, today is still all we have. If we live by the Spirit we will find opportunity to enjoy what God is doing and give Him praise.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24