Dead Inside

What is truly sad is when something dies inside a man while he is still living. – Albert Einstein

Seemingly taking it for granted, Samson woke one fateful morning and found his 'strength' had left him. Hmm!

“I’m okay!” It’s a statement we all use from time to time to tell ourselves and others all is right. But is it really? Just because life goes on as usual does not mean all is okay. Because of his continued willful disobedience God removed His “favor” from king Saul. Saul continued in his kingship devoid of God’s blessing and coverage, but hell bent on destroying David, a friend who had shown only love for him. He died a tragic death. Though we may attend to the “religious” detail of our life; without the livelihood of the indwelling Spirit we’re just going through the motions. What made Job truly remarkable in God’s sight was not only his obedience, but his attitude towards righteousness (he offered sacrifices just in case his children sinned). As we conduct our ‘check-up from the neck-up’ may our Spirit be alive and well.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” – Psalm 51:16-17

You're Gonna Do What You Want

What you want to do, you do. The rest is just talk. – J. Clark

The bible tells us “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Why, because He WANTED to. Hmm!

No matter how we try to package it and dress it up or try to excuse it, our life is simply a culmination of the things we do. Evil or good, deeds are done simply because we “wanted” to do them. Paul stated, “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” In truth we all have the same 24-hour day to work with, various pressures put upon us, limited resources to work with, and great expectations of others from us. The key to wholeness of life though is to make what “God wants for us” as what we want to do. We must remember “it’s not about us.”

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Developing Good from the Irritations

If there are irritations in your life, remember the oyster, who uses them to make a pearl. – Anon

Joseph had brothers who sold him into slavery. But he later saved them and his people. Moses had the Israelites who continually vexed him. But he led them to become a great nation. Hmm!

If there is one thing true of this life, it is we all have irritations, crises, stress, and bad-timed events happen to us that sometimes seem to “chafe” at our spirit. Surprise – Jesus said it would happen! And whether it’s the work of the enemy, or God trying to grow our faith, the key is to focus on the ‘positives’ these circumstances create and use this to still bring about a good work for God. If God can work ‘all things for our good’ shouldn’t we try the same. Here’s praying our ‘presentation’ be pleasing today.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers; whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

Don't Waste A Moment

How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever. - D. Norris

Paul wrote to the Ephesians that a wise decision is to 'make the most of every opportunity for good.' Amen!

24 hours in a day! That's true for all of us, no matter our pedigree, wealth, nationality, or age. God gifts each person the same 24 hours per day. And the world we live in goes overboard with opportunity after opportunity on how to spend it. Notice I said spend, not invest. Like money and babies, time also DOES NOT come with instructions but only a warning to use it wisely. It's been said that to 'kill time' is to harm eternity. If left unchecked time stealthily slips away taking with it much more than it brought, often leaving heavy regrets in its wake. I pray today may be a wake-up call for us all.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." - Psalm 90:12

You Matter

The most basic craving of man is not food, sex, recreation, or money. It is knowledge that he matters to someone. – W. Sheldon

Moses did it. So did Elijah. Then Jesus came along and did it too. 40 days alone with the ONE who mattered most. What a great declaration of worth by God. Amen!

Often, if we’re not careful we get caught up doing “life” work for the sake of the necessary things (housing, sustenance, etc.) and forgetting we have a larger more important purpose: GOD. We matter to Him! Regardless of what others may demand of us or even think of us, we matter to Him. He knows all about us and He cares for us; and this should motivate us to seek a closer intimate relationship with Him. And since God is never in a hurry, maybe we should not be either when we draw near to Him.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place’.” – Mark 6:30-32

Gratitude For What We Have

Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth, is unhappy, though he may be master of the whole world. - Epicurus

Though she was queen of the land, Jezebel conspired to get Naboth's vineyard for her husband, king Ahab. Ouch!

Greed! Comparison! Jealousy! When you think about it, there really is nothing good that can come out these words when we practice them in life. They all point to never being satisfied. Greed=wanting more and more. Comparison=measuring myself by others. Jealousy=unhappy because someone else exists. These KILL our joy. To live unsatisfied is to live with an unquenchable desire for more, always more. This desire chokes out the spark of gratitude needed to ignite the joy life's blessings bring to us, for it is not joy that makes us grateful, it's gratitude that makes us joyful. That's how Paul learned to be content no matter the situation - gratitude. We will NEVER have everything we want in life and life will NEVER be completely about us, for God's redemptive story is far grander than we could ever imagine. But, we should be grateful it includes us.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" - Hebrews 13:5

Life Runs On Prayer

Remember that nothing will run itself, unless it’s running downhill. – Anon

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus exhorted the disciples to “keep watch and pray” and not sleep. Though they failed on several occasions, they finally got it right later. AMEN!

It’s true the life Jesus promised us is the life we all want, but it’s also true that to have the life we want we must put in the “work” required. If we were to ever seriously look at the life Jesus lived we would see the first and last order of work is prayer. The reasons our lives are often run down, drained, and without effect is because we don’t do the necessary work in prayer. Prayer is what keeps the life running. It is as vital to the Christian life as food is to the physical life. Without it we cease to exist. I pray yours is effective.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." - I Corinthians 15:58

Heart Storage

Accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be. S. Ricotti

David said when he 'confessed' what was hidden in his heart life got so much better. Amen!

Ask anyone who's moved recently and I'm sure you'll hear them lament and say something like 'I didn't know I had so much stuff!' Whether they were moving from a small apartment or a 4-5 bedroom house the saying is the same 'so much stuff!' Stuff they didn't even know they had or seldom used. It's a marvel how it all fit in there. Truth is, we brought it in ourselves and just got comfortable with it being there, allowing it to possess space in our arena. It begs the question, do we have too much stuff stored up in our hearts? Dangerous stuff that we've grown comfortable and complacent with. Stuff like laziness, grudges, bitterness, hypocritical thoughts of others, jealousies, greed, etc. Things like these tend to hinder our spiritual ability to grow. maybe we need to do a little housecleaning ourselves to give the Holy Spirit the freedom He needs to grow and flourish in our lives. A good cleansing is always refreshing.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?" - Jeremiah 4:14

Don't Waste Yesterday's Tomorrow

God has promised forgiveness to our repentances, but He has not promised tomorrow to our procrastinations. – Augustine

Though Zacchaeus was a despised and hated tax collector he didn’t have to “get it together” before he welcomed Jesus. Salvation became his. Amen!

The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it finally arrives, it is called Today. That’s right, today is yesterday's tomorrow. The question is what did we do with the opportunity? If we are not careful we will waste tomorrow as we wasted yesterday, and as we are wasting today. We must each pause frequently to remind ourselves that the clock is ticking. The same clock that began to tick from the moment we drew our first breath will also someday cease. Time is the great equalizer of all mankind. It has taken away the best and the worst of us without regard for either. Time offers opportunity but demands a sense of urgency. Let us be truly purposeful today.

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 one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” – John 9:4-5

The Master Artist

The beauty of God may be copied but never fully captured. - Anon

I imagine Moses' 'glimpse' into the Promised Land was a vision he couldn't forget or even tell the people about. Hmm!

It happens with every I-Phone upgrade. More camera lenses to try and help you maximize your pictures or video. Thinking on this makes me realize a truth of God. The beauty we see through the lens -no matter the magnification level - can never be translated to the finished product. No one makes a sunrise/sunset like God, no one captures a spontaneous smile/smirk like God, it's always there in the moment. Our photos or videos are great but in truth they lose a little of the 'oomph' factor. God is the master artist, who continually designs those moments we try to capture forever reminding us of His presence. And when we stop and notice it as such He is well pleased. So whether it's an April shower, June gloom, or snowy winter day his glory is still awesome.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings?" - Job 38:19-20

God Sees You

Laser vision is great but I trust more in a God who never loses focus. - Anon

Hagar thought no one cared for her and her son Ishmael, until the 'God who sees' spoke to her in the desert. Wow!

Pigeons, crows, gulls, chee-chee birds - what a nuisance! We see them all the time and rarely give them any thought - other than to curse them for messing up our cars. But to see a flock of ducks/geese flying overhead in that familiar V-pattern we give a more focused view and even regal thought to. Life at times may make us feel like a nuisance or pest, or even non-existent or unworthy of others time or interest. It's in these moments we need to remember the most important truth of all time: Christ died for us too! And that means we have immeasurable worth and value. So even when others don't see us - God does.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God......Don't be afraid, you are worth much more than many sparrows." - Luke 12:6-7

Just Worship

"Praise is who I am, I will praise Him while I can....." - song refrain

After being beaten and cast into prison all Paul & Silas could do was - PRAISE. Hmm!

Have you ever considered Job's resumè? What made God give him such rave reviews in the presence of Satan..."have you considered my servant Job..." He often offered sacrifices for his children 'just in case' they sinned. And then, on what has to be the worst day of his life, where he lost everything, he grieved AND then worshiped God. No finger-pointing, no plots of revenge, or even self-pity. Just worship. Maybe there's a lesson for us here. Maybe instead of anger, bitterness, outrage, or self-absorption in some of our worst moments, we just stop and praise/worship God. It could make life a bit easier to bear, reduce the heartache, and bring the hope we have back into clear view. God is still in the restoration business, and just as He restored Job, I know and believe the 'plans' He has for us are far better than what we presently see. So whatever the struggles of life might be right now, let's put praise at the top of each day.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be on my lips...." - Psalm 34:1

What's Done In the Dark...

The nice part of living in a small town is that when I don’t know what I’m doing, someone else does. – Anon

When Lot was in trouble down in Sodom & Gomorrah, someone told Abram; and he came to his rescue. AMEN!

One of the truths we come to realize as we grow older is that the world isn’t as big as we once thought it to be. With the current technology and innovations anything can be brought to light almost instantly, and unfortunately it often is. We often think we can get away with or hide our ‘habits,’ ‘dirty deeds,’ or non-Christian behaviors, but in reality, we can’t. Someone is always looking, and generally it is someone we know or who knows about us. True, sin is a part of all our lives, but habitual, behavioral sin is what Christ frees us from. In a day and age where a lie can go around the world before truth has an opportunity to tie its shoes, we need to be mindful of whom we belong to at all times.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” – Romans 16:19

Complete the Assignment

Be like a postage stamp – stick to one thing until you get there. – M. Carty

Though Elijah called down fire from heaven and spectacularly destroyed Baal’s prophets, his original commission was just to announce the coming rain. He REMEMBERED!

Success is great but it can also be distracting as we seek to follow God. Often when something spectacular happens in our lives we tend to dwell there. We tend to prefer the dramatic and good far more than the mundane. If we aren’t careful, we may become distracted by the successes we experience in our life so much that we never complete what God originally assigned us to do. May we be careful that our successes today do not get in the way of obedience tomorrow.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you; When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” – Exodus 3:12

Can't Do You

What God called you to do, I can't! - Anon

God could have called anyone to preach to the Ninevites, but only Jonah could get the whole town to repent. Hmm!

Whether it's the bible or a history book, you'll run across the names of people who did great things for humanity's sake. But that being said, history and the world is full of unnamed heroes who were just as important. The reason being is that every individual - and that includes you - has purpose in this life. For us as faithful believers that includes helping to build up and strengthen the kingdom of God. And God has specific things He wants to accomplish through you personally. He has gifted you for it, So neither I, nor anyone else can do it for you. It's your God-given assignment. But know that with God your assignment will always be in line with the greater work He has called the Church - all of us - to do. So, time's a wastin!' Grab your faith and come on.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"....And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" - Esther 4:14

Wisdom From the Source

We're not wise by what we know, we're wise by what we do with what we know. - Anon

The ark was built not because Noah had the plans, but because Noah acted on the plans. Amen!

We have names for them. The savvy investor, smart shopper, shrewd businessperson, etc. A few of them may have come from a family of means, but many of them were just like you and I - common folk. The fact is they took what they knew and put it into practice repeatedly, refined it, and made themselves even better. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge or learning, and it is equally attainable by all, no matter the setting or environment. And the best place to start acquiring wisdom is at the feet of Almighty God...."the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!" You may not become materially rich but you will have a tie-in to the One who is the source of all good things. And anyone who accumulates God's blessings is far richer in this life and the life to come. Sign me up!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." - Proverbs 2:6

Don't Just Stand There...

The secret of getting ahead is getting………………..……..……..started! – S. Berger

The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt not because Nehemiah prayed about it, but because he also took action on it. – Amen!

Plans are great. Devising plans and strategies for life and success are great. We all know that ‘failure to plan is actually planning for failure’. But all the plans, strategies, how-to-books, CD’s, and DVD’s in our possession will never bring us success if we never take the first step, which is just getting started. Wishing you could save is not the same as actually putting something aside – with purpose. Planning on going to bible study, or church, is not the same as just actually blocking the time out and going. Just as we were as babies the first step is the hardest, but we kept at it and look at us now. Whatever your plans may be for God the question remains to be answered – what’s holding you back?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around, He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing around here all day long doing nothing…” – Matthew 20:6

Today's Wonder

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. – K. Kelley

When God spoke to the Israelites from the mountaintop, they were in AWE. Too bad they missed him all the other times. Hmm!

A baby's first steps or first words. A beautiful sunrise or sunset. Gazing into the Grand Canyon. Winning a game at the buzzer. These are all events that are common to most folks, and all with heart-throbbing emotion, and a need for expression. The key is to notice they are events, not things. Events that require us to take the focus off of ourselves and shift it to others. We spend a great deal of life trying to acquire things, but God is found in the interactions with others and his creation. Jesus said, “my Father is always at his work,” and with that truth we can expect to be awed and amazed sometime today.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.” – Psalm 66:5

Other Prisons

You cannot escape a prison if you don't know you're in one. – Vernon Howard

It took him a while, but the Prodigal Son finally realized he had the only key to set himself aright again. Hmm!

Because we are generally sight oriented individuals many of us know a jail or prison when we see one, having seen many in books and on screen. But such environments really only limit an individuals movement. There are far greater prisons that even in freedom hinder our growth, happiness, and joy. Many of us live lives controlled by debt, remain in relationships that are unhealthy, or stay chained to habits that destroy or bankrupt us physically and/or morally, often going to great lengths to convince ourselves this is the way it should be. These are prisons. However, Jesus promised us an ‘abundant life’ this side of heaven. Not so much on prosperity, but a life to fully be all God meant us to be. The decision to change our circumstances has always resided with us. The question to answer truthfully is "do they need changing?”

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

The Show Will Go On

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important. – B. Russell

God’s prophet Elijah thought that he alone was the sole standout for God. God showed him HE had 7,000+ who had not bowed a knee to Baal. Hmm!

We see it all the time in sports, entertainment, politics, etc. Players and actors who feel the “show” can’t go on without them, that they are irreplaceable, no one can do what they do. In truth, the show does go on, maybe not exactly how we think it should, but go on it does; just as it did before we got there. While we should enjoy our work or whatever we do - for it is a form of worship to God - it should not consume us and keep us away from the very God who created us and the families He's placed us in. Here's hoping our work is a means to an end and not the other way around.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” – Mark 6:30-32

Don't Get Duped!

Don’t throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water. – Anon

The Israelites asked for judges and then a king to rule over them, never realizing they had God all the time. OUCH!

We live in a disposable world, where if you don’t like what you have or who you are just start over. We do it with our stuff, our friends, our bodies, even our ‘faith.’ Nothing is off-limits it seems. We jump from one trend or friend to another, without so much a thought of what we’re leaving or where we’re going. And all too often we later find that what we had in the beginning was much better than what we are now stuck with. It’s okay to move on to better things in life, but we need to make sure they really are better. Our enemy is the master of deceit and subtlety, and he never tires. God’s ways are tried and true and never change. The choice is ours.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” I Corinthians 11:14-15

Shine Brightly

Jesus is still the 'light of the world' isn't he? - Anon

Peter & John's testimony was so great before the Sanhedrin, all the council could say was "these men had been with Jesus". Hmm!

Electricity! Flip on a light. Start a car. Power up a computer. Man's discovery of electricity was a God given gift. His ability to re-create it, conduct it, and bring forth all of the mind-boggling ways in which we use or benefit from it today is simply astounding. But yet, none of it surprises God. We must remember, man discovered what God created! Man used his god-given gift to think creatively to develop the ways in which we now use God's creation. I often wonder if we can put to use this power source of God in so many helpful ways, imagine what the true power of God's Holy Spirit working through us could really do to benefit not only our home, church or community, but the entire world. And then I think that's what God was after from the very beginning. May your 'spirit' shine brightly today!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Blessings VS Possessions

Possessions are very good at what they do – possess! – Anon

The rich young ruler who came to Jesus seeking life, could not break free from the tentacles of his blessings. Hmm!

God loves to bless us as His people and He lavishes His love upon us. But the material blessings in our lives are meant to be just that – blessings - and not possessions. But often they become the latter and begin to change and dictate into our lives in ways that interfere with our worship and pursuit of God. The account of Job shows us what it truly means to be blessed but not possessed in any manner by those blessings even including children. Job’s proclamation ‘the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord’ is recognition of the divine sovereignty of God in all things, and is really a truth we need to further integrate in our daily living. A little more of God in our lives requires a little less of something else.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” – Mark 8:36