The Heart In Interruptions

The average human heart beats 100,000 times a day. Has anybody felt yours? - Anon

Jesus said ‘the poor we would have with us always!’ Was that an offer or just a statement? Hmm!

Generally, at the sound of the alarm clock most of us are off and running. Focused, determined, energetic, we get prepared to meet the plans and needs of OUR day. We think “Yes, it’s a day that God has made, and ‘Yes’ I’ll rejoice in it,” but I must take care of the things at hand. But God asks us will we take time for someone else. Will we use a portion of our daily quota of heartbeats and make them count for someone else. We should have and show care and concern for our fellow man whether they be saint or sinner, and our hearts should truly beat harder for those that are not yet a part of the kingdom of God. Oftentimes, interruptions in life don’t just occur, they are God engineered opportunities for sharing. Do we have the time?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” – Matthew 25:40

Look Up, Look Outward

Even when you don't notice the stars they are still shining. - M Santoso

It's truly hard to imagine that the Wise Men or Magi were the only ones to see the 'Star' that year. Hmm!

"Oh, what a day!" It's a proclamation we've all made a time or two. Usually when the issues or problems of daily living seem to suck all the joy out of life. This happens when we fix our gaze upon ourselves and forget about God. Since the beginning of creation He has given us a beacon to remind us of His great love, care, concern, and presence - all we need do is look up. And if that's not enough just look outward. God always gives us something good to enjoy despite life's current situations. It may be our loving family, energetic grandkids, playful pets, or even a good warm memory to get us out of that 'funk' and remind us of His goodness, closeness, and ability to work it out for our good and His glory. Though we are a little lower than the angels He is still "ever mindful of us!"

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge." - Psalm 19:1-2

Successful Servants

Greatness comes not because of position, but because of purpose. – Richard Murray

David was a great king not because of his many valiant battles and victories, but because he had a heart after God. Hmm!

Ebenezer Scrooge, Howard Hughes. One fictional, one real – both successful and rich – but miserable. Most of us spend our lives chasing after the one job, promotion, person, or possession that we believe will get us the happiness, recognition, and completeness in life we believe we’re missing. But if our forefathers were any indication, success in any of these endeavors did not equate to a happy fulfilled life nor greatness with God. The world values success and its trappings, God values significance. God is not against us having success or material blessings, but He calls us to live a life that places significance of Him and His kingdom above all else. A life lived for success alone is selfish, a life lived for significance is giving. The choice is ours.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Jesus called the twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’” – Mark 9:35

Declare His Glory

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

Attitudes of Forgiveness

A chip on the shoulder is too heavy a piece of baggage to carry through life. – John Hancock

Though he was a ‘prisoner in chains’ Paul never considered his situation an added weight in his ministry. God granted him much success! Amen.

All of us I’m sure can think of some person, friend, firm or even family member that has done us wrong. It’s a fact of life that everyone is not going to do what we would want them to do. Jesus himself was crucified for ‘bearing’ the truth. But it does us no good and wastes emotional and spiritual energy to carry a bad attitude or even a grudge against others. Why be a silent prison guard, holding ‘fictitious’ people in jail in your heart or mind. Why not release whatever person or circumstances that are weighing you down. A change of attitude and heart can change your whole outlook on life. Travel light today!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Bear with one another, and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:13-14

Pick A Side. Take A Stand. Make A Difference.

There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes….and roadkill. – J. Hightower

Not only is fence sitting painful, Jesus said it was impractical. Hmm!

Though we as people are often highly opinionated on almost every issue, many of us often try to live our lives in the middle of the road. We don’t really want to hurt or harm anyone. But the truth of the matter is in the arena of principle, morality, and all things righteous no one can remain neutral, nor should we want to; for neutral men are the devil’s allies. God calls for us to take a stand, leave the holy huddle and get in the game. When we try to placate both sides by remaining neutral we’re actually giving the enemy the upper hand, as the only necessity for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. And like cigarette smoke, evil does not know how to stay in its own section, it soon touches all facets of life. God is giving us TODAY with all of its ‘fullness’ to make a difference. Now it's up to us.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“No man can serve two masters. Wither he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” – Matthew 6:24

Attitude of Faith

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. – Henry Ford

Jonathan thought he could overcome a garrison of soldiers, he was right. David thought he could defeat Goliath, he was right. Cain didn’t think he could please God, so he went out and proved himself right. Hmm!

Life happens to all of us, and it doesn’t wait around to see if we’re up to speed or feeling well, or putting our best foot forward, it just comes in waves. But it’s not that life comes at us fast or hard that dictates the circumstances of our lives, but how we respond to it. Attitude and faith are of primary importance to us in our Christian walk, and they go hand in hand. The determinant in every situation that arises will be our attitude, and that is something only we can control. Nothing is impossible, but with self it’s highly improbable. The key is to remember it’s not you but who lives within you.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

Read, Understand, Apply and GROW

It is not what men eat, but what they digest that makes them strong. – Francis Bacon

Though exhausted, hungry, and weak from fasting 40 days, Jesus put Satan to flight using of all things – the Word of God. Hmmm!

I’m sure we all remember the ‘Wonder Bread’ slogan: “helps build strong bodies in 12 different ways.” Wow! The bible or Word of God goes much deeper than that though, helping to build the complete perfect man. But, it’s not so much the reading of the Word (eating), as it is the understanding and life applications gained from the word (digesting). Most of us eat but are still malnourished and weak because we don’t retain the ‘meat of the word.’ The actions and responses we give to life’s circumstances are a direct result of what we have actually fed our hearts and minds. The good news is today God is ready to spread another feast before you.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119:11-12

P.S. - Our 24-hour 'fast' begins this morning at 10am. Praying God will give guidance on where He's directing you to 'STEP UP'! Join us at Prayer Breakfast tomorrow morning at 9:30am to break it.

The Bill ALWAYS Comes Due

The bill comes due. ALWAYS! - Mordo

The hardest people for Jesus to win were in fact the 'religious' rulers. Hmm!

Turn on your TV and the ads are there. Ally, Chime, Boost. CreditKarma, etc. All advertising ways to boost your credit score/rating, that you may get better financing terms on things you buy. Not a bad idea, but they never address the fact you have to pay back what you borrowed on those favorable terms. Yes, the bill comes due, always! It makes me think often of how we live our lives out in light of God's Word. Often our professions of faith are just that, with our actual lives being lived outside of the faith we say we have like the Pharisees of Jesus' day. God's Word is true and it does say "a person will reap what they sow." That means many of us if we don't change our ways are really not going to like the final bill when it comes. And yes, the bill always comes due. ALWAYS!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven......" - Matthew 7:21

No Permission Needed for This Mission

Initiative consists simply of doing the right thing without being told. – I. Mack

Jonathan charged a garrison of Philistine soldiers that led to an Israelite conquest. Was he told to do it? NO! Was he right to do it? YES!

"I wonder what I should do!" It's a question we often ask ourselves, with hopes someone else will direct us. If we are honest about it, many of us have never outgrown our adolescent need of being told what to do. It’s comforting to us, because it somewhat absolves us of responsibility and inspiration. However, God leaves us with many choices to make; and the one expectation He has in each case is that we will do the right thing. Many of us are waiting for permission to do what God has already commissioned us to do. The charge is to ‘GO’ until we hear God say ‘STOP!’

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” – James 4:17

Refresh at the Source

The further we go from the source, the more polluted the water. – B. W. Findeisen

The Prodigal son was so lost and in so much despair he was ready to eat anything including ‘slop.’ He came to his senses and came HOME!

Look around and almost everyone is drinking bottled water. And more brands are constantly being introduced. Water supposedly direct from the spring, the mountains, or deep wells, full of needed minerals and quite refreshing. It’s amazing how we want our liquid refreshment from the source, but we go everywhere else but the source for our spiritual renewal. It’s great to listen to gospel or praise music, attend seminars, concerts, or conferences to keep us focused, but nothing replaces and replenishes like time alone with God and His Word. The key is to not let busyness keep us from drinking our ‘fill.’

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season…..Whatever he does prospers” – Psalm 1:2-3

True Authenticity

People defend nothing more violently than the pretenses they live by. – A. Drury

The Pharisees and religious leaders of His day proudly defended their religious piety before men. Jesus said they forsook God’s law. He called them hypocrites. OUCH!

Things are not always as they seem. We spend a great deal of time trying to convince others that we are people that we are not. We live one way in public and another way at home. We often go out of our way and through a lot of expense to place ourselves in the best positive light, and become upset when questioned or doubted. But just as Jesus could look ‘through’ the woman at the well and know all about her life, He knows the same about each of us. And just as He was willing to forgive her and restore her upon her confession, He is willing to do the same for us. All He asks is that we acknowledge our sins and shortcomings and repent. There is nothing we can hide from the “one who searches every heart.” Ready or not He’s looking in.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” – I Corinthians 13:11

Humble Living

To be proud of virtue is to poison yourself with the antidote. – Benjamin Franklin

Pharaoh’s refusal to bow his heart to God’s will as spoken through Moses only cost him his son. OUCH!

Though we know God is not pleased with the ways of a drunkard, thief, liar, or even a murderer, the bible never says He resists them, but it does say ‘God resists the proud.’ Now that’s a wake-up call to humility. Our sins or shortcomings may not be as open as the others, but when we try to pretend we’re better than, or that we have no fault or sin in our lives; the god of pride and self-delusion has taken up residence in our heart. We’ve all sinned, and every day is a major battle to live solely unto God. The truth of the matter is every kind of sin can be cleansed and forgiven by God if we humble ourselves and confess it to Him right now, before pride takes us captive.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” – Proverbs 26:12

Always at Work on HIS Story

History is HIS story. – A. Veradie

When God called Moses to the work, He reminded him how He had already been at work through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. AMEN!

Often we tend to forget it’s not about us, that God has been working things out long before we arrived on the scene. We tend to think only of the present or how things pertain to us. We want immediate results, or we expect that anything God initiates through us will be completed while we’re around to see the results. Our action and expectations tend to try and make it our story. But God always speaks to us in the context of what He has already done in the lives of our forefathers and ancestors. We are called to be a part of something much bigger than us, we are called to play a role in the greatest story ever – God’s story, it’s still unfolding. He wants to involve us all in a way that benefits us and brings Him glory. It’s a WIN-WIN proposition.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’” – John 5:17

Through the Eyes of Faith

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change! - Anon

Interestingly enough, Jacob never considered the 'limp' God gave him as a bad thing. Amen!

Pentecost! 12 men endowed with the Holy Spirit turned the world upside down. Wow! Though Jesus walked with these men daily and knew their flaws and shortcomings, Pentecost is all He actually saw! That's walking and living by faith. Faith is not exercised in the physical 'seeing' of things but in the 'Spiritual' believing that God can bring it to pass for His glory. Most of God's blessings in life AND solutions to our circumstances, problems, or issues can only be seen through the eyes of faith, because faith sees things that are 'out of sight!'

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

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

Religion or Faith

Religion is a heavy chore, faith is a life-giving belief. - Anon

Often when entering a new town/city, the first thing Paul looked for was the sanctuary or temple of worship. Hmm!

It's no secret! Since the COVID pandemic church attendance is down over 40%. Many churches closed permanently. The number of folks who believe the bible is completely infallible and true has plummeted exponentially over this period. And many folks who still consider themselves Christian have not returned to the church house, opting instead for the comforts of home-viewing. It begs the question, was it actually 'faith they held' or 'religion' they practiced? It's no secret we're quick to cast aside those things that are burdensome, and apparently these trends seem to tell us it's been 'religion' for most. Times like these bring the question to our own doorsteps. Which is it for us - religion OR faith? Only you can answer, but know that your actions really tell the story.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"I rejoiced with those who said to ME, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord...'" - Psalm 122:1

DO Something

You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing there will be no results! - Anon

Though the Israelites were 'given' the Promised Land, it took some 'working battles' to settle in. Hmm!

Many of us are great visionaries. We can see it all now in our minds eye. Just how perfect our life will be in 5, 10, 15 years or retirement even. Or we can see just how great a ministry/outreach serving "fill in the blank" would add value to the church or community. The only flaw here is that unless we personally do something to begin to make this a reality it will never get off the ground It may all work out as we see it, or God may adjust it along the way to improve upon it, but rest assured it will only collect dust and be forgotten if we never act upon it. We're gifted with life one day at a time, and what we DO with it makes it meaningful and purposeful. LIVE ON!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Jonathan said to his young armor bearer, 'Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. PERHAPS the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." - I Samuel 14:6

Keep On Moving

He who limps is still walking. – S. Lee

The 'staffs' of many of the patriarchs were heavily 'leaned upon' by them. Amen!

Canes. Crutches. Walkers, or other medical devices. We’ve all seen them in one manner or another. All inventions to keep us mobile, moving, and/or active and in the main of life despite physical setbacks and weaknesses. There’s a great lesson in them. Perhaps you’ve suffered great losses in your life. Perhaps you’re suffering grief or sorrow or hurt that still brings pain or discomfort to your daily life. Don’t stop there or give up, for that’s what the enemy wants. The key is to keep moving closer to God and His purposes. He’s strong enough for us to lean on and He doesn’t mind us doing so.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“To keep me from becoming conceited….there was given me a thorn in my flesh….to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” – II Corinthians 12:7-9

A Recipe for Rest

If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit! - Banksy

One could almost argue that Jethro's advice to his son-in-law Moses was 'lifesaving.' Amen!

We didn't often like them as kids, but oh my, how good does a nap feel now. The opportunity to rest from the days concerns - Yes! But in truth many of us have not really learned the true meaning of REST, which is why we're so worn out, frazzled, stressed, and stretched thin. Rest is so much more than lying down for a few minutes or several hours. Rest means learning how to say 'NO' in love and mean it to those who try to crowd in on your schedule. Rest means learning how to 'delegate' tasks to others, empowering them to act. Rest means learning how to 'prepare' in advance of pressing situations so they don't stress you out. And finally, Rest means learning how to lay your cares at the altar of God and trust He will work it out. Yes, we are to be busy with the Master's plan, but He never intended to overwork anyone.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble." - Proverbs 19:23

Godly Therapy

At times, you need a therapist much more than you need a theologian. - LeCrae

In Old Testament times the kings had prophets, priests, and ADVISERS to serve them. Hmm!

Have you ever thought about your 'circle of influence?' Those who can speak into your life and those whose life you can speak into! There's a reason why God put certain people in our lives. Many times He speaks through them. Just as our parents were the voice of reason when we were kids growing up, though we may not be under their tutelage anymore; we still need reliable, God-fearing people in our lives to help us make sense of things at times. And at times that may include a licensed clinician/therapist. To be able to confide in someone trustworthy and non-judgmental, is a necessity for everyone of us, for life often throws things at us that don't neatly fit into the 'doctrinal' box. If we take a step back and look at the life of Jesus we can see that's pretty much who He was, an approachable friend. He was much more a 'Godly' therapist who 'touched' the lives of folks more so than a hard preaching theologian. It's why they were often amazed at His sayings. May you have/and or be a good 'therapist.' Amen!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....Therefore confess your faults to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:16