The Power of Change

The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress. - C. Kettering

The Israelites wanted freedom from bondage, yet when God was bringing it about through Moses they sure complained a whole lot. Hmm!

We look forward to it, but yet we abhor it at the same time. What is it - CHANGE! We embrace the idea of new adventures, relationships, opportunities per se, but we hate letting go of existing ties. Like a child going away to college, they know they'll eventually form new relationships and gain new friends, but also the friends and relationships they leave behind will change, or possibly die. But the fact of the matter is God brings change in our lives to grow/mature us and even shows us more of His majesty and purpose for us. In truth, the only constant in life is change. All of us come here as infants, but look at us now, my have we changed! And not just in shape or appearance, but in thoughts and attitudes. If God is truly leading us in our lives, then change should never be feared - even when we don't fully understand if. We should just trust in the One who's leading, that He knows the way ahead. After all, change is a good part of the life God has for us.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed." - I Samuel 10:6

Ours for the Asking

Many things are lost for want of asking. – English Proverb

The Syro-Phoenician woman braved redress from the disciples, indifference, and even name-calling from Jesus to make her request. Her faith was rewarded. Amen!

Without a doubt most of us believe God is a prayer answering God, but yet we fail to pray. Often what we call praying is actually just us meditating, hashing the issue out in our mind, but not really asking or talking to God about it. And because of our feelings of inadequacy, we often feel ashamed to even ask. But God wants us to ask “in faith,” and sometimes He will often test our faith to see if we are sincere. Every blessing God prepared, He prepared to lavish on His people and that should include you. Why not ask him today!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” – John 14:13

Healing Tears

Sometimes the strongest healing ‘Balm of Gilead’ is when tears trail down our face. – Anon

Jesus wept. Hmm!

We’re told it’s a sign of weakness. We’re told it’s being overly emotional. We’re told a lot of things by people we don’t even really know, and often we buy into it. But there are some truths to life that are at times unexplainable. At times we cry and cry and can’t seem to stop. We think we ought to be ‘stronger than this’ or should be ‘beyond this point’. But in truth, it’s the way God made us. He knows our frame, and He has given us these great healing powers – tears. Yes, they heal. They have a therapeutic effect on our innermost self. The place where you can’t put a band-aid. Just as an oyster covers over a grain of sand with ‘nacre’ producing a beautiful pearl, our God-given tears soothe, cover, and heal deep hurts and pains. AND they lay a fertile covering that in time allows new life to spring up from that area again. God would not have given them to us if they weren’t useful!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” – Psalm 126:5

Life In Order

Life is much too complicated not to be orderly. – Anon

Daniel’s life was such that he needed to stop all he was doing to pray at least 3 times a day. It kept him focused!

It’s a debate that has been going on almost since the beginning of time: Did God actually create the heavens and the earth or did they just ‘spring’ forth from chaos (big bang). I think by now all of us are smart enough to know from personal experiences that chaos only creates more chaos, not order or peace. Man can explain how things may work in God’s creation, but he can’t explain why they work. And he knows if they don’t work properly we have chaos and disorder. The bottom line in all of this for us is that unless we put our life in proper order – God first in all things – we too will suffer chaos, disorder, and disappointment in greater proportion than normal.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” – I Corinthians 14:40

Use Em

Burying your talents does not make them grow. - Anon

The servant who buried his master's money had no growth to report, and it cost him big time. OUCH!

Agriculture teaches us that when seeds are properly planted and cared for, they grow and plants/flowers/trees are the natural results. You get a variety of flora that is both beautiful and useful. It is a reminder that God wastes nothing that He has made. The same is true of us. Each of us has been gifted with skills and talents by God. And He expects or wants us to use these to bring glory to Himself. For us to sit on them, deny them, or keep them bottled up inside is to deny the God we say we love and serve. To Him it doesn't matter if someone has the same or similar skill/talent you have, like the beautiful scene of nature He expects us to find a way to let ours shine for kingdom purposes. We don't want to be like the lazy servant, so it's time to get in gear and get in the game.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"If a man's gift is....... ........let him use it in proportion to his faith." - Romans 12:6

Life at the Speed of God

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you, but not the one ahead of you. – B. McGlasken

Adonijah couldn’t wait for the death of his father David to ascend to the throne, and tried to take it by force. His impatience only cost him his life. OUCH!

“Hurry up!” “They’ll only slow me down.” “I don’t have time for this.” Yes, these are all expressions we’ve heard or quite possibly used ourselves at times. In this micro-speed world we live in nothing is more intolerable than that which does not happen when we expect it to or need it to. We want everything at the speed of light or at our fingertips, and we want it yesterday. Were it really all about us this would be okay. But we must remember God is truly still in control and He will do things in His own way and His own time. Hold on!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” – II Peter 3:8

Letting Go

Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive. - B. McGill

We know Jacob wrestled with God - I'm quite sure he would have taken the blessing of God without the limp. Hmm!

We've all played it at one time or another. The old 'tug-o-war' game, trying to pull your opponents over the dividing line into the mud puddle. It was a lot of fun as kids, But I wonder if we realize we never left the basics of the game behind as we matured. When you think about those periods of restlessness, anxiety. edginess, and even selfishness in our lives, could it not be we are playing the game with God, trying to win Him to our way of thinking or our personal desires. We take our prayer requests and lay them before Him, but yet we kept hold of the rope ourselves (worry, impatience, gloom, etc.) trying to get the exact outcome we wanted. If we would just take a moment and look back we will see that God is true to His promises. Everything in the past He has worked out or is working out for our good. So why not just let go of the rope in this current crisis or situation and let God be God. It's much better this way and you won't get as muddy!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." - Psalm 55:22

P.S. - If you have not signed up yet and plan to attend the Voter's Symposium this Sunday after services please let me know by close of day. Your name and the candidate/proposition you will speak on. Thanks!

True Faith Acts

Just as mirrors only reflect what they see, our lives only produce what we believe. – Anon

God often brought unpleasant circumstances before His people just to see what was in their heart. Hmm!

No doubt about it, we all would like the world to be a better place. That’s a great sentiment, and a noble desire. But the question we need answer is: ’What can we do to make it a better place?’ We all know the ‘Golden Rule’ – treat others in the same way you want to be treated – but do we really believe and practice it as Jesus commanded? To go the extra mile. To be kind in spite of others. To love expecting nothing in return. To go beyond our comfort zone. True faith never asks whether good works are to be done or even considered. Faith just acts on impulse for the works are its lifeblood, faith without works is dead. Everyone wants to change the world but no one wants to start with himself. So we often leave it to others ‘greater’ than ourselves. God will not ask us why we weren’t more like Paul, Esther, David, etc., He’s just going to ask were we faithful and true. Hopefully our answer is already being written in the affirmative, and we’re doing all we can to confirm it each day.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12

More In Common

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear these walls down!" - Ronald Reagan

Even though the religious leaders continuously opposed him, Jesus still gave them soul-saving instructions. Hmm!

Buffets! If you've ever been to a lunch or dinner buffet it's tantalizing, with so many great choices. The idea is to present enough foods to satisfy everyone's different cravings. It's a good way to get a group of people who can't decide on a particular cuisine to come together and eat. To me, this is comparable to our Christian walk. We won't always agree with everyone in our circle of influence, but we can have peace among us when we realize we often have more in common that binds us together than separates us. Paul reminds us in the letter to the Christian church in Rome. He said we need to 'seek new ways that we may co-exist in peace'. Someone has actually said Romans 12 should be titled 'How To Love Those YOU Can't Stand!' putting all the emphasis on 'YOU!' Well, there it is.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." - Romans 12:18

Seeing Before It's Seen

Believing is seeing before visual presentation. - Anon

Abraham couldn't describe what he was after, but yet he found it - they city of God. WOW!

Inventors! Explorers! Sculptors! Think of a few great creations or discoveries of these folks! Planes, trains, cruise ships, autos - things that defy conventional wisdom. And how about the kinds of places "discovered". America, North/South Pole, the Amazon River, etc. - by folks who risked it all. What do these folks have in common? Faith! A belief in something that was yet unseen. A faith that allowed them to 'see' it before it actually came to be. It's the faith we're called on as children of God to exercise each day. To believe it before we see it. We walk in this life by faith, not sight. We've all benefitted from someone else's faith in this life. From the foods we eat, products we use, and services we subscribe to, because someone had the foresight to see the need and benefit of such, an attribute granted to them/us by the God who made us. We may not see victory right now, but we can trust and believe our God has granted it to those of us who remain faithful.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"Without faith it is impossible to please God.......he rewards those who diligently seek him." - Hebrews 11:6

New Point of View

We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are. – Anais Nin

Mary & Martha believed Jesus as the son of God but could only see him as human like them. When Lazarus died, their “eyes” were opened! Wow!

Often, the hardest thing to see is what is right before us. Why, because we often have a fixed or made-up mind of what it should be. We live most of life this way. But God is asking us to trust Him, have faith that He knows what He is doing though it may not appear so to us. We must remember just as God is not through with us, He also is not through with those around us and those in our lives. Our call is not to make or pass judgment on them based on our flaws or imperfections but to see every bit of God at work in their life as much as possible, and help it along.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Peter replied, ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." - Acts 10:14-15

Pull Into the Station

Often! Hmm! For you how 'often' is often? - Anon

When the apostle Paul headed into a new town, usually the first thing he sought out was the synagogue/temple. Hmm!

Mobil! Texaco! Shell! AM/PM! What do they have in common? They are all refueling stations. Stations for the most part we pull into at least once or twice a week to 'fill up' our tanks. After all, with the L.A. traffic and freeways you never really want to get too low on fuel. It begs the question; do we think like this when it comes to our spiritual well-being? How often do we 'assemble' with the congregation in person to be re-fueled? How often do we 'join' in the studies to be re-charged? How often do we 'serve' in the ministry opportunities to be re-energized? When the bible instructs us "not to forsake the assembly.." (Hebrews 10:25), its intent was meant for much more than just the weekly gathering. With that being true, then I think we could all use a few more stops at these stations to keep our spiritual tanks filled.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

Go With Us

True safety isn’t determined by our location, but by the trust we put in the ONE who goes with us. – A. Jackson

When Moses told God ‘Unless you go with us, don’t send us away from here’ he spoke volumes. Amen!

Red Sea crossing! Lion’s den! Fiery furnace! Stormy sea of Galilee! If memory serves correctly, these were all harrowing, frightful experiences for the people involved. Almost life or death situations, and possibly the last place you’d want to be. But yet in every case and many others like them, they came through safe, unscathed, and unharmed. Why, because of ‘WHO’ was with them – God. In a world where we try to find safe neighborhoods to live in, safe schools for our kids, safe spaces to recreate, etc., the greater assurance we should strive for is to always be in the presence and company of God. Though God has promised ‘never to leave us’ we must be equally careful never to leave Him, even when we don’t like the present situation.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” Psalm 23:4

Let's Go to Work!

We're not in the business of packing the church, we're in the business of overcrowding heaven. - Anon

When you read the scriptures, you'll see it wasn't just the Hebrew children that left Egypt with Moses. Hmm!

You ever give bible reading a second thought or serious consideration? Ever wonder why so many of its lessons were written to 'believer's' and churches? It wasn't solely to help them worship better on Sunday, but to instruct them how to let 'Christ' live through them each day. It's not the number that sit in the pews on Sunday, but the number who 'live for Christ' in the world daily that make a difference. The work of reconciling the world back to God and redeem mankind is still alive and active taking place through us believers as disciples. Yes, believe it or not God is still trying to save this world. He has not given up on us. But Jesus does need to be alive in us daily to get the task done. The question is can He count on you/me allowing Him to 'go to work' today?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." - John 9:4

Let It Begin with Me

Everyone prays for change in the world, but nobody wants to be the first volunteer! - Anon

When God asked 'who will go? "Isaiah immediately and without hesitation said "Here I am. Send me!" Hmm!

Think about it. We all have them, friends, associates, and even family members who could be a much better person if they just changed......... that about them. That one little thing that just 'irks' us. That one little thing about them that we so often point out to others about them. The truth we need to face is that our criticisms of others will never change them, but our prayers will. And the faith behind our prayers for others is actually that step we need to make to become a volunteer for change. Why, because God often has to do a work in us first that we may be able to see the changes He's making in others. So friend, let's keep praying!

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests......always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." - Ephesians 6:18

All Together Now

They divided Christ's belongings, not his purpose! - Anon

No matter the culture/people he encountered, Paul's goal was always the same - win one for Christ. Amen!

Episcopalians! Methodists! Baptists! Catholic! Church of Christ! We can all relate to these titles for we've seen them on various church buildings in our travels, and even in our neighborhoods. Makes one wonder 'Is Christ Divided?' The answer obviously is NO. But upon deeper reflection, when Paul asked that question (I Corinthians 1:13), he was addressing those in an individual congregation. They all attended the same church but they were still divided in their 'misguided' devotions. They were devoted to people, programs, or even certain things - but not to Christ. In truth, it's also a question for us to ask ourselves when we come to God's house. Are we devoted to a particular person, seat, choir, portion of service, or Christ our redeemer? Can we praise no matter where we sit or who's singing or preaching? Can we serve no matter who is serving beside us, or who is being served by us? If our true purpose is Christ and His glory, then all our actions should tell that story. Amen!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"I appeal to you....in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." - I Corinthians 1:10

Ripple Effect

When one person sneezes, everyone around is in danger of a cold. – Anon

Achan’s one little act of deceit had mighty repercussions. OUCH!

We all know the teaching about dropping a pebble in the water and watching the ripples expand outward – with the understanding we never know how far one good deed will extend out. That’s true, but it is equally true for one bad deed or moment of anger as well. We never know how far that ‘ripple’ will extend out. Life is not perfect and no matter how much preparation we do in advance, dotting all the ‘I’s’ and crossing all the ‘t’s, systems crash, people are late, things get misplaced, and people forget. It’s in these moments we’re tasked with representing Jesus or ourselves. We must remember the person in front of us or on the phone is not our enemy for ours is always a spiritual battle. When things go awry today or tomorrow we must let the ‘Christ’ in our heart lead and not the ‘anger’ in our attitude. It’s important because the ‘ripple’ will travel outward from there.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.’ – Ecclesiastes 7:9

Living in the Today

Best exercise for stress relief – release your grip on tomorrow. – M. Barroso

Jesus told his disciples he didn’t even know where he would lay his head to sleep. But you know, that didn’t bother him one bit. Hmm!

Tomorrow! A simple word meaning ‘the next day.’ Doesn’t sound ominous, overbearing, or threatening in any form of fashion. But yet it brings great anxiety to us. Why? Simply because we try to bring all of its anticipated cares, issues, and needs into today. We begin to worry if we’ll have enough strength, resources, ability, etc., to meet the needs of it, often forgetting that tomorrow is not even promised to us. We need to relax and remember that if indeed it does come we have a God who promised to meet our needs for the day. And He’s never failed us yet, for it’s an impossibility for God to fail. So, it’s far better for us to just live in the TODAY God has granted and do all we can leaving the rest up to Him.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

P.S. - Please join us on campus today at 5:30pm for our monthly prayer gathering.

Removing the Unnecessary

The longer you entertain what’s NOT for you, the longer you postpone what is! – D. Washington

In the wilderness temptation Jesus rebuffed Satan’s attacks quickly, and angels immediately appeared to care for him. Amen!

We all know the scripture “bad company corrupts good morals!” (I Cor. 15:33). One thing we often forget though is so does the enemy. And he is very, very subtle at getting us to believe certain people, recreations, and habits are good for us when in reality they hinder our growth and progress. It’s why the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert wandering – God getting rid of a generation who didn’t trust in Him. It is why God gave them commands NOT to intermingle and accept the ways of their neighbors. It led to corruption and faithlessness, something on the surface they could not see of themselves. The question we have to ask is what might we ourselves be in lock-step with that may be actually hindering our complete joy with Christ? Who or what may we have made ‘respectable’ in our lives but still lies outside of God’s will and Word? God is always ready to gift us, but He will never do it in competition with anything we possess.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Weeping May Endure for A Night...

When you understand God is NEVER late, you wait differently. – Anon

Though it took some years and heartache, Joseph never gave up on the dreams God gave him. WOW!

No matter how blessed we are life does have its painful moments. Times of lament, grief, sorrow happen to us all. And the pain and heartache they cause makes us all very uncomfortable, so we try to rush through the process. But just like there is no ‘cutting corners’ with a good recipe, there is no rushing through the lamenting process, if we want complete healing. Though we may be in the midst of it, and others may not completely understand us like Job’s friends, God is always present. He is always ‘timely’ with us in every step of healing. And the One who will wipe away every tear (Rev. 21:4) will turn our mourning into dancing.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” – Romans 5:6

El Roi- The God Who Sees Me

God even keeps a running inventory on the little sparrows. – Luke 12:6

Hagar thought she was unloved and alone, ready to die – until God spoke up. Hmm!

No doubt about it, it is a big, big world! Over 9 billion people and counting. And on top of that all the issues that come with life, all it’s pressures, problems, and indignities. It can often become overwhelming to the point we think no one cares, no one sees the ‘real me’ and no one understands where I am, what I need. But God tells us often how ‘precious’ we are to Him. And if He does a daily count on sparrows you have to believe and trust He knows exactly where you are and what you’re into or facing. And He stands ready to lend a hand, give strength, encouragement, and victory. All is needed is an invitation by us.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.” – Luke 16:7

God of the Impossible

God doesn’t give us what we can handle, He helps us handle what we are given. – Anon

At the Red Sea crossing when Moses cried out, God replied “what’s that in your hand?” It worked a miracle. WOW!

Impossible! By definition it means it cannot be done, achieved, overcome, or changed. In life, there are situations we seem to face day after day and twice on Sundays. Maybe you’re there right now…looking at an impossible situation. In truth, it’s just a mindset that must be overcome. The enemy wants to keep us looking at it that way – impossible. But our Lord has given us the weapon to overcome and change things – FAITH! With faith in God all things are possible. No matter what it is. God has a way of adjusting our attitudes and understanding of things to make it possible, and if necessary even change the actual situation to give us victory. It all depends on the amount of faith we’re willing to live by. Today may be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be impossible.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….Is anything too hard for the Lord?” – Genesis 18:14

Get Better, Take Your Meds

When we worry…..it’s like putting God on hold. – Anon

After the crucifixion Peter suffered with anxiety. At that breakfast on the beach Jesus put it all to rest. AMEN!

Aspirin! Ibuprofen! Acetaminophen! All readily available over-the-counter medicines to help alleviate, reduce, and even eliminate our aches and pains. But for many of us, myself included, we just don’t like the idea of medicines if we can avoid it, so we do. We’ll deal with the pain as best we can. Often, we treat our God the same…..choosing to ‘worry’ rather than pray and seek His counsel, choosing to fret over the issue rather than invite Him into our suffering. Just like we put off the pain reliever we put off God…..putting Him on hold in our lives. The One who supplies all our needs and ‘gives strength to the weary’ is always at the ready to assist. So next time you pray…. don’t press the ‘hold’ button – just cast all your cares on Him.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” – Matthew 6:27