Pursuing God

If we lose God, it is not God who is lost. – Anon

The book of Judges shows the folly of God's people trying to live without Him in their midst. Time and again they came looking for God to save them. Ouch!

It is said "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." Could that be us at times. Having the history of our ancestors recorded for our posterity, you would think we should know of a certainty which way to go - God's way. Though He won't forsake us, it is possible we can forsake Him. If you are continually being defeated by everything you face, it's possible you have lost God's favor and your heart has departed from Him; for He has assured victory for His children. Maybe now is a good time to check our life compass.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity...." - Jeremiah 29:13-14

Reduce Problems and Increase Blessings

God has a solution ‘planned’ before we even know we have a problem. – Anon

The angel Gabriel told Daniel answers to his prayers were given as soon as he began to pray. God didn’t have to think things over. WOW!

In mass production companies one of the ways to keeping costs low is just-in-time inventory management. This means parts arrive at the plant at just the proper time to go into production. Money is not tied up in inventory lying around waiting to be used. The key is to have ample suppliers in case of problems with one supplier. God has been to tomorrow and knows what lies ahead for us. He’s perfectly prepared to meet all our needs and circumstances without surprise. But often what God has ‘planned’ for us is interrupted by us. Our stubbornness, disobedience, and lack of faith often get in the way of His plans. We don’t change them we just often delay them; for no plan of God’s can be thwarted. The key is to make sure we stay in touch with The Master – this will reduce problems and increase blessings.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11

Whatcha Lookin For

You'll never see the sunrise by looking westward. - D. Burraloe

The Jews could not see Jesus as the Promised Messiah because they were looking for a king. Hmm!

It's a given that you always find what you're looking for in the very last place you look. And often what we're looking for is right in front of us, but that's the last place we look, for it just seems too easy. That's true with most of us in our spiritual lives as well. We seem to search for God in some of the strangest places at times. When trials, temptations, tribulation, trouble, heartache, etc., comes upon us we get so bogged down in despair looking at the problem, analyzing it from all sides, trying to figure out the best outcome for ourselves, we often forget to look for The One who said He would never leave or forsake us. God is right there with us; we have no need to run off and try to find Him. The issue is not the interruption, but can we still see God in spite of the interruption. Remember God never moves...

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

Improving Our Aim

Failure to hit the bullseye is never the fault of the target. - Anon

The Pharisees and religious rulers of the day 'missed' Jesus because they had their minds already made up. Hmm!

Generally, when 'X' marks the spot, 'X' is not mobile or ambulatory. That's the one constant we need to hone in on to make sure we hit the bullseye. Interestingly enough, God and His Word never change, they are both the same 'yesterday, today, and forever' yet we continually seem to miss. Biblically speaking, sin is described as 'missing the mark.' Missing at times is okay, for God is truly gracious, but when we continue to miss in the same area, it should be a strong indicator to us that we need to improve our aim. That may mean learning to control the desires of our flesh and the lust of our eyes, to the point of letting go of certain friends, habits, routines, or conveniences that hinder our ability to concentrate and focus on the bullseye. True God's patience is long, but we never want to be found 'trying it.'

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"...You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart...." - Jeremiah 29:13

Check Your Life Compass

If we lose God, it is not God who is lost. - Anon

The book of Judges shows the folly of God's people trying to live without Him in their midst. Time and again they came looking for God to save them. Ouch!

It is said "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." Could that be us at times. Having the history of our ancestors recorded for our posterity, you would think we should know of a certainty which way to go - God's way. Though He won't forsake us, it is possible we can forsake Him. If you are continually being defeated by everything you face, it's possible you have lost God's favor and your heart has departed from Him; for He has assured victory for His children. Maybe now is a good time to check our life compass.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity...." - Jeremiah 29:13-14

Please join us tomorrow morning at 9:30am for our monthly Prayer Breakfast meeting in Parmes Hall.

Friendship With No Boundaries

I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not need to even consult his calendar. – R. Brault

One good thing about Job's friends is that they stayed with him throughout his ordeal. Hmm!

In this era of exponentially expanding social media outlets and apps for this and that, seems we’re all trying to find time to do it all and have it all; and what we wind up with is very often shallow acquaintances and fellowship. The saddest part is we tend to be the same with the ONE who loves us most - God. As we embark upon the New Year trying to prioritize our life maybe it's time we took a closer look at HIS example of friendship where no boundaries exist, and HE sits just waiting for us to come. I pray we'll become HIS 'cherished' friend.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"....You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord..." - Jeremiah 29:13

P.S. - We will be gathering for our monthly prayer meeting tonight at 6:30pm. Hope you can join us!

God: Still Meeting Needs

God has a solution ‘planned’ before we even know we have a problem. – Anon

The angel Gabriel told Daniel answers to his prayers were given as soon as he began to pray. God didn’t have to think things over. WOW!

In mass production companies one of the ways to keeping costs low is just-in-time inventory management. This means parts arrive at the plant at just the proper time to go into production. Money is not tied up in inventory lying around waiting to be used. The key is to have ample suppliers in case of problems with one supplier. God has been to tomorrow and knows what lies ahead for us. He’s perfectly prepared to meet all our needs and circumstances without surprise. But often what God has ‘planned’ for us is interrupted by us. Our stubbornness, disobedience, and lack of faith often get in the way of His plans. We don’t change them we just often delay them; for no plan of God’s can be thwarted. The key is to make sure we stay in touch with The Master – this will reduce problems and increase blessings.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11

Clear to hit the Mark

Failure to hit the bulls-eye is never the fault of the target. - Anon

The Pharisees and religious rulers of the day 'missed' Jesus because they had their minds already made up. Hmm!

Generally when 'X' marks the spot, 'X' is not mobile or ambulatory. That's the one constant we need to hone in on to make sure we hit the bulls-eye. Interestingly enough, God and His Word never change, they are both the same 'yesterday, today, and forever' yet we continually seem to miss. Biblically speaking, sin is described as 'missing the mark.'  Missing at times is okay, for God is truly gracious, but when we continue to miss in the same area, it should be a strong indicator to us that we need to improve our aim. That may mean letting go of certain friends, habits, routines, or conveniences that hinder our ability to concentrate and focus on the bulls-eye. True God's patience is long, but we never want to be found 'trying it.'

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart...." - Jeremiah 29:13

Looking for something?

You'll never see the sunrise by looking westward. - D. Burraloe

The Jews could not see Jesus as the Promised Messiah because they were looking for a king. Hmm!

It's a given that you always find what you're looking for in the very last place you look. And often what we're looking for is right in front of us, but that's the last place we look, for it seems too easy. That's true with most of us in our spiritual lives as well. We seem to search for God in some of the strangest places at times. When trials, temptations, tribulation, trouble, heartache, etc., comes upon us we get so bogged down in despair looking at the problem, we forget to look at The One who said He would never leave or forsake us. God is right there with us, we have no need to run off and try to find Him. The issue is not the interruption, but can we still see God in spite of the interruption. Remember God never moves...

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

Perfect Plan

Just because things are not going perfectly does not mean that they are not going well. – A. Groh

Joseph was sold into slavery, made a house servant, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. It was all according to God’s plan and purpose for him and his people. Hmm!

“Look on the bright side of things!” That’s a phrase we’re more often than not going to tell someone else who is having a down or difficult time of life, but one we hate to hear ourselves. It’s truly amazing how we so often expect everything to work out to perfection or according to our plan, when in retrospect everything that “did work to our good” didn’t actually happen the way we envisioned it, but according to God’s plan and purpose. There will come times in all our lives that darkness seems to hover over us, resources seem to be a bit short, friends seem to be a bit distant or unhelpful, and family wants little or nothing to do with us. It might just be then that God is saying “just perfect…trust in me.”

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord….” – Jeremiah 29:11

Future Plans

The great thing about the future is it is written one day at a time. - Anon

The ‘Prodigal Son’ lost it all and was subsequently restored. God still works the same way? Hmm!

God has already told us His plans for our life – and they are GREAT! We also know that He does not and cannot lie, nor desire to withhold any good thing from us. The question is how bright and pleasing do we believe our future to be? In spite of what we see happening around us, dire economic predictions and forecasts, and even our own current limitations; how much faith and trust will we put in God. The way we think about our future will be a powerful driving determinant in how things turn out. Yes we pray like everything depends on God, but we also work life everything depends on us. God loves it when His people are willing to work as they pray for it gives Him great latitude in the ways which He can work. So really, the only way we can’t be expecting a terrific tomorrow is if we’re not working and trusting in God. So our lives or ‘fortunes’ will unfold just as we help to determine it.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“….For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future….” – Jeremiah 29:11

You've got a friend in Him!

I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not need to even consult his calendar. – R. Brault

One good thing about Job's friends is that they stayed with him throughout his ordeal. Hmm!

In this era of exponentially expanding social media outlets  and apps for this and that, seems we’re all trying to find time to do it all and have it all; and what we wind up with is very often shallow acquaintances and fellowship. The saddest part is we tend to be the same with the ONE who loves us most - God. As we embark upon the New Year trying to prioritize our life maybe it's time we took a closer look at HIS example of friendship where no boundaries exist, and HE sits just waiting for us to come. I pray we'll become HIS 'cherished' friend.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

".....You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord........." - Jeremiah 29:13

If there is a problem, Yo! He solved it!

God has a solution ‘planned’ before we even know we have a problem. – Anon

The angel Gabriel told Daniel answers to his prayers were given as soon as he began to pray. God didn’t have to think things over. WOW!

In mass production companies one of the ways to keeping costs low is just-in-time inventory management. This means parts arrive at the plant at just the proper time to go into production. Money is not tied up in inventory lying around waiting to be used. The key is to have ample suppliers in case of problems with one supplier. God has been to tomorrow and knows what lies ahead for us. He’s perfectly prepared to meet all our needs and circumstances without surprise. But often what God has ‘planned’ for us is interrupted by us. Our stubbornness, disobedience, and lack of faith often get in the way of His plans. We don’t change them we just often delay them; for no plan of God’s can be thwarted. The key is to make sure we stay in touch with The Master – this will reduce problems and increase blessings.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11

Improving your Aim

Failure to hit the bulls-eye is never the fault of the target. - Anon

The Pharisees and religious rulers of the day 'missed' Jesus because they had their minds already made up. Hmm!

Generally when 'X' marks the spot, 'X' is not mobile or ambulatory. That's the one constant we need to hone in on to make sure we hit the bulls-eye. Interestingly enough, God and His Word never change, they are both the same 'yesterday, today, and forever' yet we continually seem to miss. Biblically speaking, sin is described as 'missing the mark.'  Missing at times is okay, for God is truly gracious, but when we continue to miss in the same area, it should be a strong indicator to us that we need to improve our aim. That may mean letting go of certain friends, habits, routines, or conveniences that hinder our ability to concentrate and focus on the bulls-eye. True God's patience is long, but we never want to be found 'trying it.'

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart...." - Jeremiah 29:13