Pressing Forward

If you don't let the past die then it won't let you live. - Anon

Paul's lifework really shows what it means to 'bury' the old man and put on the new. Amen!

Sold into slavery at a young age by his brothers. Falsely imprisoned because of a woman scorned. Seemingly forsaken by an imprisoned 'friend.' But yet here was Joseph. 2nd in command only to Pharaoh. Despite the sleights, setbacks, and harsh realities they brought into his life, he was well-respected by men and highly favored by God. Why, because he refused to let those incidents define who he was. He continued to look forward trusting God had a purpose and plan for his life, and eventually it came to pass. The same is true for us. Though we are the sum total of our past experiences, they do not get to dictate what tomorrow will bring. That is still in the hands of the God we serve, who loves to do 'new things' in the lives of those transformed by His presence.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

Future Decisions

The nicest thing about the future is that it will be what we make it to be. - Anon

No matter what befell Joseph, he never let go of his 'dreams' or his God. Hmm!

It's true, no one really knows the future, but if we were to take a close look at the past - our past - we can see in all honesty how we helped shape the life we're in now. The decisions we made that propelled us, as well as those that gave us great learning experiences that we NEVER want to go through again. The bottom line is we see through the grace of God we had a hand in getting ourselves to the 'here and now.' And it is with that understanding that we can apply ourselves - again, through the grace of God - for the 'then and later.' And the great thing through all of this is that God works with us in such a way that we have no need to fear what lies ahead. On your mark, get set, go - with God!

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"....Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...." - Exodus 14:13

Where true change happens

Wherever you go in life you always, always take yourself. – J. Graham

Though he was in a foreign land, Daniel refused to defile himself even with the king’s food. AMEN!

People travel to far-away locales, attend extreme makeover camps, or even suffer through intensive ritualistic regimens thinking such activities will change them. A change of scenery may excite the senses, a makeover may make you look better, and a ritual may make you think you are doing better, but true change of who we are can only take place in the heart. It’s God’s domain, and unless we surrender it completely to Him, much of what we do will be lost at the first sign of distress. Joseph had many ‘distresses’ in his life but because of his heart he prospered through every one of them. His God is the same one we serve today.

Until Monday…….

Pastor Botts

“'How do you know me?' Nathanel asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'" - John 1:48 

Success vs Winning

Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing; but success is a lifestyle. – V. Lombardi

Joseph’s success in all he put his hands to do was not so much because God gave him victory as it was he obeyed God’s will. AMEN!

Sometimes our understanding and desires get blurred and worldly. Nowhere in His word does God promise victory in every task, situation, or hardship that comes upon us. We think it does, but it doesn’t. What God does promise is we will be successful whenever we follow His will, for He cannot fail. So we must not get so hung up on victory at any cost. God is after our success in life, for that brings glory to Him; and often He works in ways we don’t always like or understand to bring it about. Remember Jesus said, “my Father is always at his work.” If times are rough right now maybe we should take a look to see where God is trying to succeed in our life.

Until Monday……..

Pastor Botts

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful whenever you go.” – Joshua 1:7

A little comfort for the rough journey

God doesn’t always smooth the path, but sometimes He puts springs in the wagon. – M. Lucas

Joseph’s pathway to prominence as Pharaoh’s 2nd in command wasn’t the smoothest, but God’s hand of favor was always upon him. Amen!

Hardship is as much a part of life as the air we breathe. For if we had no hardship we really would not know the true experience of joy. Troubles may come and not seem to get better with much prayer and meditation, but God will not put more on us than we can bear, and where one area of our life may be particularly troubled, God is still blessing in other areas. That’s one of the great mysteries of ‘grace.’ If we count our blessings we’ll see it’s true.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, 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. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”’ – II Corinthians 12:7-9

Bitter or Better?

What life does to us depends on what life finds in us. – R. Murray

In all that Joseph went through, he never lost his composure or his God. Hmm!

Insurance – most people that buy it hope they never have to use it, but are glad they have it when they need it. Our faith on the other hand is a definite must have and use daily requirement. Faith is what allows us to overcome the most difficult setbacks, hurdles, and heartaches. You or I cannot always change or control the world around us but we can always control what happens within us. If we truly want to gauge how strong our relationship with Christ is all we need do is look at our responses to the everyday circumstances of life. The question is does life make us bitter or better, we know with Jesus it was the latter.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Remember the Blessings

Recipe for contentment: Remember the day’s blessings, quickly forget the day’s troubles. – Anon

The apostle Paul said he ‘knew’ the secret to being content in all things. It was his new attitude in Christ.

We spend a great deal of our time, resources, and efforts chasing after the seemingly elusive ‘zone of peace.’ The bible does tell us to seek peace and pursue it, but it never said it was in the things made by man. The only true peace comes from being rightly related to God and not straining or taking the relationship for granted. Since we alone choose what to allow our hearts and minds to dwell on, in Christ; contentment, peace, and happiness are just a mindset away. As the day unfolds what it cooks up will be up to us.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

“Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, ‘It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and my father’s household.’ The second son he named Ephraim and said, ‘It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.’” – Genesis 41:51-52

Joy On Display

Joy is the best makeup! - Anon

In all that he went through Joseph’s countenance never seemed to fall. He always trusted God in all things. Hmm!

In sports it’s called putting on your ‘game face.’ That expression that lets people know you are serious minded and physically ready to play. For those of us in the faith it is not a game face but a heart condition – JOY. A life truly filled with joy will always impact those around it. Why, because in all situations, circumstances, and events; hope is perpetually on exhibit. The trials, pains, and hardships of life don’t change the expression of the heart, and that expression is always evident. As Christians we are not exempt from the problems of the world, we don’t get a free pass; but we have complete confidence in the One who will ensure ‘it will work out for our good.’ Dress appropriately today!

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed…” – II Corinthians 4:8-9

Advertising God

It is not necessary to advertise food to hungry people, fuel to cold people, or houses to the homeless. - J. K. Galbraith

Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food during the famine, not because their brother Joseph was there, but because that’s where the food was. Hmm!

Fishermen go out to lakes, rivers, or the ocean to fish because they have a love for fishing and that’s where the fish are. Along the same line of thinking, it’s amazing but it seems that before we come to God we often expect Him to advertise for our service, worship, and praise. It’s as if we expect Him to perform miracle after miracle in our lives constantly, for us to readily seek Him and give Him praise. But the thing is He does advertise Himself everyday. With each new dawning, daily provision, deliverance, and opportunity; God is advertising how much he loves and cares for us. The question must be begged: Do we care for Him? We would do well to remember that our actions speak much louder than anything we say.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." - Psalm 19:1-2

Choose to be...

“…..a man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy, and no one can stop him.” – A. Sozhenitsyn

Sibling rivalry, hatred, slavery, slander, nor prison could change Joseph’s disposition and confidence in God. Nor did it change God’s favor on him. WOW!

Life and all its ingredients make up the circumstances of our days. And it’s not so much what happens to us in those days as it is what happens in us. No matter what comes upon us be it good or bad, God allows us to make the choice of attitude in response to it. We can choose to let the feats of the day get to us and make us mean, hard, angry, or apathetic; or we can choose to see them as grand opportunities to grow in grace, service to others, and give glory to God. The important thing about all of this is, whatever attitude we wear is of our own choosing.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” – Psalm 68:3

Better for the Greater Good!

Greatness lies not in trying to be somebody, but in trying to help somebody. – Anon

The greatest thing about Joseph was not in how he came up to be 2nd in command only to Pharaoh, but that he saved a nation and his people. Hmm!

It’s no secret; everybody loves to hear their own name called. It’s refreshing, exhilarating, and exciting to be hailed as someone who did something great and worthwhile. And in our sinful nature we’re taught early on to make something of ourselves. So we set out to make a name, seek status, and grab attention; put ourselves on the plateau that says “look at me!” Now the teaching itself is not bad, it’s just incomplete. We should be taught to make something of ourselves to better mankind, contribute to society, build up the kingdom; not to be seen and heard, but to bring praise to the one we serve –God. If “only what we do for Christ will last,” then that’s really all we should do.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“….instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” – Matthew 20:26

Relate in Harmony

Never let the situation mean more than the relationship. – J. Maxwell

Joseph could have brought great harm on his brothers for what they did to him, but he chose to love them instead. AMEN!

As we are made in the image of God one thing should be crystal clear to us. We were made to be in relationship with others. Just as our triune God exists in perfect harmony and desire, we were made to exist in harmonious relationships with each other. It doesn’t matter what skin color, socio-economic standing, or intellect one may have, we were made for relationship with one another. Earth is our testing ground. God brings people with imperfections into our life to help us learn how to build harmonious relationships – or learn how to perfect our love. The enemy wants us to focus on extraneous situations, God asks us to focus on the person. No matter how we slice it, people are what make life worthwhile.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Be kindly affectionate to one another, with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” – Romans 12:10