That Unchangeable Truth

Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. - Aldous Huxley

Though Adonijah declared himself king with celebrations and such, it just wasn't so. Hmm!

"Face the facts!" Boy, haven't we heard that expression a ton of times in our lives. And deservedly so. It normally happens when we begin to think everything is about us, and for us, and we try to make it so, but the logic just does not apply to our situation. You just can’t change the truth. And often we forget or try to ignore the very first truth of all things: God made the world and everything in it first, BEFORE He made us! So, the world and everything in it operates under His providential design. Even though God put man in 'charge' of it, He never gave man authority to change anything. And if we know anything of the scriptures, we can clearly see life continues to happen just as God ordained it. So now, today would be a good time for us to wise up.

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...." - Ecclesiastes 12:13

Divinely Directed Decisions

When in doubt, be decisive! – Anon

Moses stretching forth the rod. The Israelites marching around Jericho’s walls. On the surface these things make no sense, but underneath there was God at work. Wow!

Life has its major decision moments, its fork in the road opportunities, and seemingly it’s almost like they happen every day. The key is to not let these times stop our progress or forward motion. Procrastination is the great enemy of progress, and when we can’t make up our minds we tend to make ourselves miserable. So when the time for action arrives, we should act. This is not to say we rush into any and everything, but if our prayer life is alive and well, we’ve been in communication with God already, and He’s promised to guide our footsteps. We just need to relax and listen for our inner voice (spirit) to whisper ‘this is the way.’ There really is no need for us to fear the decisions of life when we truly know Jesus, for His name means Wonderful Counselor.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…an indecisive man is unstable in all his ways…..” James 1:8

Stretched Thin?

A man who chases two rabbits catches neither. – D. Ashwell

King Saul wanted his own fame and that of David. He lost everything including his life. Hmm!

If you’re human chances are you’ve suffered a time or two from ‘opportunity-itis,’ the giving of yourself to too many enterprises and activities. As Christians we often feel compelled to chase a number of activity options for fellowship, ministry, and service. This in itself is not bad, but when we add family and friends and other social gatherings to the mix we become stretched thin and lose the ability to do anything meaningful. Jesus called on his followers to live ‘focused’ lives. Lives that have a distinct purpose that will impact others. Just as a laser is more powerful and effective when narrowly focused, so should we be.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

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

For Best Results, Take No Shortcuts

A Christian is never in a state of completion, but always in the process of becoming. – Martin Luther

Moses thought he was ready at age 40 to lead God’s people. God didn’t call until he reached the age of 80. Hmm!

Everybody is looking for the quick and easy way to make it. The truism that ‘slow and steady wins the race’ has been somewhat kicked to the curb. Just look around us, in sports its now steroids or PED’s for success, in finance its trading on insider information. In health its now fad diets, highly concentrated exercise plans, or even medical procedures. And this kind of thinking often filters its way into other areas of life. But with our spiritual development and growth there are no steroids, fast-track plans, insider tips, or invasive procedures to pump up our souls. As much as we try to force it, rearrange it, or change it, God still builds our faith, character, integrity, and trust the old fashioned way – through discipline and love. You can’t hurry either of these. So if we’re looking to grow, and we should; then we need to apply ourselves to a regimen of study, submission, AND application to what the Spirit of God reveals to us. Today will have a few exams, I hope we’re all prepared.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” – I Corinthians 13:11

Just Take His Word For It

Tell a man that there are 500 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you. Tell him the fence has just been painted and he has to touch it to see if it is so. – H. Cohen

Gideon believed the Lord was the God of the Universe when he spoke, he just wanted some 'proof'. Sound familiar?

It’s very true that experience is a great teacher, but often the lessons come with painful, expensive, or long-lasting costs. God in his Divine Wisdom has given us of His Word to help us avoid many of these ‘lessons,’ knowing our frailties and what we can bear, but often we seem intent on getting that first hand knowledge. Rather than looking back with regrets maybe we should just learn to take God at His word. It’s never failed yet and when you think about it, isn’t that a great comfort! As life ‘happens’ all around you today why not just try trusting in God’s Word.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“….What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” – Isaiah 46:11

Selling Out Should Not Be An Option

I detest millionaires, but it might be dangerous to offer me the position. - Mark Twain

The Jews hated being under Roman rule, but the position of tax collector was one they all coveted. Hmm!

A common cliché is that every man has his price, that for which he would sell out or compromise his values. And in the schools of negotiation it is often taught that “he who mentions price first – loses.” But what is uncanny is though we live in a world where our enemy is always the first to ‘offer’ (and he never offers full price – he can’t) people are often quick to compromise. Temptation is a fact of life for all of us each and every day, but God has guaranteed a way out if we so desire. In regards to sin our ‘NO’ should always be ‘NO’ and never ‘MAYBE’

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:37

Purpose Greater Than Our Plans

Maybe God is interrupting your plans to accomplish His purposes. - Anon

God often had to put people on a 'timeout' to show them He had plans for their lives. AMEN!

"I thought I'd be further along than this! I thought I'd have finished this project by now! I thought my life would be more settled by now!" For many of us these and other thoughts along the same line ruminate in our minds. We had such high hopes, great aspirations, and GOOD intentions for ourselves. And here we are at this age, and wondering what happened. How'd we get sidetracked? But, if we were made for 'such a time as this' and 'such a place as this' maybe we're not sidetracked at all, we're just looking at our life from the wrong point of view. God is working through us to fulfill His story and the things that bring us glory are not His major concern.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:21

Walk With Him

If a man can have salvation and not know it, he can lose it and not miss it. – A. Rogers

Samson slept hard and not only lost his hair, but lost his strength as well. The LORD had “departed” from him.

It's a truth that 'no one wants to be taken for granted.' People like to feel or believe they can offer something to the relationship - even God. But like Samson, many of us often walk day after day believing our relationship with God is all right, never really taking time to stop and commune with Him. But if we find ourselves committing the same sins over and over and constantly asking forgiveness, it’s a sure sign the LORD has departed from us; for His presence would give us true spiritual power to overcome the enemy or situation, whatever it may be. God is willing to walk with us to get us there, the question is: are we willing to walk with Him? His ways are exacting!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8

Steps in the Right Direction

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step - Chinese proverb

The bible says Jesus 'set his face to go to Jerusalem and the Cross.' That journey still continues today. WOW!

10,000 steps a day! Approximately 5 miles! According to many health advisory boards it's a goal we should aim for every day. Such activity can help lead to a decrease in chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and other metabolic syndrome issues, and increase one's overall health. A noble task indeed. So we grab the FitBit, Apple Watch, pedometer, or phone-app and off we go. Hooray for us! But this good application of ourselves does beg another question. How many of those steps are in the path the Lord chose for us this day? How many of them took us to where Jesus needed to be to minister through us, to encourage, give help or hope, spread love, show concern, or share in compassion or sympathy? If we're going to walk, why not be like Enoch and walk with God.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

P.S. - Hope to see you tomorrow for Prayer Breakfast!

Time to Prune

Where there is no battle there is no victory. The greater the battle the greater the victory. - J. Morse

Paul in writing to the Philippians said, if anything in his life didn't bring him towards Christ he counted it as lost. Wow!

We know God prunes us from time to time, taking away that which is unproductive and sapping in our spiritual life that we may be more fruitful. But here's a question, do we ever prune ourselves? Do we ever take time to review our situation/circumstances to see where we're giving or expending energy to projects, people, entertainments, etc., that really isn't giving new life back to us? As an example, if I'm constantly spending to repair my car, maybe it's time to get another one. Or, if I'm constantly rescuing a friend or family member maybe it's time to let them go 'in love.' If I'm constantly glued to the TV or other recreation at the time of study, worship, or other life-giving fellowships, maybe I need to cut away from it and allow God space to work. It's not so much the question of what do you have to lose, but moreso what you might gain. And more time with God is always a good investment.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"A man ought to examine himself...." - I Corinthians 11:28

An Invitation to Come Along

"Going MY way??????" - God

Pharaoh's blindness to God eventually came 'crashing' down on him. Hmm!

It's a gruesome sight to behold - a head on collision. Devastation, destruction, generally nothing but heartache comes out of it. We drive oh so carefully to avoid such tragedies. But yet we think nothing much of it in the way we live our day to day lives running into head-on collisions with God on almost a daily basis. God says 'go-do-speak-serve' and we say NO! Do we really want the God of Heaven working against us? Life is hard enough when we're walking in step with Him, why should we want to go against Him. We know the results - just ask Jonah! But yet, in our quiet strong-willed independence we do it almost every day. God becomes an afterthought to OUR plans. And even when trouble arises and we find ourselves in a jam, we stop to review OUR strategy, revise OUR plans, and test them out. Then, as a last effort we offer a prayer. Why not ask God into our day ahead of time. It's better to meet Him this way and get on the right path than to meet Him otherwise.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." - Proverbs 14:12

Viewing the Heart of Man

You can learn a lot just by observation. - Anon

The bible often tells us "Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John." I'm sure the other disciples were pretty close in tow as well. Hmm!

Turn on the news or grab the newspaper and the odds are great that your name won't be mentioned or appear in print. Celebrities get the spotlight for their upcoming events or life issues, politicians for their latest bill, gaffe, or stance on a particularly pressing issue (i.e. - wildfire relief) or some organization highlighted for their latest outreach or sleight. We, as Christians are generally in the minority, behind the scenes, often overlooked. And at times it can get hard to love a world of people like those above when it seems all they care about is themselves. But 'called' to love them we are. And Jesus, our perfect example, shows us how. It is Him we should desire to be like. So our prayers should be filled with requests for patience, understanding, compassion, and conviction to walk like Him. And it should be a comfort to us to know that God neither looks at the news nor reads the newspapers, but that He looks on the heart of everyone and sees the intent of our actions. This is the way heavenly rewards are earned.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." - I Samuel 16:7

Life According to The Master's Plan

Our task is not to do the master planning, but the planning of the Master. – Richard Murray

God gave Noah exact measurements on the ark, it worked. Jesus gave two of the disciples exact instructions on preparing for the last supper, it was just as he said. Maybe we should just listen and obey. Hmm!

Midlife crises! Biological clocks ticking! Lifetime achievements. It’s truly amazing how many lives are impacted by such events, and the great strides we take and hurdles we leap to make such inroads to the life we dream about. Dreams and aspirations caused by our own man-made thinking and desires, often cause us to cast aside the purposes of God for our own. True, life as it is now may not have panned out the way we planned it, but it may be going just the way the Lord planned it. The great thing is our life is still going, so the sky is still the limit and untold blessings are still possible. When it comes to God’s plan maybe we need to try it His way, on His terms. History has proven Him right every time.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm.” – Psalm 37:23

Embracing Change

The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there. – Vince Lombardi

David was Israel’s greatest king, but he had many battles before AND after he took the throne. AMEN!

We like to think life should remain constant and our situations should never change, but change is really the one constant in life. We’re up today and down or under attack tomorrow and wonder why. God never promised us an easy or comfortable life. He promised us a life filled with His presence. If we stop and think about it; life would be pretty boring without any battles or friction to help smooth out our rough edges and remind us we can’t do it alone. If we truly expect success or significance in our life the only way is by dedicated effort and obedience to God’s will.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” – Daniel 2:20-21

The God Experience

You can’t live by expectations, life must be experienced! – Anon

In Jesus, the people expected a great earthly king. Those who knew Him experienced something far greater. Hmm!

“Chip off the old block!” “That’s my boy!” “You are your mother’s daughter!” We often use these terms of endearment for our children when they do things we approve of and/or expect them to do by virtue of their ‘bloodline.’ Admittedly, we can have reasonable expectations of them that they adopt the same principles, beliefs, and life goals that we have, but in truth we cannot expect anyone to live or experience life the way we want them to. No one can live up to our expectations because expectations are founded upon our own personal experiences and beliefs. Our children have not reached this plateau and won’t as their experiences will be quite different and filtered through their belief system. This is crucial in our understanding and walking with God. Though He has given us His Word and His Spirit to guide us, His only ‘expectation’ is that we EXPERIENCE Him. That’s when life truly begins.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him…” – Psalm 34:8

What's Your Motivation?

A man always has two reasons for what he does – a good one, and the real one. – J.P. Morgan

Ananais and Sapphira. Great intentions but wrong motives. We know the rest of the story. Hmm!

We’re very quick to question the motives of others, yet slow to question our own. When others hurt or harm us, we always assume they had the worst of intentions, but when we are the guilty party we often try to excuse ourselves making light of the offended; concluding they are ‘too sensitive,’ or taking things 'out of context.' Regardless of how we try to make ourselves appear ‘right’ God weighs our actions on His scales of righteousness – and we cannot deceive Him. Many things cause us to do what we do, and YES, it is possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason. No matter our reasons God will always look upon our heart. If we’re not motivated by love, no matter how sweet our actions; we’ve missed the point.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” – Proverbs 16:2

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

Spirit Ignited

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

Because of his continued willful disobedience God removed His “favor” from king Saul. He became a very vexed man who died a horrible death. 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. 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. 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

Toxic Friendship?

Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his friends for his life. – J. Thorpe

Abram left everything (family, homeland, etc.) to follow God’s call. He was later called a ‘friend of God.’ Hmm!

The saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’ has a lot of truth to it. By nature, we generally associate and befriend those that are somewhat like us. That’s okay if and when we’re trying to live for Christ, but often we want to live for Jesus but keep the same old friends and the same old habits. One of the best ways to break a habit is to get away from those who aid us in keeping it. That may mean letting go of some of our ‘well intentioned’ friendships and associations. God’s Word calls on us to ‘forsake mother, father, sister, and brother’ if they will in any way impede our coming to Him, meaning some of our closest relationships may need to be broken in our quest for eternal life. The question is how much do we love God?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” – James 4:4

P.S. - Hope you can make it out tonight at 6:30pm for Game Night. Join us for fun, food, and fellowship.

The Exact

To find the exact answer, one must first ask the exact question. - S. T. Webster

Jesus’ answer to the rich man to ‘sell all he had and come and follow me’ upset him. It wasn’t the answer he wanted. OUCH!

Far too often we strive to live in the ‘grey’ area of life. It’s the areas that we’ve reasoned in our minds that leave a little ‘wiggle room’ for our proclivities. We know God does have a ‘good and perfect will’ but we tend to think if we never ask the questions or do the reading we will not be held accountable. But the scriptures do emphatically state: "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Though God is gracious His commands are always exact friend, and there is no wiggle room in Him or His word. We are commanded by the Word to ‘study and show ourselves approved’ so not reading it or never asking the questions will not get us off the hook. If our exact destination is heaven, then the Bible is the book to answer all of our questions EXACTLY!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“......And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8