Do Right, Get Talked About

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. – N. DeKalb

Though Job’s wife and friends were critical of him about his faith and position before God, he held fast. God later brought vindication!

It’s record breaking temperatures and we rant. It’s raining heavily and again we rant. It’s foggy, cloudy, cold, etc. and we vent. Isn’t it good to know that no matter what we say there’s always more weather tomorrow, that it doesn’t go away mad never to return. God in His word told us we would often face the same type of persecution; sometimes from those closest to us. But when we’re doing right we will be criticized, for that is the job of wrong – to criticize or eliminate what is right. Criticism may sting at times – not because it’s true – but because our ‘flesh’ wants to retaliate. But remember Jesus, He was hung on a cross and still forgave them.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:12-14

Yah's Way

If you don’t know where you’re going, you will probably end up somewhere else. – L. Peter

Because of their hard-heartedness, the Israelites wound up in the desert, instead of the Promised Land. OUCH!

One thing about life is there are plenty of options to choose from. We have a great menu listing that we can peruse and select from, but we must always keep the end result in mind. If heaven is your goal, then there is only one way – GOD’S WAY. The road HE places us on may not seem right to us, but only HE knows the directions to HIS place. The path may not be the most popular, the easiest, or most scenic, nor get you much notoriety, but it will get you to the destination. He’s hoping we’ll let Him lead today!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” – Psalm 27:11

Unexpectedly Packaged

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes just as we need them, but rarely how we expect them. - Anon

Paul wanted a natural ‘physical healing’ until God told him just how “GRACED” he already was. AMEN!

Holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations; the dates of gift-giving, and often even before the gifts are opened; the giver is somewhat measured by the size or shape of the gift. We often say “it’s the thought that counts” but many times that’s not true – it’s the gift. So we want big packages, expensive wrappings and so forth. But such an attitude begs the question: How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? He is the giver of “every good and perfect gift,” so it really should not matter in its size or presentation. And best of all God delivers them to us everyday at just the right moment. This should make every day exciting for us.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13

The Cherished Friend

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

Jesus stayed and talked with the two on the Emmaus Road until they finally saw the 'light'. Hmm!

The numbers bear out a startling truth. The more we are connected socially in this wireless, WiFi society the more we disconnected physically. It seems more and more we’re all trying to find time to do it all and have it all. And what often happens is we wind up with sometimes shallow conversations and face time fellowship with the ONES who supposedly love us most, because the gadgets never leave our hand or our side and certainly not our attention. It's the same with Christ, the ONE who loves us more than anything, we've somewhat relegated Him to the electronic device, and without it we can't seem to function. Maybe it's time we took a closer look at HIS example of friendship where no boundaries or interruptions exist, and HE sits just waiting for US to come. I pray we'll become HIS 'cherished' friend.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"..........that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple...." - Psalm 27:4

In the Stillness of This Hour...

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom - Francis Bacon

King Saul sought the witch of Endor and still got horrible news. Hmm!

Tea leaves! Tarot cards! Horoscopes! Cloud formations! When stretched thin and desperate, folks often resort to all kinds of ways and mediums to try and get a word of wisdom or insight on what the gods or God might be up to in their life. But sometimes silence and stillness is our best option. Sometimes silence is the clearest language possible. "Be still, and know that I am God", carries a lot of weight, power, and oftentimes many of the answers or wisdom we seek. Though we now live in a fast-paced, answer at your fingertips world, we need be reminded - God never set this pace nor is He obligated to operate at our speed. Stillness before Him pays big dividends.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." - Psalm 27:4

God At Work

What we see depends truly on what we're actually looking for! - Anon

Many folks saw Noah working on the ark but none of them believed God was with him. Hmm!

Jesus said "my Father is always at His work!" So the question I guess is how often throughout the day do we actually see God working? It's all a matter of perspective and understanding. Many people look at a tree and just see a tree. A person of faith sees 'God at work' with all that the tree provides - homes for birds and other animals, shade/shelter, food - not to mention greenery for beauty and to aid in the production of oxygen for us. Many people see children at play and that's it, but a person of faith sees 'God at work' reminding us to choose joy and happiness in the midst of an imperfect world. Our perspective is shaped and informed by what we know. So the more we know of God and His Word the more we will see Him 'at His work' in and around our lives. Praying today may be eye opening and breathtaking to us all.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." - Psalm 27:13

Time to see The Cardiologist

The condition of our hearts determines the direction of our lives. - L. Woods

Paul's conversion allowed him to help rebuild the church he tried to destroy. WOW!

A tightness or pain in our chest. A numbness in our arm. Dizziness or an irregular heartbeat. When symptoms like these hit us we generally don't play around. It's off to the doctor or nearest emergency room depending on the intensity. We know there is a possible problem with our heart. But what about our 'spiritual heart?' What are the warning signs that would make us realize something is wrong? Truth be told most of us tend to think we're alright because we avoid the 'big sins' - whatever they are. But in the sight of God gossiping carries the same weight as sexual immorality - it's all SIN. Therefore, our backbiting, foul language, selfishness, bad attitude, lackadaisical worship, etc., should all be considered warning signs that we need a heart checkup. And the great thing is the 'Good Doctor' God is always available to see us. Why not make an appointment?

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!' Your face Lord will I seek." - Psalm 27:8

Passionate Pursuit of Spiritual Progression

Learning comes not from having books, writings, or even teachers; but the DESIRE within to know. – Anon

God chose many of His servants not based on what they knew, but WHO they pursued. AMEN!

Pre-school! High School! Colleges, universities, the ‘school of hard knocks.’ All avenues of education, life preparation, and social maturation. Each student has access to all they need to learn, but yet teachers still use grades such as A,B,C… to show their progress, which in truth is a measure of the student’s desire to actually know and understand. Similarly, in our Christian lives we have the same equal access to the bible, spiritual teachers/mentors, and fellowship with other Christians, to help us grow in the faith. And we see the same results, not all of us pursue spiritual growth with the same passion or desire. God is calling us into a relationship to ‘know Him’ not just know about Him. And as gracious as He is, He won’t be using a grading scale like our earthly teachers.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"…One thing I ask of the Lord. This is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” – Psalm 27:4

Faith Forged Through Patience

Could you not watch with me one hour...... - Jesus

Saul grew impatient waiting on Samuel to arrive, and it cost him dearly. OUCH!

Technology, with its many instantaneous forms of communication has opened up the floodgates for conversation, idea exchanges, discussion, etc., which are all very good. Almost everyone with a cell phone, I-Pad, or PC can join in. The dark side of this communication phenomenon is that it has begun to make us very impatient. Just think of the times you've texted or emailed someone, then called to see if they received your message because their response wasn't quick enough for you. And sadly, we've let this impatient attitude creep into our relationship with God. We want our prayers answered in an instant. We want our faith built in a day, our character perfected through 1 or 2 bible study sessions at most. God cannot and will not be rushed. And if we become frustrated with His apparent delays to our needs, we must remember He is not so much concerned with our comfort as He is our character. And character is developed by a faith forged through perseverance and patience.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14

An Invitation to Love

You can't tell someone they love you! - Movie quote

Three times a year in addition to 'sabbath keeping' the people assembled before God. Hmm!

Though we are not commanded by 'the law' as the Israelites were to keep certain ordinances, feast days, etc., have you ever stopped to consider or wonder why God commanded them to observe it in the first place? What was He after? Certainly not forced religious activity or vain worship. No, the issue was obedience. Would the people willingly obey and 'openly' come to give thanks and praise to the Creator. It was an invitation to love God. And though it's not a command for us now, I don't think we've changed physiologically to where we don't need such opportunities to show our love to God just like our ancestors. Our growing faith and love for God should always be seeking more 'face time' in His presence, beyond the normal Sunday meeting. Hopefully you've got some plans for this.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." - Psalm 27:4

Desirable Growth

If man is not rising upwards to be like an angel, he is sinking downwards to be a devil. – S.T. Coleridge

Near the end of his ministry Jesus told his disciples one of them was a devil. And each one had to give it some deep thought. HMMM!

Family reunions are great times to catch-up on old times and bring one another up to date. Often, you’ll eventually hear the phrase “you haven’t changed one bit.” But to say we are the same person today as we were 5 -10 years ago is to say we have wasted a great deal of God’s time. There should be some definite growth in the life we live and the way we view the world. And done in accordance with God’s plan our growth will create a desire for even greater growth and closeness to God. God is testing us in this life to ensure our eternal desire is for Him alone, for if we don’t love to praise Him in all things here, heaven is not for us.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4

Stillness Before God

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom - Sir Francis Bacon

King Saul sought the witch of Endor and still got horrible news. Hmm!

Tea leaves! Tarot cards! Horoscopes! Cloud formations! When stretched thin and desperate, folks often resort to all kinds of ways and mediums to try and get a word of wisdom or insight on what the gods or God might be up to in their life. But sometimes silence and stillness is our best option. Sometimes silence is the clearest language possible. "Be still, and know that I am God", carries a lot of weight, power, and oftentimes many of the answers or wisdom we seek. Though we now live in a fast-paced, answer at your fingertips world, we need be reminded - God never set this pace nor is He obligated to operate at our speed. Stillness before Him pays big dividends.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." - Psalm 27:4

Getting to Intimate Knowledge

A rolling stone gathers no moss; nor anything else. – Sparks

The Israelites continually tried to live like their neighbors and hold on to God; they got neither. Hmm!

We’ve seen it in others lives - The lack to stick with something long enough to make it work, the refusal to invest time into something worthwhile, the life without aim or direction – and often we muse about it. But the same can often be said of us. For just as often we wonder why we have not come to know God more intimately or know His Word more deeply. To do so requires time, patience, and discipline; often in short supply in our busy lives. To know God takes intimacy, which takes time. God has never been in a hurry so why should we be. If we really want to know Him and have Him in our lives, we need to stop casually doing drive-by service and just park for awhile.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4

Heart Check!

The condition of our hearts determines the direction of our lives. - L. Woods

Paul's conversion allowed him to help rebuild the church he tried to destroy. WOW!

A tightness or pain in our chest. A numbness in our arm. Dizziness or an irregular heartbeat. When symptoms like these hit us we generally don't play around. It's off to the doctor or nearest emergency room depending on the intensity. We know there is a possible problem with our heart. But what about our 'spiritual heart?' What are the warning signs that would make us realize something is wrong? Truth be told most of us tend to think we're alright because we avoid the 'big sins' - whatever they are. But in the sight of God gossiping carries the same weight as sexual immorality - it's all SIN!. Therefore our backbiting, foul language, selfishness, bad attitude, lackadaisical worship, etc., should all be considered warning signs that we need a heart checkup. And the great thing is the 'Good Doctor' God is always available to see us. Why not make an appointment?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!' Your face Lord will I seek." - Psalm 27:8

Weathering Criticism

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. – N. DeKalb

Though Job’s wife and friends were critical of him about his faith and position before God, he held fast. God later brought vindication!

It’s record breaking temperatures and we rant. It’s raining heavily and again we rant. It’s foggy, cloudy, cold, etc. and we vent. Isn’t it good to know that no matter what we say there’s always more weather tomorrow, that it doesn’t go away mad never to return. God in His word told us we would often face the same type of persecution; sometimes from those closest to us. But when we’re doing right we will be criticized, for that is the job of wrong – to criticize or eliminate what is right. Criticism may sting at times – not because it’s true – but because our ‘flesh’ wants to retaliate. But remember Jesus, He was hung on a cross and still forgave them.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:12-14

This Is the Way

If you don’t know where you’re going, you will probably end up somewhere else. – L. Peter

Because of their hard-heartedness, the Israelites wound up in the desert, instead of the Promised Land. OUCH!

One thing about life is there are plenty of options to choose from. We have a great menu listing that we can peruse and select from, but we must always keep the end result in mind. If heaven is your goal, then there is only one way – GOD’S WAY. The road HE places us on may not seem right to us, but only HE knows the directions to HIS place. The path may not be the most popular, the easiest, or most scenic, nor get you much notoriety, but it will get you to the destination. He’s hoping we’ll let him lead today!

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” – Psalm 27:11

P.S. - Charles Drew University (CDU) now has the opportunity to support individuals 65+ to get the COVID-19 vaccination through a facilitated process and is reaching out to local churches to provide a listing of seniors who would like to sign-up. If you would like to be included please let me know. I would like to forward a listing to them ASAP.

Primal Pursuit

Christianity doesn’t just lock us into Jesus, it sets us free to pursue God. – Erwin McManus

Jesus told his disciples they would do even greater things than he, because he was going to the Father. They later turned the world upside down. WOW!

It is said that between them, lions are more easily domesticated than tigers. The reason is that lions hunt only for the purpose of eating, so their motivation is hunger. Tigers on the other hand, hunt for the sheer thrill of the chase, which makes them always dangerous. When it comes to our faith, God is not looking for a “domesticated” version, but a more primal faith that is ever seeking to know him better and in different ways. If He is about to do a 'new thing' or open a 'new path' then our pursuit of Him should never grow routine or lifeless. We need be ready, the day is upon us.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to you, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’” – Psalm 27:8 (NKJV)

The Desire to Know

Learning comes not from having books, writings, or even teachers; but the DESIRE within to know. – Anon

God chose many of His servants not based on what they knew, but WHO they pursued. AMEN!

Pre-school! High School! Colleges, universities, the ‘school of hard knocks.’ All avenues of education, life preparation, and social maturation. Each student has access to all they need to learn, but yet teachers still use grades such as A,B,C… to show their progress, which in truth is a measure of the student’s desire to actually know and understand. Similarly, in our Christian lives we have the same equal access to the bible, spiritual teachers/mentors, and fellowship with other Christians, to help us grow in the faith. And we see the same results, not all of us pursue spiritual growth with the same passion or desire. God is calling us into a relationship to ‘know Him’ not just know about Him. And as gracious as He is, He won’t be using a grading scale like our earthly teachers.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“…One thing I ask of the Lord. This is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” – Psalm 27:4

Patience is the Key

The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. -  A. Glasow

God worked 13 years with Joseph, 40 years with Moses, 3+ years with Peter before they were ready for ministry. But oh; what a ministry they had. AMEN!

NOW! That seems to be the watchword of today. Everything has to happen now, we must have everything now, we must do everything now. It’s a great tool of the enemy – rush them into decisions, don’t give them time to think it through or plan it out – force them into actions and decisions that will hinder or impact their development and purposes for God. It’s a rare breed that would slow down, put off selfish desires, or immediate gratification. But it’s what God requests of us with a promise that what He has planned for us will be far better and more enjoyable than anything we could have ever imagined. He’s given us example after example in His word, so we know He keeps His end of the bargain. Today would be a good day to start trusting Him more.

Until Monday……

Pastor Botts

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:14

Cherished Friends

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

Jesus stayed and talked with the two on the Emmaus road until they finally saw the 'light'. Hmm!

In this era of Cell-Phones, I-Pads, Tablets, Apps, and other social-media forums for almost any and everything, it seems more and more we’re all trying to find time to do it all and have it all. And what often happens is we wind up with sometimes shallow conversations and face time fellowship with the ONES who supposedly love us most, because the gadgets never leave our hand or our side and certainly not our attention. It's the same with Christ, the ONE who loves us more than anything, we've somewhat relegated Him to the electronic device, and without it we can't seem to function. Maybe it's time we took a closer look at HIS example of friendship where no boundaries or interruptions exist, and HE sits just waiting for US to come. I pray we'll become HIS 'cherished' friend.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

"..........that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple...." - Psalm 27:4