How To Be Truly Powerful

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. – Abraham Lincoln

Solomon was considered the wisest king ever and a man of good character, but his son Rehoboam let the power of being king go to his head. OUCH!

It is said that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. And though most of us would say we would never be drunk with power as we see in most tyrants, despots, and dictators, in reality we are that way in some areas of our lives. We have the power to submit to God’s will or not, and more often than not we choose not to submit. Circumstances, resources, timing, happen to us all; and we can try to excuse ourselves from submission or obedience because of them, but it doesn’t get us off the hook. The whole idea and understanding of power can be gleaned from our Heavenly Father. He is omnipotent but yet He is full of love, mercy, grace, compassion and forgiveness. And if God sets the example for us, who are we to try something different?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The most important one, answered Jesus, is this…..Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31

Praises in the Raises

It's not our perfection but our submission that pleases God. - Anon

Noah, the 1st recorded sailor and drunkard. But yet, still a man God used mightily. Amen!

We often think of them as superhuman beings. Those great biblical characters, like Abram, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, & Mary, etc. Though they did great things the truth is they were ordinary people who had a past (sin included) that God used to bring about His will. Even in serving God they sometimes fell short, yet God still used them. There's a lesson here. We need to stop cursing ourselves for the many times we've fallen, and start praising God for the number of times He's raised us up. What's in our past is past, over and done with. God is at work reshaping and remolding all our life experiences into a mosaic or quilt that will continue to tell the story of Jesus. His redeeming, reclaiming, and rebranding of lives that brings glory to God the Father. Each one our lives has meaning to God and impacts those around us. God is not out to make us super; He just wants to work through us, and let others call what He does extraordinary.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again..." - Proverbs 24:16

Get Those Hands Up

Submission or surrender? God's asking! - Anon

In the battle with the Amalekites as long as Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands in prayer Joshua and the Israelites were winning the battle. Hmm!

"Come out with your hands up!" A command or order we hope to never hear issued to us. It's usually barked at someone projected to be on the wrong side of the law and is now cornered and subject to arrest. But, how did an act so beautiful become so negative. When you think of worship before God it's often a 'hands up' in the air experience. When you think of prayer it's often a 'stretching forth' of the hands, and then there's surrender or a 'throwing up of the hands' to release the issue to Almighty God. Times may have changed but the way we come before God has not. And actually, when you think it through, it really doesn't matter what reason we stand before God with our hands raised for we stand to gain. Amen!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." - Psalm 63:4