Behind the Scenes Work

One day OR day one. You decide! - Anon

Paul went from Pharisee to apostle. But what a difference it was. Amen!

Before/After photos. Generally they show the beautiful change in the person, building, item, etc., that was worked on. What they don't show is the behind the scenes work that took place, nor the time it took to do it. To strip away what's not needed to get to the point when you can start over or refinishing is hard work and time consuming. That's how God is with us. He alone knows the perfect beauty that is within us, who He created us to be and how we should shine. He alone knows what to strip away. Oftentimes, He has to go deep to the initial bare-bones structure to start, but He ALWAYS brings forth a thing of beauty. If your 'before' photo hasn't changed much, maybe you need a little more of God and a little less of you in the processing. Remember, only He can make all things NEW!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." - Galatians 6:17

Opportunity to Help

True charity sees the need, not the cause. – German Proverb

When Jesus looked out over the crowds he saw them as sheep without a shepherd and had compassion. Then He went to help them. Hmm!

We live in a world where it seems everyone has a hand out. We spread our paycheck out as much as we can and there are still needs to be met.  And all too often we want to determine why the need is there, what caused it; before we decide if we’re going to do anything about it. And in this day and age, though this is wise thinking; we should never lose our heart of compassion for the truly needy. Being burned in the past should not turn us off altogether, and if so we miss great opportunities to minister and reach out. It’s in many of these situations that seeds get planted. It’s not so much the actual gift but the giving of one’s self that makes it worthwhile.

Until tomorrow....

Pastor Botts

“The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want…” – Mark 14:7

Think about His goodness

If we pause to think, we will have cause to thank. – Anon

When Jacob awoke from his sleep and thought about his dream, he praised God and gave thanks. I think it was for more than just sleep. WOW!

Henry Ford once said, “I’m convinced thinking is the hardest work there is, which is why so few people do it.” It does give one cause to ponder. We have worked so hard at being an on-the-go society we seldom have down time and fret we’re missing something when we do have it. But no matter what pace we move at there will always only be 24 hours in a day. Our pace has gotten us away from God. God is a friend of silence and patience. It is in these moments we have time to reflect on His glory and His goodness. And when we truly reflect on these our only expression can be THANKS!

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good, his love endures forever.” – Psalm 107:1

Your Rep

Not only do actions speak louder than words, they actually cause conversation! - Anon

The crucifixion happened over 2,000 years ago. Yet people still talk about it non-stop and wonder. Hmm!

Though we have a given name we are often known by our actions, or reputation as some call it. Those we know see us and the things we do and compare these to the values, morals, and truths we say we hold dear - and voila, reputation is born. Having a reputation is not necessarily a bad thing, particularly if our lives are authentic; meaning our actions line up with our beliefs, no matter the time, place, or situation. And it's not a one-time occurrence, it's who we are at all times. There's a lot to be said for authenticity, and the hope and prayer is that it is true of us!

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"....Simply let your 'YES', be 'Yes,' and your 'NO,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." - Matthew 5:37

Committed to the Cause

Better to act and not be successful than never to have responded at all. – C. Ringma

Though he was unsuccessful in his attempt, Abraham at least pleaded with God for Sodom’s safety. Hmm!

Truth be told, we do want to see changes take place in our world, and in particular changes to situations which perpetuate sin, evil, or injustice. But sadly we are often slow to act because we don’t often make ourselves aware of them or because we avoid seeing things for what they really are. We often wait until the evil or injustice becomes more magnified before we respond, and then we often claim it’s too late or our little effort won’t help any. But faithfulness can never be measured in terms of successes, but only in terms of commitment. It does not matter the odds or conditions we’re up against, God has called us to be committed to the cause of Christ at all times, not just when it’s convenient or feels good, and often the cause of Christ will justify us going out into the public arena to try and help right injustice or stand up against evil. The one truth you can always say of a fighter – “at least he fought.”

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Give everyone what you owe him: if you owe taxes, pay taxes, if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor then honor.” – Romans 13:7