Faith Tested

All sunshine and no rain make for a desert. – Arab Proverb

Job accepted the ‘heartaches’ of his life just as easily as he accepted the blessings. He knew it was all in God’s hand. AMEN!

As much as we would like it to be, life is not always rosy, good, or great. There are times when we go through tests, trials, and circumstances that make us uncomfortable. And often, these situations are not of our own making – God is at the helm. He knows how He wants and needs us to grow, and the path that He wants us to follow. Left to our own devices we would always choose the easy route, but God loves us too much to let that happen. So as we enter, persevere through, or exit our test or trial we should say HALLELULAH!

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

Deadly Beauty

What is beautiful is not always good, but what is good is always beautiful. – Anon

Samuel wanted to anoint Jesse’s son Eliab because of his stature and appearance, but God told him to anoint ‘little ruddy David’ because of his heart. Hmm!

If there is one lesson we learn from nature it’s that beautiful can be deadly. Many plants and animals are very colorful, vibrant, and inviting – but deadly. In fact it is often their beauty that aids them in self-survival. We have an enemy that often operates in the same manner, masquerading as that which is beautiful but with evil, harmful intentions. But everything God brings to us is for our good, everything He brings us through is for our good. It may not look appealing or inviting at the time of occurrence but its purpose is designed for our good – that in the end we may bring glory to Him - and that is a most beautiful picture.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” – Galatians 1:6-7

Enjoying the Journey

If you’re not enjoying the journey, you probably won’t enjoy the destination. – J. Tye

Many of the Israelites didn’t make it to the Promised Land. They couldn’t handle the daily walks with God through the desert. Hmm!

One of the great benefits of traveling by car or train is that you get to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way. True, it’s slower than other modes of transportation but it is refreshing in its own way. Life is a journey for us as well, one we should enjoy day by day. Even though we may have ‘deserts’ along the way or ‘ride’ with those we sometimes have disagreements with; we should still be able to enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised. If we’re not enjoying God in our daily walk here maybe we need to rethink our desires for heaven.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us and eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” – II Corinthians 4:17