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

Are You On the Right Road?

The Christian is not one who has gone all the way with Christ. None of us has. The Christian is the one who has found the right road. – C.L. Allen

Paul told the people of Philippi he had not yet obtained “the Prize” but he was definitely on the right road and nothing or no one was going to deter him. Amen!

Frustration. It’s something we all face, sometimes more often than we’d like. And like it or not when faced with it enough our human nature often wants to change directions, paths, or programs because we begin to think this one may not be the right one to connect us with our goal. But if our goal is Christ and His righteousness then frustration, opposition, despair, and many other roadblocks or offramps will appear on the horizon. That’s why we are called to live life through the Spirit, He knows the path or road God has laid out for us. He will keep the miscues, offramps, and wrong turns to a minimum, redirect us when we do get off course, and keep our temperament in check. If you’re traveling unfamiliar territory right now give the steering wheel over to Him.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” – Luke 9:62

Cleaning House

A trip to nostalgia now and then is good for the spirit, so long as you don’t set up housekeeping. – D. Bartolovic

After witnessing Jesus' transfiguration, Peter wanted to stay there and build altars. God said no, follow My Son. AMEN!

Closets, attics, trunks, garages, refrigerators. What do they all have in common - they are storage spaces. But the other thing they have in common is every so often they need to be cleaned, purged of old useless, spoiled, outdated items. True, some of these items carry great memories, but yet and still they must go to make room for new ones. Even God told His people "forget the past, behold I'm doing a new thing...." All too often our holding on to items, relics, etc., make us complacent and unable to move forward. But move on we must, and the truth is we will experience even greater marvels of God's glory in our lives. So maybe it's time we do a little housecleaning in eager expectation that something good is on the way.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"....But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me......" - Philippians 3:13-14

Thinking of the Master's Plan

If God uses the resistant and the reluctant, imagine what he could do with the ready and willing? – D. Walter

Jonah didn’t want to go, Gideon didn’t feel qualified to go, Paul “kicked” against Him. God used them all for His glory. Hmm!

Agenda’s, To-do lists, personal goals, etc. Truth be known most of us have one or more of these things that we sometimes allow to dictate into our lives – even if contrary in the face of God’s will. We often let His requests or desires take a back seat to our own ideas or wants, not willing to deny ourselves in any opportunity. And only after trying and failing at our own do we reluctantly obey God’s call. And amazingly blessings always seem to follow. Hmm! Maybe it’s best to just go along with God’s desires, after all; He knows what’s best.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me’” – Isaiah 6:8

The New and Improved You

My goal is not to be better than somebody else, but to be better than I used to be. - Anon

Paul never tried to be a 'super-apostle', he just tried to be better than 'Saul'. Amen!

Drive! Inspiration! Desire! We often hear these words from famous folks (actors/actresses, athletes, artists, etc.) describing what propelled them to the level they achieved or led them to create. The foundational principle was that they were not satisfied with where they were and felt or believed they could do/be better. We all have that ability within. However, what keeps it pure is when we keep it 'out of competition' and solely within ourselves. All too often we do things to compete with others and best them, but in the church we're all one family working together for Christ's glory and not our own. And with the Holy Spirit working/living in us there will be growth and improvement. So get ready for a 'new and improved' YOU!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." - I Corinthians 1:31

Your Focus Determines Your Reality -Qui Gon Jinn

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal. – H. More

Peter was able to walk on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and noticed the wind. The good thing is JESUS SAVED!

Today, there will be new challenges to reaching your goals. Life will do the same thing it does everyday through the circumstances and situations that arise on the job, in school, in your home life, and relationships. The question is how will you respond. The enemy (sometimes it's us) is very subtle at trying to take our focus off of all that is good and right or godly, to discourage. Will you see it as an opportunity to stretch out in faith or an obstacle and shrink back? It will all depend on what you really want, and God is willing to leave the choice up to you.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12

Responding to Revelation

Any fool can know, the point is to understand! - Albert Einstein

Even though the disciples walked with Jesus daily it wasn't until His death, burial and resurrection that they truly 'got him!' - WOW!

There's a song with the refrain "I wish I knew then what I know now..." intimating that if I had only known these things about life when I was younger, I would've made different choices and been better off. Really! Would we? Nobody gets to live life backwards. There are many things we know right now that are bad for us, yet we continue in them anyway. Habits or vices that are unhealthy, unproductive, or even downright sinful. Revelation is not given to us to review or spotlight the past, but to help prepare us for the future, for that's where we're headed. And revelation is always given at the proper time never before. The question we must answer is whenever it is given, what will be our response?

Until tomorrow........

Pastor Botts

"...forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me...." - Philippians 3:13-14

THEY Can't Stop You

Others may stop you temporarily – only you can do it permanently. – Zig Ziglar

Satan tempted both Peter and Judas to betray Jesus that fateful night. One went on to become a great apostle, the other died in infamy. The choice was theirs!

Live long enough and one thing you’re sure to run into is opposition. Worthy causes are always met with the most opposition. In this life we will encounter setbacks, lack of support, lack of resources, loss of friends, and even full frontal assaults. But if the desire is truly there within the heart our pursuits will continue, “for greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.” If we truly have a zeal for God, retreat or surrender is not an option.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14

Today's scripture reading: Proverbs 6

Today's scripture question: In verses 16-19 what do you think makes those things 'detestable' to God?

Better than Yesterday

You can always become better! – Anon

Paul said he ‘pressed forward’ everyday to endear himself more and more to His Lord. Hmm!

¡New and Improved! It seems like every product eventually goes this route. But so often we get to certain ages or stages in life and want to say that’s it, “I am who I am. I may not be the best, but I’m certainly not the worst.” But discipline and commitment are relentless, for God continuously works in us and on us, and He will not leave us as He found us. He desires to give us His best and for us to give Him our best, and since ‘perfection’ is our goal, we should never think we can’t do any better. If Moses didn’t reach his prime until age 80 and Caleb at age 85, it seems the sky’s the limit. So today is another opportunity to become better than we were yesterday.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Be very careful, then, how you live……making the most of every opportunity….” – Ephesians 5:15

Staying On Course

It’s very hard to take the wrong turn when you’re looking in the right direction. – Anon

Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness on 3 different occasions, each time Jesus looked to His Father and His Word. Hmm!

No one likes to ‘crash and burn’ in life yet it happens very often, when we take our eyes off the goal. And the one thing that’s a certainty in life everyday is our enemies attempt to get us to take our focus off of God and His Word. Our enemy uses every avenue or medium, every subtlety or deception, and every emotional appeal to trip us up, and YES, he even knows our every weakness. That’s why it’s very critical for us to keep God and His Word in the center of our lives. It’s virtually impossible to get off course when we are led this way. We may not like some of the scenery along the way but we can take comfort in knowing God is with us and directing our paths.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“My eyes are always looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me from the traps of my enemies.” – Psalm 25:15 (NLT)

Responding to Obstacles

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal. – H. More

Peter was able to walk on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and noticed the wind. The good thing is JESUS SAVED!

Today, there will be new challenges to reaching your goals. Life will do the same thing it does everyday through the circumstances and situations that arise on the job, in school, in your home life, and relationships. The question is how will you respond. The enemy (sometimes it's us) is very subtle at trying to take our focus off of all that is good and right or godly,to discourage.  Will you see it as an opportunity to stretch out in faith or an obstacle and shrink back? It will all depend on what you really want, and God is willing to will leave the choice up to you.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12

Everything You Need

“I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.” – Psalm 37:25

Paul said that whether he had plenty or none, as long as he had God he was content. AMEN!

As an avid coffee drinker I’ve hit a many donut shops in my time. Some good, some not so good. But I can recall a poem I once saw some years back that resonates with life:   As you travel through life friend, Whatever be your goal, Keep your eyes on the donut, And not upon the hole.   It’s a somewhat simple message that’s meant to remind us that we should spend more time looking at and being thankful for what we have and not worrying about what we don’t have. God has gifted us with exactly everything He needs us to have at this moment. In fact, we’ve got more blessings than we can truly count, and maybe that’s what we should do, start counting and start thanking Him for every one of them. In the end it’s a lot more meaningful and a lot less costly, and we can all stand to save a little more anyway.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…..My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…..” – Psalm 23:5