Being Zealous in God Things

Try not to become a person of great success, but rather try to become a person of virtue. – Albert Einstein

We read often of men like Abraham, Joseph, and David who had great success in their lifetimes. Not because they pursued it, but because they pursued God, and he granted it. Hmm!

It’s true we live in a world that measures you by your professional title, wallet, possessions, education, etc., however it’s important to remember we are not ‘of the world’ but called of God to make a difference in the world. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to do well in our social endeavors, but NOTHING should impede our ability and opportunity to serve Almighty God. I pray we will be zealous in all our endeavors for Him.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these….But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:28-29, 33

A True Reflection of His Glory

Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. – Shakespeare

The great heroes of Hebrews 11 were noteworthy not for what they did per se, but for their faith in God. Hmm!

However you want to define it – GREATNESS – is expected of us. God made us not to be mediocre, but a true reflection of his glory IN ALL THINGS! Though we may often think and feel no one notices us, our Heavenly Father does. No matter what comes our way today, large or small, we must be up to the challenge of being GREAT. Our greatness will not be measured by humanistic thinking but only in the eyes of Him who wants to one day look at us and say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.” – Psalm 18:35

New Every Morning

Your past should be a springboard, not a hammock! – E. Burke

The book of Judges is proof positive that God has little recollection of yesterday’s performance. Amen!

One of the truths of baseball is that it is hard to make it to the major league level, but once you do, it is even harder to stay there. They have so many metrics, statistics, and ways to measure your performance. One bad day/week and you can easily become overwhelmed by a stat sheet analysis. Thankfully, God is not that way with us. Even in our most difficult season we can still rejoice in His faithfulness, for our current situation in His sight is always based not on what we’ve done but on His unchanging heart for us and what Jesus has done. And though we may feel down or defeated He offers new mercy and hope each day. So let go of yesterday’s shortcomings and live on today’s opportunities.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:19-23

Making A Defensive Stand

A great offense starts with defense. - Anon

Jesus prayed often because that's what usually opened doors for him to minister. WOW!

If you've ever played organized sports or listened to those who coach them you've heard the key to winning is defense. In baseball it's preached 'you can't give the other team extra outs or at-bats (errors, walks). In basketball it's taught get defensive stops. It's easier to run off rebounds and turnovers than when you talking the ball out of the net. In football we know it's field position. Pin them deep in their own territory, or get us started in their territory. The parallel here to our faith walk is that you cannot resist the devil without submitting to God, and you cannot submit to God without resisting the devil. We've all have to make a stand one way or the other. And I might add, doing either one halfheartedly will not get the job done, we must be sold out. Praying your game plan is solid today.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you...." - James 4:7-8

P.S. - Hoping you will join us today at 5.30pm on campus for our monthly Prayer meeting.

Curiously Defined

Curiosity in children is but an appetite for knowledge, and we are ALWAYS God’s children. - Anon

The heavens 'declaring God's glory' is a hard vision to imagine but it's no less true. WOW!

Awesome! Mighty! Magnificent! These words summon up some colossal thoughts and ideas in our minds, particularly when we try to apply them to our Great God and measure His vast nature. But in truth they are only our definitions to help us and our curious minds. God's nature and character go beyond any description we can come up with. He transcends all of life and its beauty because He Himself created it. And though we can have some vivid imaginations the scriptures tell us He is also able "to do more than we can imagine." If the highest heavens can't contain Him what makes us think we can truly define Him. We should just bask in the truth. He is both Great and Good all the time, and we should seek to know Him in a new and different way today. Now that's a thought worth pondering.

I will be away for a few days so this keyboard will be silent. Until then....

Pastor Botts

".....no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him...." - I Corinthians 2:9

Power to Move

The task ahead of us is never as great as the POWER behind us. – Anon

Abraham, he had to leave his homeland, his people, and his father’s house to go someplace God would eventually show him. By God's grace he MADE IT!

Mountains - it seems at times as if life is full of them and they are always in our path. Some of our own making, and others as tests of faith, and each one seems to present a different climate, terrain, and angle to conquer, at times calling on us to make some drastic changes in the way we live before God. Maybe there’s some sin God is continually redressing us on that we need to correct or change, or maybe He wants to develop even a deeper commitment to His kingdom work in us, or maybe He's even trying to move us away from those He knows who are not good for us. Life may seem like an impossibility right now, but we must remember we've made it this far by the power of God, and He's faithful to the end.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” – Matthew 17:19-21

Practice the Faith

Love is an act of faith, therefore whoever is of little faith is also of little love. – E. Fromm

Though she was looked upon with contempt and even called a dog, the Canaanite woman’s faith impressed Jesus. It was motivated by love for her daughter, not herself. Hmm!

It’s a true statement: What the world needs now is love! The scriptures bear it out loud and clear many, many times, “God is love” (I John 4:8), “for God so loved the world” (John 3:16). The point is He’s asked us to show it by our faith. We extend love to others not because we expect love in return, but because it is Christ within us reaching out to man. If we cannot love all men, we cannot truly love God. In our chance encounters and circumstances today we're expected to practice the faith.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Hear , O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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 12:29-31

New for Today

Our 'Age of Anxiety' is, in great part, the result of trying to live today’s circumstances with yesterday’s faith. – M. McLuhan

Though Rachel believed in her husband Jacob’s God, she still kept the gods of her father Laban. Hmm!

One of the great things about scientific discovery is that it is always open to new ideas and realities – oh that our faith were so. For most people their faith is clearly defined, limited and tangible, and if circumstances don’t fit within the parameters they determine and define they won’t move forward. But we serve a God who is ever unpredictable in His ways as He works things out in our lives. His expectation is that we trust Him in all things and truly believe that He will never place us in any situation where His grace is not sufficient, His provision is not more than enough, or His strength will not prevail. The whole idea is that God is trying to ‘grow’ our faith not our fears. Today will require more from us than yesterday.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” – II Corinthians 5:17

P.S. - Make sure you vote TODAY, and remember no matter what happens GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL!

Blending Together

Life is like being a simple letter in the alphabet. It can be meaningless standing alone, or it can be part of a great spelling in fellowship with other letters. – Jewish Proverb

Apollos was a greatly educated orator. After spending time with Aquila and Priscilla he became an even greater preacher. Amen!

Supercalifragilistic expealidocious! Other than the song from ‘Mary Poppins’ I really don’t think the word exists or has meaning – but the letters together look and sound quite grand and added something to the song. The life God has called us to live out in his glory is along the same lines. The various sub and eco-systems of His creation work in perfect harmony to make this planet perfect for us to live on and His expectation is all of us working together in harmony to bring a song of victory or praise to Him. That’s why fellowship is so important – it helps us blend together to bring perfect pitch to the melody of life. Are you in or out?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.” – Psalm 35:18

True Supporting Cast Members

God evidently does not intend us all to be rich, or powerful, or great, but He does intend us all to be friends. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jonathan would not let the kingship nor his father, king Saul, take from him what he cherished most – FRIENDSHIP with David. Hmm!

In any society there are only so many that can be leaders, standouts, or greats if you will. But in reality, they cannot be such without the support of the people, so to be a standout or great is really nothing without friends to support you. One of the key elements God looks for in us down here is our ability to love one another in spite of our different stations, cultures, or preferences, and to prefer one another over ourselves – that’s a picture of true friendship. Remember, it’s easier to be a friend than to find one.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“You are my friends if you do what I command.” – John 15:14

No Doubt He's Glorious

Doubt is a part of religion. All the great believers before us were doubters. – I. B. Singer

Moses and the burning bush. Gideon and the fleece. Thomas and the disciples. All these doubted at first, but fully believed later. AMEN!

It can be strongly argued that the beginning of faith and wisdom is found in doubting; for by doubting we come to the question: “can it truly be so?”. And by seeking the answer we come upon the truth. But we must distinguish between doubt and unbelief. God will forgive us our doubts, for doubt is a condition of the mind, but He will not excuse our unbelief, for that is a condition of the heart. Though God need not prove Himself to anyone; He ‘delights’ in those who seek after Him and His ways, lovingly revealing more and more of His character to them. As we grow into maturity our doubting should began to cease and our marvels increase as we gain a firmer understanding of who God truly is and how He loves us. May we all learn to trust Him a little more today!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them, Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.” – Psalm 111:2-3

Radical Greatness

It’s a sin to be good if God has called you to be great! – T. Ranier

The Apostle Paul bore on his body the “marks of Jesus.” Not because he was good, but because he was pursuing greatness. Amen!

We’re all taught in our upbringing to be good, get along. And unfortunately, we carry that same attitude over into our service for Christ. But Jesus was a radical, He often “bucked” the worldly trends and culture of his day, and He serves as our perfect example. God is not looking for us to be good, this world has seen good and not been impacted by it; He needs us to be great. Great in our attitude, great in our work ethics, great in our praise, and great in our speech bringing forth the good news. Have a GREAT day!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:46-48

Bigger Than His Words

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination. - J. Lennon

You ever wonder what language the heavens use to 'declare' God's glory? WOW!

Here is a mind-blowing truth: God is ALWAYS bigger than anything He says or promises. Why, because words are truly inadequate to fully express His person and what He can truly do. Language is OUR means of communication - with its ideas and definitions - with one another. And as grandiose as we can make it, words could never contain or express the fullness of God Himself, no matter it be Latin, Greek, Hebrew, or the King's perfect English! And if God transcends language, can you truly imagine how great then His promises must be? And how powerful His Spirit at work in us can and should be? So I guess the question is: How great is our God, and how GREAT should He be?

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"..to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS POWER that is at work within us...." - Ephesians 3:20

It's Still A Marvelous Life

You know you’re getting old when you’ve lost all your marvels! – M. Browne

When Jesus would teach the people they were all astonished, and “marveled” at his ability to make the word of God come alive. Amen!

Admittedly, we often take life as it happens; and even that we take for granted. Because we've been at it for so long, we just assume one day is just as ordinary as any other day, day after day, year after year. We rarely think of each new dawn where we can open our eyes as the greatest blessing ever. We scarcely think of our ups and downs as potential 'God moments,' just assuming they are all a part of life. But if God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and He is continually seeking to be found and known by His people, you would have to conclude that He’s still in the “marveling” business, and today will be no exception. May we greet today with excitement for meeting Him in new ways.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise….” – I Chronicles 16:23-25

That Sweetness of Life

Life is a great bundle of little things. – O.W. Holmes

As Mary watched her ‘child’ grow the bible says she treasured many moments and hid them in her heart. Hmm!

Remember as a kid biting into a nice freshly picked peach or apple maybe. All natural, plump, juicy, sweet as can be with no additives, preservatives, or artificial coloring. Much different than what you get today from the market. There’s a difference too, between the natural ‘sweetness’ of life and the things we think should be added to it. A hectic pace that keeps our calendars crowded and far from the pace God wants us to walk that we may savor the day(s); or a vast number of online connections and conversations rather than a meaningful face to face encounter with a friend. God never said life has to be lived in the fast lane nor be crowded without margin. His idea is that we just enjoy the simple pleasures. Today would be a great time to start.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil…” – Proverbs 15:16

Do What Lasts

Greatness lies not in trying to be somebody, but in trying to help somebody. – Anon

The greatest thing about Joseph was not in how he came up to be 2nd in command only to Pharaoh, but that he saved a nation and his people. Hmm!

It’s no secret; everybody loves to hear their own name called. It’s refreshing, exhilarating, and exciting to be hailed as someone who did something great and worthwhile. And in our sinful nature we’re taught early on to make something of ourselves. So we set out to make a name, seek status, and grab attention; put ourselves on the plateau that says “look at me!” Now the teaching itself is not bad, it’s just incomplete. We should be taught to make something of ourselves to better mankind, contribute to society, build up the kingdom; not to be seen and heard, but to bring praise to the one we serve –God. If “only what we do for Christ will last,” then that’s really all we should do.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” – Matthew 20:26

The Time and Opportunity Treasure

God's best gift to us is not things, but time and opportunity. - A.W. Rollins

The rich young ruler couldn't part with his wealth to follow the King of kings. Hmm!

There exists a strange paradox within all of us when you think it through. Of all the things we ask for in life, the most important to us is an opportunity to prove our mettle, show ourselves worthy. The paradox is we get hung up on the things of this world for validation. They become our trophies and testament to a life well lived, they are what we put upfront to show we matter. God's desire is that we see time and opportunity in terms of relationship with others, and particularly Him. For it is in the time we give to others and the opportunities we take to share with others that we truly receive and pass on God's gift. Hopefully in this New Year we can all become a treasure to someone new.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great." - Proverbs 18:16

Seeing the Hidden Opportunities

We are all continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems. – J. W. Gardner

Moses as leader of the Israelites, is the prime example of developing faith on the job. AMEN!

The internet. A great tool of invention that opens us up to a host of opportunities to communicate, research, do media, and even do commerce. However, it is also a tool fraught with pitfalls and danger. It requires a little work to “surf” the web successfully. Similarly, every day and moment God grants us is an opportunity to bring glory to Him. Every individual we meet is an opportunity to share Christ’s love with them. Yes, opportunities abound, but like the internet they require a little effort or “work” to be beneficial. That’s how we grow.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” – I Corinthians 16:8-9

Abundantly Supplied

Gratitude is a great attitude! - Anon

The Israelites had to gather manna everyday to survive. Hmm!

The half-empty pizza box! The half-full bucket of chicken! The turkey platter in the fridge covered with foil! We call these leftovers. The word itself kind of sounds like a back-handed compliment – leftovers! But really, they are great testimonies to God’s goodness to us. That He ‘abundantly’ supplies for our needs. We sometimes need to remind ourselves of this, particularly in this festive holiday season. And not only that, but there is also another blessing as well. The time to reheat and eat is nowhere near the time and labor we used to gather and prepare it. God is good all the time.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….I have NEVER seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” – Psalm 37:25

Forgiveness: The Great Medication

Remember that when you forgive you heal, when you let go, you grow!

I’m certain it took Peter at least a few days to fully understand Jesus’ math lesson on forgiveness. Hmm!

Ask any professional pitcher or quarterback and they’ll tell you there were many times in their career where the ‘moment’ the ball left their hand they wished they could have it back. The end result being a homerun given up or an interception thrown. Not a good feeling. But that bad feeling is not limited to sports. How many times in our lives have we wished we could take back our mis-timed or harshly spoken words, correct a mistake or action that hurt someone or caused a negative reaction? And though it's part of being human, that doesn’t make it feel any better. But forgiveness does. It’s a great medication. And like the pitcher or quarterback who plays on, with God we know that His forgiveness always comes with another chance to get it right. So, today is an opportunity to do better than yesterday. WOW!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23