Charting Your Destiny

Choices are the hinges of destiny. – Edwin Markham

The rich young ruler chose his earthly treasures, which he identified with, over Jesus and everlasting life. He also went away sad. OUCH!

“I wish I had done .....” “I should have gone to .......” “I shouldn’t have ......” These are all statements we often make when reflecting on our life. We are right now a summation of all the choices we made in the yesterdays of life. To look back over our life and lament over those choices is useless, we are where we are right now. To look back over them and learn from them and to chart the hand of God “working” throughout for our good regardless is breathtaking. Even better is the fact that God has gifted us TODAY, with every opportunity to make good choices that will determine our tomorrows and our eternity. Are you up to the challenge?

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” – Matthew 6:24

Show Some Love

If we look for opportunities to show love, we’ll bypass many, many opportunities to hate. – Anon

The town was stirred with hatred and ready to stone the adulterous woman, but Jesus seized a chance to practice love. Hmm!

Often, because someone is not of our ilk, or up to our standards, or allowing us the freedoms we want, we shamelessly find ways to “put them down.” But if we’re to “love even our enemies,” then hatred, division, or separation should be the last thing we seek. If God loves us in our imperfect status because He sees what we can be, we should love others the same. Love may not make the world go round, but it does often make the ride worthwhile, and you’ll find life a bit less stressful as well.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17

Forgiveness Required

To hold on to hate and resentment is to keep us standing still, while life marches on. – Anon

Joseph receiving his brothers, Job praying for his friends, great pictures of forgiveness in action. Hmm!

The blessings and favor of God beckon us. God himself, is calling us forward to redeem His promises and blessings in innumerable ways. But the truth is many of us will remain stuck, unable to go forward because of our refusal to let go of the past hurts, wrongs, and slights put upon us that we cannot seem to forgive and forget. In truth, this is an affront to Almighty God, for in His program forgiveness is not optional, it’s a requirement. True, sometimes the hurt may be deep and emotional, and we may find it hard to forgive certain people, but God is unequivocal and unwavering in this command that we must forgive those who have hurt or wronged us, just as He has forgiven us. The reason is it takes away any power they may have over us and allows us to move forward by God’s grace and strength. He works with us and through us in these matters. So we learn to forgive, and keep forgiving, so we ourselves are not weighed down and can move forward. Maybe we can get rid of some excess baggage today.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….’Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times!’….” – Matthew 18:21-22

Pick A Side. Take A Stand. Make A Difference.

There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes….and roadkill. – J. Hightower

Not only is fence sitting painful, Jesus said it was impractical. Hmm!

Though we as people are often highly opinionated on almost every issue, many of us often try to live our lives in the middle of the road. We don’t really want to hurt or harm anyone. But the truth of the matter is in the arena of principle, morality, and all things righteous no one can remain neutral, nor should we want to; for neutral men are the devil’s allies. God calls for us to take a stand, leave the holy huddle and get in the game. When we try to placate both sides by remaining neutral we’re actually giving the enemy the upper hand, as the only necessity for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. And like cigarette smoke, evil does not know how to stay in its own section, it soon touches all facets of life. God is giving us TODAY with all of its ‘fullness’ to make a difference. Now it's up to us.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“No man can serve two masters. Wither he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” – Matthew 6:24

Forgiveness, Pass It On!

Forgiveness is man's deepest need and highest achievement. - H. Bushnell

Joseph, Esau. Just two men able to forgive great wrongs put upon them by their kin. Amen!

"They make me so mad!" "I can't stand him/her!" We've all heard statements like these... and probably made them ourselves. Why can't we forgive someone? It's only because we feel God hasn't forgiven us! Yes, make no mistake about it, forgiving is hard work, but God's abounding grace makes it totally possible. But it only works to the extent of our belief in God forgiving us. So, the question becomes: how much forgiveness have we received? God freely gives it, but doesn't force it on us, so it's up to us to believe and receive it. True we don't really deserve it, but God gives it freely upon our repentances. And it's only when we truly receive it that we can pass it on to others. So why can't we forgive this/that person? If our heart is clogged with bitterness, anger, resentment, or past hurts, grace abounds to reopen it. Oh, and once again - it's FREE!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"If anyone says 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." - I John 4:20

Don't Hate the Player

You can safely assume that you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that He hates all the same people you do. – A. LaMott

James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy the Samaritans because they did not want Jesus in their village. He went to another village – later the Samaritans were saved. AMEN!

"THEM! Oh those people, they make me so mad. How could they even think God loves them?” It’s a statement we often cavalierly or casually make, but it shows what’s in our hearts, how we feel about a certain class of people, “out of the heart the mouth speaks.” Remember, God does not hate anyone. He hates the sin within them but he loves the individual and wants to save them from their sins. And He’s calling on us to share His message and love with them. As we encounter friends, co-workers, or even strangers today remember we were once ‘lost’ too. Let's give them a godly chance.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law…….Love your neighbor as yourself.” Romans 13:8,9b

Seek Love

If we look for opportunities to show love, we’ll overlook many, many opportunities to hate.  – Anon

The town was stirred with hatred and ready to stone the adulterous woman, but Jesus seized a chance to practice love. Hmm!

Often, because someone is not of our ilk, or up to our standards, or allowing us the freedoms we want, we shamelessly find ways to “put them down.” But if we’re to “love even our enemies,” then hatred and separation should be the last thing we seek. If God loves us in our imperfect status because He sees what we can be, we should love others the same. Love may not make the world go round, but it does often make the ride worthwhile, and you’ll find life a bit less stressful as well.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17

True Friends

 Love is blind; and true friendship tries not to notice! – O. von Bismarck

When Paul first came to the faith many would not trust him, but you couldn’t tell Barnabas that. He even brought him to the apostles. WOW!

What makes a friend a FRIEND? Perfection – no, because no one is. Loyalty – no, we’d be better off with a dog. Honesty – only if you don’t ask them certain things. Friendship is a combination of many things, but what makes it work is the willingness to look beyond one’s faults to the person we believe God meant them to be, and doing our part to help them get there; just as God looks beyond our faults and provides for our needs. It’s amazing how often we try to make people ‘fit’ a particular mold or model we have in mind before we will accept them into our circle of comfort or concern. But God chose us sin and all, and He expects us to do the same with those He sends our way.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“If anyone says, ‘I love God’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen….whoever loves God must also love his brother.” – I John 4:20-21