Unlocking Biblical Secrets

“Get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.” – Proverbs 4:7

Even in captivity, Daniel rose in prominence not just because he studied the Babylonians ways, but because he held fast to God and His Word. Amen!

SAT! GRE! GMAT! LSAT! Exams for schooling. CPA! CMA! UBE! RN! NP! Exams for work. Civil Service exams for governmental work. Everywhere you look it seems like we must study to pass an exam to qualify. But the good thing is there are books and courses we can take to prepare ourselves, gauge our readiness. What about life though? With all its written and unwritten rules, social norms, and customs, and the relentless pace at which it comes to us. How does one prepare for it? Well, in truth there is also a book we can and should refer to. The bible – God’s Word. It is full of His wisdom on how to navigate this life successfully, with meaning and purpose. But the bible only unlocks its secrets to those who are ready to receive them, and that requires the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for He interprets all things of God for us.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple…” – Psalm 19:7

The Hardest Thing to Conquer

To many, total abstinence is better than perfect moderation, but neither gets practiced! - Augustine

Many of the godly kings of Judah destroyed the temples of Baal and Ashtoreth but neglected the high places. Hmm!

As those made in the highest order of creation, we are by far the more intelligent beings, able to ‘subdue and control’ the earth. But in all our conquering the hardest thing for us to learn is to temper our appetites, control our desires, or restrain our impulses. After all, nobody but nobody knows what’s better for us than we ourselves is our way of thinking. But God really does know better, He created us, knows what we can withstand, knows how He wants to bless us, and knows how He wants to use us in His service. Moderation is difficult, of course; but the rewards are numerous and long-lasting. To improve our finances, health, or general well-being; wisdom and moderation must be close traveling companions. God will leave the decision up to us, but then so are the consequences.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“…Better a patient man that a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city..” – Proverbs 16:32

Loving Through Imperfection

"We come to know love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." – Anon

Gomer would not have been Hosea’s first choice for a wife, but with God’s help he loved her deeply. WOW!

When it comes to love most everyone is always looking for Mr./Mrs. RIGHT, which in our mixed up worldview equates to perfect. The person for us must be perfect in every way we deem necessary. Such standards are lofty and foolhardy, for each time we look in the mirror we never see perfection looking back at us. God gave us the greatest example of how we can come to know love, when He looked beyond all of our faults and saw we were still worth saving and loving. He sees us quite differently than we see ourselves. His example doesn’t mean we throw caution to the wind, but it does show us we may need to look inwardly a bit more before we launch our great search for friendship and love. Remember, every creature of God has some worthwhile value.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

Unexpectedly Packaged

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes just as we need them, but rarely how we expect them. - Anon

Paul wanted a natural ‘physical healing’ until God told him just how “GRACED” he already was. AMEN!

Holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations; the dates of gift-giving, and often even before the gifts are opened; the giver is somewhat measured by the size or shape of the gift. We often say “it’s the thought that counts” but many times that’s not true – it’s the gift. So we want big packages, expensive wrappings and so forth. But such an attitude begs the question: How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? He is the giver of “every good and perfect gift,” so it really should not matter in its size or presentation. And best of all God delivers them to us everyday at just the right moment. This should make every day exciting for us.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13

The Light That Shines Through

Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light. – Anon

Job questioned but never doubted God. We know his story ended well. Amen!

You look out on a bright sunny day and you see them. What are they – shadows. And they grow in size and shape as the light begins to shift or fade. Sometimes big and foreboding, other times just a sliver. But the reason behind them is the same, the presence of light. Shadows only occur with the presence of light. It’s a great analogy for our lives as well, as sometimes the issues of life (health, finances, grief, relationships, etc.) can overshadow us with a sense of foreboding doom. It would behoove us then to remember though there may be a shadow, the ‘light’ of God is still present. As the scripture tells us God is the light that shines in darkness. His grace, mercy, and favor can still shine on us if we but turn and look for Him. He’s always there and ready to shine to show us a way through. Just give Him a call.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

P.S. - For those who have not been able to attend this week's Purpose Driven Life study, we will be meeting this Sunday at 8am on campus in Room 304.

Keep On Moving Forward

He who limps is still walking. – S. Lee

Jacob wrestled with God and received a ‘limp’ along with his blessing. Hmm!

Canes. Crutches. Walkers, or other medical devices. We’ve all seen them in one manner or another. All inventions to keep us mobile, moving, and/or active and in the main of life despite physical setbacks and weaknesses. There’s a great lesson in them. Perhaps you’ve suffered great losses in your life. Perhaps you’re suffering grief or sorrow or hurt that still brings pain or discomfort to your daily life. Don’t stop there or give up, for that’s what the enemy wants. The key is to keep moving closer to God and His purposes. He’s strong enough for us to lean on and He doesn’t mind us doing so.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“To keep me from becoming conceited….there was given me a thorn in my flesh….to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” – II Corinthians 12:7-9

Where Are You Headed?

The road to abundant living here, and heaven afterwards, runs right through the giver of peace: Christ. - Anon

The reason the Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert is because they were ‘lost.’ God wasn’t. Hmm!

Sun! Moon! Compass! GPS! Over the eons we’ve progressed through technology to help us navigate around this great big planet, for no one likes being lost. But here’s a question we rarely ask ourselves: "Am I at peace with the direction of my life?" Days and years pass quickly, and many of us are okay with the ‘events’ of life (birth, childhood, school, marriage, career, etc.) but rarely do we seem to have found the purpose for which God created us. And because of this we seem to lack that ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’ that God promised. It’s good to know where you are, but it’s best to know where you’re headed and why, for this gives life great meaning. If we’re on the wrong path or don't like the direction we're travelling the great news of the day is that God allows U-turns.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3

Days of Future Beauty

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. – Richard Murray

Through a ‘harsh’ vision God let Peter know that Gentiles were just as acceptable as the Jews were in His sight. Hmm!

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!” How true, but how misapplied. We give the right to determine what is beautiful to imperfect individuals like ourselves. It was God actually, who created everything and called it “good,” (beautiful) the highest honor that could be bestowed upon the creation. And everyone created in His image is still beautiful to Him. He sees us very differently than we do ourselves. And though He loves us just as we are right now, His perfect love will not allow us to remain this way forever, for He sees a far more glorious person in us than we could ever imagine, and He will work to bring it about. Our lot is just to admire His handiwork in ourselves and others around us. So, in truth there really are no ugly ducklings.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…He has made everything beautiful in its time…” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

Loving All

True Christian love has to be “oughtamatic.” – Bill Pile

Even knowing that he had betrayed him, Jesus still washed Judas’ feet. Why, because it’s what love OUGHT to do! AMEN.

Basic human nature makes it easy to love those who love us. But if God’s love is “made complete in us,” we must love all his children, and that means loving one another is work because some of us are not so loveable. In fact, sometimes the hardest command to obey is to love the unlovable, the unapproachable, the unappreciative, the uncooperative, the unpleasant, or the uncouth person you next meet. But that’s just the divine moment we were created for to let Christ live through us. Now that we know what will we do?

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 pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:46-47

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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

Working With Weeds

No garden is without its weeds. – T. Fuller

Even in the 12 Jesus personally chose after praying all night, there was one bad seed. Hmm!

Floral arrangements are truly beautiful, but they are just that – arrangements. Pre-picked and pre-arranged for their beauty. Life is not pre-picked or pre-arranged, and much to our dismay it can’t be. Even in our homes, in our jobs, in our relationships, churches and organizations; no matter where we go we will find that all is not picture perfect. Weeds (problems or issues) are a fact of life. It’s difficult sometime to determine how the weeds get in our garden but, suffice it to say that we deal with imperfect people and we ourselves are imperfect. Often, we need the weeds in our life to force us to grow stronger in our foundations and principles of righteousness for the kingdom’s sake. The key is not to get ‘choked’ out by them but to hold on until harvest. Jesus will do the separating.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares……when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared…” – Matthew 13:35

Keep On Moving

He who limps is still walking. – S. Lee

The 'staffs' of many of the patriarchs were heavily 'leaned upon' by them. Amen!

Canes. Crutches. Walkers, or other medical devices. We’ve all seen them in one manner or another. All inventions to keep us mobile, moving, and/or active and in the main of life despite physical setbacks and weaknesses. There’s a great lesson in them. Perhaps you’ve suffered great losses in your life. Perhaps you’re suffering grief or sorrow or hurt that still brings pain or discomfort to your daily life. Don’t stop there or give up, for that’s what the enemy wants. The key is to keep moving closer to God and His purposes. He’s strong enough for us to lean on and He doesn’t mind us doing so.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“To keep me from becoming conceited….there was given me a thorn in my flesh….to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” – II Corinthians 12:7-9

Staying Proficient

To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often. - Winston Churchill

Paul told Timothy to bring the 'old scrolls' along with him on his visit for he wanted to sharpen his faith. Hmm!

Anyone who works is required to be proficient. And with the ever-changing laws, new innovations, inventions, and materials, etc., it requires they do continuing education, testing, reading, certifications, etc. We willingly do this for our job or career, but seldom if ever do we seem to do it for our faith. God figure. If life is changing all around us shouldn't we do all we can to ensure our faith is 'up to date' to carry us through. So many of us in the faith have stopped altogether. Yes, it's true the words of the Bible haven't changed, but the meaning now has even greater application for us today to practice and apply. Jesus mentioned something about 'not pouring new wine into old wineskins or sewing a new patch on an old garment'. Maybe we should seek to learn how to apply the ageless truths of the Bible to these new-fangled situations in life that God may shine a little brighter. As I've said before, no one has ever regretted spending more time with God.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way." - Psalm 25:9

True Gifts

The person who is truly blessed is somewhat blind to ‘dollar’ signs! – Anon

Paul said even when he ‘lacked everything’ he was still greatly blessed. AMEN!

“I want this, I need that!” Familiar refrains that we all seem to utter endlessly, often not conscious of just how chock full of God’s blessings we already are. Consider, the gentle touch of a friend. A wonderful meal. Stimulating conversation. A breathtaking sunset. A moment of solitude. Refreshing hilarity with friends. A rewarding word of ‘thanks.’ Here and there are the marks of love, the signs of goodness, and the indications of grace. True gifts of compassion, hope, and blessings undeserved that God puts in our lives time and again to show His great unfailing love to us. Gifts that should amaze us, cause us to really take time and realize how awesome the ‘GIVER’ is. When we truly realize the many gifts we receive from God we should always live with a sense of amazement that so much has been placed into such undeserving hands.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights….” – James 1:17

Weathering the Storms

Jesus Christ is not a security from storms. He is the perfect security in storms. – K. Troccoli

When the storms raged against the ship, the disciples were amazed at what Jesus did to calm it down. Hmm!

Rainstorms, snowstorms, blizzards, hurricanes, etc. All the work of nature, and all beyond our control. The best we can do is prepare for them for we know they will come, so we buy special clothing and other gear to help us muster through them. But often in matters of faith, many of us treat or think of our faith as some sort of magic shield that will keep trouble or the storms of life away from us, or that we won’t have heartache, pain, or problems because we’re protected by Jesus. We forget that ‘Jesus was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.’ This tells us he suffered in “human flesh” just as we do, yet He did not give in to the sinful nature, which should give us strength and encouragement when the storms of life assail us. So as life unfolds, and it will, just remember to put on Jesus to weather the storm.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Wonderfully You

Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful. – Annette Funicello

Paul said even in his weaknesses he would 'boast'. I think it had something to do with God’s all-surpassing grace!

Well, today is here. Probably not exactly like you wanted it, but it is here, waiting on you. The day will have some up moments and it will have some down moments. You’ll see things to make you laugh or smile, and you’ll see things that will make you upset or angry. You will have people come through for you, and you’ll have people let you down. And none of these things are relegated to just one person, everyone will have them. But all in all isn’t it just wonderful to be alive and know that God is still working on your character with events like these? Yes the Master Potter is busy at his work – YOU!

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

Good Through the Frustrations

Life is often unfair, that’s why there’s God. - Anon

Though life threw all it had at Joseph, his perseverance and trust in God was eventually rewarded. Amen!

Sometimes the toast gets burnt, the kid spills the milk, the car breaks down, or maybe we get stuck in a traffic jam. These are minor frustrations of life, but we must catch ourselves, slow down, gain perspective and not let these minor frustrations become a major attitude issue. Every day God gives us is perfect, but yet it doesn’t mean everything that happens will be good and perfect. But His promise is to take it all and bring good from it in His good time if we remain faithful and true. The frustrations that happen to us rob God neither of His power or promises. So, in spite of the frustrations we might face, an attitude of gratitude will win the day with God.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God…. For the Lord your God is a merciful God….” – Deuteronomy 4:30-31

Just Admit It

Many people could learn from their mistakes, if they weren’t so busy denying them. – H. Smith

Sapphira later continued with the same hoax her husband had launched and died from earlier. It cost her the same! Hmm.

We live in an imperfect world, and we are imperfect people. Yet, even though we know this to be true, we continually try and mask our shortcomings and failures amongst one another. Life would and could be so much simpler if we let go of the excess baggage we carry around trying to impress others, denying we have imperfections or are capable of miscalculations. Though Christ told us to “be ye perfect,” He realized it’s a lifelong journey that requires daily walking with Him.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” –Romans 3:23-24

Keys to Improvement

To many, total abstinence is better than perfect moderation, but neither gets practiced! - Augustine

Many of the godly kings of Judah destroyed the temples of Baal and Ashtoreth but neglected the high places. Hmm!

As those made in the highest order of creation, we are by far the more intelligent beings, able to ‘subdue and control’ the earth. But in all our conquering the hardest thing for us to learn is to temper our appetites, control our desires, or restrain our impulses. After all, nobody but nobody knows what’s better for us than we ourselves is our way of thinking. But God really does know better, He created us, knows what we can withstand, knows how He wants to bless us, and knows how He wants to use us in His service. Moderation is difficult, of course; but the rewards are numerous and long-lasting. To improve our finances, health, or general well-being; wisdom and moderation must be close traveling companions. God will leave the decision up to us, but then so are the consequences.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…Better a patient man that a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city...” – Proverbs 16:32

Get Going

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. – P. Verlery

In telling of his conversion to others Paul recounted how he had been praying and even had a vision from God, but he still had to ‘wake up’ in his life and receive God’s gift of grace. Amen!

‘AROUNTOIT! Such a strange sounding word, that really isn’t a word. But we use it often, “I’ll do this or that when I get 'arountoit’” (around to it). Meanwhile life goes on. 2021 is about over, with the year-end staring us squarely in the face - and though it wasn't what we expected it was still a gift from Almighty God. Many of us are waiting on the perfect timing of God to put everything in our life together. That’s good, we should seek His guidance, but we need also remember, God has been around a lot longer than we have, and maybe, just maybe, since He's given us the gift, He’s just waiting on us to ‘wake up.’

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.” – Psalm 37:3-5