Opportunities For Investment

Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity! - H. Jackson Browne, Jr.

40 years! That was four decades of wandering in the desert for the Israelites all because they said ‘No’ to God’s offer. Hmm!

The digital photo platform was actually invented by a technician who worked for “Kodak’ at the time. He pitched the idea to the board and they passed on it seeing no future for it. Ouch! The plea for allowing the client to have a say in their investment opportunities was loud and clear. E.F. Hutton missed it. Neither are around anymore. We all sometimes look at our current life and say “If I knew then what I know now….how different might things be!” Well, the question we need to take a bit more seriously is ‘What are we doing with what we know now...to prepare for what may come later?” The gift of TODAY is an opportunity for a better tomorrow, but it depends upon how we invest it. God stands at the ready to give additional wisdom to what He’s already gifted us if we need it.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19

Prepare for Transmission

Prayer must mean something to us if it is to mean anything to God! - Richard Murray

Daniel let nothing and no one interfere with his prayer time with God. Hmm!

Growing up in our home, we as kids all learned that the phone was not a toy. It was to be used to conduct business, stay in touch, and pass along information. So when you picked it up to dial someone you had a purpose for doing so. The idea of 'just talking loud and saying nothing,' where the conversation was meaningless, pointless, and without purpose or conviction was not tolerated. Truth is, nobody likes conversation like that. Not even God. And though He has inclined His ears to hear our every call, we should always prepare our hearts before we call on Him, and we should have something worthwhile to chat about when we call Him. Even if it's just to tell Him we love Him there should be some conviction in our tone, or if it's to praise Him there should be some passion in our voice. Remember, as we talk He's looking at our heart.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart......" - Psalm 24:3-4

First, Best and Thoughtful

Give not from the top of your purse, but from the bottom of your heart. – Anon

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law often for their traditions of men which adhered to the 'letter' of the law but ignored the 'spiritual intent' of the law. He said they should do both. Hmm!

Often, in terms of what we give to God; whether it be praise, worship, offering, service, etc.; is done without much thought and preparation, but out of a sense of duty or obligation. God wants neither. He is seeking our love for Him, and our respect for His will. Just as we would never really want to be an 'afterthought' in people's dealings, God should not be in ours. If He is truly KING of Kings and LORD of Lords then only our best, as we have prepared ourselves will do. Remember you can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving. As we embark upon today may our God led heart be our guide.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The Lord says; These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” – Isaiah 29:13

More Than Just Talent

The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. – Anon

David often sought out God before he went into battle. A wise strategy that often paid dividends. Hmm!

We see it in sports all the time. The great big high-ranking university takes it for granted they can beat the little puny unranked, unknown college and BAM – major upset. We see it in God’s word as Goliath knew the victory was in the bag because of his size and history, however little ruddy David had been preparing his “heart” with God. Many times, in our lives sin gets the best of us and we often settle saying “I guess it was a lesson I needed to learn anyway.” But that’s not necessarily true. Often, it’s just because we were not willing to properly “discipline” ourselves to be alert, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led people of God. To be a conqueror takes more than just talent, it takes a “prepared heart.” I pray in Christ you will be a winner every day.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"As it is written: ‘for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him [Jesus] who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:36-39

Prepare for Eternity

We often hear "life is short, better enjoy it!" How about "eternity is long, better prepare for it!" - Anon

Methuselah lived 969 years. We're now thousands of years beyond that. Hmm!

It's no secret God wants the best for us. He's blessed this earth and gave man authority over it. He wants us to live fully, enjoy bountifully, share openly, and love others unconditionally during our time here. Seemingly achievable goals for any one of us. But before we set our life goals on 'comfort' here, all of this must be taken in context with the understanding God made us eternal beings with a final destination beyond this earth. And though He wants us to spend that eternity with Him, He will not force us into His heavenly glory. Hopefully as we enjoy this life we've also given some thought to our afterlife. Today is a good day to start.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." - Colossians 3:2

Hope to see you tonight at 6:30pm for our Good Friday service.

A Recipe for Rest

If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit! - Banksy

One could almost argue that Jethro's advice to his son-in-law Moses was 'lifesaving.' Amen!

We didn't often like them as kids, but oh my, how good does a nap feel now. The opportunity to rest from the days concerns - Yes! But in truth many of us have not really learned the true meaning of REST, which is why we're so worn out, frazzled, stressed, and stretched thin. Rest is so much more than lying down for a few minutes or several hours. Rest means learning how to say 'NO' in love and mean it to those who try to crowd in on your schedule. Rest means learning how to 'delegate' tasks to others, empowering them to act. Rest means learning how to 'prepare' in advance of pressing situations so they don't stress you out. And finally, Rest means learning how to lay your cares at the altar of God and trust He will work it out. Yes, we are to be busy with the Master's plan, but He never intended to overwork anyone.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble." - Proverbs 19:23

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

From Preparation Comes Effectiveness

Every time you are not practicing, someone else is. – Boris Becker

Satan never got the upper hand on Jesus because of his practice. He communed with his Father daily. Hmm!

It’s a strange phenomenon, but when we see professional athletes, businesspeople, or friends continuously “handed their lunch” by someone, we say they are weak or need more practice. But we often never apply that logic to ourselves in our Christian walk, suffering the same sins and breakdowns over and over. We know within ourselves that our enemy never takes a break or holiday, but we often never take time out to prepare for his onslaughts, which leave us frustrated. True, we walk by faith, but effectiveness comes from being prepared.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your law. This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.” – Psalm 119:54-56

Heavenly Preparation

If you aren’t going to go all the way, why bother going at all. – Joe Namath

The moment Jesus left heaven He knew an agonizing cross would be his final act. He gladly bore it too. WOW!

“Are we there yet?” Most of us are familiar with this question that often occurs on long trips with impatient children. Though annoying when screamed several times at loud decibels, the question itself is just a reminder that we are on a journey that has an endpoint or destination. The same is true of our lives as well, there is an endpoint or destination, and sadly though many talk of ‘going to heaven’ they make very little progress in that direction, their lives just don’t line up with their ‘confession of faith.’ We must know that Heaven is not a place everyone suddenly winds up in, it’s a prepared place for a prepared people. And God has stipulated what our preparation is to be, no more and no less. The situations that arise today will ask us ‘how far are we willing to go?’

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

An Investment Principle

Don’t anticipate your ship coming in to port if you’ve never sent one out. – Anon

Joseph told Pharaoh he needed to prepare for the future for severe famine was on the way. With Joseph in charge the Egyptians never faced want. Wow!

It’s amazing how often people think things will magically work out. They often hold out for the day their ‘luck’ will change, or the day everything will fall into line when ‘their ship’ comes in. But just as we would never go to a bank to withdraw money when we’ve never deposited any or expect a paycheck for a job we’ve never worked, it’s just as foolish to expect our life to be changed by an event that cannot happen because we’ve done nothing to cause it to happen. It’s amazing how we often expect our lives to become more godly and Christ like when we don’t do the things to cause it to happen. To reap the rewards of an investment you must invest. Today is another opportunity God has given us to prepare.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – II Chronicles 7:14

Better Not Easier

Don’t wish it were easier, pray you get better! – J. Rohn

Solomon prayed not for easy guidelines to rule God’s people but for an increase in wisdom to do it justly. AMEN!

 

Make no bones about it, life at times is hard. But God never promised it would be a bed of roses every day. Often, if we’re not careful we find ourselves wishing life weren’t so hard, problems weren’t so many, even praying to God asking Him to make IT better (easier). But in reality WE should be striving to get better, become more dedicated to the tasks, asking for strength to endure and understand God’s purpose rather than relief from the situation or circumstance. Taking the easy way out may save face, but it never helps to forge our character. The whole of this life is to prepare us for eternity, when we put on perfection.

 

Until tomorrow……

 

Pastor Botts

 

“….The testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:3-4

Refresh & Refocus

We should be thankful for our tears, they prepare our eyes for a clearer vision of God. – W. A. Ward

The sinful woman was not afraid to “shed a few tears” on Jesus’ feet. He gave her forgiveness and salvation in return. Hmm!

One of the greatest inventions of our time is the windshield wiper. It wipes away the water and buildup that would normally block our vision and impede our progress. Amazingly, our tears serve the same purpose. Whether they come at the birth of our children, wedding or other special dates, or even at the passing of a loved one; they refresh and re-focus us on what’s important and upon whom we must depend – God. The world and all its contrivances can and will cloud our vision if we allow it, but God gave us a way to see Him more clearly if we’re strong enough. If you haven’t cried in a while, maybe you just need to cozy up to God.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” – Psalm 126:5

Program, Set, Go!

Do not have your concert first and THEN tune your instrument later! – J. Taylor

David was a victorious warrior king because he often sought God before the battle. -Hmm!

On any given flight, beyond the take-off and landing; most of the flight is controlled by the autopilot. It is pre-programmed with all the flight data; and has many redundant or back-up systems to make sure it stays the course. The important thing to note is that the autopilot is programmed BEFORE the flight takes off. By comparison many of us live our lives on autopilot, doing things by ritual. We try and grab God as we go; or convince ourselves that we’ll take time a little later to get with Him. And then the crisis hits and often we crash –OUCH! If God is truly the pilot of our lives maybe we need to give Him time each morning to program our autopilot feature. After all He knows the weather ahead!

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“…Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love…..show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” – Psalm 143:8

God Still Runs This

The bible tells us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go. – Galileo

The disciples pressed Jesus about the restoration of Israel. He told them “it’s not for them to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” Hmm!

Life is just truly perplexing sometimes. There are things that stop us dead in our tracks at times as we wonder what in the world God is up to, or why is He not doing this or that right now. God is doing exactly what He wills right now. The world may seem a troubled place, and it is; but God is still in control. Though the bible does give us insight as to what God will or will not do, it never gives us a timeline on when He will do anything, or how He will do it. The bible was given to us that we might come to know God and prepare ourselves to meet and live with Him in eternity- the business of running the universe is still God’s alone. If we’ve lost our perspective on things maybe we need to re-read what God told Job.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” – Deuteronomy 29:29

P.S. - Reminder all contributions for the newsletter are due in by tomorrow 3/5. Thanks!

Ready, Prep, Go!

Goals are dreams with deadlines! - Anon

The Jews of Jesus’ time were looking for the return of Elijah. Jesus told his disciples Elijah (John the Baptist) had already come. They weren’t ready and ‘missed’ him. WOW!

Many of us look forward to certain dates (payday, birthday, anniversary, vacation, Christmas, etc.) often marking them on our calendars, making detailed plans and telling everyone we can about it. But in the case of our Savior’s return we do little or nothing in terms of planning and preparation. If the Word of God is true and He could return at any moment; shouldn’t our lives be in order, our relationships set right, and our actions motivated purely by love and not selfish gain? This is not to say that we don’t plan to enjoy life, but if Heaven is our goal and we fail to plan, then we plan to fail. Why not began preparing TODAY!

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” – Luke 12:39-40

Today's scripture reading: Proverbs 14

Today's scripture question: Where might verse 12 apply in your life now?

The Prepared Heart

The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. – Anon

Goliath knew the victory was in the bag because of his size and history, however little ruddy David had been preparing his “heart” with God. God WON!

We see it in sports all the time. The great big high ranking university takes it for granted they can beat the puny little unranked, unknown college and BAM – major upset. This scenario plays out in our life all too many times as well. Sin gets the best of us and we often settle by saying “I guess it was just a lesson I needed to learn anyway.” But that’s not necessarily true. Often it’s just because we were not willing to properly “discipline” ourselves to be alert, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led people of God. To be a conqueror takes more than just talent, it takes a “prepared heart.” God wants us to master the challenge.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“As it is written: ‘for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him [Jesus] who loved us.” – Romans 8:36-37 

Getting Into Practice

None can be fit for the future life who has not practiced it now. – St. Augustine

Upon reflection, it is interesting to note that 2 of the greatest leaders of God’s people (Moses, David) were shepherds of animals before they became shepherds of men. Hmm!

Although we know not what the Lord is preparing us for in our future years, we must go at it with all our heart today. Trials, persecution, and heartaches may come; it is God’s way of giving us practice before the big game. So no matter what may be going on in our lives right now, whether we're right side up or upside down, just know God has even greater plans ahead for us. So we need not look at where we are today as the end result, we're still in training, and that is a reason for great hope.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of heaven.’” – Luke 9:61-62

Not an Afterthought

Give not from the top of your purse, but from the bottom of your heart. – Anon

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law often for their traditions of men which adhered to the 'letter' of the law but ignored the 'spiritual intent' of the law. He said they should do both. Hmm!

Often, in terms of what we give to God; whether it be praise, worship, offering, service, etc.; is done without much thought and preparation, but out of a sense of duty or obligation. God wants neither. He is seeking our love for Him, and our respect of His will. Just as we would never really want to be an 'afterthought' in people's dealings, God should not be in ours. If He is truly KING of Kings and LORD of Lords then only our best, as we have prepared ourselves will do. Remember you can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving. As we embark upon today may our heart be our guide.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“The Lord says; These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” – Isaiah 29:13

Take em to the House!

The best things you can give children, next to good habits, are good memories. - S. Harris

The bible says the "parents often brought their children to Jesus and he blessed them." REALLY!

I remember them well, the trips to grandma's house as a child. The moment you approached it your demeanor or attitude changed. Even though it was nestled among other houses on the street hers seemed to project an aura or glow of someone revered, worthy of great respect. As you entered you could sense the love, you spoke in hushed tones, and put on your best manners. If grandma and her house were worthy of such high regard, what about the God we serve? I'm not talking about going to church, we're good at that, but it means little. I'm talking about going to God's house. Preparing our hearts to go. Meeting with Him personally, praising Him passionately, worshiping Him penitently, receiving Him powerfully. And just as we always left grandma's with a full stomach or some other goody, when we worship God completely He will ensure we leave His presence victoriously. Anyone up for this? Sunday's comin'.

Until Monday.....

Pastor Botts

"...The memory of the righteous shall be a blessing....." - Proverbs 10:7

P.S. - We will be packing shoeboxes for Samaritan's Purse this Sunday.

Prepare to Conquer

The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. – Anon

David often sought out God before he went into battle. A wise strategy that often paid dividends. Hmm!

We see it in sports all the time. The great big high ranking university takes it for granted they can beat the little puny unranked, unknown college and BAM – major upset. We see it in God’s word as Goliath knew the victory was in the bag because of his size and history, however little ruddy David had been preparing his “heart” with God.  Many times in our lives sin gets the best of us and we often settle saying “I guess it was a lesson I needed to learn anyway.” But that’s not necessarily true. Often it’s just because we were not willing to properly “discipline” ourselves to be alert, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led people of God. To be a conqueror takes more than just talent, it takes a “prepared heart.” I pray in Christ you will be a winner everyday.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“As it is written: ‘for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him [Jesus] who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:36-39