The Key to Daily Renewal

Our bodies may age, but our spirits can be renewed each day. – Anon

At age 40 Caleb was promised Hebron. At age 85 he received it and was ready for battle, and his spirit and strength were still as it was earlier. WOW!

The moment we’re born we begin to age – it’s the way God designed things. All of us I’m sure, are not as agile, adept, or sharp as we used to be. That’s the aging process, to remind us of the body’s physical limitations and mortality. But in spite of this, our spiritual nature and character, which are eternal; are being shaped by what we do each day. The enemy will try to drain the spirit life out of us, but God has promised renewal each day if we so desire it. The key is to make sure we feed our spirit proper nourishment and keep it in a proper environment, then age truly will only be a matter of mind. God can and will work in and through any who make themselves available.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:37

Removing the Unnecessary

The longer you entertain what’s NOT for you, the longer you postpone what is! – D. Washington

In the wilderness temptation Jesus rebuffed Satan’s attacks quickly, and angels immediately appeared to care for him. Amen!

We all know the scripture “bad company corrupts good morals!” (I Cor. 15:33). One thing we often forget though is so does the enemy. And he is very, very subtle at getting us to believe certain people, recreations, and habits are good for us when in reality they hinder our growth and progress. It’s why the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert wandering – God getting rid of a generation who didn’t trust in Him. It is why God gave them commands NOT to intermingle and accept the ways of their neighbors. It led to corruption and faithlessness, something on the surface they could not see of themselves. The question we have to ask is what might we ourselves be in lock-step with that may be actually hindering our complete joy with Christ? Who or what may we have made ‘respectable’ in our lives but still lies outside of God’s will and Word? God is always ready to gift us, but He will never do it in competition with anything we possess.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Taking Life Off Pause

Even if you can’t get over it, get on with it! – R. Gilbert

Esau was infuriated with his brother Jacob for ‘stealing’ his blessing, but he managed to make a good life for himself and his people. It changed his heart too! WOW!

Life is a series of actions, circumstances, and events that come upon us all. And oftentimes the end results are not pleasant or to our liking. But we must remember God is not so much concerned about our ‘comfort’ in life as He is with our character. The things He allows (and yes sometimes He uses our enemies) are to help shape and mold us into what He needs us to be. We injure ourselves and slow our progress when we hold grudges or revenge in our heart – it's just excess baggage. Our lives should not be on hold because of what happened yesterday, we should be continually pressing on toward ‘the prize.’

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw of everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Flights of Faith

"I want to fly like an eagle, til' I'm free, fly like an eagle let my spirit carry me..." - Song lyrics

You ever notice once Abraham 'trusted' God he was NEVER in want for anything. Hmm!

You see them soaring overhead, oftentimes just floating on the wind, looking majestic and proud - birds of the air. It wasn't always that way. There was a day when they were pushed out of the nest to their first flight. Their parents thought they had what it took at that time to fly - and fly they did. Maybe not perfectly, and maybe not a long flight, but long enough to convince them they could. You ever think God works that way with us. Trying to nudge us out of the nest (our comfort zone) into something new and exciting. He knows He's prepared us for it and will walk with us through it, but He just needs us to take that 'flight' of faith. Faith only grows when it's put to the test/trial. We can learn a lot by reading the bible, but to build our faith takes practical exams. God is saying to all of us today: "Welcome to flight school!"

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31

Pressing Forward

Don't stumble on something behind you! - church sign

Jesus brought a new way of life to the people and the religious leaders couldn't understand it. Hmm!

No doubt about it, every one of us has a past. And in that past more than likely are some things we're not too proud of. Some hurts, habits, hang-ups, and actions we took. It's human nature! The key to remember though is life is not defined by a few bad actions, nor is it over because of what we may consider a major incident. God uses flawed people. Consider Noah (heavy drinker), Moses & David (murderers), Rahab (prostitute), Matthew (tax collector), or Paul (Pharisee), all somehow flawed. But once they submitted themselves to God their past was just that - PAST. Though others may not have wanted to let it go, they themselves did. The same is true for you and me. We don't have to be victims of our past, nor do we have to be weighed down by them. Cast them on the Lord and He will bear us up at all times, and like Paul we can 'press forward forgetting what is behind.....' The way to keep from being tripped up is to look forward.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." - Hebrews 12:1-2

Time to Recharge

Jets run on jet fuel, rockets run on rocket fuel, diesels run on diesel fuel. Most Christians run on….….empty! - Anon

Jesus called the Pharisees and teachers of the law (the religious leaders of his day) hypocrites – inside they were empty, full of dead men’s bones. OUCH!

It’s no secret that everything has a power source. Whether it be liquid, solid, electrical, heat, light, or even physical; everything has a power source. What’s amazing is how we can go great distances or spans of time without any connection to the Heavenly Father or His Son. Just as our physical body requires daily nourishment for development, strength, and endurance; our spiritual nature requires it so much more. If we are truly fighting a ‘spiritual battle’ it only makes sense we nourish our spirit with the things it needs to properly develop that we may fight a good fight. Sunday’s are great, but not quite enough to last a whole week. If God is doing new things everyday it only makes sense to check in with Him each day. No man has ever been defeated or humiliated for spending too much time with Him.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for the received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” – Acts 17:11

If A Tree Falls in the Forest...

We need to get a sense of worth of our own selves and understand that no one is more deserving of our best behavior than we are. – R. Pennington

Though Saul sought to slay him, David couldn't even formulate in his mind a thought to harm God's anointed. Hmm!

If a tree falls in the middle of the forest and no one is around to see it, does it make a sound? A somewhat silly question, and one we often answer with “who cares." But the logic of the question is pure. And if we were to apply it to our daily living it sounds a powerful truth. Regardless of where we are or who we're with, how good or bad the situation, the greatest benefactor of our righteous, holy living is US, not God. Why, because we can't make God any holier than He already is, we can only bear witness of His holiness by the way we live. I pray you may appreciate yourself today!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – I Corinthians 9:26-27

Don't Send An Invite

Once you open the floodgates, you cannot tell the water where to run. – T. Sowell

Yes, Job's friends were miserable comforters indeed, but he did invite them over. Hmm!

When the levees gave way some years ago in New Orleans, the only thing left to do was assess the damage afterwards. It was much more damage than expected or estimated. So it is when we decide to engage our enemy - Satan. So often, when Satan comes our way with his calling card many of us will hold a debate with him. This is wrong and plays right into his hands, just ask Eve. The implications of one sinful encounter are enormous and impact far more people than you will ever imagine. Satan will always take us further than we want to go, stay longer than our invitation, and cost us more than we ever anticipated. As the day unfolds may we be wise and practice much self-control.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” – I Thessalonians 5:21-22

Life Runs On Prayer

Remember that nothing will run itself, unless it’s running downhill. – Anon

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus exhorted the disciples to “keep watch and pray” and not sleep. Though they failed on several occasions, they finally got it right later. AMEN!

It’s true the life Jesus promised us is the life we all want, but it’s also true that to have the life we want we must put in the “work” required. If we were to ever seriously look at the life Jesus lived we would see the first and last order of work is prayer. The reasons our lives are often run down, drained, and without effect is because we don’t do the necessary work in prayer. Prayer is what keeps the life running. It is as vital to the Christian life as food is to the physical life. Without it we cease to exist. I pray yours is effective.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." - I Corinthians 15:58

Redeeming Time for His Glory

There are really only 2 things you “have to” do in life. You “have to” die, and you “have to” live until you die. You make up all the rest. – R. Anthony

Moses felt he needed to do everything for the Israelites and neglected himself. His father-in-law showed him a better way. AMEN!

Whether we will admit it or not, most of us are too busy. We’re trying to do it all and have it all, with little or no time for the MAKER of all. Satan, our enemy; will either make us bad (sinful) or busy (unholy), both are equally bad positions to be in. God has never said we must do it all by ourselves, nor must we do it all. He wants us to redeem the time and use it wisely, and the best way is to make sure all we do is for His Glory and not our own egos or pocketbooks!

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Pay Attention to the Signs

The untended garden will soon be run over with weeds. - A.W. Tozer

When Paul traveled from city to city the first thing he often looked for was the 'gathering' place. If they didn't have one he often started it. Hmm!

Medical research has revealed that though heart attacks are 'silent', the body gives of a host of warning signs in the early preventable stages if we would only pay attention. Be that as it may I know a host of people who have ignored the warnings of a much more serious type of heart trouble. I know you know some as well, or maybe you're one yourself. Who are they: 'Christians' who loosely live by the name. I say loosely because they may have been to the church, even baptized, but have not been seen at the church often since then. They know they should be in attendance but quiet their conscience by saying missing church services is really not a serious matter. Or they fail to tithe/give, convincing themselves that God would want them to have whatever pleasure they spend the money on. They fail to get involved in any study, ministry, or outreach, and then blame the church for being cold or impersonal. Just as doctors would tell us not to ignore the warning signs of heart trouble, so does God's Word. We are told 'not to forsake the assembly' we're told to 'love the fellowship' to 'prefer one another' and on and on. These are truths we should give serious consideration to, for to neglect them has far worse consequences than a heart attack.

Until tomorrow.......

Pastor Botts

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." - Matthew 10:28

Blessings on Blessings

The more we thank God for what we have, the more we have to thank God for. – Anon

When Jesus gave thanks over a few loaves and fish it suddenly became enough to feed 5,000+, with leftovers. Hmm!

Count your blessings, name them one by one….so the song goes. The underlying theme is we could never really get to a final tally of just how much God has truly blessed us. We tend to be thankful for only those blessings we can quantify or tangibly note - like family, homes, jobs, etc. - but there is much more. Our freedom, our rights, our government just to name a few. Not to mention all that God through His divine providence put in place and keeps in place – sun, moon, stars, atmospheric conditions, ecosystems, food systems, etc., before we came on the scene. What he asked Job (Where we you when I created......?) still resonates today, and we would be just as foolish to think we can tally up all He’s done for us.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life….” – Psalm 23:5-6

What Are You Doing Here?

If life is truly a race, are you running or being chased? - Anon

Elijah thought he could outrun his fears, he didn't stand a chance! - Hmm!

Three things the bible teaches us here. First, even in our running away God cares for us. Second, no matter how long or fast we run we will eventually come to stop and rest. And guess what - we meet up again with the very same issue, problem, fear, etc., that we thought we were leaving behind. YES, they too travel. But third, no matter where we run to, God will be there to receive us, revive us, and re-focus us, to show He is greater than anything we could ever face if we're willing to seek Him out. So as God asked Elijah maybe He's asking us: "What are you doing here?"

Until Monday....

Pastor Botts

"...Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10

In It to Win It!

You cannot achieve victory unless you are in the contest! – Anon

Even though God had promised the Israelites the land flowing with ‘milk and honey’ they still had to fight for it. Hmm!

VICTORY! What a wonderful state to be in. Many of us say we want victory but we’re seldom willing to do anything about it. But just like we must work to receive a paycheck or attend classes and do the assignments to receive a good grade, we must work to have victory in those areas of our life we seek to change or make new. Just wearing the name of Christ is not a once-for-all automatic inheritance or guarantee of victory in all things. God requires us to show our faith and that means activity on our part. If we’re seeking victory and just waiting on God, maybe God is just waiting on us.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“…..let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

What to do Now

Just where you are, that’s the place to start. – P. Chodron

When Jesus called his disciples, it seems all of them immediately left what they were doing and followed. AMEN!

How do you work God into your ‘to-do list’? Truth be told, this pandemic situation has slowed us all down a bit, given us a bit more time to be reflective, purposeful, and focused. It may have even streamlined our ‘to-do list’. But the fact remains we still have a ‘to-do list’. Has God received any more of our time in prayer, meditation, study, fasting, etc.? Have we sought out new ways to explore His character and glory? I think maybe a key is in how we approach what we do. If we do ‘everything in the name of the Lord’ as the scriptures command, it puts God smack dab in the middle of all we have on our lists, and it actually might just make the list shorter and easier. It’s worth a try!

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“..let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for US.” – Hebrews 12:1

Training Beyond

There are no victories at discount prices. – Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Though he was a skilled fighter and battle tactician, Joshua still needed Moses’ prayers to God to overcome the Amalekites. HMMM!

In training for any event, you train not only to survive; but to go beyond the actual event. This helps build strength and fortitude and equips you to hold out until victorious. The same is true in our Christian walk. However, very often we want to cut our prayers short, not give time to meditation and devotions, or spend time in study of God’s word. Even in our daily life we try to cut corners, hasten time along, or live with compromise. This only leads to defeat. God has always been and always will be exact in His Word and expectations. Though victory is assured He will not allow us to coast. Today is another training day.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize…..I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – I Corinthians 9:24,27

Today's scripture reading: Proverbs 21

Today's scripture reading question:  How is the truth of verse 21 working out in your life?

Inwardly Renewed Daily

Our bodies may age, but our spirits can be renewed each day. – Anon

At age 40 Caleb was promised Hebron. At age 85 he received it and was ready for battle, and his spirit and strength were still as it was earlier. WOW!

The moment we’re born we begin to age – it’s the way God designed things. All of us I’m sure, are not as agile, adept, or sharp as we used to be. That’s the aging process, to remind us of the body’s physical limitations and mortality. But in spite of this, our spiritual nature and character, which are eternal; are being shaped by what we do each day. The enemy will try to drain the spirit life out of us, but God has promised renewal each day if we so desire it. The key is to make sure we feed our spirit proper nourishment and keep it in a proper environment, then age truly will only be a matter of mind. God can and will work in and through any who make themselves available.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:37

Let's Get On With It

Even if you can’t get over it, get on with it! – R. Gilbert

Esau was infuriated with his brother Jacob for ‘stealing’ his blessing, but he managed to make a good life for himself and his people. It changed his heart too! WOW!

Life is a series of actions, circumstances, and events that come upon us all. And oftentimes the end results are not pleasant or to our liking. But we must remember God is not so much concerned about our ‘comfort’ in life as He is with our character. The things He allows (and yes sometimes He uses our enemies) are to help shape and mold us into what He needs us to be. We injure ourselves and slow our progress when we hold grudges or revenge in our heart – its just excess baggage. Our lives should not be on hold because of what happened yesterday, we should be continually pressing on toward ‘the prize.’

Until tomorrow....

Pastor Botts

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Running On...

Jets run on jet fuel, rockets run on rocket fuel, diesels run on diesel fuel. Most Christians run on….….empty! - Anon

Jesus called the Pharisees and teachers of the law (the religious leaders of his day) hypocrites – inside they were empty, full of dead men’s bones. OUCH!

It’s no secret that everything has a power source. Whether it be liquid, solid, electrical, heat, light, or even physical; everything has a power source. What’s amazing is how we can go great distances or spans of time without any connection to the Heavenly Father or His Son. Just as our physical body requires daily nourishment for development, strength, and endurance; our spiritual nature requires it so much more. If we are truly fighting a ‘spiritual battle’ it only makes sense we nourish our spirit with the things it needs to properly develop that we may fight a good fight. Sunday’s are great, but not quite enough to last a whole week. If God is doing new things everyday it only makes sense to check in with Him each day. No man has ever been defeated or humiliated for spending too much time with Him.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for the received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” – Acts 17:11

Regular Maintenance

The untended garden will soon be run over with weeds. - A.W. Tozer

When Paul traveled from city to city the first thing he often looked for was the 'gathering' place. If they didn't have one he often started it. Hmm!

Medical research has revealed that though heart attacks are 'silent', the body gives of a host of warning signs in the early preventable stages if we would only pay attention. Be that as it may I know a host of people who have ignored the warnings of a much more serious type of heart trouble. I know you know some as well, or maybe you're one yourself. Who are they: 'Christians' who loosely live by the name. I say loosely because they may have been to the church, even baptized, but have not been seen at the church often since then. They know they should be in attendance but quiet their conscience by saying missing church services is really not a serious matter. Or they fail to tithe/give, convincing themselves that God would want them to have whatever pleasure they spend the money on. They fail to get involved in any study, ministry, or outreach, and then blame the church for being cold or impersonal. Just as doctors would tell us not to ignore the warning signs of heart trouble, so does God's Word. We are told 'not to forsake the assembly' we're told to 'love the fellowship' to 'prefer one another' and on and on. These are truths we should give serious consideration to, for to neglect them has far worse consequences than a heart attack.

Until tomorrow.......

Pastor Botts

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." - Matthew 10:28