Discover God

God is actually closer than you think! – J. Ortberg

Elijah, at one time thought God to be in the mighty wind, then in the powerful earthquake and fire, but found Him in the gentle whisper that followed. WOW!

When it comes to life’s lessons the best ones are those we discover on our own. For example, we know fire is hot, not so much because our parents told us so, we discovered it to be true by getting too close to the stove or heater or other open flame. Lessons like these form an unforgettable impression on our mind so we remember how to respond appropriately each time. In the same way God longs to be discovered by us in new ways. Too often we settle for the providential things of God (“His rain falls on the just and the unjust”) and miss out on new discoveries of His nature. If God was a ‘cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night’ to guide the Israelites, if He used a ‘donkey to speak to a man’, and if He ‘cursed a fig tree and it withered’, then surely if anything He is unpredictable. GOOD - but unpredictable, and that’s worth discovering.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” – Acts 17:27

Getting to Intimate Knowledge

A rolling stone gathers no moss; nor anything else. – Sparks

The Israelites continually tried to live like their neighbors and hold on to God; they got neither. Hmm!

We’ve seen it in others lives - The lack to stick with something long enough to make it work, the refusal to invest time into something worthwhile, the life without aim or direction – and often we muse about it. But the same can often be said of us. For just as often we wonder why we have not come to know God more intimately or know His Word more deeply. To do so requires time, patience, and discipline; often in short supply in our busy lives. To know God takes intimacy, which takes time. God has never been in a hurry so why should we be. If we really want to know Him and have Him in our lives, we need to stop casually doing drive-by service and just park for awhile.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4

Cherished Friends

I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar. – R. Brault

Jesus stayed and talked with the two on the Emmaus road until they finally saw the 'light'. Hmm!

In this era of Cell-Phones, I-Pads, Tablets, Apps, and other social-media forums for almost any and everything, it seems more and more we’re all trying to find time to do it all and have it all. And what often happens is we wind up with sometimes shallow conversations and face time fellowship with the ONES who supposedly love us most, because the gadgets never leave our hand or our side and certainly not our attention. It's the same with Christ, the ONE who loves us more than anything, we've somewhat relegated Him to the electronic device, and without it we can't seem to function. Maybe it's time we took a closer look at HIS example of friendship where no boundaries or interruptions exist, and HE sits just waiting for US to come. I pray we'll become HIS 'cherished' friend.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

"..........that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple...." - Psalm 27:4