Stay Courageous

He who loses wealth loses much, he who loses a friend loses more, but he who loses his courage loses all. – Miguel de Cervantes

Of all the things Judas lost on that fateful night, his courage to seek a forgiving Christ cost him most. Ouch!

Often we don’t want to face the trials God puts before us, meet the challenges His church requires of us, or step out on faith as His word tells us, but we must. For it is in going through the circumstances of life we grow our faith and our courage for the next battle. We need remember, Satan’s best and most used tool is “discouragement,” and he keeps it at the ready. And he doesn't use it in big 'doses' but little by little, in very subtle ways, so that it begins to wear us down and lead us to apathy. So we must pray that the Spirit will empower us for today, for the challenges, they are a'comin.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith, be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” – I Corinthians 16:13-14

Ineffective Scare Tactics

SATAN: the enemy of Christ who wants to scare the HEAVEN out of you! - Anon

Goliath relied on his size to taunt and frustrate the Israelites. But then a little scrawny kid 'rocked' him to sleep. OUCH!

Growing up there were certain 'invented' individuals that evoked fear in us as children (bogeyman, closet monsters, etc.) that we eventually outgrew. Then there were certain real creatures that evoked fear in us as well (spiders, snakes, hornets, etc.) that we learned to control or stay away from. What's amazing is that in our Christian walk we know we have an enemy who's after our souls and uses scare tactics that seem to intrigue and interest us so much we fail to see what he's up to and where he's leading us. We must realize that he really has no power over us unless we invite him by lowering our guards (no prayer/study/meditation/fellowship), or by lowering our standards (respectable sins?). Like David, we must see beyond what is immediately in front of us, to the God who is always with us and for us. Not only is the road to hell paved with good intentions, but the way to heaven requires sacrifices.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith...." - I Peter 5:8-9

Roar!

It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life. – E. Kenny

Little scrawny Gideon was hiding in a winepress threshing wheat when God called him to battle. After finding his courage the rest was easy. Amen!

The world today preaches a ‘biased’ view on tolerance. We’re to tolerate everyone and their views and desires and speak 'very softly' in promoting Christ and his kingdom. This only works to the advantage of the enemy. We took prayer out of schools – look at schools today. We’ve spared the rod on our children – look at children today. This was not the example Jesus gave. Everyday he was challenged by the ‘religious right’ and everyday he stood his ground and told them what his Father said. Jesus had a backbone then and he should have one still today. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “It’s not so much the noise of the bad; it’s the silence of the good.” God is expecting us to be witnesses not observationists.

Until tomorrow………

Pastor Botts

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then…..” Ephesians 6:13-14

P.S. - Remember all contributions (articles, photos, praise reports, etc.) to the newsletter are due by tomorrow (3/21). 

Effective Scare Tactics?

SATAN: the enemy of Christ who wants to scare the HEAVEN out of you! - Anon

Goliath relied on his size to taunt and frustrate the Israelites. But then a little scrawny kid 'rocked' him to sleep. OUCH!

Growing up there were certain 'invented' individuals that evoked fear in us as children (bogeyman, closet monsters, etc.) that we eventually outgrew. Then there were certain real creatures that evoked fear in us as well (spiders, snakes, hornets, etc.) that we learned to control or stay away from. What's amazing is that in our Christian walk we know we have an enemy who's after our souls and uses scare tactics that seem to intrigue and interest us so much we fail to see what he's up to and where he's leading us. We must realize that he really has no power over us unless we invite him by lowering our guards (no prayer/study/meditation/fellowship), or by lowering our standards (respectable sins?). Like David, we must see beyond what is immediately in front of us, to the God who is always with us and for us. Not only is the road to hell paved with good intentions, but the way to heaven requires sacrifices.

Until tomorrow......

Pastor Botts

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith...." - I Peter 5:8-9

Caution: Temptation Ahead

If you truly want to know how far you’ve gotten away from the devil, just try praying. – Anon

Paul admitted in his daily life that no matter what time of day he tried doing good, or what type of good he tried doing – evil was ever with him. WOW!

Oftentimes, because of our wisdom, years of being faithful, or certain experiences we feel we’ve arrived at maturity; we’ve reached a level where we are untouchable by the enemy and he’s no longer on our trail. The truth is – saint or sinner – the enemy is never going to leave us alone. His main goal is to keep us disconnected from our power source – God. Temptation is a fact of life for all of us, everyday of our life; and even more so right now because TODAY is all God promised us. So as the day unfolds – beware – just keep praying.

Until tomorrow…….

Pastor Botts

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” - I Cornithians 10:12

Future Decisions

The nicest thing about the future is that it will be what we make it to be. - Anon

No matter what befell Joseph, he never let go of his 'dreams' or his God. Hmm!

It's true, no one really knows the future, but if we were to take a close look at the past - our past - we can see in all honesty how we helped shape the life we're in now. The decisions we made that propelled us, as well as those that gave us great learning experiences that we NEVER want to go through again. The bottom line is we see through the grace of God we had a hand in getting ourselves to the 'here and now.' And it is with that understanding that we can apply ourselves - again, through the grace of God - for the 'then and later.' And the great thing through all of this is that God works with us in such a way that we have no need to fear what lies ahead. On your mark, get set, go - with God!

Until tomorrow.....

Pastor Botts

"....Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...." - Exodus 14:13