Trust God to Work It Out

Faith does not wonder why, for God has not done anything that needs to be explained. – P. Rosewell

The bible says “Noah did everything just as God commanded him” no questions asked. God called him righteous! Hmm!

By nature we are inquisitive people. We like to know 'why' about almost everything. God knew this as well which is why He created everything we would need to survive and know Him before He created us in His image. The whole idea was that we would look at His creation and all its splendor and go “WOW,” not “Why did you do this….., or why didn’t you do this?" There may be things we don’t understand at times, or situations that seem impossible, or even times where God's Word just doesn't make sense; but that’s where faith comes in, believing God in His sovereignty knows better that we do. If God is in control in our world we must trust Him to work it all out.

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

Pain's Purpose

What is crucial in life is not HOW we get out of pain, but rather, WHAT we get out of it. - A. Christing

After being beaten, flogged, and cast into prison, in the midst of their pain Paul and Silas began to praise God. Wow, what a relief!

Pain, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, etc., no one likes it and the sooner we can get out/rid of it, the better. Truthfully though it serves a purpose, to let us know something is amiss, or out of order in our life. And to try and hurry to the cure or relief point without understanding the cause is like cutting down weeds without pulling up the root - they will grow back. The key is to know why it occurs, then put into practice habits and actions that will keep it from re-occurring. God knows pain and its effects on us, but often He has to leave the burden much longer than necessary because of our slowness to understand why and apply His remedies.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"...Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me..." - II Corinthians 12:9

Be YOU-nique

In the world to come, you will not be asked, "Why were you not Moses, Samuel, David, or Paul? But you will be asked, "why were you not YOU?" – Rabbi Zusya

Paul gave up on being a ‘Pharisee of Pharisees’ and a super-apostle just to be a servant. The church is forever grateful. AMEN!

Truth be known, many of us as we read the scriptures often yearn to be like the great ones; to have the strength of Samson, the faith of Paul, or even the prayer life of Jabez. These were all good people of God whose story and life are there to help impact ours, but not to take the place of ours. God has purpose for each one of us and though we are thousands of years removed from these biblical ancestors, God is still in the process of building up His kingdom. And though some like Samuel, David, Paul, and even Moses were mentioned, think of the millions who were not mentioned; but yet lived out their purpose of helping to push the kingdom along. In this day and age God needs each of us in our own UNIQUE ways to reach out and make an impact on the world as our ancestors did. That is being who God made us to be – anything else is a fraud.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head…. “I cannot go in these” [David] said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off” – I Samuel 17:38-39

God Cares

Not everything that happens is the will of God, yet in the last resort nothing happens outside of his will. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God did not want sin in the world, yet when it entered in the Garden of Eden he had a plan to defeat it. Amen!

Often, we ask God ‘why?’ “Why did this happen to me?” or “Why did this occur?” We are a people who always seek after concrete answers. And though it’s not a bad idea we must realize we cannot trace everything that happens directly back to God. One thing we must know is that many things happen as a result of our own willing and doing, and also because of the pervasive evil in our world. God cannot be the responsible cause of everything, for that would eliminate our freedom of choice and responsibility. But no matter, He IS concerned about everything that happens to us. And because He is Sovereign and His Providence is unchangeable, we can be assured that all things do finally work for the good for those who love Him. The question is: Will you trust Him in the midst of what you’re in right now?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” – Matthew 10:29

Faith for the Questions of Life

Accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be. S. Ricotti

It's stunning! On their way to the Promised Land after being in bondage 400+ years, the Israelites often pestered Moses with "why" when things got a little tough. Hmm!

Why? A little 3-letter word that comes with a big, wide-open telescope. We search for reasons and answers to our questions, life situations, hurts, pains, and unfulfilled desires. The question of 'WHY'. And it often brings along its cousin - worry. Nobody really searches deeply for answers or worries about the joy they have, the blessings they receive, or the happiness in their lives, but let things go wrong and that 3-letter word pops up - WHY? It's a 2-fold reminder to us that life is temporal and not always about us, and also that we are not God. He alone knows tomorrow, we do not. There are some questions we have where we will not get the answer to on this side of heaven. And believe it or not, when we get to heaven we really won't care anymore as we put on the perfection God has in store for us.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"...You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." - Job 41:3

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

Running Because...

All men should strive to learn before they die, who or what they are running from, or to, and why. – James Thurber

Paul told Timothy he ‘knew’ a crown of life was laid up for him which Jesus would then give him. WOW!

The atheist says there is no God, but yet he is caught up in this hectic, busy, non-stop world, growing older and striving each day – for what? The same could be said of the agnostic as well. Now for those of us who confess Christ the answer is obvious. But though we may know why and have a hope the others do not, we must make sure our ‘running’ is not in vain. God is exact in His laws and decrees on what He expects of His children. And though He is ‘plenteous’ in mercy, He will not change His word one iota to fit us in. If we’re running to Him we must remember the Cross is the starting point and the Bible is the standard. Anything else is useless and excuses won't be accepted.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death.” – Proverbs 14:12 

Cheer in the Face of it All

Smile – it makes folks wonder what you’re up to, and why. – Anon

Paul was so joyful in Christ governor Festus thought he was ‘insane.’ Anyhow, Christ was preached. AMEN!

Cheerfulness, or joy is a gift we can give to ourselves at any time. We’re never really at the need of others to cheer us up or lift our spirit. This is not to say we don’t need others in our lives or that their efforts to help are futile, but simply the attitude to be joyful or cheerful resides within us. And since God has promised to be with us at all times our hearts should always be rejoicing. For if God’s presence here doesn’t cheer us or bring us joy, then having all of heaven at our fingertips will not either since it is the ceaseless praise of God. Jesus took everything that happened to him in stride, even the cross, for the ‘joy set before him.’  Life is not always easy, rosy, or pain-free, but it is still a gift from God, and since He is with us in the midst of whatever we’re going through we can smile.

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“…an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” – Proverbs 12:25

Not God's Doing

Not everything that happens is the will of God, yet in the last resort nothing happens outside of his will. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God did not want sin in the world, yet when it entered in the Garden of Eden he had a plan to defeat it. Amen!

Often, we ask God ‘why?’ “Why did this happen to me?” or “Why did this occur?” We are a people who always seek after concrete answers. And though it’s not a bad idea we must realize we cannot trace everything that happens directly back to God. One thing we must know is that many things happen as a result of our own willing and doing, and also because of the pervasive evil in our world. God cannot be the responsible cause of everything, for that would eliminate our freedom of choice and responsibility. But no matter, He IS concerned about everything that happens to us. And because He is Sovereign and His Providence is unchangeable, we can be assured that all things do finally work for the good for those who love Him. The question is: Will you trust Him in the midst of what you’re in right now?

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” – Matthew 10:29

Nega Prayer

Why worry when you can pray for free? – Anon

Though Sanballat and Tobiah were openly hostile to Nehemiah, he left it in God’s hands and continued to work on rebuilding the wall. He had great success. AMEN!

As long as we live there will always be something going on that begs to get our attention, that seeks to get our focus and energies diverted there – to worry about. When you think about it, worry is really just a negative way of praying. Worry really is just ‘you’ talking to yourself in your head, and allowing the doubts, fears, and unknowns to escape and impact your health. This leads to stress, anxiety, restlessness, lack of focus, and distrust. God invites us to come freely before Him to make our pleas and petitions known, tell Him the desires of our heart; and He will gladly bear our burdens. If your life seems heavy, anxiety filled, or unfocused, maybe you need some ‘closet’ time.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“…..Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life….” – Matthew 6:27

NOTE: We will not be having Vesper Services this Sunday evening, therefore the Men's Bible Study Group will meet Sunday morning at 9:15am.

How far will you go?

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

You never know till you try

It's why they play the game! - Anon

Gideon and his rag-tag army of 300 were really no match for the vast army of the Midianites and Amalakites. But they fought and won anyway. Wow!

On paper, you don't stand a chance. The odds are mightily against you. The laws are stacked against you. On the field or court, the opponent is bigger, stronger, quicker, and nastier than you. It's like Goliath against little scrawny David. But yet, they still play the game and often the 'expected' outcome is not the end result. Somewhere during the battle, during all the scratching and clawing, the courage, faith, obedience, and willingness to lay it all on the line proved more than enough for the underdog to walk away with the victory. In sports they call it momentum, in our daily walk we call it God fighting our battles. We may not win every time, but we'll never know until we let go and let God. That's how and why we should play the game today!

Until tomorrow....

Pastor Botts

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up..." - Luke 18:1

No Questions Asked

Faith does not wonder why, for God has not done anything that needs to be explained. – P. Rosewell

The bible says “Noah did everything just as God commanded him” no questions asked. God called him righteous! Hmm!

By nature we are inquisitive people. We like to know 'why' about almost everything. God knew this as well which is why he created everything we would need to survive and know Him before He created us in His image. The whole idea was that we would look at His creation and all its splendor and go “WOW,” not “Why did you do this….., or why didn’t you do this? There may be things we don’t understand at times, or situations that seem impossible, or even times where God's Word just doesn't make sense; but that’s where faith comes in, believing God in HIs sovereignty knows better that we do.  If God is in control in our world we must trust Him to work it all out.

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