Unlocking Biblical Secrets

“Get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.” – Proverbs 4:7

Even in captivity, Daniel rose in prominence not just because he studied the Babylonians ways, but because he held fast to God and His Word. Amen!

SAT! GRE! GMAT! LSAT! Exams for schooling. CPA! CMA! UBE! RN! NP! Exams for work. Civil Service exams for governmental work. Everywhere you look it seems like we must study to pass an exam to qualify. But the good thing is there are books and courses we can take to prepare ourselves, gauge our readiness. What about life though? With all its written and unwritten rules, social norms, and customs, and the relentless pace at which it comes to us. How does one prepare for it? Well, in truth there is also a book we can and should refer to. The bible – God’s Word. It is full of His wisdom on how to navigate this life successfully, with meaning and purpose. But the bible only unlocks its secrets to those who are ready to receive them, and that requires the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for He interprets all things of God for us.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple…” – Psalm 19:7

For A Time...

“You are here!”, but…..” Anon

God’s people were in the wilderness for a while but ultimately made it to the Promised Land. Amen!

Life is to be lived out, and God sees the whole picture. Not just one frame or picture frozen in time. Where we are right now is where God needs us to be. He created us and knows all of our past failures and successes, and He knows the future He’s planned for each of us. It has to be something GRAND and more than we can imagine because God does only the extraordinary. So maybe we should begin to think a little bigger, dream a little more, and walk with more pep in our step because God is up to something for our good and ultimately His GLORY!

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” – Daniel 12:3

Which Door Will You Open?

Opportunity knocks sparingly, but temptation beats at the door every day. – Anon

Every time the angels came to present themselves before God, though he was not invited; Satan showed up anyway. Hmm!

We all know everyday life is filled with choices and decisions. It’s the stuff that makes it exciting and even daring at times. The key is to determine which are true opportunities versus urging temptations. Sometimes we might be perplexed as to which is which, however if we listen to the Spirit within us, He will lead us to understand that ‘opportunity’ ALWAYS allows us to do what is right and honorable; whereas temptation loves to hang in the shadows of darkness and concealment and uncertainty. Remembering we’re called to ‘let our light shine’ the choice or decision really then shouldn’t be that hard.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” – Colossians 4:5

Ready Or Not

For those playing hide-and-seek with Jesus, remember it's "ready or not here I come!" - Anon

The foolish virgins were banging on the door to get back into a fellowship they previously had. Hmm!

Discovery! We all like to find new things. We will often go out of our way to find and try something new and exciting. We plan outings and trips to discover. And often these adventures interfere with our worship, giving, serving, and attendance of the things of God and kingdom. If truth be told many of us play games like the 'hokey-pokey' or 'hide-and-seek' with our attention to Jesus and His commands. The parable of the 'foolish virgins' wasn't told just for entertainment, it's purpose was to instruct us to ALWAYS be ready for the Master's return for it could come at a moment's notice. And when Jesus does return to call us before Him, we want to be discovered in a READY position. Now is the time to do so.

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

"......However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" - Luke 18:8

Matching the Walk to the Talk

Too many folks have a big Christian vocabulary but little Christian experience. – C. Banning

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because their big talk didn’t match their walk. WHOA!

When we were born we spent at least a few years just taking things in, experiencing life’s joys and disappointments, learning basic motor skills and preferences. It’s as if God was giving us time to really experience life before we had anything to say. Truth is, we really should speak from our experiences for in them we have a depth of knowledge and wisdom to draw from. It seems this is lost in our Christian walk. We often walk in the sinful ways of the world, hold fast to a secular worldview, and spend little time with God – but yet we seem to know the lingo, scriptures to cite, and way to appear ‘holy’ to others. We must be careful in thinking this way because it is the common ploy of Satan (he masquerades as an angel of light). It’s good to praise God verbally, but a life well lived is the grandest example.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Where words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” – Proverbs 10:19

Hope you can make it to Prayer Breakfast tomorrow morning at 9:30am.

Going Along with God

The person who tries to lead himself has a fool for a follower. – Anon

The Prodigal son knew in his heart he was ready to take on and conquer the world. Thank God he came to his senses later. PHEW!

It’s a strange picture – a dog chasing his tail – but it paints a vivid picture of reality oftentimes. It’s a picture of lost purpose, no direction, wasted energy, and plain silliness. Yet, when we get right down to it, many people are just like that, maybe some of us. We give half-hearted attention to God’s ways or completely shun them, thinking we truly know what’s best and how to work things out. But this world and its ways were already a going concern when we were born and came of age, and likely will be a going concern long after we’re gone. The only constant is a loving God who is working things out to his perfect design. And it’s easier to go along with him than to kick against the pricks.

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:20-21

Understanding God's Way

The time is always right to do what is right. – MLK, Jr.

Joseph wouldn’t betray his God to sleep with another man’s wife. Samuel wouldn’t betray his God in failing to pray for the people. Though no one else would know – GOD WOULD!

We live in a society that teaches us to “Just Do It.” Wrong, immoral or indecent, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, or everyone’s consenting, or it’s my prerogative, etc. I’ll do it. Even on the positive side we’re continuously asked to ‘cut corners,’ ‘give some slack,’ or “lighten up a bit.” But such thinking makes the concept of right and wrong subjective. It is not. God’s way is the only right way, regardless of how we feel about it or what we think about it. The better question to ask is: What does God think of me doing what I’m doing?”

Until Monday...

Pastor Botts

“Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” – Hosea 14:9

Service Oriented Life

History is HIS story. – Rick Warren

The prophets, apostles, and even Jesus told the same message – God is working things out to HIS OWN glory. Hmm!

Most of us will probably never write a book, a play, or a song, nor create a great piece of art that says this is who I am. We will not go down in history like Dr. King, Mother Teresa, Shakespeare, or the likes of them. But that’s okay, we were not meant to be those individuals – just ourselves. And even in this, God has something He wants to say to the world through our lives. God wants others to know of Him through the way we live – great or small – and the service we give. That’s the great thing about life for God, its service oriented; which gives us all an equal playing field to work with. The question we need to ask ourselves is: What is my life saying right now?

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity.” – Colossians 4:5

Humble Living

To be proud of virtue is to poison yourself with the antidote. – Benjamin Franklin

Pharaoh’s refusal to bow his heart to God’s will as spoken through Moses only cost him his son. OUCH!

Though we know God is not pleased with the ways of a drunkard, thief, liar, or even a murderer, the bible never says He resists them, but it does say ‘God resists the proud.’ Now that’s a wake-up call to humility. Our sins or shortcomings may not be as open as the others, but when we try to pretend we’re better than, or that we have no fault or sin in our lives; the god of pride and self-delusion has taken up residence in our heart. We’ve all sinned, and every day is a major battle to live solely unto God. The truth of the matter is every kind of sin can be cleansed and forgiven by God if we humble ourselves and confess it to Him right now, before pride takes us captive.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” – Proverbs 26:12

Let Your Life Do the Talking

The good and the wise lead quiet lives. Euripides

The moment Eve started ‘debating’ God’s word with Satan she lost, and eventually so did we. Thank God for redeeming love in Christ Jesus.

It’s often been said “many an argument is sound – and just that, SOUND!” When you step back and think about it there is a lot of truth to that. Often if we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves with raised voices and raised heart rates being argumentative to ‘prove’ our point, or case, or situation. But the best argument we could ever present for Christ and His church is not by our vocabulary but by how we live our life. It’s true that sometimes it’s hard to keep our words edifying, encouraging, and fragrant; however, Jesus said they will know we are his disciples if we show “LOVE for one another.”

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” – Proverbs 12:18

Don't Bank on Tomorrow

Sometimes ‘later’ becomes NEVER. Do it NOW! – Anon

You might call Mordecai’s insistence for Esther to speak up life-saving. Hmm!

REGRET! A simple 6-letter easy to spell word. But the definition carries a lot of weight and can often be overpowering in our life. To wish we had opportunity to “do over” something we did wrong or “do” something beautiful we didn’t get a chance to do at all. Those missed opportunities to visit with a loved one before God called them home, missed opportunities to support a good cause, to keep our promises to our children, or honor the promises we even made to ourselves. How we invest our time is our own decision, but we must remember two things. First, our time is limited, and we don’t know how much we have. Second, the enemy plays on it, always telling us “You’ll have time for ‘that’ later, just enjoy my company right now!” God has given us today full of hope, our assignment is to turn it into joyful memories. May we invest wisely!

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“….the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure….For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter” – Ecclesiastes 8:5-6

What's Done In the Dark...

The nice part of living in a small town is that when I don’t know what I’m doing, someone else does. – Anon

When Lot was in trouble down in Sodom & Gomorrah, someone told Abram; and he came to his rescue. AMEN!

One of the truths we come to realize as we grow older is that the world isn’t as big as we once thought it to be. With the current technology and innovations anything can be brought to light almost instantly, and unfortunately it often is. We often think we can get away with or hide our ‘habits,’ ‘dirty deeds,’ or non-Christian behaviors, but in reality, we can’t. Someone is always looking, and generally it is someone we know or who knows about us. True, sin is a part of all our lives, but habitual, behavioral sin is what Christ frees us from. In a day and age where a lie can go around the world before truth has an opportunity to tie its shoes, we need to be mindful of whom we belong to at all times.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” – Romans 16:19

Wisdom From the Source

We're not wise by what we know, we're wise by what we do with what we know. - Anon

The ark was built not because Noah had the plans, but because Noah acted on the plans. Amen!

We have names for them. The savvy investor, smart shopper, shrewd businessperson, etc. A few of them may have come from a family of means, but many of them were just like you and I - common folk. The fact is they took what they knew and put it into practice repeatedly, refined it, and made themselves even better. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge or learning, and it is equally attainable by all, no matter the setting or environment. And the best place to start acquiring wisdom is at the feet of Almighty God...."the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!" You may not become materially rich but you will have a tie-in to the One who is the source of all good things. And anyone who accumulates God's blessings is far richer in this life and the life to come. Sign me up!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." - Proverbs 2:6

Being Slow to Speak

When you have to have the last word, usually it’s an apology. – Sparks

Job so badly wanted to plead his cause to God he talked his friends ears off. After hearing God speak all he could say was OOPS, Sorry about that!

Because we have the ability or opportunity to say certain things doesn’t mean we should in all cases. Many of us often take the point of view that because I have something to say on the matter, I’m going to say it, and often our emphasis is in error. There’s a common saying that goes “Speak when you’re angry and you’ll make the greatest speech you’ll ever regret.” Sometimes swallowing our words now is much easier than eating them later.

Until Monday…

Pastor Botts

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.” - Proverbs 10:19-20

Minding Our Words

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. – Plato

When Jesus was ‘transfigured’ before the disciples there, Peter just couldn’t seem to hold his tongue. God set him straight! OUCH!

Look around, we now live in a culture where everyone is virtually connected at the hip by cellphone. And everywhere you go they are either ringing to be answered or someone is already talking on one. It didn’t use to be this way, but technology has made it easier and affordable – but that does not necessarily translate into needful. God has said our conversation is to be uplifting, seasoned with grace, non-condemning, and for the benefit of His kingdom purposes. Given the truth that we will one day have to give account for every word we speak, maybe we should weigh our words a bit more carefully.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:37

Know Your Worth

Your true value depends entirely on who or what you are compared with. – B. Wells

Potiphar’s wife thought the slave boy Joseph would be easy prey. She didn’t know he served a high calling before God. Wow!

Keeping up with the Jones' has been a lifelong tradition. For many of us it was something almost inbred in us by our parents or peers, and we just can’t seem to identify ourselves any other way. It’s the way of the world and its expectations – you are what you drive, eat, wear, where you live, etc. When we allow these comparisons to shape us it brings undue stress and strain in our lives, impacting our emotional and spiritual well-being. God has told us we are worth everything to Him (He gave His Son for us) and it doesn’t matter what our lot in life is, He loves us just the same. When we look at the saints of old, we will see how even with their flaws God used them, shaped them, loved them, and saved them. Need we any other comparisons to see how much we are valued and loved.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” – II Corinthians 10:12

It's STILL the Truth

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. – Anon

Judas, Herod, Pilate. They didn’t know it at the time but their actions toward Jesus were all in God’s plan. Hmm!

Truth! Wisdom! Enlightenment! We all seek after such things for in the righteousness of God they make life a lot simpler and even more bearable. But sometimes God puts the wisdom or instruction we need in people we think have nothing to contribute to society or our lives. Salvation came through a “child in a manger” while the Jews were looking for a majestic war general. We tend to get caught up sometimes thinking that unless someone is pedigreed, well-educated, or hugely successful in life, they can’t speak into our lives at all. Sometimes the best way to avoid failure is to listen to someone who has been down that road. As we ask God to speak into our lives we should not be so quick to rule out whom He may use.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?....For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom…” – I Corinthians 1:20,25

Doing Right. Always.

The time is always right to do what is right. – MLK, Jr.

Joseph wouldn’t betray his God to sleep with another man’s wife. Samuel wouldn’t betray his God in failing to pray for the people. Though no one else would know – GOD WOULD!

We live in a society that teaches us to “Just Do It.” Wrong, immoral or indecent, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, or everyone’s consenting, or it’s my prerogative, etc. I’ll do it. Even on the positive side we’re continuously asked to ‘cut corners,’ ‘give some slack,’ or “lighten up a bit.” But such thinking makes the concept of right and wrong subjective. It is not. God’s way is the only right way, regardless of how we feel about it or what we think about it. The better question to ask is: What does God think of me doing what I’m doing?”

Until Monday……..

Pastor Botts

“Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” – Hosea 14:9

P.S. - Hope you can make it this Sunday, it's Men's Day, "NEXT MAN UP!"

Measure Up to The Word

Self delusion is sucking in your stomach when you step on the scales. – P. Sweeney

The Pharisees smugly thought the law of Moses was all they needed when the Living Word (Jesus) was right in front of them. They missed the point. Hmm!

It's so easy to overlook the obvious, when you don't want to make any changes or remain complacent in life. The things we know we need to do we often don't, telling ourselves we're really not that bad off. Openly, many of us would not dare admit that we take opportunity to keep up with the Jones', but secretly we do. Often, we keep tabs on those a little more sinful than us, or even those a little more holier than us, often measuring ourselves and our lives by them. When we do this we’re giving ourselves a false sense of security that everything is alright. We can look elsewhere, we can even convince ourselves the standard measure has changed. But God has given us a standard, His. And it is unchanging, in the end He will be the final judge, so our measure should not be one another, but His Word.

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise….For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” – II Corinthians 10:12, 18

What does your life say?

History is HIS story. – Rick Warren

The prophets, apostles, and even Jesus told the same message – God is working things out to His own glory. Hmm!

Most of us will probably never write a book, play, or song, or create a great piece of art that says this is who I am. We will not go down in history like Dr. King, Mother Teresa, Shakespeare or the likes of them. But that’s okay, we were not meant to be those individuals – just ourselves. And even in this God has something He wants to say to the world through our lives. God wants others to know of Him through the way we live – great or small – and the service we give. That’s the great thing about life for God, its service oriented; which gives us all an equal playing field to work with. The question we need to ask ourselves is: what is my life saying right now?

Until tomorrow….

Pastor Botts

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity.” – Colossians 4:5