Time Keeps on Slipping...

You cannot kill time without injury to eternity. – H. D. Thoreau  

Jesus told his disciples they MUST work while it is day, for it would soon come a time when they couldn’t. OUCH!  

Alarms, bells, whistles, chimes, etc. We’re surrounded by gadgets that each day remind us of the time. Time is the most precious commodity on planet earth. It is even more valuable than money. We can get more money, but we cannot get more time.  Each morning we all awake with the same 24-hour timeframe with which to work. How we spend it will well determine where we go when our time is no more. The key is not to waste it on fruitless endeavors, dead-end roads, harboring resentment and hate, or meaningless living; but rather invest it in lives and projects that will make an eternal difference. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “the time is always right to do what is right.” And that time is now, for none of us is getting younger by the day.  

Until tomorrow…..  

Pastor Botts  

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

Un-Fixed

No one is poor who can by prayer open up the storehouse of God. – Anon  

Solomon prayed asking God for guidance and wisdom to rule his people. He got that and every other blessing God could muster. Amen!  

When it comes to living on this earth most of us are poor because we live on “fixed” incomes. Fixed by what WE see, what WE can do, and by what WE are. But we serve a God who is the Creator of all things and is able to “do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.” Yet we live as paupers. God is ready to open the storehouse of heaven for us if only we would ask. The key however, is not only praying in God’s will, but in making God’s will OUR will – then all of heaven is at our disposal. I’m not advocating the ‘prosperity gospel’ some preach but the truth that a Christian in any situation knows they are rich beyond measure.  

Until Monday……  

Pastor Botts  

“You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” – James 4:2-3  

P.S. - Don't forget this Sunday's Devotional time at 9AM in the fellowship hall. You don't want to miss it.  

Using that Good Word

To understand the bible requires openness; first you open it, then you open you. – Anon

When Jesus taught them from the ‘scriptures’ of old they wondered where did he get such wisdom. Hmm!

The bible is a priceless gift, a tool for Christians to live by. It’s a love letter from God. The reason we so often get ‘love’ all mixed up and confused is because we search for it in every other thing and every other place, not understanding that we can never fully know love until we understand it from God’s perspective, the giver of the gift. And because we often keep this great tool closed and/or out of sight we mutter through life unfulfilled. The world is filled with hungering folks who have exactly what they need at their fingertips. We cannot truly love God and live fully unless we know Him, and He wants to be known. God’s Holy Word is indeed, a priceless, one-of-a-kind treasure. Yes, it needs to be handled with care, but more importantly, we need to handle it every day. Today’s great day to start.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God…” – Matthew 4:4

Who You Are

You are exactly who you’ve chosen to be! – Anon

Joseph’s character was never in question, and he made sure it stayed that way. Just ask Potiphar’s wife. Hmm!

From the moment we wake up each day until the moment we nod off at night, our life’s tapestry is knitted together by the decisions/choices we make. What to do, what to say, what to meditate on, etc… You can choose to dwell on your health problems, financial issues, or other challenges in your life, or you can choose to remind yourself of the blessings God has brought to you and brought you through. The choice of being bitter or better is not ‘forced’ upon us by life’s situations, it’s a conscious choice or decision we make alone. The one thing that should always remain in our consciousness is that ‘if God is God?’ our every decision should be made in light of His wisdom…… and man o’ man, does God have some answers. 

Until tomorrow……

Pastor Botts

“….but the wisdom that comes from heaven, if first of all pure; then peace-loving” – James 3:17

What it takes...

The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there. – V. Lombardi

David was Israel’s greatest king, but he had many battles before AND after he took the throne. AMEN!

We like to think life should remain constant and our situations should never change, but change is really the one constant in life. We’re up today and down or under attack the next, and wonder why. God never promised us an easy or comfortable life, he promised us a life filled with His presence. If we stop and think about it; life would be pretty boring without any battles or friction to help smooth out our rough edges and remind us we can’t do it alone. If we truly expect success or significance in our life the only way is by dedicated effort and obedience to God’s will.

Until tomorrow…..

Pastor Botts

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” – Daniel 2:20-21

Learn & Be Wise

It’s hard to think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. – A. Lincoln

When God said ‘He that has an ear let him hear,’ He actually expected them to do something afterward. Hmm!

Mistakes – we all make them, it’s just a fact of life. The key is to learn from them and not repeat the same ones over and over. And that includes the lessons we can learn from others that have been down a path we need not go. Debt burdens, poor health, stealing, etc. are all avenues to avoid, not get further entangled in. Yes, God did say He can turn any situation around to work it for His glory, but He also said the ‘consequences’ of the sin will follow. It’s true, people do read us more by our actions than our words, so let us preach today loud and clearly by the way we walk.

Until Monday…..

Pastor Botts

“A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father…” – Proverbs 29:3

P.S. - Make it a date this Sunday to be with us for our Sunday School Devotion Time - 9AM and our Superbowl Superfest after morning service beginning at 1PM.