Fresh Manna by Tim Burt

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

As a Christian, change is something that I have always felt was to be a constant in my life. In the early stages of my Christian walk, the need for change was more than obvious to me. I had filled my thoughts with the world's way of thinking and my actions reflected it. Prior to receiving Jesus into my life, I knew nothing about the Bible and so in a way I was my own god. By that I mean that I based my standard and ways for living on my philosophy of life - the philosophy that I had shaped mostly to fit what pleased me. I started reading the Bible and realized that God had much higher standards than I did. Over time I could see the wisdom in them and wanted them as my standards. If I was serious, then that meant change! Saying it was easy. Doing it wasn’t.

When you accept Jesus into your heart, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you. As you begin to read and learn God's Word, He begins to reveal God's ways to you. That was happening to me. I didn't want to change just one thing. I wanted to change multiple areas of my life. I wanted to treat people kinder. I wanted to be more truthful. I wanted to stop doing things that were unprofitable and contrary to God's word. I wanted to do things that were profitable for my life. I wanted to serve God in practical ways. I wanted to quit using profanity and stop being cynical or sarcastic. There was so much I wanted to change! Over time I yearned to be pleasing to God. I wanted to be an example of His love – not the hypocrite I too often felt like.

I'm somewhat of a multi-tasker so I thought, “Why not make all these changes at once?” That is where I learned the reality of something I probably knew deep down inside but seemed to continuously forget. I remembered that just because you want to do something that is right and good, doesn't mean it comes easy. If you have ever gone on a diet or tried to change your eating habits or start an exercise program, you know what I mean.

As I started to make changes, there were some changes that were so supernatural in their working that they could only be attributed to God. For example, having been and alcoholic for years and then to one day, never touch alcohol again was a touch from God that can only be described as miraculous. The desire was gone and out of my life forever. There were a few things like that. But, the majority of things that needed change did not come easy. It often felt like they were chained to me. It was in this place that I learned the meaning of commitment.

I deal with Christians that know they are engaged in thought and behavioral patterns that are harmful or destructive but can't seem to find there way out of them. I don't think people realize that commitment - true commitment is a spiritual thing. What Jesus did for us was born out of pure and perfect commitment to His Father. No other man or women that lived upon the earth could do what He did. That is why He came for us. What did Jesus know about commitment that caused Him to succeed where we so often fail?

The first secret Jesus knew was that He did not live His earthly life for Himself. He lived His life for others. That flies in complete contradiction to the gurus of today that tell you to get the most out of every day for yourself! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reveals our life isn’t our own! It says, "What? Don’t you understand that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who resides within you, whom you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Skeptics call this a cop-out but Jesus knew this life was but a vapor. He knew that because of sin manifesting through all mankind, this life would not be the life that God wanted for us. There would be another to come. This life's purpose changed in the plan of God from His original intent. Sin would create havoc and confusion for mankind. God would craft a plan of trust, peace, and promise for us to share. We would instead help people know of God's love so they could enter into the life He would prepare for us – forgiven and His children. Jesus is preparing that place right now for each and every person who will receive Him. He said this in John 14:2-3. "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Prov 16:3 says, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do and your plans will succeed.”The ability to keep a commitment is understanding that the strength to do so is rooted in your life’s purpose being committed to something greater than yourself. It has to be rooted in you being a contributor the plan of God and the blessings of those around you. When you realize that the lives of others can be changed eternally because of your commitment to change and serve God, your resolve and commitments will be strengthened and YOU WILL change. AND, your rewards will be eternal. This is the first secret that when understood, has the potential to bring great change in your life. Succeed not for yourself, but for others! More later…

In His love,
Pastor Tim

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2009 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

How are you feeling today? Pretty ordinary? Maybe under the weather or tired from the holidays and feeling a little depleted. When we get this way, our emotions usually follow suit. They go where they shouldn’t go and we can easily act or respond in a way that we shouldn’t. I want you to read a verse that—if you think about it—is an unusual admonishment from the Apostle Paul. 1 Cor 3:3 “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?”

Doesn't this seem an unusual question? “Are you not acting like mere men?” How else are people supposed to live out their lives? We are what we are, aren’t we?

Paul is indicating to those he is speaking to that because they are Christians—those who have given their lives to Jesus Christ and consequently been filled with God’s Holy Spirit—that living life as “mere men” is unsatisfactory. Could this be true? It is! We are not to be acting like mere men or women. This is one of the greatest truths missing from the Christian church today. When we were born again, we were made new creatures in Christ (2Cor 5:17.) According to the Word of God we were given the Holy Spirit, to be more than just a man or woman. We were given God's nature so that we could resist the power of sin and emulate Jesus, learning to walk after Him in love, power, and authority. Eph 5:1 drives home that truth! "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." We are His ministers in the earth, commissioned to minister to the needs of those around us in our day-to-day life, whether it be by prayer, sharing, teaching, or by anointed encouragement, or even by the laying on of hands on the sick.

If you've ever tried to kick a habit or break patterns of wrong behavior, or if you've ever tried to consistently speak, say, think, or do the right things, you know how hard it can be. The Bible says that for people who haven't received Jesus, they are snared by the "power of sin." That's why people can't do things they should do and do things they know they shouldn't do. Mere men are those that haven't received Jesus, or if they have, they haven't learned to walk in who they are in Him.

After I received Jesus into my heart, I still walked as a "mere man" in many areas of my life for a long time. I didn't know how to walk any other way. The Bible says we have a divine nature that we are to partake of. 2 Peter 1:4 “Through these God has given us His very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” Does it get clearer than this?

To participate in His divine nature you have to shake off feelings of being ordinary. You have to purpose to believe that the Holy Spirit within you will strengthen you today. You have to believe that He’ll use you today. You launch that by asking God to help you participate in His nature by asking Him to strengthen and use you to touch someone with His love today.

God has a tremendous plan for each and every one of us. If we will just get over ourselves and give ourselves over to Him and believe what He says, we can go beyond being just mere men. Then He can begin to do a mighty work in us and through us.

And by the way, forget trying to be perfect or cleaned up before God uses you. God will use you long before you are cleaned up. That part is a lifelong process. I've been at the cleaners for 32 years. I'm so glad that I've leaned on His divine nature so I could quit walking as a "mere man" that was powerless to change, and instead be changed and used of Him. How about you?

In His love,
Pastor Tim

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2009 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

Have you ever felt like a voice or some feeling or sign is a sign that is telling you how your day or upcoming future is going to go? The world calls that an omen and if you choose to believe it, you could be opening yourself up to demonic activity. An omen is defined as a phenomenon or event or circumstance that supposedly forecasts a good or evil. Signs outside of what God's Word teaches us are born out of superstition, myth, wild and over-spiritual imaginations, and even pizza dreams.

Cultures that don't have God's Word to instruct them end up with spiritual cultures that are filled with myth and superstition. God never wanted this for mankind. He instructed His children through Moses to avoid this kind of thing. We see it in Deuteronomy 18:9-11 "When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead.”

God wanted them to avoid being influenced by the pagan cultures that surrounded them because belief in them would curse their life with false beliefs. He wanted them to listen to, learn, and trust Him and His Word alone. He feels the same way today.

When we give our lives to Jesus, we are filled with His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit opens up our ability to understand scripture and teaches and instructs us from within helping us to learn and execute God's Word in our lives. For example, let’s say one day you really have a bad attitude. As it affects your day and those around you, you start to feel the wrongness of it. You might hear this inward thought sounding like an omen that suggests – “Your wife says you are always this way and you are never going to change. Your wife is going to get tired of you and ditch you and divorce you soon.” If you put faith in that thought or omen, you might give up on the spot and say, “What’s the use?” At the same time, the Lord begins to bring to your remembrance verses on loving one another. That is God leading you by His Spirit. God doesn't lead us by omens or circumstances, but by His Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 says "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." If you listened to the Holy Spirit, you’d repent to God and then to your wife, and with the grace of God and His help, you’d change that behavior.

We don't have to cave in to bad circumstances that produce “omens” - thoughts of doom that seem to speak to us saying that gloom is a part of our upcoming destiny. God wants us to rise up in faith knowing that He is our help and our promise. He’ll help us in any situation if we will believe His promises and have faith in them.

On a closing note for today, which will you believe? Some omen generated by a negative circumstance or this promise to God’s children? Psa 115:11-15 "You that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield. The LORD has been mindful of us: He will bless us... He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children. You are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth."

In His love,
Pastor Tim

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2009 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

It was Christmas day. Renee's parents were knocking at the door. The house was decorated and looked beautiful. The food was cooking in the kitchen. Christmas was in the air. The doorbell rang and her parents entered.

As I was helping them come in and take their coats off, suddenly, just like it did the night before at church, it hit me again - that feeling of Christmas spirit. It was this overwhelming feeling of thanks. I was thankful to God for my family - immediate and extended. I was thankful I had a home they could come to to celebrate Christmas in. And for a flash, I was covered with thoughts of the mercy of God. As they were entering into my home, in an instant I thought "Lord, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have a life, a family, or a home. Christmas would have still been a holiday that never measured up to the expectation I had every year of my childhood. Lord if it hadn’t been for your mercy and love, I would have killed myself on drugs or alcohol or something stupid. I'd be dead. Instead here I am surrounded by your goodness and all this love.” It was momentary, it was powerful, it was so real, and it was almost overwhelming.

We went up into the kitchen and as I was getting her parents some cider, the first words out of Renee's mom's mouth were, "Where would we be without Jesus?" She then quoted Psa 27:13. "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." I looked at her astonished and laughed as I shared those same thoughts I just had as they were entering the house. We stayed in the kitchen for some time eating Christmas treats while praising God for His goodness in our lives.

Romans 1:5 from the Living Bible describes Christmas for me. "And now, through Christ, all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us undeserving sinners, and now He is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things God has done for them, so that they too will believe and obey Him.”

2000 years ago when the evening sky illuminated with the angelic host of Heaven and the angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people,” little did we know how intimately that good news would affect our lives. I surely did not know growing up when I heard Linus quoting them watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special. But I do now and I am filled with thanks! Merry Christmas to each of you from Renee and I. We pray you’ll be intimately touched by His love this Christmas!

In His love,
Pastor Tim

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2009 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.